Happy Weekend to you!
I’m loving this relaxing weekend at home with Michael because it’s equal parts productive (we saw a touring Broadway show, went to the gym, filed my taxes, published a post) and lazy. Today we’ll begin packing for our New England trip, which could be an issue because we’ll be experiencing a sixty-degree weather change. I look forward to exploring new places and visiting familiar ones, and sharing that with you!
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We’ve finalized a rough itinerary for our trip (leaving plenty of free time in our schedule for stumbling on new discoveries!) and took a few fun internet breaks in between.
Here’s what’s been on my radar this week:
Travel
An airport hotel worth booking a flight for
In case you’re visiting any of these cities soon – here’s a roundup of Zero Waste stores in the U.S.
How to work out in any hotel room.
Andrea shares how to pack when you’re traveling between climates (in a carry-on, of course!).
This comic from Itchy Feet describes exactly how I feel every time I travel to Europe. It always takes some adjustment to calculate things in the metric system (which explains why I thought ordering a kilo of cherries from the guy on the side of the road in Provence would be sufficient for a light snack).
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Food
Last week we made “The Stew” and were very underwhelmed, so this week we made this curried lentil soup, and it was miles ahead in flavor. I’m bookmarking for future soup nights, as every ingredient is something we always have on hand!
If I had a pasta machine I would make… things that are not pasta.
Everything you need to know about canned tomatoes. We seem to go through an absurd number of cans in our house (my favorite weeknight/empty pantry meal? Throw a can of tomatoes, half a can of white beans, a clove of garlic, some pesto or basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and some veggie broth in the Vitamix – in five minutes you’ll have a yummy bowl of tomato soup, and enough time to make a grilled cheese if you wish).
Oh, these galette des rois look beautiful (and I bet you could get away with store-bought puff pastry, too!).
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Life & Home
We just finished watching the final season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and the limited series The Assassination of Gianni Versace on Netflix, and have jumped across the pond for Derry Girls. What are you bingeing right now?
Lee has a great roundup of home design and plant books (Remodelista is a fave of mine!).
I don’t smoke, but that wouldn’t stop me from wanting to carry this beautiful lighter. I bet I could put it to good use in my house for lighting candles…
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Style
Hmm… I was pretty excited about Everlane’s new Cashmere Wrap Sweater, but I’m not sure how I feel about it being a mock wrap, and I think the cut looks a little… squat? I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this style.
For those unfamiliar with garment production, garments are typically first made in a sample size and then the patterns are “graded” to smaller and larger sizes (adjusting garment dimensions is not as simple as say, adding an inch to the length and the width and calling it a new size – after a few adjustments the proportions would end up way out of whack). Many traditional clothing labels start with a smaller sample size and end their upper grading around size 10-14; newcomer Ori (now closed) starts at a higher sample size and grades their patterns from a size 10-32, much more in line with the national average size in the U.S.
A look into the rise of Everlane. This brand takes up more real estate in my closet than any other, and while they’re not perfect and I certainly don’t love everything I’ve tried from them, I can’t really beat the quality on my salary (forever faves: these loafers, these jeans, this sweater).
I’m reading and re-reading this cold-weather layering guide obsessively.
Things I bought this week
There was a period in my life when I almost hoarded beauty products – they’re relatively inexpensive and I justified that I could always use them. But you know how these things go – in reality, they would sit in a bin in my closet waiting until they were too old to use and I had to chuck them.
These days I practice a one-one strategy: I have one of something that I’m currently using, and I store a backup of that item so it is ready when the first one is finished. I recently replaced a mascara, so when I saw that this mascara was on sale I snapped it up to give it a try.
After actively seeking an ethically-made charcoal tee (one that is solid, not heathered-grey) I gave up and placed an order at Uniqlo and bought this charcoal tee since I love the cut of this tee, which I also own in white. I also ordered a size down in this bra that I own and love as it’s a little loose in the band.
And in a moment of weakness, I also threw a ponte pencil skirt in my cart. I don’t hold much hope that it will fit (most of Uniqlo’s clothes are cut to fit a straighter silhouette than mine), but I can always use PayPal’s return shipping refund (no longer available) to cover the cost of returning it.
Finally, I ordered a pair of black leather tech gloves on Poshmark. I’ve had a pair on my list for a while, but only actively searched for a pair after checking the weather forecast for our upcoming trip. I hope they arrive in time; I’m not particularly thrilled with my seller’s slow shipping speed.
Have a Happy Sunday! Do you prefer your weekends to be more lazy, or more productive?
Haha that comic is how I feel every day here in the States!
Loved the Martha Steward article!
And I just sent that cruffin recipe to my husband in the hopes that he’ll be inspired to use our pasta maker creatively.
The metric system really just makes more sense – I volunteer for the U.S. to make the change!
Please, please let me know if you make the cruffins, they look so delicious.