As a last hurrah to summer, here's a great little outfit for trips to the lake or road trips. The kimono top is my favorite piece, perfect for layering or a swimsuit coverup.
shein.com
boohoo.com
$78 - tarastarlet.com
$31 - hm.com
The Cambridge Satchel Company leather backpack
$220 - shopbop.com
$19 - shoplaluce.com
6pm.com
claires.com
Likes: Cupcakes! Baby, giraffe, and pooh bear. Reading all the books!
Dislikes: Naps. Not eating all the cupcakes/cookies.
Sleeping: Every few days, Arthur wakes up in the middle of the night crying. If I go in, he screams more. If J goes in, he usually goes back to bed. Hoping that this stage ends soon...
Eating: It's really hit or miss. Some days he eats anything and everything. Other days, he picks one food and that's all he will eat. Typical toddler behavior, but man does it annoy me somedays.
Playing: We are entering the realm of imaginary play, help us all! He's actually starting to get playing with others. Thank goodness I bought him more vtech track for his cars. He loves it!
Doctor Visit Stats: Arthur had his 2 year old appointment on Monday. We measured out at 30 lbs and 35 inches! No vaccines this time, but we did opt for a flu shot for Arthur and myself. The tech was incredibly quick. Arthur didn't even cry! Barring any illness, Arthur doesn't have to go back to the doctor until next October.
Schedule: Life is so busy with a toddler! We usually have a full day of stuff even if that includes laundry and making dinner.
Out and About: We've been all about our usual parent group activities and outings. My current favorite place is Habitot in Berkeley. It's so amazing! We can't wait to go back soon. As the temperatures start to get cooler, we're taking advantage of all the park time that we can!
Title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Author: Susanna Clarke
Publisher: Bloomsbury 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction; Fantasy
Pages: 782
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Fantasy Project; NPR Scifi/Fan; 21st Century Women Authors; A to Z - J; Books to Movies; 52 Books - W41
English magicians were once the wonder of the known world, with fairy servants at their beck and call; they could command winds, mountains, and woods. But by the early 1800s they have long since lost the ability to perform magic. They can only write long, dull papers about it, while fairy servants are nothing but a fading memory.
It's taken me years to get around to reading this giant volume, but I finally did it this week! And it was great! Clarke's writing reminds me of Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. I love the old-fashioned style of writing. The writing put me into the time period. And the story was great. I loved diving into Strange and Norrell and their strange personality quirks. The side characters were also very interesting. I loved Stephen and Arabella. The book meanderings through topics, stories, and characters, but somehow everything comes together in the end! The book is long, but I very much enjoyed it.
Watching: J and I only have 3 more episodes of Merlin! What are we going to do when it's over? I suppose just pick another show to binge watch, but it's still sad...
Reading: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It's been on my list for years now. I finally got around to reading it. Good, but my goodness it is long...
Listening: I started at the beginning of Elise Blaha Cripe's podcast Elise Gets Crafty. I'm enjoying her discussion of small business and creativity. I'm about halfway through all of them and really enjoying these podcasts.
Making: I'm doing the last of my Halloween cards. I wanted to make one for each kid coming to the fall social on Saturday. I need about five more cards. Plus, it gives me a chance to use up some of my Halloween paper.
Feeling: The past two weeks have been insane. Now that the retreat and Arthur's birthday party is finished, I'm feeling much calmer.
Planning: I'm coordinating and participating in one and participating in another craft fair. I need to reevaluate my inventory for them and decide my game plan. I also have a ton of tasks for the one I'm coordinating.
Loving: Arthur's being supper snuggly lately. I love it!
This summer I participated in a capsule wardrobe challenge. I learned a lot from three months of wearing ~40 pieces. One of the biggest things that I learned was that I hate most of my wardrobe. I have so many ill-fitting and/or not my style pieces cluttering my closet. After completing the summer capsule wardrobe, I decided to take the fall off from that particular challenge and work on building a wardrobe I love. To that end, I started buying clothes agin. But not just any old clothes. No more purchases from the clearance rack "just because it's cheap." No more keeping things that don't quite fit. No more buying things that i love on the mannequin but look silly on me. No more buying clothes that I realistically won't wear. Instead, I'm trying to be very selective in my buying. So, dear readers, I am going to share with you what I bought during the past month. I will post links if the item is still available and prices i paid. I don't have a specific budget, but definitely don't want to spend more than $100 a month. (Realistically I'm aiming for around $40 a month). You will also get to see pieces I bought that I ended up returning. By December, I want to be able to say that I bought some great pieces that I wear often. I also want to plan for a possible winter capsule wardrobe...
Dia & Co. Box
I started this subscription service in August. You can read about my first box here. I had a box scheduled for the end of the September. You can read the full post here. I ended up buying the awesome ASOS Jeans ($54).
Old Navy
I took advantage of Old Navy's huge Labor Day sale. 60% select items, plus an extra 15% off. I ended up buying six pieces and returning three.
Hi-Lo Relaxed Fit Tank in Pink Print $5.10 -- Perfect fit. Cute enough to be paired to jean shorts or a black knit mini.
Pointe Knit Mini in Black $8.50 -- I've never owned a knit mini skirt, but this one was the right price to try out. Thankfully it fits great and is super comfy. Plus it looks great with heeled sandals and wedges, flip flops, or flats.
Sleeveless V-Neck in Black Dot $6.80 (returned) -- Very cute top, but absolutely huge on me. I tried tucking it into the skirt, but it's still just too much fabric for me. Sad to return this one.
Pixie Pant in Flaming Tulip $12.32 (returned) -- They fit okay in the waist, but were baggy around my knees. Plus I could tell these were going to sag as the day progressed. Had to return them.
Floral Swing Tank in Black Print $5.95 (returned) -- Very sheer and a little too short for me.
3/4 Sleeve Swing Tea in Black $5.10 -- On the shorter side, but I love the subtle movement to this top. Plus I like the sleeves.
Target
Even though I said I wasn't going to shop the clearance, I do love to look. I am limiting myself to pieces from there that I really love. I grabbed these two pieces while picking up household items.
Palazzo Pants $5.98 -- The pants were an impulse buy. I love fun lounging wear, but was getting sick of yoga pants. These are cute but super comfy. I could even wear them to the library or grocery store. So impulse, but I think a smart buy.
Black V-Neck Tee $7.00 -- I love great fitting basic tees. These Merona ones work perfectly around the house or dressed up a bit.
September Total: $85.68 Lower than my max of $100, but higher than I wanted it to be. For October, I'm not planning on buying much of anything (except my Dia box), so the number should be a lot smaller.
Great new-to-me music. Really digging the sound...
Listening To: Random Spotify playlists. I never know what I'm listening to, but I know I like it.
Book finished: We Should All Be Feminists
Reading: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke; Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin; Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
On the Nightstand: The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Making Lists: October-December craft projects. I'm trying to decide on which Christmas card designs I want to make plus any candy holders or gift card holders.
From the kitchen: I made yummy sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash last week. Perfect to help me get into the mood for fall, even if it was 83 degrees that day.
Crafting: This past week, I took a break from active crafting. Between the retreat and Arthur's birthday party, I was too busy. My little craft area feels very lonely. I promise to get back to it next week.
Watching: J and I have been watching our currently airing shows (The League, Last Week Tonight). He also had me start watching High Maintenance, a fascinating web series. And we're four episodes from the finale of Merlin.
From Nature: Beautiful this weather this week until yesterday morning. I had planned to have Arthur's birthday party in the backyard. Imagine my surprise when we woke up to extremely low clouds and drizzle. No good! Thankfully our house accommodated everyone. And the sun finally burned off the clouds around noon.
Project: Working on the big parent group fundraiser for November 14th. It's a doozy...
Picture: Revealing his dinosaur at the party.
It's fall in California and that means: warm temps and sunshine! As a nod to the slightly cooler nights, I paired a tank with a great open cardigan. I really need both of those things. Some comfy Toms and great basic accessories complete this casual look.
eileenfisher.com
luckybrand.com
yoox.com
moosejaw.com
$205 - thegrandsocial.com.au
Wanderlust Co pendants necklace
revolveclothing.com
$6.63 - theiconic.com.au
Here's my randomness for the week:
Title: We Should All be feminists
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Publisher: Anchor Books 2015
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 52
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Feminism; 52 Books - W40
What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists, a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed Tedx talk of the same name—by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the award-winning author of Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun.
This reads very much like the TED talk is is based on, but I still really enjoyed reading her message about feminism. Her argument is strong but clear. Her examples are personal enough to give her some emotional connection to the audience while illustrated her points. At 50 pages, this short essay packs a lot of ideas and discussion points. Now I need to go read one of her novels...
The adventure is over. Everything gets over... Except the part you carry with you. -- E.L. Konigsburg
I used to do Stitch Fix, but since having my son, I’m too big for most of their items. Their 14+ sizes are very limited. I’ve heard they are working on it, but until then, Stitch Fix is not a good fit for me. Someone in my online mom group pointed me towards Dia & Co. They specialize in size 14+. Yeah! I signed up immediately and received my first box this week.
Details of how it works: For $20 a shipment, you get a personalized style pack of five items. Then, you try everything on and decided to keep 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 items. The $20 stylist fee is credited to your purchase. And if you buy all five items, you get an extra 20% off.
I unboxed my items and again loved the look of everything. But then it was time to try everything on...
Item #1: Naked Zebra Draw String Dress $74.99
Pros: Nice style. I do love black.
Cons: I would definitely wear leggings under this as I'm not a huge fan of short dresses. I always feel self-conscious in them. And for $75, I would have to love the dress.
Item #2: Naked Zebra Sleeveless Tiered Blouse $59.99
Pros: Great color and fit. I love that it can be dressy or paired with simple jeans.
Cons: Have to wear a layer underneath.
Item #3: Yumi Bird Print Blouse $53.00
Pros: Cute print
Cons: Extremely boxy on me. And the tie at the neck bugged me.
Item #4: Brooke Necklace $25.00
Pros: My favorite color! Great length.
Cons: Do I need another necklace?
Item #5: ASOS Curve High Waisted Dark Wash Skinny Jeans $54.00
Pros: Fit great. I love darker wash.
Cons: While the high waist fit, I haven't quite resigned myself to wearing high waist pants.
So, what did I keep?
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Item #5: I passed on the necklace and blue top even though I did really like them. I decided that the smart buy would be the jeans. I definitely do need a good pair of jeans. And these are different than what I already own. Can't wait to see what I get next month!
Another current Octane favorite...
Due to Blog-Tember, I haven't posted a Sunday Sunset in a month. This might be a big post...
Listening To: Arctic Monkeys; Florence + the Machine; Sirius XM Alt Nation; Sirius XM Octane
Book finished: Interest; Don't Know Much About Mythology; First Frost; Artemis Fowl; The Distant Hours; 1491; Dark Places
Reading: Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
On the Nightstand: 1493 by Charles Mann; Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke; The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner
MakingLists: So many lists! I've got my Arthur's birthday party list, grocery list, Holiday Bazaar list, Christmas list (yes I've started planning), general to-do list, 2016 TBR list (yep, started this one as well), craft project list, and rest of 2015 TBR list. Thank goodness I have my handle planner and Evernote to keep track of it all!
From the kitchen: I've made a few new recipes lately included one for Lemon Chicken with Brussel Sprouts that was super yummy. I spend a few days last week and meal planned for the entire month of October. I stumbled upon a new meal planning system (involving my planner and post-it tags) and decided to jump in with both feet. I hope this system lessens my meal planning stress.
Crafting: I've been focused on SSINK design team projects for the past month. With October's card finished early, I've been thinking about my Christmas card plan of attack. I've narrowed it down to about 5 designs that I can more or less mass produce. Plus, I've started thinking about December Daily and how to pack my supplies when Arthur and I head to Indiana in December.
Watching: Many of our currently airing shows just started back up again, but we've been in the midst of a big television switch. We got rid of the Apple TV (actually we still have it, but not for tv viewing) and bought a Roku. From there, we have Amazon and Netflix loaded. We also moved all our shows to Plex running off the Roku. That has taken ages, so we are a bit behind on current shows. Instead, we spent most of September binge watching Merlin. Almost to the end and I'm sad for it to be over. Really loving that show!
From Nature: September was hot! But that's normal around here. We had lots of sunny days wearing shorts and tees. And then on the last day of the month, the temperature dropped 20 degrees and it rained. I loved Wednesday! I spent part of the day listening to the rain while reading my book. It's not very often that we enjoy a rainy fall day in the Bay Area. It was a nice change.
Picture: Arthur selfie with sunglasses!
I'm loving the subtle glam of this outfit. The dress is very plain, but with the right accessories, it shines on its own. And check out those shoes! Killer!
$995 - net-a-porter.com
$805 - stylebop.com
riverisland.com
Carolee gold butterfly bracelet
lordandtaylor.com
Dorothy Perkins yellow gold jewelry
dorothyperkins.com
Title: Dark Places
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Broadway Books 2009
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 349
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Ebook; 52 Books - W39
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.
The last of Gillian Flynn's books and this one made me feel just like the others: icky! Al three of Flynn's book made me feel sick while reading them. In that respect, her psychological thrillers work. And I hated most of the characters. They were well-written characters, you just don't like any of them. Libby was probably the least hated character of all her books, but I still wanted to smack her around many times throughout the book. This sounds like a very negative review, but it's not. If you're looking for a psychological thriller, Dark Places is the perfect choice.
Before I get to this month’s goals, let’s check in on September's goals and my progress.
This month's goals:
I'm taking it easy in October. September was crazy and we have a ton of already planned activities for October (Arthur's birthday, fall social, etc). I'm pulling back on some of my goals to regroup for November and December.