Today, Carly, Ted, Ham and I went for a trail walk! It was so fun, the pups had a blast.
SUNDAY CHAT
Lately, life hasn’t been too busy, it’s been nice! Since I came home from Texas, Andrew and I have been doing a lot of relaxing and exploring Morristown. I grew up in this area and we’ve lived here for a while now, but since the city is ever-changing, there’s always something new to check out. This weekend, my in-laws’ English Cocker Spaniel, Blaise, came for an overnight. I’m super attached to Blaise because we lived with her for a year when she was a brand new puppy. It’s been so much fun having her here, and makes me want a little dog of our own in the next few years! I’m content without one for the time being, based on our own lifestyle preferences here in Morristown (these differ from person to person!). But, we definitely see one joining our little family in the near future.
By design, I’ve been taking it a bit easy with content over the month of July. I was away for the first three weekends of the month, and weekends are really when I do most of my creative things for Simply Elsa! Sometimes, slowing down a bit has the ability to recharge you in ways you didn’t realize you needed. Now, I feel so inspired and excited to create and continue to share my little bits of life, books, style and home with you. You may have not even noticed I slowed down, but it has certainly been fruitful for me physically and mentally. Plus, now I’m PUMPED for the season ahead.
Speaking of seasons, I’m looking forward to enjoying the month of August, then I’m ready for Summer to come to a close. At the end of the month, we’re heading to Bay Head with my in-laws, which I’m so excited for. I love how Bay Head just feels like it’s from a simpler time. Next week I’ll be getting up a little guide on Bay Head, so stay tuned! I think once September rolls around, I get antsy for things to cool off and for the seasons to shift. This summer has felt all too short and long at the same time, I can’t quite put my finger on it!
SUNDAY SHOPPING
30% OFF WORK-FROM-WHEREVER J.CREW FALL ARRIVALS – Holy moly. The pre-fall arrivals at J.Crew are insanely good. Almost all of the new pieces are size-inclusive. I love how they used a lot of summer silhouettes in neutral fall colorways so you can really get the most out of the pieces now and later.
LOFT SNEAK PREVIEW – So, I’m going to let a major cat out of the bag here. If you search the term “sneak preview” on Loft, it will pull up all the new arrivals they are going to shortly push. They soft launch these usually the week or two before they headline on the homepage. So many good pieces! I know they got rid of their plus range, which was disappointing, but I find Loft runs generously. I wear an XL here and I’m an XXL almost everywhere else.
TUCKERNUCK NEW ARRIVALS – Tuckernuck tends to sprinkle their new arrivals bit by bit, which I actually prefer! It makes it less overwhelming and more enjoyable to shop. Their new tops and blouses are great, and come up to XXXL, I snagged the wildflower blouse!
BODEN NEW EMBROIDERED PIECES – I love Boden. They are one of the brands I was able to wear as my body transitioned into cusp sizing (on the cusp of plus and regular) several years back. Their embroidered section is so cute! I think it’s perfect for this time of year, too.
a few other favorite finds:
SUNDAY READING, WATCHING AND LISTENING
Signs You’re Dealing With a Passive-Aggressive Person–and how to Respond via Real Simple :
We all encounter passive aggressive people, and sometimes I find they’re the first to point out this trait in others, too. This article was so interesting, because it not only shows how to recognize it in peers, but also how to recognize passive aggression in yourself when you might not even realize you’re doing it! No one’s perfect, thought it was super interesting food for thought!
John Derian Lives in a Sea Captain’s House via Cup of Jo:
John Derian is one of my favorite decoupage, ceramicists and paper makers of all time. I got my first John Derian plate in high school and still have it. They are fun to collect and most of my friends have them, too. It’s so interesting to peek inside the lives of artists that you love. John Derian’s home is every bit as amazing as you would expect it to be, but very unassuming at the same time. If I had my druthers, this is exactly the kind of house I’d live in!
Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad Recipe via The Food Network:
With a solid month left of Summer, corn and tomato recipes are great for barbecues or easy nights at home. We made this salad last week and it was so good. I had it the next day chilled for lunch, too. We served ours with pulled bbq chicken and it was delicious.
The Secret History of Slim Aarons Life as a U.S. Army War Photographer via Town and Country:
Slim Aarons is one of the most well known American photographers of all time, if you don’t know his name off-hand, you’d probably recognize one of his works if you saw one. I found this so interesting, I actually had studied Aarons but had no idea he was also a U.S. Army War Photographer. I find these kinds of reads fascinating, especially if you like to read about history.
Solvable Podcast by Audiochuck:
I know people are pretty particular about podcast genres, so if you’re into true crime podcasts like I am, this is a great one to add to your roster. Solvable is just as it sounds, it tries to solve uncracked murders and mysteries. It has that same eerie feeling that Up and Vanished had, except the cast are actual crime professionals ranging from law enforcement to a genealogist. It doesn’t feel stale or overdone. Highly recommend it!
I love that the pup comes with her own tote! 🙂
Haha, she is very special and put-together like that!