Life has been a little all over the place lately. Introspective and busy, routine and surprising. Waxing and waning between filled to the brim with activity and leaving plenty of room for boredom.  At least I have enough downtime to watch gems like Kim Kardashian being interviewed by Jennifer Lawrence on the Jimmy Kimmel Show (do it, you won't be sorry!). I've taken on a lot with school and we're having to work extra hard with Lorelai to get her caught up to her new first grade rhythm so I've basically entered zombie-mom territory.

There is, however, a bright spot on the horizon because we're just six weeks away from our big trip! From mid-December to mid-January (5 whole weeks!) we'll be gallivanting around Japan and Thailand and I couldn't be more excited. I've already started mapping things out (if you're going on vacation sometime soon, Google Maps is basically the best tool in the whole world), watching videos like this one on an endless loop and stressing about how to pack for two seasons in one carry-on bag. I'm excited to explore new places and hopefully come back with a lot of digital memories that I can share here.

Aside from wanderlust, I've been thinking a lot about blogging and how I feel about everything these days. Honestly, I waiver between LOVING this space and feeling a bit uninspired but I guess that's just how it goes sometimes. I've been blogging for almost seven years (insane!) and I've recently started reflecting on the trajectory of it all and how much more time I can realistically put into a pursuit that loves me back in big ways sometimes but goes through a lot of dry spells too. I've been thinking about the kinds of things I share, the kinds of things you're actually interested in reading and the future of this weird online world we're all living in. Heavy man. What I've concluded is this: I'll continue blogging for as long as it interests me and hopefully you'll be receptive to little pieces of me chronicled on this space. I might begin to pull away from aspirational content and focus on more anecdotal things that happen in my own life. Or I might share the rogue post about Need Supply Co. and that'll be okay too. I'm still figuring it all out...

One of my favorite ways to connect with you is by sharing the things that have been catching my eye lately so here's ten:

1. Get ready with Delilah Parillo and Glossier
2. The most inspiring and intimate look inside the life of Joan Didion called 'The Center Will Not Hold' on Netflix
3. My favorite Insta-muse Ally Walsh's self care advice
4. Should you give your kids an allowance? via Mother Mag
5. Anine Bing's AMAZING California home
6. My favorite Youtuber's Autumn / Winter lookbook
7. Gwyneth Paltrow interviews Amanda De Cadenet (girl crush!) for Goop
8. Orion Carloto's new book of poetry, Flux, is out
9. The coolest interview from Lisa Says Gah (who else?)
10. The depressing reason why so many women drink (via Vox) is something to think about... "The magazines telling me strong is the new sexy and smart is the new beautiful, as though strong and smart are just paths to hot. The Facebook memes: Muscles are beautiful. No, wait: Fat is beautiful. No, wait: Thin is beautiful, too, as long as you don’t work for it. No, wait: All women are beautiful! As though we are toddlers who must be given exactly equal shares of princess dust or we’ll lose our shit."

weekend shopping

image via vogue

Happy Halloween!

When I scrolled past this post on the Glitter Guide's Instagram feed earlier in the week I knew that a movie night was just thing I needed to get into the Halloween spirit. Without fail, my favorite spooky movie (or anytime movie really) always transports me to a nostalgic place of sisterhood, nineties spaghetti strap camis and the very best Stevie Nicks songs. 1998's Practical Magic is filled with all the best elements of a cheesy 90s rom-com (namely Sandra Bullock's signature laugh and Nicole Kidman's insanely enviable ginger tresses) and I could probably watch it on an endless loop without tiring of a single moment. 

If you've been following along for a while (first of all, bless you for waiting out my awkward blogger phase) you'll know that I used to have a series called "Scene It" where I played around with products inspired by popular films... I even put together a post centered around this very movie a few years ago (be kind!). These posts were some of my favorites to work on and I thought I'd revisit the series just in time for Halloween and re-imagine the ladies of Practical Magic for 2017. No doubt they'd be flying around in Doen dresses, cooking up Aesop products and when all else fails, drinking midnight margaritas.

lulu frost moon ring, st. roche kiki cami, aesop geranium leaf body treatment & cleanser, chairish fireplace broom, re/done the leandra jean, frontgate pillar candles, pamela love tiger's eye ring, zimmerman cavalier dress, chamucos tequila, maryam nassir zadeh mules, laura zindel designs fern bottle, enoki bottle & snake cup, ulla johnson grace blouse, willams-sonoma copper utensil holder & margarita mix

p.s. What do you think about 'Scene It'? Is this a series worth revisiting or should I skip it?!

*I originally shared this on my personal Facebook account but I thought it warranted some space here as well. Warning: This post is about sexual assault and may be emotionally triggering.

I’ve been thinking about sharing my #metoo story lately and honestly, it scared me. I was scared to be embarrassed, I was scared to make people that I love (and happen to be Facebook friends with) sad for me, I was scared to offend and then it occurred to me, THAT’S why this is important

Sexual assault and sexual harassment are things that I’ve been pretty publicly vocal about denouncing but I’ve never shared my personal experiences with most of the people in my life (even a few of those closest to me). When I came across #metoo this weekend I was shocked to see the swell of stories from women I know, women I admire, and women I respect flood the internet. While I have always known the scope of sexual violence and how it has touched most of the women in my life, there is something about seeing the numbers that is downright overwhelming. As this trend of sharing spreads, you may see similar posts, tweets or news stories pile up and I urge you to pay close attention. Keep a mental tally of all the women YOU know and love and respect and admire whose lives have been rocked by sexual assault. It will confront you. And it should. Giving a voice to pain and wrong-doing is how we start to change things. Acts of bravery will be the way we move forward.

While this may not be the best avenue for sharing these things, I thought I’d lay bare a few (but nowhere close to all) of my personal experiences with sexual harassment and assault in the hopes that they might arm you with a little truth.

I was once approached by a very aggressive man whilst pumping gas. My daughter was in the car, with the window rolled down, no more than a foot away from me. It was daytime and there were policemen parked at the next pump over. The man came up, tried to initiate an inappropriate conversation and when I refused to engage he exposed his penis to me, in front of my toddler. The police men laughed and did nothing to help as I drove away shaking.

In a foreign country, with my husband walking directly in front of me, a man I hadn’t so much as made eye contact with passed by me in a crowded nightclub and inserted his fingers into my body without my consent.

At a very young age an equally small boy forcibly “played house” with me.

After denying their propositions, I have been tirelessly asked by strange men “You’re not allowed to have friends? Your boyfriend doesn’t let you have friends?” as if the presence of a man in my life is the only thing that would stop their advances.

I have been approached to inquire about my pricing for the night.

I’ve been pressured into doing things I was uncomfortable doing by boys who prey on teenage girls at a time when they’re still learning to exist in their bodies and still figuring out their worth.

I am uncomfortable going most places alone and my pace quickens when I am in a room with men I do not know. Sometimes I call my husband or sister as a precaution to say, “I am here. They are also here. We are alone.” Sometimes I make them stay on the phone. Sometimes I say things out loud like, “You’re outside? Awesome! See you in a minute,” even though it’s not true.

As you read stories like mine from women woven into all aspects of your life, please think about the ways you act out against and speak up for our safety. I hope that it’s often and loudly. I hope that it’s unwavering.

Stop defending predatory language and repackaging it as “locker room” talk. It’s unacceptable.

Stop defending us as your mothers or your sisters or your daughters but protect us as human beings with the same right to safety as you instead.

Stop yelling overtly sexual things at us as we walk down the street like it’s a compliment and we should be grateful to be lusted after by you.

Stop chalking it all up to something that’s normal and banal. The fact that harassment and assault feel normal is the root of the problem.

To all of the women (and men) sharing stories of sexual assault, I see you. I value you. You are brave.

To all of the women (and men) that aren’t yet ready to share their stories, I see you too. You are no less brave. #metoo