A month ago, my purse and John’s wallet were stolen. They were taken out of our car which was parked, unlocked (our mistake – marital miscommunication), a short distance from our neighborhood’s tennis court while we played. It must have been an intense game, because we both noticed nothing. While our phones and sunglasses were on us, our credit cards, money, face masks, wallets, car keys, house keys, gift cards, rewards cards, and June’s camera, among other things, were gone.
After the flurry of requesting replacements and rekeying our house and cars, I was left with a handful of credit cards, new keys, and nowhere to put them. The purse that was stolen was my everyday purse – meaning, the one that I carried literally every day – so replacing it was a top priority.
Even more immediate, though, was replacing my wallet. My sister-in-law graciously sent me the sweetest card case to tide me over while I looked, but I still felt discombobulated without a home base whenever I left the house. (Which, granted, has not been as often as usual!)
The wallet that was stolen was a Kate Spade I bought in 2012. It was the prettiest pale blue leather, and I loved the button closure and generous number of card slots. I would have gladly bought the same thing again (it was still in great shape!), but there’s nothing similar on their site right now.
Instead, I chose the Neely & Chloe zip wallet in Steel Blue with a gold foil “EM” embossing. The color is absolutely perfect in person, and I love that the purchase supports a small business. While I still don’t feel completely at home in it (we get used to what we’re used to!), I’m happy have a spot to keep everything together once again.
Now – let’s talk about a purse replacement. This will not surprise many of you, but I have carried essentially the same bag since college (going on 12 years!). It’s the smallest Longchamp Le Pliage in black, and I actually did replace it a few years ago, when we were in Paris – but with exactly the same thing :)
Unless I was going to a fancy occasion, that was the purse I carried, day in and day out – with every outfit, to every occasion. Honestly, I’d be happy to buy it again, but I feel like I should at least consider other options after more than a decade. But, when I think about ALL the options out there, I get overwhelmed quickly. So that’s where I’d love your help!
Here’s my criteria: — I don’t want any crazy patterns or colors, and I prefer a classic, feminine look. — I don’t care for black leather. Although my Le Pliage was black, I would choose a camel or navy over black in most instances. — I am looking for a small to medium handbag or tote – nothing too large. I’m open to a handbag or something I carry over my shoulder, but am not looking for a crossbody. I need it to fit my wallet, glasses case, a few little pouches, face mask, pen, hand sanitizer, a snack, etc. — I am willing to spend up to about $300, given that I expect to carry this bag every day for many years, but of course, I’d love to spend less. The Le Pliage is just over $100 right now online (but — fun fact — sells for about $75 in Paris!).
So, friends, help a girl out! What bag would you point me toward? Do you carry a bag you love? I’d love to hear – it will help me narrow down the insane number of options…
Happy July, friends! This middle-of-the-year month is always sweet: I get to celebrate some of my favorite people (we have 6 birthdays in 6 weeks between our family, siblings, and parents!), I usually get to spend time in some of my favorite places, and I get to enjoy some of my all-time favorite things… peach desserts, homegrown tomatoes, blueberry picking, swimming holes, and boat rides, to name a few.
No matter what your calendar holds — whether it looks like any other July or totally new — I hope you get to enjoy a few of your favorite things this month, too!
P.S. I mention this below, but feel free to sign up for the new EFM “newsletter” right here! It’s just a simple email alert every time a new post goes live (and the formatting is admittedly wonky), but it’s something many of you have asked me for for years, so I’m happy to finally deliver!
On my calendar this month: — The birthdays of my two best guys! Looking forward to celebrating them both. — Road trips to Maine and Connecticut! I can’t wait to spend time in two of my favorite places with some of my favorite people.
What I’m loving right now: — If you’re still in need of a mask (or need to add to your collection), this one shipped super fast and is comfy! June and I also have a matching blue floral pair :) — I have used whitening toothpaste for years, but never really felt like it made much of a difference (I’m also a wimp and can’t stand the sensitivity from things like white strips). This toothpaste has made a noticeable difference in the last month with NO sensitivity – highly recommended! — Right now, growing the faith of my children is the weightiest and most intimidating responsibility in my life (thank God I’m not doing it alone!). I really appreciated this episode from Nancy with encouragement and a few simple ideas.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here – including the recipe for that delicious peach and blackberry crumble up there!
What I read in June: — A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | I have been talking about this classic with Lisa for years, and I’m so glad to have finally experienced it! As she joked, it’s a book where nothing really happens — and yet, you grow so attached to the characters. — World Without End | The massive sequel to my favorite fiction read of 2019. It did not disappoint, though many people who’ve read both told me they prefer this one, and I think I enjoyed them equally! The plague is a major plot element, which made for interesting reading in this season. — Just Mercy | I am three chapters in and know this is going to be an incredibly impactful read. If, like me, you have grown weary of the hot takes, gleeful shaming, and educational oneupmanship that has accompanied June’s racial justice movement on social media, you might find it equally refreshing to be educated by such a wise, compassionate expert in long-form.
My library just reopened for grab & go books, so I’m excited to get back on track with my 2020 reading list as best I can!
Revisiting my June goals: Add more diverse faces to our family library (Our latest additions have arrived and been thoroughly enjoyed!) Finish reading Matthew with John Set up a simple email newsletter for EFM(Yes! You can sign up here! It’s still a little wonky, but this is a really simple way you can be notified of new posts if you don’t use a service like Feedly. Enjoy! :)) Write some entries in our COVID-19 family journal. (Did not get to this!) Photocopy favorite recipes from cookbooks to round out our recipe binder Book our camping trip for this fall (Confirmed a date but have not booked yet!) Have a little three-person game night every Friday this month with June, after Shep goes to bed. (She and I spent time coloring our gigantic print from Camp Castle instead! Planning to try this goal again in the future!) Use the Peloton app to move every day this month on days we don’t ride our bikes or otherwise exercise.(Yes! This was a huge success!! Loved doing 5-minute arms and a stretching session almost every night with John – having him onboard was a game changer. Will continue with this as a daily goal in my PowerSheets!)
July goals: — Begin reading Mark with John — Hang artwork bulletin board in the loft — Book our camping trip for this fall — Sort through my SCC secretary responsibilities and make an easy-to-follow yearly checklist — Watch Just Mercy with John after finishing the book — List chairs for sale — Buy a new handbag (more on this soon…) — Edit June in June, Volume 5! — Have a walking date with my new neighborhood friend Elaine — Post my photo organization guide (!)
Keeping things (fairly) simple for this month with lots of travel! I’d love to hear: what’s your absolute favorite dessert? John always chooses an ice cream cake for his birthday, and I’d say I’m split between the peach and blackberry crumble above and homemade chocolate cream pie… yum!!
Over the last few years, the Kirk and Thomas families have developed a tradition of attending our town’s Fourth of July parade together. It’s pretty much guaranteed to be outrageously hot and charmingly old-fashioned :) This year, of course, the parade is cancelled, but Lisa came up with the idea to make a bit of our own Fourth fun – and I was immediately on board!
Whether you’ll be celebrating at home alone this weekend or socially-distanced with another family, we hope these ideas inspire you to have a little fun and get a little fancy! After months of leggings and jean shorts, it felt wonderful to wear a dress while toasting to silver linings, friendship, and our magnificent country.
A little background: you may recall that Lisa and I spent several years together criss-crossing the South creating editorial photo shoots for Southern Weddings. Though this most recent collaboration was hardly a professional production, we had fun brainstorming over Zoom and then bringing our ideas to life! And though our details were far more casual than our wedding days, we were very lucky to have professional photography on hand to capture them – thank you, Christen, for coming out to snap a few photos!! They turned out beautifully!
Even if it’s just your family around the table on Saturday, here is your permission to break out your favorite tablecloth, pour a cocktail, and try something new for dinner.
About the food: though I love a good modern spin on a charcuterie board (always and forever inspired by my friend Kayte!), we wanted to style an option that might feel more comfortable in the age of COVID. Instead of everyone sharing from a central platter, we made individual “boards,” complete with tomato, watermelon, and feta salad, cheese and crackers, summer fruit, spiced almonds, and pigs in a blanket (in honor of everyone’s cook-out favorite!).
Lisa mixed up a delicious drink with prosecco, simple syrup, raspberries, and mint to go alongside – you can find the recipe here!
Though your kids would probably be totally into the charcuterie situation (ours were), we also thought it would be fun to give them their own little spot…
Yes, Shep had eyes on Christen at all times, ha!
Super simple: I brought our kiddie-size table outside and added melamine plates, paper napkins, plastic silverware, and a fancy drink (lemonade with added blueberries!).
For dinner, we went with – wait for it – pizza with pepperoni stars :) It turned out so cute and was SO easy – just cut out the pepperoni with a cookie cutter and pop it on top of a cheese pizza!
For dessert, Lisa made blueberry hand pies and individual berry trifles. June made the sweetest sweets model :)
Gosh, seeing these photos just makes me even more grateful for an outdoor space to call our own, for beloved friends, for reasons to celebrate, for my sweet family, and for the freedom to enjoy it all. In the midst of our communal work to make this country truly a land of equal opportunity, I hope you take a few minutes this weekend to be thankful for all that we already have. I know I will.
Thank you again to Christen Smith for these beautiful photos and to Lisa for asking me to collaborate – be sure to check out her post today, too!
Friends, though I’m curious to hear how you’re spending the Fourth (and please feel free to let me know!), today I’d really love to hear something you love about America in the comments. It can be anything! After all, if we are to work to make this country better, we have to believe that there’s something good at root to build from. I’m eager to hear your thoughts, as always. xo
Back with part two of my mid-year goals review! Part one is here.
Goal no. 5: Build our family culture Progress I’ve made: This was one of my less-clear goals at the start, but I’m really happy with how it’s shaping up. Books are usually my first foray into a goal, and so far I’ve read and pondered The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and The Secrets of Happy Families. On our last date before quarantine, John and I brainstormed the beginnings of a family mission statement (this podcast episode informed our discussion). Also this year: we added more storage boxes to facilitate celebration throughout the year, we each camped out in the backyard with June, we’ve had more backyard s’mores nights, we experimented with morning and evening routine charts (and decided we’ll revisit them in the future), and we added more diverse faces to our family library. What I hope to accomplish in the next six months: This is going to sound SO extra to some, but I’d love to begin building a set of “family by-laws” – a living document that sets out what’s important to us, our mission statement, core values, traditions, behaviors, etc. I think this will be helpful for us as we live into it now, and also hopefully a treasure for our kiddos to look at when they’re older!
Goal no. 6: Complete our family Advent calendar as a route to analog hours Progress I’ve made: Um, almost none?? You thought I was doing pretty well until now, ha! Truly, this has been a MUCH more complicated project than I expected. I have about zero sewing skills and I don’t own a sewing machine… and the instructions are all for machine sewing. I DO have a sister and a friend who both have a machine and have some skills, and I’m hopeful that once restrictions lift I might be able to wrangle one or both of them into a few side-by-side marathon sewing sessions. Thus far, all I have done is open the box :) What I hope to accomplish in the next few months: I would love to have at least one sewing session with my sister. I’d also love to complete the backdrop portion of the kit so we can use it this Advent!
Goal no. 7: Complete three family photo albums Progress I’ve made: Carrying over momentum from last year, I culled, sorted, and edited my 2019 iPhone photos, and sent some early loose photos to be digitized. And then (drumroll, please…), I designed and printed our first family album!! Each album will cover five years – this one is for 2005 – 2009. I chose Artifact Uprising, and have a few thoughts to share! Post coming soon. What I hope to accomplish in the next few months: Two more albums – one for 2010-2014 and one for 2015-2019! I also REALLY want to get my photo organizing guide up for you all!
Goal no. 8: Streamline meal planning Progress I’ve made: I’ve been moving and shaking on this goal, and it’s been so gratifying! After deciding to use a binder as my organization system, I cleaned out my existing recipe binder, printed and filed all our favorite online recipes, and reorganized my Pinterest boards (now I have printed recipes here and recipes to try here). I also added a non-recipe cheat sheet to the binder, a dry erase board to track what’s in our freezer, and designed a custom Publix shopping list to make grocery shopping even more of a pleasure ;) Together, we had fun with a virtual recipe exchange right here on EFM! I have absolutely LOVED using my binder for the last few months – much more here! What I hope to accomplish in the next few months: The meal planning potluck Kristin and I had in the works this spring was indefinitely postponed due to COVID; I’m really hopeful we’ll be able to host it at some point this year. I’d also love to share more recipes and meal plans here on the blog and consolidate our favorite cookbook recipes in the binder.
Friends, please commiserate with me: have any of your 2020 goals been a total failure so far? If so, you’re not alone :)
