Loose Ends / 4.11.26
Generational skincare, feeling old, an affordable collab, fresh scents, a few really great sales, and the outdoor entertaining find that's an absolute STEAL. So much not to miss!!
I took a picture of these Rhododendron flowers on my walk yesterday, thinking they were azaleas (for the Masters this weekend!) and simultaneously wondering why our azalea bushes havenāt bloomed yet. I think weāve got a few more weeks on ours, as their buds are still quite small.
Friday Footnoteā¦ On a Saturday
We made it to the weekend, friends! I have a feeling I wasnāt alone in this, but my brain felt absolutely jumbled by the time Friday rolled around. Stringing words together felt a lot harder than it should have, for no good reason at all. Everyone I talked to yesterday, from customer service reps to Marleyās veterinary office, seemed to be counting down the minutes til the weekend, too. But we made it ā Happy Saturday!
I wasnāt able to post last weekend because I was chaperoning my 13-year-old niece, which was a fun change of pace. My brother and SIL had their twins and obviously have their hands full at the moment, so my niece stayed with us over the weekend and it was my job to get her to/from her volleyball tournament at McCormick Center on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You guys, Iāve never seen anything like it ā there were over 150 volleyball courts going on at one time, with at least four teams per court. Teams from all over the US ā California to Florida, and everywhere in-between. It was an absolute madhouse, but once I got over the initial overstimulation listening to ~100 whistles being blown at the same time, it was actually SO fun to watch! Itās her club team, so itās all very competitive and really fun to cheer on. I only played volleyball in 6th grade before I switched to cheerleading in 7th, but the scoring system has actually changed since then. (What a way to make you feel oldā¦ āBack in my dayā) Thankfully my brother was there for her first games on Friday afternoon to catch me up to speed!
We had a great weekend though, even with the 5:30am wake-up calls each morning to make sure everyone was dressed, fed, and ready to play in the South Loop by 7:15am! We went to the Bean, took her out for dinner in our neighborhood to watch the Illinois Final Four game, and made sure she had an Easter basket on Sunday morning. Some of my favorite childhood memories were visiting my aunt in Washington, DC, and likely where I fell in love with living in a city, so I wanted to try to make the weekend special for my niece. (When I was a kid, much younger than she is now, my parents or grandmother would put me on a plane in St. Louis (at the gate, as this was before 9/11), and my aunt would then pick me up on the other side in DC.) I actually had a full-circle moment as I was filling her basket with candy, makeup, and skincare ā I put a Tassi in there1, which my same aunt actually introduced me to in a care package when I went to college almost 20 years ago. š¤Æ (And yes, I still use it daily, this many years later!)
I also put in one of my favorite Ole Henriksen peptide lip treatments, among many other goodies.
Highs & Lows
The weather this week was both a rose and a thorn, which Chicago knows how to do all too well. It was diabolically cold on Monday and Tuesday and my morale was at an all-time low, but hopefully that was last bit of it being that cold for a very long time. Thankfully, it was nice enough to have a couple of meals al fresco later in the week, although you really have to take it day by day this time year.
This Weekās Rose(s) š¹
I grabbed lunch outside on a patio with one of my girlfriends (and Marley!) on Thursday afternoon, which felt like such a treat. We then ran into another girlfriend of ours walking on Southport, which was a fun surprise. š
This Weekās Thorn(s) š„
On Wednesday, I had Jury Duty, which was actually my first time ever. I was sort of looking forward to seeing how it worked, but not a single number got called that morning since none of the cases that day needed jurors. After a very boring three hours of silence, we all got dismissed around noon, which was great! Since I was downtown with extra time, I made myself go to the Real ID super center to finally check that off my list. Going at noon, when most people working were at lunch, was definitely a mistake, but what can you do. I was finally out of there and on the way home by 1:30pm. Spending the day waiting around is never fun, but at least I got those boxes checked off for the foreseeable future.
Looking Ahead āØ
Iām looking forward to watching more of the Masters and the Coachella livestream this weekend, and then weāre actually going to the Cubs game tomorrow afternoon!
Iāve definitely got outdoor time on the mind and have been mentally preparing to open up our rooftop and planning for our rooftop garden. Iām going to re-stain our deck again this year, so weāve got some extra cleanup to do this weekend to prepare.
š Open Tabs
Open tabs from the week, filed here instead of my browser.
Speaking of Masters weekendā¦ How freaking CUTE is this green and white set?!?! Obsessed. It would obviously work for any spring/summer event, but the colors just made me think of golf this weekend. So chic!
Cann is 25% off right now!! Their Ginger Lemongrass flavor is my current hyper fixation ā it gives me that Moscow mule fix I crave this time of year, but without the alcohol. Itās very much a micro-dose at 2mg, but itās the perfect way to just sort of take the edge off and wind down during the week. I usually have one after dinner!
Apparently one of these serums is sold every 16 seconds?! I guess itās one of the most viral products in Korea thatās finally available in the US. Currently in my cart!!! I need something to brighten up my skin and finally beat the winter uglies.
HOLD THE PHONE! I have a few pieces of Juliskaās bamboo melamine serve-ware for outdoor parties, but I just saw that Target has identical replicas. FOUR DOLLARS PER DINNER PLATE, my friends!!! I couldnāt hit order fast enough. There are also appetizer/salad plates, an oval platter (thatās literally the exact same as my Juliska version š), a chip and dip serving platter, another rimmed dip bowl, a 2-piece serveware set, cheese knives for a charcuterie board, and a bamboo bottle opener. Not bamboo, but I feel like these palm-print appetizer plates (also melamine) go perfectly with the collection to add a subtle pop of color in a pretty green shade. Go off, Target, I see you.
Since Iāve got outdoors on the mindā¦ Iām SO interested in Ruggableās washable OUTDOOR rugs!! I feel like this could save so much pressure washing time if I was able to just throw it in the machine every so often?!
Has anyone tried the new Hotel Lobby scent yet?! It sounds divine and so perfect for spring.
Speaking of fragrances I want to smell in personā¦ I keep seeing this fragrance brand pop up in my feeds. Theyāre startlingly expensive, but fragrance bottles really do last me years and years. Scent is SO personal, but I screenshotted reviews for Wild Vetiver, Virgin Island, Silver Mountain, Millesime Imperial, and Spring Flower.
Nemah is now available at Target!!!! So thrilled for Mary, the founder of the brand.
A SALE NOT TO MISS: 25% off at M.Gemi with code OURTREAT. Iāve had two or three pairs of their sandals over the years and have been so impressed with the quality, but theyāre made in Italy so itās not surprising. I feel like these flats are such a cool, more modern take on a classic ballet flat, and Iāve heard theyāre very comfortable. These everyday casual sandals look like a more feminine take on Birks. (These sandals, too!)
I fear I may have to buy these pants soon. š¬ Theyāre ridiculously expensive, but everyone absolutely raves about them. I had a pair of blue and white gingham pants from Zara ages ago that I wore probably 150 times ā they seriously went with EvErYtHiNg, as evidenced here, here, and here. So ācost per wearā might actually be worth itā¦?!?! Theyāre so expensive though.
Is it weird that I want every single brush, clip, and scrunchie from the Hill House x Wet Brush collab?! Itās not just brushes, although this is what Iāve forever used for my detangling brush and canāt recommend enough. Currently in my cart: this set of navy clips, this larger green checkered clip, these silk scrunchies, and these no-crease makeup clips.
I somehow ended up on Articleās website earlier this week and I now want to update a few little vignettes around our home. š We have this swivel chair in our living room and this chair in Daveās office (that pulls out into a twin) and couldnāt be more pleased with the quality, especially for the price. We were looking at both this chair and this chair when we re-did his office, but had to settle for the smallest one just based on measurements. I really love the leather version of the chair we have, but there was already too much of that hue in the room with Daveās mid-century modern desk. Anywayyyy, I saved a bunch of my favorites here if youāve also got the itch for a spring refresh!
The new Abercrombie x Sperry collab is making me so nostalgic! If you cheer for a red and white team, you may just need these shoes. (From Indiana to your kids team.) I browsed through the rest of the new arrivals and saved my womenās favorites here and my menās favorites here. A few items worth noting:
I bought this skirt (or skort, really) a few weeks ago (full price, naturally) and itās such a chic option for date night or a girls night out!
These sandals look identical to a pair I wore into the ground a few seasons ago. Iāve never been able to find an exact match when Iām linking similar styles, so I definitely wanted to flag! (You can see them here.)
I ordered these sunglasses this week, but fully expect them to look ridiculous on me. Weāll see!
Instagram sure knows what ads to serve meā¦ But I just discovered this brand that can turn your dogās hair into a diamond. Sounds crazy, but Iām sort of into it?! (You already know Iām a crazy dog lady, but this may be a new level.)
These Jennifer Fisher micro huggies are on sale! They look like the perfect size.
This MZ Wallace crochet tote is very cute. I live for a raffia moment in the warmer months.
I love this navy blue dress with the built-in striped scarf at the waist. It looks like it would be super flattering.
Happy Friday, friends! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. xoxo
PS: If you enjoy my Loose Ends series, would you be kind enough to tap the little heart? Itās the littlest thing that actually makes a big impact in the Substack world. š«¶
Good luck in your niece's volleyball tournament. I hope the weather gets better in Chicago. Here in Victoria Canada the weather was nice for a while but it is cooler and it is supposed to be rainier.