The Friday Shop

Like many of you, I am trying to curb post-holiday shopping but I see how I am kind of over my solid sweaters and am craving a bit of color and interest to my closet staples. A sweater I can wear with jeans, with leggings or joggers, or heck even my pajama pants but looks bright and fresh for heading out the door or heading onto a Zoom. A few that have caught my eye:

pastel ombre cardigan (10/12-26/28) | zebra statement shoulder (14/16-26/28) | orange-brown with floral print (XXS-3X and some petite sizes) | graphic landscape crewneck (XXS-XXL) | fuzzy rainbow marled crewneck (XS-3X) | pink print long cardigan (XS-XXL) | pink marled pointelle (XXS-3X) | peach, teal, and blue belted midi cardigan (XS-3X) | peach, red, and other colors graphic mock neck (XS-3X and some petite sizes) | yes, that's a cow on that navy sweater (2-20/22) | brown zebra sweater coat (XX/X-L/XL) | gray zebra cardigan (0X-3X)

What I Bought and What I Thought

Today's edition of What I Bought and What I Thought is dedicated to my trip over New Year's to a lake house with my family and some friends. What I took that I was glad I had or wish I had remembered to bring, both when we had power and when we did not (details on this trip in Saturday's Weekend Reads post).

• My ever by X dress: Here is my ever by X The One Dress review. I let my friend Carrie review the ever by X dress and gave her the dress as a thank you. The brand then sent me another one in thanks for the two unpaid reviews in the color emeraldine, which is a bright green. I loved this dress for a summer weeklong getaway, and loved it for this one too. Opaque enough to be able to walk around the house, doesn't cling if you're still damp from your shower, has pockets, and feels really good on. I mainly wore it as a nightgown/caftan but brought leggings to wear with it as a proper outfit if we left the house.
• My Evelyn & Bobbie bra: Here is a link to my Evelyn & Bobbie review. I took the same Defy bra that is in that post. I love this bra because it looks like a sports bra so you're not feeling super naked, it makes it good under off the shoulder sweatshirts because it looks like a refined tank, and it gives good shape and lift while being super comfortable. It's the bra I wore the most on this vacation.
• My Adidas x Marimekko wide leg track pants: I mentioned these pants in this Friday Shop and this recap of what I wore and I still love them. They're heavy, so they're warm, the wide leg is relaxed and comfy, the high rise means I can wear my Evelyn & Bobbie bra and a cardigan and only have a sliver of skin on my torso exposed, and my husband has a matching pair and we love to dress alike! They're sold out; this version is still in the collection and I found these which look polished enough that I could wear them out and about as well as for lounging!
• Tall waterproof boots: When we left for a week at Lake Anna, we didn't know it was going to snow, let alone snow to extent in which it did. I toyed with bringing my waterproof hiking boots, but stuck to sneakers for outdoor activities to pare down my packing. I regretted it, and realized this is something not in my wardrobe. I have snow boots, I have nice leather tall boots, but nothing else. Having truly wide calves (16″ ain't gonna cut it) as well as wide ankles, it's hard to find pairs that would work. For a classic tall snowboot I am considering these from Torrid. For something more utilitarian for all sorts of situations I found these at Zappos. These from Kamik look good though some reviews say the ankle runs narrow. I ordered the Torrid ones and will report back my thoughts!
• My solar battery bank: I have this small device battery bank that can be changed by a wall outlet or with its solar panel. It has plugs for all sorts of cords and even has a battery. It's the size of a brick and weighs about the same amount so it's not good for backpacking, but it has done us well for camping, festivals, and days away from home. I wish I brought it; it would have been easy to charge at a window and have to keep our phones charged without having to run the car.
• Soma Short Puffer Robe: Soma sent me this short quilted jacket/robe/cardigan thing as an end of the year gift. I tried it on and was OBSESSED it's so soft and a bit heavy like wearing a lightweight weighted blanket and it's warm without being stifling. You can use the belt to cinch it but it also looks nice left open. I have size L and it's plenty roomy even over layers. The only thing wrong with it is the color… it's a beautiful dove gray but I'm not a dove gray person. So starting a week before Christmas I began decorating it. I grabbed my daughter's embroidery floss supply from her now-neglected summer hobby of friendship bracelets and my needle with the biggest eye and got to work. I did a backstitch along each quilted spot, each row a different color. Then I wrapped the edges of the cuffs and hem with a mix of colors. Then I added some little flowers and scrolls and random designs along the shoulder placket and the lapel. It's so fun, and I am still working on it but wearing it at the lakehouse was really nice on chilly mornings, when reading in bed, and when I didn't want to change but wanted to add a layer for warmth to my loungewear ensemble. BTW this robe also comes in a blush color and both colors are on sale!
• Living proof Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo: I hate dry shampoo. It's a necessary evil to keep my color for more than a couple of weeks, but it makes my darker hair ashy, colored dry shampoo can often dull hair, it makes my hair feel sticky and gummy and gross. But this dry shampoo? It's truly different. And going several days without a shower, it made me and my daughter not feel gross. Add it, wait 30 seconds, and then rub or brush in and your hair (at least the first day of using it) feels clean, not “dry shampoo-y”. And day 2 and 3 is still better than most dry shampoos on day 1.