Weekend Reads for the Middle of August
Weekend Reads
The Year I Stopped Fixing Myself. (Allure)
Answers to Your Questions About Europeās New Entry System. (Wall Street Journal – gift link)
Three cheers for Cann offering their latest flavor with THC or without! Bergamot lemonade with yerba mate sounds so good. These are always a hit when I take them to cookouts and parties.
The Tragic Double Life of Kate Spade's $124 Million Fashion Downfall. (Old Money Luxury via Substack)
The U.S. Relies on Family Caregivers. Millions of Them Are Kids. (New York Times – gift link)
In an aging America, thousands of people have adopted a new vocation: supporting others as they confront the end of life. (The New Yorker)
This ring is so good; my wallet is glad it only goes up to size 8.
Think Itās Cool to Wear Fancy Sneakers to Work? You Might Be Old. (New York Times – gift link)
Forget About Fetching Coffee. This Summer, the Interns Are Running the Show. (The Wall Street Journal – gift link)
Hey teachers (and students), did you know you get an extra 20% off at J. Crew Factory through August 25th? This is on top of whatever promo is happening (and right now it's 40%-60% off everything and an extra 60% off clearance).
Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls. (Oldster via Substack)
A Completely Smooth Forehead Is Out. āStrategic Wrinklesā Are In. (The Wall Street Journal – gift link)
I want to tell you what it was like to watch my Mom die… (allfolks via Substack)
These were comfy (and roomy) right out of the box. No blisters, I'd totally take these on my next trip!
Billie Eilish Will Star in a Film Adaptation of Sylvia PlathāsĀ The Bell Jar. (Elle)
The Misogyny Tax. (More to Hate via Substack)
Last weekend, I wore this in the pool, the ocean, and more than one hot shower and it still looks like new.
How much 10 families spend on child care across the U.S. (The Purse)
If you've seen my doodles and my one lone tattoo, you know I am soooo into Jenny Bird's latest collection. I don't know which piece to get!
āSlop Faceā Is Taking Over Hollywood ā and Making Beauty Boring. (The Hollywood Reporter)
These are a perfect back-to-school gift for tweens to college kids… I kinda want one for myself!
The difference between curing and healing. (The Examined Family via Substack)
Has anyone tried this yet? I think I need to get one.
Do Your Emojis Make You Look Old? (New York Times – gift link)
Not your imagination: from backpacks to food, consumer goods are getting worse. (The Guardian)
Not just for my local yokels… if it's happening here it's happening everywhere… Prince William Forest Park land swap considered for data centers. (Prince William Times)
Style Inspo & Sale Alert
Style Inspo: The Shoe to Update Your Closet
If there is one shoe that is seriously trending right now and into fall, it is the brown woven ballet flat. Primarily leather, it is also seen in suede. Most have a ballet-shoe inspired bow, but some have a higher v-shaped vamp instead, and some have an elasticised Mary Jane strap. A classic milk chocolate brown is most popular, but you will see shades of dark chocolate to cognac (and yes, if you are one who only wears black, it is also available). This is a more structured shoe than the classic ballet flat; some even have a low heel.
Wear it with ankle pants, with midi skirts and dresses, and barrel jeans. If it has an elongated or squared-off toe, they also work with wider-leg pants and jeans. IMO, I find these the best no-show socks for ballet flats. I share some of the best ones I have found in a range of prices and a few with widths!
Margaux (N, M, W) | Vince | ROAN | Dune London | Freda Salvador | Quince (check out our Quince shoes review featuring this flat) | Sam Edelman | Loeffler Randall | Trotters (N, M, W)
Sale Alert
Only through August 17, Bare Necessities is having its Top Drawer Sale. This is when you can get some of the best brands at the best prices. Go to the sale and use the filter at top to only see your cup and band size. Heads up, you know my favorite everyday bra? It's on sale! I also own and love this bra, and this is a good medium-impact sports bra for larger busts.
Levi's has 30% off sitewide through August 21st. The best size selection is at the Levi's site and this is a pretty great discount. For those who don't love the barrel silhouette but desire something looser that looks good with flats and low-profile sneakers (and Birkenstocks), check out the 90s ankle.
The Colleen Rothschild Bestsellers Sale is here through August 23rd. Get 25% off customer favorites, including the Illuminating Tinted Eye Cream, Quench & Shine Restorative Hair Mask, Glycolic Acid Peel Pads, Ethereal Glow Serum, Moisture Veil Silk Emulsion, and more!
Been curious about Left on Friday since Kim's Left on Friday swimwear review? Now is the time to shop because through August 17th, get 30% of all swim, plus an additional 30% off sale styles!
Through August 16th, Flamingo Estate has 21% off all candles and candle sets (excludes XL candles + personalization). Remember how Diptyque was the candle? And then Hotel Lobby? Those brands are still chic, but Flamingo Estate is the new candle darling. I have the Tomato and it's divine. This is a fabulous gift.
I know y'all love Material Kitchen for its MK cutting boards, but the brand also has great knives, flatware, dinnerware, and more. Well, right now Material has 20% off sitewide AND use code ALISON20 for 20% off!
The Brooklinen Big Bed Sale is on this weekend with 20% off Luxe Sateen sheets, duvets, comforters, quilts, and bed blankets plus up to 40% off bath bundles all at this link.
The GAP Friends & Family sale is here through August 20th with 40% off sitewide, plus an extra 10% off your purchase with code GREAT. If you're looking for a new silhouette that will still work with all your shoes and tops for fall, I suggest these. And if you're looking for a comfy chill sweater to wear from now with jorts into winter with turtlenecks, this one looks awesome.
And this one is big… I know y'all love Lo & Sons, and if you follow me on Instagram you know I've been carrying the Aoyama 2 all month. Well the Lo & Sons Aoyama 2 is officially back in stock in all colorways and it is 20% off this weekend. Sale ends Sunday!
See/Hear/Read
What I Saw
We've finished up a couple of series on streaming platforms. I think I have mentioned all of them before, so a quick recap:
- Ride or Die (Prime): So good. Loved it, and so did my husband. Starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer as best friends it is far more believable than that sounds. Both women are badasses, there were really good details thrown in to make the story believable, and it just was a fun series from beginning to end.
- Sugar (Apple TV): We finished up the second season of this series, and are big fans. Starring Colin Farrell as John Sugar, a private investigator who is obsessed with old black and white films, wears fabulous suits, and drives a fabulous car, this is an unexpected premise that really works. Season 2 started and I wasn't feeling it, but by the end I was wondering if it may have been even better than Season 1. I hate to call this series charming, but that's what you feel at the end of each season.
- Cape Fear (Apple TV): This was a series based on the movie which was based on the novel, but not like either. It was horrible. Like so bad it almost felt humorous. Cast full of famous stars, many I have loved in other works, but in this they all sucked. The script sucked, the direction sucked, the production sucked, the everything sucked including the ending. I am floored that Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg were executive producers.
- Widow's Bay (Apple TV): We actually finished this a while ago, but I cannot recommend this series enough. Smart, funny, creepy, quirky… this is the kind of show that will become iconic and quoted for decades to come.
What I Heard
It's surprising I haven't read every single Elin Hildebrand novel already (read why I read so many) but after finishing the book mentioned below, I was looking for an audiobook that would be fun and… reliable. And Hilderbrand's books are just that.
The Academy is a novel Hilderbrand wrote with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham. Unlike the majority of Hilderbrand's other books that take place in Nantucket, this one takes place at Tiffin Academy, a fictional boarding school in New England. It was a very easy listen, though I found the steamy parts and one of the teachers a bit try-hard. But in general, especially as a parent to a child around the same age as these students, I enjoyed it. And I am on the waitlist for The Thoroughbreds, the second in this Tiffin Academy series.
What I Read
Each time I go to Rehoboth Beach, I buy at least one book from Browseabout Books to enjoy over the weekend. This year, after seeing it was going to be months before I got it on Libby, I bought Yesteryear, the bestselling and much-discussed novel by Caro Claire Burke that is already in production to be a film starring Anne Hathaway.
All I knew was it was a book about a “tradwife” influencer who glamorizes her rural ranch life on social media. One day she wakes up and is in the 1800s on a truly rural ranch. I also heard many compare it to Jo Piazza's novel, Everyone is Lying to You, which also featured tradwife influencers and I had read.
Yesteryear is nothing like Everyone is Lying to You, and this is a compliment to Jo Piazza. I liked Yesteryear until I positively hated it. The end felt rushed and more unbelievable than the protagonist hopping in a time machine. That being said, the way that online life and real life become blurred was well described and the topic timely (discussion about the manosphere, influencers selling their own products, politics, etc.). I found this a quick read that I didn't want to put down until the “twist” was revealed and I was annoyed and disappointed and disconnected.
I think the movie will be better. I am happy to support an independent book store, but wish I spent my money on a different novel. I'd recommend waiting until the movie comes out on streaming.
For Your Entertainment
It's like a modern-day Lou Reed, an anthem to girls of every kind who are the best being just who they are. Love me some Troye Sivan, and love the cameos in this music video for “She's the Best,” and that 59-year-old Nicole Kidman is the star.
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I hated Yesteryear. I finished it, but it was so weak, I almost did not finish it. So many gaps in logic that you could not suspend your disbelief. I did not like the religious aspects throughout. I did not like the characters. I also wish I did not spend money on this. I will probably watch the movie when it streams just to see how they handle all of the lapses.
Thanks for highlighting the Guardian article on consumer goods being worse than they used to be. The site they mention, Worse on Purpose, is a fantastic resource! I loved/hated seeing details for how some of my favorite companies have gone down the tubes — and inspired me to buy from the companies that remain worthy.
I read Yesteryear from our library (thank goodness the wait wasn’t as long as yours). You have absolutely nailed my reaction. It pulled me in, kept me reading, and then just fell off at the end. What a letdown. I know a lot of people loved it, but I’m not one. Not sure I’ll even watch the movie, but it couldn’t be worse.