Things I bought, things I want
It’s my 61st birthday today, people, and unlike in my 50s—when I cried at least a little whenever that day rolled around—I’m feeling pretty good about it. When my friend Kate was little, her parents, who had divorced, felt bad that she wouldn’t ever get to have her birthday with her whole family again. So they invented something called Princess Week, and did things both large and small to celebrate her for a full seven days. When Kate told me about this, years ago, I knew Princess Week was something I’d like to try and approximate for myself. Mostly these days that just means buying myself clothes and stuff, like this hugely tempting cropped suede jacket from Madewell. This one is good too, and not cropped.
Madewell actually has a ton of tempting new arrivals at the moment, like this pretty lace-inset top, which also comes in black.
Also from Madewell, this super-spiff shirt dress, which I bought the instant I saw it. The stripes are fun, and it’s got dolman sleeves, which is cool.
Another good shirtdress, from Sezane.
I was gifted this amazing bag from Clare V, and—even though I usually prefer a more vertical tote—I love the shape of this. And the blue woven checkerboard is just the best.
My friend Michelle was over the other day, and she noticed that I was using one of those cheap, pre-filled pepper grinders from the grocery store. My former grinder broke a couple of years ago, and I’ve just never bothered with a replacement. So she bought me this amazing one from Dusen Dusen that she didn’t even know I’d been eyeing for ages.
An easy pair of ripstop pants, with a nice amount of stretch, for not a lot of cash.
These pull-on knit straight pants are also a fantastic deal, and I like how trouser-y they look.
The front patch pockets on this denim skirt make it standout. I know a ton of you dislike denim skirts with a surprising passion, but maybe this one will change your mind.
These studded Birks are brand new and selling out all over the place, but there are still plenty on offer on the Birkenstock site. They also come in an ochre and a rust shade, but I think the taupe is the best and subtlest way to go.
