Today feels a little blah. I slept funny and now my arm feels out of whack, I’m hungry but nothing sounds good to make or eat, and I just feel generally grouchy for no reason. I think a little reflection on the cool and fun things this week will pick me up!
#5: The Sloane Ranger Style
This was a neat realization–that the style I try to emanate actually has a name besides “Kate Middleton wannabe,” and it’s called Sloane Ranger. It’s kind of buttoned up with clean lines and understated elegance. Wool, tweed, pastels, plaids, jewel tones, and conservative, classy dresses.
My style isn’t strictly this, but the majority of my clothes attempt (attempt!!) to fall within this style. At the end of the day, my go-to outfit is jeans and a white tee. I also like nautical stripes and fisherman’s sweaters! One of my goals this summer is to dress a little better than my typical jeans and a tee, so there’s more to see coming soon!
Now obviously Kate Middleton has a slightly larger budget to curate cool pieces–seriously, it’s considered a big deal if the woman rewears an outfit once–but I’ve found that just a few classic shirts, sweaters, and pants can be mixed and matched into really stylish combinations!
The term, Sloane Ranger, is unique to the U.K., was invented by Ann Barr, and can be used to describe somewhat snooty people from wealthy upbringings. In the U.S., we’d probably call it East Coast preppy. I don’t relate to this part of the Sloane Ranger. I like deal diving and thrift shopping!
This lemon quarter zip is from L.L. Bean and I LOVE it. It’s not as warm as my other quarter zips, but it’s great for spring and summer when you might need just a little cover.
As an aside, I tried on all of my work pants today as we approach the one-year mark since we’ve been in the office. I was nervous, as I am every season when I fear my clothes won’t fit, but thankfully they did! Some were a little snug in the butt, but I think that has to do with my leg day workout more than a chocolate addiction…
#4: Clean Reserve Warm Cotton Perfume
I bought my own perfume for the first time in my life. All the other perfumes I’ve had have always been gifts, so I feel pretty grown up buying my own. I really like scents that smell fresh and clean. Nothing too floral or funky. Usually something aquatic or botanical.
This CLEAN Reserve Warm Cotton perfume checks all of my boxes and is definitely my everyday spritz now. Got mine at Sephora!
It reminds me of the soap from Bath and Body Works called Fresh Cotton and freshly laundered clothes out of the dryer!
#3: Parker House Rolls
We had another trivia night with the Flake family and because it fell on a Friday of Lent, I had to make the menu pescatarian. I ended up making a ginger fruit salad, a regular salad, chacuterie, crab cakes, Costco’s pesto salmon (slow cooked, of course!), mashed potatoes, and Parker House rolls. I used Bobby Flay’s recipe and wow. Just wow.
They were pretty easy to make and the dough is so pillow-y and silky smooth! His instructions were a little vague when it came to shaping the dough into rolls, so I would recommend going for golf ball sized pieces of dough. I did 15 of them (half the batch) in a 13″ x 9″ pan and those seemed to fit well after they rose a second time. The rest of the dough went in a regular cookie sheet pan with parmesan and onion salt!
As a side note, charcuterie goes really, really well with pickled red onions. Here’s the recipe which I 100% stole from Smitten Kitchen. She is a brilliant cook.
Pickled red onions really spice up a cheese and crackers plate. Add in green grapes for color and sweetness!
#2: Sammy Rae & The Friends
Every year I make a new music playlist on Spotify. I like breaking up each year by music. When I hear a song, I’ll reminisce: “Ah, 2018,” or something like that. Here is my 2021 playlist and I am very proud of it. One of the artists I found so far this year is Sammy Rae & The Friends.
Her band is very upbeat, kind of jazzy, and a little indie rock. I like cruising around town jamming to this song, The Feeling. Talk it Up is fun, too! They’re an up-and-coming band, and I’d keep an ear out for them next time you listen to the radio. (Do people still listen to the radio?)
#1: The Flake Family
I cannot express enough how lucky I was marrying into Jim’s family. They are the best people. I love how family-oriented the Flakes are. They are the most supportive, funny, and reliable people I know.
Friday night we hosted another trivia night with them! This one was just regular ol’ “pub” trivia in observance of St. Patrick’s Day, and Jim’s. Parents. DOMINATED it.
As I have mentioned before, I really enjoy making trivia games and playing competitive card games. I mashed up the rules of trivia with my favorite card game, 500, so that teams could bet how many questions they predicted they’d get right.
If you are interested in playing the same game we played, just comment below and I will send it to you!