I opened my camera roll to settle a question β where did the months go? There were no gaps, just a lot of getting dressed, no time to write about it. So this one’s the catch-up: outfit edits, a slow bathroom refresh, the meals, the reading. Sit down with coffee, I’ll keep it real.
Our primary bath has been 21 years old. No full renovation β we’re just replacing what moves the needle. Wallpaper came down, the walls got repainted, quartzite countertops plus new sinks went in last week, and new brass drains should land next week so the sinks can finally work again. The one big call left is wallpaper, which in my household is no small call. Once that’s picked, it’s styling and done.
The pieces this season is actually working
For the last few months the way I’ve been dressing has come down to a handful of pieces that mix and match without me thinking: linen, soft knits, classic stripes, comfortable denim, one good silk scarf. Out of the rotation right now:
- The striped cardigan I own in both black and white, paired with wide-leg pants and simple accessories. The white one gets worn all the time β I wear this one buttoned up. A couple of years old and it still washes like new.
- A linen blazer over denim and a white knit, with the silk scarf for the only color in the look. That scarf earns its keep on rotation.
- A navy linen dress, the kind of blank canvas you build a look around β jewelry, a scarf, a light layer, and you’re out the door. I reach for it on repeat.
- The striped button-down with white denim and neutral loafers. One of the hardest-working pieces I own, and the easiest to look deliberate in.
Two more that earn serious cost-per-wear:
- Ruti pants I wore on repeat in a single trip across two countries. They’re the most expensive pair of pants I’ve ever bought. Worth every penny, and the compliments keep coming. Seen here with a cream top for dinner plans: shop the pants“>shop the pants
- A floral dress I bought for a baby shower I hosted a couple of years back. It needs almost no styling, works belted or with sneakers, and a certain store keeps reissuing it in new prints and colors, which is a feature, not a bug. see the dress“>see the dress
And the home body: a gauze robe in the style that made waves, the sort of thing I’m in all day. It was a gift and it’s been earning its spot on repeat. the robe“>the robe
What I’d keep from the home side
The two updates I’m actually proud of:
- The family room furniture β our old sofa and loveseat sold on Marketplace the day I listed them, before the new pieces even arrived, so the new room is clean. I’ll show more when it’s fully styled. the old sofa, sold the day it was listed“>the old sofa, sold the day it was listed
- A new “new-to-us” dining table that actually fits the way we gather β Sunday lunches, holiday spreads, the usual. The bar corner next to it keeps becoming my favorite vignette, fast, with flowers, greenery, and the rechargeable lamp I keep reaching for. the lamp“>the lamp
On styling: I deliberately knocked back the coffee-table clutter. Books, a few collected pieces, the greenery from the garden β the table should still work for real life. This is the same edit I do with clothes: fewer pieces, each one earning its spot.
Dinners that settled in
- Salmon with melting tomatoes, another year of that in the rotation.
- A butternut squash salad with rotisserie chicken, a little bacon, and the homemade dressing I’m still scratch-testing.
- Pork tenderloin, seared outside and finished in the oven. The sauce is the dish.
My reading plan for the year, and how to actually do it
Twelve books last year, done. This year the goal is 36, and the only way that’s realistic is to stop paying for books I’ll never finish. The toolkit, in order of least effort:
- A library card plus the two library apps Libby“>Libby and Hoopla“>Hoopla. Free β it’s the card you already have. Waitlist hits happen, but when a title frees back up the download picks up exactly where I stopped.
- Audible, one book credit per month, for the titles I actually intend to finish fast.
- A Kindle, plus the odd printed book, when I want to hold something.
The rule I keep meaning to break: always carry a book. Doctor’s office, car lot β that’s where the quiet reading hour hides.
Small things that earned a mention
- A 39oz coffee keeper that fits an entire 2-pound bag, sized right for the way I actually drink coffee.
- Glass vials for the beach shells and glass I can’t stop finding.
- Travel floats that fold flat in the suitcase β the trip both ended and confused me in equal measure.
- A 100-pack of the right gloves that don’t fall apart mid-task.
- Hand cream that’s now by the bed, a non-negotiable goodnight now.
The Edit
For one summer: linen, stripes, and the scarf that carries a lot. I’d rather own five pieces that cover a full week than twenty that sit in the back of the closet. That’s the whole philosophy, in one line.
How many books do you actually plan to read? 36 this year. Twelve last year, all tracked honestly in my list.
Do you actually keep the pieces you show? Most of them, for a couple of years. Rotation pieces β the linen dress, the blazer, the scarf β get worn on repeat, not seasonal.
What about the home updates in the background? Bathroom refresh is partially done, the wallpaper’s still on the table. The dining table and furniture updates are in and staying.
a note from Margot
The last couple of months I caught myself getting caught up in keeping up with the get-up. The simplest fix β the one I keep coming back to β is to make fewer, better pieces. That’s the whole philosophy in one line. I spent ten years editing magazine racks. Now I edit your closet.
