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It’s A Vice Presidential Debate Drinking Game!
Latest Posts
The Mom Uniform: Autumn Edition
Let's throw it back to 2019, when I wrote a post that is 2020 in a nutshell if I've ever seen one. (Updated with brand-new outfit suggestions.)
Today's post is a twofer, inspired by a couple of reader questions I received via Insta.
- Does comfort and style exist? Can you wear yoga pants but still be stylish? and
- I need a Mom Uniform for fall; help me.
The answer to the first question is a resounding "yes," and am certain that it is so, because otherwise I would be naked. There is just no power on earth (except for, perhaps, the possibility of a date with Jason Momoa) that could get me out of the house attired in clothing that makes me feel restricted in any way.
Links & Love & Stuff
Chrissy Teigen posted about our book, NBD. Update: Utterly heartbroken to hear of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's loss. I'm sure the news is triggering for so many; please go here for resources if you are suffering.
This is my new favorite shade from Static Nails - it makes your fingers look miles long. (And I agree, it makes literally no sense to wear faux nails right now, but it helps me tame my terrible, horrible cuticle-picking habit.)
Plaid fleece jacket by Carve Designs, yes.
I Don’t Owe You Anything
me. 2009.
That's the general consensus on bloggers who share about their personal lives, right? We don't "owe" our readers anything? It's what I've heard countless times over the years, anyway: Whenever a reader asks me about a topic I don't feel comfortable touching - the specifics of my finances, for example, or the precise reasons behind my divorce - other readers will jump in, reminding me that what I choose to share (and not share) is...well, my choice. I don't owe anyone my story.
Except that's never how I've really felt. I do owe you. So very much. And so what I owe you, right now, is an explanation.
My Reel, If You’re Interested
When you work in TV (or "TV," whatever that means nowadays; the visual medium has evolved just a smidge since my Clean & Clear girl days), you're supposed to keep a reel showcasing your latest work. I put together my last official reel in 2013.
It was probably time for an update.
Lovely Late-Summer Scents
Me as a garden nymph at a home scenting event, 2014
I'm not willing to accept that it's almost fall, because my internal calendar remains convinced that it's still April 2020. Or maybe April 2025; who knows! This reluctance-to-embrace-the-new-season is made vastly easier by the fact that it is approximately ten thousand degrees in Southern California at the moment, and I can barely walk my dog around the block without dissolving into a pool of sweat.
You know by now that I'm a bit of a candle obsessive; even when it's hot out, I have candles burning. Beyond being something that's always been a personal habit of mine, it's just kind of necessary when your home is filled with Child and Dog smells (yummmm).
Before Summer Ends
'Tis almost the day when the grill gets covered up for the cold months, and all that lovely fresh corn disappears from the shelves (or becomes terrifying and inedible, as evidenced by the fact that the corn I bought at Trader Joe's yesterday had actual, living CATERPILLARS in it, and if you think I screamed like Ghostface himself was hanging out inside that husk, you would be correct).
So here are ten recipes that I think you should make lickety-split, before you encounter any surprise beasties of your own in the fresh produce section.
Two Weeks
This. Is. Not. Okay.
We're two weeks into our personal experience of the grand national experiment that is Distance Learning, and spoiler: Nothing about it is even close to workable.
My kids and I are enormously privileged. We have WiFi (when it feels like working, which is about 60% of the time). Computers. One work-from-home parent and two who are deeply invested in their education. A school with resources and incredible teachers. Plenty of outdoor space.
Adventures In DIY Highlights (Alt Title: Oh My God, I Ruined Erin’s Hair)
A couple of weeks into lockdown, I did a bad thing.
I highlighted my own hair.
Even as I opened the box I could hear my colorist yelling at me from all the way across the city, but I couldn't help it: I'd already been badly in need of a touch-up when the world shut down, and whatever, I was bored, and still in the moment of quarantine when it felt like an opportunity to try new things (puzzles! bread! ...remember when we still had energy?!). And highlighting my own hair sounded kind of fun, or at the very least perhaps an opportunity to generate Content (tips and tricks! fashion roundups! ...remember when we still had an iota of bandwidth left?!).
Just 6 Things I’m Really Into
Floaty floral dresses. My daily uniform is obviously shorts and a t-shirt or button-down, as you've observed on 20,954 separate occasions, but I've been trying to mix it up a bit. Putting on one of these dresses just makes you feel so pretty. The one pictured above (worn for a baby shower brunch several centuries ago, in February) is an old Zara dress I stole from my mama, but I just ordered this on-sale beauty for another option.
Lore Podcast. Ommmg this podcast is so good. Each episode covers a bite-sized bit of global folklore - alien sightings, pukwudgies (! it's a thing), vampire tales, and so forth - and explores its historical underpinnings. I listen to it on walks with Archie, and because I cannot get enough of it, Archie is a verrrrry tired pup these days. Side benefit: Tired pups eat fewer of their mother's favorite bras. Not none of her bras, but fewer. Here's a rundown of fans' favorite episodes, if you want some really good ones to get started with.
