I hope you all had a lovely Fourth of July holiday. Ours was pretty low-key because we actually ended up getting a lot of rain late in the day, which was the best holiday gift of all, and we knew we had to be up at 3:45 a.m. the next morning to get Caroline to the airport by 4:30 a.m. so she could fly to North Carolina for soccer camp with her team. If you think I didn’t come home right after that and crawl back in bed for several more hours then you must be new here.
But I will tell you the highlight of our Independence Day celebration (I mean other than our freedom and living in the United States) was this banana cake that Caroline and I made. I saw a post on Facebook about a week earlier featuring banana cake and I’d been craving one ever since, which is weird because I don’t know that I’d ever even had a banana cake. I happened to have some ripe bananas that needed to be used and so all my banana cake dreams that I didn’t even know I had came true. We used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and it is truly delicious. The icing alone is worth it.
I was a little concerned about Caroline when I asked her if she wanted a piece for dessert and she asked, “Is it going to taste like bananas?”
Um.
I would have thought that was obvious. But she did really like it even though it most definitely does taste like bananas. It’s basically like a really good banana bread with icing that they probably make in heaven.
And now for some cute things I found this week:
1. madewell central shirt in shea stripe
I love these Madewell shirts because they are so light and soft. Perfect for when you feel like you’re living on the actual sun. It’s currently 20% off and $54.50.
I also really like this chambray version if you’re looking for more of a neutral. This would look great with everything from white denim, to olive, to just a basic blue.
2. wrap front crop leg jumpsuit
I can’t get enough of jumpsuits right now. Yes, you have to pull them all the way down to go to the bathroom, but they’re so cute that I declare it to be worth it. This one is $100, but I love the cropped length and a v-neck is universally flattering.
These pants have great reviews and are $49. I love a good, flowy pant and these would even be perfect to just throw on over your swimsuit.
Okay, you need to know this top isn’t lined. And I originally thought it wasn’t worth how pretty it is if you have to mess with a tank top. But now it’s on sale for $49.95 plus an extra 40% off and I’ve decided it’s totally worth the tank top hassle. If you’re like me, you have at least five different white tanks in your closet anyway so might as well get this darling top to wear over one.
5. madewell stripe canvas tote
This stripe tote is so adorable and I’m more than a little in love with it. It’s on sale for $46.60 and also comes in a light pink stripe if that’s more your style.
6. grecerelle v-neck maxi dress
I know I keep talking about this maxi dress but it is truly my favorite purchase of the summer and it’s just $23.80. I wear it over and over again because it’s so comfortable but still looks like I put some effort into looking presentable. It comes in several different color options.
7. j.crew factory striped faux wrap dress
I tried this dress on the other day and it is so cute for summer. I love the blue and white stripe and it could easily be dressed up or down. I didn’t buy it because I don’t need another dress but it made me wish I did.
It’s $39.50 plus an extra 20% off with the code SUPERSTAR at checkout.
I think these are so cute for summer and even into fall. I love the striped platform paired with the cognac color. They are $79.95.
9. chuck taylor shoreline sneakers
So I had a pair of white Vans and Caroline basically took them from my closet and I never saw them again. I’d been needing a white sneaker replacement but couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I finally just ordered these because I found the slip on feature to be super appealing. And they are definitely keepers. They are comfortable, really cute and just a little more feminine than the original Converse sneakers.
They are $50.
These colorful bracelets are perfect summer accessories, plus everything at Accessory Concierge is 40% off with the code AMERICA and they have so many cute things.
I added this in because I saw it at the last minute and really love it. It’s just $22.
12. floral embroidered bomber jacket
Caroline and I have been watching eighties movies at night and saw Pretty in Pink the other night. I still stand by my original opinion that Andie’s prom dress was disappointing. However, she wore this incredible bomber jacket during one scene and I love it as much as I did in 1987. I can’t find that jacket because I’m sure it was a one of a kind thing, but I do love this one at Forever 21 that’s just $19.90.
And my search also led me to this ceretti bomber jacket which is absolutely gorgeous and I adore it.
Sadly, it’s $328 which is significantly more than my current bomber jacket budget. So I will just admire it from afar and hope that at some point it goes on sale for 80% off.
That’s it for today.
Have a good Friday.