My brother's puppy decided to hop in at the end of my outfit photos. Isn't he the cutest?! My siblings and I do a Secret Santa every year and if I had him I would totally want to get one of Mr&MrsPaw's hilarious renaissance pet portraits so we could always remember how adorable he was as a puppy. He's growing bigger every week so I'm sure he'll be HUGE soon. I'll miss being able to have him sit on my lap for pets.
I could even do one for my sister's dog, Shiba Inu's are pretty classy (especially the black and tan colors like Teddy) so it would be super funny to see him in a renaissance pet portrait. I've already done a Cuddle Clone of Layla, but maybe she could use a portrait too! And don't worry, they do cats as well, which would be a funny gift for Christian's Mom.
Dress: ELLE Poppy Zip Up Dress (Kohl's)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals AGS x Gas Bijoi Stephanie Charms (bought in Santorini)
Sunglasses: Chanel
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola
*This post was made in partnership with Responsival. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
How are we halfway though the year/Summer already?! I made it through another month not spending money on clothes. I did get a new pair of sandals as part of a partnership with Aetrex, check out this post see what I wore it with on our camping trip earlier this month.
I don't really have much on my shopping list these days, apart from the teal Gucci Marmont bag I've wanted for quite a few years now. But It's probably going to wait a few more years before I finally get it. With work being a little slower than usual it's hard to justify spending around $1000 on a bag. I WILL get it eventually, though!
Just because there's nothing on my list of wants it doesn't mean I don't window shop. I still constantly check secondhand sites in case something amazing pops up, but so far I've resisted any temptation. Anyone else just shop for the fun of it and not really intend on buying anything?
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- None yet
Basics:
- mīere the label "Frankie" knit sweater in Faded Black ($56.92, $32.15 if we omit shipping)
Shoes:
- Ancient Greek Sandals Kore of Berlin ($365, used Shopbop gift cards + ad money + 15% off)
Handbags:
- None yet
Accessories:
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
- Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy via DSW ($26.58, $79.99 retail)
Gifted from Brands:
- Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Yellow Gold c/o Aurate
- *NEW!* Janey Sport Sandal - Pewter c/o Aetrex
Spent in June: $0
Spent in 2022: $83.50
Earlier this month we went our our annual camping trip that I've been going on since I was about 7. There were a bunch of years during High School that I didn't go and during College but after that I went with my friends a few years and then Christian and I started going together with my Aunt & Uncle. The past couple years my parents and siblings joined back in too. So it's nice to keep the tradition going!
I shared some of these outfits on Instagram yesterday as part of a partnership with Aetrex, but figured I should share all the outfits photos I have. Camping is obviously not a fashionable vacation so these are super comfortable casual looks.
Also turning this into a mini travel guide of sorts since I'll chat about the activities we took part in on our long weekend.
P.S. Use code MEGAN20 at Aetrex for 20% off a full price pair of shoes through 7/23!
Shopping Outfit: Wore this for our morning trek over to The Vermont Country Store in Weston, VT. A must-do on every trip. We arrived and had lunch at Mildred's Grill, shopped at the Vermont Country Store and then walked across the street to browse the Weston Village Christmas Shop and Weston Village Country Store. Then it was back to the campground!
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| Romper: Greylin 'Osten' Romper (Gilt), Bag: Etienne Aigner (thrifted), Sandals: Aetrex 'Janey Sport Slide' (gifted) |
An Evening Walk: One evening we took a little stroll outside the campground to Jamaica Village and did a quick walk around the block. We didn't want to get bit up by mosquitos so we changed to jeans, ha ha. The village has a small grocery store, yoga studio and a couple galleries.
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| Tee: A New Day (Target), Jeans: Michael by Michael Kors, Sneakers: Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy (DSW) |
Swimming at Salmon Hole: The swimming at West River was a little crowded the weekend we went, it was the 4th of July, so we didn't actually do any swimming but I did take a morning walk along the river and stuck my toes in. Can't go camping here without at least touching the water! Back in the day there used to be a spot a little up river where the rocks were placed in such a way that if you sat in the right spot you'd have little waterfalls giving you a nice back massage.
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| Bathing Suit: All in Motion Zip-Front Racerback Laser Cut Back One-Piece in Black Floral (Target), Jean Shorts: Madewell, Sandals: Aetrex 'Janey Sport Slide' (gifted), Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop |
Hiking up to The Overlook: No trip is complete without a hike on the Overlook Trail. There are two ways to get up here, we usually take the shorter route that has a bit more rock climbing involved and usually takes a half hour. There is a longer trail that has a more gradual uphill walk as well. The campground has other trails but I'm usually too lazy to do the longer ones these days. My new sneakers were very comfy and perfect for the hike.
Fun Fact: This is where Christian proposed to me in 2018, after I was attacked by mosquitos the whole way up, ha ha.
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| Tank: American Eagle, Leggings: Fabletics (old), Sports Bra: Fabletics (old), Sneakers: Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy (DSW) |
Hanging at the Campsite: Our main activity over the weekend was just hanging out at our campsites, chatting, enjoying a fire and eating too much food. I hate getting bug bites on my feet so I sport the super fashionable "socks with sandals" that I would be embarrassed to be seen in outside of camping, ha ha. I also wore this to the Newfane Flea Market where Christian and I splurged on some delicious sausages from A Crooked Barn Charcuterie. Going to have to buy more next time we're in VT, unless the owner adds online shopping before then!
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| Top: Fabletics 'Savannah Top' (old) Shorts: Old Navy 'High-Waisted Textured Twill Shorts' in Copper Moon, Sandals: Aetrex 'Janey Sport Slide' (gifted), Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop, Socks: Target |
Drive Home & Stop at Retreat Farm: On our drive home we decided to finally stop at Retreat Farm after saying "we should stop here" every other year. Christian bought a bunch of cheese at Grafton Village Cheese before we walked the grounds of the farm and said "hi!" to various animals including a HUGE bull named Carlos. We were there on the Fourth of July so it was not crowded at all, just how I like my activities! Before leaving we grabbed some strawberry and lemon gelato made with local ingredients.
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| Tank: American Eagle, Shorts: Old Navy 'High-Waisted Textured Twill Shorts' in Copper Moon, Sandals: Aetrex 'Janey Sport Slide' (gifted), Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop |
Here it is, the blog debut of my newest pair of Ancient Greek Sandals! They are part of the 10th anniversary collection that was released earlier this Summer. Each piece is inspired by a piece of art in a museum. These are the Kore of Berlin sandals inspired by the patterned robes worn by the Kore of Berlin in the Altes Museum in Germany. I still want the Victory of Samothrace feather-embellished metallic sandals (inspired by The Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre in Paris) because they're a callback to my first ever pair of Ancient Greek Sandals - the winged Ikaria.
I now own TWELVE pairs of Ancient Greek Sandals. You can definitely say I'm a super fan. If I didn't limit myself to one pair a year (with a few exceptions) I'm sure I would have many more. I did a favorite things post back in 2020 featuring each pair of sandals and talking about my love of the brand so I won't do a whole repeat here.
When I got these in the mail I spent a good chunk of time making a Reel featuring every single pair of Ancient Greek Sandals I own. Sadly it didn't take off like I hoped it would. Apparently Instagram prefers when my Reels feature food and doesn't show my fashion Reels to people. *eyeroll*
Jeans: Stella McCartney Wild Cat Skinny Ankle Jeans (eBay - linked pair is more of a straight leg)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Kore of Berlin' Embroidery Sandal - 10th Anniversary Collection (Shopbop)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators
Necklaces: AURATE X KERRY Lioness Pendant & Acanthus Jewelry 'Gemma' Amethyst
This shirt hasn't appeared on the blog often but it's one I don't think I will ever get rid of. The print is super fun and the can be worn a lot of ways. I do always wear the same tank top underneath but I can wear it with jeans, shorts, skirts, etc. I think the last time it appeared on the blog was way back in 2018 when I wore it to Animal Kingdom in Disney World. Funnily enough, the first time it was on the blog (in 2014) I wore it with the same necklace!
Everyone kept thinking I was my sister's dog Teddy when I was walking around the house in these. Christian even thought we had a dog in OUR house when I walked downstairs, ha ha. I do feel weird walking around stores when I'm jingling so I do avoid wearing them to the grocery store but I still love these sandals, especially because the name of the sandal is my middle name (and my late Grandmother's too!)
Animal Print Top: Studio 1 c/o ThredUp
Jeans: FRAME 'Le Skinny de Jeanne' (Shopbop)
Bag: Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag in Croc c/o Shopbop (smaller size)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Faye' embellished sandal (Net-a-Porter Sale)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators
Necklace: Geoclassics
Well, I finally did it. I used up the last of my gift cards from my Shopbop partnership. Still very sad that it had to end due to the pandemic, but maybe they'll bring me back soon (wishful thinking, ha ha.) You may recall from my May wardrobe update that I mentioned Ancient Greek Sandals' launched their 10th Anniversary Collection. I was torn between 2 pairs - and the high price - so I was debating if I could even justify purchasing a pair. Luckily for me, one of them, the Kore of Berlin sandal, popped up on Shopbop and I decided it was time to use the remainder of my gift cards (plus a tiny bit of blog advertising money) to get them! I also found a 15% off coupon to help a bit more.
The other pair I wanted, the Victory Of Samothrace Metallic Wing Sandals, sold out fairly quickly on the Ancient Greek Sandals site and everywhere else they were in stock. I haven't seen them anywhere else yet but still going to keep my eyes open. Those were fitting for me because the first pair of Ancient Greek Sandals I bought almost 10 years ago were their Ikaria winged sandals. These were actually $20 cheaper than the Kore of Berlin sandals I bought.
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- None yet
Basics:
- mīere the label "Frankie" knit sweater in Faded Black ($56.92, $32.15 if we omit shipping)
Shoes:
- *NEW!* Ancient Greek Sandals Kore of Berlin ($365, used Shopbop gift cards + ad money + 15% off)
Handbags:
- None yet
Accessories:
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
- Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy via DSW ($26.58, $79.99 retail)
Gifted from Brands:
- Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Yellow Gold c/o Aurate
Spent in June: $0
Spent in 2022: $83.50
If you can't tell by this outfit, purple is my favorite color. I decided to match the purple stripes in this Ralph Lauren dress with my purple Prada Cahier, Chanel sunglasses and Ancient Greek Sandals. When I first bought this dress I really loved it but wasn't sure I would wear it often. It's turned into a dress that I fall back on on hot days when I'm not sure what else to wear. It's comfortable, breezy and matches a lot of my wardrobe. I guess that's what happens when you wear mostly the same colors, right?
Striped Knit Dress: Lauren Ralph Lauren (Lord & Taylor)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens)
Sunglasses: Chanel
I know we're way past Easter, but this baking update includes a couple treats I made for our family gatherings! I made some adorable "Bunny Buns" and an Easter Wreath. In addition I did my usual random baking on the weekends.
Easter Bread Wreath
I was looking for something fun and different to make for our second Easter and then this popped up on King Arthur's Instagram and I knew I found my treat. It was fun to make and looked beautiful. I loved the hints of orange but next time I might add in more zest or juice so it tastes less “bready” and more desserty/sweet.
Crusty European-Style Hard Rolls - turned into Bunny Buns
I've wanted to make "bunny" buns for Easter for a number of years and finally attempted this year! I found a crusty roll recipe that would keep a round shape and poked out some eyes and cut ears. I need to cut the ears a little deeper next time so they would stay long, but at least they still look like an animal. And they were DELICIOUS! I highly recommend this recipe, even if you don't turn them into bunnies. Eat them warm with some honey butter! (honey + butter and whip together.)
Chocolate Chip Muffins
One Friday Christian decided he wanted some muffins so I looked up some recipes and found one we had almost all the ingredients for. I finally got to use our Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer we bought at the beginning of the pandemic and used cream of tartar to turn our milk into buttermilk. They came out PERFECT. Even with the substitutions. Going to have to use the egg replacer more even if we do have eggs in the house (it expires in a few months, ha ha.)
Auntie Joan's Maple Oatmeal Sticky Buns
I loooove cinnamon rolls and sticky buns. I actually prefer homemade sticky buns to homemade cinnamon buns because I HATE cream cheese icing. (But I do love some Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in a can.) I've made my Aunt's sticky bun recipe a few times now and this time I swapped out pecans for walnuts because that's what I had in the freezer. The recipe is a little different from other's I've seen because it uses maple syrup and oatmeal in the dough. Adds a little bit more texture and maple flavor.
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Christian and I made some strawberry jam and weren't going to be able to finish it before a trip we were taking to New Jersey (to help my friend at her Teen Wolf convention) so I decided to make these strawberry oatmeal bars to have as a snack for the weekend. I knew we would have little time to eat during the day - he was filming panels and I was in charge of getting an actor to and from panels, photos and autographs - so an easy snack was ideal. I didn't have enough jam to cover the whole pan, but they still tasted great and were nice and filling!
Cinnamon Roll Bread - FAIL!
Before our trip to Florida I decided I should make a treat for our long drive down from Connecticut. Originally I was going to make King Arthur Cinnamon Bread but then saw this recipe in a random Instagram Reel. Unfortunately that should have been a sign not to make it. Never trust a recipe from an influencer you don't know or wasn't recommended by a friend, haha! This was a baking fail, or so I thought, until my Mom and sister's boyfriend ate it all and said it was delicious. Christian and I thought it was super dense and chewy, and really greasy (see paper towel soaking it up) so we weren't fans. Maybe if I make it again it will come out right.
