• Repeat after me: "there are still good people in the world."
  
• My go-to line when I hug my girls after hosting them has turned into a book. Looking forward to reading this one.
  
• I've been making my own version of this salad lately, and we can't get enough. Perfect roughage for fall, and easy, easy to take to those potlucks.
  
• Another heart-wrenching tale of how someone is spending her numbered days.
  
• Are you watching The Romanoffs? Thoughts?
  
• Do yourself a favor and spend 15 minutes watching Natalie Portman give the business to the patriarchy.
  
• Grab your Kleenex. Way to go, Nike.
  
• Lucky me, my Texas girls are having babes left and right... clutch timing for me to scoop one of these up. Or 12.
  
• When the gray autumn days permeate your mood, join me in daydreaming about where to jetset next when you take your next vacay.
  
• All kinds of adorable, GW.

Have a great week, y'all!

• Like we weren't totally convinced of this already. But hey, science backing me up is always good.
  
• Tell me this isn't the cutest little housewarming present.
  
• It's a little late to be reporting on this, but if you haven't watched Meghan McCain's magnificent eulogy of her beloved father, there's no time like the present.
  
• And in keeping with the political realm.... GO BETO, GO!
  
• YES, GIRL. This is how you use your platform.
  
• Now that the temperature has momentarily dipped below 70, I cannot pry this coziness from my body. Getcha one. Or four.
  
• Ever the personal growth guru, I've kicked off a book club with my work team. Have you tackled this one yet?
  
• So, speaking of girl power... I scooped this up from a local shop and have gotten all of the compliments. Love it so much. #shopsmall
  
• Aaaand, setting us back a couple generations... I still can't decide how I feel about professional cheerleading. What say you?

Hullo! July, half over now. Officially in the latter part of 2018. I hope your fourth was all kinds of relaxing and magical, and you felt at least a smidge of pride to call the good ol' U S of A home. Mine involved the standard grilled fare, a bounty of explosives gazed at over the sticky humid, suburban sky and a homemade slip + slide that left me more than a little sore the next morning. In a word? It was perfect.

Here's a little of what life and the internet have brought me lately:

• I have a serious girl crush on Cleo Wade. (go get her book!)

• Bird flocked to Nashville, and almost just as quickly, flew the coop (PUNS). The city is working on amendments to get it stationed here for good, and the whole concept just fascinates me to no end. Do you have Bird in your neck of the woods?

• Millennial wingdings. LOL.
  
• More than a little jealous of this kid.
  
• The Royal Wedding has come and gone, but one of my favorite little print shops churned out this gorgeous snippet of Bishop Michael Curry's lovely vows... which now lives tucked among the dog photo shrine above our cozy, sectional.
  
• Who's idea was it to revamp all of Elton John's best? I'd personally love to embrace you.
  
• I've needed a bit of a social media break, so I have stepped away from Facebook for now. This week, I downloaded the Moment app for my phone, and it's been pretty alarming--the app monitors your phone usage, and can even send you notifications when you've overstepped goals you've set for yourself. I highly recommend it--it's already breaking habits I have... oddly enough, I'm not using my phone a ton, but I'm a compulsive picker-upper! #PUTITDOWN

• Follow this account now. 

• All my best girlfriends and I are kicking off a cookbook club this month--first stop, Chrissy Teigen's Cravings... I'm doing sides! I'll bring you a full report later.
  
• You can take the girl outta Texas, but you can't take the Texas politics outta the girl: somehow I managed to get myself recruited to be a volunteer for Beto's campaign. I wish like hell I could vote for him in November, but since I can't, I'll do my best to get you Texans to.

Until next time, y'all...

October!! Can it be?! It's about that time when I blink and all at once, I'm addressing Christmas cards, and Maizie's donning a sweater, and I'm struggling to creatively fit gifts in a suitcase, Tetris-style, for my trip home. I so very much love the transition into fall, and the sensation of shedding the previous months' stresses while watching the world evolve around me. So for now, despite the 80-degree days, I will savor every little minute... wearing my jeggings and booties, obviously.

Here's some goodness from the past couple weeks:

• Science tells us why campfires are romantic. I won't dispute that.
  
• My "perfect workday" looks somewhat like this... what say you?
  
• Speaking of work--this is how to appear smart in meetings. LAWL.
  
• My love for Wildfox knows no bounds... their beach sweatshirts are incredibly soft and cozy, and it's like fooling the fool with what amounts to wearing a blanket emblazoned with the sassiest phrasing. This one made its way to my Christmas list.
  
• Hallelujah! Beautycounter gives us an effortless eye makeup remover, y'all.
  
• May Designs collaborated with Target and everything is amazing. I've already scooped up my 2018 planner.
  
• If this means I can get my beloved Topo Chico without driving thirty miles, I am so on board.
  
• I am most certainly on the sheet mask train, but I've yet to buy into the selfie craze.
  
• Bumble Bizz fascinates me to no end. What do you think about it? Would you try it?
  
• I'm thisclose to breaking up with my Keurig for this guy. Have you used one? It's pure magic.
  
• Children of the '90s, you're welcome. 

Happy Weekend, y'all!

Hi, hello! And heyyyy, September! I'm trying to freshen up the look of things around here... slowly, but surely, she's coming along.

Here are some things I've stumbled upon as of late:

• This is absolutely the funniest waste of time I've discovered in a while.
• So, turns out my 31-year-old bod isn't my 21-year-old bod. Who knew? I've been tapping into these yoga poses this week to relieve some back pain from go-go-going way too much lately.
• Selena Gomez forever. Seriously, what a badass BFF. I really hope they both bounce back so soon.
• God created Millennial Earth. OMG.
• Banned books form a life sized Parthenon... Breathtaking.
• I've recently dove into a fairly elaborate (for me) skincare routine, including (drumroll): dermarolling! We'll see how long this habit lasts, but I'm digging it for now.
• A family passed down the same kindergarten dress for decades... oh my heart (and precisely the reason I saved some baby clothes my Mimi made forever ago).
• Why you should wake up at 5 a.m... I mean, this night owl ain't sold, but it has some good points that ring true.
• I am loving You Need a Budget lately... and these budgeting classes are really amazing, and geared toward all kinds of folks.
• Wall Street Journal staff tackle a blind taste test of La Croix.
• Crazy pumped for our date night tonight! 

hey, hey, hey... how's it going? Just like that, August is here. I'm skedaddling off to for a long overdue trip home to Texas next weekend, and my heart is just so happy. While the summer in Nashville has been pretty brutal, heat-wise, the days have been good to me, and I know my time at home will just add endlessly to that bucket of gratitude.

But enough about that... here's some goodness for you:

• I never knew why the "no white after Labor Day" rule came about (and yes, I adhere to it)... but now I do. 
• Speaking of whites... I hosted a favorite things party a couple weeks ago and ended up with a new Essie polish--the perfect, elegant, pinky, white nude (and I feel like I've tried them all). 
• Haim hits it out of the park again. And I love how they spell out all of the background of writing this kick-ass new album. 
• Anyone else totally weak when it comes to Wikipedia rabbit holes? Here's one of my favorites... 
• This piece about French moms is just endlessly fascinating to me. 
• Perspective is an amazing, earth-shattering thing. 
• How cool is this infographic, showing how common each birthday in the year is?? (fun fact--mine of November 24th is the 352th most popular!)
• Steel Magnolias was one of the first non-Disney movies I ever remember watching--always surrounded by the women in my family, naturally. I even portrayed M'Lynn on stage when I was a freshman in high school... and after all immersion, I still never knew the full back story until this week. So fascinating! Can you believe it's been 30 years?
• Venmo shares all of our spending secrets. I've thought about this a time or two, and it's hilarious to see someone else having written out what has crossed my mind.
• Were you part of the masses who read "When Breath Becomes Air?" What very well might be my favorite book I've read this year, completed by the author's wife. Such a heart-wrenchingly raw and beautiful love.

Have the loveliest weekend!