Lifestyle
The Link Up: Em’s 4 Tank Tops For People Who Don’t Like Wearing Them, Arlyn’s Burger Recipe, And A Great Show For The Whole Family
Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope everyone had a good and safe holiday weekend. We have a lot to be grateful for this week because both Caitlin and Mallory are celebrating their 7-year WOKEAVESARIES! To say we are grateful to have them as coworkers and know them as people wouldn’t even begin to describe how we feel. They are truly the best and add an unimaginable amount of talent, creativity, and A LOT of joy. Ok, let’s talk links:)
This week’s house tour is by, yet again, none other than Commune Design. This mid-century modern rambler home is full of the perfect tone of wood, lots of textiles and patterns, and so much soul. You have to see it for yourself!
The Leah Top | Embroidered Lace-Insert Top
Boho Lace Tie Front Tank | Sunwashed Slub Muscle Tank
From Emily: Three tank tops for people who don’t like to wear tank tops. I will never shoulder shame myself, but I have sensitivities around wearing tiny tank tops and rarely feel comfortable in them (especially not tight ones). But last week I went shopping to find some, and after kissing a lot of frogs, I found three that I’m very excited to wear this summer. They are pretty, easy to throw on, comfortable, and a little boxy, but with pretty details around the neckline. Two are from Madewell (this one and this one) and are made out of a thinner white cotton with pretty embroidery and lace detail (I probably didn’t need both, but I was SO EXCITED). They are perfect with jean shorts, all summer long. The last one is more of a muscle tee from a brand that I always forget about, Faherty. This one is more full coverage, and the fabric is a little thick, but open-armed and has a cool shoulder detail that is pretty flattering. Amazon also makes this Doen dupe that Kaitlin and I both tried on and really liked, but cheaper fabric for sure.
From Caitlin: It’s been a long time since I’ve felt compelled to add something to my wardrobe, but I’ve been bouncing between houses (and cities, and coasts, and even countries, I guess) and I’ve accidentally lost all 3 of my all-time favorite summer tanks. I know what you’re thinking: it’s insane to spend $23 on a single tank top. But these aren’t just ANY tank top! They’re 100% cotton, they’re so breezy, they don’t cling anywhere, and they’re unbelievably flattering on a larger chest (read: they show a little shape, but your cleavage isn’t totally on display). I’ve purchased in black, navy, and white in the past, and they all held up beautifully to my heavy-duty laundromat washer/dryer cycles before disappearing into some sort of vortex and needing to be replaced. They’re my favorite summer basic – so glad I can restock while they’re on sale!
Also from Caitlin: I haven’t been totally honest with you guys: when my mom passed away, I actually inherited two properties – my childhood home (catch up here – more coming very soon!) and a beach condo that she totally remodeled in 2012. Surprise!!! The bad news: the condo’s 20-year-old washer finally kicked the bucket, and I want to replace it this weekend. I was leaning towards this Speed Queen duo, but the pricing on this washer/dryer deal from Lowe’s is REALLY compelling (especially since I’ll only be using these machines occasionally). Does anyone have a strong feeling here? Are Speed Queens really worth an extra 2 grand?
From Jess: Not sure if anyone here has talked about this show before, but if you want a sweet, soothing, AND satisfying TV show, get ready to watch The Repair Shop on YouTube. It’s been on the BBC since 2017, so there are over 1,000 videos, and it’s pure bliss! A group of skilled craftsmen and women restores people’s broken family heirlooms. They only show success stories, so there isn’t an ounce of stress in the best way. The work they do is incredible. The perfect show to wind down to!
From Gretchen: A while ago, our photographer, Kaitlin Green, showed up to a shoot with a magnificent bag. It was shiny silver, tall and boxy, made from a sort of reusable grocery bag material, with big handles and WHEELS! She used it to lug all of her equipment around, and it made it a total breeze. But this bag was also a pretty penny. Worth it, in my opinion, if you need a super strong and reliable rolling tote bag to haul your extra things (or important things, like photo equipment). BUT I recently came across a pretty good dupe at Target for a fraction of the price and bought it for myself. So far, I really like it (I kind of want to pick up another one because they’re super handy and store away super compactly), but I can definitely tell it’s not as high-quality. And it doesn’t come in that fun silver. But for my needs, it is so far holding up just fine (and I’m actually really into the green color). I’ve been using it for laundry, for camping, for moving piles of my stuff from room to room–it’s so awesome for all those times you just need to throw and go.
From: Marlee: This time of year, it’s so difficult for me to wind down at night. As much as I absolutely love what feels like endless daylight, the 9:30 pm sunsets here in Portland have my entire night routine shifted back by a minimum of 2 hours. Even if I do no screen time before bed, drink tea, read, etc. These melatonin gummies have been a lifesaver for me – I try not to take them every night, but when I’m feeling extra wired in the evenings, these do the job super well. I’ve tried a lot of melatonin brands, and I really like that these have L-theanine and other vitamins. I just take 1 gummy, which is 1.5mg of melatonin, and I find that’s the perfect amount to knock me out and not feel drowsy in the morning.
From Mallory: All of my links are starting with this right now BUT…I went to a wedding a few weeks ago that had the absolute cutest name tags on the tables. It could be a fun craft, but I also found a super similar version of them on Etsy – it was these oysters with gold paint and our names printed in the middle: ADORABLE. I actually kept ours, and I’m going to do a DIY frame with a ticking stripe mat behind them!! If you’re looking for a fun craft idea or a cute name plate for a fun party you’re hosting, try this out!
From Arlyn: Welcome, grill season! Or if you’re like me and don’t have a backyard or an actual grill, welcome cast-iron skillet season! Anyway, I LOVE a burger. It’s probably one of my favorite foods—a “last meal” contender, if you will. But I’m trying to watch my cholesterol a bit more these days, so I bought some ground turkey on a whim, hoping to whip up some turkey burgers this week for the family that didn’t bore. Traditionally, turkey burgers taste kind of gamey to me, and are notoriously dry and unexciting. That is, until I tried this burger recipe from Downshiftology, and it was so delicious, a second one is waiting for me on my desk as I type this. I’ll note that I did make two adjustments: I added super finely chopped onions for more moisture, and sprinkled a hefty amount of my favorite Trader Joe’s all-purpose seasoning (21 Seasoning Salute) into the meat mixture. I also topped it with a homemade thousand island dressing because duh, and used soft potato buns. Put it on your list for the 4th, I’m telling you. Delicious!
Thanks for spending time with us, and see you tomorrow! xx
Opening Image Credits: Design and Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | Styled by Emily Edith Bowser | From: This Yard Makeover Only Took 3 WEEKS, Some Elbow Grease, And A New (Very Good) Seating Area
Caitlin: get the whirlpools. my dream is to have a speed queen some day, but any non-digital one is just fine, and they’ll pretty much run for 8-10 years. just make sure they have an all metal drum in the washer and a high capacity. and a flat top, some of them have sloping tops which is the actual worst, made that mistake. save up to get the speed queen for your main house!
love,
a lady who has bought too many washers and dryers in her life
When my old workhorse washing machine died, I went to an appliance repair guy who repaired and sold old machines on the side, and asked for the most basic top-load model with zero electronic elements, like something a landlord would put into a rental where it was expected it would get rough treatment. The machine has served me well, for far, far less money than a speed queen.
What are the pants Emily is wearing with the Leah top? I’m in the market for some cargo-style pants and the green is adorable!
Here’s the link!
Our appliance repair guy says speed queen is the brand he nearly never needs to repair and will last more than 20 years. To me, buy it right buy it once makes the extra price tag worth it. Our next set will be speed queen for sure. If there is anyone whose opinion I trust, its the repair guy. He sees the reality not the sales hype.
We had a Speed Queen in our old house, and I was not impressed- I had no idea they were a thing people wanted! Definitely did not get our laundry any cleaner, was super duper
loud, couldn’t wait to get rid of it actually. Are you thinking it’s going to be a selling point for potential buyers who’d be doing rental laundry? I guess if that’s a thing in the Delaware shore market, maybe, but I personally wouldn’t swing thousands extra on an appliance I wasn’t actually going to use myself.
When I shop for just about any major purchase, my decision is made using Consumer Reports. Most libraries subscribe to the online version, so if you have a library card, you can access it on line.
Arlyn, I make a yummy turkey meatloaf. It gets some moistness from grated zucchini. I also really like bison burgers. Nutritionally, they have less cholesterol than most ground poultry and beef.
Big fan here too of bison burgers. Also google Hemingway burger recipe, lots of ingredients but helps those poultry burgers taste better.
Caitlin, I went through a similar decision and wound up with a slightly upgraded version of the Whirlpool washer and dryer (no agitator) from Costco. They are fully serviceable but do have their quirks with heavier loads. Otherwise, I have no regrets saving a few thousand dollars when we had huge vet bills. Wishing you the best!
LOVE The Repair Shop! I follow a lot of the craftsmen & women on IG and they are all just delightful humans, along with being super talented. (Also, one of the craftsmen, Dominic Chinea, also has a YT channel where he does lots of car repairs and works on his home, garden, and workshop space and has hosted another show that I’m dying to see called Make it at Market).
If you like Repair Shop, you might also enjoy the down to earth heart of Gardeners’ World from the BBC.Various seasons are available on both Youtube and on Amazon and they are all full of beauty and information. One of the great things about gardens and plants is that they are pretty timeless so an episode from 2016 is still quite satisfying and informative. (And it is totally drama free so it’s great to wind down to!)
Arlyn, Next time you make your burgers try shredding the onion on a cheese grater. It adds even more moisture.
Yes! I do that often with one of my favorite chicken burger recipes. I don’t know why I didn’t do it this time, but it’s fantastic.
I have one Hulken bag and a Costco dupe and they are hands down the MVP for college move in and out. I haven’t seen the Target version, but the Costco one is almost identical and only $35 in store.
Caitlin, I wouldn’t buy either of these due to them having a small load capacity washer. Guessing when you are at the beach you have lots of towels and don’t want to do tons of loads. Look for a washer with a bigger capacity.
This is a good point. I love our Speed Queen washer/dryer set, but we have bigger capacity at home. Our shared lake house has a stacking set (unsure of the brand), and it has required repair and maintenance multiple times because people have continually overloaded it when they get ready to leave. Whichever way you go, get something that can handle big towel loads.
Shortly after I bought my house, the washer and dryer died (they seemed as if they’d had long lives, so it was ok). I replaced them with the Speed Queen TC5 and DC5 because I did not want to buy another washer and dryer for a very long time.