Well, we just had A BLAST at The Meridian Experience Weekend that the incredible Albie single-handedly organized. It was a HUGE undertaking and to no one’s surprise, she nailed it. We couldn’t have been more grateful to be a part of it and meet so many truly inspiring new friends. If you were curious about it/wanted to go, we highly recommend going next year. We hope that y’all also had a good week and are now ready for some links…and pics:)

This week’s home tour is designed by the incredible Heidi Caillier. In this single photo, you can see four spaces and while they are all so different, they perfectly talk to each other with the use of similar colors, woods, and shapes. It’s just an awesome and inspiring home that we highly highly recommend you take a peek at:)

From Emily: I have three summer/beach, easy, can’t put down novels that make you feel warm and happy (should you feel like reading about love and romance). I recently fell in love with Christina Lauren which FUN FACT is actually two people – friends, one’s name is Christina and you guessed it, the other is Lauren. These books have really good banter and wit – not LOL but just people who I like to think I’d be friends with. I wonder if having two friends writing together helped it read better and dare I say even deeper. Not that it goes super literary, but it’s just efficient and yet thoughtful in the right ways. They are rom-com style books, not overly erotic but no creepy dead child mystery which I find is the best for my anxiety (I don’t have anxiety typically but a lot of those “girl in the window across from the lake” style thrillers would make me feel unsettled before bed so I just don’t go there anymore). I think that this duo writes books that I can jump into within the first page, and get lost in. I started with The Soulmate Equation (Kindle and Local), then Love and Other Words (Kindle and Local), and just started Something Wilder (Kindle and Local) this week. Don’t worry – I mixed in Malibu Rising (Kindle and Local) in the middle (which I LOVED), Book Lovers (Kindle and Local), and am starting Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Kindle and Local) after this one. There is no shame in my summer kindle novel game 

From Caitlin: OH BABY. This week I met up with a friend who looked SO chic and relaxed and pulled-together – like a character in a Nora Ephron movie – and I lost my mind over her gauzy textured pants, which were SO soft and lightweight and flattering. I thought they’d be pretty expensive (they looked luxe, despite the tie-waist) and I was THRILLED when I learned that they were under $100 and that they come in 5 different colors, 3 different lengths, and in sizes XX-small to XX-large. They’re breezy and perfect for summer but they don’t necessarily wrinkle in the same way that linen does, which makes them even better in my book. I ordered a pair in black buuuuut I have my eyes on the sage, too (fingers crossed they go on sale soon!).

From Mallory: My sister eloped in Vegas last weekend (IT WAS SO MUCH FUN) but I realized I didn’t have a good clutch that would hold my phone, lipstick & credit cards…I realized I was running out of time to grab one in-store, but thank god this $11 purse showed up in the nick of time. If you’re going to a fancy event and thought about your purse way too last minute (and you don’t wanna spend a lot of money because you already bought a new dress/outfit…) then this one is for you (I got it in apricot but it comes in like 10 different colors too). If you want deets on my dress and shoes I also go them VERY last minute from Amazon (honestly this whole look was “primed”). The dress was $50 and I got it hemmed for the vegas look. It did in fact shed A LOT and the feathers will get stuck in your armpits if it’s hot but I don’t think I could have found a better dress for a Vegas elopement. Then the shoes I really would recommend…super affordable and great for summer! They got me through the wedding to the reception and to the vegas clubs and a late-night taco bell cantina. All in all a very successful outfit for a very fun time:)

From Ryann: I cannot stop making this sandwich that has been all over my Tik Tok feed. It’s called the Grinder salad sandwich and is a) easy to make b) delicious and c) tricks my fiancé into thinking I am a good cook. I’ve had versions of this type of sandwich many times at sandwich shops but when I realized I can make it so easily at home and it actually tastes restaurant quality, my mind was a little blown. You can really use any kind of cheese and cured Italian meat but I’ve been doing turkey, salami, and spicy salami but the real star is the salad dressing that’s just mayo, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. You mix that all together with iceberg lettuce, red onions, and banana peppers and layer it on your sandwich and wow… it’s unreal. I think you can easily make it for a bunch of people and would be perfect for a pool party or beach day. I don’t know what else to say other than try it and thank me later!!

From Jess: Speaking of weddings, a huge and exciting shift on the wedding guest dress plan! This past weekend was a big step in my adulthood (she says very begrudgingly) because I was forced to get a storage unit. More on that in a minute. One very exciting outcome was finding one of my mom’s old dresses that’s perfect for my friend’s wedding (shown above)! So since my dress was now going to cost $0, I decided to get a very dreamy pair of shoes. I really wanted a camel-colored shoe and ideally one with a cool shape. Enter these puppies. I love the weird heel (that won’t sink into grass), the square toe, the delicate straps, and the cool chain strap detail…so all of it. FYI I really wanted an ankle strap because I am a dancing queen at weddings and a mule wasn’t going to cut it. I know you won’t see most of it since the dress is long but these are FUN going out shoes that can work with a ton of different outfits. Also, I love the brand’s (Alohas) sustainability mission. If you don’t know about them I highly suggest you check them out! Em’s blue cowboy booties are from them too:)

Also From Jess: So yes, I now have a small storage unit because my dad is downsizing his company’s warehouse where all of our family stuff has been for years. Honestly I’m lucky to have had access to it for as long as I did. But without a home large enough to hold the things I still want (ie family heirlooms, photos that I plan on digitizing this year but still will keep, American girl dolls, etc.) I needed to get over the idea of paying for storage for an unknowable amount of time. Cool cool cool. Now, I NEED ADVICE! Any tips on the best way to store clothes? Vacuum Sealed bags? Any other general long-term storage tips? I want to do this right and preserve everything as best I can.

That’s it for this week. Hope the rest of your day is great and see y’all tomorrow. xx

Opening Image Credits: Design by Heidi Caillier Design | Photo by Haris Kenjar