Between writing up a storm for work and traipsing all over the city in an effort to get my step count up, I haven’t been doing a whole lot of shopping as of late — you know, apart from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and the adorable two-piece Sunday Best floral set I finally pulled the trigger on, that is. I have come across plenty of finds this month that have left me feeling plenty inspired, however.
From the rollercoaster of a emotions that was Taylor Jenkins Reids’ latest New York Times bestselling novel to the über-creative works of Oddie Art and Eliza Sidney, there’s never a shortage of artistic brilliance just waiting to be discovered in this big wide world of ours.
The below list constitutes just a few examples I was lucky enough to stumble upon in July — here’s to hoping they’ll make you feel something, as well!
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1. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: We’re smack dab in the middle of summer — a.k.a. beach read season! I just finished this little guilty pleasure, courtesy of Reese Witherspoon’s book club, Hello Sunshine, (so very basic of me, I know), and while it initially grated my nerves with its contrived “rock star” personas — my boyfriend is a real live musician, after all — it grew on me about halfway through once author Reids’ inspiration became all-too-apparent. This tale of a multi-talented-yet-fully-dysfunctional group whose fame grows exponentially once their personal entanglements with one another begin to seep into their work — particularly with regard to its lead vocalists, Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones — could only be a fictionalized rehashing of Fleetwood Mac. Once I realized that Billy was basically Lindsey Buckingham and Daisy was more or less Miss Stevie Nicks — at least as far as the onstage love scenes went (a fact Jenkins Reid herself cops to, of sorts) — it became far more enjoyable of a read. Think of this as an Almost Famous in book form, if you will. My favorite line? “I think you have to have faith in people before they earn it. Otherwise it’s not faith, right?”
2. Oddie Art Monster Series: I’ve been a big fan of my pal Aly Jados’ art brand, Oddie Art, for some time now — girl has some serious talent — but she truly outdid herself with her new “monster series.” Done in her signature colorful, pop art style, she not only recreated some of the most famous ghouls and goblins throughout history (Frankenstein, Dracula, gangs’ all here!), she gave each piece an added layer of depth by painting words that characterize her creatures (freak, reject, misfit, savage, ect.) onto their backgrounds. The result is a stunning, thought-provoking display that any art collector would be lucky to house.
3. Bug Bite Thing Suction Tool ($10): I’m gonna be honest: I haven’t *actually* tried this one yet, but I’m so excited about its premise, I felt it would be a godd*mn crime not to share. Basically, this little do-dad claims to suck all the poison left behind by those pesky little mosquitoes (and bees. And wasps. And biting flies. And more) that have been feasting on your sweet, sweet skin all summer long, causing you to itch like heck. It also claims to reduce the swelling and irritation associated with their nibbles. I have no idea if it really works (Amazon votes yes!) but with bugs seemingly flocking to my body en masse this summer (Just me? No?), I’m willing to try just about anything! Let me put it this way: If it does, it’ll be the best $10 I’d ever spent.
4. Eliza Sidney’s Hand-Painted Bags: As one of my top 10 Instagram style crushes, I’m always being inspired by the looks Eliza Sidney puts together. She also has a hand in creating the wares she wears, however, (get it?) and I’ve been blown away by the pieces she’s been producing as of late in the accessories department. Case in point? This hand-painted Sacred Heart Tote ($73.50), for which I am actually living.
5. Chain Link Jewelry: I can’t remember if it was the August 2019 issue of Elle or Harper’s Bazaar that assured me chain link jewelry is about to be having a serious moment, but it’s no matter: The chunky look is BACK, y’all! This is fabulous news for a gal like me, who’s been waiting with bated breath for the delicate jewelry movement to go ahead and die already. Sure, I think it’s pretty on others and all, but really, it does nothing for my own personal style. The bold, chain link pieces set to take over this fall — like this gorgeous Mejuri Bold Chain Ring ($215, order one size down for best fit) — are far more up my alley. *Rubs hands together in glee.*
What cool finds have you come across lately? Share ’em in the comments below!
Xo, Nicole
