So Much Shopping, So Little Time (Thanks, Delta Variant)

I was stung by a wasp on Sunday when I took Hannah the Dog over for a playdate with her friend Gus the Boston Terrier. My whole arm turned red and swollen.  The lymph node by my left underarm also turned painful and swollen. I've been icing and elevating it, but in general I'm over this wasp sting.  General rule of thumb: try not to get stung by a wasp.  Anyway, all of this to say that I do not have a book post up today because I have not read an entire book because I keep falling asleep when I read because, you know, Benadryl giveth and Benadryl taketh away.

So I will talk about how much shopping I've done and it will give you some idea as to why I'm scared to look at my credit card bill.

1) In March, I talked about how annoyed I was with an IKEA bookshelf that was in our kitchen.  I desperately wanted a piece of "real" furniture to replace it. I started scouring estate sales, Facebook Marketplace listings, and antique shops.  

For years we lived with this. Years.

There was a shop in our town that I had never visited because I thought it was a clothing store, but I saw something on Facebook about how their patio section was 10% off and in the background I saw a sideboard that was perfect.  I gasped and made Dr. BB go over there with me to look around.

Doesn't it look so much better?  The mixer and microwave sit on top and all our cookbooks and the like are in the drawers.  (The black circle on the right is the base of Zelda the Cat's food bowl. You might like to know that we had to order her a special bowl and now we have to clean her chin twice a day because her kitty acne was out of control. Her medicines are also in this photo.  We have to shave her chin weekly. WHY CAN'T WE HAVE LOW MAINTENAINCE PETS?) Anyway, it pleases me greatly every time I walk in the room to see this.  Also, we moved the bookshelf into the mudroom and now we have extra space for the books my husband keeps bringing into our home.

2) In April, I posted about how I needed some clothes to go back to work. (In retrospect, I'm a fool for purchasing clothes for this purpose since the rise in cases in our county and the new CDC guidelines make it clear that I'm still not going to be going in to my workplace regularly anytime soon. I can't control my anger at people who are still not vaccinated. I can't control my anger at unvaccinated people who are not wearing masks. My whole "people handle the pandemic how they handle the pandemic" mantra is no longer working and my rage is intense.)  Here's what I've come up with.

A) O'Connell's Classic Audrey Dress in black

Sleeves. Check. Pockets. Check.  Flattering neckline. Check. Made in USA. Check.  It's a cotton mix, so not an entirely natural fabric, but it's flattering, work appropriate, and met so many of my requirements that I couldn't say no.

B) Marimekko Puuskahdus Sundress

Fun print. Check. Pockets. Check. Natural fabric. Check.  This is a perfect dress for the likes of me.  

Unfortunately, it was on clearance, so they didn't have my exact size. I bought the next size up and am hoping to get to a tailor to get it taken in. If that can't be done, I'll find myself a thin belt and that's that. I think I can put on a white/cream lightweight cardigan and wear this to the office.

C) O'Connell's Women's Color Blocked Fitted Merino Knit Jacket

I know this cost a lot more than I would normally spend, but the fit is perfect and it's classic, but the colorblocking has just the right twist of modern. It's a glorious piece and I can imagine wearing it A LOT.  It's also crazy soft.  I might be in love with this jacket. 

If you ever find yourself in Buffalo, New York, please go to O'Connell's and tell me all about how it's a wonderful place. I wish I could go in person because I'm pretty sure I'd buy everything.

3) The other thing that has come up is that my father-in-law and his wife got married last September in the height of the pandemic and, of course, we weren't there. They are planning an extravaganza over Labor Day weekend and one of the big events is a reception thing and they are planning on taking family photos.  We last took family photos on this side of the family in 2012 and I still have that photo hanging up in our living room, so I know that this photo will be around for approximately forever.  I needed a new dress for this purpose.

A) Cobalt Street Cotton Square Neck A-Line Mid-Calf Dress - Dark Green

There are no pockets, which is a bummer, but it's super flattering, all cotton, and a great color.  I almost swooned when I tried it on. 

Dr. BB is on the hunt for a tie he can wear that coordinates with this dress. We are going to look SO AMAZING.

(I'm also going to be Very Irritated if this shindig is cancelled/delayed because of COVID. I am beyond agitated that I had approximately three weeks of "normal" and now I'm back to masking if I so much as leave the house and am thinking about viruses hourly again. Dr. BB is going to shave his beard off so that masks will fit and I'm so sad to see it go. His beard is fabulous and My Irritation is growing as I type this.)  

B) Cobalt Street Black T-Shirt Dress

I threw this into my cart on a whim. I think it will be a great work piece with some leggings and boots for fall/winter. It doesn't have pockets, but I think I'll probably wear a jacket with it most of the time and the jacket will have pockets, so it's probably okay. Or I might regret it as I have to lint roll it 834927384 times a day. We'll see.

4) The only thing left on my list of things to be purchased is a nude t-strap heel to wear with that gorgeous green dress.  I have not found one yet that meets my criteria, but I have a little over a month to figure it out, so I guess I will have to do so.

I'm also on the lookout for a new shampoo and conditioner.  I'd been using Aveda, but my hair gets oily after only one day, so I washing my hair every day which is not sustainable for me.  I tried some samples of Olaplex (terrible packaging, especially for the price, not a fragrance I enjoyed, and it made my hair feel heavy) and Verb Ghost (I actually really did like this, but the price has frightened me off - I should see if I can find a dupe somewhere).  Any good recs for shampoo and conditioner for a lady with fine hair that she only wants to wash every other day?

I'm off to ice and elevate my arm.  Have you bought anything recently that is making you nervous to look at your credit card statement?