Too Many Open Tabs (11) : A little birthday wishlist

It's either extremely optimistic or highly delusional - you pick!

Mar 14, 2024

My birthday is coming up next week…I’m an aries! I’m not really that big of a birthday person these days, but I have a few fun things planned! First, a special night planned with my oldest/best friend who also has a March birthday, and then I am taking a page out of my husband’s book and taking the day off from work to have a little day to myself (he takes a day off for this birthday every year to do something that he loves to do!)

Speaking of my husband, with my upcoming birthday, he (naturally, as partners do), asked me what I want for my birthday, and encouraged me to write up a wishlist in this newsletter. He is a regular & supportive reader (PS: he writes his own substack about #sports & his excel data model designed to predict the outcomes of sports matchups (please, please, please let me have described his subject correctly) -

Dad Bod Football - NFL Weekly Line and Over/Under Evaluation

if you are into that *niche* - we’re a substack family!) and often looks to what I am writing about to come up with gift ideas. All I had to do to get good gifts from him was start a substack (JK, your gifts are amazing, V)!! Anyways! He informed me that I hadn’t shared anything recently that seemed like good b-day gift material, and he needed some inspiration.

Well, you don’t have to ask a girl twice - I immediately started browsing, scheming, and dreaming to come up with a little b-day wishlist (one foot in reality and one in the clouds). Ironically, approximately 2 hours after he asked me to do this, I got a text confirming an order for a piece of jewelry that he placed with my Shopify account. LOL. He couldn’t stand having an outstanding to-do on his list and just needed to get it done. Oh well! (I love this about him - he gets shit done - but, yeah, this made me laugh). It won’t stop me from sharing this list - if anything, it gave me the nudge to include both realistic and fully delusional wish list items. Sorry!

So - some window shopping, to inspire you and treat your eyes - some things I’d love to treat myself to, some things on my someday maybe list, and some things I am keeping on my radar just in case I suddenly win the lottery (basically, this list is my version of the “If I won the lottery I wouldn’t tell anyone but there would be signs…” trend.)

It’s field/chore/barn jacket season, and this Toteme Coat has me drooling. This is wildly out of my jacket budget (any budget), this Barbour feels similar and has a much more palatable price point (thanks to

Sarah Shapiro

for the find!)! This one from LLBean is also wonderful (will have more on these jackets when we discuss Spring trends…coming soon!) I am obsessed with this Loeffler Randall jacket too - so perfect for spring!

Chylak is a brand I recently discovered, and I am completely obsessed with their bags. Especially the shell and wave totes. They are so sculpturally interesting, but also very wearable and functional, plus the price point is very reasonable (for a bag!) I also love this one that can be worn cross-body! A deep stalk of their instagram suggests that the shell also comes in a cream color, which I’m hoping might just be restocked for spring!

On the topic of bags, I treated myself to this JW Anderson as a birthday gift to myself (it was heavily discounted in the recent Farfetch sale, and I pounced!) A learning from my No Buy January was that I have some accessory gaps in my wardrobe. Historically, I haven’t been much of a bag gal, but I’ve recently discovered some brands and bags that I am very into, all at tolerable price points (eg: I can neither afford nor do I think I can psychologically rationalize a handbag in the 2.5-3K+ range). I’ve been thinking about this JW Anderson style for a while - I love that it can be carried or also worn crossbody, it doesn’t have a ton of branding, and the shape is interesting. I opted for green because I wear a lot of neutrals, and already have a couple of black bags. We shall see!

More bags…this seems to be my hyper fixation right now - I adore this Dragon Diffusion (a great tote!) and this teensy little ladylike Savette beauty (a nice secondhand one with a shoulder strap available here! I will say, I adore the Savette, but also it is $$$ for a little bag that is a phone case because that’s all that would fit inside. Someday, maybe!) This is an amazing straw bag at an amazing price!

Dorsey Pieces - I’m fully obsessed with everything Dorsey does, and I love the Kate necklace and James bracelet.

Also on the jewelry front, I am hunting for an interesting chain…maybe something vintage, that I could attach charms too, but is also durable enough for everyday wear. I really love this, and am eyeing this charm. A different vibe, but I love the Chan chain. I want 18K gold - be able to wear to swim, shower, run, etc. Where else should I be looking for this? There are a couple necklaces that have been on my radar for awhile (like, several years), a sign that I love them! Including this one, and this too (also a milestone!) Where should I be shopping for jewelry? I find shopping online to be SO HARD. I really need to see/feel/try on a piece, especially to see what it looks like with what I already have, which basically means I don’t end up buying anything.

Except for earrings - fun earrings are so fun! Especially these ones!

Sweaters are one of my favorite things, and top of my wishlist is this La Ligne Cardigan (very into the fit and flare silhouette right now!), would love another (solid color) Marin, and this Donni cardigan!

These shoes are nearly out of stock, but I love them! Perfect for spring!

I love and have lusted over Helenita Home pieces, and am dying for these cereal bowls.

And finally, I’ve had this lip peel in my cart for weeks! Have heard it’s incredible!

Well…I think that about wraps up my delulu list! I hope your eyes enjoyed the treats. If you’re lusting over anything, or have anything fab on your someday/maybe list, I’d love to know!

No One Asked, But.

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