Thursday, April 16, 2026

Lately

Couldn't go a birthday without a slice of Giant Eagle cake! White cake with white icing always! Lots of photos today, so keep scrolling!

Spring is in the air! I have a few of these Wedgwood cachepots from our wedding scattered around our home. Love using it for plants! 

My favorite Pittsburgh restaurant is Little Tokyo! 

Stunning flower display at Bouchon in Yountville!

My sister got me a beautiful cake! 

Stopped into so many cute shops, especially on Fillmore. Sue Fisher King was my favorite! 

Walked 12k steps in these flats

Luke's Local in SF was the most adorable market. We ate lunch there one afternoon. A tuna melt I won't soon forget! 

The roses in SF and Napa were remarkable! 

Hope you are all having a wonderful week! I had a slightly abbreviated one after a trip to California with my husband to visit my sister and brother-in-law. In case you missed it, they moved from North Carolina to San Francisco earlier this year, and this was my first time seeing their new home. I know I have mentioned that a few times, and it probably sounds repetitive, but I also know many of you pop in here and there or follow along elsewhere, so I like to share it again for anyone just catching up.

It is a bit of a trek, but there is a direct flight from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, which is a big win. When flying to most places, we usually connect through Charlotte, Atlanta, or New York, so skipping the layover made all the difference. At just about five hours, it was far more manageable than I expected. The time change wasn't too bad, though I definitely felt it each evening around eight. We celebrated my birthday in Napa, which was special!

My actual birthday fell on Tuesday, the day we returned home. I was so tired I almost called it a night, but my husband and parents convinced me to go out for sushi at Little Tokyo, a favorite of mine. It turned out to be the perfect, low-key celebration.

Our calendar is full through early June with weddings, birthdays, and a handful of other events. I said yes to a bit too much over the past few months, so I am trying to be more mindful about leaving space. I love being social and out and about, but I need that quieter time just as much. Some of my favorite warm-weather moments are walks after dinner with my husband and Henry, and mornings watering my plants with a cup of coffee in hand. I am really looking forward to more of that in the months ahead! The older I get, the more I savor the simpler moments. 

This weekend, I am getting together with some girlfriends. It is bittersweet because one of my girlfriends is moving away from Pittsburgh! I am so thrilled for her and her family, but I will certainly miss her here in Pittsburgh! 
Sweater (they just came out with a new one, and it's so cute)
Fries and a glass of pet nat at Little Shucker in SF!

Dress (my code SYDNEY15 was supposed to expire on 3/31, but looks like it still works) // Sandals// Bag
Wore this to Little Tokyo birthday dinner!

Striped Shorts// Jacket my code is SYDNEY20
Wearing medium shorts and a small jacket. 

 Crissy Field, Golden Gate Bridge sighting! 
Wearing: It was chilly in SF and quite rainy, so layers were a must. I wore sweaters and pants because of the weather and the SF microclimates! We also did a ton of walking, so comfortable shoes were necessary, given the hills!

You can find me on ShopMy, where I link all of my outfits, favorite finds, home decor, beauty, and more! I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also follow me on the LTK app. Plus, you are able to access all of my posts, here, on my website! 

Eating: When in San Francisco, we had a fun dinner at Chisai Sushi Club. They have an omakase that was 17 courses, and it was amazing! My sister said this is one of the best-priced omakases they have found in SF. It ranged from $100 to $125. 

Drinking: We randomly snagged this at a SF wine shop and all agreed it was fabulous. It was only around $25ish and tasted pricier! Fine bubbles, tarte, brioche, nice depth of flavor. I'd definitely sip on this as over something like Chandon which is similarly priced. 

Sale: The Sephora sale is going on through 4/20. On Monday, I posted my top 5 picks. My sister had me try this lip balm over the weekend as she loves it, and it really is great. Otherwise, there isn't really anything I need nor want right now and that's just fine by me (and my wallet). 

Listening: I've been enjoying this jazz playlist in the evenings as I do my skincare and wind down for bed! 
Loving: B+E gifted me these bracelets, and they are stunning. I love them stacked! Their entire line of bubble jewelry is unique and fun! These pieces are substantial and high quality! I will report back as to how they wear as I pair them with more outfits!

Wanting:
I received a pitch from this brand in my inbox, and it definitely caught my attention. These are brooches, but more like works of art, and the price tag is definitely more in the 'works of art' category, but wow. Had I known about this brand when I was getting married, I would have considered something like this for my husband's lapel! This eyelet dress is summertime perfection. I've always loved a square neckline. A fun swimsut coverup. It comes in white, perfect for a bride-to-be! Love this print. I always gravitate towards easy shorts like these. This is a classidc and elegant halter dress. The punchy color of this dress is fun! A cute summer set under $150. The most perfect sailboat cardigan. A special dress that looks like it could come from Netaporter. The new Blaire Eadie collection for FV is so good and this is my favorite piece, and this is my second favorite. This is another adorable seaside-esque cardigan. Love the print of this cosmetic bag. The prettiest colors on this quilted jacket. A fabulous, understated tote. A gorgeous leather pouch under $100. You can now order a personalized needlepoint pillow. How fun! I love the yellow check pattern. A pretty blue and white wallpaper! This is a cute athletic dress. A classic, simple lounge set. This jacket is very Annie James a la Parent Trap. Fun pink and green sneakers. This striped sweater is a good La Ligne look for less! This bag! The color! A gorgeous embroidered dress. This is such a fun summer wedding guest dress!

Pittsburgh: It feels especially good to be home for a stretch. I love our home, and traveling always gives me a renewed appreciation for Pittsburgh. We were greeted with the loveliest weather when we landed, and the city already feels a little more alive with the NFL Draft around the corner! There's a new restaurant, Krunchy Bird in Castle Shannon that I want to try. The fried chicken looks insanely delicious! 
Amazon Rec: Just received my pre-ordered copy of Jennifer Shoop's first book. I've loved her unique, elegant way with words for years, so I was thrilled when she released her book! I just got it yesterday and I've read a few pages thus far and is is just so lovely. 

You can find more of my Amazon favorites, here on my Amazon page where I am constantly updating it with all of my finds and top picks from home, beauty, fashion, and more!

Smelling: I used to be so into Dyptique candles, and over the years, I kind of forgot about them! My sister had this one in her house, and I loved it! It's a good balance between a cozy and fresh scent that is nice for year-round use. 

Quoting: 'Don’t do any task in order to get it over with. Resolve to do each job in a relaxed way, with all your attention. Enjoy and be one with your work.'-  Thích Nhất Hạnh// See more of my favorites, here.

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you). 

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Recent Outfits


We had a fun, rainy few days in San Francisco and Napa! My sister and brother-in-law recently moved there from North Carolina! It was so fun to visit them and see a city I haven't been to in 10 years! We had such a fun time, despite the weather! 

Today is my birthday, so I am spending part of it playing catch-up and part of it going to log off and spend time with my husband and Henry for a low-key day! So I thought I would share some of the outfits I wore on our trip!

We had dinner in Napa at Bouchon, and I was excited to wear a pretty dress from Hillhouse, but given the weather, I pivoted and ended up wearing this Dress. It's a favorite and timeless. Not only that, but because it's made of stretchy fabric, it's ideal for travel because it doesn't wrinkle! Anyway, this was my birthday dinner, so I wanted something a little more fun than a plain dress, but I jazzed it up with my favorite Hermes scarf I got in Portugal, and these fun Sandals.


Sweater (use code SUMMERWIND10)// Pants// Red Bag

This is what I wore for a day of wine tasting. We visited three wineries: Nickel and Nickel, Schramsberg, and Faust, with a pit stop at Gott's for lunch! It was a great schedule that had us bopping around all day. This outfit was perfect for staying warm and comfortable in the rain as we toured the wineries! These Pants are another travel gem as they are stretchy and don't wrinkle! 


I was totally thrown for a loop trying to pack for the SF weather! I wanted to pick outfits that worked with comfortable shoes, since we were doing a lot of walking, but also wanted to stay warm and dry! This is one of the simple outfits I put together. We popped in and out of the shops and enjoyed lunch on Filmore!  

Raincoat// Pullover// Leggings (use code SYDNEY20)// Sneakers
This outfit is nothing particularly special! One morning, we went out in a downpour for Bone's Bagels, and it was worth it! So delicious! I absolutely love this Raincoat. It's such a fun and cheery color. I love the a-line shape, and it's roomy, so you can throw it over top of things like chunky sweaters and oversized sweatshirts. 

I'll definitely share a few more outfits in Thursday's lately post, so stay tuned! 

You can find me on ShopMy, where I link all of my outfits, favorite finds, home decor, beauty, and more! I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also follow me on the LTK app. Plus, you are able to access all of my posts, here, on my website! 

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).

Monday, April 13, 2026

Sephora Sale: Top 5 Picks

The Sephora Sale is going on now through April 20th. It's a tiered sale based on your 'level'. Rouge level (20%)  has already begun, and tomorrow, April 14th, VIB (15%) and Insider (10%) can shop. 

Use code SPRINGSALE at checkout. Unless you are getting the 20% discount, in my opinion, this sale is only good if you truly need to restock or want to try something new, but most brands sold at Sephora have their own sales here and there, and other places like Nordstrom also sell these brands on sale sometimes, too. So truly, I don't think there is any rush. 

There are a handful of products sold at Sephora that I use weekly, if not daily, and I highly recommend them. There are a million and one products at Sephora, so I really wanted to narrow it down to my top 5. 


I've shared this eyelash curler a lot over the years. It's one of the few products I haven't changed. It has a cult following for good reason. As someone with very straight lashes, it works far better than a drugstore curler to really lift and curl the lashes. The price is well worth it. 

This is a hair cream that is in a tube with a mascara-like applicator wand. It has many small bristles, so you can quickly and easily comb a small amount of the hair cream onto your hair. You can use this for slickback styles, which I don't often do, but instead, it is the BEST tool for taming flyaways. Once applied, you can't even tell that you used any product at all. It has a very light, but pleasant scent that doesn't really linger. I keep one of these in my bathroom and handbag at all times. It's amazing and well worth the extra cost compared to some of the random Amazon options. 

This is the newest-to-me product on the list. It's a thermal brush, so it gets hot like a curling iron. It does not blow heat or dry your hair. I use it on my dry hair, just as I would a curling iron. It gives me a blowout/air wrap look, but it is much easier and less time-consuming! This is the longer barrel, and I'd recommend it to those with shoulder-length or longer hair. 

This is the most foolproof lip liner ever created. I swear by the shade opal. It has a thicker tip, so when I first got it, I was hesitant that it would be sloppy since the thicker tip gives a less precise application. But somehow, the chunkier tip works better than any regular pencil. It's still precise but really gives a good plump look. It's matte and the shade opal really just looks like my lips. It's very subtle and natural-looking. 

I am not a dry shampoo gal. I've tried quite a few over the years, but anytime I would use one, I thought it made my hair look worse. I tried this on a whim and WOW. First, it's the finest of any powder I've ever used. I love the brush application as it makes things so easy. It has a light, pleasant scent. Because the powder is so fine, it melts into my hair. With other dry shampoos, I've always felt like I have a 'cast' or 'film' on my hair. Instead, this just becomes a part of my hair. It really does make my hair look so much better and fresher. My sister is also hooked on this, and she has fine hair that can get oily quickly. I am so glad they recently came out with a travel size

Honorable mentions:

You can find me on ShopMy, where I link all of my outfits, favorite finds, home decor, beauty, and more! I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also follow me on the LTK app. Plus, you are able to access all of my posts, here, on my website! 

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).

Friday, April 10, 2026

Weekend Wish List

Some items of note... 

- This White Dress is simple, classic, and can be styled many ways! 

- This Skirt reminds me of The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach! My code SYDNEY20 should work on this! 

- I love this brand and haven't yet tried their SPF Lip Balm.

- I have these Sandals in the nude suede and they are so comfortable, but how fun are the colors! Try code YOUROCK. 

- This is just a regular Bandana but there are some really fun color options that are more out of the norm!

- I love the look of this Eyeshadow Palette. I'm always drawn to neutral colors and shimmery options!  

Some items of note... 

- This Navy Dress looks like it would be so flattering with the nipped in waist! 

- This Clutch Bag comes in so many colors, but I am partial to this pretty chartreuse hue! 

- I bet these Sandals are so comfortable! 


For your weekend reading, here are blog posts you may have missed from this week:





You can find me on ShopMy, where I link all of my outfits, favorite finds, home decor, beauty, and more! I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also follow me on the LTK app. Plus, you are able to access all of my posts, here, on my website! 

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).
 

© Summer Wind Blog 2017 / site design by kiki and co. / disclosure