August sipped away like a bottle of wine

Predictably, August brought harvest to the winery I work at and I've been consumed with the frenzy of it all. Hopefully I'll get to reclaim some of my mental capacity sooner rather later but until then here's a photo dump from the grapes that have started to roll in! Cheers! 🍷

 

Thrifty Thursday

 

As I mentioned in my in my "Revisiting my 2022 resolutions and setting my 2023 intentions" post, I have been crushing my goal of living a healthier life style. Now a "healthier lifestyle" encompasses a lot of things including diet, exercise, mental health, ect. For me, I've been working on it all and have been reaping the rewards! Yay!

Now let me be clear, I am very, very happy about this. However, my closet has taken a major hit. None of my clothes fit! So now I'm on the hunt to rebuild my colorful closet! 

I've always loved going thrifting but unfortunately living in a small, country town the selection is not great. And have you been to Goodwill lately?? They've lost their minds with their pricing!

That being said I'm no stranger to the online thrift scene. There's a lot of great options for tracking down items from past seasons, items that sold out (though I LOATHE resellers) or just finding a different size. I especially love a good deal, so I'm always on the hunt for those!

So as I rebuild my closet I'm going to share these "Thrifty Thursday" post to showcase all my finds! 

First dress up is from a Goop X Lilly Pulitzer collaboration done in 2018. I was excited to find this silk maxi- and at steal of price IMO. 

True to Lilly fashion- this maxi is very long. I could probably get away without hemming it if I wear some tall heels or wedges (as seen here). One of the cool features of this dress is that it is optional to have slits! Each side has a row of buttons that you can adjust if you desire one slit or two or none. I haven't seen this on any other dress before. 

This dress was found on the RealReal. They don't often have a lot of Lilly and I've had varying buying experiences with them. One time they tagged a dress right through a sheer panel and tore a hole in it.😖 Whyyy??

I must have been thinking pink because my next thrift find was this Lilly Darlah dress in Havana Pink Clawdia! I've been on the look out for this pink Darlah for awhile now and was pleased to find it on one of the facebook buy/sell/trade groups! I was even more smitten when it arrived to realize it wasn't paisely print but lobster print! 🦞

I definitely plan to track back down some of my favorite Kate Spade dresses but since it's sunny and summertime I've got Lilly on my mind 🌞

Stuff your Kindle Day is here!

 Hip hip hooray! Stuff Your Kindle Day is here!

Don’t have a kindle? No worries! The name is definitely misleading because this day is for everyone with an e-reader or using an e-book app.

That being said, Stuff Your Kindle Day is a day where you can literally get thousands of free e-books no matter your viewing device!

This day is brought to you by amazing authors that have decided to give back and offer some of their e-books for FREE. It happens four times a year (the next days are September 20 and December 27).

The most popular website for this is Amazon of course but other stores that see e-books can also be offering this deal. Don’t have an e-reader? Guess what? You can download the Kindle App for FREE. (Have I mentioned how free everything is? 🙃 I just love how accessible this day is for everyone!)

Now let’s get to stuffing! The best way to find these books is to go to your favorite genre and then sort by price “low to high”. This will bring all those $0 books right to you. Then all you have to do it “buy” the book!

Don’t worry about “over stuffing” your e-reader because once you “buy” that free book it’s linked to your amazon account forever. Which means you’ve got allllll the time in the world to read through your free books!

So what are you waiting for?! Go stuff your e-reader because it's only happening today! 

LP Splash Sale!

Lilly lovers rejoice! Lilly has yet again surprised us with a sale that they are calling the "Splash Sale". Once upon a time, Lilly only held the "After Party Sale" which only ever happened biannually. And-that-was-it. APS was notoriously rough- often crashing the site or having items disappear from your cart. Think the Taylor Swift Eras Tour Great War but for Lilly. 

However, like many other companies during the pandemic Lilly started having little surprise sales to boost their numbers. They have since dropped the name APS and have had more sales throughout year- which in my opinion has been great (even though some of the prices haven't been as cheap as we've seen in the APS)!
With the announcement of the Splash Sale I wanted to share some of my favorite styles we'll see included in the sale!

This Ashler will be in the sale and I plan on snatching up the other print!

My favorite shift style, the Mila! A great classic Lilly shift!

The Parigi! Likely a doorbuster because this is a popular style!

One of my all time favorite silhouettes- the Edith!

These are the styles I'm hoping to snatch up during the sale! 

Now even though this isn't the APS I would definitely play by APS rules:

Get in the waiting room before 8am EST time to be put in a virtual que. 

If you can save your card info for faster check out, do it!

Popovers tend to go FAST so if they're on your list start there first!

Items aren't held in your cart, so multiple little orders is the safest way to secure your bag!

SHOP SMALL! The Signature Stores have the best support and service I highly recommend shopping with them first. **Also some of these stores will start the sale tonight at midnight!**

Finally, be prepared to wait. And wait. And wait for your order to get to you. I feel like they've gotten better since the APS days but you will get a warning that it could take up to FIVE WEEKS to receive your order.

**Also, it's worth noting that these sales are typically FINAL SALE only. If you end up with something that doesn't work for you or fit right I recommend getting on facebook. There are a TON of Lilly resale groups and usually create threads for specifically sale fails. 

So what are you hoping to snatch during the Splash Sale?!

Happy Shopping! 💗

 

From the bookshelf

When I started rereading ACOTAR back in December, I did not intend to reread the entire Sarah J. Maas universe. But here we are. I was paralyzed by intimidation to pick up and read all 880 pages of "A Day of Fallen Night". So what did I do instead? I reread the Crescent City series. Now you might asking; "Amber, aren't those books also 800 pages each"? Yes. Yes they are. 🤦I can't make it make sense either. 

17. House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas 

18. House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2) ) by Sarah J. Maas - To be honest the first time I read these books they weren't my favorite. The first book I felt complete lost during the world and character building. And while I would still rank these behind ACOTAR and TOG, I did enjoy these books much more this time around. I still have the same feelings about the Bryce and Danica relationship. Even after a second read I still feel like this core relationship gets 💩 on the most. After reading this so closely to the other series I am way more excited for January 2024 when we get "House of Flame and Shadow" and the crossover event Sarah teased at the end of "House of Sky and Breath". 

19. A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos, #0) by Samantha Shannon- Patting myself on the back for getting over the length of this book and jumping in. AND IT WAS WORTH IT. I was afraid I might not remember enough of "The Priory of the Orange Tree" to get into this but I honestly wish I had read this book first because it was that good. Without any spoilers here all I can say is that Samantha Shannon did not hold back and that nobody is safe- be prepared for some tears. It is a bit slow in the beginning but, again, there is some world building and back story that needs to happen before getting into the thick of it. I did physical book AND audiobook on this one. I really enjoyed the audiobook actors for this book! 

20. Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca Yarros- THANK YOU BOOKTOK! To say this book was heavily recommended by booktok would be an understatement. So  much so that I still have not gotten my hands on a physical copy of this book because it's sold out everywhere. I couldn't be happier to report that this book lived up to the hype. Was there predictability? Sure. Overall though I really enjoyed the story and even happier to know that the next book comes out in November! There's defiently some twists and unanswered questions that I can't wait to be answered. If you just binged the entire Sarah Maas collection and are lost on what to read next- read this! 

 

21. The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4) by Danielle L. Jensen- For me, this was an underwhelming read. I enjoyed Zarrah and Keris's story in "The Inadequate Heir" and this fell pretty flat. After the ending in the last book I wanted a redemption story for Keris but I don't feel like we got one. Even Zarrah's character seemed to take a blow in this book. She went from a strong, confident lead character to a self doubting character. We get the smallest glimpse of Lara and Aren and that wasn't enough. I much prefer their story. We get some subtle hints at the end of book to carry us over to the next book- which will jump into Ahnna's story. Hopefully we'll see some fresh material in that book 🤞 Also, it is worth noting that this book is only available in audiobook format and will not come out as a physical book until the end of November. 

22. What's next? Good question! I have a growing "note" on my phone of all the books I see repeated on Tiktok. Here's what's on my TBR right now:

• The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
• Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
• A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga, #1) by Melissa Blair
• Lady of Ashes Series by Christine Trent
• Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1) by Rebecca Ross
• Lady of Darkness Series by Melissa K. Roehrich
• Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
• Kingdom of the Wicked Series by Kerri Maniscalco

I've also been thinking about picking up a Kindle Paperweight in the upcoming PrimeDays. I have an older Fire tablet but it's difficult to read with outside due to the glare. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know! 

All hands on deck!

So so happy to report that I have checked doing a girls trip with my WA bestie off my 2023 resolutions! I just got back from meeting her in Long Beach and doing a mini cruise- and my heart is oh so happy! 

No chance of mistaking my luggage for anybody else's here! With sunshine on the horizon, I took the opportunity to pack my luggage with tons of Lilly!

We booked the "4-Day Baja Mexico from Long Beach, CA" on the Carnival Radiance. This mini cruise makes a stop at Catalina Island and Ensenada.

We were greeted with sunny skies when disembarking to Avalon on Catalina Island. Avalon is definitely the tourist spot on Catalina and is lined with tons of shops and restaurants to grab a bite.

We walked up and down the streets checking out all the little shops. 

There's a little beach right off the boulevard that was a great place to take a little break. 

Catalina is also a vacation destination for many divers. Gray has big dreams of visiting during lobster season and doing some spearfishing. 

And this was the cherry on top for me! I had heard about Weezie's online and couldn't wait to visit this store. I'm not sure if they are technically a signature store but they do in fact carry Lilly Pulitzer!

As a NorCal Lilly lover who does 99% of my shopping online, it's a treat to get to see Lilly in person! I also got a little sneak of new arrivals getting unpacked!  

IYKYK... Step Brothers lovers would be amused to know that the Catalina Wine Mixer is real and was just around the corner!

Catalina was the perfect stop! The weather was great and it was so nice getting to walk around all the little shops!

The second stop on our trip was Ensenada, Mexico! 

We started off our trip with some horseback riding on the beach! 

All smiles here even though our horses DID NOT like each other! Anytime our horses got near each other Courtney's horse would try to bite mine and my horse would try and kick hers. Thankfully, Courtney and I are both experienced riders so nothing disastrous happened but probably could have been more enjoyable. 

Next up we traveled to La Buradora, one of the world's largest marine geysers- also referred to as the blowhole.  

To get to the blowhole you have to walk through the flea market where tons of goods and tasty foods are available. The food here was probably what I was looking forward to the most on this vacation! 

There she blows! Pina colada in hand, we checked out the blow! If I'm being honest here I didn't find the blowhole to be anything spectacular... Living so close to the Norcal coast I get plenty of opportunities to see waves crashing into rocks. 

This was our tour guide for the day, Gerardo! He was the best! We chose not to do an excursion directly affiliated with Carnival. This was a total gamble but defiently paid off for us! Gerardo, or "Tiny" as his friends call him, was the kindest guide. He answered all our questions and helped us pick the best food booths!

Smoked clams are one of THE foods to try at the blowhole. Neither Courtney or I eat seafood so it was a miss for us but I still had to grab some photos for Gray! 

Fresh Ceviche being made!

Elotes were on my food bucket list for this trip and this one was soooooo good!

Gerardo told us not to get tacos at the blowhole because they were "tourist tacos". So on the way back towards the port Gerardo took us to his favorite taco shop. There was a cow head on the counter so I think we got the authentic experience! No surprises here, the tacos were delicious!

After we were dropped back off at port we had a little bit of time before we had to get back on the boat so we decided to check out the nearby shops. 

This area was pretty cool and honestly had about the same type of shops and food available that was at the blowhole. If I ever found my way back to Ensenada I would likely skip the travel to the blowhole and stick around the port. 

This was cool mural that was right by the entrance to the fish market!

I'm oh so glad you can't smell photos.... the fish market was cool but the smell was wayyyy to fishy for me.

Churros! Churros! Churros! These were also on my food bucket list and oh boy did I indulge! We tried some at the blowhole and then again at the port. This one was freshly fried and filled with caramel. Sooooooooo gooooood! The perfect last food to say adios to Mexico!

The cruise then finished off with a day at sea and then back to the port of Long Beach. 

I don't have a ton of photos from being on board but one of my favorite things were all the towel animals! Our housekeeping guy was the sweetest and we were excited to see what animal we would receive each day!

Another favorite thing on the boat was the Piano Lounge with Raz. This was both of ours favorite entertainment! Raz is super talented and entertaining- though that pour soul has for sure had to play Piano Man one too many times! 

Final thoughts on the cruise?

This cruise was definitely a booze cruise so if you are looking for a relaxing vacation, this is not it. From the moment we stepped on the boat there was thumping music and continued late into the nights. It was difficult to find a secluded spot on the deck to just chill and my voice is still recovering from trying to speak over the noise.

There was a ton of different food options on the boat... but none of them were great. Neither of us found anything particularly crave worthy and often stuck to snacky, basic foods (bread, fruit, cheese ect.)

The Carnival Radiance is an older ship and while it has been more recently renovated, it still couldn't escape the strange deck plan. There was no deck that you could walk outside around the whole boat which was a disappointment. There were also times to get to a certain place you had to walk directly through the casino (which was always super smokey) and other times where you would have to go up a floor, walk over, and then go back down to get to your final destination. It was a very confusing layout AND that's coming from two people who were sober the entire trip. 

The ship is also on the smaller side, which meant unfortunately for me I could feel every dip of the ocean. Even with motion sickness medication, neither of us felt great to be on the boat. 
The ship was also so COLD. Our weather wasn't great to begin with but even on the inside they kept the air pumping throughout the whole ship. We were both ecstatic to get loungey blankets!

The overall phrase for this trip was "the price is right". AKA this cruise was so cheap that expectations and deliverance was pretty low. 

I am absolutely SO happy I got to finally see my bestie and I did really enjoy both ports. That being said I am also happy to be back on solid ground!