Everything I bought in February

🚨 my first haul newsletter! 🚨

I think it’s important to preface this lil’ letter by saying that we really don’t need to be buying and consuming things every month of the year to be happy, well-rounded, satisfied, content humans. While I am 100% a maximalist that enjoys being around crap that gives me the warm fuzzies, and while sure, a decent portion of my newsletters have a “things you should buy” round up, the reality is most of us probably don’t need more things. Our brains have been wired to believe in the modern age of consumerism/social media/influencerisms that we must participate in the *add to cart* way of life to find euphoria — a jolt to the blood pressure, increase to the heart rate, and that tingle of armpit sweat as we suddenly find ourselves fiending for whatever thing an ad is serving us, convincing ourselves we have to have it now.

I am trying in this era of life to really weigh on if I “need” the thing. Which is hard. Like, really hard. I’m also reminding myself about the art of collecting. Taking time to accumulate the things I want to have for years to come and quitting the instant gratification idealism that Amazon Prime has made us crave. I think about my grandma and how she spent years traveling to find the things she loved, collecting stories and memories along the way. And then I think of this truly disturbing story about how Ashley Tisdale made her husband buy 400 books for their empty bookshelves just to be camera ready for their Architectural Digest tour. A big, gluttonous, rich people yikes 😵‍💫

So here are the things I bought this month with the mindset of really being conscious and present in what I buy. I did thrift a few things this month I didn’t try on and ended up hating when I got home. Which is money and time wasted! What a dingle! It’s all a learning curve. Lesson learned!

Onto the goodies.

This first piece is something super-insane-bananas-awesome-pants that I’ve been coveting for months and months and months. Lauren dela Roche is an artist I’ve been enamored with for awhile now, dreaming of the day I can have her work in my home. In addition to making absolutely gorgeous amazing perfect female nude paintings on feedsacks, she also makes senior cord-esque clothing that I am both happy and sad have gone viral over the last few years. Her drops sell out in literally seconds and while the price was 100% worth it for original art and a handmade coat, it was an investment I took a long time to consider and a very short time to panic *add to cart* and check out.

She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’s perfect and I am a happy camper. I’m sad it’s already 12,000 degrees here in Austin but I will be wearing her indoors in air conditioning as much as I can.

Next up, a study on basics. Because I don’t own any.

Thrifting here is honestly really hit or miss and I long for the days of my favorite San Jose Savers, Capitola Goodwill, and Fillmore Goodwill. The one bonus to my local Thrift Town is there never seems to be any shortage of worn in workwear-esque basics, racks always stuffed to the brim with basic sweatshirts and tees. These were the winners from my last adventure.

(Yes, I am also annoyed my pants have creases in them from being folded.) But! for not trying on any of these at the thrift, I am very happy with my purchases. They’re all super soft, perfectly worn in, and will be well used staples in dressing for “work from home” comfort.

Onto my favorite eBay find of the month, our new (old) Japanese folding screen above our bed. I’ve been hunting for the perfect one since before we even moved, but our budget for home goods is tight as we debate moving (again) this summer and all of my favorite screens were going for $1000+. This is when eBay came to the rescue. I was offered a deal by the seller and with shipping managed to get this 1960s screen, in near perfect condition (minus a lingering secondhand smoke smell), for $200.

There’s still a long way to go in making our room feel like a 1970s Italy meets MCM meets kooky English cottage (it makes sense in my head, I promise) but we’re now starting to get somewhere.

Next up, we debate if I’m a hat girl. I bought this 1950s summer hat off Etsy after a Pinterest binge looking at pictures of English gardens and Martha Stewart’s Turkey Hill home, which is always #goals. I fear I lack the confidence to rock a hat in public, but if we are channeling sumptuous! opulence! decadence! this year (and beyond) I feel it is time to get over my fear of people staring and wear this puppy out. Where, I am not sure, but I’ll find an occasion.

I told myself this is the year I throw more parties. This photo does not do either of these finds justice, but rest assured that they are fabulous in person. They are both from Etsy and the cherry napkins are so old and soft and fragile and I love them. They were $30 together with free shipping, a price I thought was fair for the shape they were in and the fact goodies like these are hard to come by at my local thrift spots.

Lastly, and most unexpectedly, is this lamp. I saw a TikTok of a girl who swore she had found the best Goodwill in Austin and so, of course, I decided to check it out. It was not the jam. Honestly a 2/10. BUT I found this tiny baby little red lamp for $5 so that was a win. The lampshade is new from Target and was $10 and while my kitchen is heinously 90s and ugly and I hate it, this little corner is decently cute and I’m happy.

Thus concludes my finds this month! Tell me what treasures you found this month in the comments or let me know what you’re on the hunt for - maybe I can help!

Until next week,

xo,
G