The Weekly Edit: Hey, Hey, Monterey

In Montana, all out-of-staters are referred to as Californians.  Actual state of origin does not matter.  Everywhere that is not Montana is “California.”  So I am afflicted with a deep, perpetual dislike for The Golden State that was issued to me with my birth certificate.

It wasn’t until I started reading Joan Didion and John Steinbeck that I realized that maybe California had some charm to it.  After all, there must be a reason why millions of people want to live there, right?  And standing on Lover’s Point, listening to the waves crash on the rocks, staring out at the endless horizon, even I have to admit that there is a magic to California.  A magic so strong that even under layers of bad traffic, air pollution, unrepentant capitalism, and glacial bureaucracy, this place still shines.

But, of course, it’s no Montana.

I have a love-hate relationship with podcasts.  Several times, I’ve downloaded a new, hot podcast only to be subjected to 38-minutes of rambling, unedited chit-chat about airplane bathroom trips and relationship pet peeves sponsored by Hello, Fresh.  But one podcast that never makes me want to throw my AirPods across the room is How I Built This.

NPR’s Guy Raz has interviewed the founders of dozens of companies from Sara Blakely at Spanx to Nolan Bushnell at Atari to ask how they built their businesses.  The podcast should be the audio equivalent of a business school case study, dry and self-aggrandizing, but it’s not.  Even the episodes I think will be totally boring have moments of revelation.  It’s my favorite thing to listen to while I walk the dogs.

When I’m lounging at home, all I want to wear is leggings and a soft tunic-tee.  But when the weather turns warm that just feels like the wrong outfit.  This summer, I’m switching it up and going with maxi dresses.  They’re comfortable, relaxed, but still stylish enough for a spontaneous outing.

I already bought this Vero Moda star-print maxi ($65).  I’ve owned it for a week and worn in twice (in different states).  This Splendid floral dress and this yellow M&S also caught my eye.  An easy sandal, a big ring, and your outfit is ready made.

For jersey dresses, this side-slit Velvet dress caught my eye.  The side slits keep it from getting too hot when the temperature rises.  Even a midi dress like this Emory Park dress will work.

These easy cocktails from Anne Sage have only four ingredients — bourbon, champagne, grapefruit, and rhubarb spirits.  I make them when we have company and no time to prep.  They’re a great way to use up the cheap champagne left over from New Year’s Eve.

To make these casual libations extra festive, I serve them in my favorite glasses from Anthropologie.

I’m always in search of face wash.  I buy one, and I either hate it right away or I love it for two weeks and then decide it’s not the one.  Recently, I purchased French Girl Organics Neroli wash, and I’m enjoying it.  I’m shocked that I bought it because I fail to understand the beauty/fashion world’s current obsession with doing everything from your hair to your diet like French girls do, but I digress.

What I like about this face wash is the mix of activated charcoal and tea tree oil.  It really balances my combination skin without stressing it.  And it smells pretty dreamy too.  But only time will tell if I still love it in 8 days, or whether I’m on to the next.

Recently, I started an Article Club (as opposed to a book club) on The Work Edit Facebook page.  A lot of readers brought up how difficult it is to comment freely in a public forum, so we decided to create a closed group attached to the main page.  I posted this week’s Article Club pick — a two-parter on the lengths some brides go to with their pre-wedding beauty routine — so check it out.

In the future, I hope readers will post their own questions about style, career, family, etc. and use the community to get recommendations and answers.  I look forward to watching the group grow and thrive.

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