Between Us, vol. 14
The summer collection you NEED to see, 4th of July inspiration I'd snag now, the desk & other furniture we snagged during MDW, new body wash I'm loving, and what I bought this week!
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Hi friends! Can you believe it’s June? This year truly has not let up yet in the slightest. I feel like it’s been all systems go since January but, we’ve had so many great things happen over the course of the last year — it makes all the other ways that our lives feel a bit messy all the more tolerable, ha.
I thought I escaped May tired but unscathed but, then Tuesday came along and I was down for the count. I truly feel like I have the strongest immune system in our household [don’t Mom’s always? let’s be real..] but, wow. I have been taken down a bit this week. Despite needing a little extra rest, though, I have managed to knock out something that has been looming over me …
… my nursing license renewal.
Truth be told, I actually did not renew my license back in 2024 due to everything that was on my plate ahead of the move back to the U.S. I had to renew it by the end of July but that entire Summer was truly so busy. It’s very unlike me to let something that important go undone but, alas … work, prepping for the move, and delivering on all of our other commitments before leaving made it feel impossible. I had every intention of contacting the Florida Board of Nursing when we got to the States but, pregnancy brain took over and I’m only now just trying to figure it out. I was almost positive it would be delinquent and, thus, considered null / void. However, to my surprise, the Florida Board of Nursing said they would allow me to renew it if I fulfilled all necessary CEU’s for two renewal cycles. So, I did that this week and, as of yesterday, my license is back to being Active. Honestly, it feels like such a relief and I will never let life get on top of me like that again.
Even though I don’t see myself going back to the profession, I’ve always felt it was important to continue to keep it active because 1. you just never know — I may want to go back one day [or, life may humble me and I may need to] and 2. I worked really hard for that license and it’s a profession I have a deep respect for. So, all that to say, I’m glad it got done. It felt like a weight on my shoulders and I wanted to get it done before we went over to the UK.
Even though I wasn’t feeling 100% this week, I still found things and moments that made me smile:
Lawson is seriously the cutest little love bug. He is truly such a little joy. He started at the same daycare Louie goes to this week & you can tell he loves it by how tired he is at the end of the day. He has been down for the count by 6:30pm most nights.
During Memorial Day weekend, I decided to pull the trigger on Elemis’ new pro-collagen cleansing balm as I always like trying out their new products. This smells absolutely incredible and leaves my skin feeling so soft and hydrated. Love love!
I don’t think I shared a lot of photos from Lawson’s birthday party last weekend but, this is one my faves that friends and family sent over. We all had such a great time :)
Another thing that has genuinely been bringing me so much peace of mind and happiness lately: getting all of my travel clients in a really good place when it comes to planning their upcoming trips. Most aren’t traveling until September and October, so we have all of their accommodations set and now I’m diving into the experiences and details that are really going to make their trips really special and fun. I love figuring out the ways in which I can make their itineraries feel personal rather than just planned. I’m finding that’s what I personally love the most — well, that and hotel matching. I absolutely loooove hotel matching :)
Are you traveling in September / October or during the holidays?
Now is the time to start planning! If you have trips you’d like help with, especially trips to Europe but most certainly can be anywhere, please don’t hesitate to fill out an intake form. I’d be more than happy to help!
Want more insight into Shepherd & Co.’s services?
Alright, I think that about does it for today’s rambles. Now it’s time to dive into what I have for you guys in today’s newsletter:
+ Tuckernuck’s Summer Heritage Collection
+ 4th of July Outfit Inspiration
+ Pieces I’ve Bought for the House
+ This Week’s Top Sellers
+ and more …
Here’s what I have planned to share this week on Substack:
+ What I’m Eyeing and Buying for June: As summer is now in FULL swing, I’ll be sharing all of the things I’ve been lusting over and snagging lately. Plus, I’ve got a mini round-up of some of the summer finds I’ve purchased for the boys, especially ahead of our trip back to the UK.
Tuckernuck’s Summer Heritage Collection
patchwork shorts | gold hoops | white mini dress | jean shorts | polo dress | raffia tote | stripe sweater | monogram canvas tote | leather slides | patchwork mini dress
If there’s one brand that understands summer dressing, it’s Tuckernuck and their Summer Heritage Collection has transported me to a clambake in Martha’s Vineyard. Think classic prep with a little bit of personality: patchwork details, crisp whites, raffia accents, and pieces that look equally at home on a boat or at a backyard dinner. Everything is easy to mix together, which is a prerequisite for getting dressed in the warmer months.
» I am so excited about this patchwork mini dress. The print is so classic and the mini length makes it feel more modern. It’s been sitting at the top of Tuckernuck’s best sellers list and I can’t tell you how sad I am that I missed grabbing it in my size before it sold out.
» You all know coral is not my color, but if it’s yours, I implore you to consider this polo dress. It’s absolutely perfect and I adore the color so much. The pique fabric, the polo collar, the fit … it’s everything! If coral suits you, please also consider this sweater and this pair of cropped culottes.
» This raffia tote has such a unique shape compared to most raffia bags out there right now. The leather trim is so beautiful and the structured silhouette makes it feel polished rather than beachy.
» The shoe of the summer for me are these leather slides. The toe band detail is so pretty, they slip on easily, and they’ll go with absolutely everything. Sizes are selling out in the cognac color so, I’d say consider my tried-and-true Tory Burch slides if you’re looking for a similar alternative.
Are you all feeling as nostalgic about this collection as I am?? Let me know!
4th of July Outfit Inspiration
open back maxi | plaid dress | jean shorts | canvas tote | stripe shorts | stripe tank | white mini dress | striped one piece | blue stitch shorts | blue stitch tank | tortoise shell sunnies | Americana pullover sweater | poplin top | ruffle polo | cotton scarf |
I love the vibe of the 4th of July and it’s one of my favorite holidays to get dressed for. Whether you're doing a backyard cookout, a rooftop party, or a day at the lake, there is truly no shortage of fun ways to dress for the holiday. This year I leaned into stripes, a few great denim options, and some pieces with subtle Americana details.
I got this canvas tote monogrammed and I can’t wait to see how it turned out. It’s a beautiful and heavy canvas and is well on it’s way to being one of my favorite things I’ve bought this summer so far.
I ordered this and this as a set and I love it. A sucker for this whole look as the terry fabric is incredibly soft, the stripe is so classic, and you’ll see me wearing this on stories…a lot.
This maxi really surprised me. I didn’t think the quality would be there but, it is. The open back detail is so pretty and the fit has been getting rave reviews. A great option for a 4th of July evening and you will not believe the price.
I’ll be trying on what came in from my orders this weekend and I’ll share them in an upcoming post to let you know what’s worth it.
I wore this sweater on stories this week and my DMs were immediately full of questions about it. A cream collared pullover with just enough Americana detail and it is so cozy. Really cute over a swimsuit or thrown on with shorts for a cooler evening.
I’ve curated a larger collection of 4th of July outfit inspiration that you can shop on ShopMy and LTK here.
Recent Pieces I Bought for the House
I’m honestly not sure how but, between travel planning, mom-ing, and license renewal, I have managed to make some of our first home purchases for the new house. Our first purchase was this entryway console a month or so ago. We actually snagged it on Facebook marketplace. I love that it has a bit of a ‘worn’ feel to it. Our house is very ‘new’ and I personally love antique charm so, while we’re not going for full-blown traditional, I don’t want ultra modern, either so I’m trying to find a good mix of things that are a bit ‘in between’, if you will. The only thing I don’t like about it are these plastic things that you can pull the drawers out to and they’ll keep them from falling out completely. It makes it difficult to store things in the drawers so I need to find some kind of intense ‘clipper’ of some kind to cut those out because I don’t think they’re needed. Otherwise, it’s a really solid piece.
I bought two of these wall bookshelves and I am so excited about them. They’ll be secured to the wall you see as you come up our stairs on to the second floor and will have a lot of our decorative items, books, and picture frames. The wall just feels so empty and I thought it’d add some warmth to the space.
Hulala Home is a new to me brand but, they have been targeting me for awhile now and I finally gave in during Memorial Day Weekend sales, ha.
I wanted pieces that felt a liiittle more traditional but we need a work area in the worst way and I loved the practicality of the pieces we chose. These will go upstairs in this little alcove area that we could make either into a work area or a play area. Truth be told, the boys play literally everywhere so we don’t feel like there needs to be a set ‘area’ and that their toy storage could easily fit at the bottom of Louie’s closet, which is currently empty and would otherwise not be utilized. Since the boys will eventually share a room, we thought this could be a good long-term solution. When the time comes, and we get bunk beds in Louie’s room, they will have so much more space in the middle of that room to essentially act as a playroom.
The main thing we got was this incredible desk — mercifully on sale at the time of purchase [try code EM25 if you buy something; that’s what I used] — which serve as a standard desk but also has a swivel station option for when you’re managing a lot of files and papers or you want to share the work space with another person. Since John and I work from home, we thought this might be helpful. It can also raise up and act as a standing desk, which I need sometimes. I need to be able to move and switch up the environment. Otherwise, I get really antsy. I kind of wish it was less ‘rounded’ but, their more traditional desk models don’t include the swivel desk, which I felt was such a helpful feature for us.
The other thing we bought were these bookcases. We loved the arched frame and the built-in LED light. The combo of open shelves for display and a hidden cabinet below for things you don’t need to see, are my love language for home organization right now. We bought three of these to sit next to each other and they’ll sit behind the desk.
Putting your home together takes time so, even though we still need curtains, banquet seating downstairs, a console table at the bottom of our stairs, a picture frame wall gallery in our bedroom and two faux olive trees … I am really happy that those sales afforded us with enough of a discount to feel like we could get these right now. It helps free up some of the things we still have in boxes in our garage. I can’t wait for things to have ‘a place’, you know?
How long did it take you to get organized? Buy furniture? And really make your house feel like a home after you moved in?
On Instagram, it always seems like ‘everyone’ moves and has a whole team waiting for them to completely unpack their house or has a designer who has gotten the house completely and beautifully decorated. Of course, this is incredible and I don’t feel any shade toward people I see with this level of luxury in their lives — it’s just easy to feel sometimes like you’re really ‘behind’ when you feel quite far from ever having that reality.
But … mindset is everything so, I’m trying not to let myself live in that space, ya know? Being able to own our home is such a blessing and I know that is quite enviable to a lot of people so I always try to keep the right perspective.
This Week’s Top Sellers
ruffle polo | red smocked dress | striped shorts | striped crewneck | brown gingham dress | sunny sweatshirt | red & blue midi dress
These are the pieces you all loved most this week and it appears you all are loving dresses as much as I am. I’ve found my people.
This gingham dress has been everywhere [literally, I wore it for my trip to Savannah] and for good reason. Low effort and perfectly feminine.
The dress from Target that keeps selling out and I completely understand it…a dress for this price is a no brainer.
My striped set has been on repeat for me as it’s the perfect summer-y throw on. It’s on sale, too. The shorts are selling out so I linked some other sets that are really cute HERE.
Another beautiful smocked midi dress. The embroidery is a fun detail and I love that the red dress theme continues.
No surprises seeing this ruffle polo making the list. I've been wearing mine constantly and I knew you all would love it too. It also comes in RED, which would be great for the 4th.
Loving the yellow of this beachy sweatshirt. Such a sunny, fun piece and is also set at a really great price point.
What did you all pick up this week? Let me know below!
What I Bought This Week
linen sundress | ivory bralette | cotton jumpsuit | v-neck tank | boys two-piece set | tortoise shell sunnies | rhinestone jellies | baby romper | tiered maxi skirt | halter dress | baby sneakers
Somehow this week's cart got away from me and the results are noteworthy. A few summer staples I'd been putting off, some things I'd been eyeing for a while, and some really sweet finds for the boys.
I ordered this linen sundress approximately 39 seconds after seeing it. A classic midi length, easy to style, and perfect for summer. No notes.
This cotton jumpsuit is going to live on my body all summer. Adjustable straps, stretch cotton, and pockets. It’s so good.
I’ve been looking for the right tiered maxi skirt for a while and this one is it. The length is perfect for a petite frame and it works equally well dressed up or thrown on with a tank.
For the boys, these little baby sneakers are so cute I could cry, and the knit onesie is just the sweetest thing. H&M never misses for baby basics.
That's a wrap on vol. 14! Thank you all so much for being here each week, it means everything. See you next week, hopefully fully recovered.
x H.
Coming Soon: I’ll see you back here on Wednesday where I’ll be sharing what I’m eyeing and buying for June. Be sure to upgrade to paid if you’d like to receive it in your inbox.
Alyson Haley is a longtime style and travel writer focused on helping you create a wardrobe you love and travel more confidently and competently. After 10 years of living between and just outside of London, she shares curated recommendations and insider insight on her favorite city and other destinations she knows and loves. She is currently building a bespoke travel boutique centered around beautifully designed, meaningful escapes. For more, be sure to follow her on Instagram.