On My Mind: Marimekko Tops and a John Waters Trash Can
“Strategist Brain” is a series in which staffers share the stores they’ve stopped in to, stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week.
I think I’ve become a pastel-shoe person. A pair of pale-blue Diemme clogs were stalking me on Instagram for months before I finally caved. (They were on sale!) Soon after, I hopped on the Speedcat bandwagon when all those new colors, including pastel pink, were released last month. I wear a lot of pink, blue, and white, so both pairs of shoes have been very easy to style. (My current favorite combo is with my Le Bon Shoppe Arc Pants, of course.) And to protect my footwear, I bought a bottle of our best waterproofer for sneakers and suede. So far, so good!
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And for those wanting an update on the John Waters trash can from my last “Strategist Brain”: I bought it a few months ago, once it finally went on sale for $21, and I love it. Sadly, it’s out of stock now, but basically everything else from the collection is still available (and most of it is on sale), like this Hairspray-themed tote.
Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently …
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I can’t shut up about this. I recently started tretinoin — I turn 30 in June, so it seemed time to see what all the fuss is about — and it’s just as drying as everyone said it would be. So every few days, I swap out my trusty tub of Vanicream for this diaper-paste-like moisturizer from Avène. It works like a dream.
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L.L.Bean Boat and Tote, Zip-Top
After using this bag almost exclusively the past month, I’m fully on team zip-top Boat and Tote. It’s nice that I don’t have to be too precious with it, considering I’ve been lugging it all over the place — the park, pottery class, my local coffee shop. In addition to the security of being able to close the bag completely, its material is much softer than the open-top version I have, and all I have to do to clean it is throw it into the washing machine. (It will wrinkle, as seen here, but that should straighten out after a few more uses.)
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My childhood home had a huge camellia bush right out front; now that both my mom and I have moved away, I never get to see them! So I’ve been eyeing this bag charm — I can’t decide between the peach-and-green (pictured here) or red-and-teal colorway.
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These flowers to pin to the rest of your wardrobe are lovely too.
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I’ve been wearing this skirt a lot lately. Deus Ex Machina is one of my favorite places to shop. It always has a ton of nice cotton and linen basics on sale for very cheap — this skirt is $27 right now, which is the same price as when I bought it a few months ago. I haven’t tried the jeans yet, but I can also vouch for Deus Ex Machina’s dresses and tank tops; I think the brand is taking over my wardrobe at this point.
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If I ever win the lottery, I won’t tell anybody, but there will be signs — namely, an entire wardrobe full of Marimekko’s new spring-summer collection.
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My cross to bear is that I currently live in Texas but I’m a very big hoodie person. This is the latest to catch my eye … maybe I’ll buy it in a few months.
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Meanwhile, my favorite pullover sweatshirt from Uniqlo has really been starting to show its age. I thought I’d try my hand at visible mending, so I went to the Michaels near my house and picked up entirely too much embroidery floss as well as a new set of needles. The results aren’t the prettiest — yet! — but so far I really love the effect of DMC’s gradient Coloris thread.
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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
