Turning 35 + a magnificent dress

Also in here: my oil pastel era, icebergs, + 2 songs that make me cry

Jul 23, 2025

Hello darlings. How’s your week? On Friday I turned 35, hooray! We spent the afternoon at the beach with friends, then Nate surprised me with a trip to the new Photo Booth Museum in Silverlake (I cherish this man). And of course I made my favorite chocolate cake with a cup of my secret ingredient for our family birthday picnic. Summer birthdays reign supreme!

shopping

A perfect red top.
Ordered myself this, this and this with my Anthro birthday coupon :)
Gasp, these shell earrings!
Maybe for the second half of my thirties, I will wear only black and white and denim and incredible necklaces.
$100 linen wrap dress you could wear year round.

ad break 🌞

I’ve been bursting with excitement to share Christy Dawn’s Madeline dress with you. The first time I put it on, I actually gasped. With a permanent 4x-postpartum baby bump, it’s can be painful and challenging searching for clothes I feel beautiful in. To call this dress perfect is not an exaggeration, from the mysteriously magical fit to the intricate details to the pockets... Oh, and it’s made from 100% organic cotton. Christy Dawn, thank you for crafting special dresses like this one.

Thanks for supporting the brands that support Handpicked. I love sharing special finds from women-owned companies like Christy Dawn.

art

Soooo inspired by these collages made from seed catalogs!
Two icebergs visit a tiny Inuit village.
Can’t recommend these $20 oil pastels enough, I might be addicted to them? I desperately needed an art hour on Saturday so I made these (by the way, I just started as the pianist in primary!) —

We are in love with Howard and his letterpress.
Helpful: Julia Marcum recommends these picture frames.
Feel all of your teenage feelings (and revel in the no-phone-ness) for five minutes while the Goo Goo Dolls perform “Iris” in the rain.

motherhood

My workspace is in the corner of the only common area in our small house — can’t stop thinking about this brilliant room divider DIY.
Cute maternity-friendly top. This too.
Listening to this song with my baby makes me cry.
End of summer is my preferred time for annual family photos, when everyone is sunkissed and not feeling rushed. Here are my three best tips and a very photographable dress into which I wish I had a baby girl to stuff.
Asking my kids this question on our road trip.

just for fun

Our friend Cory visited yesterday and brought us Oliboli donuts — LA/OC readers, have you had them? The meyer lemon omg. Insane.
Marbley mugs!
Important journalism.
Cannot. stop. laughing. (via Bethie)
Perfect birthday candles.