No. 102: What to Read, Watch, Eat & Wear in September
She's here!! She's here!!
August is always the month you have to flip back a calander page for to remember it was only a couple days ago. Parts of it I’m already nostalgic for—the first few sleepy school day breakfasts, the first stretch of days that don’t break a hundred degrees, the earlier bedtimes—the whole school year still in the honeymoon phase. We finally unpacked my office which meant I could sit at my desk and open up my Bible with milky, golden light dancing through the trees. That room gets approximately thirty-three minutes of usable light every day, but with a cup of tea and a blanket in my lap it might as well be a whole week. The school routine added much needed brackets around a run on sentence, sports brought back the chaos that makes free evenings feel that much more like an exhale and we settled into the house more and more in the nooks and crannies of the month.
There was a lot of hard woven into August, too. Have you ever tried crying while eating a bowl of cereal? You’ve already poured the milk, you can’t let it get soggy, and yet can’t stop the tears from coming. For whatever reason, I had plenty of opportunities to navigate that specific dillema this month. Thanks to the wisdom of Tim Keller and Elisabeth Elliot and David and Paul, I’ve been able to see the beauty in His boundaries for me more clearly than usual.
I had my veins done in August which was three procedures over three days with a two day follow up ordeal that took sacrifice on everyone’s end. It was uncomfortable, expensive, nerve racking and inconvenient, but the Lord allowed me to conquer something that felt insurmountable for five years. That’s a gift. The financial discomfort after building a home for three years is the kind that empties you in a new way every day, but there is a deep nearness that comes from pure desparation. That’s a gift. Work confusion and health disappointments were a constant distraction, but it led and kept me in a unique humility and awareness that I can do nothing apart from Him. That’s a gift.
Yes, ands at every turn.
This month holds more of the same, but with my book launching next month, PR will officially begin. You know my armpits are already sweating over this, but I have such confidence in this precious and powerful book that I know it will stand on its own without my help. I don’t need to put on a song and dance, I only need to be vulnerable and real to share why the Lord put this particular word on my heart two years ago. I can’t wait to share it with all of you, please be praying for me if you think about it throughout the month. We also have Keogena’s 8th birthday, a wedding weekend in Austin, a surprise family birthday party and lots of real life in between. It’s gonna be a good one, I can feel it.
Lastly, I shared last week that we’d be discussing a more vulnerable and heavy topic. As I typed that, I forgot it was the monthly favorites edition. I assure you we’ll meet here next Friday with a personal letter.
Your Favorite August Letters:
No. 99: 20 Favorite Recent Purchases from Underwear and Umbrellas to Cramp Lotion and Cookie Sheets
Some items in this letter are affiliate links. This means if you purchase, I may be paid a commission by the brand at no cost to you.
| sweatshirt sweatpants | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9
Guys. You know I’m not shopping right now, but if I were I’d be sprinting to this iconic collaboration. I can’t believe it. The scalloped tray and scalloped plates are topping my list, but my absolute favorite—to the surprise of no one—is the table cloth. If the ruffles aren’t your thing, their other Fall table cloth is a newer version of the two I own and they tick all the boxes. I mean, everything screams “Fall soup party.” Loeffler Randall is a luxury shoe brand that actually makes a size 12 so I’m loyal to them forever.
If you know me and O and our love for both Diary of a CEO and Andrew Huberman, you can guess the pure giddy joy in the car when we discovered they had done an interview together on our date night. We only made it through the first 20 minutes because we had so much good conversation, but I’m so looking forward to ingesting and digesting the rest of it together.
I’ve had this ESV Journal Bible for years and it’s still one of my favorite purchases. I have seasons (I’m looking at you, million year stretches of pregnancy and postpartum) where I strictly reading my Bible on my phone, but whenever I get back into the practice of sitting down with a journal and this Bible it feels like home.
What to Read:
Do you even need to ask?
What to Watch:
Football, baby. At the time you read this, we’ll have just experienced our first Thursday Night Football in over 200 days. I always miss the comfort and reliability football adds to our week and have all the warm fuzzies about settling in to another season. If football isn’t your thing, you can add comfort and reliability in the form of an old show you’ve never watched but always wanted to or one you haven’t watched in years. Gilmore Girls, Dawsons Creek, One Tree Hill, Boy Meets World, Fresh Prince, —the past is your oyster. As for new things, I’m super curious about The Perfect Suspect, mostly because where Dakota Fanning goes, I follow. I’ll report back.
What to Eat:
All of last month’s recommendations still apply—along with everything in these posts:
What to Wear:
We’re going in at two different price points here. September is still very much pretend-Fall in the South but Lord knows I go from North Pole AC to Antarctica AC and do just fine in my knits and sweat sets. I chose GAP this month because they constantly have Sales up to 40% and anywhere I can shop for myself while scooping up pajamas for my kids in the same place is a win in my book.
1. mesh flat 2. quilted jacket 3. brown trouser 4. oversized denim shirt 5. rib knit dress 6. rugby polo 7. sweat suit 8. wide leg denim 9. boxy cropped shirt 10. rib knit sweater 11. deep red cardigan
The second shop we’re doing a roundup from is Madewell. We all know Madewell prices range quite a bit, but the quality is truly unmatched as a mid-teir shop. You know my September mood is denim on denim, suede, oversized silhouettes and all the warmth. Madewell always fits the bill.
1. smocked dress 2. canvas hat 3. brown cardigan 4. barrel jeans 5. new balance sneakers 6. cuffed wide leg jeans 7. straight leg jeans 8. denim jacket 9. curved leather bag (obsessed) 10. wide twill trousers 11. leather zip jacket 12. button down cropped shirt 13. leather trench (price is shocking, shape is stunning)
For those of you who only see the Montly Favorites email, I’m so glad to be in your inbox this morning. For those of you who read all nine letters last month—thank you for allowing me to do what I do. Your support truly means the world. Every share, every like, every comment, every screenshot to your stories and personal email to my inbox means more than you know. I’ll see you next week where I need you to have your gracious and tender pants on, okay? Safe space.
Have a beautiful weekend, friends.
I look forward to these roundups so much, Jill! Thank you! Putting Beartown on hold at the library right now :)