Real (approachable) Style Advice for Real (grown-up) Women with 

Real (smart) Budgets

Dear First name / friend,

Coming to you on a Wednesday after missing the last two Weekend Updates due to…well…summer. 😄

 

Today is July 1st—my favorite day of the year. Random, I know. But to me, it’s the day summer officially begins. 

 

The weather is (unusually) hot, Newport is buzzing, the beach is calling, and the best month of the year is in front of us.

 

I’m also coming off an incredibly weekend, celebrating my (ahem…) 60th birthday with all three boys and their two wonderful girlfriends.

 

Earlier this year, Bill and I tossed around the idea of taking a big trip to celebrate, but after looking at lots of possibilities, I realized there was truly nowhere I’d rather be than right here in Newport with the people I love most. 

 

We spent our days at the beach, had incredible meals at three of my favorite restaurants (Midtown, Castle Hill, and Flora at The Gardiner House), and shared more laughs than I can count. It was exactly what I wanted.

 

The celebration isn’t quite over yet. My middle and youngest sons are still here, and later today, seven guys from Chicago arrive for the Fourth of July. This is our 4th year hosting this same crew, and we’ve got it down to a science. Believe it or not, a house full of 26-year-old guys is pretty low maintenance. The secret? A basement flop house, lots of extra towels and pillows, and plenty of easy “boy food.”

 

As we head into the holiday weekend, here’s wishing you a happy, safe, and relaxing Fourth of July. And as we celebrate 250 years of this incredible country, I’m reminded how grateful I am for the freedoms we enjoy and the people we get to share them with. 🇺🇸

 

Some highlights from last weekend…

 

Now, here’s what you may have missed at B.Styled…

I've been taking a break from reels (as much as I love making them…🤯), so I'm re-sharing one that's worth repeating as we enter the true dog days of summer. I'll be back with weekly style tips next week! 

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Recently, a client asked how to create a comfortable but not “schlumpy” summer uniform—and judging by the response to this reel, she wasn’t alone.

Most of us have outfits for going out. But what about the days we’re staying home, going for walks, running errands, and living real life? This week’s reel shares three simple outfit formulas for creating a casual summer uniform that feels comfortable and pulled together.

Watch here 👇🏼

As I come off celebrating my 60th birthday, I wanted to share the special and meaningful gifts I received from my sons’ girlfriends.

 

👉🏼 A custom watercolor portrait of our family home in Massachusetts. It’s the house where so many family memories were made, and now I’ll have a beautiful reminder of it for years to come.

 

👉🏼 A New York Times Birthday Book. It’s a beautifully bound book featuring the front page of The New York Times from my birthday—June 27—for every single year since I was born in 1966. It’s fascinating to flip through and see the major events that happened on each birthday throughout my life.

 

👉🏼 A birth flower and birthstone bracelet with each of my three sons’ birth flowers and birthstones. Such a creative, personal gift that will fit perfectly on my stack that I wear every day. 

 

These gifts remind me that the most memorable presents are the ones with a story behind them.

 

If you’re looking for a special gift for a milestone birthday, anniversary, retirement, or housewarming, here are some ideas! 

 

That's it for today!  Thanks for being here. 

Have a great week ahead, and remember to #justgetdressed. ✅👍🏼

On Instagram @b.styled