Modestly Maddie

Summer Wish List

Every year, about half way through summer, I begin looking for a few pieces to freshen up my summer wardrobe. Here are some things I’m eyeing:

Midi Skirt - I have a couple of formal events in August and would love to find a skirt that can be worn a variety of ways.

Layered Necklaces - I keep my summer wardrobe pretty simple and rely on jewelry to spice it up.

Fedora - I am in search of the perfect hat that actually fits my head.

White Blouse - White is the color of summer and I like to have slightly elevated tops like this blouse to make the outfit a bit more dressed up.

Summer Baseball Cap - Does anyone else wear the same baseball hat over and over again? I am in desperate need of a new one for the beach.

Distressed Denim - I’m always looking for new denim. I love how relaxed and distressed this pair is.

The Perfect Summer Knit - Does it exist? As someone who is ALWAYS cold, I need layers.

Birkenstocks - 99% of the time you can find me in birks in the summer. I’ve been eyeing this pair for quite some time.

What’s on your current wish list?

Summer Playlist

Here is my playlist for summer!

Summer Knits You Need

I am always on the lookout for a good summer knit. Here are some of my current favorites. What’s your go to summer sweater?

Summer Beauty Favorites

Here are some products I swear by in the warmer months. As a naturally pale person, I love to have a glow, but try to avoid the sun as much as possible. After years of experimenting, I’ve finally found the best self tanner. These are my tried and true products.

What are your favorite summer products?

Collagen Fruit Smoothie Recipe

Here’s my favorite collagen smoothie recipe. I love to make a smoothie for an afternoon snack. As someone who doesn’t eat a ton of fruits or vegetables, a smoothie is a great way to add more into your diet. Here’s what you will need.

Ingredients

blender

1 scoop of your choice of collagen. (I like Vital Proteins. )

1 banana

large handful of spinach

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen strawberries or raspberries

1 cup of almond milk

spoonful of peanut butter

tablespoon of chia seeds

Directions

Add all ingredients into a blender

blended until smooth and creamy

pour into a glass and enjoy!

What’s your favorite smoothie?

Spring Wishlist

Sharing my spring wishlist! What are you purchasing this season?

101 in 1001 #51: Read 30 Books

When I created my third 101 in 1001 list, I wanted to prioritize reading more. One of the first things I did when I moved to Denver was get a library card. A library card along with plenty of free time in 2020 allowed me to prioritize reading.

Here are the 30 books I’ve read since the start of this list!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Woman in the Photograph by Dana Gynther Rating: 2 Stars

Educated by Tara Westover Rating: 4.5 Stars

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Rating: 4.5 Stars

Start with Why by Simon Sinek Rating: 3.5 Stars

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Rating: 5 Stars (Favorite book of 2020)

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Rating: 4.5 Stars

Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman Rating: 4 Stars

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Rating: 2 Stars

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Rating: 2.5 Stars

This is Not a Fashion Story by Danielle Bernstein Rating: 3 Stars

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng Rating: 4 Stars

Know What You’re For by Jeff Henderson Rating: 1 star

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum Rating: 5 Stars

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff Rating: 3 Stars

Park Ave Summer by Renee Rosen Rating: 4 Stars

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda Rating: 2 Stars

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler Rating 4 Stars

I’m Still Here Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown Rating: 5 Stars

Zero To One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Rating: 4 Stars

Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson Rating: 4 Stars

Stray by Stephanie Danler Rating: 3..5 Stars

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein Rating: 2.5 Stars

Wild Game: My mother, Her lover, and me by Adrienne Brodeur Rating: 4 Stars

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton Rating: 5 Stars

Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy Wood Rating: 3 Stars

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Rating: 5 Stars

The Guest List by Lucy Foley Rating: 5 Stars

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd Rating: 5 Stars

What should I read next?

Spring Jackets You Need for Your Wardrobe

What are you looking for this spring?

Cape Cod Coffee Shops

Here are some of my absolute favorite coffee shops on the Cape!

Daily Brew

The Stand (smaller Daily Brew location)

Nirvana

Coffee Obsession

Pie in the Sky

the Village Cafe

What’s your favorite coffee place?

Denim Envy

Anyone else can’t wait to start wearing jeans regularly again? Here are some I’m currently obsessed with.

Honey Cinnamon Latte Recipe

2020 was the year of making coffee at home. I used to be the queen of trying new coffee shops but last year challenged me to make my own coffee. My daily coffee is a cold brew (stay tuned for that recipe) with a bit of oat milk in it. When I want a treat, I make an iced honey cinnamon latte. Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients:

espresso (If you don’t have an espresso machine you could use cold brew concentrate)

honey

cinnamon

Milk of choice (I like oat)

Directions:

I like my latte’s iced so I chill the espresso after I mix in the honey and cinnamon. If you want a hot latte froth the milk after and pour over the hot espresso.

Make a double or triple shot of espresso.

swirl in honey. I like around a tablespoon but use as much or as little as you want. The honey dissolves better when the espresso is hot.

Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Mix all together

Fill a cup with ice

Pour espresso over ice

Fill remainder of glass with milk

stir and enjoy!

What’s your favorite treat coffee order?

Beauty Products I Want to Try

Here’s what is currently in my Sephora bag! Can you tell I want to try out Inkey list?! I’ve heard such good things and love that they are an affordable skincare line at Sephora. I’m always looking for moisturizing products. I’m currently suffering from extremely dry winter skin. It’s one of the downsides of living in Denver and already having dry skin.

What are your current beauty favorites?

Tips for Creating a Mood Board

Here’s my mood board I created last year. I ordered squares of cork board on Amazon and started pinning photos, words and colors onto the board. I wanted to use a cork board and thumb tacks so I could move things around. This gave me more flexibility to slowly assemble my mood board. I keep all my old magazines. You’d be surprised how much you can use in a single issue of Vogue. Here are some tips for creating a mood board.

Theme: Think about what you want to put on your board. Write down words and phrases that are meaningful to you. You want to look at your mood board every day and feel inspired.

Time: Take your time collecting photos, pictures and piecing together your mood board. It doesn’t happen over night.

Color: Decide on a couple of colors you want to use throughout the board.

Variety: Gather pictures from multiple sources. Go through your own pictures, magazines, tumblr, paint swatches etc. for inspiration.

Flexibility: Create the mood board on a cork board so you can make changes.

What would you put on your mood board?

Tote Bags for Every Occasion

I love a good tote bag. A staple piece that can go with just about everything. Running errands, headed to a workout class or going to work, a tote bag fits it all. Here are some of my favorites.

What’s your go to tote bag?

My Capsule Wardrobe

Here are 30 staple items you need in your closet. I live in Denver, Colorado so depending on your climate you may want to swap some of the cold weather items for warm weather clothing. I’m also not a skirt/dress person. I love styling jeans dressed up for date night or super casual for running errands. That said, I only have one dress on my list. If that’s not you, swap something for another dress or skirt.

Here are 30 clothing items that make up my capsule wardrobe. Use this list as a starting point. Check what you already have in your closet and see what’s missing. From there, slowly start building up your capsule wardrobe.

MM Capsule Wardrobe

White Sneakers

Black Boots

Loafers

Heels

Denim Jacket

Leather Jacket

Oversized Blazer

Formal Coat

Mid-Wash Denim

Black Denim

Black Trousers

Gray Sweater

Navy Sweater

Black Turtleneck Sweater

Cream Cardigan

Black T Shirt

White T Shirt

Black Turtleneck

Black Silk Cami

White Button Down

Little Black Dress

Sweatsuit

Black Leggings

Black Crossbody

Tote Bag

Clutch

Every Day Necklace

Gold Hoop Earrings

Scarf

Classic Pair of Sunglasses

What are 30 items you would use to create a capsule wardrobe? I’d love to hear from you!

MM Mix No. 9: Date Night Playlist

Here’s a playlist for your next date night! I created this before Valentine’s Day and it’s the perfect playlist for a special evening. Hope you enjoy!

Ski Trip Essentials

What are you must haves for a ski weekend?