#113. Everything about June
the nicest wedding venue in Canada, switches and outlets, and a few good names.
June! It’s a cute girls name. It’s also a cute month (unless it’s June gloom outside). It holds the most highly anticipated day of the year, the summer solstice. And now that we are past that, I fear winter is already getting too close.
The first half of the year — I don’t really have words. It’s been busy and exhausting and so fulfilling.
I hope my friends don't mind me sharing some of the wonderful names they've chosen for their little ones. Here are a few of my favourite baby names I've heard being used lately:
Girls — Harley, Westyn, Scottie, Josephine, Alma, Alba, Austa, Pfeiffer, Waverley, Lola, Sloane, Romy, Cleo, Goldie, Pascal, Palmer, Posy, Phillipa, Winona, Wren.
Boys — Monty, August, Holden, Hank, Hugo, Calder, Rhodes, Quincy, Lawrence, Cohen, Caspian, Whittaker.
The weather was on its best behaviour last month. We had very hot days, and days that offered a reprieve from the oppressive sun. I’ve been in my own little world, existing somewhere between the dreamlike haze of middle-of-the-night feeds (going on 8 months), adrenaline-fuelled days spent moving from one thing to the next, and moments of genuine contentment.
When my son smiles and laughs, I can feel the joy as though by osmosis; I absorb his delight. It is simple and powerful and it fuels me. So do affogatos.
It’s a short intro this time around. Putting these together has become increasingly more challenging as Wesley starts to become more mobile. The older he gets, the more attention I seem to need to give, and the more distracted I get.
We're off to Kelowna for a few days on Friday. I'm sure I'll have plenty to tell you about next month. Ciao for now.
15 things about June
READ — Carrying on with my goal of always having at least one physical book and one audiobook on the go, last month I finished Lost Lambs. Delightfully funny, wildly imaginative, and surprisingly intelligent, I’ve already recommended it to a few friends who appreciate Wes Anderson-esque whimsy or loved French Exit by Patrick deWitt. It has that same dry, absurd sense of humour.
On audio, I listened to influencer Lee Tilghman’s memoir, If You Don’t Like This, I Will Die, narrated by the author herself. I have so many thoughts, but the biggest one is that I’ll never quite understand why some people are so deeply wired for all-or-nothing thinking. Swinging from one extreme to the other is very red flaggy to me. If you have no idea who I’m talking about, I’d probably skip this one. But if you followed @leefromamerica back in the day, you might find it fascinating.
4 out of 5 stars. WATCH — have you seen Mother’s Instinct? Fair warning, it’s completely vile and deranged. Super duper dark. I immediately needed a palate cleanser afterwards, so I’ve been making my way through The O.C. Season 1 (it’s comically awful but so nostalgic!). We also watched a few more bad movies: The Fall Guy (bad), Heretic (quite bad), and Bone Lake (very bad). I'm desperate for something that is not bad, which is why I'm sooo excited for The Invite to hit theatres this week. I absolutely loved listening to Olivia Wilde talk about the film on both CHD and AE. I had no idea she was such a gangster.
WEAR — Mr. Larkin came through with another fantastic wedding guest dress. This time, a black maxi with off the shoulder ivory rose buds. I bought it during a sample sale, and split the shipping/duties with my SIL (she bought this one). I felt good in this dress and enjoyed its simplistic elegance. I’ll likely wear it one more time, then sell.
it’s all about the black & white contrast. EAT — My latest hyper-fixation meal has been this: a refreshing chilled salad of baby potatoes, butter beans, chopped bell pepper, and generous chunks of crumbled feta, all tossed in a punchy chimichurri dressing. Give it a go.
BUY — I seemed to have acquired quite a few new things last month (some bought, some gifted). Here’s a list of everything that’s novel in my closet and home, with very varying price tags:
These espadrilles from Sezane were gifted to me and they are beautiful. Can be worn more casually or even as wedding guest shoes.
This rug that I’ve talked about ad nauseum.
This anklet that I bought with a credit I had and it’s been my entire summer personality.
This skirt that was on last months wish list. I love to wear it with a very casual oversized Tee. On sale, only a few smalls left!
This sweater was also gifted to by from Sezane and this might be crazy to say but out of everything I have from Sezane, this might be my absolute favourite item. The cost per wear is excellent. You actually cannot go wrong with this one, it’s a sweater for every body.
These jean shorts from Sezane, that I’ve barely taken off. They are perfect.
These striped linen pants that really do it all: workout pants, casual comfies for home, or dress them up to go out. I want them in red (see #4 in wish list)
After two ferries and a roughly nine-hour travel day, we arrived in Egmont, a tiny town on the Sunshine Coast, to celebrate a childhood friend’s wedding. The venue—West Coast Wilderness Lodge—might just take the cake for the most beautiful wedding venue I’ve ever been to. Because it’s so remote, the wedding naturally became an entire weekend affair: a welcome BBQ on Friday, the wedding on Saturday, and a farewell brunch the next morning. If any of my friends decide to get married there in the future, I'd happily make the trek all over again.
heaven is a place on earth. On the very last day of June, I managed to blow my monthly budget ~home category~ just a little more with a spontaneous Found Studio purchase. Our living room has a lot of wall space, and a couple of months ago, in a pinch, I picked up an inexpensive piece from Marketplace, telling myself it was only a placeholder until I found something I liked better. That something ended up being this piece. To make myself feel slightly more responsible, I funded the purchase by selling a few things that had been collecting dust: a pair of single-strap Madrid Birkenstocks I never wore, a mirror that had been sitting in my closet, and, of course, the placeholder artwork itself.
not my painting, but a favourite object. Ok how cute is this outfit? I saw my friends son in their corduroy tomato pants, and couldn’t help get Wes a pair of the banana corduroys. I also love this set.
You can use code KAROLINA20 for 20% off :) 
and least we forget about this Harly Jae top and scarf wrap. I've been locked in with my strength training program lately, and as a result, I've also been consistent about taking both whey protein and creatine. I’ve never taken creatine before, but I have to believe it’s been having quite positive effects on me. I’m increasing lean muscle mass, and feeling stronger than I ever have? I would have NEVER guessed this is what postpartum could feel like. This is the brand I use.
carrying a 21 lb baby everywhere also helps. A Minolta wasn’t the film camera I had in mind when I set out to buy one. I wanted a Pentax K1000, but the camera shop had a pretty limited selection, and the Minolta was the best-priced option, so I picked it up just before we headed to the Sunshine Coast for the wedding weekend. One of the reasons I’ve ended up loving it is that it has an automatic shutter speed. All I have to do is set the aperture, focus, and press the shutter. It’s simple enough that I can carry it around without overthinking every shot. So far, I’ve only had one roll developed, but the plan is to keep a roll of film in it all summer long.
west coast wilderness lodge. While in Toronto, I went to the Paul McCartney Eyes of the Storm exhibition at the AGO, featuring the recently discovered film photos he took between 1963 and 1964. I took the GO train into the city with Wesley, and met my brother at the art gallery, who helped me carry the tiny prince around when he needed it. Afterwards, we strolled up through the university campus to Yorkville for lunch, before taking the train back to my parents house.
needed his emotional support Sophie giraffe for the train home. After visiting a designer lightning store in town, I can’t stop thinking about my light switches and outlets and how they should get an upgrade. A few days later, I stopped by a friend's house to pick up something up. She had recently moved into a beautifully restored heritage home, and while she was giving me the grand tour, I noticed the stainless steel outlet covers in her bedroom. Such a tiny detail, but they looked super cool. They're officially on the list for my bedroom makeover.
clearly not enough… My latest Costco obsession is this Herdez Avo Tomatillo salsa. It's made with nothing but real, whole-food ingredients, which honestly leaves me wondering how it has such a long shelf life… but I'm not asking too many questions because it's unbelievably good. Bright, tangy, and fresh, I'd even argue it's better than guacamole.
I found this vintage double picture frame on Facebook Marketplace and immediately knew what I wanted to put in it. On Mother’s Day in 2025, my friend Sarah Reynolds took a few photos of me when I was 15 weeks pregnant. This Mother’s Day, I asked her to recreate them, this time with my baby, now earthside, in my arms. Seeing those two versions of motherhood side by side—the quiet anticipation and the sweet reality—cracks my heart wide open.
It will never not be mind blowing that I grew him. As per my One and Only New Mom Summer post, we’ve been going for quick beach trips to cool off in the shallow water. Wes loves this.
10 things on my wish list
These comfy Teva gladiator sandals that were made cool by Mary Kate Olsen ($60)
This metal table lamp for the bedroom credenza ($100)
Sporty shorts are in this summer, Zoey Kravitz says so ($50)
I repeat, sporty stripes are in! I have these in blue and would love a red pair ($60)
These adorable glass tile fridge magnets ($20)
Dr. Stolberg raves about the Slub Tee; I’d take one in white and camo ($60)
I saw this bucket hat on Chloe Fineman and though it was just perfect ($120)
An affordable light fixture for the finishing touches of my bedroom upgrade ($150)
Because our room just barely fits a King, our bedside table need to be narrow and tall — these have been growing on me ($200)
The next pair of denim I’m buying, mark my words! ($130)
5 fun links
30 things I learned at European cooking school that changed the way I cook forever
What I want every woman in her 30s to know about her hormones
The sunglasses we wear the most (I keep seeing the Millie sunglasses everywhere)
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Look forward to this every month