Sticky Note: August 2024

Basically an annotated travel photo diary.

I’m using a different format for this belated August Sticky Note since I was traveling for a good chunk of the month and my standard prompts are less relevant than usual. Instead, I thought it would be fun to share a photo-centric recap of my trip detailing what I wore, the best things I ate, what I bought, a couple things that inspired me, and the outfit I reached for as soon as I got home. It’s free for all subscribers to read as a little back-to-school treat.

---

What I wore…

Days 1 - 6, in Northern Italy

We spent the first week of the trip in the mountains of Northern Italy. Austin and I first came to this area two years ago for our friends’ wedding and loved it so much we’ve been plotting our return ever since. We spent a good portion of that first trip talking about when we wanted to start trying to have a baby, as well as a lot of time marveling at how kid-friendly the area was, so it was extra special to come back again this time with our one-year-old in tow — and my mom and dad, too. The overnight red-eye followed by a 4.5-hour drive to get there with a kid who loathes his car seat was not so pleasant 😆, but once we were there, I can honestly say that it felt completely worth the journey.

As you can see from the photos above, I pretty much wore the same thing every day: a long- or short-sleeve T-shirt with running shorts, this red Happy Menocal baseball cap, these Merrell hiking sneakers, and fun socks. I was really tempted to buy some cuter hiking apparel before the trip (I was specifically eyeing Patagonia baggies in “milled yellow” and these tomato-red Nike running shorts since I only have athletic shorts in boring colors), but ultimately resisted the urge to shop. It took some self-reminding, but I already owned everything I needed in terms of clothing. The only new thing I bought was the hiking sneakers, which I considered a necessity after losing my balance a few times the last time I hiked in the Dolomites. I really like the Merrell Moabs I got because they were super functional while also adding a bit of color (see: cantaloupe-colored laces!) to my outfits along with the various accessories I packed.

Day 7, in Crete

After a week in Italy, we flew to Crete, where we met up with Austin’s family and my sister Lizzy. Since I packed lightly for the first leg of the trip, I was able to indulge in more outfit-making material for Greece. On our first day there, I changed out of the jeans and T-shirt I wore on the plane and into this black mini dress from Doen, which I bought secondhand on The RealReal right before out trip (thanks to a generous tip from a Gumshoe reader who knew I was coveting this exact style!). I wore it for the rest of the day and evening, during which we drove into the Old Town of Chania to walk around and go out to dinner at a restaurant called Tamam.

I wore my black Ancient Greek “Ikesia” Sandals (the resulting purchase from this summer’s quest to find the perfect “chic but still practical” sandals) every day in Greece, and I’m thrilled to report they were deliciously comfortable right from the start — no break-in period required.

Day 8, in Crete

The next day we rented a boat to explore some nearby coves and swim. Pictured above is one of my go-to simple outfit templates for when I’m in an environment where I don’t want to wear much more than a swimsuit and sarong but still want to feel somewhat put-together and protected from the sun. Underneath, I’m wearing my favorite bikini from Galamaar.

The good news is that the ocean felt incredible and everyone had a great time. The bad news is that everyone who ate the slow-cooked beef the boat captain had picked up from a local restaurant for lunch got terrible food poisoning at around midnight that night. You win some, you lose some! And in this case what I lost was the contents of my stomach. (Sorry).

Post-boat but pre-food poisoning revelation, I showered and changed into this vintage embroidered dress that I got on Etsy last month, paired with a simple strand of turquoise beads I bought the day before in town.

Day 9, in Crete

The next day we were all feeling much better and had no plans except to rest and hang around our rental. I put on this easy cotton mini dress from Sézane, styled with the same necklace from the night before plus my Idda Studios silk scarf.

That night we went back into town for dinner at a restaurant called Thalassino Ageri. I changed into this navy skirt from Merlette and an old ribbed tank from Maryam Nassir Zadeh.

I wore another necklace I bought in town along with this old Brinker & Eliza Maltese cross pendant that I removed from its original chain so that I could style it more freely.

Day 10, in Crete

The next day we drove about an hour to one of the bigger sandy beaches. I wore this sheer white cotton nightgown from If Only If over my swimsuit.

That night I changed into a skirt from Alemais that I’d squeezed into my suitcase upon discovering a little extra room. I usually style it with a white T-shirt or tank but decided to mix it up this time. No harm in that, but in hindsight I do think it looks better with a white top.

Day 11, in Crete

Another simple, go-to summer outfit template for me, featuring my Modern Citizen shorts (no longer available but I also have and love these from Donni which are very similar and currently on sale), an old tank from Gap, this belt from M.M. LaFleur, my Warby Parker “Harris” sunglasses, and a string of red coral beads.

On our last night of the trip, we went out to dinner in the nearby town of Marathi. I wrote my Still Here mini skirt with a white T-shirt, my trusty sandals, and a couple of necklaces.

What I ate…

There are an infinite number of refugios in the Dolomites where you can stop for lunch while hiking, but we ended up going back to this one called Gostner Schwaige three separate times because it was so good. One of our favorite menu items was the above salad which was made with over a dozen different kinds of flowers and herbs grown in their adjacent garden and served with a special herb salt mixture and potato vinaigrette. Insane. We also loved the “hay soup” (which, I must note, is served inside of a warm homemade bread bowl), the lamb shoulder, and the incredible "kaiserschmarrn” with apricots — the south Tyrolean version of a pancake.

The best thing I ate in Greece was this fish from Thalassino Ageri. I’m not a huge white fish person — I would almost always prefer salmon or some other type of protein — but the rumors are true about Greece: they really know how to convert you. I also really loved the gelato (one scoop of pistachio, one scoop of Kinder Bueno) we got from a spot called Authentico Ice Cream Shop, but I ate it too quickly to take a photo because I was trying to hide it from the baby.

Oh and this gorgeous fruit plate we got to snack on at the beach, which came on a bed of ice to keep it cool. As a rule, all fruit plates should include figs and passionfruit.

What I bought…

A slew of necklaces from Athens Protasis, a local brand that has a small shop in Chania. I’d never heard of it until this trip but made a beeline for the store as soon as I spied it while walking in town. I ended up buying four necklaces because everything was so reasonably priced, and I wore them almost daily for the rest of the trip.

I also bought a small sachet of the special herb salt that Gostner Schwaige served with their salad. I’ve already poured it into a little salt dish on my kitchen table in New York and I’ve been sprinkling it on my avocado toast in the morning.

What inspired me…

This woman’s outfit at the airport. Can you imagine looking so elegant when you’re about to board a flight? Even her phone case coordinates!!!!

I also can’t stop thinking about this color combination on a building we walked past in Chania. I have a sweater that is a similar shade of red, and I want to pair it with a bright turquoise necklace, straight-leg jeans, a trench coat, and dark brown loafers this fall…

What I put on the first day I was home…

A boxy, slightly cropped, chocolate brown T-shirt from Still Here, lightweight dark wash jeans from AYR, a baseball cap, and a couple of necklaces. I took the above photo before putting on dark green suede New Balance sneakers to go outside. I didn’t have much on my calendar my first day back beyond taking care of my kid, catching up on work while he napped, and going on a walk with a friend, so I didn’t overthink this outfit when I was putting it on, but it’s always interesting to see what specific items I’m drawn to after being away from the majority of my clothing for a period of time (travel is always a fruitful opportunity for this experiment, as was being pregnant).

Even though Still Here is one of my favorite small brands, I wasn’t expecting to be so obsessed with this T-shirt they recently came out with. It’s hard to make a good boxy tee! They’re often too stiff, or ill-proportioned. This is the first one I’ve ever put on and been like, okay, yes!! It’s the perfect length and weight and manages to have a surprisingly polished feel for something so casual. I received the brown one as a gift from the brand, but I’m considering buying a couple more myself in different colors. I have my eye on black and red, I just need to wait until the latter is restocked in my size. It always says a lot when something is so good you want to own it in multiples.

Thanks for reading! I’m happy to be back.

xo Harling