i realize you may or may not take my general opinion on things with a grain of salt. if you’ve read my musings for some time now, you probably deduced long ago that i tend to be quite enthusiastic about certain things that may or may not truly warrant such exuberance (for one, almond butter and the whole foods hot bar). but whatever, maybe that movie or restaurant or article of clothing really is the BEST THING EVER and i feel as though it’s my civic duty to tell you all about it so that you, too can experience said greatness. i mean, what kind of friend would i be if i just kept you in the dark about these things? the worst kind, that’s what.

so in an attempt to enlighten you on all of the fabulousness is to be had, a few recent(ish) purchases that have proved to be wise investments:

h&m’s basic tank. h&m tends to be hit or miss for me. sometimes they produce a gem like say a fur-lined vest or a houndtooth shift dress (both of which are anxiously awaiting to be worn once the weather becomes more fall-like), but for the most part, even my best efforts at thinking outside of the sartorial box tend to leave me exiting the store empty-handed. anyway, i’ve been on the hunt for some longer, well-fitted tanks for a while now (i feel like me and the rest of girl-kind). there have been numerous close-calls (looking at you ann taylor loft and j.crew), but usually all it takes is one venture through the rinse cycle and they either end up shrunk or awkwardly stretched out. and for someone with a long-torso and with a, um, less than ample chestal region, both extremes don’t bode well. so on a whim, i ventured into h&m the other day and stumbled upon a rack of tanks in a menagerie of colors. i grabbed a few in my size in a variety of hues and ventured to the dressing room to tempt fate. what do you know? they fit like a dream. snug in all of the right places and long enough to sit well over my hip bones. and perhaps the best thing about them? the price tag -$5.95. if that’s not a steal, i don’t know what is. i realize summer is basically over, but we’ll probably get that awkward heat come late october, so i highly suggest that you run, don’t walk, to your nearest h&m to pick up a few (dozen) of these babies. or you can simply order them online because h&m now allows you to spend monies electronically.

john green’s the fault in our stars. i’m always on the search for great plane-reading. usually i’m just content to read tina fey’s bossypants for the fifth time, but i figured i might try to broaden my repertoire, at least for the sake of my fellow travelers who have to listen to be constantly stifle snort-laughing during the chapter where she explains how magazine cover photo shoots really work. anyway, per the recommendation of a college friend, i picked up a copy of the book for my fall travels and after just one chapter, i was sold. while the premise of the novel -a story of two teens who meet at a cancer support group -might have you a bit turned off, trust me, it’s worth a read. it’s witty and funny and heart-wrenching in a can’t-put-it-down kind of way. i’m over half-way through it and i’m kind of wishing i wasn’t such a fast reader (humble brag) because i know i’ll end up finishing it on my flight to nashville and then my time with augustus waters and hazel grace will be done and i’ll be so sad. so go purchase it and read it and then we can talk about it, k?

trader joe’s (frozen) organic tropical fruit blend. i love fruit. especially frozen fruit. it’s like candy that’s good for you. i told you about my recent smoothie obsession and how said obsession has been cultivated mainly by this mixed blend. it contains all of my favorite fruits. strawberries? good. mango? good. bananas? good. pineapple? gooooood. kind of like that line from friends where joey is the only one that likes rachel’s infamous half-an-english-trifle-and-half-a-sheppard’s-pie (jam? good. custard? good. meat? gooooood). anyway, as if i didn’t need yet another reason to love tj’s, i found one. yum.

gap’s “always skinny” skinny jean. i own three pairs of these babies in three different washes and i love them. while most skinny jeans tend to stretch out wear after wear, these manage to hold their shape pretty well. and at $69.95 (plus 35% off today & tomorrow using the promo code: GAPFALL) per pair, you really can’t go wrong. you may be loyal to your brand of skinnies, and for that i say, more power to you, go with what you know and what will make your milkshake certainly bring all of the boys to the yard. but if you’re looking to branch out of your skinny-jean repertoire, i highly suggest gap’s version. just make sure you wash them prior to first wear. i learned the hard way with the dark denim pair -let’s just say i looked like a smurf from the waist down.

gap’s nautical stripe terry shorts.  i realize that we’re slowly transitioning away from shorts-being-appropriate-for-bed-time-wears seeing as the temperatures will be (fingers-crossed) dropping soon, but if you’re like me, you’ll probably blast your heat all winter long and if that’s the case then this cute little drawstring drawers will be just fine for house-lounging come november. i’m pretty picky when it comes to jammies. mostly for the fact that no one should have to worry about getting a wedgie in the middle of the night on account of ill-fitting pajama bottoms. and don’t get me started on itchy fabrics. cotton, people. it breathes, it’s soft, and it fares pretty well in the wash (just be mindful of shrinkage). anyway, i was in desperate need of updating my pajama wardrobe and bought these striped shorts on a whim on my most recent gap shopping spree. i kind of wish i had bought multiple pairs. they are so light and comfy and a tad bit, dare i say, fancy? when i recently wore them over to my parents’ house my mom complimented me on my cute outfit. they’re pajama bottoms i replied. at any rate, i suppose i could wear them to yogurtland for an emergency fro yo run and no one would be any the wiser. good to know for future reference…(they’re also on sale right now).

fish 101 restaurant. so technically i didn’t purchase the restaurant, just a meal here. and actually the last meal i had here was with my parents so technically they purchased the meal here (thanks guys!). but technicalities aside, if you’re down with the sea proteins (and why wouldn’t you be? they are delicious), i highly suggest a visit to fish 101 on the, you guessed it, 101 in leucadia. they have everything from fish platters to fish tacos and all of their dishes are prepared using fresh and local ingredients. it’s an order-at-the-counter-and-then-poach-for-a-free-table kind of place so if you’re looking for a fine dining experience, this probably isn’t your jam. but if you’re looking to consume a really really yummy meal, then, by all means. they even have a twinkly light-adorned back patio out back if you’re feeling like enjoying your pescatarian plate al fresco. i mean, who couldn’t use some omega-3’s? precisely. see you there.

this is quite the random grouping of items, i understand. frozen fruit, skinny jeans, a fish restaurant. but my life is a little random as are my tastes, so it seems pretty par for the course. anyway, i just felt like you should know about all of these things. i’m a giver like that.