Luce Ends: July 17th
Time for a vacation!!!!
Guys, I am writing this to you on Wednesday….WEDNESDAY! Alas, this is what happens when you commit to a weekly Substack because you have no life and then suddenly have a life for one brief moment.
Kidding, but I am busy!!! And not busy in the boring “I just bought a house and still have so much to unpack” way—as you read this, I will be on a boat. In Chicago. I cannot tell you the last time I was on a boat in Chicago, my twenties for sure, but even then I think it was my early twenties—twenty-five, maybe twenty-six? So A MINUTE. And to be back in Chicago after so long (one month) is hilarious. Even more funny is it’s for a Bachelorette weekend which it’s also been a minute since I’ve been on one of those—five years to be ALMOST EXACT and it was my own….and now I’m pregnant with my third kid.
What’s special about this trip is it’s all friends I’ve made as an adult (which we all know is HARD) and through my Instagram account. The Bravo girlies I met at the very first Bravocon and have stayed close to ever since, all coming together to celebrate Hayden who we collected (bullied into being our friend) along the way. It’s a rare occurrence to have us all together (I am usually the one bailing!! I must stop having children!), but even as a beached whale, I was not missing this palooza (especially since I probably have to miss the wedding….I’m in denial still!! Maybe I’ll make it work!!)
Since we last spoke….I wallpapered an entire room with the help/guidance/patience of my mom and I’ve never felt more proud!! There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something so taxing, something I would assume I did not have the patience for, and seeing it all come together is extremely rewarding. And addicting. Which is bad news for my mom and Bill who are subject to my every nesting whim when it comes to this house and now I’m asking them if we should do the office/guest room next, or the nursery….stay tuned.
✨I’ll do a full reveal + recap next week when we touch up the paint—I know a lot of you have questions about wallpapering in general (and Bill’s tiling job!!!) and I am going to answer as many as I can!
Other than that….bedtime is getting easier, but nighttime suddenly has both kids crawling into our bed to sleep with us. Which means we don’t sleep at all. We also are having a huge problem with listening…so much so that I almost called my therapist last night who no longer can see me since I’ve left the state, but I was that desperate. I have to remind myself we just uprooted them and, while their new teachers and everyone around them keeps saying how amazingly well adjusted they are, there are still big feelings they’re sorting through (and the terrible twos) so I just need to take a breathe. Or twenty.
I’m also slowly catching up on my Bravo shows and trying to get some reading in — it’s so hard for me to read while pregnant, I feel like there must be studies about ADHD being more pronounced in pregnant women because a book can barley hold my attention for long, no matter how good! BUT my TBR is so so long that I need to make a dent before bebe makes their debut.
📖I’m also working on a running TBR/ my go-to reads for getting out of a reading funk list for you readers out there.
🍿PLUS it seems old movie recs are very in demand so guess what? I’m working on a series around that too!! Can you imagine if I was saying all this AND you didn’t know I quit my job? Makes sense now that you know I have some free time, doesn’t it?
Anywho, I’ve rambled long enough so let’s race through this week’s Luce Ends because I have a few to tie up of my own before I leave town (my nails and a spray tan and a ceiling fan for the girls' room to name a few!!)
This Week’s Luce Ends….
The Love Island UK SABOTEUR
Love Island USA…Where Do We Go Now?
I’m Caught Up On The Valley
Luce Links
THE LOVE ISLAND UK SABOTEUR
I AM CURRENTLY WATCHING SUNDAY’S EPISODE (whenever the pie-ing happened) and I am FLOORED. Truly speechless.
Finley…is a moron. No offense to Elicia….BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? ELLIE??? YOU’RE GOING TO RUIN WHAT YOU HAVE WITH ELLIE??? I HAD YOU AS MY WINNERS! Like, it was a NO BRAINER.
I can understand some chats. Whatever, if you must. But then when Elicia pulls him and Aiden to the Hideaway….UNPROMPTED!! I would have put money on Production suggesting she pull them, but the fact that she did and he agreed to go!! AND THEN THEY PLAYED TRUTH OR DARE??
But then there’s Aiden….justifying that this neck kiss they shared was “part of a game”….A GAME YOU ALL MADE UP!!! It wasn’t a game you needed to play! I DONT KNOW HOW AIDEN IS STILL IN THIS VILLA! AND I REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THE MEN LISTEN TO HIM?? He’s intentionally getting them to fuck over their own connections so his “couple”, if we can call it that, doesn’t get in the bottom….and it’s working?? Why is it working???
And then for them to exit the Hideaway and for Aiden to pull Ellie and Priya to do a GROUP CONVO with him and Finley….what?
Thankfully, the second half of that episode was Snog, Marry, Pie which means Aiden’s hair will be disrupted against his will which is the bare minimum he deserves. I’m can’t say I’m happy to see Lorenzo got pied by Jasmine, but I will never accept that she and the 21-year-old, INSECURE, baby brother actually will last so I just think this is foreplay.
The real LOL about this episode is the public’s favorite couple and least favorite couple….SPOILERS (from Sunday and Tuesday ahead….so you should be fine?) AHEAD….I will never trust the USA public with a vote but the UK public?? Deserves my unwavering respect. The way Lola has STRUT AROUND this Villa assuming she’s waltzing to the finale needed to be stopped. BUT credit where credit is due that they self-eliminated and took the pressure off my sweet sweet Lorenzo.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER I DON’T KNOW WHEN IT HAPPENS OR IF IT REALLY DOES…..But I just saw that Ellie self eliminates and if she leaves??? I WILL BE LIVID. LIVID. What are these men doing??!!?!
Beyond the Villa…USA
Look, with all due respect, I really couldn’t care less about this cast beyond the Villa. I wish them well, but they did not capture my attention the way other seasons did (looking at you Season 6) and I just think the energy leaving the Villa was neutral at best.
So to hear that Beyond the Villa has been renewed for a third season??
WHO asked for that??? Truly who?? Certainly this season’s crop of islanders who are already deactivating their TikToks and IGs (Zach it seems was reported because people are insane so it got shut down and then Kayda shut hers down after making a statement along with several other islanders defending him??)
The only person I want to see go Beyond the Villa at this point is Kenzie. And Corbin GPT but I just want to see him on Love Island Games. And I don’t want to HEAR from Kenzie (that Call Her Daddy episode honestly looks painful), but I do think she got a bad wrap and should at least be considered for DWTS.
And Ezra is already out here leaving comments so…maybe there’s a chance!
Don’t get it twisted—I like Trinity and Bryce! And I like Aniya and Carl! But do I see them lasting? I do not. It doesn’t help that I am so fully invested in this season of Love Island UK and 80% of the couples over there, but, as the islanders would say, it’s all lust for me in USA and even then…the lusting is lacking!!!
PEAKS AND VALLEYS UPDATE
Sweet Jesus, this show is depressing. I will say I’m more invested than I thought I’d be a few weeks back, but that might be because I binged the last few episodes and Zack is walking around with that bandage on his head.
But even being invested, it’s a different kind of invested that I’m not sure translates to enjoyment.
Nia: She’s doubled down for her man and in some ways…I get it. But it’s Danny so….I need her to see the light. The thing is, I really think she does, she’s just committed to raising a family with this man and their livelihoods are wrapped up in this and the image of it all and she doesn’t want to risk that sense of security. At this point I wish we could move on but I don’t think we ever truly can.
Kristen: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—what Kristen is doing, whether her intention or not, for the postpartum community is very powerful. That’s not to downplay Nia’s journeys, but she’s always putting on a face and Kristen….isn’t. Is it fun to watch? Not at all! But even last week’s episode where Luke is drunk and say “it’s nice that you think I’m going through it too sometimes” felt relatable—as someone who went through it that second postpartum, I’ve sympathized a lot with Kristen AND Luke this season. Yes, people hate Luke and it’s CONCERNING he wants to have a rager of a Bachelor party where only people who can keep a secret come (sketchyyyy), but I remember Bill trying to talk to me and remind me he was new at all this too and me just hating his guts so…..idk, it’s really powerful! And depressing!!!
Janet: No matter how right Janet is, she’ll always irk me a little. But this season she is irking me a little less…except when she starts convos and runs away. I do think something finally clicked with some of Danny’s male defenders last week when she reminded them every woman has her own horror story and that makes Danny feel like a risky friend, but I still don’t find her intentions always good. I think she needs the paycheck as much as Danny and Nia and now it’s a battle to see who can hold onto it.
Brittany:….the fact that she even went to Mexico after that surgery depresses me. It’s TOUGH I’M SORRY.
The break out stars for me this season are Michelle (despite being emotional, she’s better without Aaron lurking!!) and Lacey (she hates Jesse in a way that feels fun and I love her). Schwartz and Zach are the relief I need, I wish they’d show more of Jasmine’s wedding stuff and Lala is ACTUALLY making conversations happen, even if they don’t go anywhere.
But all that to say….again….am I enjoying myself? I’m not sure!!!
Short and sweet this week because….you guessed it!! My flight leaves in the morning and guess who hasn’t packed!!
As always, sharing my ShopMy and Amazon pages here, but will now be putting all my Luce Ends in one designated weekly collection….hopefully that is helpful!!!
I’ve been eyeing this oversized embroidered button up for forever and I’m so glad I snagged it before it sells out!
Cann is doing BOGO through Sunday….HAVE ONE FOR ME!!! I CANNOT EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I MISS SIPPING ON ONE OF THESE WHILE I WATCH ONE OF MY HOUSEWIVES.
Tarte sent me this BB cream to try and I am repurchasing on my own valuation because I LOVE IT!!!
Just some good old fashioned linen pants to get me through the rest of summer/this pregnancy (Code AF KATHLEEN for extra 15% off this weekend!!)
Okay so dressing the bump was harder than expected and half the looks I shared last week didn’t fit! So I dug this one brown Abercrombie out and, although it’s not made for the bump….I actually liked how it looked? A MIRACLE (Code AF KATHLEEN for extra 15% off this weekend!!)
My favorite Aerie workout shorts are still on sale
I am loving the Summer Friday’s Jet Lag Mask and the belly bump cream!!! (you can buy them in a combo or separate)
These Dolce Vita wicker shoes are SO cute and on MAJOR sale—FYI, you have to size UP (I’m usually a 9, maybe a 9.5 and I got a 10)
Another pair of Dolce Vita jelly shoes I’m taking with me this weekend (not on sale)
This go-to $9.99 tank top that I just sized up to have for the back half of this pregnancy
This J. Crew swimsuit is on sale (seems very similar to the Spanx one I am loving and wearing this summer, but half the price!)
I also got this DISSH dupe set (I got the L and it’s tight on the bump so it’ll be cute on someone else), the white long version and short version of the viral Tobie dress are an extra 50% off, Hill House sale items are an extra 20% off, Serena and Lilly is doing to a tent sale and this coffee table being 20% off is (while still too expensive for me) so so tempting and my favorite SKIMS dress dupe is on sale.
ALSO: Rifle and Co is doing 20% off this weekend AKA my wallpaper is on sale!!! I am obsessed with it, I’m tempted to do the guest bedroom in the same paper, but will be on the hunt regardless this weekend to see what else catches my eye. CODE: HOME20
🍊❄️🌸🍎💎🍑PEOPLE just dropped a piece about RHUGT Roadtrip called Sisterhood of the Traveling Housewives and whoever came up with that title deserves a raise
📺HGTV is debuting a new show called Total 90s House this fall and I just want them to bring back their good stuff!
📚GoodReads just dropped their best Romance and Romantasy books so far of 2026
👠Law Roach and Zine joined Recho Omondi for an episode of Get Real and it’s a delight
Any codes you need headed into this month are below!
Eby Bras Code LUCY-15 for 15% off
Ruggable Code LUCYO15 for 15% off
Lessa Mattresses Code LUCY75 for $75 off
Lolavie Hair (including my FAVORITE detangled) Code LUCY15 for 15% off
shopmaryandjane.com Code lucyontheground for 20% off
LYS Beauty Code LUCY10 for 10% off
Finley = Public enemy #1