J. Crew Factory Dress / J. Crew Factory Sandals / Similar Hat

It's true. I love stripes. Look in my closet and you might say I have an addiction to stripes. If you did, you would not be wrong.

This dress was the perfect option for sightseeing on our recent trip to Israel. Previously, I packed for practicality, thinking I was being responsible by planning to wear tennis shoes and shorts. I think it was a holdover from college summers spent backpacking around Europe when I literally had to carry everything I brought on my back. Today, I pack whatever is currently on rotation at home with an emphasis on comfy dresses like this one. On this trip, I carried a long scarf with me so that I could cover the rest of my legs whenever we visited religious sites.

Spiritually, it was incredible to be in a place with so much history and religious significance and I hope we get the chance to return to see more of the Middle East.

Images by Trevor Axt Photography / @trevoraxtphotography

The last two months have been the most stressful and most incredible of my life. My husband and I purchased and moved into our first home. It's as wonderful and exciting as I expected, but no one prepared me for the stress and emotional exhaustion. And I was EXHAUSTED.

We've been in the house for over a month and are returning to some semblance of normalcy. This weekend in particular felt like we were finally settling in. The family of a dear friend gifted us with their old patio set and we were able to spend the entire summer solstice outdoors doing a combination of yard work, laying in the sun and sharing our first meal together outside. (Thank you Jan!) It was the sort of day I dreamed of when I thought of owning a home. A good reminder to stop running around with a laser focus on getting the house furnished and set up and to start enjoying it just as it is - unfinished and imperfect.

I waited so long to post these pictures, the dress had sold out, but J. Crew Factory is selling another one in the same fabric - just a slightly different silhouette. If you haven't checked out Rocksbox (think Netflix for jewelry) they're offering J. Frances readers one month free when you enter jfrancesxoxo at check out and who doesn't love free stuff?