The Best Summer Wine. | LSR

Extra LSR: Currently… Vaccinated.

Extra LSR, Summer, 71 Comments

by Ashley

Ashley Style Blogger + Creative Director

Cruising into summer fully vaccinated and ready for the sunshine.

*This post is in partnership with the Immunize Kansas Coalition; all thoughts + opinions are my own.

The last round of Currently… was all about (still) being in quarantine. COVID-19 was not just a shock, it changed the world and the way many of us behave in it.

Extra LSR: Beginning of Summer Check-In. | Le Stylo Rouge

Extra LSR: Beginning of Summer Check-In. | Le Stylo Rouge

But with the release of the vaccines, COVID rates are slowing down. Just in time for summer! I thought it was a great time to check in and give an update on what I’ve been up to +  what I’m planning for the months ahead.

Bowl of Cherries for Summer. | LSR
When I tell you I could eat a whole bag of these, I am not exaggerating.

Eating: All the fruit! I’ve been all about peaches, mangoes, cherries, and watermelon with summer being around the corner. Summer fruits are superior and I’ll hear no arguments to the contrary. 

Watching: StartUp on Netflix. It’s stressful– in a good way. If you like tech + crime dramas, you might like this. Adam Brody is absolutely adorable and Edi Gathegi as Ron is such an amazing character. The heart of the show.

The Best Summer Wine. | LSR
Makes for a perfect deck situation.

Drinking: This sparkling red blend (in moderation). I’m almost exclusively a rosé girl (let’s just lean into our basic-ness, it’s fine) but this wine is sweet-but-not-too-sweet, has a little bubbly kick, and is perfect chilled. Oh! And it’s affordable! When not imbibing, I have been loving these prebiotic waters (with fiber!) from VIBI+. The orange mango flavor is my favorite. A great way to stay hydrated and get some good-for-you extras.

Celebrating: Being fully vaccinated! And living through a global pandemic!

It’s something to celebrate, seriously. Over 3.7 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19. Almost 600,000 people have died in the U.S. We haven’t seen anything like this in our lifetime and to survive it when so many didn’t is something to be profoundly grateful for. And while we’re not out of the woods yet (not by a long shot), it’s amazing to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Some of you know I work for a medical organization and do quite a bit of scientific/medical research as part of my freelance gig– so it probably doesn’t come as a shock to you that I would be lined up ‘n ready to get the vaccine once it was deemed safe, effective, and it was my turn. It was important for me to get vaccinated not only so I can return to a somewhat normal life, but so we can reach a level of community immunity to limit the spread of the virus. So let’s talk a little about vaccines…

The three vaccines currently approved for emergency use in the US are from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.  The term “emergency use status” tends to make some people wary, as they think this means the vaccines haven’t been tested. Emergency use status doesn’t mean they were greenlit without testing or evidence; it’s a categorization method that helps get vaccines and medical devices out quickly during a public health crisis. All products and vaccines still undergo clinical trials when applying for EUA status. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson were all required to conduct a 3-phase clinical trial with at least half of the phase-3 participants having undergone 2 months of follow-up after completing the trial. This means tens of thousands of people were studied during their vaccination process, and data will continue to roll in as they’re monitored in the long term.

More than 40% of Americans have received the full dose required to vaccinate them from COVID-19 now that the vaccines are readily available. This is truly remarkable! The more people who receive the vaccine, the smaller the pool is for the virus to spread and mutate. Mutations = variants of the virus. Variants can be tricky– the current vaccines will be able to protect against some variants, but other variants can make the virus more contagious and/or deadly.  When you’re fully vaccinated, the virus has a hard time setting up shop in your body, which not only protects you from getting sick, but also from giving the virus a chance to mutate and/or spread to other people.

Quick note about vaccines: yes, you can still catch COVID-19 even if you’ve been fully vaccinated. The vaccines are good, but they aren’t a 100% guarantee. Here are some facts I pulled from Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit American academic medical center and one of the top hospital systems in North America:

  • Pfizer: 95% effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms in people age 16 and older. The vaccine is 100% effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus in children ages 12 through 15.
  • Moderna: 94% effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms in people 18 years and older. (Not yet approved for use in children.)
  • Johnson & Johnson: 66% effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms and 85% effective at preventing severe disease with the COVID-19 virus (at least 28 days after vaccination) in people age 18 and older. Hear about those blood clot concerns about this particular vaccine? Read more from a trusted source here and note that it’s a very rare occurrence and if you’re at risk for clots, you can absolutely choose to get another vaccine. Only 28 total cases have been confirmed since May 12 out of 9 million doses of the J&J vaccine administered. That’s a very, very low chance (.00000311%).

Where can you go for good vaccine + COVID-19 information? This is so important. The internet is a wild place and there’s a ton of misinformation out there. I look to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic. For more local resources, I love what the Immunize Kansas Coalition and the Kansas Department of Health are doing to make sure people are well informed about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Information found on these sites will be trustworthy and backed by scientific data– absolutely key! You can also follow along on Instagram (another place where sorting through trusted information can get tricky):

Extra LSR: Currently... Vaccinated. | LSR
She is the cutest chicken nugget.

Going: To my parents’ house a lot because they got a new puppy, Betty. She’s a Corgi and she is the absolute cutest thing in the world. She’s got a brave personality and loves to chase around my girls (who really don’t want much to do with her yet, lol). My dad’s Instagram has become a Corgi puppy appreciation account and I get a few pics a day with Betty updates, including the random places she falls asleep, her adventures meeting other people in the neighborhood, and short video clips of her barking and being sassy.

Listening: To Good 4 U by Olivia Rodrigo. It’s such a tune! For my Millennial pals, doesn’t it remind you of Paramore’s Misery Business? A banger then, a banger now.

Extra LSR: Currently... Vaccinated. | LSR
The office! All blush and business.

Working: On a new project…. well, more of a launch than a project. It’s something I’ve been tinkering away at now for the last 6 months or so and I’m this close to being ready to announce it. I understand that’s vague and annoying; just know that I’ve got something in the works that I’m really excited about and I hope you’ll be excited about it, too.

Shop my office essentials:

Extra LSR: Currently... Beauty Fridge. | LSR
An indulgent (but not too expensive!) beauty fridge.

Buying: A skincare fridge. Yes, you read that right. I really liked the feel of a chilled amethyst roller and gua sha stone, but kept forgetting about the tools when I’d store them in my actual fridge. Then I reordered my favorite affordable retinol serum (read more about that here) and noticed the instructions said to keep it cold to sustain the efficacy.

I started hunting around for a small, affordable skincare fridge to keep in my bathroom and landed on this guy. Under $60, is super cute, and gets the job done. It doesn’t get too cold, so you don’t have to worry about serums congealing. I like to keep the skin stones, my retinol, and sunscreen in the fridge– but you can keep anything in there you want to keep cool!

Shop this beauty fridge:

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy start to summer!

Linking up with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, The Fashion Canvas, I Do DeClaire, Style Splash, Straight A Style, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Living on Cloud Nine, Effortlessly Sophisticated, Curly Crafty Mom + Doused in Pink, Mummabstylish, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Confessions of a Montreal Styling Diva, Shelbee on the Edge, The Grey Brunette, My Random Musings, and Away from the Blue.

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71 Comments

  1. So proud of you! I have been celebrating being fully vaccinated too and just wish that more Americans would get on board so thank you for reminding us and giving us some good, solid facts! The skin care fridges are just the best! I hope you have a sweet weekend and cheers, I’m going to try that wine.

    Reply

    1. You will love this wine, my friend! It’s so tasty! And I totally agree re: vaccines and I just hope my info reaches people who need to read it! 🙂

  2. We just started StartUp last night and are already hooked! Also, just got my mini fridge for skincare set up yesterday as well – love it! xo, Biana

    Reply

  3. Yay on being fully vaccinated. I am ready to enjoy this summer.
    We are digging all the yummy fruit as well.
    I watched Start Up a couple of years ago and introduced my husband to it during quarantine.

    Reply

  5. So excited to hear about your big announcement, and yay for a mini skincare fridge! It’s been on my mind for a while, and I need to just make it happen. Yay for being fully vaccinated – are you following @kinggutterbaby on IG? She works at the CDC and has a wealth of info with a fun spin <3

    Green Fashionista

    Reply

    1. Oh how interesting she works at the CDC! I’m so glad she’s sharing her knowledge + info with her audience; I need to check her out!

  6. My Husband is obsessed with Start Up! He wants me to watch it, but I keep putting him off lol. And yay for being vaccinated!

    Reply

  7. Glad to hear you’re all vaccinated, Ashley! At the very least, it gives some peace of mind in going back out into the world.

    Ha ha, when you mentioned watching Start Up, I got excited thinking you were watching the Korean series on Netflix called Start Up and I was gonna have a k-drama buddy!

    Watermelon, mmm. How did I forget summer watermelon??

    OH MY GOD BETTY THE PUPPY (said Bettye the Person)!!! She’s adorable!

    You gonna do a podcast? Huh? Why do I feel like I already know your voice…

    Bettye (not the puppy)
    https://fashionschlub.com

    Reply

    1. Betty the Puppy is so adorable! The whole family is obsessed with her. 🙂

      And your guess is pretty on the nose… 😉

  8. Thank you for all of this knowledge on vaccines. We have vaccinated our entire family with the Pfizer vaccine. My kids will be finally fully vaccinated Friday, hooray! I have always wanted a skincare fridge, I just don’t know where I would put it. Lol! I can’t wait to hear about your project! Exciting!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    Reply

    1. So happy you’re kids will be fully vaccinated! With the Delta variant going around and being more transmissible, it’s going to be important to get our younger populations protected who couldn’t previously get the vaccine.

    1. I am here for all the puppies, all the time! My parents are completely spoiling her rotten- and so am I, every time I see her!

  16. I agree — the vaccine is something to celebrate. We’re protected from a lethal virus by the result of diligent scientists. We should all be dancing in the street over this. You cite the official global death-toll but almost all experts agree the actual number of deaths is closer to 12 million.

    Fresh fruit is delicious and healthy. Not many things are good and good for you, so indulge. Like you, I’m lovin’ Olivia Rodrigo’s music now, too. A puppy! And that nail-polish! This post is full of fun stuff. 🙂

    Reply

    1. I think you’re totally right- I’m sure the real death toll is much higher because not every case is reported globally and for sure lots of people lost their lives to COVID before it was on-record as a pandemic-level virus.

  19. We are fully vaccinated too and it feels so good to get out again! Betty is just adorable! I’ve always wanted a skincare fridge! That looks like a good one! Can’t wait for your announcement!

    Jill – Doused in Pink

    Reply

    1. Misinformed, for SURE. I totally get COVID fatigue and not liking wearing masks + social distancing (who does?!) but the way we get OUT of that cycle is for everyone who can get vaccinated to get vaccinated!

  27. So amazing you’re fully vaccinated! This will certainly be quite the summer after being cooped up all year! And Betty is SO adorable!

    Eileen | yesmissy.com

    Reply

  32. Hi Ashley! Congrats on being fully vaccinated! I am glad that you are spending some quality time at home and with your family. Betty is certainly the cutest little puppy! And also agree about celebrating every day throughout this pandemic. Cheers dear xx

    Naya
    http://www.nayatilly.com

    Reply

  34. I got my second Pfizer shot too!!
    Betty is so cute!
    Despite 40% of our population is already vaccinated we are facing a fourth wave of the pandemic! Sad!
    xoxo

    marisasclosetblog.com

    Reply

  35. Congrats on being fully vax! I am too, but still worried about the mutations…
    That fridge is so cool! I use the same Ordinary retinoid, love it!
    have a great weekend,
    S

    Reply

  40. Sounds like you’ve been super productive, Ashley! That’s awesome! I cannot wait to hear about this new project of yours. I know it will be great whatever it is. Betty is soooo adorable and this is the second time now that I’ve heard about a beauty fridge. Lol! Here’s to a happy and safe summer! 🙂

    https://lizzyslatest.com/

    Reply

  43. It’s so good you are vaccinated! it’s really frustrating here where the government didn’t order enough vaccines and now we all want to get vaccinated but we can’t, while so many in the US have the chance but are choosing not to get vaccinated. Hope your post sharing the facts convinces some more to get vaccinated!

    Hope you are having a lovely week 🙂

    Away From The Blue

    Reply

  48. Happy summer and well done being fully vaccinated. Thank you for the insight on the vaccines. Love the puppy simply adorable. I want a skincare fridge too. Super cute. Enjoy all the fruit and I am looking forward to hear more about your project. Cris

    Reply

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