Hope everyone had a good Sunday. We’ll do our best to bring you the best design and lifestyle content every day, but please know that in these weeks, and for many weeks before, we are all deeply affected by what’s happening here and abroad. If you also feel the same then we are with you. Stay safe, and let us all take action in some way we can. Well, for some much needed spontaneity here are this week’s links <3
From Emily: I love her This drawer and car vacuum. I honestly didn’t know I needed it. I thought this would be another tool I would buy and store, but I’ve been stress cleaning my house this January – every drawer, every cupboard, and I’ve been using it all night and all weekend. I even used it in my freezer – to get into those corners where little pieces of breaded chicken nuggets got in, and I couldn’t get out with a cloth. I used it on my vanity, and it picked up all my bad hairs and little bits of whatnot in my deep drawers or in the back of the cabinets. It is rechargeable and has only 2 parts. Don’t get me started on my spice drawer!! Now the suction isn’t high enough that I’d recommend it only for cars, but definitely gets the job done (but if you’re a frequent car detailer, you’ll want something stronger). IT also kept my kids very busy as they helped with the “Great January Reorganization” at the Henderson House. I read a lot of reviews, and there were many that were too expensive or some that were ridiculously cheap, but at $38, it felt like it was the right amount to invest. Now I just need to invent an apron that has pockets big enough that I can keep it on me all weekend (think like a pistol holster, but for a small vacuum).
On that note, if you’re purging and are in Portland, I have a great new place for you to give your used household items (and not just gently used ones – they’ll take most things!). community warehouse There is a large household goods bank that serves people recovering from homelessness. They work with their caseworkers to come in and shop (for free), and they need everything they need – yes, used mattresses, used Tupperware, dishware, sheets, towels, furniture (obviously), art, lamps, working coffee makers – all things you can donate to Goodwill. But don’t donate there (Goodwill is fine, but it’s for profit). It serves our local community, and they make it very easy. There are three locations—NE Portland, Tigard and Gresham—and you don’t need to make an appointment. And some of the better stuff (old or brand new and nice) goes to their estate retail thrift store, and it’s legitimately good. The profits from this go to support their massive overheads. I am so grateful to know about him. Oh, and they’ll pick up large pieces of furniture for $50, which is a lot less than throwing it in the trash. Community warehouse, guys. That’s it right here (and hopefully there will be more to come with them this year – we’re trying to figure out the right way to collaborate to help these families besides donating all of our leftover stuff from the shoot).
Also from Emily: In case you missed it, yesterday we launched a more personal newsletter that Brian and I are co-writing (separate posts, but doing it together). While some personal stuff will always be here (highlights, fights, AMAs), if you want to get even more personal, this is the place to be. You can sign up for free for a week to get the first two posts to make sure this is something you want to spend your $5/month on. go there To check it out if you are interested. xx
From Caltin: Are you nervous? Does everything feel terrible? Trust me, I get it. And I have a good, accessible, quick-read book to recommend: Aptly Titled Reasons Not to Worry: How to Stay Calm in Chaotic Times. I’m a big philosophy nerd, although I’m not usually into Stoics (I’m more of a Platonist fan – This is from Boethius is my all-time favorite!), but this title suddenly came across me for obvious reasons at the book store. It’s relatively simple, it’s very easy to read – even in the chaos of the hospital I was able to focus on it! – and it made me feel a little better (or, honestly, maybe a lot better?) about the world spinning out of control around me. You’ll fly through it in an afternoon or two – think of it like a book read on the beach, but a book read on the beach can save you from a mental breakdown. I think we could all use a little wisdom from the Stoics right now, don’t you think?
We thought, since a lot of you aren’t on Instagram, we’d start embedding some of our favorite posts we’ve made here! Our social team works very hard to create useful, fun and engaging content and we don’t want you to miss it. enjoy!
We were all in awe when Emily unveiled this incredible new piece of art she recently acquired. We all want it!
Do you remember Robin’s beautiful living room and dining room? Well, this is a little “from beginning to end” carousel of photos of those projects 🙂
Finally, a little celebration of the blog’s 16th anniversary, here’s a great reel about a wild and wonderful trip <3
From Mallory: I think big coffee table books are some of the most essential items in the home, but they are also the most annoying to buy. So when I received 3 amazing books as a gift I was absolutely thrilled!! studio shamshiri bookThe pierce and ward bookAnd This AD book Now I have my favorite books on my coffee table. They are all important (which are sometimes the hardest to find) and are filled with the most amazing photos and stories. If you need some great styling books I highly recommend these! And PS – you can also buy these “new and used” on Amazon!!
From Gretchen: One of my goals for the new year is to get my head back. I have been practicing yoga intermittently for years. Before the pandemic, I was fond of yoga. I was almost so dedicated to daily exercise, but when all my favorite studios closed due to the world shutting down, I lost a lot of progress. In the past year, I’ve really recommitted. I’m going back to my favorite hot yoga studio about 3 times a week. I feel like I’m almost back to where I was…except for the headstand. So to practice at home, I went ahead and invested in head chair. It’s not the prettiest piece of functional furniture, but I like that the cushions come apart and snap back together so it becomes a regular stool, in case you need an extra seat for a guest or meditation or anything else. But it works as advertised, is quite comfortable, and seems very durable! And it feels good to feel safe as I practice going upside down again. Another fun plus is that the box it came in was the perfect awkward slim shape to store my large wooden snowflake decorations. If you saw my post about DIY storage ideas on Tuesday, I finished decorating the box it came in and now use it to store some of my Christmas stuff. I painted it baby blue with red snowflakes, and although it’s a little silly, it makes me happy to reuse something I would have otherwise thrown away 🙂
One more thing! I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who shared such helpful comments on last week’s link up regarding my morning headaches. Not sure if my upside down chair will help or hurt my progress with this, but it will be great to have a bunch of your helpful tips in my back pocket for the next time I feel angry. You guys are the best!
From Marley: I’ve never been huge into setting spray when I do my makeup – to be honest, I was skeptical about it and thought I didn’t do anything I would need to use it for. In my mind, it was only for celebrities at red carpet events when the hot lights would melt the makeup off their faces. post purchase Milk Hydro-Grip Primer SprayI get it now. I’ve been using it at nights out, basically whenever I apply blush, concealer, any bronzer, etc. This thing is amazing. Not only does my makeup actually last all night (usually I feel like my blush has disappeared after a few hours), but it also gives me such a nice dewy glow. It doesn’t feel sticky or hard at all; It kind of seals everything. I’m a fan! You can use it both before and after applying makeup – I love it Sai Davy Jail As a primer, so I’m just using it as a setting spray.
From Jess: If you’re waiting for a prompt to start retinol or don’t know where to start, I’ve used this and I love it. Shani Darden’s Retinol Reformation. Here is a video podcast Shani was interviewed about all things skin care and her award-winning retinol. I’ve been using her original formulation since 2020, then took a little break after finishing my last bottle to try the amazing Skin Ally Multi Peptide Growth Serum. I really love them both, and since Saturn changed their retinol formula to make it even better, I’m just going to exchange days between the two. Or when my retinol tolerance increases after a few weeks, use the Growth Serum in the morning and the Retinol at night. We’ll see what works best! PSA – If you use retinol, you need to wear sunscreen. Sarah Trump told me before I even started that if I didn’t wear sunscreen, I would get more damage, and it would be pointless. As you know <3
Also from Jess: In a time that feels and is extremely scary, donating to organizations like This one Very important and it makes a difference. If you’ve already donated, but could use a little more, now is the time. That’s what I did. It’s not everything we can do, but it’s something, and it helps.
From Arlin: For everyday things, I still find my stuff Lululemon Everywhere Bag Incredibly useful. Except that sometimes, I need more space to carry things like my daughter’s stack of library books, my practically full wallet, snacks, etc. So for Christmas, I asked Santa for a big canvas tote bag. I had my eye on the famous LL Bean tote, but it was backordered in the color and size I wanted. After some research, I discovered that Lands’ End had the exact same tote, so I added it to my list Zip-top design and large size. Umm, I liked it. It turned out to be much better than the LL Bean because it has great organization while not having any interior pockets. When I inevitably have to bend over to pick something up while carrying three other bags (#momlife), the zip-top keeps things from falling out, and it’s very well made. TBH, I liked it so much, I immediately ordered in a different color (olive) medium size More for daily carry, because the bigger one is too big and better for travelling. It’s on sale right now for less than $40. Hurry up!
Thanks for spending this time with us. Hopefully, most of us will be off tomorrow, but let there be time for some reflection on the person we are honoring. Peace, equality and everything else we hold dear as a country is not possible without action. We’ll see you again on Tuesday. xx
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Caitlin Green | From: Revealing a beautiful bedroom makeover for my friend, along with some of my favorite bedding
