Tag Archives: home decor

mid-week round-up

What are you up to this week? We’re grateful for a slight respite from the July heat thanks to a little bit of a cold front blowing through (I walked to the library yesterday afternoon without feeling like I was swimming through humidity!). Hoping these sweet breezes stay put through the weekend! Do you have any fun plans? Enjoy the rest of your work week, and here are some links to check out…

The Crane Wife in The Paris Review.

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess shares how she changed her life.

6 super simple ways to save money when eating out.

Choosing colors for your home.

What to do for 6 days in Kyoto and Tokyo.

A household must for short folks.

Living in a luxury airport for 4 days.

The man with the golden airline ticket.

A dark history of the world’s smallest island nation.

Naomi Campbell’s airport routine and Whole Foods haul.

The California coast is disappearing under the rising sea.

The energy-saving, social housing revolution.

P.S. My current favorites. Plus, post #3 about The True Memoirs of Little K will be out tomorrow. xoxo

Advertisement

mid-week round-up

What are you up to this week? We had three of our dear friends down to visit this past weekend and I’m headed to Indianapolis next weekend to spend time with my bestie and podcasting co-host, Katie. We’ll be recording a live episode of our show and also seeing My Favorite Murder on tour. I’m so freaking excited!!! Suffice it to say, a work week book-ended by all this fun is not the easiest. ; ) Hope you have a great Wednesday, and here are a few things I’ve enjoyed reading this week…

Why people wait 10 days to do something that takes 10 minutes.

A bright kitchen makeover honoring vintage wares.

On a new luxury retreat and Silicon Valley ageism.

Yum! Hummus breakfast tacos.

Laughed out loud.

An interview with Aminatou Sow on all things financial.

See you later, post-vacation blues!

Every black woman deserves a doula.

How to turn a few ingredients into infinite possibilities.

Who is Billie Eilish?

The shift in Michelle Obama’s style.

We’ve always hated girls online.

P.S. A few Finding Delight posts you may have missed — Is Online Therapy for You? and 5 Ways to Cultivate a More Meaningful Life.

If you enjoy my blog content, please consider supporting what I do (and keeping me caffeinated). Thank you! xoxo ☕

Round Up: Throw Pillows

A new season is nigh! And if you’re anything like me, new seasons have you jonesing for a home decor switcheroo.

This call toward updated interiors is especially strong for me in the transition from winter to spring. Something about the temperatures rising, the days getting longer, and hearing birds chirping outside my window every morning makes me want to throw open the curtains a la Cinderella and get to work redoing my whole home with pretty colors, lighter fabrics, and dainty decor.

Unfortunately, I only want to spend a Cinderella budget on these updates (and I don’t have any adorable mice to help me)…so I’m always on the lookout for home decor pieces that pack a big visual punch without a big price tag. One of my favorite items for this? Throw pillows! Obviously we can’t change out our sofas for spring or buy brand new bed clothes every year…but pop a few new pillows around the home and VOILA! These pieces have a brand new look.

Below, I’ve scouted a few of my favorites…

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Which would you choose?

If you enjoy my blog content, please consider supporting what I do (and keeping me caffeinated). Thank you! xoxo ☕

mid-week round-up

crocodile in the grass

What’s up? How’s everyone doing? My birthday was on Friday and I had a wonderful weekend of celebrating. It finally felt like TRUE Fall so all celebrations were appropriately autumnal — read: apple orchard visits, pumpkin pie baking, grilled brats, and Oktoberfest beers. Hope y’all are enjoying the season as much as I am! Now, here are a few links I found for your enjoyment…

What the daughter of a psychic learned from her mom.

Serious #HomeGoals (and it’s in Alabama!).

Related: Empty House Tour

I’ll take one of each, please!

Retail workers are more vulnerable than ever.

The ghosts of the glacier.

Thinking ahead to Christmas pocket letters.

Related: A Spring-Themed Pocket Letter

The love story that upended the Texas prison system.

She was 16. He was 25. Should marrying a child be allowed? 

Related: An (Un)arranged Marriage

High school students are tackling Kentucky’s mental health crisis.

Steve Carell aged like a fine wine. 🙂

Myth busting Banksy.

This chocolate bark sounds yummy.

and episode 6 of Uncovered the Podcast (featuring a popular Lady Gaga conspiracy theory and info about a cult lead by 90’s hunk Andrew Keegan!)

P.S. A few Finding Delight posts you may have missed — Chocolate Zucchini Muffins and The 5 Things That Turned Me Into a Shower Lover.

P.P.S. If you love my weekly links and would like to support my sweet blog (thank you!)–click HERE.

mid-week round-up

What have you been up to, my loves? Over the weekend, Chet and I drove around some nearby areas we’d yet to explore and enjoyed lunch on the Tennessee River. The weather was so beautiful and it was so nice to get out and it explore. There are so many little hidden gems to see and do! Now I’ve got work projects on the brain until next weekend. *le sigh* But hopefully squeezing in a bit of yard work, too! Hope y’all are having a wonderful week, and here are a few things I’ve rounded up for ya…

These lunch ladies stole half a million dollars!

Learning how to dress in your 30’s as a woman

Related: My Latest Le Tote

This Brooklyn apartment was inspired by movies from the 1990’s.

You don’t owe anyone an interaction.

Check out CreativeLive’s 50 Basics Under $50.

On Irishness, immigration, and race.

Related: Maeve in America by Maeve Higgins

How to deliver a pep talk that’s actually motivating.

The best coming-of-age movies.

Do you think these work?

Don’t let the title scare you away!

After the mosquitoes went away.

What stretching actually does to your body.

From now, through September, BLUME is offering 25% off ALL orders (including subscriptions) with coupon code BACK2SCHOOL.

P.S. A few Finding Delight posts you may have missed — 9 Activities to Break Up the Day When You’re Working From Home and A Social Media Manager Shares a Day in Her Life.

Our Cotton Anniversary Couch (+ a 2nd Anniversary Gift Idea Round-Up)

cotton anniversary couch

Hey friends! Chet and I recently celebrated our SECOND YEAR of marriage and we marked the occasion with a….couch?! That’s right, in honor of our 2nd anniversary we replaced our old (and very worn) Ikea number and got the absolute BABE of a sofa pictured above. I mean it IS fabric and there’s probably some cotton in there somewhere, right? (IDK I’m not a textile expert or anything.)

I’m still a far way off from the entryway of my dreams as you can see above, but I just had to share this lil home decor update anyways. So in love with this couch, you guys!

[Related: Check out all my posts about our wedding HERE.]

couch leg on the corner of a rug(Please disregard the staple that was left behind from the packaging which I carelessly forgot to remove because I was too excited but thankfully got rid of before it impaled anyone’s ankles, AHEM!)

I also gifted Chet with a pair of shoes and he got me 5 lovely hosta seedlings that we planted in our backyard along the house. Year 2 was pretty terrific!

Now, in honor of this marriage milestone, I thought I’d round-up a few “Cotton Anniversary” gift ideas. (Just in case you’re not buying the whole couch as cotton option, lol!)

 

2nd Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Pajamas,
Neck Tie or Scarf,
Bathrobes,
Apron,
Hammock,
Plant Hanger,
Throw Blanket,
Table Cloth and Napkins,
Decorative Pillows,
Bed Sheets,
or Your Wedding Vows Printed on Cotton Paper.

Have you celebrated any fun milestones lately? How did you mark the occasion? 

Etsy Store Swoon: Clare Elsaesser

These are a few of my favorite prints from the fantastic Etsy shop, which I’ve been swooning over for weeks — Clare Elsaesser. The women floating through or wading into water and carrying armloads of colorful flowers give the paintings a beautiful ethereal quality. But the little details, like a messy top knot or a polka dot print, combined with the obstructed face, make it seem as though these portraits could be anyone. Does that make sense? Wouldn’t you love to hang one in your home? I’m obsessed.

Print 1 // Print 2 // Print 3 // Print 4 // Print 5

mid-week round-up

What are you up to this week? My mom headed back to Kentucky on Monday. I keep thinking about the immigrant families being separated against their will at our border and I feel ever more grateful and blessed to have a parent who is just a day’s drive away. We had a wonderful visit…even if we got a little lost while out on a hike. Whoops!

Sending a big hug to anyone reading this, and here are some links for you to check out…

The fall of New York and the urban crisis of affluence.

How to get Anine Bing’s bright and airy decor style.

S-Town is being turned into a movie.

The reasons why women’s voices are deeper today.

Is it weird I kinda want to start rocking a fanny pack?

“Liz Phair taught me everything about being a grown up.”

Who wants to book this “Craftsman Charmer” for a vacay in Nashville?

This natural deodorant looks promising.

A busy mom and recipe tester shares her favorite $10 meals.

5 people on why they code switch.

And finally,

Absolutely haunting.

Jesus wouldn’t put children in cages.

PLEASE — Call your congresspeople. Volunteer. Donate. Protest.

Because, in the words of Hillary Clinton – “There’s no such thing as other people’s children.” There are simply children.

We moved! (+ an empty house tour)

Hi friends! I am finally coming up for air after our big move to Alabama!! I certainly didn’t mean to be absent from the blogosphere for this many days… But between the multi-day drive (our movers were SUPER late and that put us behind schedule), getting settled in the new house, AND going without internet for the first week (obvi not by choice!!)–it’s taken me a minute to get back in the swing of things!

But now I’m back! And comin’ atcha from a sweet lil blue-doored house on a quiet road in Alabama. While our furniture arrived just a day after we did (the moving company told us it could take as many as 7!), I thought it might be fun to show ya around the place as we saw it on our first day. *Apologies in advance for the poor photo quality and lighting.*

Living Room

We brought our tv and a couple camp chairs just in case our furniture didn’t arrive right away. Now that our couch is here, it is oriented in much the same way (but the tv is on a stand and up against the wall, lol). I’ve chosen to use the space you see behind Chet as a sort of entryway.

Kitchen

The kitchen is super bright and open with room for a table and chairs beneath a window. And can we talk about that subway tile? Obsessed. The storage space is a little lacking compared to our last place but we’ve gotten creative with solutions — including getting one of these guys to fill up some open wall space. Wink likes the flooring. 😉

Chet’s Office / Guest Room #1

This closet situation means the master bedroom closet is ALL MINE! Mwahahaha! This room is at the front of the house with all sorts of beautiful trees right outside the windows.

My Office / Guest Room #2

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have a space for my desk/computer that isn’t about a foot from where I sleep at night!!! This room looks out at the backyard and is bright and quiet and as far away from our bedroom as possible (work from home WIN!).

Laundry

Another huge upgrade for us? Our very own washer and dryer right behind those closet doors! (The open door is the guest bathroom.) Sure our apartment in Miami had access to laundry facilities on every floor but a) it was $3.00 to wash and dry a load and b) everyone and their mom wants to do laundry on Sunday afternoons…and now I won’t have to wait my turn.

Master Bedroom

Finally, our master bedroom! This room proved to be a bit of a conundrum once our bedroom suite arrived. It is very rectangular and I’ve only ever set the furniture up in more square spaces. So, the bed and dresser have to go side by side. Not sure I love it…but the movers assured me lots of people do it this way, LOL! I DO love the room though…and that giant closet.

And there you have it! While much of our furniture and *stuff* is set up at this point, there’s still a long way to go when it comes to decorating! The first area I want to tackle is the entryway as you come into the house through the front door. Shall I show you an update once it’s complete???

Oh, and since I have home decor on the brain, I’d love to know —

Where do you go online for home decor inspiration? Any favorite blogs or YouTube channels? Any tips for decorating a home on a budget? What are your favorite stores? LEAVE IDEAS BELOW! I’d appreciate it a lot! ❤ 

mid-week round-up

What are you up to this week? Tomorrow we’re hittin’ the road for our big move to Alabama! I’m so excited that moving day is finally so close. Getting ready for a move (especially one you’re super stoked about) just seems to drag on and on. We’ve been slowly packing and cleaning and tying up loose ends ever since we found out about the new job so I am READY. Next time I post we’ll be in the new place! Wish us luck. xoxo

Michelle Obama released the cover of her upcoming memoir.

The Great British Bake Off is secretly a show about time management.

This fully functional 140 square foot London studio is micro-living at it’s dreamiest!

Super cute bathing suit cover up, if you’re in the need.

Serious bedroom goals. (I can’t wait to decorate our room in the new place!)

These sweet potato wedges would make the perfect side dish to summer BBQ mains.

Why do American women refuse to give up tampons?

In trying to read up about politics in my soon-to-be home state, I stumbled upon these 18 candidates.

Family and community are the only things left in Adams County, Ohio.

Justine Kurland’s timeless photos of runaway girls.

I love the antique americana look of these 4th of July decor pieces.

One woman’s journey from coma to consciousness.

P.S. A few Finding Delight posts you may have missed — Bloggers Share Letters to Their Younger Selves and Picturesque Fruit Plates.