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The Link Up: The T-Shirt Emily Bought This Week, Mallory’s Go-To Wallpaper, and The Shopping Resource We Wish We Found Sooner
Hey happy Sunday! Welcome back to another edition of the EHD Link Up. We sure are glad to have you here. Lil recap on this week: you may have heard our favorite team leader, Emily Henderson had some big news, so here’s the link to that post in case you missed it (we are so excited for her and the fam’s next chapter!!) Now that you’re all caught up, let’s get to links and things:
This week’s home tour is brought to you by Clever. While this beautiful living room is neutral, the rest of Bia Daidone‘s family home is full of color and wonderful family artifacts.
Our hearts go out to all those in the Midwest that were impacted by the derecho storm. Here are all the ways we can help whether or not you’re located near Iowa.
From Emily: I’ve been on the hunt for a couple of voter T-shirts to well, loudly repeat the message that WE HAVE TO VOTE. I found two that I like so far. This one is only $30 and looks pretty cute (I ordered it but haven’t tried it on yet) and this one my friend gave me and its splurgy (but $50 goes towards I’m a Voter, which is a non-partisan voting initiative). And yes, it’s awesome on – the boxy vintage cut that we all love.
From Julie: I’ve been using my hand-me-down blender from my mom for the past year but is now on its last leg. This is when you come in, I need all of your help to tell me which blender I should invest in. I am looking at both the Vitamix for the quality, my sister has used hers daily for the past 10 years and it’s still going strong. And also the Ninja for its multifunctional uses, Sara has one and swears by it. Weigh in and help me decide. Thank you in advance!
From Ryann: My boyfriend Rocky is reading this book for school and being the nosey gal that I am, I picked it up one day and starting reading and I could not put it down. It is written by a therapist who highlights all the problems faced by adolescent girls and man oh man did it resonate with me and my experiences as a teenager. It is such a fascinating, at times heartbreaking, and extremely important read that I would recommend to anyone, but especially to parents of girls.
From Jess: SHE’S BACK! I was so sad when it seemed like Phoebe Robinson’s Sooo Many White Guys podcast wasn’t coming back. (P.S. If you haven’t listened in yet it’s awesome and you should). But now Phoebe has a new podcast, produced by her and her boyfriend, called Black Frasier. It’s an interview/advice podcast, great guests (like Tracee Ellis Ross, Whitney Cummings, and Hasan Minhaj), completely non-sponsored and at the end of each episode, she promotes a black-owned business she loves. Just listen because it’s wonderful, helpful and of course funny.
From Sara: I want this cookbook called Jubilee! I can’t wait until I have a kitchen again to justify ordering it
Also From Emily: THANK YOU ETSY. If you are doing any shopping (home, fashion, beauty) this weekend and want to support more small Black-owned businesses, Etsy created a curated list of some of their vendors making it VERY easy to not only support small businesses but also Black-owned business and designers. Let’s start shopping.
From Mallory: I just finished my latest design project (which was revealed on the blog this last week if you missed it!!) so now I’m FULL STEAM AHEAD on my apartment design. I’ve been eyeing pretty much all of the wallpaper at this company, which is a female-founded brand that I recently found (probably via Instagram). I’m VERY into the sediment collection but literally every single one in their shop is so good that I can’t stop ordering samples & trying everything.
From Caitlin: Unlike most of the team, I still haven’t really graduated from the “comfy clothes only” part of quarantine, so I’m currently stocking up on some of my favorite relaxed t-shirts which are now on sale for only $11!!! (Thank you, Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!) I’m also planning on grabbing this fleece pullover because I have seen Em and Sara wearing ones from the same brand an also because I am trying to stock up and prepare for yet another freezing fall/winter in my apartment. (Is it 97 degrees in here this week? Yes! Will it be in the 50s as soon as the weather shifts? You bet! Do my windows/walls work at all? Absolutely not!)
So that’s what we have for ya this week, folks. See you tomorrow!
Opening Image Credit: Design by Bia Daidone and Mandarina Arquitetura | Photo by Fran Parente | via Clever
We have had our Ninja blender for years and we use it everyday. The single person cup blender part is so handy and leads to so much less washing dishes, I can’t recommend it enough. As well as smoothies we make salad dressing and sauces in it too. Also it’s the best, strongest blender I’ve ever owned. It’s probably the best counter top appliance I have ever owned.
Save your money and get an Oster blender! They’re affordable workhorses. You can easily get replacement pitcher of the glass breaks (not likely) and you can also screw in standard size mason jars to the base if you want to blend something smaller. They also last forever. No joke, my dad is STILL using the Oster blender my parents got as a wedding present in 1982. He’s replaced the pitcher once or twice when it broke after being dropped onto a tile floor (can’t imagine who would have done that…) but other than that is has held up to weekly use for 38 years and counting.
Team Vitamix. Well made, super-tough machine. And a SEVEN year warranty! Ninja offers a two year warranty. That was a deciding factor for me.
We bought a refurbished Vitamix about 5 years ago. It is amazing, we use it daily, and I would absolutely replace it if it broke. My favorite thing to make in it is cashew coffee: 1/4 cup roasted salted cashews, 1 mug of hot coffee, 1 glug of maple syrup, blend it up. The cashews disappear into this nice creamy coffee.
My husband leans more towards kale smoothies, which I’m just going to be honest here, if you hate kale smoothies like I do, the vitamix is not going to make you magically love them. But if you currently like them so much you will shell out $7 for one, this can do the same thing at home.
I also use it for so many sauces, creamy soups, etc. It really just steps everything up a notch.
That said, I have never owned a Ninja, so I don’t know if it’s just as good for cheaper. We did have an Oster for years and that just isn’t the same thing, it makes a fine strawberry daiquiri, but it won’t obliterate cashews and kale.
My mom’s Vitamix is 15 years old and still blends as perfectly as the day she got it. I just got one for myself, and it came with single-serve blender cups for convenience. And of course the seven-year warranty can’t be beat!
After what has to be another record-setting summer in the temperature department, can’t wait until the day I can put on fleece again!
Had both – Ninja was great but broke and we had to replace it. Eventually got a Vitamix and use every.single.day BUT it is very expensive. Ninja is a good alternative if you’re not ready to splurge yet.
I love my Blendtec!! It’s like a lesser known Vitamix. What I like about the high speed blenders (with powerful motors) is the way it can blend seeds and rock solid frozen fruit. If you are wanting seriously smooth blending with a long lifetime I would go with either the Vitamix or Blendtec. I know a lot of people who have the Ninja and love it but I feel like it’s the difference between a Dyson or a Shark vacuum. The Shark is great if you don’t know what you are missing.
Ninja, for sure! I have had my Ninja BL204 Kitchen System Pulse Blender since 2014 after the demise of my Waring blender. I use it very frequently for smoothies, and for blending tomatoes, peppers from my garden to can them for winter. I must have made hundreds of jars so that gives you an idea of the heavy use/abuse my Ninja blender gets. So far I have had absolutely zero problems.
I started with the Ninja then got the Vitamix on sale. Vitamix hands down.
Jubilee is a wonderful cookbook. I highly recommend getting your hands on it even if you are not ready for big-time cooking right now as it’s as much a pleasure to read as to cook from.
The book draws heavily on the vast collection of African American cookbooks that Toni Tipton-Martin shared with us in The Jemima Code.
In Jubilee, the essays that begin each chapter and the recipe header notes share her extensive research in a very readable way. Original recipes from those old cookbooks pop up here and there throughout the book. It’s a treat!
Sara, soooo, your kitchen is being worked on? Yaaay!
Whem Emily said you were going to be full-time doing your own freelance photography gig, I wondered if we’d still get to see what you create as you kitchen.
I’ll miss your posts…really hope you do guest spots!
You’re a star, Sara.
Thank you so much for the light you’ve brought to this space.
Hugz,
Rusty oxo
Another wondering I have…are those bathrooms being worked on yet? And when do we get to see them??
Hi Julie – Look into Bledtec! Its what they use at Jamba Juice. Plus u can make hot soups too. Love mine! Good luck!
Take a look at the KitchenAid blenders. I have the pro, which is splurgy, but they also offer a cheaper version which I hear is also good. And you get to pick from nice colors!!
THANK YOU for the Iowa shoutout. There are still homes without power and we need all the help we can get. The derecho was so destructive to our communities and our crops.
Also, we have a ninja and a vitamix and hands down I would go with the vitamix. It works so much better than the ninja. It’s definitely more expensive but well worth the investment.
Yes! Thank you for including Iowa and info to help after the devastating derecho caused an immense amount of damage. I couldn’t believe how bad it was until I saw it firsthand. My sister and parents finally got power back after 11+ days without! I’m still mourning all of the lost trees.
Had a Ninja, hated it. (Not very powerful, got stuck all the time.) Have a Vitamix now, love it.
Sorry but nothing beats a Vitamix. It is 100% worth the hype. I have used mine every day for the better part of 6.5 years to make smoothies and it is just unparalleled.
Ryann – I read “Reviving Ophelia” almost 25 years ago when I was a teacher. It’s so good. I also had the opportunity to see Mary Pipher, the author, speak back then. I also recommend her book, “The Shelter of Each Other.”
As a mother of three daughters, I read the Reviving Ophelia book about 20 years ago. Agree that it is SO GOOD. A definite must-read for parents of teens!
We’ve had the Oster Versa for years. It’s like a Vitamix, but way lower price. Pros: very solid and powerful, it blends anything! I especially like the pusher stick for those times a whole carrot or frozen fruit needs a little nudge. Easy to clean, just fill with water & dish soap and blend.
Cons: It can be loud (I think that comes with the power though). Since the blades are permanently attached inside, if you do small amounts of sticky stuff like hummus it can be a pain to get it all out for serving. Ours is tall, so may not fit under upper cabinets.
My mom has had the Vitamix for 26 years, and it’s still going strong!
Jubilee is truly a great cookbook. In addition to being a super tasty collection of recipes, the photography is beautiful and each recipe has an interesting and educational introduction about the origins and iterations of that dish. A wealth of information and inspiration and the recipes are all totally approachable for home cooks. The cover has a unique embossed texture that makes it feel extra, it would be a great gift (though I bought it for myself :) Bookshop.org is a great way to support local book stores, 100% of the profit can either go to a store you specify (throughout US) or to their general fund that’s distributed evenly to all of them.
Another vote t-shirt: Madewell has one for $39.50 and 100% purchase price going to ACLU. It’s backordered but hopefully shipping mid-September (I ordered two months ago and still waitlisted).
Vitamix is my favorite. Blendtec is too loud( I tested it with my decibel meter app on my phone, wanted to buy local).
Vitamix is the easiest to clean, easy to get all the food out because the base it wider. I got mine for less at my favorite warehouse club. Sorry I didn’t get it sooner.
PS freeze 1 1/2 inch cubes of watermelon and use instead of ice in your frozen margarita. Everone loves them.
Great article. Keep posting articles on Window blinds
If you don’t want to splurge on the Vitamix, consider a reconditioned one. Their CEO says that’s what he would buy — they are mostly open box versions and still come with a warranty.
I got one five years ago, and it was life changing. The texture it can achieve is just amazing. The serious eats review (highly recommend if you are interested) did point out that the traditional, tall/skinny models work best for most things. That’s what I have, but since it doesn’t fit under cabinets, I also bought the smaller canister, so it can live on the counter. It works for smoothies and most purées, and then I pull out the big one for batches of soups (gazpacho today!) and the like.
Forgot the link, sorry!
Vitamix all the way. Get a refurb on sale. No brainer. Had an Oster for 10+ years. Had to chew my morning green drink. Borrowed my sis’ Ninja to test it out and compare. Better than Oster, but still had bits. Got a vitamix and look forward to DRINKING my green drink in the a.m. and yogurt smoothie after dinner.
I have a brand new Ninja you can have for FREE!!