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The Link Up: Julie’s WILD/Amazing Foot Mask, Malcolm’s Boutique Hotel-Esque Sconces, and The Bath Towels We Have Told Everyone We Know About
To say the last week was an easy week would be a lie. Between the fires raging down the west coast and the 19th anniversary of 9/11 (oh and not to mention the pandemic), our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the vast amount of tragedies surrounding our world. We are sending our love to each and every one of you –– we know we’ll all get through this together.
On that note, let’s bring a little positivity into this week. Let’s start with something we all have the hots for: interior design. This week’s house tour is brought to you by Architectural Digest, whimsical style, and mainly EHD favorite design firm ETC.etera. It screams fun so loudly, you’ll need earplugs. PSA: You’re gonna want to buy a lot of wallpaper after seeing this…
From Emily (and also Sara kind of): The candles that my real estate agent made me buy are definitely helping in the house selling process. This candle is SO GOOD (Sara wants you to know it’s from her favorite candle brand), this one is also amazing, and this one is collectively one of our favorites. If you’re not in the mood to blow $40+ on a candle (we get it), this one from Target is my favorite for fall.
From Caitlin: OK SO, potentially gross confession time: I bought some towels from Target before leaving for college in 2009 and I’ve never replaced them. They’ve lived through 3 dorm rooms and 6 apartments and they still work fine BUT they are also the same age as an American sixth grader (fall birthday, obviously) so I figured it was probably time to upgrade. Last week we ran a post with Boll & Branch and they extended a 20% off coupon to readers (20EMILYH), so I decided to try a spa bath sheet set and OH. MY. GOSH. You guys!!!!! I was kind of conflicted about spending that much on towels but the discount softened it and now I CAN NEVER GO BACK. This is totally #notsponsored but truly, the bath sheet is SO soft and large and I love the pewter color and I think it changed my life. It’s such a little luxury that makes a huge difference in my mood!!! How many more sentences can I write about towels??? (Also it shipped within an hour and got here within a week. Everyone in my life is getting an a la carte towel for Christmas. I’m serious.)
From Jess: This year has made me rethink a lot of my old habits… or lack thereof and sending physical notes is one of them (well, one that I never did). But I have a couple of friends that do often and it never ceases to make my whole day better. So when I saw this new stationery collection by EHD favorite, Minted, that was giving 100% of the proceeds to help support the World Central Kitchen, “a nonprofit organization that uses the power of food to heal communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond,” I was in. Plus Lindsay Shookus, who is an Emmy Award-winning Saturday Night Live producer, collaborated on the collection to bring in the much-needed humor we all need this year. I ordered this set and customized it a little because you can! So not only does this help the World Central Kitchen but it also helps the USPS (get your stamps here) which we all know needs our total support.
From Malcolm: Like most design nerds, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for small, boutiquey hotels. They typically boast very intentional design choices—from the furniture to the lighting-—and I’m always looking for ways to incorporate that mentality into my own home. With that in mind, I was SO STOKED to recently find these wall sconces at CB2. Their slim profiles have been great additions to my ever-evolving entryway, and the little leather details give me that classic boutique vibe I’m constantly striving to achieve. I’ve struggled with this entryway quite a bit, but these lights have set me in the right direction!
From Julie: WARNING: If you are squeamish skip to the next link now. Some of you may love this and others will be grossed out by it but recently I did a foot peel mask and the results were disgustingly amazing. Essentially, you put your feet in these booties that have a gel and leave them on for an hour. Every day after you should soak your feet for 10 minutes in warm water to help loosen the skin and then 3 to 5 days later then fun stuff begins. SO MUCH SKIN CAME OFF! And my feet are super calloused after years of dance, hiking, and now rock climbing so they are ROUGH. I usually have to exfoliate them almost every other day and moisturize them nightly to get them to feel semi-soft. BUT NOW…they are sooooooo soft! This will now be a part of my beauty regimen and I shall shed my foot skin monthly. Told ya it was equally gross and GREAT!
From Arlyn: I’ve recently discovered that the “house dress” is the only thing I ever want to wear while at home living/working/surviving so I went on a hunt and bought up a ton to test out. THIS ONE THOUGH, oof, I LOVE IT. It’s nothing more than a simple T-shirt dress, but it’s $15, comes in great colors, fits my petite frame perfectly, is insanely soft and I know that one day, when I leave the house again, I’ll be able to dress it up and down however I want. I’m off to buy 4 more…(and you should, too).
Also From Jess: If you aren’t a fan or don’t know who Lena Waithe is GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER. The first time I (and most of us) were made aware of her was in Masters of None and let’s just say that was just a drop of what she is capable of. Fast-forward to now where she and Rishi Rajani, founders of Hillman Grad Productions, are bringing incredible BIPOC stories by BIPOC creatives to the forefront. Now if you are wondering what their office looks like, then wonder no more because AD just featured their bold and beautiful space this past week. While I am so grateful to get to work from home it really made me miss the beautiful flow of energy that can only come from working with your coworkers in the same (inspiring) space. So check it out here and go watch some of her work. I finally watched Twenties and loved it.
From Mallory: We were talking candles in the beginning, so I thought why not round this out by talking more about candles. I’ve been a Target candle shopper for quite some time now, so yeah you could say I’m an expert in the “cheap but nice” candle area (it’s an important field of life we all need to navigate). So here’s what’s good at Target right now candle wise…this lavender eucalyptus one is amazing, and so is it’s cousin candle the vetiver & cedarwood. I also just bought this Project 62 one and am wildly obsessed (plus it has cute packaging which we love). Okay, hope that’s helpful!! BYE!
Lastly, if you are in a position help, here and here are articles that have a bunch of ways to donate to those most affected by these horrific fires.
Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see ya around here tomorrow for a VERY exciting reveal!!
Opening Photo Credits: Design by ETC.etera | Styled by Rod Hipskind | Photo by Laura Resen | via Architectural Digest
Can you update with the links to target candles from mallory
2nd this, I need cheap candle links, haha.
SO sorry! We’ve had this problem in the past where random links get deleted. It’s BEYOND frustrating. However, Mallory is on it and they will be linked shortly!
linked!
Good Morning – That home is amazing but the link takes you to ETC.ertera’s Instagram. I went to *their* link to the house on Instagram to see the article in AD. And I have to check out those towels! (I keep mine for a long time too. You’re not alone, Caitlin!) Happy Sunday. :)
Hi Mary Ann, Just like with Mallory’s candles, they was a tech glitch where some links were deleted. SO annoying. It is linked now<3
there’s no link for the house tour…..
All fixed!
I still proudly have my college towels from 1998 so please, chill on calling them gross. Sustainability is cool, didn’t you know?
Yeah, I don’t blame anyone for wanting to upgrade their college towels but let’s not call old things “gross.” If they’re clean, they’re not gross.
Maybe it is OK to let the author describe towels with whatever adjective she feels like using. I never cease to be amazed at the nitpickiness here.
Second this, Susanna. Just, wow. Really?
If they’ve lived through years of dorm and laundromat washing machines, they are likely not as clean as you’d want to think. I speak from experience!
Old towels are so useful though, even when they’ve been retired. Washing the car, drying off the dog, laying out on the floor before assembling furniture, building forts, mopping up big spills, the list goes on… Most animal shelters will also accept them as donations so you basically never need to throw one out!
I agree. I know the whole point of these link-ups is to sell stuff, and that’s fine. But there is nothing “gross” about using towels from 2009. I mean, I’m assuming here that you washed them regularly.
I’m reading a book called Secondhand by Adam Minter which is all about what happens to our stuff when we get rid of it. It is both fascinating and depressing. It has made me want to buy new stuff very carefully and to make it last as long as possible.
ETC.etera’s work is so fabulous I can’t stand it. Also, in light of the wildfires, have you guys starting putting together another sustainable living post yet? Like, things that are home-based that we can all do to lower our own carbon footprint? One of the most impactful is what kind of energy that we power our homes with. We can’t all afford solar panels, or even own property, but more and more utilities offer a renewable option and it’s usually pretty easy/ cheap to switch. For example, I only pay an extra $4 or so per month for 100% renewable energy and I live in an apartment. Then, BAM, your carbon is SLASHED. Also, composting is a surprisingly effective way to reduce your footprint. That’s because food waste turns into methane, a super potent greenhouse gas, in the landfill but actually ABSORBS carbon out of the air when properly composted as well as turning into a nutrient dense, restorative magic elixir (AKA “Black Gold”) for the soil. There are composting methods for every living situation. I would love to read how each of your staff members gets it done based on where/ how they live. Maybe you could share some… Read more »
YES!
The fires should be a reminder to everyone that even while the pandemic has our attention…the actual planet we live on is in peril!
A series of “walk your talk” or “try this out for size” would be grrreat!
THERE IS NO PLANET B.
No link to Mallory’s candles..can you add it? I’d love to look!
there’s a glitch that deletes links sometimes (we hope to get fixed soon!) Candles are all linked :)
For any other candle lovers on a budget out there, I suggest you learn to make your own at home. It’s WAY cheaper and you can get really nice fragrance oils. There are tons of resources online and the equipment needed is pretty minimal and affordable. If nothing else you will be able to keep refilling your beautiful candle jars indefinitely! I thought I would end up feeling like my homemade candles were second rate and still buying “real” candles for the sophisticated scents, but I haven’t bought a new candle since I started making them. Based on what I’ve seen, most companies get their fragrances from the same few sources anyway.
Thanks for the quick mention of the PNW burning. I’m hoping you’re working on a post that will link to orgs that are helping those affected by these devastating fires, as well as to climate change info.
Especially with Emily’s OR roots and move to Portland – it would be great to shed more light on what’s happening out here.
Thanks!
Andrea
I love color & wallpaper but that house tour hurt my brain. I would love to see the “before” pics!
Caitlin – I bought the Boll and Branch spa bath sheet set just before you posted the EHD discount, and I love them! I had Restoration Hardware towels that were pushing 15 years old. While still super thick, soft, and absorbent, the edges were frayed. The Boll and Branch towels are thinner, but just as soft. I wanted thinner this time around so they dry faster. They are still absorbent, and I love the texture of the ribbing. I’m considering ordering more now that there’s an EHD discount to use.
Are 100% of the proceeds from that minted stationary donated or just a portion? Looks like the latter on the website..