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The Link Up: The Fun, Easy Beach Reads Em Took On Her Spring Break Vacation, Caitlin’s Biodegradable Gift Idea, And A Bikini Line Razor That Won’t Give You Razor Burn

Happy Sunday everyone. We are excited to have Emily back from her spring break vacation so we can vicariously live through her stories! We also want to make sure you saw Julie and Velinda’s reveal this week. It’s beautiful, welcoming, and thankfully not the last one you’ll see from them this year. Shall we link up??

This week’s house tour via The Design Files is a Mediterranean-inspired home by artist, Gemma Leslie and her partner, Mike Chambers. It’s a happy, inviting home that is clearly filled with beloved treasures from their lives. This home feels like a hug when looking at it:)

From Emily: The two books I’ve read (so far) on our spring break trip (both were hard to put down) and what is next in my cue. Like in design, I am picky but not snobby when it comes to what I read and planned mostly fun, easy-to-fly-through books for this trip. I have a lot to tell you but basically, the first four days of our trip were so action-packed that I barely read – only when going to bed, but I couldn’t get Daisy Jones and the Six (Kindle and Local) out of my head. Admittedly in the middle of it, I was frustrated with the writing format (very documentarian, with all the exposition told from 10 different characters). At times it felt a bit muddy to wade through and I was like, “move it along already!!!” but the writer Taylor Jenkins Reid must be doing something right because I couldn’t wait to get to it every night. I LOVED her other book, Malibu Rising (Kindle and Local) so much, but less so The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Kindle and Local). And to be fair I didn’t finish it so maybe it paid off and I think I’ll pick it back up next week. I am VERY excited to see the series now on Amazon because I sure did fall in love with the world and the characters (it’s set in the 70s about a rock band making its way to the top, with a lot of very human problems that go along with that time in that industry – i.e. addiction, fame, the patriarchy, feminism, ego, and of course, LOVE). After that, I switched to Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (Kindle and Local). Fun fact – they are two women/best friends named Christina and Lauren. I’ve read almost all of their rom-coms and mostly thoroughly enjoyed them. I flew through this in two days and it was exactly what I was in the mood for – a coming-of-age teen love story, revisited 14 years later with some family drama and enough layers to keep it from feeling totally basic. It’s like reading Sweet Home Alabama – you know what is going to happen and that knowledge is actually so comforting.

As you know, I started reading rom-com fiction during the pandemic which absolutely helped with my daily situational anxiety – it’s my emotional comfort food. This one was one of their better ones although it took me 10 pages to get hooked (sometimes I’m hooked on page 2). Now on day 7 of our trip (with two days left – writing this on Wednesday) I’m 20 pages into The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Kindle and Local), which I’m fearful might keep me up, so the new Jojo Moyes book, Someone Else’s Shoes (Kindle and Local) and Ali Hazelwood’s Below Zero (Kindle) as backups. Who am I kidding, The Candy House might be less of a good beach read and will finish it when I’m home (it’s already a tiny bit unsettling). All hail the convenience of the kindle when traveling:)

From Ryann: This is the perfect crewneck sweatshirt. I have it in a few colors and it’s one of those pieces that I find myself gravitating toward every day (to be fair I am definitely into utilitarian basics as of late – probably because of all this rain!). But I do love it (I sized up for an oversized look) and wear with leggings or jeans and sneakers for a very laid-back but pulled-together look.

From Mallory: Summer is right around the corner so I think this is an appropriate time to bring up the bikini line conversation. I’m personally a shaver because I don’t love having hair down there (for me personally, totally cool if you’re in another camp :)) but shaving constantly in the summer brings up some razor burn issues that I also don’t love. ENTER MY RAZOR BURN SOLUTION. I heard about this wet/dry trimmer on TikTok and for $30 I was certainly ready to try it out. Not gonna lie I think it’s going to change my life in the coming months. It works GREAT. The three-blade system gets the bulk of the hair outta there but it doesnt give you razor burn because it’s not a CRAZY close shave. Plus I love that you can shave dry with literally no product, so if you have a spontaneous pool moment you can get that bikini line ready to rock without having to fully take a shower. Now I’m still planning to do a razor shave once in a while because it will be a smoother/closer shave, but this will be a great way to keep the hair down without constantly irritating the skin down there. Highly recommend!!

From Caitlin: It’s been a minute since I’ve fallen in love with a candle, but I am SO EXCITED about these “plant the box” scented candles. There are 8 different scents (running the gamut from Lavender to Tomato), but my favorites are the Fresh Cut Grass and Sweet Sunflower. The best part: the boxes they come in are biodegradable and filled with seeds, so you can actually grow the plant that the candle is based on! I’m going to try the Siam Poppy scent next – I can’t wait to grow some Flanders poppies on my balcony this spring:) (This would be a really great gift for Mother’s Day, too! It’s a slam dunk for anyone who loves candles or gardening…or both. Just something to keep in mind if you’re trying to get your gifts done early this year!)

From Albie: I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting closer to 40, however, I feel like I’ve been learning so much more about my body, and especially my skin…which in turn triggered a whole skincare journey that I’m currently on. One of my fave new finds and facial skin care tools is this cryo ball. I leave it in my mini skincare fridge so it stays nice & cold, and use it every morning. Y’all… it feels so good on my skin! Bonus: it’s owned by a black woman! And without even realizing it, many of the other items in my facial skincare arsenal are black-owned, which means they were created with melanin in mind. I love that for me. 

From Jess: When I was talking to my dad this past week, he asked where I bought the sweatpants I got him for Christmas because he wanted to buy more. If you have anyone in your life that is hard to shop for then you know the wave of pure shock and excitement that went through my body. I DID IT!!!! I got him a gift he actually loved!! He says they are the best-fitting sweatpants he’s ever worn but also are so comfortable that he doesn’t want to change into his PJs. Y’all he bought TWO more pairs (dark gray and navy) and the man is particular about his clothes. I really have to thank Brian and his gift guide from this last year. He talked them up so I thought I would try to gift my dad a pair of “cool but casual sweatpants.” So here’s another rave review if you are stumped for a gift for your dad or a person in your life. Oh, and they come in tall sizes too!

Before we leave you, we, of course, need to talk about the most recent mass shooting that happened in Nashville, TN this past week killing 6 people. It’s unimaginable to us that anyone who lives in the US feels good that these shootings continue to happen. Clearly, a gross understatement. And yet there is a recorded video interview of an actual Tennessee congressman saying quote, “It’s a horrible, horrible situation, and we’re not going to fix it.” He says more but it doesn’t get any better. The protection of our guns over our lives has to stop. Giving up is not an option. Sensible gun laws HAVE to be put into place. No one is saying guns can’t exist but our lives, and especially our kids’ lives, are just more important, aren’t they? What an unbelievable sentence to have to write. Please call your reps. Here is the official phone list. Also, pay attention to when your local and state elections are. Google it because it matters.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Velinda Hellen Design | Lead Designer: Julie Rose | Contractor: McLeod Construction, Inc. | Styling by Emily Bowser | Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: A Kitchen Makeover That Focused On Small Changes For A BIG Impact (Julie And Velinda Did It Again!)

Fin
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Liz
2 years ago

I was so confused on the skin rave but I think you mean, MALANIN in mind. Not melamine, which is a plastic used for dishes and outdoor tables. No biggie- great recs!

Ellie
2 years ago
Reply to  Liz

Came here to say the same thing but it’s actually “melanin.”

hickenack
2 years ago

It’s queue not cue and melanin not melamine.

Lynly
2 years ago
Reply to  hickenack

LOL. On point for the EHD blog.

Heidi
2 years ago
Reply to  hickenack

The typos in this post made me laugh. “Which in term” should be “which in turn.” Honestly, it was cute.

Amber
2 years ago
Reply to  hickenack

EHD team, do yourselves (and your readers) a favor and invest in a Grammarly subscription. It’s less than $200 a year, I think. I’m a faithful reader and make this suggestion from the warmest depths of my heart.

Inga
2 years ago
Reply to  Amber

Grammarly is the best! Even the free personal subscription would have caught all of the typos above.

? Rusty
2 years ago
Reply to  Inga

Correct.✅

Lauren
2 years ago
Reply to  Amber

i could swear i read several months ago about EHD hiring a copy editor and I waited with eager anticipation for the typos to abate! But either I imagined that reference in a bit of wishful thinking, or that plan fell by the wayside, I suppose. LOVE the blog, but (despite some notes I’ve seen in other comments when typos and mistakes have been noted) copy editing doesn’t take away from ‘authenticity,’ it just should be a baseline requirement for any professional website, and I’d enjoy it so much more if those were fixed!

Meg
2 years ago

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was SO good. I got frustrated with it the same
way you did with Daisy Jones, but it’s worth finishing. I finished Daisy Jones last night and loved it. I immediately ordered Malibu Rising. Taylor Jenkins Reid is my new favorite fiction writer!

Beth
2 years ago

We are all entitled to our opinions about gun control, etc, as is the author of this blog…but I find it very off putting when I come here for decor and fashion and see statements like this.

Ash
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

This blog has always featured more than decor and fashion. Plenty of other sites for you to visit if the real world feels too real.

Dana
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

JFC, children were murdered. Have some compassion.

Karla
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

I live just south of Nashville. This has been a HARD week. I’m grateful to see others paying attention and wanting change.

B
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

Agree with Beth. Very judgy for anyone to say if we don’t want to see it here that we don’t have compassion. I have children and grandchildren and cannot get this shooting off my mind. However, I follow Emily and other designers because I want a break from the violence I see everyday in the headlines. If the contributors here feel a need to talk publicly about it and want to make a difference, go to the appropriate outlet where readers know what topics they will be discussing.

Renee
2 years ago
Reply to  B

Agree 100%.

L
2 years ago
Reply to  B

Seriously, B?  Just not enough “compassion” to be bothered beyond your own daily comforts & distractions of fashion recs or pillow link-ups? YOU want a break from the headlines of daily violence? How about our kids want a break from the realities of daily classroom violence?

AM
2 years ago
Reply to  B

It’s understandable to need a break from the news, but I might suggest going offline for that. The rest of us have important work to do, and right now part of that is talking about it in every avenue that we can.

Sona
2 years ago
Reply to  B

and then other times that EHD didn’t mention one of these school/mass shootings, readers shamed the blog for not saying anything. Obviously can’t please everyone. For the record, I’m fine with the mention of gun control in out country. Maybe if enough people talk about it on all different forums peoples’ hearts and minds will be changed.

Alice
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

This is the weekly Link Up, where they provide links to things that they think might interest us. They can’t win, really….if they’d said nothing, they would be on blast for talking about bikini lines when children are dead.

Aileen
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

I find it really discouraging to see that people can’t bear to be confronted with a political opinion that disagrees with their own, to the point that they think it’s reasonable to say, it’s ok for you to have opinions that I disagree with of course, but never to express them on your own blog. Or, oh wait, it’s ok for you have to opinions I disagree with, and it’s ok for you to express them if they are about how to style a bookcase or what the best beach reads are, but it’s not ok if it’s about a topic I didn’t want to hear about this morning.

ellen
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

This is a free blog and you are free to read it, or not. They have all the right to write about anything they feel the need for, and unfortunately and sadly the crazy gun politics gives them and us the need to talk about shootings on an almost daily basis. I suggest you just not read it so your urge to give this comment will not exist. Keep your eyes closed and your mouth shot and this country will never ever have commonsense gun-laws.

Tricia
2 years ago
Reply to  Beth

Hey you know what’s super inconvenient and “off-putting”? Me having to explain to my eleven year old why another shooting at a school happened! All while I’m just trying to enjoy my coffee and read a design blog.

Your problem should be with the shootings happening, not that it’s “off putting” while you read something. Vote the anti-gun control people out. Call your reps.

Lisa
2 years ago
Reply to  Tricia

At base this is Emily’s blog. built on her talents. Next level, it’s her team’s blog, built on their talents. They do not owe us the enjoyment of their talents in a forced Keep Thy Mouth shut kind of way. That said, you’re free to say you don’t like it, but at base, the people with the talent who keep us coming back own that decision. They’ve earned the right to speak up.

And I thank them for it.

Heather
2 years ago

Proud Nashville native here and pass by the Covenant School often. Our city as a whole is devastated. What a cruel and senseless act, and we are covering these families and the school in prayer as they hold funeral after funeral this weekend and into the week. We’re also taking action and doing all we can to change the current laws regarding access to guns. Please call your local, state, and congress reps and then call them again. Your voicemail will be heard and counted!
On a lighter note, Mallory, I know it’s pricey, but laser hair removal is life changing and worth every single penny in my opinion. And Emily, definitely give The Seven Husbands another try if you get a chance – my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid novel.

Mkk
2 years ago
Reply to  Heather

Will your VM be heard by your US Repr. Andy Ogles who sends out a Christmas card with his children holding a gun? Or, Senators Blackburn & Hagerty? I highly doubt it. They want teachers to carry guns and not pay them commiserate with this very important job. Because of gerrymandering, you have a few extremes representing a majority (who favor rational gun control.) “Thoughts and Prayers” have very little meaning now. It is such a hollow statement to me. I wish you luck in your endeavors.

Wendy
2 years ago
Reply to  Mkk

It is required for all senators and congressmen/women to keep a record of ALL calls from constituents and what they are calling about. This goes into an official record. They work for the people. (it is not helpful however to flood the VM of a representative that is not yours, so find your reps info).

Irene
2 years ago
Reply to  Wendy

Your last sentence is appreciated, Wendy. I saw a comment on Cup of Jo last week exhorting people to use false zip codes so they could blast conservative congresspeople. Petty dishonesty like that is so off-putting.

Molly
2 years ago
Reply to  Wendy

I’d like to respectfully offer a different opinion on calling representatives of whom you are not a constituent. Having worked in a Congressional office, fielding calls and emails is a very hands on, time consuming process and an influx of communication, even if it is not from a constituents, definitely makes an impact. We are in a societal crisis and communicating with real humans in power is probably one of the best tools we have. They all work for all of us.

Martha
2 years ago
Reply to  Heather

Teacher in Nashville here and just so, so sad for the victims at Covenant and for the victims at so. many. other. schools. HOW can we turn the tide here?! This past week has been so incredibly painful. Having kids in my classroom ask if it were to happen at our school should they jump out of the second-story windows, having my own daughter back in our bed, hearing teachers in the break room wonder if they’ll be asked to carry a weapon–this cannot keep happening. Please do call, again and again and again. A teen at last week’s rally carried a sign reading “Stop making murder easy.”

? Rusty
2 years ago

I live in Australia and am fundamentally horrified that there have been @ 130 mass shootings this year in the USA, so far?!?!
Like, seriously?! WHAT?!?!?
OTT gun ownership. Any numbnut can get a gun. It is not necessary for a civil society.
It’s beyond believable for people in countries that actually HAVE gun control and where kids go to school to learn curriculum, without having drills on how to escape a mad person weilding a gun, assault weapon, etc.
Gah!!!?
Thank you, EHD staff, for speaking of the reality.

Tracy
2 years ago

What is the lovely blue paint on the entertainment unit?!!! It’s gorgeous.

Kj
2 years ago
Reply to  Tracy

SW 9141 Waterloo. It’s linked in this post:

Tracy
2 years ago
Reply to  Kj

Thank you so much!

Tracy
2 years ago
Reply to  Tracy

Funny, I searched inside out upside down for the link to the color before asking! Appreciated.

Roberta Davis
2 years ago

The fact that we even have to ask the question of what/who’s more important is a horrifying thing.

Char
2 years ago

I am an avid reader, and Someone Else’s Shoes has been my favorite book so far this year. It’s got a little bit of everything so it should be enjoyable for those who favor different genres.

Megan
2 years ago

Laser hair removal for the bikini line is worth every penny. Also did my underarms. It’s been maybe 30 years since I did it and the technology is even better now. Do it! You won’t be sorry.

Shannon L.
2 years ago
Reply to  Megan

I so wish it would’ve worked for me. Unfortunately after 12 sessions, and still minimal progress, it didn’t work. AND what’s crazy is that I have fair skin and dark hair, supposed to be the ideal contrast. I think for some people the laser cannot overcome the genetics :(

Samantha
2 years ago

I liked to all 3 of the TJR books on Audible and they were great. They used different voice actors for each part, so it really made the book feel more “real”.

Sarah
2 years ago

What is the color of the built-ins from the thumbnail picture? Thanks

Kj
2 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

SW 9141 Waterloo. It’s linked in this post:

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