First and foremost Happy Hanukkah!! We hope that those who celebrate have a beautiful holiday filled with so much love. In case you missed them the past two years, Rebekah Lowin who runs a stunning lifestyle blog that includes a ton of Jewish holiday ideas and DIYs, contributed this post and this post talking about why Hanukkah is so special to her. If you haven’t gotten a chance to read them I highly recommend it. The more we can learn and know about each other, the more connected we will inevitably become. So with that let’s get into this week’s links.
This week’s house tour is like literally stepping into a fairytale. You really just have to see it for yourself! The designer Emma Ainscough, couldn’t have made it more special. The best part is that it’s a vacation rental so you can stay there!! Check it all out on Domino here.
From Emily: You may have seen yesterday that I got some new clothes (full post here) but this jacket has been worn the most by far. It’s more like a “sweater jacket” or “swacket” if you will, with a lot of stretch and a great tailored look. I highly recommend it.
From Caitlin: Today I peeked in my closet and realized that I’ve really embraced the 2023 Pantone color of the year. To that end, I need to emphatically and wholeheartedly recommend a few recent purchases: this incredible velvet mini skirt (so fun for NYE! 50% off right now, too – I went with my normal pants size :)), these awesome wide-leg trousers (I’m a 12/14 with big legs and a butt and got the XL, but wish I had gone with the L), and this super cozy oversized sweater (nearly 70% off! I went with the L after some debate and am glad I didn’t size up). If you’re also ready to enter your Elle Woods era in 2023, these are great picks that work on all kinds of bodies!
From Mallory: My face has been SO PUFFY lately and it’s been very annoying (especially in the mornings), so I’ve been trying some things to try to get it to depuff (gua sha massage, jade roller, etc). But my favorite thing lately has been these under eye gels that I got as a gift one year. My neighbor recently told me to put them in the fridge and it is life-changing. I love wearing them for the first few minutes of my work day (perks of WFH since I do look a lil wild with them on) and it helps me wake up and depuff. I’d love to know if anyone else deals with this and what the heck you do for it!! Comment your tips and tricks please:)
From Albie: One thing I love almost as much as tea — house clothes! I am serious about my comfort while home, especially since I’m home full time, so I have an entire wardrobe for being home. Lately, my comfort wardrobe capsule has been all Harper Wilde pieces, paired with a really good robe — I also have a thing for robes. I’ve been almost exclusively wearing Harper Wilde for the better part of a year because finding intimate pieces that I’m comfortable in hasn’t always been easy. Never did I ever think I could be home and comfortably wear a bralette — being top-heavy, I’ve always equated support with wire, therefore thinking I had to sacrifice comfort to get support. Now that I have found bralettes that actually support me, it’s totally changed my relationship with brassieres & improved my comfort at home.
From Jess: Last weekend I FINALLY “finished” a felt leaf garland I started cutting out last year and I’m really happy with it!! This is the tutorial I was inspired by but ultimately didn’t follow. Clearly, I wanted to make my life harder because apparently, if history is any indication, that’s what I like to do to myself. What I did instead was cut a ton of cream-colored felt leaves (this felt in antique white), pinched some to look more “real” with hot glue, and left most unpinched. Then I adhered them to a rope (I got this one) with some hot glue so that the garland looked nice and thick. I finished it off by hot gluing little black pom poms to only the pinched leaves. Right now it’s 5′ so I have 10′ more feel of rope that I haven’t cut off (it’s nicely hiding on the side atop a cabinet:)). Maybe I’ll add another 5′ next year and 5′ the year after that. My own little short-lived tradition:)
Oh, and those beautiful woven shades are from Decorview🙂 Revealed in 2023!
From: Ryann: If you are looking for a good, starter skin care kit (or want to gift one to someone else) I highly recommend this one from Peter Thomas Roth. I picked this up from Target a week ago when I ran out of all my face moisturizers, and I have been so impressed with the results. My skin has never felt so soft (and for more context, I use the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and this Vitamin C serum too). But this skin care kit is so good for the price and great for someone who wants to build their skincare routine.
Lastly, we wanted to share a GoFundMe that was started by EHD alum photographer, Tessa Neustadt. Her father suffered a massive heart attack in early November and is currently on life support in the ICU but is on the road to recovery. As we are sure a lot of you have experienced this can accrue debilitating costs and Tessa is an only child of divorced parents, putting the financial responsibility solely on her. Because she now needs to take an undetermined amount of time off this makes finances all the more difficult. Asking for support is extremely hard for her but if you have it within your budget to help, we know she would be endlessly grateful.
Again, for those who are celebrating, have a wonderful Hanukkah and for everyone else have a great rest of your Sunday. See everyone tomorrow!
Opening Image Credits: Art Direction by Emily Henderson, Styled by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Target’s Holiday Assortment Is Here To Make All Our Gatherings Look And Feel Extra Special This Year
As a Canadian, I have been completely turned off of Madewell and J Crew and I swear to never shop there again. So many times, items that you and other bloggers post, when I am redirected to the Canadian site, the pricing is ridiculous. For example the red sweater that you claim is 70% off; in Canada it’s 20% discounted and close to $200. I get import duties and taxes but come on! That’s really ridiculous. There’s stores like Anthropologie that offer the same discount despite where you live and the price inflation is realistic. Madewell and J Crew Nope, they just leave a strong distaste for me.
As a fellow Canadian, I so agree. It’s really disappointing!!
Same for Australia. I just spent time on the site, went to add to cart only to discover that the “item can’t be purchased in your area” even though I’d clicked that i was in Australia.
Yep! Same.🤐
Fellow Canadian comin’ in with a hear, hear!
When I started reading your comment I thought you were going to say that as a Canadian you’re appalled that in the U.S. we have to raise money for life saving medical care. Our country is so sick.
Well, yeah, that too!
Mallory, for de-puffing try a gua sha stone. I like the one Wildling makes because it’s not too heavy and has 4 different sides for all the areas of your neck and face. This has been life-changing for me. It not only de-puffs my whole face but it helps release jaw and brow tension and just feels amazing. Check it out!
Rebekah Lowin’s blog and her EHD posts are lovely. Am bookmarking her, thanks! And that English Cottage is to die for. Have lately been reading English Home magazine and really liking it. Guess it has something to do with the need for coziness this time of year.
PS that felt garland turned out beautifully!
This is none of my business, but I’m a hospital social worker and I would encourage anyone, including Tessa, to confirm their financial liability. In many circumstances, adult children are not liable for parents’ medical bills, depending on which state they’re in, and if they’re eligible for Medicare (disabled or over 65) or are have medí-cal/Medicaid, then almost certainly not. If an aging parent doesn’t have enough to cover his bills, the hospital should work with the parents’ finances, to decide an equitable way to move forward with billing. They may ask if an adult child can cover expenses but their answer should be no, they can’t, and there won’t usually be a legal mechanism for them to get the money, but asking’s free! So unfortunately they might ask. Also, laws of “filial responsibility” vary state-to-state. It’s worth clarifying, and even following up with an attorney (Not recommending this one, just found their webpage about the topic: https://www.snclawfirm.com/blog/2020/10/will-my-children-have-to-pay-my-medical-debt/# )
I’m so sorry for what she’s going through and so glad she has a GoFund me. Loss of income to care for an aging parent is real ❤️
*if the PARENT is eligible for Medicare or other public insurance/benefits ❤️
that is very helpful information, Annie.
Mallory, puffy eyes in the morning usually means I’m a bit dehydrated. Maybe try 12 oz water and/or an electrolyte tablet (I like nuun) or a bit of salt in some water (like 1/8-1/4 tsp) first thing. I sleep with a humidifier at night and am a dedicated water drinker (80-100 oz/day at least) and this time of year I still often need a first-thing boost.
Thanks for sharing the house tour!
The dining room in the picture at the top is so lovely.
And yeah for more DIY tutorials !
Jess – I love your version far above the inspiration link. Its really beautiful!
Tess – I hope your father’s recovery keeps moving forward. What a huge challenge and hard time this must be for you. I’m sorry.
Mallory- try this depuffing mask that is a holy grail to getting your face depuff Ed. A little of the mask goes a long way too! https://www.clarinsusa.com/en/v-facial-intensive-wrap/80014818.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-oqdBhDfARIsAO0TrGFuwtaVoVqeTIGwccU2EEc259vG8piX8Jm98YEbLoclXE4O6iOIBoEaArMTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Mallory–I don’t know whether you drink a lot of carbonated drinks, but if you do, that could be the source of the puffiness. When I stopped drinking 4 or 5 cans of LaCroix water every day, my puffiness pretty much disappeared.