HELLO, BUDS! Since we’ve officially hit the month of April, I’ve spent the last 3 days poring over our data from March. Which posts hit? Which ones didn’t? And maybe most importantly…which of our product recommendations did YOU, our dear and sweet readers, actually add-to-cart? I looooove sharing this info with y’all every month because your tastes absolutely surprise me (in March, my jaw was dropped by your propensity and willingness to take home one big-ticket item in particular)…plus, sometimes this info influences the posts that I pitch – as you’ll see below – so it’s kind of fun to get a peek behind the curtain sometimes, right? 🙂
So on this Saturday, I present to you our BIG TEN. Out of the hundreds of thousands of links we shared this month (yes, seriously, 156,455 unique links earned clicks in March – many from the shop page, which is an awesome resource that we do not talk about enough/promise to update soon!!) and the tens of thousands of orders placed, these are the ten items that caught your eye and rose to the top. Our March creme de la creme, if you will. Shall we begin?!
10. Papier Maché Bowl
Oh my, we LOVE Bloomist for textured, organic, neutral, show-stopping finishing pieces. Sara actually gets the credit for introducing EHD to this brand – you may remember this marble chain from her living room reveal – but we’ve kept a super close eye on their site ever since, which is why Jess recommended these gorgeous papier mache bowls last week. They’re big (perfect for your shelf- or table-styling needs), sustainable, eco-friendly, and manufactured by a woman-owned company. I love seeing a great, thoughtful, independent retailer on this list. Nice pick, friends!! 🙂
9. Wedge Bolster Pillow
Ah, yes, the wedge bolster pillow as seen in Bowser’s gorgeous office/guest room/gym/multifunctional space (the opening photo!). This pillow was a surprise finisher for me because we ran that post in late February, which means that y’all took your time considering your options, measuring your space, and doing some planning before placing your orders in March. (We usually see the bulk of orders take place within 2-3 days.) In any case, Bowser is a gal who knows her way around Etsy – remember this light fixture from her living room reveal? – so I’m excited to see you bringing her indie-sourced, practicality-approved style into your homes, too.
8. Matte Hair Claws
I believe it was our very own Mal Gal™ who linked these and launched an EHD-internal obsession with the new wave of simple, clean, chic hair clips. If the weather’s heating up in your area (or if you haven’t had a haircut for uh, 6 months, or even a year), these are a great and affordable pick to sweep that hair off your neck. Anecdotally – and this may be a niche problem, since I’m rocking a five-head (read: enormous forehead), but I find that regular ponytails can be pretty stark and uh, not cute on me, so the way that these pull my hair back in a softer way is a total win. I feel like a cool, effortless French lady when I’m wearing mine. 10/10 and my personal favorite $7 purchase of the month. And it’s from Etsy too!
7. Packable Braided Straw Hat
HELLO, SPRING! A few weeks ago, when we were cleaning out the EHD prop garage, I saw Jess trying on a few of Em’s hats…and I’m pretty sure it was there, in that exact moment, where I witnessed the birth of her turning into more of a hat-person, because she linked this packable straw one up pretty soon after. Hopefully, as the world begins to reopen this summer, you’ll be able to rock one of these outside on a well-deserved vacation. (Or, you know, maybe you bought it for gardening? Or maybe you just grabbed one to wear around your house? Whatever the impetus, good on you for getting some cute sun protection 🙂
6. Square Chunky Hoops
Another small business, hooray!!! These are such a fun, dynamic shape and they’re only $20 despite being handmade and looking like they should cost much, much more. (These chain hoop earrings are also so, so, so good.) Also Etsy! In any case – I’m loving these tiny, affordable accessories that y’all took home this month…maybe EHD should do a roundup post on the under-$50 accessory pieces we’ve tested and loved? You know, like, the bandanas and earrings and socks and hats that are making us feel fresh this spring? Does that sound interesting??? Am I reading the room correctly and doing my job right???
5. Oscarine Lucite Dining Table
WHAT A SHOCKER, FOLKS. This kind of feels like the time that I linked up a Frame TV that was on sale, and then we ended up selling a ton of Frame TVs, and I was just STUNNED. I linked up this gorgeous guy after seeing that he was nearly 50% off at Anthropologie…and y’all knew it was a good deal, because you sold. it. out. But if you missed out (or if you just want to bring a little less lucite + brass into your home), never fear – the coffee table version is currently 50% off on Overstock.
4. Adirondack Short Overalls
I know this is corny and maybe too earnest, but my Madewell overalls make me feel SO DARN COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN and I want to wear them 24/7. I wear my full-length versions all fall and winter (the team and my mom will attest!) so I picked these up for spring with the hope I’d love them just the same, and I ABSOLUTELY DO. I don’t need to worry about my butt showing when I bend over, they kind of feel like they’re sucking me in without being super compressive, and I get a lot of compliments on the way that they ~flatter~ my shape. I know overalls can be a minefield for those with larger, ahem, assets (36F with a butt and thighs, reporting for duty) but they just slide on like a dream. (If black isn’t your thing, they just dropped them in a denim wash, too – you know I’ve ordered it already and will report back :))
3. 5pk Nesting Easter Eggs
It’s not too late for curbside pickup! Emily grabbed these sweet nesting eggs for her kids’ easter egg hunt this year (you can see all of her other picks here – tons still available for your pickup today if you’re a procrastinator who wants to grab a gift for a crafty kid!). She bought three sets and is planning to use them for hunts and decor as the kids grow, but TBH they’re also just really cute displayed as decor – if you grabbed these, feel free to DM us a shot of how you styled them in your home. We’d love to see!! 🙂
2. Puff Elbow Sleeve Button-Down Shirt
Fun backstory: over the past two weeks, EHD had so many shoots – TONS of new and original content coming your way!!! – and Bowser, our stylist extraordinaire with exquisite taste (as we’ve already discussed), went shopping on her own and pulled this under-$30 Target top for Emily to wear in one of the shoots. Y’ALL, WE LOVED IT – IT’S GOOD. We only shared video of Em wearing it on stories but IMO, it actually seemed a lot more subdued, less-statement-y and more “everyday wearable” than this picture would suggest. (There’s a cute real-life photo of a customer wearing her shirt on the page if you want to see for yourself.) Additional bonuses: it comes in two color-ways AND it’s being offered from XS to 4XL, so even more of us can be a little #emfluenced 🙂 Well done, Target.
1. Upholstered Natural Wood Ottoman
I mean….there was NO competition this month. And there shouldn’t be, because this ottoman has NO BUSINESS only being $99 while looking THAT BEAUTIFUL AND LUXE. Like, pals, as someone who spends at least two solid days per week doing nothing but looking at furniture, this guy would go for 10x that price in ANY boutique or indie shop out here in LA. If oatmeal isn’t your thing, there are 2 more cushion colors that look just as good. The size and scale is perfect, it’s forever-multifunctional (tiny entryway bench? Pair of these in front of the fireplace? Just a footrest? Fancy cat perch? The world is your oyster!!!), and the shape/lines/textures/finishes are just ::CHEF’S KISS::. I am so happy to see this piece at number 1 this month – it’s the perfect mix of high-end-meets-affordable and I’m just so glad so many of y’all got to bring such an awesome piece into your homes!!!
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT. March’s true winners. This month, I was so excited to see y’all welcoming more sustainable retailers and tiny, independent businesses into your own homes, while stocking up on some absolute slam-dunk deals from the brands we know and love. In any case, let’s chat about (a.) my affordable fashion update idea, (b.) if you scored any of these pieces, (c.) the weather and that it’s now somehow April despite also still feeling like 2020, or (d.) really, anything at all – I’m wide open all day today and would love to gab. LET’S CHAT! xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Emily Bowser’s BEAUTIFUL Hardworking, Multipurpose Room Reveal (+ Get Ready For Her DIYS)
1. Yes, I’d read a post about accessories like hair clips and belts. Maybe include a section in it for kids accessories too.
2. Yes, I loved the bolster too. I didn’t know such a thing existed until your post.
The bolster! I’d actually seen this on Etsy some time over the last year and made a mental note that I needed to order a set for my daybed but then forgot. Thanks for the reminder!
Yes, it feels like 2020…. I am a bit tired of this covid stuff… I still cannot meet my family this Easter because not everyone is vaccinated yet… 🙁
I loved the bolster and that ottoman, too. I kept looking for places I could use the ottoman because I like it so much, but my house, alas, it is small.
Which reminds me, I would still LOVE to see a DIY for those shades from Bowser’s glorious room reveal. I really need to make some shades for my weirdly sized dining room window before it gets any hotter in Texas.
Lori – I watched a bunch of different YouTube diy shade tutorials and then combined them into the ones I made for our bedroom. I was able to use a beautiful fabric for the top layer that I’d been saving for years and lined them with blackout lining. We don’t have young kids and its in on the second floor of our house where visitors don’t go, so I was okay using the nylon string, but I think if you have young kids or visitors then it is worth NOT doing so and being more safety conscious by investing in something they can’t catch their necks in. For downstairs on Overstock I bought self folding ones that work well but look cheap for about $44 each – I’m either hand sewing on fabric to cover them or buying velvet ribbon to sew/glue on in a nice border pattern to class them up. Good luck to you!
coming in hot with some instructions! this is the general format she followed for those: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/pillowfort-diys-custom-window-treatments-whimsical-canvas-tent
The bolster and ottoman were favorites for me, too. I have the bolster saved, because it might be used in a future update. But I can’t find a home for that ottoman, and I’m sure it’ll be gone by the time I do (if ever).
This post is a lot of fun! I really enjoyed seeing what was purchased during the month.
Thanks! I missed the hair clips first time around!
Been looking for a bolster, thanks! And an accessories round up would be fun! Please do it. (ps. Shoutout to female POC owned Chunks, the best claw hair clips. Wouldn’t usually link in the comments but they are so cute, ethically made, don’t break – had to share since y’all share so many great things with us https://www.chunks.shop/)
I LOVE MY CHUNKS!!! oh my gosh. such a great rec!!! i didn’t realize they were woman and poc owned and now i love them even more!! thank you for sharing – everyone should go check them out 🙂
Thanks!
Thanks!
…Just here to say that I love you, Caitlin. You are a gosh darn delight and the world is better because you are in it!
The hair clips are great… and half the price on eBay!
I hemmed and hawed for a long time but eventually bought the Perforate Brass Lamp from Article that was featured in Sara & Mac’s office/guest room. I had to hunt around for a lower wattage, frosted bulb as the one included was uncomfortably bright but now I love it. Thanks to Sara for sharing it!
The hair clips are great! But for anyone who cares, the etsy isn’t a small business like we’d usually think of etsy sellers. Just wanted to make that clear in case people are trying to support local businesses.
FYI, these exact hair clips sell for .30 in China from the same seller!
I’ve been asking for a fashion roundup on hats for a couple years, so hard yes!
I think I spent more than I should on hair claws this year ^^ from plastic to metal. I love this trend.