We know that a lot of you expected an immediate response after Roe v Wade was overturned. And while we understand and appreciate that expectation, we weren’t ready beyond what Emily was able to repost on Instagram. We are a team of women, with a vast array of our own experiences, who support a woman’s right to choose whatever she thinks is best for her and her body. If you are looking to put your anger into action, check out Abortion Funds. It’s an incredible network of over 90 grassroots organizations that give aid to women needing help. While our team still lives in states that protect a woman’s right over her own body, far too many women are now left with nothing but organizations like these. We need to be there for and protect all women.
But as we’ve said before, this is also a place for mini escapes so here are this week’s links…
This week’s home tour is from the new digital issue of Domino. First off, there are a ton of incredible homes and you should go check out all of them. This home, in particular, designed by Emily Ward of Pierce & Ward (an EHD favorite), is just filled with all the things we love – SO much wood, texture for days, a ton of vintage, and endless soul. It’s not to be missed!
From Emily: Hi 🙂 Today I want to recommend you to buy this book, based on this essay) – It’s the most compelling argument on abortion ever. Gabrielle Blair is a Mormon mom of 6, OG blogger, and a total unapologetic feminist who I have admired for 12 years. A few years ago she wrote a Twitter thread about abortion that I have posted and reposted and reposted because it’s a rethinking and reframing of a polarizing issue that I find very aligned with, despite not being a current member of the church myself. She has flipped the conversation to talk about men’s role and responsibility in pregnancy using science and data. Despite your views on abortion, I think you’ll agree with her points (it’s not perfect, FYI). While I doubt that our government will ever hold men as accountable for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies as women are (because our country is run by men that generally don’t want the government anywhere near their tiny little parts), I think her argument is unifying amongst women whether you are pro-choice or anti-abortion. I think we all agree it takes TWO to get a woman pregnant and men should be educated and be held more responsible for preventing an unwanted pregnancy. Full stop. Of course, I believe in the women’s right to choose anything with their body, duh, and at the same time I think it’s important to go up river and talk/think more about prevention. I honestly can’t get into it right now as it’s a 7-page personal essay I’ve written and re-written over the last four years. Trust me I have thoughts, but for now – just buy this book and read this thread. We need more voices and thinkers like her in this country. I haven’t read this book yet (as it’s in pre-order) but you bet that Charlie will when it’s time (and so will Birdie).
From Caitlin: I would like to formally apologize to Jess, EHD’s resident Spindrift enthusiast, because I have been sleeping on her recommendation for WAY too long!!! Last week I grabbed a pack of the Pineapple Sparkling Water – I’m currently making a very concerted effort to drink more liquids (of all kinds!) because according to my doctor, I am “alarmingly dehydrated” – and I took one sip before being like, “HOLY @#$!, this is literally 15 calorie carbonated juice!!!” I’ve never been a big sparkling water gal because the whole flavor profile has been pretty disappointing to me – not super interested in canned water that just tastes like it was transported a truck *near* a lime, you know? – but this stuff tastes like legit PINEAPPLE. Cannot recommend more highly, especially as we head into outdoor summer happenings (it would be an INCREDIBLE mixer). What flavor should I grab next?
Aimee Song’s Etsy collab might be our favorite yet! It’s elegant but cool and obviously, extremely stylish. We love this candle holder, this personalized necklace, this mug, this throw, we could go on but you need to go see for yourself:)
Also From Caitlin: This week I left the house to go on a walk in shorts without applying my Thigh Rescue and lemme tell y’all – I WILL NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. (I have the full-size version at home, but I also keep a mini stick in my backpack and in my tote bag – there are discounted sets if you want to get both sizes, too!) I know I’ve recommended it before, but it’s truly made me feel so much more comfortable for the last few summers!!! A few other Megababe hot weather essentials that I regularly purchase and wholeheartedly endorse: the smoothie deodorant, the green deodorant (I alternate between the two – both are all-natural and they smell AWESOME), the odor-killing charcoal soap, and the anti-sweat powder (I love this applicator buuuut I usually buy this bigger bottle because I love it. There’s no talc in it, either!) PS. I have gone from someone who HATES summer to someone who can tolerate summer – like, THAT’S HOW BIG OF A DIFFERENCE these products have made. They deserve all the hype they get and then more. 100000000/10.
Also Also From Caitlin: Omg I ordered the ta3 swimsuit em recommended on Sunday and had it overnighted because I forgot to pack one HOLY CRAP please remind me to take a pic at the beach because it RULES!! 10/10 recommendation.
From Ryann: “I have been meaning to get a set of solid glass tumblers for a while” is exactly what I told myself as I was strolling through Target and happened upon these. It took me about .2 seconds to pick them up and put them in my cart because 6 glasses for $12 is a great deal and they are the exact width and height I’ve been looking for. They are perfect for my iced coffee in the morning and even better for a hefty cocktail in the evening:)
Also From Ryann: Even though I have always been a fidgety person, I have never tried any of the little fidget spinner-type gadgets to try and relieve the constant need to be doing something with my hands. But this year for my birthday my sister-in-law gifted me acupressure rings and now I have them on me everywhere I go. You move them up and down your fingers to help relieve stress and tension and they simply give me something to do with my hands when I am feeling anxious. I especially like to use them at night while watching TV or a movie as a way to wind down after a long day (they help me stay off my phone at night, too). If you or someone you know has anxiety or experiencing high stress I highly recommend!!
From Jess: Y’all SKORTS are back! Yes, you read that correctly. As a former private school kid, where skorts were our school’s answer to “modesty,” never did I ever think I would buy one in my adulthood. “Burn them” was my first thought when I graduated (don’t worry I didn’t actually burn my clothes. I’m sure they were donated). But skorts are everywhere now! The good news is that they come in both “skirt in the front, shorts in the back” and “little shorts under a skirt”…the latter being my preference. Anyway, I bought this cutie for my east coast trip this week since I realized I don’t have enough clothes to deal with that heat AND humidity for 12 days. Originally I wanted the other colorway but once I tried the brown/purple option I was shockingly into it. It’s super cute and super comfortable! P.S. If you go to the site and see a wraparound string I took mine off. I didn’t love that part and it’s not necessary.
Also From Jess: Not that I’m surprised but I LOVED the new Father of the Bride on HBO Max. I’m a real sap so I absolutely cried happy tears…a few times. GO WATCH IT NOW.
From Mallory: This is the shirt I’m wearing all summer…it’s SO comfortable & lightweight (even though it is a knit material). I find it so soft and breathable, plus it fits me SO well (I love that it comes in tighter at the bottom). For only $30 I’ve already certainly gotten my money’s worth out of it but I’ll definitely be wearing it even more the rest of the summer…I’m constantly grabbing for it. 10/10
Check on the women in your life, love each other hard, and see y’all tomorrow!
Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Ward | Styled by Kendra Smoot | Photo by Seth Smoot | via Domino
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Having trouble getting to the design mom blog, not sure if it is a word press issue.
She’s been having issues with it going down lately. Here’s a link to her initial Twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/designmom/status/1040363431893725184?s=21
A podcast that discusses things similar to Emily’s abortion article I think ( couldn’t open her link).
A very respectful discussion that seeks to unify, reflect on both sides, and come together with solutions rather than polarize!
I found it very hopeful and thought provoking:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9jb252ZXJzYXRpb25zd2l0aHRlcnJ5bGdpdmVucy5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLw/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC0xMDc3NzgxNA?ep=14
If you have Instagram you can read Design Mom’s thread on men and abortion here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGJrgIM8me/
The link to men’s responsibility DOESN’T WORK! That’s the big takeaway, isn’t it?
Interesting book recommendation…will seek it out since the link doesn’t seem to work. Do want to point out an obvious irony in your other recommendation about “giving aid to women needing help” only applies to getting abortions. What about giving info on those women who need help to keep their babies? I’ve heard on the news that there are twice as many of these organizations as abortion facilities. After all numerous surveys confirm that over half the women in the US are pro-life. As for the other business you mentioned about doing what you want with your own body I would not hesitate to interfere with your choice if you contemplated suicide.
Surveys of only women taken previous to the current hurlyburly are not equivalent to a survey of men and women taken during this crisis of misinformation. Men have everything to gain by abortion. Women have far more to lose.
Billions of dollars continuously go into pro-life movements and politics. These groups don’t even give a fraction of that money to preventing pregnancies or helping new mothers who need support, which I think shows it’s not about babies at all. Women who are forced to give birth suffer more complications during pregnancy and in childbirth and more of them die than average. That has been supported by scientific research. Also supported is a fact that unwanted pregnancies are related to crime. Moms who live in poverty can’t connect with their children or support their children as much as other women or families, and they know it. Abortion is not for women who can’t imagine it. It’s for women who find themselves in unimaginable circumstances. Forcing women to give birth without first solving all the relevant issues doesn’t make any sense. There are quite a few original pro-life movement leaders and sponsors who were in fact in it for decades and then abandoned the movement because it has been corrupted by hate and politics. One of them is Rev Robert Schenck. Another is Frank Schaeffer. I recommend looking for interviews on yt to understand the issues and problems with being prolife.… Read more »
Basically you’re advocating for killing those for whom we cannot provide optimum circumstances . Does that include the born as well? Also smearing organizations and individuals with ad hominem remarks does not an argument make.
You guys, sometimes I think when categorically false information is posted (i.e. the anti-choice statistic) I assume it’s usually a bot or a troll and not a real person. I know these comments are triggering but assume it’s a misinformation campaign and try to ignore and not get enraged! (Yes be enraged by the assault on women just saying this is likely a bot.(
I agree with you on this with this particular person. Have seen them show up here on these topic threads specifically with similar types of comments.
I would never assume that people don’t believe bots or disinformation. Q, Stop the Steal – examples of this are ALL around us. Look how many likes this bot got , if it is a bot. Part of how the antichoice movement shifts the discourse is by flooding the zone with confusing speech. I think it is super important to call out lies when we see them. Lies are like weeds- if you don’t address them they grow. I also find it interesting that you are taking it upon yourself to say ‘try to ignore it’ and ‘try to not get enraged’. I personally was not triggered or enraged, and I don’t think anyone replying was. I’m more than used to dealing with this stuff. Women are trained to ignore lies and bullies but I personally see that as part of the pressure on women to be ‘ nice’ . I don’t ignore lies or bullies and Im 100% fine with that. I am not trying to be mean, I am just saying there is a huge distance between standing up for the truth and being triggered or enraged. Have great day!
Oh yeah, I totally agree! That was my trying to be polite yeah, nope we aren’t buying your BS shut down 🙂
I’m trying to articulate why I felt so frustrated about the response to the fall of Roe here. Obviously this site is first a design site and as much a personal blog as a business. But it is a business and one that made a pretty big deal about committing to work to justice two years ago. And, it just feels like that faded so fast. I have absolutely no sense that supporting justice or equity or even ‘diversity’ the weakest of weak corporate aims to be better, is a serious part of your work or your lives. All the posts in the last little bit have basically been ‘this is how this makes me feel’ and a link to donate some money maybe. There’s no real effort to show action or how any of the business is incorporating the ideals you put forward two years ago. No attempt to do something as basic as match donations to things you claim are important to you. It honestly feels like two years ago as white women of immense privilege you felt guilty and acted out of that guilt with no plan or accountability to make that sustainable. And that is what… Read more »
Yes well said.
Well said Ellen. I have seen other businesses (like EHD) offering the matching donation option to pro-choice organizations and it has certainly helped me see who is active in these fights (and led me to donate “with” them to increase the desperately needed money these organizations need to keep fighting for us. I am personally donating to Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Emily’s List.
Great point, Ellen. Emily jumped the shark years ago into dealing with politics on her blog which is why it was SHOCKING that it was crickets on her site about abortion. To be completely silent on this issue but not on other issues was so frustrating. Almost like she is more concerned about staying neutral (for her book sales and sponsors?) now.
Thanks, Ellen. I’ve tried expressing similar sentiments and commenters came for me. I also get the sense that comments don’t count very much to EHD staff/leadership. But it still needs to be said. This blog seems to be LESS diverse than before the 2020 wave of accountability essays.
Backlashes are a consistent part of US politics and society, and we are living through a big one. Racial justice, women’s rights, and reproductive freedoms: they are all linked. Change takes sustained commitment. Whatever the leaders of this large online community decide to say about it (or not say about it), please let the posturing go away.
I agree I wish I saw more diversity on their staff however I don’t know what I expect as far as statements go from this site. If you see the comment below from Jeannine520, you will see it directly contradicts your wish to see more from them. I think its a very tricky spot to find the right balance when talking about current events on this blog. I say let them write what they want to write and if you dont want to read, dont read!
Thank you for amplifying / mentioning Abortion Funds.
I guess I might be naive or just hopeful but I didn’t expect a response about the Roe v. Wade ruling from you guys. I didn’t get one from the grocery store clerk or my dentist this week either. My mailman didn’t give me his opinion on it either. I don’t know why businesses think it’s their job to comment on politics. I find it hugely annoying whether I agree or not. I read this blog because I want to see nicely decorated interiors, not hear political opinions and personal guilt based essays on social topics. Stick to what you do and do it well. Or how about start a new blog and Youtube channel for people who want political opinion from interior decorators? I bet there’s a huge market for that. Or at least you guys seem to think there is.
I, too, joined this site to hear about well decorated interiors, not political opinions. I agree with everything Jeannine520 said in her earlier post. As a consequence I am deleting my subscription to your site. I am sure this will make no difference to you, but at least my in-box will not be filled with more political information than what I already receive. The decision from Roe vs. Wade should never have been a national issue, it is a state issue. Read the constitution! The Supreme Court did not make abortion illegal, they just returned the issue to individual states, where it belongs. Incidentally, I am a registered Democrat, that actually reads and stays informed on current affairs.
Mary, just because I (along with most Americans) strongly believe that abortion should continue to be protected at a national level as a Constitutional right guaranteeing bodily autonomy, privacy, and equality does not mean that I do not “read” or “stay informed” or that I do not know or understand the Constitution. What exactly are you referring to in the Constitution that says abortion is a state issue? Your OPINION that this is a state issue does not reflect any particular knowledge that YOU have of the Constitution.
Deleting your subscription – can you stick to that? I’ve blocked, deleted, unfollowed, boycotted the new book, and added EHD to my Blocksite list at least five times because of the team’s occasional limousine liberal posts over the years. Most recently, I blocked Emily on Instagram because of her “conflicted … not as patriotic” 4th of July story, which enraged me to the point that I spent twenty minutes listening to Toby Keith and Coffey Anderson right after I read it. Yet here it is July 6, and I’m already back (came here to link up and buy a Target/Studio McGee mirror to send a little money EHD’s way, even).
This is the most interesting design blog I’ve found, and it features the most attractive merchandise. I’ve tried to find a substitute, but nothing comes close – not the other leftists like Cup of Jo nor the traditionalists like Stonegable.
One more criticism, though: what happened to Emily’s decision to go more “centrist” that she wrote about after the Atlantic’s “In Pursuit of Happiness” event? Maybe gradually over time, I’ll see it.
“Start a new blog for people who want political opinion from interior designers”
Uh, wouldn’t that be exactly what they’re doing? Sounds like you want this content but only on your terms. Sorry, but you don’t get to dictate the terms on which they offer content.
A suggestion is a lot different than dictating terms of the content. What I offered was my opinion. The fact that this blog has a comment section, to me, means that they might want my opinion. So I gave it. This blog is in danger of being another example of “go woke, go broke” as many feel the way I do. When Emily asks only for comments that align with the authors of this blog I’ll respect that wish. Until then, maybe stop trying to push back on anything you don’t agree with. And by the way that was a suggestion, not “dictated”.
Look how Alex quoted me. The correct and honest way to quote me was to say, “Or how about start a new blog and Youtube channel for people who want political opinion from interior decorators?
But Alex took out the “Or how about” and the question mark at the end. Intentionally changing the character of what I was saying in order to fit his or her agenda in saying I was trying to dictate content and that I wanted content on my own terms. That’s a typical liar for ya. If this blog has devolved to a hive for that type of dishonesty then I hope the advertisers take notice of the market they’ll be getting, and not getting on this site.
You’ve gotta be kidding, jeannine520.
I hate to point out the obvious, but those 3 little words & punctuation from your comment don’t change the meaning behind your sentiments. Your point- if someone doesn’t like the absence of “political” talk then they could go elsewhere- applies directly to you, too. Not sure if you’re new here, or just taking issue over the Roe discussion but, truth be told, Emily has waded into topics like politics, religion, social injustices, & motherhood for YEARS. That’s nothing new. So perhaps if you want strictly interior design, you should be the one looking for an alternate blog or channel. Alex is exactly right…your “suggestion” to omit these topics from the blog is absolutely no different than someone else “suggesting” there should’ve been a response. You’re not being pushed back on because your opinion is different, you’re being pushed back on because you’re a hypocrite.
“Stick to what you do and do it well.” is the same thing as “shut up and dribble”. If you don’t want to read something Emily and/or her team decides to write about, just don’t read it. It’s very easy to click that little X in the upper right hand corner 🙂
I too just bought the TA3 swimsuit on Emily’s recommendation and I absolutely LOVE it! It’s magic for curvy ladies.
Sigh. After the last 6 years of craziness in the news, and in this country, I wouldn’t want to jump into posting about this topic either. I’m honestly burned out on the fighting.
I am surprised by the criticism in the comments that this blog has not continued to make efforts to include and promote racially diverse perspectives, business owners, and designers. I have been impressed with how the blog has lived up to that commitment. And I don’t think that obligates the blog to have a detailed blog posting(s) about SCOTUS overturning Roe.
Though our opinions mostly align, if I want to discuss or read about these types of issues I assure you that a decorating blog is NOT where I will be doing it. I am unsubscribing and moving on to design blogs that stay on topic. Thank you for the inspiration over the years and best of luck with the house project.