Happy Sunday and Happy Father’s Day! Did y’all see the front porch reveal (and the wild process to get there)?? What we would give to have a wonderful porch swing to hang out on with two adorable pups right now:) If you have one, we hope you are enjoying it right now and if you don’t, we hope you are in your own cozy spot to enjoy this week’s links.
This week’s house tour is the home of Courtney Act, an iconic drag queen, who through a friendly Instagram comment got to have her apartment designed by the one and only Sarah Ellison team. You’ll recognize the furniture in a heartbeat. Loving called the “Periwinkle Palace,” this home is both full of personality and yet feels like a warm bath as you look at it. We also really love the wall treatment. Go check it out here!
From Emily: Two years going strong with this face highlighter (mostly for summer) because the glow is so good, natural, and smooth. It looks like a dumb Instagram filter! I mix it with my foundation (Armani Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Oil-Free in shade #5 forever and ever) and put it on my cheeks and a bit in my nose. I am not one of those content creators who knows how to do my own makeup really well, so I rely on a few really good products to make my skin look good, no filters (fine, rarely) and this highlighter is excellent.
From Jess: Y’all, I did it. I did that one project that I’d been avoiding since I, ugh, moved in 2.5 years ago…my silverware drawer. Wanna guess how long start to finish took?? Maybe 45 mins. In my mind, I had two big issues that made it “harder” – first I had sooooo much silverware (mostly thanks to Emily’s LA prop garage shopping spree:)) and second, this drawer is a BIG BOY. Both of these issues negated getting a standard expandable organizer like this one. Heaven forbid I get out my measuring tape and do a little research. SMH. Then about two weeks ago I decided it was finally time and got two of these silverware organizers, one knife block for my beloved hand-me-down wood-handled knives, and two of these stackable large boxes for everyday cooking tools. I just made sure everything could fit in the drawer and that everything I was keeping had a place. Oh, and since the drawer is a few inches deeper than the compartments I bought a grayish-blue grippy drawer liner. The last thing I want is for all of my beautifully organized things to be flying all over the inside of the drawer. I hope if you’ve also been putting a project like this off that you are inspired to do it! Every time I want to smile I go and take a peek. Sad? Maybe. Affective? Absolutely!
From Mallory: You guys I am the gal with comfy sandal recs galore this summer and I’m happy to report I have found another pair that I will be wearing every day. FEAST YOUR EYES. I said this before when I recommended these sandals last year (which I also still wear all the time), but I cannot be bothered with buckles on the day-to-day so I have to have at least one cute pair of sandals that has what I like to call “secret velcro.” These shoes are so comfortable (I got them in the brown leather and went a half-size up and they’re perfect). They come in a billion different colors and they’re all so good. I highly recommend snagging them because between the Madewell sandals I recommended last year, the Dr. Scholls fisherman sandals I recommended a few weeks ago, and now these Nisolo sandals your sandal game will be on lock this summer!!!
Wiggle Rope Bath Mat | Begonia Shower Curtain | Wicker Tray
We just came across SUCH a cute collaboration between West Elm and RHODE! It’s such a sweet and patterned filled collection. Look at that shower curtain?! Highly recommend going to take a look:)
From Arlyn: Every now and then, something comes along that is *actually* life-changing. My friend (a mom of two active boys) told me about the Tineco wet/dry vac mop a while back after I bent her ear excessively talking about how I feel like I spend my whole days on my hands and knees picking up food my toddler throws, sweeping or vacuuming and then moping. This thing takes care of all of it in one step! It feels like vacuuming, but it cleans up splattered yogurt, lentil soup, smashed banana…it’s amazing! Maintenance just involves pouring the tank of dirty water/gunk out (it’s pretty gross, tbh), letting the brush dry overnight, and boom, ready for cleaning action the next day. You do have to buy their proprietary solution but it’s fairly affordable and lasts for months. I LOVE this thing. My husband LOVES this thing. It doesn’t replace a really good elbow-grease-fueled mop job once a week or so but for everyday mess, it’s, well, life-changing.
From Caitlin: HI, I’M DUMB. For the last 4 years, I’ve been VERY zen about the awful wifi connection in the back half of my apartment. “The universe just doesn’t want me to watch Netflix before bed,” I’d think. Or like, “oh, uh, well, I guess I would have bungled this recipe, so losing connection in the kitchen was probably for the best!” The irony: fixing this problem permanently only took 10 minutes of my time and a $17 gadget (and four years of procrastinating, too…isn’t that the way it always goes?). The installation was mind-numbingly simple and the directions were so clear and easy – I plugged it in next to my router, signed into my wifi network, moved the device to an outlet in my dead zone, and it totally extends the reach of my internet. MY ENTIRE APARTMENT HAS STRONG WIFI NOW. And it was so easy and painless to fix!!! I feel so foolish for not trying to address the problem sooner – it’s so silly, but having a great, fast internet connection in every room feels so luxurious. A must-have solution for any person with dead zones in their home! (This size is perfect for my apartment, but they also make versions that are just as simple for folks who need to extend their wifi over a larger surface area. Tech can be VERY intimidating, but this brand makes the process so easy – no anxiety during installation, I promise!)
From Ryann: Folks, I don’t know how this happened but I have become that person that goes to the gym almost every day and ENJOYS it. This is coming from the girl who has said (on many occasions) “working out is mind-numbingly boring”. I don’t know what got into me. So since I randomly work out six days a week now, I figured out pretty quickly that I need a fair amount of leggings and workout clothes. For my birthday, I got some great sets that I love including this sports bra top (that is long enough that you don’t need to wear a shirt over it) and these flared leggings. It’s SO cute. I love that this is my most affordable set and it’s the one I find myself wanting to wear every day.
Ok, that’s it from us! Again, Happy Father’s Day to everyone celebrating and see y’all tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Henderson and ARCIFORM | Photos by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Curb Appeal Complete! Our Very Cute Front Porch Makeover
I was already to add a new “highlighter” to my office supplies stash. Whoops.
Jess, is that a Pulltap 500 corkscrew? Love ours. I also love the Le Creuset Metal Foil Cutter I received as a gift. Ridiculously expensive (for what it is) but feels like a million bucks when you use it. https://www.lecreuset.com/metal-foil-cutter-black-nickel/49464000006001.html
Ok, I need to know. How did you start going to the gym six days a week?
Yes! What did you do to combat how boring it is??
AHH your guess is as good as mine! I think a big part of me felt it was time to take care of my body so that future me can have a long healthy life! I also think what has really helped is it is not all about weight loss. I have spent the past few years working on body positivity and self love which I believe made the decision to work out much easier. I am not obsessing about weight loss but instead am enjoying moving my body and feeling myself get stronger! I won’t lie though, weight loss totally creeps into my mind but I work hard to make sure that is not the only motivator.
the tineco is worth it! (I am a mom of 3 little kids). 😉
I love my Nisolo Flatform sandals! I have them in black and bone and can wear them for a full day of walking. Plus they look good with dresses, shorts and pants. Completely recommend!
I love Courtney Act’s home!! And I also just love her haha.
I’ve been eyeing those Nisolo sandals, but I am klutzy and have weakling ankles. Do you mind sharing: How firm is the sole? Is it easy to roll your ankles in them?
Mallory: the RHODE + West Elm collab is really pretty! I am always a sucker for a block print and the linens (bed, bath, kitchen) seem very well priced. Caitlin: I ordered the WiFi extender! Thank you for the recommendation! And Ryann I admire your new workout schedule! Wow! And I agree that Target has some really good active wear!
I love how the style of the home tour photography echoes the actual interior design. Perfection!