Happy Sunday everyone! It’s been a busy week as we prepare for Em to be out for spring break! You’ll hear more about it in a second but let’s just say we all wish we could fit in her suitcase. So while we dream of beautiful vacations, let’s also check out some links:)
This week’s house tour is a romantic, pattern-filled southern dream. Louisa Pierce of Pierce & Ward outdid herself. Maybe this quote will entice you – “My house is my test lab—I do wacky things all the time. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. I want my home to be luxurious and beautiful, but I want anyone who comes in to feel comfortable.” Go check it all out here!
See that kitchen up there?! That’s Orlando’s new LA kitchen that we gave a very pretty facelift to! He talks all about it in his new substack newsletter, The Lost Arrow, so go subscribe. We promise you’ll love it.
From Emily: We are headed out for Spring break soon, somewhere where it could rain a bit (the mountains of Costa Rica!!) so I needed something to layer that would be an extra protective layer but not warm at all. I went to the mall and after trying on so many, found this awesome boxy windbreaker that is so cute and pairs so well with all of my biker shorts that I will inevitably be wearing. It has pockets (cell phone) and is rain resistant (ish… like you wouldn’t wear it in a rain storm but shields you from getting your normal clothes too wet). I love a simple, extremely lightweight spring layer. This is my new favorite.
From Ryann: My husband and I are going to Japan in less than 2 months (EEEEEEEK) and a few weeks ago he surprised me with this super versatile shoulder bag. I love how simple and utilitarian it is and think it is going to be perfect for our travels. Speaking of our travels, I would love any Tokyo recs! Know of any restaurants, shopping, design stores, excursions, or sights we must see?? Let me know!!
From Caitlin: My boyfriend was in town last month (for ~ Valentine’s Day ~, ooooooh) and in true romantic fashion, I dragged him to Hennessey + Ingalls and forced him to stand there while I looked at every book in the shop. (I kid, I kid, he liked it too!!! If you’re in LA, it’s a must-visit – they exclusively carry art and architecture books and it’s SO FUN to explore in there.) To that end, I grabbed this book on Postmodern Design and I could not recommend it more. We had so much fun looking through all the pages (seriously, it’s 480 pages, we made it through every single one) AND it turns out that the dust jacket makes a pretty great impromptu cover for my Samsung Frame receiver. You’ll see the actual photos soon, but DANG DID I FIGURE OUT A FUN HACK OR WHAT? Like killin’ two birds with one link (???? I’ve lost myself here, sorry) – just wanted to share a great book and an easy hack for hiding some unappealing technology.
From Mallory: I found a STEAL over the weekend and snagged this Everlane sweater secondhand (tag still on!!) I immediately grabbed it and went online to find that it’s still available AND on sale!! Because it was secondhand I got it for like $30 (wild) but I easily would have paid full price now knowing how comfy it is. I’m truly living in it and could not recommend it enough!!
From Albie: I don’t know about you, however, sometimes I just need a good word to get me through the day. My best friend mentioned this book to me & I immediately added it to my cart & even got my sister a copy. It’s become one of the many things in my “adulting is hard” toolkit. I don’t actually follow The Daily Stoic daily — I have a completely devotional book that I try to start every day with. It’s more of a mid-day check-in or mental/emotional resource when I feel overwhelmed, unclear in my thoughts, or just off balance.
From Jess: I just got The Brow Glue Laminating Setting Gel from NYX and it’s great! I think it works just as well as any other brow gels I’ve used and it’s only $9! I got the medium brown color.
Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Orlando Soria | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
Oh my god that house tour is SO FUN!!!! That butter yellow trim with the pink mural wallpaper? The wallpapered fridge and the brown-rosé colour of the kitchen cabinetts??? And how cool are those female family portraits in front of the william morris wallpaper and that blue chair?? so many details to delight in and how lovely that so many of the pieces are family heirlooms! I’ll come back to stare at this in the future for sure!!!
Im stuck on how they named one child ‘Poet’ and the other child an anagram for ‘Novel’.
Yes, Albie! Fellow (not quite daily) Daily Stoic fan here too. There’s something very reassuring to me in a stoic mindset even if I don’t always manage to adopt it successfully. Having made my way through Meditations, I’ve just ordered Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic as my at hand check-in.
In not quite the same category – ‘Make Your Bed’ (William H. McRaven) and ‘Legacy’ (James Kerr, one of the finest books on leadership I’ve read) – also resonate with me in terms of personal discipline, purpose and character.
That house is my dream. I wish they had shown so bathrooms too. Hard to get the old and new together right in the bath
All the Hacks podcast has an episode about Japan. I haven’t listened yet as Japan is not on my travel radar anytime soon, but generally it’s a great podcast with helpful travel tips.
One of our kids is taking a school trip to Japan this summer. The itinerary is linked here (click the red View Full Itinerary box). https://www.eftours.com/educational-tour/experience-japan I like looking at “group tour” itineraries for places we are planning to visit as a good start to researching things to do (even though we have never done a group tour).
Go to the Meiji Shrine near Harajuku. It’s an amazing walk through a park like area with gorgeous buildings. Stop by the gift shop and grab some Japanese incense, then walk back to Harajuku for the wildest contrast in your life. When you’ve explored Harajuku for a bit take a walk to the seven story tall Tower Records (yes that Tower Records, yellow sign and everything) for some pure 90s vibes. Have a blast! It’s an amazing city to explore.
As an aside, I’m supposed to be going to Paris in a few weeks and am concerned about the current state of things with the protests. Any advice would be appreciated. I’ve been to Paris before but it’s been a bit.
[I posted a comment this morning, but I think it was deleted as spam so I will repost it in 3 parts]
Ten great books I just finished:
[I posted a comment this morning, but I think it was deleted as spam so I will repost it in 3 parts]
Love this small ceramic pedestal I bought a few weeks ago from Target. I am using it as a “sculpture” not a plant stand: https://www.target.com/p/ceramic-plant-pedestal-white-opalhouse-8482-designed-with-jungalow-8482/-/A-86912119
[I posted a comment this morning, but I think it was deleted as spam so I will repost it in 3 parts]
Super fun house tour – such a warm and stylish aesthetic. Tudor style home seems to fit right in for them. The kitchen is so unique and well done! Thank you!
Orlando’s kitchen is gorgeous!!
Ordered Albie’s Stoic book suggestion and am looking forward to it. Have never thought of myself as Stoic (more like the opposite!) so am sure it will be useful…
So glad you could design that kitchen for Orlando since he’s been struggling financially lately. It was very generous of you.
Have an amazing time in Japan! We’ve never been to Tokyo but I’ve been to one of the small southern cities and Kyoto. I would say in general Japan is a very polite country, and if you end up taking the train anywhere. They are ON TIME. It’s actually quite impressive. And enjoy the food! Ramen, sushi, the meats…all so good. Presentation is top notch. It’s a beautiful country with both respect for history and innovation at every turn. Have a wonderful time! Please share a post about it when you return!
Orlando’s post doesn’t really mention what the EHD team did. What did you guys do? It looks like a cute, simple little refresh.
that has to be a snug! the mirror directly to the left of the entrance is reflecting back into the room and you can see the carpet, etc
@ryann—in Japan check out Tokyu Hands, an amazing crafts store and Itoya, a stationery wonderland!
Wow. Japan and Tokyo are just amazing. It’s so clean and safe there, which sounds like such a strange thing to say, but it is truly noticeable compared to the US. You are so lucky to be going around cherry blossom season. I’m so jealous. When we visited Yoyogi Park, we were told that the cherry blossoms there were incredible. We loved the Meiji Temple and gardens and the Harajuku Street next door (go in the middle of the day on the weekends to see all the kids dressed up). We also enjoyed Tokyo Tower. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal but you really get a good idea of just how big Tokyo is! Shibuya crossing is crazy with half a million people crossing daily. It’s super easy and right in front of the station. If you buy a coffee at Starbucks, you can go upstairs and get a great camera shot. The Japanese are crazy about Disney (as we are!) and the Disney store in Shibuya is pretty insane with twisty hidden staircases. If you can manage a day taking the bullet train to Kyoto, I would recommend going to the Inari Temple. Other… Read more »
And get a Suica card! I haven’t been there in a few years but I’m told there is a Suica app now that you can load money onto. Suica is used to pay for subway, vending machines, pretty much anything. Yes, carry a ziploc bag in your purse to put any trash into. You won’t see trash, but you won’t see many public trash cans either. Tokyo is one of my favorite places on earth. The secondhand shops are amazing – I got some beautiful teacups and sushi dishes for a very inexpensive price. There are also places with awesome secondhand furniture, but I don’t know how you would get it home 🙂 Fun to look though. And so much good food! Even the ramen and soba shops in the subway stations are amazing.
Ryann, I bought that Uniqlo bag in black and orange last year (having loved and worn out an older version), and then I saw they’ve gone viral on Tiktok! I just got back from London and can confirm that it is an ideal travel bag AND I spotted it multiple times on other people. (It’s one of those “if you know you know” things since it’s such an understated design.) It weighs nothing, is so low-profile that you can easily get away with wearing it to nicer venues as well as during the day, and can really hold a shocking amount if need be. Have a great trip!
@Ryann You must check out TeamLab! What a cool art space. Also, check out these insider guides:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/ultimate-travel-guide-to-tokyo/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/ultimate-tokyo-food-guide-top-best-foods-to-eat-in-tokyo/