Happy Sunday, everyone! Most of the team is back in action (Jess is still soaking up the sun on a few Greek Islands), but man, are we enjoying the heck out of summer and can’t believe we are halfway through July! Hope you are also getting outside (as long as it’s not tooo hot) and enjoying some fun summer activities. Let’s talk links!

This week’s house tour is an incredible home by Jersey Ice Cream Co. A reader the other week talked about it in the comments, and somehow we missed it! This 1868 heritage home was perfectly designed by this wildly talented duo, and there are too many incredible details to count. So if you haven’t seen it yet, you are in for A TREAT!

From Emily: This week, I’m going to link up our Otto sofa because I recently fell in love with it (again). I was over at my brother’s house for our rained-out family reunion, and we all sat on it (it’s long, so a lot of people), and I sat down on it and was so delighted by how comfortable it was. Of the two sofas at their house, the Oscar is the preferred one for extreme comfort (it’s a 12/10 on the comfort scale), but it can look messier because of it (this is the nature of an extremely soft and sinkable sofa). So I forgot how comfortable the Otto was. I was so excited to hear all my family say how much they loved it, with my nephew not even knowing that it was part of our collection. I think it has also gotten a little softer with time. It’s really deep, and my brother-in-law said that when he has dog-sat over there, it’s his preferred napping sofa. Anyway, I really love all our sofas for different reasons, but we designed ALL of them to be comfortable. Some of them look more comfy because they have a loose back and a loose seat cushion, but the tighter back and seats often don’t get the comfy credit they deserve. Shout out to the Oscar and the Otto. (and boy is it fun to be back in that house showing people around :))

From Caitlin: I’m back this week with some more vegetables for ya: I loved this podcast episode on SpaceX’s IPO. Not because I’m an Elon fan (decidedly the opposite, in fact), but because it detailed something I’d never learned about before: the creation of the first-ever stock market in the Netherlands. God, I’m boring myself. But I swear it’s good!!! You know how sometimes you see this week’s episode of This American Life in your podcast feed, and you’re like “ugh, I don’t have the mental energy to listen to something highbrow right now,” but then it comes on, and you’re SO GLAD that you listened? THAT’S HOW THIS ONE IS. Search Engine is an all-time favorite podcast of mine – you’re guaranteed to love it if you also love an esoteric fact – but this episode was just REALLY, REALLY interesting. It covers a lot of ground in 69 minutes!

From Jess: Ok, so here’s the deal. I waited too long to buy this toiletry bag for my trip. I really needed a new one, and this one had been advertised to me A LOT. While I’m sure the quality is awesome, mentally it was hard to drop the $110. When I finally decided to take a chance, I missed the shipping window that would have gotten it to me on time. So then I did something I have been very successful at avoiding for a while now and found a very good dupe on Amazon. I’m writing this before my trip (which I am currently on), but I was pleasantly surprised that it fit everything. Both makeup AND skincare. With my last setup, I had two different bags, which took up too much space. It’s still $50, which is still a chunk of change, but I also ordered this one for $28. I’m going to return it because I like the size of the $50 better, but it’s a great option!

From Gretchen: I’ve been on an inspiration kick for my basement’s “design” plan. I put the word design in quotes because this space is one that I don’t plan to put any real money toward, and calling what I’m doing to it ‘design’ is a stretch. My goal for this space is “Swinging Sixties” and “Cool Brittania”–for it to feel just like the inside of the double-decker bus from Spice World (my favorite movie of all time)–but my intention is to keep it decorated so that it’s ready for a party at all times. A wide mix of crazy bright colors and over-the-top decorations with a heavy dose of 60s/70s grooviness. And tinsel. So much tinsel. I’ve been picking up books from the library for inspiration and wanted to share this one I found particularly great: Sixties House, by House and Garden. It’s a treasure trove of real homes from that time period and full of furniture I’ve spent years drooling over. For the number of Post-it notes I’ve stuck in it, I think I should pick up my own copy. I love reference books that highlight different design decades, so if you have any you think I should check out, let me know!

From: Marlee: I love having these crossword books year-round, but in the summer, we have so much fun with them. I own at least 4 different versions (all on the easier side) and keep one next to my bed, one in my summer go-bag, one in the car, etc., and SO often I’ll be hanging out somewhere (the park, a bar, the river) and remember I have a really fun activity that I can do solo or can collab with friends on. Recently, it’s also become part of my nighttime routine to replace scrolling, and let me tell ya, you really feel a lot better about yourself after 30 minutes of puzzle solving rather than TikTok-ing. Go work out your thinking muscles!

From Mallory: Two years ago, I bought these in “berry” for a Halloween costume. I snagged them because they were only $30 and perfect to complete my costume, not thinking I would end up wearing them a ton: flash forward to a year and a half later…they are my FAVORITE workout/walking pants ever. I reach for them so often that I ordered them in 2 other colors. They are the softest, butteriest fabric and are sculpting without being so tight to the point where they’re uncomfortable, like a lot of other pants in this style. They are also amazing quality for the price and have lasted so well through a bunch of washes!

From Arlyn: Last week, I shared about this transformative face serum I’ve been using, and this week, I’m still sharing about new face products. This time, it’s mascara. I used Thrive’s tubing mascara for years and years, but I started noticing that my eyes were getting very irritated. Once I stopped using it, I never got the puffy red spots I was getting again. After a bit of a hunt and trying out new brands and types, I landed on Tarte’s Maneater, and I really love the lift and volume it gives me without the dreaded spider lash look. It claims to wear for 16 hours, which I find to be quite the exaggeration, but I’m happy to apply another coat if I’m going out at night for a little extra oomph.

Thank you for spending a little time with us today, and can’t wait to see y’all tomorrow! xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Art Barn Reveal