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The Link Up: The Stylist-Approved Target Outfits Em Wore On A Shoot That She LOVES, Caitlin’s Anxiety Reducing System, And A Great Gift Idea For The Gardener In Your Life
Happy Sunday y’all. We are pretty freaking excited to tell you that Emily is going to REVEAL HER KITCHEN TOMORROW!! Your eyes do not deceive you. It’s really happening tomorrow. It was such a labor of love that turned out to be such a beautiful and perfect space for them. Hope you looking forward to seeing it:) Until then here are this week’s links…
This week’s home tour comes to use from Domino and is a celebration of wallpaper and small spaces. When Brett Williams moved into a 442-square-foot apartment, his top priority was closet space. I think it’s safe to say he got a lot more than that…including an apartment that had already been basically renovated in the 80s by the partner (an interior designer) of a previous tenant. So Brett and a colleague/friend put his personal style stamp on it and let us tell you, it’s very good. Check it out here!
From Emily: Two weeks ago I got to go to LA for a very fun top-secret Target video shoot (you’ll get to see it soon on social!). An extra fun part was that I got to work with a great stylist, Taylor Dupriece, who put me in two awesome, 100% Target outfits (as you can see above:)). The first look, in the Kika Vargas black dress, I loved because it was kinda fancy but SO comfortable. I’m actually going to wear it to Thanksgiving because it’s so cute and roomy. Zero constriction in this lady, plus it has pockets. And how fun are those platform heels?? Then you know how I love an all-denim look. The shirt was comfortable but still flattering and the wash was great. Now the jeans were awesome. Again, such a good cut and rise, and the hem detail was so cute. I highly recommend them. Let’s now talk about these shoes. They remind me SO much of my beloved Rachel Comey’s but at a fraction of the cost. I also really appreciate that there’s a strap because it makes them way easier to walk in. Target and Taylor nailed it.
From Caitlin: I have really bad nightmares and an overwhelming majority of them are home-intrusion-based (fun!!! #blessed), so I finally took the plunge and threw down $180 for an 8-piece SimpliSafe system in an attempt to reduce my nighttime anxiety. I thought installation was going to be annoying and hard so I put it off for a little over a week, but it was SO quick and easy – under 20 minutes from opening the box to recycling the box – and I feel SO MUCH BETTER. I don’t pay for a professional monitoring subscription right now (though that may change in the future!) but I feel way safer and far less anxious knowing that a very loud alarm will rouse me (and probably a neighbor or two, TBH) before any murderer can:) I love the sensors and the remote functionality – I can arm/disarm my apartment from my phone or from the keypad – but my favorite feature is the panic button, which will sound the loud alarm if pressed (and can call for help, too, if you have a monitoring subscription). I know it’s not going to cure all of my problems, but I just feel so much more comfortable knowing that this alarm will buy me some time and will wake up a few neighbors in the case of an emergency. (My mom has a more advanced system for her whole house, too – seeing hers was the impetus for getting mine – so there’s an option for everyone from renters who just need a few pieces to owners who want all the bells and whistles.) Emphatically recommend, especially for any of my other fellow solo ladies out there!!!
Also From Caitlin: On a lighter note – I loooooove non-traditional/indie/alternative Christmas music and started compiling my favorites in this playlist back in 2015 (!!!). It’s updated every year (because I’m insane) and it’s filled with classics (like Fairytale of New York, Christmas Wrapping, all the good ones), more recent releases (like, LCD Soundsystem has Christmas music, guys!) and weirder, deeper cuts (like Xmas at K-Mart by Root Boy Slim, which is a 1978 gem that has literally been my favorite holiday song for…well, my entire life, I think). Would love any other song suggestions, if you want to share your favorites:)
From Mallory: You guys now know how I feel about finding the perfect Thanksgiving dress (if you don’t know I’m VERY specific about what it should be) and it’s about time to show you my findings. A Thanksgiving dress to me must be 1. flowy (because there’s nothing worse than a thanksgiving outfit that’s too tight) 2. comfortable enough to cook in all day and 3. elevated enough to feel like you’re dressing up for the holiday. And 4. ideally, cute enough to wear for many more parties/events afterward :) I always start at J. Crew and was very impressed by this dress that fit the bill (all the right colors, too) – use the sale code to get 40% off btw!! Then I went to Madewell because I always love to have a plaid option and this one also checked all the boxes (and I love that cute ruffle sleeve!) + it’s also on a great sale!! At the end of my search I ended up finding this dress in a store in Los Feliz and it made my heart SING. It’s a splurge but the quality is awesome + I know I’ll wear it a ton so I went for it…plus it has POCKETS. The pattern is called “Fall Daisy” and the shift dress nature of it is perfect (although it would also look very cute with a belt). Hope this helps if you’ve also been on the holiday fit search like me. Happy almost Thanksgiving!!!
From Albie: I might be the last person to discover Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and I cannot get enough of their website! I ordered their 2023 whole seed catalog and am impatiently waiting for it to arrive, while also having to resist the urge to order all the things. I live in zone 8B so our gardening season is pretty much over, however, I wanna learn and prepare as much as possible so that when we can garden, I can have a better sense of what I’m doing. I have a few books that I’ve been using to learn more about gardening in the PNW, however, it wasn’t until I landed on their site that I even realized there were so many varieties of herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. They have a seed for pink lemonade blueberries and when I tell you it blew me away…like what is this culinary magic?! I am very much looking forward to getting my catalog & flipping through it the way my daughter flips through her American Girl catalog — with enthusiasm & expectation lol.
From Jess: When I was in New York last weekend, I finally got to stop at the WRAY shop in person. I technically didn’t need anything but I tried these pants on for fun and if they had the next size up I would have bought them in a heartbeat. They looked so cool, were cut great (which makes sense given that the designer used to work for people like Rachel Comey), and while the green was a bold color they would be pants I would wear all of the time. I was told by one of the gals that worked there that this style of pants is a staple for them so they will be coming out with new colors soon. Can’t wait!! Oh, and WRAY’s sizing goes up to 6x which is yet another reason to support them:)
From Ryann: At the beginning of this year, my husband and I started using a calendar to keep track of both of our schedules. He has had a crazy busy year (he’s about to finish his master’s degree but he still works full-time and sees therapy clients at night after work) so our shared calendar on our fridge is essential. This is the one we use now (very basic but gets the job done) but for next year I want to get something a little more aesthetically pleasing. This one immediately caught my eye because it’s simple, practical, yet stylish but I have to say there aren’t that many good-looking calendars out there. Am I missing something?? Are there cool calendar retailers out there that I just don’t know about? If you have any recs, please sound off in the comments!
Enjoy the rest of your day and see you bright and early tomorrow xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Nine Arrows | Styled by Erik Kenneth Staalberg and Emily Edith Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: The New Design Rules
Hey Caitlin, I read ‘non-traditional/indie/alternative Christmas music’ and immediately set my coffee down, sat up straight and looked closer at my screen. Fa la la la jackpot. Already downloaded your playlist, thanks in advance. From one indie lover to another, my recs are Driving Under Stars by Marika Hackman, O Holy Night by Don McCloskey, You Bring the Snow by The Crookes, and Snow Falling on Your Cheek by Thomas Reid. Officially my first Happy Holidays! salutation of the year.
A kitchen reveal?? ? The kettle is on!!! ☕️☕️☕️
Far too early for Christmas (for me) but not too early to put together a Christmas choons playlist!
Recommend Bespoke Press for beautiful and useful calendars!
My favorite non-traditional Christmas song is Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlin singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings. Actually, it’s my favorite Christmas song of any type.
I LOVE that song!!
This is my go-to as well! I love this version.
The Wray pants are god awful.
A strong statement, but yes, a strong color and not a flattering fit. There is a reason Mom pants and pleated pants went out-of-style years ago (inspired SNL skits), because they are not flattering to the average body. Give it enough time and designers say, “Enough time has gone by, let’s make it cool again!”
The return of the high waisted, boyfriend baggy jeans is another good example; then they design them to flare at the end and hit the shin- you have yourself a jean that is Uber unflattering. Maybe add pleats in the front to take it over the top.
I think what is actually going out of style is picking clothes because they are “flattering” when “flattering” means- making you look thinner, more hourglass, taller, sleeker, etc. why do we have to choose things just based on what gets us closer to looking like a body type that is more sexually attractive to people. What about picking clothes that look fun, inspire, etc
I LOVE this Laria! I would only add that picking clothes that I feel GOOD and comfortable in is my top-top priority these days! And definitely that are fun for me – depending on the day/occasion.
Haha, I actually love that color, but pleats, NOOOOO.
I love the pleats! I think it’s a super cool look.
It’s comments like these that make the internet God-awful. Go back under the bridge and take your boring fashion with you, troll.
I’d really love to know what rationale you came up with that justified firing off a personal attack in response to a comment about pants?
I thought they looked fun. Not flattering on everyone, for sure, but what pants are? Loved seeing them on so many different body types and I’d try them on if I saw them in a store.
Um, was this a real comment from someone who reads this blog? Commenting on a picture of someone in pants and saying they are “god awful”? I am shocked and disgusted to read something so mean, dismissive and nasty on the internet, I’m just glad I don’t know the commenter in real life. Is that how they talk to people? I personally thought the pants were beautiful, especially on the person wearing them, and if I didn’t, I would say NOTHING!!! Because, just because you’re on the internet doesn’t mean you get free rein to insult. That was such a gross comment, I’m in shock. People in this comments section … do you speak in real life to people like you do to these strangers that you don’t know that give you free content? Mind blowing
Something I’ve been noticing with fashion lately, especially within gen z aged people, is how comfortable they seem in moving beyond the focus of what is “flattering”. I’m 37, grew up on a specific look, very much tied to the male gaze. After what has felt like decades of a singular pursuit for the perfect body shape, and airbrushed skin, these newer trends have been such a delight to take in. I know what I am conditioned to see, the boxy shapes, the frumpiness, and I do still see those things, but I no longer see why those are so inherently bad? Perfectionism comes across so dull, the imperfect interesting. Maybe the wearer feels cool in them, or maybe they don’t even think about any of this at all.
I’m all for more people gardening, but I have to recommend against Baker Creek. Yes, they’re the giant in the field of heirloom seeds and have loads of options. But they invited Clive Bundy to speak at their festival a few years ago and only uninvited him when it became clear people would protest. And their sourcing of seeds all over the world from poor communities seems a bit extractive and colonialist? On a personal note, I did use Baker Creek seeds before I learned these things, and they don’t have great germination rates. There are so many more wonderful ethical seeds companies to support!
Some other great options:
Fruition Seeds
Hudson Valley Seeds
Johnny’s Seeds
Adaptive Seeds (PNW-based)
Seed Savers Exchange
Botanical Interests
FedCo Seeds
Territorial Seed Company (PNW-based)
Source –
Seed Savers ??
As a pacific northwest veggie gardener for many years I would also recommend Territorial Seed Co. I have had great results with their seeds and many are geared towards local growers. They may not have the graphic design and photography skills of Baker Creek but they are great.
Also, I have a pink lemonade blueberry plant and the berries are delicious. Definitely look for a plant. So much easier and faster than starting berrier from seed!
Happy gardening!!!
Where do you get one in Portland?
My husband ordered Pink Lemonade Blueberry bushes for me for Christmas (last year), from Planting Tree. The blueberries were delightful, fruited really well and the company’s customer service was excellent!
Was coming here to say all this. Also add on Renees seeds and floret seeds
I’m also a fan of Renee’s and Floret.
Literally everything on this site comes back to politics now and it’s hideous. Let’s examine you and your history and find pure snow white perfection in every single corporation you’ve associated with.
Start your own blog instead of policing others with your shaming.
I would posit that Clive Bundy perhaps a) transcends politics and b) is possibly a step beyond searching out “snow white perfection.” Meaghan didn’t just say “Maybe not…” but she offered some excellent alternatives instead of just shooting the messenger, and I applaud that. If we want to talk policing and shaming, well, Emily has over the years posted many links to very cool mirrors.
I had great luck with my Johnny’s Seeds products for the past 2 years.
Just have to second the recommendations for both Floret & Territorial Seeds. Both PNW based (Floret is actually local to my little town!) And though I’m relatively new to gardening, I had great germination rates with seeds from both sources.
Uprising Organics is another favorite, based in Bellingham, WA.
We also have a Pink Lemonade Blueberry bush and the berries are yummy!
Funny story, I’d completely forgotten that what we’d bought was Pink Lemonade and began wondering why our berries weren’t turning blue although they seemed ripe.. LOL. Definitely a face palm moment!
Enjoy PNW gardening, Albie! It’s the best– so much grows so well here!
Noooo I am so sorry to know this about Baker Creek! (Fwiw, I’ve had phenomenal success with germination using their seeds – grew my own heirloom tomatoes, strawflowers, rainbow chard, and herbs from their seeds this year. )
A few of my favorites:
Purple Snowflakes – Marvin Gaye
Funky Funky Christmas – Electric Jungle
Christmas Canon – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Carol of the Bells – Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra
Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance! – Sufjan Stevens
Yes to Baker Creek Seeds but also Albie just FYI a couple nurseries in Portland sells pink lemonade blueberry starts so you can get a head start over planting seeds
(The one named after the city and the one with all the 7s, if ya catch my drift) ?
To add to the Xmas list: 2000 Miles by the Pretenders! It sounds like slowly twirling in the center of a snow globe.
LOVE the pic used in the intro, but where can I see more of this home?
Here you go, Kim:
Christmas in LA by Vulfpeck
Ryann- for years, I’ve been getting the huge calendar at Paper Source- we keep it as a desk blotter. Got it this year for $22, but usually $30. Check it out!
Another vote for the Paper Source Great Big Wall Calendar. I’ve been using it for almost a decade. There’s so much space and the paper is thick. I save the used months to wrap gifts or put underneath messy projects.
Ten great books I just finished listening to:
Our Missing Hearts (Ng, Celeste)
Mad Honey (Picoult, Jody | Finney Boylan, Jennifer)
The Last Story of Mina Lee (Jooyoun Kim, Nancy)
The Measure (Erlick, Nikki)
His Only Wife (Adzo Medie, Peace)
The Scent Keeper (Bauermeister, Erica)
Nightwork (Roberts, Nora)
Lessons (McEwan, Ian)
Such a Fun Age (Reid, Kiley)
Meant to Be (Giffin, Emily)
I loved such a fun age!
Yes, another great Reese’s Book Club selection. I’ve read 66 of the picks so far and enjoyed them all.
I’ve been using this weekly calendar for the last year and I LOVE it.
Sufjan Stevens entire Christmas repertoire is amazing. I was lucky enough to attend his Christmas sing along show many years ago!
Target clothing is considered fast fashion and is killing the planet. These companies are the second largest consumers of water, and responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions. This is more than all international flights and international shipping combined. Think before you buy from these retailers!
Two interesting houses (not quite tours due to limited photos) :
A “regular” people house –
A river front cabin –
Thank you for these links KJ. I live in Maine (and coincidently work in Damariscotta!) and these are definitely my taste. Very cute and inspiring. Also appreciate your recently read list above too!
Lucky you! We’ve only been to Maine once for a week last July and all loved it (just the Acadia/Bar Harbor/Schoodic Peninsula areas). Hope we can see more of Maine another time.
Caitlin, I LOVE a non-traditional playlist. Thank you for sharing yours. I would recommend adding any or all of the songs from Amanda Pearl Shires’ For Christmas album. SO good. My favourite from it is Gone For Christmas, but there’s lots of great ones.
Other great additions:
It Don’t Have to Change – John Legend
Getting Ready for Christmas Day – Paul Simon
Reason to Think Aloud – Dan Mangan (sort of sad, but I love it!)
Merry Christmas, Baby – Charles Johnson
For Caitlin – Anything by The Yule Logs. They are on Spotify, their Christmas music is beyond fun, and they tour the West Coast this time of year.
Django Bells by the Gypsy Hombres is crazy and fun holiday music.
The particular style and shape of the green pants are great on my particular body. And I think look great on Jess too.
Love “Holiday” by Molly Jewell. Kind of moody but so pretty.
Ana Gasteyer’s Sugar & Booze is a great Christmas album! Has several new songs plus a couple standards. Its my favorite to play during the holidays.
Ahhh Caitlin! Thank you for your playlist. I have one too that I add to all the time if there’s anything you don’t have – but something tells me we are very much on the same page about a lot!
Deb
Ryann, The BEST wall calendar for people to share is this one. I buy one every year and b/c it’s not gorgeous I keep it on the back of a cabinet door. It fits into the annual tax return folder so in case you have to prove your medical appointments or something, you always have it in a logical place. reserve.
Ryann,
I like the Schoolhouse calendar you linked. Classic and stylish. If you’re ever looking for a digital version, I highly recommend the app called FamCal. You can share it with someone else and color code for different people. It’s nice to be able to update it on the go. Definitely helps me stay organized!
I’d add to others’ song recs Wintering by The 1975 (from their new, very good, album) and Phoebe Bridgers’ annual holiday EP–she hasn’t released the 2022 update yet, but last year’s was Day After Tomorrow!
Hey Ryann! I’ve been using the Russell and Hazel Desktop Month Pad for 3 years and I LOVE it. Similar in design to the Schoolhouse calendar you shared, but you get 3 years of calendars for $28. It’s a steal. I put 3M Velcro command strips on the back and put it up on the wall.
Another song to add to the playlist – White Wine in the Sun by Tim Minchin :)
For Ryann and others who are looking for an attractive calendar: I purchased a lucite calendar from Etsy, and have used it for several years. I use an erasable pen to mark it up. I love it. Just do a search for “lucite calendar” on Etsy if you are interested.
Caitlin (and other commenters), I love your holiday music! To add, my family adores the whole ‘Socks’ album by JD McPherson. So much fun.
Dave Matthews “Christmas Song”
Thank you Caitlin. I love Christmas music and you have some songs /artists there that I had no idea did Christmas music.
My suggestions for you: Sia’s Christmas album, Everyday is Christmas – almost all songs are great but I love Ho Ho Ho.
Vince Guaraldi – Charlie Brown Christmas (yeah, your list needs some idie jazz) – Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas would be a nice addition too.
And the best version of Baby It’s Cold Outside was recorded by Sammy Davis Jr & Carmen McCrae. Sammy hams it up as required by this silly song.