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The Link Up: The Shop Where Emily Just Donated A Ton Of GOOD Clothes, Marlee’s Ulitmate Sleeping Hack, And The Most Fun Cabinet Knobs
Happy Sunday, everyone! We think it’s fair to say that this was a big week for Jess with her living room AND bedroom reveals, as well as celebrating 9 years at EHD. If you missed those rooms, definitely go check them out. Otherwise, the PDX team had a very exciting shoot, and everyone is gearing up for a great November. Let’s get to the links.
This week’s house tour is a pink lover’s dream! Designer Claudia Lambert, created a postmodern, modern family home that is drenched in amazing and varied shades of her favorite hue. Check it out!
From Emily: Hey local Portland folks! While I’m still on my PR crusade to make sure the rest of the world knows we aren’t a warzone, I also want to highlight two local second-hand stores that I donate to (and are awesome). I sell all my fancier clothes to Consign Couture in the adorable Multnomah Village, and earlier this week I dropped off SO MUCH. Seriously, like 6 bags with a lot of barely worn good stuff (Ulla Johnson, The Great, Sezane, and NWT Madewell). I typically try to close my eyes when I’m going in because they have such good stuff. Anyway, if you live here, head over to Consign Couture for barely used designer clothes for a hell of a lot less (and then get lunch at Yalla, pop into JP General, and don’t forget to stop into Form & Function one block away – I LOVE that design shop).
For everything else (including a lot of kids good clothes) I donate to Shirtzenpantz, which is a super cool thrift store in Hillsdale (by City Thai) that is run by a 23-year-old dude that has taken OFF on Social in the oddest way (by odd I mean good, but it’s so hard to explain – you have to follow him to understand why/how he has been kicking a rock called “Christosphere” for hundreds of days until it turns into a sphere). Anyway, I previously used to donate to Goodwill, etc, but I love supporting his business, which has a big cult hit in Portland (and a lot of teenagers thrift there).
From Marlee: Last week, I shared with you my essentials for making the transition into winter more bearable… and somehow I forgot THE most important item of all. You may have heard or read things online about the Hatch alarm clock and have wondered, What’s the big deal?? I’m here to tell you: everything. Here, let me paint you a picture my routine pre-Hatch: get ready for bed, doomscroll, fall asleep with the light on, turn the light off, can’t fall back asleep, turn on a Spotify white noise playlist, fall asleep, get jolted awake by some “ad” in the white noise playlist…. then alarm goes off in the morning, snooze 4 times, struggle to wake up because it’s so dark in my room, wonder why I’m so… tired and grumpy??
Okay, you get the idea… here’s my routine in my post–Hatchera: get ready for bed, tap the top of my Hatch – a nice red light comes on, so I turn my lamps off, spend a little time on my phone or read, then 30 minutes later, the red light dims, and some white noise comes on. Sometimes it’s a rushing river, sometimes brown noise, occasionally classic box fan… hello options. 10 minutes later, the white noise volume increases, and that’s my signal to put the phone away. Goodnight! In the morning, 30 minutes before I need to wake up, a nice soft blue light comes on… then it gets brighter, turning orange, then fully lit to yellow… then some soft bird chirping begins, maybe a wind chime… a few minutes later, my “alarm” is going off, but I’m already awake, slowly and comfortably. And I’m in a good mood, revolutionary! (All of that; noises, times, colors are all customizable in the app)
Some of you might find this unnecessary, which is okay, congrats on your healthy sleep habits (I’m not jealous of you at all) – but as someone who to my core procrastinates going to bed and has literally had to be dragged out of bed every morning since the age of, like, 2 – this little machine has truly made my life so so much better. I actually received this as a Christmas gift from my parents a few years ago, and GOD I wish I had had this as a teenager (gift idea!!). When I got mine, it was only about $100, and they’ve since increased the price, but also made a new version that is more design-forward. I think something that you use truly *every day* is always going to be worth it, but if you don’t want to splurge, I recommend checking your local FB marketplace! They also sell cheaper dupes online, but then you don’t get the benefits of the customization and Hatch app, which I think really makes it:)
From Gretchen: Rearranging some furniture this weekend, I was reminded just how much I love having these furniture sliders on hand! When that “style/play/everyday” itch hits, especially living alone, these sliders make it so easy to move your bigger pieces on a whim without damage. We used them a couple of weeks ago at Em’s house when we were updating the living room, swapping the walnut midcentury piece with the rustic blue cabinet, and it took us all of five minutes with these sliders! Plus, these are great because they work on hardwood or carpet and have so far been super durable.
From Caitlin: I did it, guys: I’ve gone full whimsy. (I mean, how could I not, after reading Arlyn’s ode to decorating joyfully?) I’m speaking, of course, about my new tortellini cabinet knobs. I didn’t know that ceramic pasta could bring this much cheer! To me, they’re the perfect mix of form and function – they’re subtle and circular from a distance, but festive and happy when viewed up close. Each knob was handcrafted by KOLOS Ceramics, a Seattle-based ceramicist, and I’m so thrilled to have supported her small business. If you’re on the hunt for a great gift, might I suggest her $30 pasta spoon rest, her $11 ceramic pins (how cute would the blueberry be as a lapel pin?), or her pickleball espresso cup? Join me on the whimsy side!!! We’re having fun over here!!!
From Mallory: This $50 denim jacket has been in constant rotation for me lately, and I couldn’t love it more. It’s lightweight but roomy enough to layer if needed, and it has a solid boxy fit. Plus, I love the leather collar detail!! Very barn jacket chic and totally reminds me of this one Em wore in her barn jacket post but for a lot less, but for a lot less.
Also From Mallory: Okay, here’s something super important for your Sunday…I walked into Anthro over the weekend and gasped when I saw this sweater. It’s a dog wearing a cowboy hat!!! AND BOOTS! I’m obsessed with it.
Also Also From Mallory: I went to the Dwell Open House event last week, and it was AMAZING. In case you haven’t heard of it, Dwell has been hosting an annual house tour event in LA, where you can tour some incredible residential homes. We toured the famous Hollyhock House to begin, and then we drove around to the other locations, all of which were incredibly inspiring. A lot of the homeowners and architects were there as well, and it was so fun to be able to talk to them. Truly one of the best Saturdays – we would do this every year!!
From Arlyn: Perhaps it’s the fact that my teen years were during the undeniable heydays of the graphic T-shirt Renaissance, but I love a silly little graphic hat. So when I saw this “Running Late” one in my favorite fall color, I scooped it up almost immediately. Oh, did I mention it was also on sale for under $15?!? This “Silly Goose” one was a strong contender, as well, but ultimately, I decided I didn’t need to be known as the mom who always has some ridiculous saying on her hat at school drop off. One was enough…for now.
From Jess: To know me is to know that almost exclusively, matte neutral eye makeup. I’ve had this great Patrick Ta one for a couple of years now, but I didn’t use enough of the colors, some broke, and as a kinda minimal makeup gal, it was a little too big to travel with. Oh, and my favorite everyday color was running out. So when I was at Sephora, I picked up this wonderful Makeup by Mario Matte Palette. It’s all warm neutrals, is a good medium size, and I know I’ll use most, if not all, of these colors. I have a few other products of his and love them! In conclusion, both palettes are awesome (I just came across this one too!), but I’m excited to really get into this new one.
Thank you for a great week in this little design nook, and see y’all tomorrow for a great reveal!
Opening Image Credits: Design by Jess Bunge | Styled by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Makeover Takeover: It’s FINALLY Here…Jess’ Art Filled Living Room/Office Reveal
Just a note on “donating” to a thrift store. I checked out the shirtzenpantz one. It looks cool, but it doesn’t benefited a charity. It’s a for profit store, and it seems that the owner makes a living from those donated goods.
I volunteer at a charitable thrift store. It benefits our local Hospice organization. It has dozens of volunteers. After paying the overhead of rent, utilities, and the salaries of 6 full time employees, last year the store made $500,000 for its very worth cause.
Maybe reconsider donating to Goodwill, or find another charitable one to support?
Getting donated goods from one person to another, so they don’t end up in a landfill, is a worthy service. Why shouldn’t this store owner make a living? There’s far too much halo around the idea of “charity,” especially when we now know how few donated clothing items actually recirculate to other users (so many end up as waste). I’m glad your charity shop works well, but it’s not a panacea for overconsumption–and it makes you wonder why dozens of volunteers have to work retail to fund hospice! Helloooooo??? Broken American healthcare. And the halo of charity and volunteering is filling in the cracks. In conclusion, Goodwill and other charity shops are NOT better than a small business.
“We provide more than $1 million each year in mission-related services for which we are not reimbursed. We rely on contributions from individuals, businesses, and foundations to cover expenses for those with no insurance or means to pay for our services and to close the gap between insurance reimbursement and the actual cost of our care. Our services are funded through various sources including Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance and private payments. All gifts, no matter the size, benefit those in our community—your friends, family, and neighbors—when they need it most. Your generosity makes a difference, right here at home.”
From the website of a worthy hospice organization, that I am proud to volunteer for.
Yeah, it sounds great. But what if you live in a community without individuals, businesses, and foundations that can contribute enough to close the gap? Without people willing and able to give away their time to volunteer? Do people there not deserve social services? You’re not making a convincing case here.
Gretchen- thanks for the furniture slides suggestion! I had no idea this brilliance existed. Moved around a lot of furniture this week during a room reno/full painting DIY project in my daughter’s room and depended on little felt pads put on more than a decade ago to slowly pull and push everything around. I’m sooooo happy with how it all turned out (especially the cozy smokey deep lilac painted closet!)….but will use furniture sliders in the next room. 🌸
They are so useful at home. And there also are lots of videos online for using furniture sliders for workouts. Really easy to travel with to use in a hotel room. And they make normal exercises (i.e. lunges) very challenging!
@Marlee—do you need to pay for the hatch subscription to make it worth it? That’s the only thing holding me back!!
I’m curious about the adult Hatch as well! Our two kids each have one in their bedroom. The price for the kid version is $100 less than the (really attractive) adult one. I can make routines and it seems like the adult and kid version are pretty similar. Even though I love the look of the adult Hatch, I’m tempted to not splurge and to get the kid version for $69. Do any grownups out there have any insight on using the kid Hatch?
Off topic, but a girlfriend and I are heading to Portland for a quick overnight in November. No car, and neither of us has been before. I thought there was a Portland guide on here but I can’t find it. We’d be so grateful for any restaurant or retail recs!
stylebyemilyhenderson.com/our-portland-favorites-where-we-shopped-stayed-and-ate
stylebyemilyhenderson.com/antiquinghoarding-in-portland
stylebyemilyhenderson.com/portland-artist-makers-vintage-dealers-call-out
stylebyemilyhenderson.com/still-in-portland-doctors-orders
stylebyemilyhenderson.com/portland-shopping-requests
stylebyemilyhenderson.com/portland-shopping-i-put-birds-on-things
Anyone else just realize that Lawson-Fenning is now owned by a group selling a “modernized Christian shopping experience” along the lines of Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A?
businessofhome.com/articles/lawson-fenning-sells-majority-stake-to-lifestyle-brand
Great read! I really appreciate how you framed this ultimate sleeping not just as a product recommendation but as part of a full bedtime ritual—transition lighting, white/brown noise, gradual wake-up light—all of it tied together so thoughtfully. It’s refreshing to see something that goes beyond “sleep tips” and focuses on how our environment really shapes our rest. I’m definitely inspired to adapt parts of this in my own routine. Thanks for sharing such actionable and design-savvy advice.