Noteworthy

I decided to skip the Friday gift guide (sorry guys!) and write a Noteworthy post instead. It has been awhile since I’ve posted an update, plus I think I’m all “gift-guided” out, ha! However, if you are still shopping- click here to check them out. There are a BUNCH of gift ideas. Anyway, click through for inspiration, life updates, fun links, and the latest on our new home renovation. 

Whew! It has been a whirlwind these past couple weeks. Between moving, being really sick, keeping up with work, and the hustle & bustle of the holiday season, things have been a little chaotic. I feel like I’ve been in survival mode, but am finally starting to settle in and enjoy the season.

We currently have a house guest- our good friend from Indiana has been staying with us all week, and my pal Laurie Anne (yes- the artist) is scheduled to arrive the day after our midwest bestie leaves. If there’s one thing I’m currently appreciating about our new house, it’s the added space to accommodate company! Emmett and I absolutely love having friends and family visit. We no longer have to fight over a single bathroom, plus I feel like our guests are more comfortable having a secluded bedroom with their own private bath (complete with a very beautiful waste basket). Speaking of that bath…

Sometimes a house tells you where to begin a renovation. In this scenario, we’re starting with the guest bath due to plumbing issues. It’s probably not the first room we would’ve tackled (we both had hoped to start with my office), but sometimes the to-do list arranges itself. My plan was to begin the design process after Christmas, but I couldn’t help myself (or shut my brain off)… this is probably the fastest room I’ve ever designed and planned. It literally happened within 8 hours- things have already been ordered and some packages have even started arriving. It just kind of happened. It was one of those instances where you immediately HAVE to put a pen to paper and execute the plan as fast as you can. So yeah… I’ll share the plan soon! In the meantime, feel free to check out the “before tour”.

I bought myself a little holiday gift. I ran out of perfume and wanted to switch things up, so I bought this Byredo trio and am OBSESSED. I can’t decide which scent I should buy in the full size bottle. They’re all so good. I’ve been getting so many compliments. If you’re also in need of a new fragrance, I think sampler sets are the best bang for your buck.. and you can test lots of options before making a more expensive choice.

This is our third home (see one here, see two here) and we have NEVER ever hosted a house warming party. Are we missing out? It seems like a lot of effort. How many of you enjoy or have thrown a house warming party? I had a discussion with one of my designer friends about this, and we both feel like it’s difficult to let people come over when things aren’t fully unboxed or perfectly styled. Then again… we live years in a house before it’s totally finished and “perfect”. I guess it doesn’t really matter one way or the other! One of my goals for 2019 is to live in the moment and be ok with whatever stage we’re currently in. I just want to embrace each and every moment- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We desperately needed seating in our new house since we left our dining table at our previous home. Luckily there is counter space that was created for barstools in our new (meaning 1990’s) kitchen. I actually found some amazing barstools that were very inexpensive, but look super high end! I ordered 4 of these and they are amazing in person. I shared an Insta story about them, if you’re interested.

I kind of think this sounds like a terrible idea. Picking A, B, or C when it comes to a bathroom renovation feels weird- especially when there are so many moving parts and room for personalization / customization. What if you walk into your friend’s house and they have the exact same “bath in a box”? Hmmm. It’s an interesting concept. What do you guys think? Would you ever do that?

To my fellow dog moms out there, BarkBox put together this hilarious holiday video last year and for some reason I’m just now seeing it for the first time this year. It gave me a good laugh! Aren’t my boys looking festive in front of our tree? They are obsessed with carpet! We’ve always had homes with hardwoods throughout and this is like heaven to them. They play chase 100 miles per hour and love having traction. They’ve been making us laugh so much adapting to our new home. Let’s just say they’re loving life and their new “upgraded” floor situation.

If you’re looking for ways to give back this Christmas or holiday season, this article shares 10 ideas. We like to choose a local family, so our contribution or donation goes directly to them instead of an organization. Growing up, we always picked a family or child off of the angel tree and it’s a tradition I’ve grown to love. Last year, we also made donations and took food to our local teen homeless shelter. In the midst of a million gift guides (which are always very fun & helpful), don’t forget to find time to give back and spread some cheer in your community this holiday! Even a simple compliment goes a long way.

Emmett is begging to have a “man room” in our new house. Obviously I’m agreeing because we have the space and he deserves it, BUT- I get to design it when we’re ready to make that happen. That’s the stipulation and he’s not fully on board quite yet. I’m basically treating him like a client and am asking his wants, needs, aesthetic preference, etc. Haha! So far, I’ve learned he would like a desk (to do our accounting), but also storage for his gear & sports equipment, as well as a place for cold drinks, a TV, and the comfy leather chair of his choosing. He’s not asking much, right? Honestly I thought it would be worse, but this still should be interesting! I’ve been searching man caves, and this article has some unique and stylish ideas… although none feel very masculine to me. I’m pretty sure he would hate them all.

Cheers to the weekend! We have a holiday party tonight, so maybe I’ll give you a fun peek behind the scenes. I’m in charge of bringing charcuterie. If we’re getting all dressed up- I might as well document it, right? Proof that we actually clean up nicely sometimes. Happy Friday my friends. Hope you all have a festive weekend. xo