Happy Sunday y’all! It was a pretty busy week after Portland’s weather kept most everyone at a standstill. But Em and Gretch are back in action and we get Caitlin back from Antarctica soon!! Oh and if you missed the Feel Good Flash Makeover Arlyn gifted her parents, then grab a tissue and go read that right now. Then come back for this week’s links.
This week’s house tour is from another of our favorite designers, Sally Breer. Her newly revealed LA home has so many special details (hello, ceiling!), and is calm and neutral while having the perfect pops of color to be a little unexpected. You just have to go look at it. Enjoy!
From Emily: A couple winter romance indulges to boost your mood: The book, You with a View – what a sweet and steamy book that checks all the boxes (well written, couldn’t put down, has a first love/enemies to lovers vibe and just highly enjoyable). Multiple friends have agreed that it was a standout from this year (we all read romance novels, duh). Then Brian suggested over Christmas break to go see Anyone But You, a movie with Glenn Powell and more importantly Sydney Sweeney (from Euphoria). I did a spit take – Brian, you WANT to GO see this rom-com in the movie theater??? We both know Glenn from LA (not well, AT ALL, just friends of friends) and we are both huge fans of his acting (and both crush on him). Sydney Sweeney, I recognized but had no idea who she was (Euphoria fame – which we haven’t watched and I fear would give me anxiety). It’s a very loose adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing which is helpful to know because my goodness the tropes were hard to swallow (and that’s coming from me). But once you know that it’s so enjoyable with such a great cast, with a beautiful setting, and worth the two hours. Also hot tip, we are now at the point where we can shove our kids into another movie that they want to watch while we watch our own movie and IT’S GLORIOUS!!!!!! Anyway, both of these are just fun, enjoyable, and might make you snuggle tighter in the winter.
From Jess: Emily is NOT going to be on board with this given her love of minimal chopping tools and an aversion to small appliances. BUT, when I was making soup with a friend last weekend she had electric this KitchenAid food chopper that chopped our onions so tiny and fast I could’ve cried (in the good way, not the eye-stinging way). Here’s the deal. I hate onions and only in the past couple of years have started dealing with them cooked in soup. It’s not a flavor issue, it’s a texture thing which is why I stay as far away from raw onions as possible. I wish it was different because life would be A LOT easier but here we are. Now I’ve tried hand choppers, like the one Emily loves, but they don’t cut onions tiny enough for me so I end up chopping them by hand and it takes forever because I’m slow. Now I cannot wait to make my next soup (the chopper gets here tomorrow as I’m writing this) because I just eliminated a main “pain point” that makes me not want to cook at all (I’m easily dissuaded). Plus, as someone who doesn’t have a ton of small appliances, I am happy to add it and it will be easy to stick in a cabinet. Oh, and it’s really easy to clean! I know from experience. Hope this is helpful for any other little picky weirdos like me:)
From Arlyn: Got ugly vertical blinds but can’t take them down (rental) or just don’t feel like it? BOY DO I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER! I mentioned these amazing (and super affordable) brackets earlier this week in the post about my parent’s flash makeover reveal, but in case it was missed in my giant dissertation of a post, I figured it best to also share here. They take seconds to install, are adjustable so they’ll fit most overhead track rails, and the rod you chose (I got this one) ends up directly in front so you barely notice the rail anymore. Open the blinds, tuck them behind a curtain panel to the side and BOOM. A far better solution.
Also from Arlyn: Last week, Jess talked about her hair journey for the year and asked for some recs and I’m coming this week with my hand open also asking for a favor. I was born was fairly easy hair but my skin leaves much to be desired. This year, I want to focus on fixing that, specifically the texture and the visibility of my pores. Please, someone out there, share with me a product (or service) that has helped you smooth out the texture of your skin and maybe, dear lord maybe, shrink pore size? I’m not entirely sure that’s even possible, but look, I’ll take all the recommendations. Thanks!
From Caitlin: It’s my third consecutive travel-related link for you (and my final dispatch from Antarctica – heading back north in a few days!), but I’ve saved the best recommendation for last: it’s a soft, comfy, easy-to-move-in hoodie with a built-in eye mask. This was a Christmas gift from Brenda and she knocked it out of the park! The lining is SO soft and it’s warm without feeling thick or heavy, which is my favorite. I love the oversized, boxy fit and the built-in eye mask is a dream for long flights (or if you’re trying to sleep at 3 AM and the sun’s already risen, as is the case here!). I don’t normally love the feeling of an eye mask, but this one is large and I love the way it drapes (no elastic required). I already know that this one is gonna make my gift guide this year!
From Mallory: No joke these might have been the easiest and best eggs I have ever made!! They’re creamy with a little kick – I used this chili oil which I got from my cute little local NYC butcher shop and it is PHENOMENAL. Highly recommend you try this – oh and don’t forget to top it with green onions or chives.
Also From Mallory: So now that I live in a cold weather climate I can no longer wear my little shorts and sports bra sets to the gym – it’s time we learn how to layer!! So I recently purchased this striped workout shirt from Lululemon and I have to say I love it. It’s lightweight and drapes well which makes it the perfect layering shirt. Plus the material is slightly workout-y but it also can easily be worn around town as a regular shirt and no one would know it’s athleisure (I wear it under sweaters all the time!!). I bought it in the Yachtie Striped Black and White but it comes in lots of other cute colors too if you’re interested!! The neckline detail is also really cute:)
From Gretchen: Em loves her Bombas socks and I’ve always wanted to try them out. A friend recently recommended their Gripper Slippers, so I decided that’s where I’d start! I have terrible circulation and my toes get ridiculously cold. Socks don’t usually do enough to keep them warm and most of my slippers just feel too clunky to wear around the house. I love that these feel like the coziest socks on the planet but legit grip like shoes! A few styles are on sale right now, but the best part is that when you buy a pair, they gift a pair to someone in need. So it’s money well spent no matter what!
That’s it for today! See everyone tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Brady’s Living Room Refresh with The Citizenry
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
