Happppppp-y mother loving Friday, people. Are you as ready for a two day respite from work as much as I am? Good, good. Without further ado, here are a few things I’m feelin’. xoxo!
The ‘Big Little Lies’ soundtrack:The most perfect soundtrack to the most perfect TV mini-series just dropped. If you weren’t able to watch this murder drama that just ended on HBO, do yourself a favor and take today off (or if you’re at work, just walk out right now), hunker down in your bed, get online and immediately devour this series. I’m serious. And not only was this addictive drama the best thing I’ve seen this year so far on TV, but the soundtrack was ON POINT and masterfully laid into every episode, becoming a character itself.
These red wine braised short ribs were made by a friend last week and holy fall of the bones, Batman. They were so tender and mouth wateringly good, and according to my friend, pretty easy! Spring’s here but from what I’ve heard it’s still cold in most of the country, so you just go on ahead and make this comfort dish:
ThisBlack Long Sleeve Zipper Jacket – $45, as originally seen on Ali Fedotowsky (so cute!) was my answer to finding a cute jacket that wouldn’t break the bank but could go over a dress or jeans. *Note: Get one size up, or else you’ll feel like Fat Guy In A Little Coat.
“The River At Night” by Erica Ferencik – What do you get when you combine Meryl Streep’s great movie “A River Wild” with a story about four best friends on a whitewater rafting trip in Maine, who become lost in the wilderness? A great, scary book.
“Rock and a Hard Place” on HBO – Inspired by The Rock’s own experiences with the law as a youth, this heartwarming HBO documentary follows incarcerated young people who are granted a second chance through a one-of-a-kind boot camp program in Miami and the opportunity to trade an extensive prison sentence for a fresh start. I didn’t know what to expect and was really pleasantly surprised. Get some tissues and watch this… trust me.
Good MMMMMMORNING! Ready for me to yack this month’s rainbow of my favorite things all over you??
First & foremost: hit play on this jam – which reminds me of still chilly but bright & sunny early mornings in So Cal… and then peace out to your mental happy place while you look at all the pretty things for the next 5 minutes.
PERFECT FOR MY FUTURE OFFICE.
I’m certain I’ve posted about these before, because I’ve had them saved for years. They’re divine, and perfect in every possible way.
Barefoot, breezy, and in pastel cotton candy technicolor colors.
WHAT I WANT MY FRIDAY NIGHT OUTFIT TO FEEL LIKE.
THIS WEEK’S REAL-LIFE FRIDAY NIGHT OUTFIT.
Whoops.
BUT FOR REAL.
I had plans but they fell through… plus, ya can’t beat a hot date with Gus for Prez, Totinos pizza rolls & Scandal.
STILL OBSESSED.
And may snap this off eBay for a wedding in the South in May.
Karrie and I are both now the proud owners of 3 of the CUTEST MUGS EVER. I posted about these awhile back and had to email the Etsy shop owner aka Santa Claus and have her make more. I don’t mean to be a total weirdo, but they legit encapsulate how life feels. PS I swear I didn’t smoke a doobie for breakfast.
A LESSON ON NOOKS.
This pic makes a strong case for a striped bench seat (vs. solid) and a shallow ledge for mismatched frames (vs. a hanging gallery wall).
WAVERLY FOR THE WIN.
Always. I was trolling the streets of Manhattan Beach a few weeks back and popped into Waverly. So much great stuff, as per the usge.
Probably b/c they have a sheepskin blankie on them. #allthecozythings
PRETTY IN PINK RUG.
Jenny Keenan always has pretty things in her insta. She’s a designer I’ve loved / followed for a long time.
ALL HAIL THE 90’s.
They’re back. I would’ve worn that skirt in middle school, and I’d wear it again today.
THE CARIBBEAN VERSION OF THE PINEAPPLE BATHROOM AT CASA COVET LIVING.
This is via Julia Hengel’s Insta, and it’s of the bathroom at the Bahama House Inn. I need the source of that pink pineapple wallpaper stat.
ALL I EVER NEEDED.
I design and lust after a lot of big a$$, spendy kitchens… but truthfully, this is all I really ever wanted or needed. There’s something luxurious about a small, simple space; it means you can only really put it in your most favorite, carefully chosen things.
In the Berkeley neighborhood of Denver, snapped on my morning walk with Gus last week. It’s on the block my girlfriend lives on, and every time I pass it I love it a little more. White brick + a Spanish tile roof + OMG those cherry blossom trees in bloom.
FAVE NEW CAB.
Thoroughly enjoyed by me + a high school buddy this week – to the tune of a raging headache all day the next day, but worth it. This vino is also allegedly exclusive to Il Postino in Denver, which really chaps my hide. I even asked if I could buy bottles from them and they said you have to open it then cork it before you leave. I’m determined to find a work around.
YOU KNOW I LOVE NEUTRAL WITHOUT BEING BORING…
cuz I say it all the time. But this I would do on my backsplash in a heartbeat. Backsplashes are TOUGH because they’re like having to choose one outfit that you wanna wear every day (for at least the next 10 years). You wanna land somewhere between doing a classic subway (which can border on boring depending how you do it), and a fun, loud patterned tile (which you may be very well be sick of in a year). THIS, to me, is perfect… the pattern is small and the color is just subtle enough. That hazy grey/blue looks great with everything, and it’s interesting without being overpowering.
And, this non-gel color is very gel-like, in that it lasts for WEEKS on your tootsies. I also have it on my fingernails right now and it’s still not chipped, one week later.
Pair a ticking euro / larger pillow (less spendy) with a statement throw pillow or pattern and you’ve got a winning combo, yo.
THIS GUY.
Whom I try not to really post about cuz I don’t wanna jinx it. But I adore him.
LATEST OBSESSION = finding a pair of vintage brass director’s chairs, and recovering them in a non-tawny velvet. Those these have a certain charm as is.
HAS THE WOMAN EVER HAD A BAD HAIR DAY?
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO MY DINING ROOM TABLE.
…and go buy a pair of white jeans at Target than I can intentionally destroy to look like that.
SO CUTE FOR SPRING.
I gasped when I saw this – the color and pattern and cute is perfect. But then I found it on Revolve and it looks goofy on the model.
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER.
Another neutral but not boring tile. Perf if you’re scared to do color but want to punch things up a little.
PINK MUDCLOTH IS THE NEW JAM.
I’m pretty over black & white mud cloth (that goes for blue & white batik as well, as pretty as it is), but the pink version feels fresh and delightful.
COZIEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE.
These are from Dovetail and someone had to pry me out of them at Las Vegas Market in January.
WAIT IS THIS REAL?
Saw this in BHG the other day and thought it might be an urban legend. Love some sweet potato fries but they’re a bee-otch to make. Somebody lmk if you try these.
MY FAVORITE NEW OUTFIT THAT I HAVEN’T TAKEN OFF IN 2 WEEKS.
Via my other new favorite store in Manhattan Beach – William B.
Takeaways include: a non-stark white, creamy (but not buttercreamy/yellow) cabinet is SO classic.. black & white check marble floors are equally as timeless… and dogs are the stuff of a joyful life – they make everything better.
I was helping a client style an antique hutch in her breakfast room on Friday, and decided to prop one of her old books up on plate stand… was flipping through some of them and flipped to this page of an old copy of the Velveteen Rabbit. How sweet would this be as wallpaper? Or just blown up into a print.
SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ENTRY WAY.
It really is true – an entry way is kinda like your home’s first impression… like a little preview or the Cliffsnotes for what people are gonna see in the rest of your house.
And mind you – this table is SUPER easy to recreate – it’s called $10 strings of lights from Tar-jay, plain-white-plates and clear glasses you can scoop up from Goodwill, and save your empty clear bottles from now till then & just soak the labels off. Scoop up some old mismatched dining chairs from Goodwill while you’re at it.
ANOTHER WHIP O’ MY DREAMS.
Via a Sunday morning walk through Karrie’s new hood a few weeks ago.
I WISH THIS WAS WALLPAPER.
But it’s a painted mural. I’m literally dying to put this in one client’s master bath, in the little nook above the wainscoting / above the freestanding tub. OR in someone’s nursery. But that means I gotta call the little Picasso who did it.
It’s also a stupid amount of money (like, get serious – Serena & Lily would sell this for $450), but I love it nonetheless.
I LOVED GROWING UP IN INDIANA.
But truth be told, while I adore my family, it would be hard to imagine ever moving back. Pics like this, however, make me SUPER nostalgic, and make me yearn for the heartland in the summer – when everything smells green and sounds like cicadas in the trees. Also reminds me of my Grandparents, or mornings eating breakfast at my Dad’s house out in the country, looking out at the back 40 – which looks like this. And just a simpler time.
DO Y’ALL FOLLOW ERIN GATES FROM ELEMENTS OF STYLE?
This amazing little Kate Spade sofa is in her new office. But more importantly, she is amazing, and hilarious. One of the few I still follow. And in a world where Instagram has more or less taken the place of blogs where people actually used to have the patience to read text, I would still read anything she wrote.
YES.
As seen on my friend Jessie’s Insta. Couldn’t agree more.
LOOK AT THAT PATINA YOU KNOW I LOVE THE WORD PATINA CUZ I NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT IT.
That’s all folks! We’re off to the beach for the day, then yoga. Followed by fish tacos for dinner, Monopoly, then the cloud + more Netflix. OMG I HAVE THE BEST LIFE EVER.
PS: comme toujours, imma post this and then be editing and adding links while y’all are reading… cuz it’ll take me till Monday & then it won’t be Sunday morning musings anymore.