Happy Sunday everyone! We are still just staring at the photos of the river house guest room reveal. We collectively all considered painting our room a moody pink after seeing the shots come through. Aside from that, we are full steam ahead on more projects, even a fun shoot Em is coming to LA for this upcoming week:) It’s going to be a wild one! Until then here are this week’s links…
This week’s house tour is a 1920s Washington DC brownstone that perfectly marries glam and eclecticness. EHD favorite, Zoe Feldman, also designs the most inspiring homes that are equally as livable so it was no surprise that this gem was hers too. Go check it out here!
From Emily: Some solid weekend entertainment suggestions – Besides the obvious, White Lotus Season 3, (I haven’t started yet) I flew through and couldn’t stop thinking about Apple Cider Vinegar. I remember both cases (fictionalized for TV but definitely based on true story) – one influencer who faked brain cancer and became a wellness influencer, and another who chose alternative medicine (and also became a wellness influencer). It was the 2010s and it was (and still is) a wild ride in this industry – but BOY is this show hard to stop thinking about. TW: it is a lot about cancer and can be unsettling so be careful if that feels too close to home. The acting, directing, writing – it’s all so good. I found it thought provoking – especially since I’m such a sucker for the latest “snake oil” that the wellness industry is trying to push on me and the psychology about fictionalized disorders (wild stuff). I really just couldn’t stop thinking about this show (and highly entertaining).
But more importantly, if you haven’t seen In The Heights, might I suggest a solid watch? We are massive Lin Manuel Miranda fans over here (Encanto, Moana, and of course, Hamilton) and his 2021 movie based on his Tony Winning play set in Washington Heights during 2001 is so freaking good. We watched it a few times during lockdown but just rewatched with the kids and I was reminded how good it is (up there with Paddington 2 and Wonka IMHO). The music is incredible, obviously, the story is so good, the acting is awesome (so many Hamilton cameos!) it’s culturally important AND the directing/producing just feels like a fantastic huge performance. The lyrics move fast (like all his work) so feel free to put subtitles on to help follow. So if you are looking for a family friendly musical movie to watch this weekend, watch In The Heights (our kids are 9 and 11 and it has some cursing and some suggesting stuff, but overall we felt it was totally appropriate – and heck, they watched it at 6 and 8 and loved it then).
Fariha Nasir is such an insanely talented designer and DIY queen (have you seen her show Problem Spaces)?? So when we heard she had a wallpaper collection with Chasing Paper we couldn’t wait to see.
Flower Garland | Nargis Block Print | Ajrak
Here’s a little blurb about her process – “I’ve been working on this for over a year and my goal was to bring a block print wallpaper collection to the market with authenticity and nuance. I’ve hand sketched, painted and worked with a South Asian surface designer to put this together.” It’s so fun thinking back to watching this bathroom makeover she did where she painted her own wall pattern and it was clearly part of her design process! Needless to say, this is a deeply personal collection and as the pictures show, an incredibly beautiful one. Check them all out here!
From Marlee: Let me share with you one of the greatest culinary creations I’ve ever discovered – Ground Up Nut Butters. They have a ton of super fun flavors that sound super sweet, but there’s no sugar added – my favorite is Coconut Cardamom with Chia seeds, but Cinnamon Snickerdoodle gets an honorable mention! It’s amazing on toast, ice cream, a yogurt bowl, with a banana, on its own… something about this product just does it for me. Not only is it incredibly yummy, but the company is local to PDX, woman-owned, and partners with local nonprofits to provide work opportunities and job training to women overcoming adversity in the Portland area. Big fan all around. I usually grab them at New Seasons (a Portland grocery store) but they can be found at stores all over (check out their store locator). If you want to level up your nut butter game (not a sentence I ever thought I’d say) and support a great small business, you should 100% check them out.
From Caitlin: When I saw this piece on Dwell titled “Is GoFundMe the New Insurance?“, I can’t say I was chomping at the bit to read a heady piece about crowdfunding. But when the piece later appeared in my email, I gave it a shot – and I’m SO glad I did. Told through the lens of the LA fires, it explores why insurance often fails to be the safeguard it’s promised to be and how we’ve come to fill the gaps ourselves…often unfairly. Safe to say, it’s a must-read for any policy wonks (guilty as charged) or homeowners who’d like to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster (do you have enough “depth” or “breadth” in your network to help you rebuild?). I promise, it’s a fascinating read!!!
From Mallory: It’s not often I give a food rec on here but have ya ever heard of Aaron Franklin?? BBQ LEGEND – so when I was in Austin last weekend hitting up his BBQ place was a must-do (and was honestly a big point of the trip). But the line is known for being 4-6 hours long on the daily, so I’m gonna drop the hottest tip for all of you guys if you happen to be in Austin or visitng soon: THEY DO PICKUP ORDERS SO YOU CAN SKIP THE LINE!! But there’s a caveat – you have to order 5 pounds of meat lol. So to hit the minimum, we ordered our lunch and then ordered a chilled brisket to go (and yes we did take a brisket through TSA and onto an airplane over ice) and we’re gonna have a dinner party with it. So your question now probably is…was it all worth it? Absolutely. My expectations were so high and they were immediately exceeded. Franklin’s is truly the best bbq y’all.
From Jess: Ok, so I wanted to wait to recommend my Dr. Dennis Gross red (and blue) light face mask because it’s not cheap and it’s also not the kind of thing you see results immediately with. But now the time has come. I’ve been using it very consistently (almost every day) for 3 months and I really feel like my skin is looking great. My best friend even told me that she noticed which is honestly maybe one of the greatest compliments, well at least to me, when I’ve been working hard at it:) I will say that I’ve also been really consistent with my vitamin C serum in the AM and my retinol in the PM. Like anything, consistency is key and I was doing those before I started the mask. The mask automatically shuts off after 3 minutes, so it really doesn’t take much time, is cordless, so you can move around, and you have the option of red light, blue light, or a combo (red is more for collagen production, whereas blue is more for acne). My friend also has one and she uses it on her neck and top of her head too. This little guy is versatile but FYI you will scare your family when you’re wearing it lol. Good. keep em on their toes!
From: Arlyn: I guess now that I’m 40, my brain is preoccupied with questions like “Am I getting enough daily fiber?” (I’m not kidding). I’ve been working with a dietician since last fall, and while I eat fairly balanced with tons of fruits, veggies and whole grains, I’m still struggling to reach my goal. (For the record, the recommended daily intake is 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men, but most of us only get 10-15 grams.) I’ll calculate a whole meal thinking it was a fiber home run, and it ended up being something like 3 grams of fiber. WHAT ON EARTH. It’s so much harder than I ever thought. ENTER MY NEW CHEAT CODE: Olipop! You guys, I’m not a soda drinker, and I can’t stand the taste of Stevia, but these Olipops are actually pretty tasty and have 9 grams of fiber in each can. NINE GRAMS! They have some proprietary blend of root vegetables but it just tastes like a bubbly treat. So far Orange Crush and Cherry Cola are my favorites, but I’m excited to explore more flavors. Check out their site to see where they are carried near you! (And if you have any other fiber cheat codes that aren’t supplements, please leave in the comments.)
From Gretchen: I recently ran out of my face lotion and decided to switch it up to a brand I keep seeing everywhere–Byoma. To be totally transparent, the branding and fun, bright packaging is what initially drew me in, but the reviews were also quite promising and I’ve gotta say, I’m a fan now too! I tried the Moisturizing Rich Cream, which comes in this cute and funky rectangular, purple bottle, and it works so well! I really do feel like it keeps my skin feeling hydrated all day and I love how smoothly it goes on. Doesn’t feel sticky whatsoever and I’ve even started mixing a little with my foundation, after I’ve already lotioned up, because I like how well it blends into my skin. I definitely want to try more of their products, and after a little research, found that you can actually take a quick skin analysis test on their website to help you decide what products are right for you! After seeing my results, I think I’ll also be giving the Hydrating Recovery Oil a try at night.
Thank you so much for reading and see you tomorrow for a pretty exciting reveal/update!
Opening Image Credit: Design by Fariha Nasir | Photo Courtesy of Chasing Paper
