Happy Sunday everyone. Emily is off on her spring break adventure but fear not. Emily prepped a bunch of really great posts so we promise you won’t feel her absence:) With that said we have such an exciting reveal tomorrow as well as a post about some team bonding we did! Hope y’all are ready. Ok, let’s get to the links!
This week’s house tour is a meticulously restored traditional Japanese machiya in Kyoto, Japan. You have to read the whole article because it’s so special how much detail and consideration went into this restoration. Plus, it’s a little history lesson. Oh, and of course it’s beautiful. Check it out!
From Emily: The book influencer I get all my recs from – especially for spring break. Beach Reads & Bubbly is DEDICATED to all the beach reads, thrillers, romance, romantasy, and fantasy novels. She has amassed a huge following by reviewing them all, creating book clubs all over the US, and our styles are so aligned so I really trust her. She and I were both lit majors so while these books are not Pulitzer prize winners, there are some that are WAY better than others and I love how she breaks them down in ways that mean something to me (spice level, level of world-building, arcs, and character development). We both agreed that Bride by Ali Hazelwood was our favorite book of 2024 if that says anything (I just started Ali’s new book and love it so far). Anyway, on spring break I might dive more into thrillers than I usually do in my real life so I’m looking to Katie to help me decide what to download. It’s truly one of the best things about IG – recs from experts in fields that typically wouldn’t get notoriety (and she’s a generally great follow, adorable, wears cute clothes, and has a really charming accent:))
From Marlee: Recently I ordered some essentials from Sephora during a promo and they gave me a little sample leave-in conditioner by Crown Affair with my order. I just finished the little 1.7oz bottle off (which lasted surprisingly long, maybe 7 or so washes) and loved it. I have fine, somewhat thick hair that is pretty wavy and tends to air dry super frizzy. Since it’s fine, most leave-in conditioners or products just weigh it down and make it stringy instead of hydrated. This leave-in made it super soft and didn’t weigh it down at all, which has been pretty hard to find! It also smells very…luxurious. Definitely ordering the full-size, which is a bit pricy but after seeing how far the product goes it’s worth it.
From Mallory: I needed a new pair of “walk around flats” that are suitable for short walks comfortably around the neighborhood but still look cute and I FOUND THEM. Jess had a great post about the mesh ballet flat trend happening and while I was shopping in store I stumbled upon these cuties! Super comfy, goes with everything, and VERY breathable. Highly recommend if you need a new spring-summer flat!
Well something VERY EXCITING has just happened in the design world and that something is that the ever-inspiring and talented Pierce & Ward have just launched a collaboration with West Elm! We dare you to not want nearly everything. We refuse to choose favorites so go check it out now!
From Gretchen: ‘Tis the season to be tan! The only problem is the sun is acting pretty shy here in Portland and I’m impatient. Thankfully there are quite a few fake-tan solutions out there and this week I tried a new one. The St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse is one I’ve been eyeing for a while and friends of mine have raved about it for years. I finally decided to try it, but as I mentioned, I’m impatient. So I snagged the express version, which promises 1, 2, and 3hr glow options depending on how dark you want to go. There’s some color to this product, which I really like because I can see where I’m going with it. And of course, I can also see how dark I want to be as it develops. My sweet spot seems to be right between 2-3 hours before a quick rinse for a color that feels tan but not obviously fake tan. The smell isn’t bad to me and is hardly evident after a wash. I’ve used it a few times now and really like it, with only one complaint–I need to chill out after I apply it. If I move around too much and break a sweat (hello armpits) the color definitely rubs off. But that’s for sure a “me problem”. It’s on sale at Nordstrom right now (ONLY THRU TODAY!) and also available in a travel size (with a tanning mitt) if you’re not ready to commit to the full shebang!
From Jess: Along with my new ballet flats, I also bought a new pair of sneakers:) I’m very late to the Adidas Gazelle trend but man am I happy I finally jumped on the wagon. I got these green ones because I wanted to add a little pop of color to my otherwise neutral outfits. But what I was so happy about was how instantly comfortable they were and so far no blisters (something I almost always deal with in new shoes). So if you’ve been wanting to add a color something to your outfits, that’s also comfortable, I love my new kicks. Oh, I also needed to size down half of a size.
From Arlyn: I feel like I’m forever on the hunt for the ideal undies. I liked these Pact ones I bought a year or two ago, but I’ve lost a few pounds and they’re a bit big on me now. I considered just buying them again but while hunting for something else on the Felina website, I found these Pima cotton hipsters that I love way more than I thought I would when I bought them (they were 40% off so I thought…why the heck not). The cotton is really light and thin and you can barely feel them when you’re wearing them. They don’t move around to give you the dreaded wedgie, and the waistband—which I think might be a little restrictive—is perfect. They aren’t too low and not too high. So comfortable and perfect for everyday (for anyone who is well past the point of caring about VPL or thong-wearing). Grab those full-coverage undies ladies, and never look back!
Thank you for hanging out with us and see y’all tomorrow for another GREAT reveal!
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: My Brother’s Kitchen Patio Reveal (Yes, With A Huge TV….Of Course:))
