Most of this week, I was terribly sick trying to adjust to new medication, but yesterday I woke up feeling so great so I took advantage and tackled a few spaces in our home. It's been nice and peaceful to move around in our house with just us this week. Chris started our closet (more on that next week) and I ended up in the basement where I cleaned and organized and finally unpacked the last of the boxes from moving in last June. Immediately a weight was lifted. And bonus, we gained another space! (The basement will be our theater/media room).
As a few rooms in our house are finally getting bare-bones put together for the first time since moving in, I'm realizing/remembering that I sold a lot of our decor with our last house. Those finishing touches that make a room feel warm and lived in and have some personality. So even though our house feels empty...I'm plugging in things that we still have for now, but it also feels good to not fill those spaces with things that are just filler pieces. Instead of putting ______ there because I had it, I can really think about what I want to go there. Even if it takes longer to figure out. I've been so focused on furniture, that I kind of forgot about decor, but I'm excited to layer in those pieces over time!
• If you're not already following @hauslove, you're in for a treat. Interior Design firm, led by Heidi Woodman and their Sycamore Springs Colonial Project (above) was the source of so much inspiration for me this week. This living room is like the stylish aunt of ours and I'm taking notes! (more photos here!)
• This floral ginger jar came back in stock this week (I had notifications turned on for it!) and I snatched it up in the name of DECOR! It looks so much more expensive than it is and I can think of at least 3 places I want to put it in our house.
• Kelly Wearstler's Master Class was released this week! For Christmas, I bought Chris the unlimited master's class pass and he has been working his way through all the chefs (and LOVING it), but you know I'm putting Kelly Wearsler in the queue!
• THIS BEFORE AND AFTER GAME STORAGE was the most impressive thing I saw all week. I'm shook and inspired and my life will never be the same.
• What a charming, hidden, but convenient coffee corner.
• You want to know something funny? I don't own a denim jacket. Strangely, I could have SWORN I did and it seems like the most me item of clothing TO own, but I have been waiting for the one to kind of jump out at me. This week, I finally took the plunge and ordered this denim chore jacket which is kind of a great fresh shape for the denim jacket and I can't wait to wear it all spring long!!! (plus, 25% off!!!). Somehow these puffy slides also ended up in my cart. :D
• Katie always inspires me and reminds me to have fun. I adore this little nook she posted.
• You don't have to "make the most" of a global pandemic. Encouraging, peace-inducing words, right? I think I have been feeling a little bit of pressure this week--put on me by myself only--to produce extra content or share a lot of new and different insights because I'm used to being home. I'm good at being home. I'm fine (happy) being home. But this time at home also feels different and heavy and unsure and although we all may have some extra free time--it's not normal free time. It's a little bit weighted and definitely uncharted and I've accepted that "making the most" for me means making sure our family stays well. Period.
• Wednesday morning, we were supposed to leave for a family vacation to Cancun. Like many of you, our school has Spring Break around this time, and although it has felt sad to miss that fun vacation it feels nice to know we're all in this together. There were tears from our girls, but we promised them some extra fun things at home next week (quick! give me some ideas! hahaha!), but that will mostly be family togetherness and not opening our computers...since that was the plan in Mexico. So I guess we're going to take a Spring Break after all. At home, with our girls. We have some GREAT posts coming at you next week but if we're more quiet than usual, we're pretending we're at the beach...probably literally, because ONE of the surprises for the girls is a VR system (virtual reality) that Chris ordered so that swimming with dolphins is not totally cancelled.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Stay safe and healthy!
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Teach the girls about Winter-- and her friend, Hope, dolphins in Clearwater, FL. There's a webcam, too. You could do a whole week of Marine life theme. Sea Turtles, Sea Otters cam at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Beluga Whale cam at the Georgia aquarium, ("the little white whale on the go..."), Manatee cam at Manatee lagoon... just keep looking... and teaching them about this wonderful world of animals we have.
You know what? Like you, my vacation just got cancelled. We’re also fixing up a house... trying to figure out how to still take our vacation days, but not spend it working on house projects. I could use some magic perspective on this. ????
I LOVE what you said about the corona virus and feeling this pressure to do more. Everyone is posting all the amazing things and resources to do with your kids but I feel like I’m just trying to take this time to adjust and not feel guilty that I’m not a million and one new things with my kids. I hope you guys have a fun stay-cation next week!
I couldn’t agree more!
I only recently started following so forgive me if this is an obvious question but I am confused by which kitchen is in your home. In some images there is a kitchen with green cabinets while other images show a “white” kitchen?
I'm sorry you were feeling so awful, and happy that you're feeling so much better. This is such an incredibly surreal time for us. Thank you for your inspiring content! Have a sweet "spring break!"
Great idea on the VR! Virtual reality is most likely the only acceptable way to swim with dolphins. Please please please anyone reading this, don’t support businesses that keep dolphins in captivity and make them perform. The training methods involved and the treatment of these beautiful animals is often brutal. The best way to stop this cruelty is to stop giving these horrible businesses money. Do your research before patronizing any business that keeps animals in captivity.
Actually, dolphins and other animals at zoos and aquariums are trained using positive reinforcement. This makes learning rewarding and fun for them, provides physical exercise and mental stimulation just like working out and reading books for us, and it is completely voluntary so the animal always has the choice to not participate.
Like another reader said, many zoos and aquariums are doing virtual tours right now which could be a fun way to involve your girls until you can visit an accredited facility to meet dolphins up close!
An idea for the girls (as the fun thing to do next week): make an epic fort and have a scavenger hunt to get there, leaving clues around the house. The final destination is the fort. Maybe in the fort, as a family, you could spend time there, brainstorming something for the girls when all of this passes by, like a tree house, a play house in the back yard, or a pool. Have them plan it, design it, or bring ideas to the table. It sparks that creative and happy energy to at least temporarily relieve that heavy feeling. You're doing amazing things, and I, for one, feel less heavy seeing your ideas being executed!!
I LOVE that you’re starting again with decor, with a tonne of boxes full of great things to work from :) It really helps us to see how you build a room with layers and I’m looking forward to that content!