Five Things on a Friday – 2/7/25

Happy Friday, friends! It’s been a very loud few weeks in the world overall, but I hope your little corner of it has been as calm, quiet, and restful as possible. Grab a warm, cozy beverage, and let’s get caught up on everything that’s been happening around here.

I don’t think I’m ready for a dog. We were babysitting our adorable little Felix last week and although he’s comfortable with us, and of course, we’ve had dogs before, it was more than I bargained for. The poor guy had such a strong emotional reaction every time I left the room, and my little heart just couldn’t take it. He would cry every time I was out of his sight and jump up and follow me every time I moved, even if it was just a few steps to grab something across the room. I know that following people around is just normal dog behavior and a lot of people love having a permanent shadow, but seeing him on edge all the time just made me feel so on edge, too, and I started to feel guilty for doing things like walking into the kitchen to make a tea. I’m just not good at ignoring anyone, I guess, people or animals. I left the house for half an hour or so a couple of times, and apparently, he just cried the whole time, which breaks my heart. If we ever get a dog again, I think I’m going to have to make sure I toughen up first, because if I don’t, I may never be able to relax again. But then, I guess you get used to it? Chuckers (our last dog) was pretty much just a large cat, so I have no experience with these attentive dog behaviors. 🙂

I love school sports. I’ve said it before, but school sports at this elementary school level are just the best. The teams are never particularly good, and the season is too short to see any noticeable improvement in skill for the actual sport involved, but it really doesn’t matter. I’m convinced that these short weeks create real change in the hearts of these kids and have a lasting impact that follows them for years. It’s amazing to see the kids trying something new, working towards a goal with kids they wouldn’t normally get to know, and having a great time no matter how the game turns out. As a parent, I love seeing my kid stepping outside of his comfort zone to practice skills that have nothing to do with what he normally does, but I love watching him figure out ways to include his teammates as much as possible even more. I love knowing that the teachers who are coaching are volunteering their time so the kids can have this experience. Somehow, that makes it so much more special. School sports aren’t about winning or proving anything. They’re pure, and they’re really, truly just for the kids. So I love school sports.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but a timeless, neutral home can still have personality. I did a bit of a crazy thing, and I love it. After we exposed the big brick wall in our bedroom, I was feeling like it was still a little “blah.” I mean, it was lovely and definitely adds a lot of character to the room, but I wanted it to have a little more “oomph” and a little more “wow.” I had already painted the closet door and the door out to our back deck in Benjamin Moore “Onyx” and I loved how those doors popped against the creamy “White Dove” walls and trim, so I thought I might try painting the door on the brick wall black as well. And then I thought I might as well paint all the trim on that wall as well. I was kind of inspired by the look of a traditional storefront that you often see painted black in old buildings. I always think they look so striking. It’s black paint and it will be hard to cover if I ever want to change things up, but it’s still just paint. And oh wow. What a difference it made. The black with the brick is so dramatic and frames out the view into the dining room and living room so beautifully, but when it comes down to it, it’s still a timeless, neutral color scheme. What I love most is that it’s a look that’s all my own and not the same thing that everyone else is doing right now. What do you think? Have I lost my mind, or was this the right choice?

I think I’m entering my wallpaper era. Of course, I dabbled in wallpaper a little bit a few years ago on the backs of our living room shelves. A couple of years ago, I was convinced that I wanted to paint them white again. I’m glad I resisted because I love the texture and contrast that the dark navy grasscloth provides. It seems like interior design is constantly going back and forth between “light and airy” and “dark and cozy” at breakneck speed, but in the living room, we have a bit of both. Now, I love timeless white walls. Truthfully, most of the iconic spaces that I see in books and magazines that really get me excited have white walls. I swore I would never add wallpaper to my home, even though I do love it, because I never wanted to have to deal with taking it down. Well, how can I resist? Beautiful rooms layered with wallpapers, rugs, and pattern are everywhere right now and I happen to have the type of character-filled home that’s perfect for it. So I’m finding myself dabbling again, looking for a little half-wall here and there to add a little pattern to, convincing myself that a little bit of beautiful paper will be enough to satisfy me. With papers this beautiful though, I don’t see myself having much restraint.

As far as patterned items go, this is the rug I added to the room a few months ago, I’m considering these inexpensive patterned curtains with great reviews, and I’m going to try this gingham throw on the bed for a bit of countryside-style charm to mix in with all the botanical prints.

Right now, I’m not too busy, but sometimes I still feel like the mental load is too much. I’m willing to bet there are others out there who feel the same way. I think we all come up to a point where we can feel ourselves on the edge of burnout, or maybe a little over the edge for some of us. Sometimes, when this happens, and when we have the option, we scale back a little bit, try to fill our days a little less, and save a little more time and energy for what really matters. And that almost always lightens the burden a little bit, but sometimes that isn’t really the full answer. Whether your schedule is completely filled or not, the weight of the things on your mind might still feel heavy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be big, world-changing things, but just the mental load of remembering all the little details, being disciplined, and keeping things running in day-to-day life can feel like a lot, even when it seems like it shouldn’t. I’ve been starting to think that, when we feel this way, maybe the answer isn’t just less but also more. More celebrating wins, more fun things that are a mental break from what usually weighs on your mind, more creative pursuits that make you lose track of time. Is there room for all of this in a day where you also get a decent number of practical things done? I’m not sure that there is with the way we run our days most of the time, but I think there needs to be.

NEWS AND FINDS

-Have you been following along with my shelf styling series here on the blog and on Instagram? I’ve done a few little installments so far with some of my simplest methods and tips for styling shelves. If you have open shelves and you can’t figure out what to put on them, try some of my ideas and let me know if they help!

–Shelf Styling 101

–How to Group Items Together Properly to Style a Shelf

–Shelf Styling Finds at the Antique Market Reel

–Styling a Shelf with a Mix of Old and New Reel

-I have some exciting partnerships coming up over the next few months for home projects inside and out, and I can’t wait to get started. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do any significant projects with our busy photography and soccer schedules, but I’m really trying to carve out some time for working on my home this year because it just makes me feel so happy and grounded. Anyway, just feeling so thankful to the lovely people behind these brands who have reached out and given me a burst of motivation at just the right time, and very much looking forward to sharing with you soon!

-I’m definitely not in my $100 face cream era right now. I’ve been on a kick of practicality when it comes to beauty and skincare purchases, and I’ve really just been trying to use up all the little samples and half-empty things that I have. I think all the samples may have actually driven me to purchase less, honestly, because it really made it very clear, very quickly, that (most of the time) the expensive, trendy creams don’t really do much more than the less expensive ones. Testing out so many different things and using up what I had really helped clarify which were my favorite products and which just looked like they were special because of fancy packaging. My very favorites? This relatively inexpensive green tea serum, this $12 the Ordinary moisturizer, this nail concealer, which is expensive for a nail polish, but so really removes the need for getting your nails done professionally, if you’re so inclined. Just thought I’d share if you’re feeling practical this year as well!

-This is not the wallpaper that I’m going to be using in my next project, but I’m partnering with Bobbi Beck, a sustainable luxury wallpaper brand from Cornwall in the U.K., and I just had to show you this bookcase wallpaper. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? I’m just hoping someone will see it and have to have it so they can send me a picture, and I can live out my wildest wallpaper dreams through them. 🙂

-I could not hold myself back from ordering this little lamp this week. It’s been in my cart for a while, and every time I lay eyes on it again, I just love it more and more, even though it’s completely unnecessary and maybe even a little bit silly. The traditional shape, though, the pleated shade, the fact that it’s cordless and can go anywhere! What could be better? It came in a couple of days ago and it’s just perfect in every way. I expected some imperfections with the construction of the shade, but it’s actually so well done.

-Follow along with me on Instagram to keep up with all the day-to-day goings on around here. If you’ve never used Instagram before, be sure to click on my circle profile photo to see what I’m up to today!

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