SOURCES: Art | Bench | Rug | Jeans | Sandals | Tee

I’m continually getting the same question in my inbox that makes me feel so cared for —How are you feeling now that the mold is gone?  First, wow, thank you so much for the concern. If you are just now catching up, a couple months ago, our contractors found extensive black mold covering 70% of our exterior. It was so bad, that they insisted they tear off all the exterior stucco and stone and replace all the wood underlayment…which spurred an entire exterior makeover that wasn’t exactly on our to-do list this year.

Although it was a terrible discovery, it really helped answer some mysteries. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 7 years ago, but my levels haven’t been normal since January 2018 and when we moved last year, they just got worse and worse. A couple months ago, I had a trigeminal neuralgia flare up and a few other things that landed me in the hospital. I didn’t recognize myself anymore–I lost all my motivation and energy and even going outside physically hurt. My hair was falling out in clumps, I wasn’t able to exercise like I am accustom to doing and even food on my restricted diet was making me sick. Some days I couldn’t get out of bed. I had to take a step back from work for a bit. My endocrinologist wasn’t sure why my levels were so bad and why they weren’t improving. We swapped medicines and cut out some more foods.

About the same time that they found and removed the mold on our exterior, we actually felt a lot of hope that even though it was a very expensive answer…maybe it was the answer we were looking for.

It’s been almost 2 months since they removed all the mold. And for the first time in over a year, my thyroid numbers are regulated! I just got blood work done again (I have to get it every 8 weeks) and my numbers couldn’t be more perfect. I have more energy than ever. I feel motivated and upbeat and…just…like me. It’s wild. I’m focusing on trying to keep stress down (ha! that’s like trying not to think of an elephant) and I am still eating free of gluten, dairy, grain, soy, eggs, and pork for a few months to help reset my body, too (then I’ll probably add back in eggs and see if my levels remain stable.) We’re not sure if the mold was the whole cause of my health issues over the last year, but the timeline sure line adds up. Mold is no. joke.

Other fun things this week!

• The bench I’m sitting on above was sent to us by the sweetest and talented, Ginny MacDonald to celebrate her new stunning collection with Lulu & Georgia. Every piece could fit into our home seamlessly and I’ve already moved the bench to 3 different rooms. :)

• After I shared my denim bar in our closet this week, someone asked me if I freeze my jeans. I was intrigued–The myth of freezing jeans.

• A bunch of my favorite BIPOC designer/diy accounts and how we’re moving forward!

• Why can’t I stop thinking about this?!

• Taking in this whole kitchen scene and committing to taking more risks. It just seems fun!

•Since I’m currently designing our bathroom, I’ve been studying tile like crazy. This post and this post really opened my eyes to some out-of-the-box (but still very classic looking) ideas in the world of tile. It’s all about layering!

• All the heart eyes for this wallpaper!

•I’ve never had a more comfortable training shoe than these Nikes I got a few months ago! They are so lightweight!

• Have you watched Songland?? We’re watching the second season on Hulu and can’t stop watching!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’m going to rearrange the living room for fun!