We just returned home from a fun couples’ getaway to Chicago to visit our friends Kim & Scott (yellowbrickhome.com) along with John and Sherry (younghouselove.com)! It was a trip that we had been planning since January when we decided we were all such good friends that come from three vastly different places–how amazing would it be to host one another in our hometowns?! Chicago was our first stop and we were completely floored with the architecture, food scene, and artsy vibe around every corner! Kim and Scott mapped out every must-hit stop for our crew (I saved where we went to my highlights on Instagram) and we hit the ground running. Chicago is truly amazing! And somehow, Kim and Scott’s home is somehow even more amazing in person.
Above: One day, the delightful Nicole (makingitlovely.com) met up with us, too! And if it looks like we’re dressed for fall/winter, I think we experience every season in our 4 day stint in Chicago. Haha.
While we were gone, the calendar flipped over to May and that means it’s time for another best of roundup and monthly video summing up the previous month.
This month, we wrapped up our bedroom after 6 years, set up the deck and trampoline, celebrated Easter and welcomed warmer weather! Watch below or here on our YouTube Channel!
And here are 8 favorites from this month!
1. Shower Curtain | I stumbled upon this incredibly charming shower curtain while hunting for hardware in early April and can’t stop thinking about it! I love the timeless pattern and intricate detail. The color palette. It’s so lovely, don’t you think?
2. The Ordinary Buffet Serum | My favorite beauty find this month is one that’s easy on the wallet (and even more so right now during Sephora’s big 20% off sale!) and does wonders for the skin. It’s a multi-peptide serum that targets all the signs of aging. In one month, I have noticed my skin looks so much less dull and it’s under $15!
3. Asymmetrical Mirror | A good, interesting mirror can pull double duty as art and this one is fantastic! It’s a part of Drew Barrymore’s new line, is a great size, killer shape and under $80! I picked it up for our guest room!
4. White Nike Tennis Shoes | By now you’ve heard me wax poetic more than a time or two about my sneakers that are currently carrying me from day to day this spring. I’ve worn them with jeans and dresses and every color under the rainbow. And! They’re back in stock!
5. Nate Bargatze, The Tennessee Kid | Nate’s humor is clean and dry and made us laugh until we cried. We actually had to pause it several times because we were laughing so hard we couldn’t hear. After we finished this, we immediately watched his bit on The Standups (also on Netflix) and then bought tickets to his show in September! A must watch, truly!
6. The Perfect Tee | Super soft, a slouchy fit (I got a small) and a range of colors (I got the army green–shocker). I can’t get enough of it!
7. Natural White Speckled Melamine Dinnerware | I picked up a bunch of these Melamine plates and bowls that look just like ceramic but are unbreakable for all of our al fresco dining this year! But truthfully, we use them inside already every day. I love family friendly dishes!
8. Faux Deluxe Fern | We had a big photoshoot on our deck in mid-April and our trees hadn’t greened up yet, so I needed to improvise. I ordered a few of these fern stems to place in planters out back and am over-the-moon with the quality! They look so real and are HUGE (one stem can fill a giant planter no problem)!
Our wood grain Shaker cabinet fronts were designed for busy, high-traffic homes like ours. Clad with durable textured thermofoils, this line is compatible with Sektion, Akurum, Godmorgon, and Besta cabinets from IKEA. It's the perfect, practical way to add the warmth of wood to all the rooms of your home.
We have teamed up with Loloi to create a line of rugs that are as affordable as they are beautiful. This collection houses a great mix of traditional and modern rugs, in cottage-y colorways, as well as vintage-inspired beauties that you’ll want to roll out in every room.
We partnered with Stuga on a line of hardwood floors — The Ingrid is really livable, and the color is very neutral. It doesn’t lean warm or cool, it’s that just right in-between. We have really loved putting it everywhere in our house. It’s the best jumping-off point for design, no matter your interior style. In addition to being beautiful, Ingrid is really durable — we have three kids, and we always have a home construction project going on. Ingrid stands up to it all.
SHop all
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Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]
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Get Around
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Good plan. I should start searching for such friends to visit.
Did you figure out what happened to your arborvitae? Looks like they all died and you replaced them? I have had two in a row die on me in the last year or so. They’re so tall! I miss them. I wonder if they have a lifespan. I don’t have a green thumb at all.
We didn’t!
I watched the Nate Bargatze stand up based on your recommendation on Instagram and loved every minute of it. The following day I went to Starbucks and ordered my usual Iced Coffee with Cream, paused, and had to add, “no sugar” in fear they would give me an Iced Coffee Whipped Cream.
Such a great rec for the faux ferns! I have been wanting to get hanging baskets for our porch, but am due with twins in the next few weeks, and can’t imagine being able to take the time to water plants this summer. Though they say for indoor use only, I can only imagine they’ll hold up slightly better than unwatered plants ;) Ordering a few of these, thank you!
Hahaha truly
Hi Julia – where are the melamine plates made?
i love those green ferns! i was planning on buying a couple for some outdoor planters i have but i saw that they’re meant for indoor use only. if you’ve left yours outside, how have they held up?
I saw that too! Ours have been fine out there but every climate is different.
Love your blog! Just wondering if you can leave those ferns outside?
We do. I guess we’ll see how they hold up! :)
I watched Nate on your recommendation and immediately bought tickets, just saw him on Friday night and he killed it!!
Was it different content than the Netflix show?
Yep! At the very end he did the Starbucks bit, but other than that it was all new.