Casual Friday: Setting up the Music Room, the perfect fall sweater, timeless kids’ rooms, the best reusable grocery bag, and more!
August 13, 2021
Every day we discover more things that never made it to us in the move. It’s difficult not having a list of what’s in that sealed storage unit in Idaho that we don’t have access to and with each passing day, we realize that we may never see some things again. This week, when those feelings were especially heavy, I channeled it into trying to focus on what we do have. Sometimes my mom gives voices to inanimate objects, and in that same spirit, I could almost hear our things from inside the moving boxes still scattered throughout the house–I’M HERE! What about me?! We’ve been putting a lot of energy into tracking down and trying to get back the things that have been stolen from us during our move. And today, I focused on the things that made it and it changed everything. ☀️
This is going to be the music room one day. One day, hopefully our piano will find its way back to us and we’ll make it the center of the room. But this day…I’m just focusing on what we have. I unwrapped all of the pretty things that I have been waiting to find a place for and I placed them out where they can make me smile. I cut branches off of our tree out front and laid the first rug in the whole house (we had to hold off on doing so until the floors fully cured.) I shuffled around furniture and noted that the leather cushions for our sling chairs are likely in the storage unit too…a long with the coffee table. I put on a record. I opted out of decorative pillows but hung some art and a mirror to bounce the light reflecting from the big windows across from it that I gingerly removed a singular shutter off of each. Nothing is new and yet everything feels new…in a really good way.
Sources
Credenza, Art, Record Player, Frame, Coffee Table, Vase, Rug, Sofa, Round Mirror, Swivel Chairs, Chest, Lamp, Tapered Shade, Floral Vase, A Tale of Interiors, Still
Other things this week!!
- McGee & Co’s New Fall Collection has gotten me pulling out my flannels.
- I talked about 9 design rules for timeless kids’ rooms on Cubby right here!
- The caption made my laugh cry.
- Eyeing this chandelier for our bedroom--it feels so romantic, right?!
- This DIY range hood is BONKERS it’s so good.
- Had to scoop this sweater up for fall (the colors!)
- It’s the step ladder for me.
- I’m convinced these are the best reusable grocery bags! They are so large and durable and rigid and yet washable! And I love the reinforced sides and back.
- I don’t usually wear black, but when I do, it’s head to toe. (the tee is the softest!)
Weekend Sales
Anthropologie: 30% off select pillows and throws (these colors)
CB2: Up to 50% off clearance (travels all around our house)
Madewell: Up to 40% off select styles with code GOFORIT (my go-to white tee, and this RUN)
Pottery Barn: Up to 70% off (ordered these for the office)
Rejuvenation: Warehouse sale (gorg)
Target: 20% off shoes for the whole fam! (NEED)
Wayfair: End of season outdoor sale (+ shop our rugs on sale here)
World Market: Save up to 50% on outdoor (this outdoor set!)
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Julia and Chris, I listened to your Instagram video about your moving company experience and then my husband and I listened to it together. You are so right to try to get the word out about moving company scams that are becoming much more prevalent at this time, with so many fake companies originating from Florida, for some reason. You are doing a good thing! We are shocked that we, who have moved all our lives, had never heard of this until you spoke of it.
The Attorney General of Florida, Ms. Moody, was quoted recently that her office and it’s Consumer Protection Division has secured four judgements against malicious moving companies, which resulted in $2.7 million in recoveries. The same red flags you mentioned (beginning with low-ball estimates over the phone, having you “measure” the furniture, which is a total misdirection of your attention, dealing with cubic feet instead of the correct weight estimate, inflating prices, holding goods hostage, destroying goods to cover any evidence, posing as legitimate brokers, switching “companies” because don’t actually have any trucks) were all detailed in the news article. You can report them also to several departments in our govt, like the Department of Transportation. The article mentioned that you should contact the Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling (866) 9NO-SCAM. The scammers out there know just how to distract, intimidate, pressure and confuse people who are already stressed in the move process itself.
Thank you for sharing. Maybe there will even be a Dateline type expose’ in the future to bring more slimy people to justice!
This is such a great point about shifting perspective. So glad you are finding these moments of peace/ happiness!
I am also not on the Instagram and am curious of exactly what is going on, but I can also understand if it’s just too much to talk about too. I am so sad to hear the piano is one of the missing items – I know it is a beloved heirloom. I do hope you will be able to get your items back!
What you do is truly amazing and that is why I follow you but the BEST part of this post is @pleasehatethesethings. I am still laughing! Definitely one to follow!
You’ve been killing it with the content lately!! Thank you
In your “love letter” email, you mentioned that there are lots of light switches that don’t seem to turn on anything. At my mom’s house, some light switches control certain electrical plugs so that you could turn on a light in the room with the switch. Perhaps you have the same style of wiring?
Our house (and just about every house I’ve every live in) has the same deal. That way you can plug in a lamp and control it with a switch. Very confusing at first, though.
Thank you, thank you for this perspective in the face of adversity. You are grace-filled and a true light. Praying for restoration and continued peace. The music room looks beautiful too!
So pretty! Wishing and praying you are reunited with all of your lovely things.
Are the rest of the instruments missing too? So convenient things of value didn’t make it! This is pretty, and a nice lesson of making things work that you have. Hugs.
Awww can’t believe how hard it is for you missing your stuff😥 hope and pray you get it all back soon!🤗 criminal removalists shouldn’t be able to do stuff like that😬
That room looks amazing as all your spaces always do! Wishing I could channel your style into my house! 💕
Will you do a post on your blog about what happened with your move for the few of us that aren’t on social so missed you Instagram story? Interested to hear..
I too would love to read about the move since I don’t social. I feel like I’m missing something (although can tell things must have give missing in the move). I’m so sorry you are missing your things! Have loved following your blog over the years.
Though this of course isn’t my story to tell, C&J have talked about it on IG so hopefully they don’t mind me re-telling. Basically, the moving company they used have been holding a good portion of their stuff hostage in a storage unit in Idaho. The story is long, but their price also kept increasing – this happened several times – until the price was excessive, somewhere near $80,000 from memory. C&J have paid a significant portion of that, I think only a few thousand left outstanding and the company have now gone silent, stopped answering calls and shut down their website, etc. C&J are working with a lawyer and have reported to police and FBI. They are seeking a court order to get the rest of their stuff back out of storage, as they have no legal right to enter the storage unit as it stands. Apparently it’s a not-too-uncommon tactic of opportunistic criminals taking advantage of people in vulnerable times. Horrible. We’re all with you C&J!
Julia, the room looks lovely, to meet is definitely has a similar-but-evolved feel to the music room in the house before last.
It’s so wise of you to bring what you do have into focus to help balance your difficult feelings around the missing things. I hope you are reunited with your missing treasures soon.
I also admit, I quickly skimmed the photo with the boxes and thought “wait, did they ship a reclaimed bathtub across country? That seems odd…” then I realised it is the big display bowl/platter/sculptural thing from your previous dining room. Then I giggled.