BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

On the Right Foot: The Secret to Enjoying a Hobby, Situationship Candy, Recluttering & More!

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Today is Lily’s one-year adoptiversary! It’s hard to believe a year has passed since we drove six hours each way to pick up our new family member from her foster in Michigan!

While this article is written for men, it’s worth a read for insight into building a wardrobe for your lifestyle and interests.

Some of the things I’m focused on as we head into 2024.

And, a brief look back at 2023 with my favorite purchases of the year.

I received Jenny Bird ‘Aurora’ pendant necklace for Christmas and it’s beautiful! The chain has an adjustable slider to get the perfect length.

How to make limoncello via Grace’s site.

The secret to enjoying a hobby might be allowing yourself to be imperfect.

Why are Millennials still attached to American Girl dolls.

Instead of decluttering, try recluttering.

On the cusp of Valentine’s Day, Sweethearts has rolled out “Situationship” boxes.

Both the cut and pattern of this dress look incredibly flattering.

Enjoy the week!

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Goals for the New Year | 2024

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Happy 2024! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a restorative start to the new year! As with every year, I enjoy thinking ahead about what’s to come, reflecting on changes I’d like to implement, goals I’d like to achieve, and places I’d like visit. “Resolutions” have gotten a bad rap recently with their overly ambitious connotations, so let’s just call this my annual list of goals. That doesn’t seem nearly as daunting!

GET ORGANIZED

I never did achieve my 2023 goal of organizing the basement. It’s just such a large, daunting task that feels impossible to get started on. This year, however, is all about getting organized and allowing myself to let go of items that no longer serve a purpose. This extends well beyond the basement, too. Our garage needs some TLC, the kitchen cupboards have miscellaneous food that we need to either consume or toss, and I’m sure there are plenty of things in our closets that could find a new home. I know everyone feels this way at the dawn of a new year, but I finally feel motivated to do something about it. It probably has something to do with aging, too. I turned 40 last year and I don’t need to hold on to things like mugs I had from my first apartment. I want to surround myself with things I truly love or serve a purpose. Things shoved in boxes aren’t exactly doing that.

TRAVEL SOMEWHERE NEW

You know my favorite annual goal is coming back for 2024! There’s nothing on the books yet — just like how Switzerland wasn’t on my travel radar at this time last year — which makes it all the more exciting to daydream about where we’ll find ourselves.

ESTABLISH NEW ROUTINES

I downloaded the Streaks app to help motivate me into establishing a few key habits in the new year: drink a glass of water before my first cup of coffee in the morning; exercise at least twice per week; read two books a month; and go to the pottery studio once a week. I’ve been successful learning French each day with Duolingo’s reminders (I’m on day 1,007!), so I’m hopeful that Streaks will keep me accountable for the other habits.

MAKE PROGRESS ON HOME PROJECTS

We renovated our bathrooms in 2022, so last year wasn’t ambitious on the home-project front as we sought to beef up our home savings account again. Instead, we worked on refreshing our bedroom by way of a new bed, new lamps, and new paint. While I still need to select and hang curtains, the bedroom has become a room that I really enjoy and it feels so much more adultlike! This year, I’d like to make progress in either our office or guest room (maybe both!) as the rooms have become uninspiring dumping grounds for clutter. I’d also like to start a mood board for the sunroom and — possibly — get quotes on the project so we can start planning what’s feasible in the space to add more livable square footage to our home. I feel like this won’t be anywhere near as extensive as the bathroom renovations were, so my guess is that the price tag won’t be astronomical. I guess we’ll find out!

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A Few of My Favorite Things | 2023

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Truly my favorite purchases of the year were adopting Lily, my membership to the pottery studio, and the money we spent on traveling — but I’m not above liking objects, too! 😉 Each year, I like to reflect back on our annual purchases and identify the items that brought the most joy. Here are nine standouts from 2023.

East Fork “The Mug” – A pair of East Fork mugs was actually my very first purchase of the year and I still look forward to having my morning latte in them. It has such a nice weight and I love the satin-finish of the glaze against the clay. I bought a second pair in Henri’s Red, their seasonal color, this holiday season. You can get $20 off your first purchase with this link. (I don’t receive a benefit from sharing this link; it’s just a fun way to introduce you to the brand.) The mug really kicked off a love for East Fork and I bought the popcorn bowl to use as a serving piece and the cake plates for appetizers. They’re just as lovely as the mug, but I’m paying homage to the piece that started the collection.

Margaux “The Demi” ballet flats – I’m a diehard fan of ballet flats and I adore that the classic is back “in” right now. I had read so many good things about Margaux flats and finally splurged on a black pair. Oh my goodness, I had been missing out! These mold so perfectly to your foot and the cord bow is actually adjustable so you can cinch the top to customize the fit and keep your heel from sliding out. They’re just so beautiful and I’m planning on getting another color next year.

Schoolhouse Electric “Bond” lamp – After six years of tiny Target bedside lamps, we upgraded to quality lamps and it immediately made me feel like more of an adult. They’re a great size next to a king bed and, like everything at Schoolhouse, impeccably made. I really like the mix of glass, metal, and wood.

Scrub Daddy sponge – This is the newest addition to my “love list.” Dave’s parents gave us one in our Christmas stocking and it really is kind of amazing. It’s rigid in cold water, but softens in warm water so that it’s gentle on surfaces. Plus, the dopey smile just makes me happy. Big fan.

West Elm classic linen pillow covers in natural/slate – I’m becoming less and less enamored with West Elm. I think that many of their products are cheaply made and aren’t worth the elevated price — and after my “machine washable” curtains shrunk about 12″, I’m no longer going to be a customer. However, I bought these linen pillow covers before the “incident.” They hold up well and I like the contrast stitching on the edges. I use these pillow inserts (22″ square) in them.

Tissue Box Covers (this and this) – I feel like everyone on my Instagram feed got fed up with ugly tissue boxes this year — myself included. The two linked here fit around a Costco-sized box of Kleenex. I like the one with the wood top more, but I use the white woven ones upstairs in the bedroom.

Schoolhouse Electric “Stillwater Floral” quilt in auburn – I fell for this pattern when it was released a year ago and added it to our home in the spring. It’s perfect for summer and doesn’t leave you overheated like a down comforter would. It’s also generously sized so there’s no fighting over the covers! It’s such a timeless piece.

Ruby Coffee Roasters coffee beans – We bought an espresso machine at the beginning of the pandemic and it continues to be one of my favorite items in the house. This year, we started ordering Ruby coffee beans and use them pretty much exclusively. We keep them fresh in this canister.

Thuma bed – Refreshing our bedroom was one of our top priorities for 2023 and it started with a new bedframe. We wanted a platform bed that was made of solid wood and, ideally, under $2,500. After months of research and browsing furniture stores, we opted for Thuma. It’s always a gamble with an online-only retailers, but they had a generous trial period making it feel less risky. The bed is beautiful in person and was easy to put together.

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Things I Bought & Loved in December

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After last month’s spending extravaganza, I’m happy to report that this month’s spending (at least on gifts for myself) was more conservative with a couple of basics that will be wardrobe staples in the coming year.

WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

  • Madewell kick out crop jeans in ‘Colleton Wash’ – My favorite pair of cropped jeans from J.Crew got a hole in them and I had heard great things about this cut from Madewell. They really do live up to the hype. However, if you’re between two sizes, opt for the smaller one. I ordered my usual size and they fit out of the package, but stretched out at least one size while wearing them over the course of a day. I had to order a new pair in a smaller size. Also, do run them through the wash once before wearing them as the dye transfers quite a bit on light-colored fabrics.
  • Uniqlo 3D knit cotton striped sweater – The relaxed cut of this sweater drapes well and I like the slight-boatneck opening. It’s not as chunky as cotton sweaters tend to be. You can go with your regular size or up a size — they fit similarly on me.

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Thanks for visiting! As a reminder, I may earn an affiliate commission if you buy an item through my links. This is at no cost to you. I appreciate your continued support!

On the Right Foot: A Classic Ring, What American Girl Dolls Say About Your Decorating Style, Green Subway Tile & More!

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I’ve struggled to get into the holiday spirit this year and it wasn’t until our annual holiday trip to Chicago last week that I started to feel some of the excitement of the season. Above are a few snapshots from our two-night visit to the Windy City: the historic pool at the InterContinental, a tinsel-covered tree at Rainbo Club, and the city’s Christmas tree.

For those lucky enough to have unique architectural features in their homes, here’s a useful guide on painting them.

A lighthearted read: What your American Girl doll says about your decorating style.

Stocking stuffers under $25.

I made these Italian holiday cookies last week. They’re cake-like and easy to make. Plus, they keep well. The recipe makes six dozen, so freeze half to enjoy later if you don’t have an upcoming cookie party to attend.

This rendition of each type of person at a dinner party made me laugh.

Tips for making better New Year’s resolutions.

What I bought and loved last month.

I tried on this ring last week and fell in love with it. I’m waiting to buy it until we know we’re done with holiday travel. Nothing is worse than packages arriving as soon as you hit the road!

Making a strong case for green subway tile.

Enjoy the week!

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Let’s keep in touch!
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Thanks for visiting! As a reminder, I may earn an affiliate commission if you buy an item through my links. This is at no cost to you. I appreciate your continued support!