Happy Sunday, everyone. What a week at EHD, huh? First, the incredible tour of The Carly (where we got to have our EHD retreat:)), then Em’s reveal of the most beautiful garage doors we’ve ever seen, and rounding it out with a full tour of Jess’ dad’s DIY cabin in the woods. We promise to have just as much for you next week! But for now, here are this week’s links.
This week’s house tour is the home of Zilah Drahn. If you aren’t familiar with her name, we can promise you that you know her work. She is the owner and plant genius behind Plants and Spaces. Her Spanish colonial home is as creative and unique as you’d hope from someone who creates such beautiful plant designs. Check it out!!
From Emily: We are making a lot of subtle changes around here, rethinking how we’ve done things to essentially make them just BETTER, fresh, new, and fun. One of them is the newsletter, which was a daily email about what we were writing about that day, but like all things, it could feel stale and just robotic at times. So Mal has taken it over to make it more customized, interesting, and is experimenting a lot. There will be some bonus content in there as well!! We have a big launch in 2 weeks that we are VERY excited about, so please subscribe to the newsletter for a new experience that hopefully adds a lot of fun stuff and general design value. It’s a way to be reminded about that day’s article, but also to surface some special content or resurface some older posts that might be something we are all thinking about right now. Sign up here!!!
Also From Emily: Today, you are getting a bonus YouTube, with a ton of sneak peeks into the 1850 carriage house that we are starting to restore (it’s such a beast, you guys). We haven’t really blogged about it yet, but Gretchen and Marlee pulled together a fun BTS of me cleaning it out, showing you my Christmas hoard (amongst other hoards). Watch it here (and please like and subscribe – it means THE WORLD to us :))
Also From Emily: Hey Portland folks! Next Saturday (July 26th), there is a big local event with 32 makers/small businesses (some of my absolute favorites). Think Pigeon Toe Ceramics, Nik Nik Studio, Ace and Jig, with a bunch of vintage, food, music, and drinks. It’s 10-4 pm, at 424 N. Tillamook Street. I’m SO BUMMED I’m out of town (I think my kids would even like this one), so if you are in town, head over there next Saturday.
From Caitlin: Netflix? Hulu? Max? Peacock? NEVER HEARD OF THEM. This year, I became addicted to America’s best streaming service: PBS! I donated $60 – that’s just $5 a month – to my local station in exchange for Passport access, which allows me to stream the ENTIRE ACTIVE PBS LIBRARY at any time. The episodic programming is so good and smart – I’m partial to Amanpour & Co., News Hour, Nova, Antiques Roadshow (obviously), Space Time, Finding Your Roots, Check Please (I love watching the Philly edition – it makes me feel close to home!), Star Gazers, et. al. – and the documentary selection is unparalleled. (I adored this Ken Burns doc on the Shakers, which was recently recommended by the team at Reath Design.) While the rest of the media ecosystem feels loud, fragmented, or polarized, I always leave the PBS app feeling smarter, calmer, and happier (which are not words I’d associate with many other streaming experiences, ha). Here’s to apps designed to appeal to better angels! I LOVE YOU, PBS PASSPORT. (Added bonus: it’s never been a better time to support public broadcasting! I’m enjoying it while we still can!)
From Jess: As you read yesterday, I am in the woods at my dad’s cabin (though luckily NOT under the house, still insulating pipes). Anyway, being in the woods means I need bug spray…bad. My sweet, sweet blood makes me a prime target for mosquito bites. My dad told me about this apparently awesome all-natural mosquito repellent from a company called Skeeter Skat. He was out, but I ordered some because, of course, the LA mosquitoes are also obsessed with me. If it sounds like I’m bragging, I AM NOT. Excited to try this new repellent that’s also from a small business, which makes it even better.
Also From Jess: During this week’s market research, I found this incredible bowl/vase from H&M! It’s so unique, and if I had space for it, I would buy it in a second. Just had to share it<3
From Mallory: Introducing my sandals of the summer (and beyond). I’m absolutely obsessed with these shoes because I can easily slide into them without having to buckle (I get very irritated by buckles, tbh), and once they were fully broken in, they became SO comfortable. They’re super high quality and go with every single outfit. Highly recommend if you need some nice new summer shoes!
From Arlyn: Are you notoriously bad at remembering to take your vitamins? Then we are the same, you and me. I have a (locked) drawer in my kitchen dedicated to all our vitamins and supplements, and for whatever reason, it is so difficult for me to go in there every day. I’ve tried all the tricks. Setting reminders on my phone, moving the vitamins somewhere more convenient, and habit stacking so that I take them during a time I already do something else. It wasn’t until I got these from Perelel that something just clicked. I think it’s that all the pills come in one convenient little packet, so they’re super easy to grab and take on the go if I’m eating breakfast out. It’s so convenient, I haven’t missed a single day in three months. (For the record, I’m taking the Conception Support Pack, which is basically their prenatals, which my dietician suggested I take whether I’m trying to conceive or not).
From Marlee: The other week, Em posted an Instagram story asking for curly hair recs – one product that SO many people were raving about in her DMs was the Verb Ghost oil, especially for fine hair. I just emptied my 3rd bottle of the Ouai Hair oil (which I love, great if you like a jasmine-y scent), but I’m always down to test out new products, so I decided to give the Verb oil a whirl, and it’s GOOD. It’s super thick out of the bottle but doesn’t weigh down my hair at all. It also gives you so much shine without looking greasy/oily. It barely has any scent, which I don’t mind. I have a feeling I’ll be going back for more of this guy. Thanks to everyone out there for the rec!
From Veronica (Special Guest and EHD Alum!): My brother released his first book, and I am so incredibly proud of him! It is an action-packed SciFi novel based around an unknown species on Earth that was once admired, but over the last 30 years, has now become feared. Buckle up for a journey of discovery, friendship, and love. If you enjoy SciFi (or even if you don’t), pick up this book for your next read!
From Nick the Author: Hi friends! The Bright Highway has plenty of action, suspense, and drama much like other staples of the sci-fi genre, but it is fundamentally a story of otherness, tribalism, and mixed identity. I’m not sure how many of you share my biracial background, but The Bright Highway is sort of my love letter to the beauty of blended tribes, and I think that message is an increasingly important one today. For signed copies and special events, check out my website or follow along on Instagram. Happy reading!
From Gretchen: If you’re a devoted Sunday linkup reader, you may remember a few weeks ago I talked about my paddle board. And yes, I’m still digging it! But I do have a few complaints with it that I’m slowly working on making better. The first one is the hand pump that comes with it. It just sucks the fun out of the experience, exerting all your energy first to inflate it, and if you have the money to upgrade to electric, it’s a must, imo. But don’t make the same mistake I did–make sure it comes with the right valve adapter! If you go with the same Retrospec paddle board as me, go ahead and get the same brand pump and save yourself the trouble of finding out the cheaper version on Amazon won’t fit the valve hole. Next, if you plan on drinking and floating (like most of us), snag this awesome cupholder! It sticks to your board and loops through the bungee cords, keeping your can upright. Genius! But also, if you plan on drinking and floating…DON’T LOSE YOUR PHONE LIKE I JUST DID. I was out on the river and was suddenly flipped by a big boat wave. The board’s bungee cords held on to just about everything–except my precious iPhone. So now, I won’t let myself go back out there without this tethered phone holder, to MAKE SURE it stays strapped, even if I don’t.
Thanks for stopping by and see y’all tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credits: Architect: Beebe Skidmore | General Contractor: Owen Gabbert LLC | Design by Max Humphrey | Styled by Kate Webb of Rodeo Queen and Colleen Mote | Landscaping by Pistils Landscape Design | Photos by Kaitlin Green | From: The Most Magical (And Rentable) Retreat That My Best Friends Created: The Carly Tour