Happy Sunday, everyone. It was another week of shoots because boy, are we gearing up/going hard for these last three months of the year. We just want to take a second to say how much we really appreciate all of the support you give us, and hope you know it’s never being taken for granted. Our gratitude is year-round. Links, anyone?
This week’s house tour is the unbelievable NYC home of the one and only Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott. While the couple was extremely hands-on, they hired contractor and friend, Artie Lange, and AD 100 designer, Young Huh. The article said it best when it described the home “steeped in French and English aesthetics”. You have to see it.
From Emily: As you know, I am a HUGE tree lover, but for holiday decorating, I also love a faux Christmas tree, and I have a new affordable favorite. We got to shoot a Christmas styling decor shoot at The Carly the other week (and you’ll see it this week!), and this is the faux Christmas tree we got. This is a Nordic-style fur, pre-lit with really warm lights. And not only does it look great, but it’s more affordable than most of the other great ones on the market. Highly recommend!!
From Jess: Last Sunday was my birthday, and not only did I get to spend the day with some of my favorite people, but my dad also surprised me by sending me this bag in the suede taupe color! Somehow, he knew I’ve been wanting a brown bag, and boy did he nail it. He really does have excellent taste. It’s so pretty, such a great size, comes with two strap length options, and the closure magnet is nice and strong. I feel so stylish in the most effortless way when I wear it, and I just couldn’t be more grateful. Highly recommend:)
From Caitlin: I picked up The Time of Gifts last week – it’s a 1934 memoir that follows the author on a foot journey from Holland to Constantinople. (Are those historical wheels turning? To save you a Google: Hitler had just come to power, but the war was still a few years away.) Fermor is heralded as the greatest travel writer of all time, and it’s a well-deserved title – this book follows him as a tender, plucky teen through newly-fascist Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. He observes everything – I’m talking flora, fauna, art, religion, architecture, language, clothing, tradition, everything – and explains it all most beautiful prose. I found the whole book to be pretty moving: so much seems familiar to our current day, but there’s a sense of possibility and wonder that feels like it’s been lost in our more connected, homogeneous, interlaced modern world. I really enjoyed it! (The best part? There are two more books in the series to read!)
Also from Caitlin: My friend Tommy is a world-class human rights lawyer (not just my opinion – he won the first-ever human rights lawsuit in the US against a living former head of state), and he’s currently sailing into Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, on a boat filled with medics and journalists. He’s part of the second wave of ships (read: he wasn’t captured last week, if you’ve been following the news), and he’s posting quick, digestible, daily video updates to his Instagram feed as he sails through the Mediterranean. If you’re interested in some first-person, first-hand, real-time reporting from the scene of this humanitarian emergency, take a peek at his page. (As a personal aside: I worked with Tommy’s band over a decade ago – he was juggling the Bolivian presidential case while somehow also recording an album and touring – and I’ve never before met anyone with such moral clarity and backbone. I’m proud of him, and I’m proud to know him.)
From Arlyn: The mornings and evenings have been chilly here in LA, and my cool-weather wardrobe currently consists of a few raggedy old cardigans and some stained hoodies. So I was PRIMED when an Instagram ad hit me with something it knew I couldn’t resist: a Chilton sweatshirt. As someone who has rewatched Gilmore Girls more times than Lorelei had a cup of coffee in that show, it felt silly not to buy it, especially because it was a fairly good price. It’s warm but not too thick, and cozy and oversized. At 5’3″, it’s longer on me than I was hoping, but hey, I’m not planning on rocking my Chilton Prep sweatshirt for any fancy gatherings anytime soon.
From Mallory: I found a SOLID pair of tall brown boots for under $100, and I’ve been wearing them constantly. They’re crazy comfortable – I walked 10k steps in them when they were brand new and didn’t get a blister (I love a shoe that doesn’t require the “break-in” phase). The quality is great and the heel is the right amount of high without being too much. Highly recommend if you’re in need of a good fall boot!
From Gretchen: Ever since I visited Santa Fe with my mom earlier this year, I have kind of been obsessed with wearing silver. The collection of sterling rings we purchased from native artists and makers there have quickly become like treasures to us. The EHD team can vouch–I wear my three silver rings every single day. Quick funny story–one of them recently slipped off while I was cleaning something outside at the farm, and I was heartbroken thinking I’d lost it forever in the clover field. But I ran to Amazon, bought a cheap metal detector (lol), went hunting for it the next day, and…FOUND IT! Feeling extra grateful to have it back on my finger, I decided it was time to round out the rest of my silver look. I swapped my signature gold cowboy boot necklace for a sterling one I found in Toronto, then I repurchased some verrrrry inexpensive chunky hoops in my new metal (admittedly not real silver). I have a tendency to misplace earrings specifically (I lost two pairs this week alone–they just don’t stay in my lobes!), so I love that these are only $10 if/when I need to repurchase. I still like wearing gold occasionally, but it’s been pretty fun to lean into this silver look!
From Marlee: The softest hoodie EVER – Gap does really really good loungewear and for a pretty good price. This hoodie has the best fit – loose but not too oversized or slouchy. I would say it’s true to size (I got a small), and it comes in some great colors. I also have it in a grey and a navy, and got the men’s version for my boyfriend, and he loves it (and my dad has one and HE loves it). All 10’s over here! Em was wearing the crewneck version last week, and we both agreed that Gap is one of our fave places to get sweatshirts, etc., right now:)
Thank you for spending a little time with us, and see you tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credits: Architect: Anne Usher | General Contractor: JP Macy of Sierra Custom Construction | Interior Designers: Emily Henderson (me!) and Max Humphrey | Styling: Emily Henderson (me!) | Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: The River House’s Cozy But Modern Dining Room Reveal!