Happy Sunday everyone! It was another super busy week over here but a really good one. We hope it was the same for you too. So now that all of Em’s wonderful Halloween decorating is finished (did you see what she did inside?!) we are getting back to revealing more of the farmhouse! But first, next week we have a pretty special home we are sharing with you that’s been a long time coming:) Sorry for the tease! Let’s get into the links…
This week’s house tour is one for the books! EHD favorite (and AD 100) designer Giancarlo Valle and his wife, Jane Keltner de Valle (Cofounder Paloroma and former style director of AD), designed just the most special home. This home, originally built in 1863 is filled with glorious, rich colors, woods that make your soul feel happy, and a style that is both sophisticated and welcoming. If you don’t know, Giancarlo is also a furniture designer, and many of the pieces in the home were made on-site! We just can’t rave enough so go see it now…then come back and tell us what you think of the ceramic medallion wall:)
Beanie | Cardigan | Striped Shirt | Pants | Boots | Purse
From Emily: The problem with loving one color so much (blue) is that layering blue under blue looks boring. So I bought this shirt to layer under my blue, not just because it’s a great stripe (it’s a dark camel color with a tiny pinstripe of black) but also because it drapes very well, is very thin and therefore is a great “under-cardigan” layer. I hate when stiffer button-ups – cotton, linen, or poplin get stuck in the armpits or bunch up around the chest where the buttons are, but this one is slick so you just slide right into the sleeves. I truly sound like the laziest person ever but not all buttons are good under cardigans and we know this. Anyway, if you are in the market for a great layering button-up I love this one (wearing a size small).
From Mallory: I’ve got some fall links for you all!! I swapped my normal candles for THESE and they’re so cute. Plus they’re just the right amount of spooky and they won’t break the bank at only $3 per candle! Highly recommend. My second fall link is this Mrs. Meyer’s everyday cleaner – the acorn spice sent is IT and I wait for it to drop every single year. Lastly, if you have yet to get a pumpkin candle I recently snagged this one and it smells great and is super cute 🙂
From Caitlin: I’m officially a Nuuly convert, guys. I just got my first order – 3 pairs of pants and 3 dresses – and I’M OBSESSED. I recently cleaned out over half of my closet and I’m trying to rebuild my wardrobe with a bit more intention, so I wanted to be able to try lots of different new brands and styles while keeping my self-esteem intact (I really don’t love the fitting room process, you know?). ANYWAY. Nuuly is a $98 monthly clothing rental service which isn’t cheap, but it’s SO WORTH IT. I’ve been able to break out of my Madewell rut a bit and also able to keep the pieces I love at a discounted rate (some of the dresses in my box were 73% off retail!). So my first month actually saved me A LOT of money on clothing that I wouldn’t have been brave enough to try on in-store (really not trying to play “guess the size” under fluorescent lights, ha). My two favorite pieces from my current shipment are these famous Anthropologie pants and these corduroy flares from Free People. I never would have assumed that either of those would fit my big hips/butt/thighs or that they’d fall like they do on the model, BUT BOTH PAIRS DO! I think a lot of my mindset is still stuck in the early 2000s where finding pants was a total nightmare so it’s really exciting to learn what fits me now, in 2023, in the comfort of my own home. HUGE FAN. (You can get your first month for $78, too – not sponsored, just genuinely excited by the service, the variety, and the wide range of sizes available!)
Also From Caitlin: I really liked this video from Rita Konig on how to lay out a room. It’s a few years old, but it’s SO HELPFUL – the information isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s such a great refresher and Rita really breaks down the process in a way that left me feeling empowered. It’s a little under 20 minutes and the entire thing is packed with helpful reminders. I’m currently working to update my living room (more on that here, if you missed it earlier this week!) and I can’t wait to implement a few of her ideas:)
From Gretchen: This week I’ve been suggesting (to just about anyone who will listen) a new movie to watch called Flora and Son (on Apple TV). I’m a big fan of cute movies–the kind that make you grin hard without realizing–and this movie made me stupid-smile for sure. It follows a young mother, Flora, and her teenage son in Dublin as they struggle to relate to and get along with each other. She finds a guitar and encourages her son to learn to play, hopeful that a hobby will keep him from getting into trouble, but instead ends up learning it herself. The acting is INCREDIBLE, the storyline is just so sweet and redeeming, plus it’s got JGL (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) playing her guitar teacher–I love that man. Just writing about it makes me want to go turn it on again! Definitely adding it to my Top 10 Movie List but would love to hear what y’all think if you give it a watch.
Striped Velvet Ball Pillow | Toivo Pedestal
In case you didn’t know and have been waiting for Lulu and Georgia to have a sale then y’all this is your week! Until Tuesday night (10/10) they are giving 25% off sitewide for their anniversary sale. We don’t have to tell you what fans we are giving that we’ve been using and loving their products for YEARS. Above are just a few things that we’ve gotten recently like Emily’s beautiful green traditional sofas and Jess’ cognac-colored Ginny MacDonald sofa. We can confirm their real-life beauty and more importantly their real-life comfort. Then Emily bought and loves the Sarah Sherman Samuel new striped ball pillow (that also comes in more colors) and her very cool pedestals! They add a wild cool contrast to her farmhouse aesthetic but would look awesome in so many types of homes.
From Jess: I found the perfect pair of heels! Actually, I talked about them in another color for a wedding last year but only as ones I was looking at. This year my brother is getting married (in less than 2 weeks!!) and I needed black heels that wouldn’t sink in the grass during the ceremony. I went back to these, slightly underwhelmed, but couldn’t find anything I liked more that fit the bill and the budget. But then to my delight, they look SO GOOD ON! Like really good. And here’s the other great part – they come in A TON of colors and I was able to get mine for half the price on Poshmark! The heel is around 3.75″ so they aren’t short but they feel comfortable so far (I am going to try these gel pads because I don’t plan on leaving the dance floor:)). I highly recommend!
Also From Jess: Undereye concealer was the first “real makeup” my mom ever bought for me. I got these dark circles from BOTH sides of my family. I had no chance. Needless to say, I have tried A LOT of concealers and have always come back to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer until I found HAUS LABS’ Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer with Fermented Arnica. Because I now learn 80% of new things on TikTok, that’s where I was convinced to try it. It was a risk but one that has PAID OFF! Thanks to The Lipstick Lesbians’ Concealer Wars video. What’s great about it is that it’s hydrating and doesn’t need any powder to set! As in it will look worse with powder (or so said the kind Sephora employee who was helping me). Now it still will crease a little (because duh, wrinkles) but less than other ones I’ve tried. It’s also medium coverage which I prefer given I don’t wear a ton of face makeup but also have dark circles that need covering. However, it’s also buildable when I do want more coverage if I’m wearing more makeup. Super pumped about this new find!! Thanks gals!
From Arlyn: There are some household products you can’t believe you ever lived without, and this Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap is 100% one of them. My family’s clothing is plagued with stains. Marinara, oil, Greek yogurt, and a multitude of other kid-friendly foods. It’s always smeared all over us and sometimes, my detergent just isn’t enough. Basically, you just rub the bar on the stain, and then wash like normal. It’s AMAZING at taking out really tough stains, especially on light fabrics. Grass stains, dirt, food…all of the above. I even used it on old set-in stains that didn’t wash out the first time with just detergent, and it got the job done. Best $5 spent in a while!
Have a beautiful rest of your day. xx
Opening Image Credits: Styled by Emily Henderson (me!) and Birdie Henderson | Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: A Vintage Halloween Inside Our Farmhouse – Creepy Portraits Of Dead Strangers And Googly Eyes Included (Per Usual)
Caitlin, I’m curious to hear a few more details about Nuuly, if you are interested in sharing. Do you get a set number of pieces each month or do you get new pieces as soon as you return the others? Can you give some examples of the prices? For example, I’m guessing you kept both of the pants — how much were each? If you like an item but don’t want to buy it, can you wear it for several months or do you need to return it within a few days? Thanks for always having such great items that you recommend.
Second this–after you’ve tried it for a few months, I def want to hear more. Super intrigued.
i’ll do my best to answer! – it’s 6 pieces per month, but you can pay an extra $20 to add additional pieces to your cart. – you buy/return on a month-long cycle – so mine starts and ends on the 30th every month, but i can keep pieces for as long as i’d like (as long as i have my subscription!). so if i rented something great that i wanted to hang on to (without purchasing), i could do that – would just have 5 slots to choose from the next month instead of 6. and then yes, let’s talk prices! here’s the retail cost of what i ordered vs. what i could buy it for – 1. rachel antonoff dress – $265 retail / $71.55 nuuly 2. winter muse dress – $180 retail / $72 nuuly 3. anthro pants (new with tags) – $120 retail / $106 nuuly 4. lisa says gah pants – $190 retail / $91.20 nuuly 5. free people pants (new with tags) – $98 retail / $83 nuuly 6. en elly dress – $118 retail / $82 nuuly so savings can run the gamut – from 11% on my brand new anthro pants to… Read more »
I’m on my second month of Nuuly and really enjoying it! Going to Mexico next week and I was able to rent four super fun dresses for dinner that I never would’ve bought (one has mermaids on it!), a pair of shorts to wear to the beach, and a pair of overalls for fall. Really fun to try when I’m in a style rut!
Caitlin – I love the Rita Koenig video. It’s reassuring to see a similar process to mine. I have plenty of tracing paper and a scale, and they are great tools for laying over plans and trying layouts. I also like having graph paper. The other thing I sometimes take the time to do is cut out furniture to scale from cardstock. Do much easier to slide around and trace, then compare multiple layouts.
HA! Flora as played by Bono’s daughter?! Oh yeah, it’s on this U2 fan’s list now. Thanks!
She’s in Good Sisters, too, which is excellent!
Check that: Bad Sisters! (Doh!!)
Yes to Acorn Spice cleaning products! I, too, wait for them every year then stock up. It’s my favorite!
Gretchen, thanks for the movie recommendation! Really enjoyed it. You’re right…you catch yourself smiling without realizing it. JGL has aged so, so well. Did you ever watch the short-lived series “Mr. Corman” on Apple+? My partner and I were obsessed with it.
+1 for Fels Naptha. Actually, +100 for Fels Naptha
To Gretchen –
You probably love the movie Waitress too! It’s my favorite “cute” movie. ☺️