Lately | 2.3.26
life during the Nashville ice storm - what kept us busy around the the house (including a great new green paint color) + a few things I've recently bought and love (two new rugs!)
The kids are finally back in school today after 6 days out for the Nashville ice storm. it was a weird week - beautiful, cozy, scary, and destructive - all in one! We were so lucky to never lose power, but so many people in the Nashville area did, and some are still without! We did lose a big tree in our backyard, but we were so thankful for a warm cozy house and plenty of food.
What kept us busy during our days indoors….
We inherited a baby grand piano many years ago and it’s always made me sad that no one in our house plays it consistently. Over our time indoors though we downloaded the Simply Piano app and two of my girls have become obsessed. It’s amazing! We currently have the free subscription but I do think we’ll upgrade it when it runs out. We’ve also completed a couple puzzles and played numerous games of Uno…always a family favorite.
We all watched the movie About My Father - I didn’t have high hopes but found it funnier and more heartwarming then I expected. We also started watching The West Wing from the beginning which has been fun. I’m halfway through the book People We Meet on Vacation and eager to watch the movie once I’m finished! Anyone watch it yet? Next up on my book list is The Correspondent, I’ve heard great things!
There have also been some snowy walks and tons of cuddling in our favorite blankets.
Around the house….
After sharing a recent photo of our kitchen over on Instagram I had a few people notice our new kitchen runner. It’s from Ruggable! I wanted something with rich, warm colors for the winter and have always admired this rug online. In all honestly though I had been hesitant to try a Ruggable rug - I was still thinking of their earlier rugs, which were quite thin and had a more printed-looking design if I recall correctly! I’m sure it’s been a long time since they were like that, but somehow when you get something in your head it just sticks, you know? But the price is right for these runners and now I’m in love! Of course it is not as luxe as an oushak rug, but it’s tufted, soft and cozy underfoot. I think they work great for areas like kitchen runners, kids rooms and playrooms. I also love that the rug pad is attached so you’re not constantly fussing with it’s placement. I haven’t thrown it in the wash yet, but I did spill some tomato sauce on it the other night and it wiped up quite easily with a wet dishrag. I’ll keep you posted when I actually do throw it in the laundry! I’m also eyeing this one for when I’m in the mood for something lighter in the Spring. Also I did see this jute style striped one that can be used both indoors AND outdoors which intrigues me for our deck! I linked all of my favorites from Ruggable here.
My husband had started painting his office last week and he was able to finish it up this weekend. You know when you think and think and think about something and then suddenly just go for it? That’s exactly what happened with the paint color for this room. I debated a green paint color for far too long and then just went for Benjamin Moore Barrington Green. It turned out perfect! It’s a rich green but doesn’t lean to much in either direction of hunter green or olive green.
Recently Bought and Love….
I updated my ShopMy shop so if you’re in the mood to browse it’s stocked with all of my recent favorite buys - including this new sisal rug that we just put down in our front room. It’s so so good!! It’s the perfect neutral sisal color and you can customize the size and edging. I chose the color Edgewood color with a serged edge.
Also new to my ShopMy is this monogrammed linen tissue cover box that levels up my bathroom vanity and this faux horn round mirror from Target that looks so much more expensive then it is! Also we just repainted our girls’ desks so I immediately went in search of a clear desk protector and after quite the search found these on Amazon. They come in a ton of different sizes! Pro tip - they come TIGHTLY rolled so you’ll have to wrangle them to get them to open up, and then use a hairdryer to warm the plastic so they lay flat! It’s a bit of a process but now that they are down I’m so pleased and I don’t have to stress when I see the nail polish and markers come out.
Last week was my birthday and adding another year to the calendar always has me rethinking and tweaking my wellness routines. I’ve wanted a LED face mask for a while but it’s so hard to justify the price. I finally caved and purchased this one that has both red and blue lights. The red is great for aging and the blue helps with acne - which means both me and my two teen daughters can benefit from using it - so I can divide the price by 3, right? I also got some new makeup from clean beauty brand Westman Atelier (foundation, concealer, contour stick, blush stick) and I’m absolutely in love with it’s consistency and ease of application. If you’re looking for new makeup I highly recommend heading to their website - the founder (Gucci Westman) has some great tutorials and tips on her blog! I also splurged and bought this shampoo and conditioner. I’m usually more of a bulk Costco girl, but I have to say, this really does make a difference. As I get older my hair is unfortunately just dryer and lacks shine, but I’ve seen a difference using this set! Lastly huge thank you to Salt & Stone for sending over their body cream, body wash and hand cream for me to try. The body cream is so thick and luxe which is just what I want in the winter. Truly a treat!
Ok, since this is the first day the kids are actually out of the house and back in school, I must be productive! Off to tackle the mountains of laundry and do some serious meal planning.
xo, Elizabeth