Friday Five

ONE
It has been a heavy week and I can’t write this post without first acknowledging all that’s going on in the world. A pandemic that continues to rage and has killed more than 600,000 Americans, the devastation and lost lives in Afghanistan, the significant hurricane damage in Louisiana, the fires near Lake Tahoe, flooding in New York and the repression of women’s rights, right here in my own state.

From April-July, I felt a glimmer of hope as our family started to resume some normal activities. We were seeing friends, going out for lunch/dinner and starting to think about how great fall would be. I was happy, felt safe and like things were getting back to “normal.” I think that’s what has made our present day circumstances so much more emotionally difficult to process – because we were so close.

The AAP emphasized the importance of safe in-person learning for children and I pray every night that our children can remain healthy as schools all over Texas shut down weekly due to the amount of covid cases among teachers and students. I wish I could have the level of cognitive dissonance required to pretend none of this is concerning or happening at all, but I simply can’t. I urge you to have compassion for those struggling right now with knowing that school is very much needed for children to thrive, while also acknowledging the very real risks of sending them. Everyone processes and is affected by things differently.

Lately I’ve been repressing my emotions a lot, trying to hold it together by distracting myself with work and other things, but I know that isn’t healthy, so I’m making more space to feel my feelings. I finally had a little breakdown this week and let myself cry.

Someone mentioned a Brene Brown Podcast episode to me titled “completing the stress cycle,” which discusses how crying actually helps you move forward from the stress you feel. It makes complete sense and I have felt some relief.

I ran some errands/went to some appointments this week which I haven’t done in a few weeks, and it did give me a little dose of normalcy. Logically, I know that every errand poses a risk, but I’m learning to overcome those feelings in favor of occasional doses of normalcy. I love working for myself and love working from home, but it can feel isolating at times, so getting out of the house a few times a week is something I’m trying to do for my mental health (I didn’t feel this way when I first left my job through mid July, because covid rates were lower then and I had regular lunch and dinner plans, an active social life and left my house all the time).

I like to keep this space positive and upbeat as much as I can, but the world is heavy right now, and writing about my feelings helps me process them and so many of you have reached out thanking me for validating how you feel, too. So thank you for reading these thoughts.

Now, switching gears…

TWO
How cute is this textured balloon sleeve blouse? It comes in two colors and costs $24.99. I’m wearing a small, but could have sized down for a closer fit. I love the floral embroidery on this blouse and the feminine collar! I love a good Target find that reminds me of Anthro 🙂 Shop this full look, here.

THREE
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I partnered with Silk’n to share their Infinity at home hair removal device. My mom told me about it when she visited us from Toronto and she’s the one who urged me to try it. You can head over to my IGTV to watch a video review where I discuss the device, the technology and how it works in more detail. I will be using it every two weeks for 8-10 sessions to achieve permanent hair reduction and am treating my entire body (legs, bikini, underarms and arms). I was paid by the brand for my Instagram content, but I am not being compensated to mention it on my blog – I wanted to share because the Infinity is on sale through Sept. 7th. I do not receive any kind of commission on the sales of this device.

FOUR
I’ve been asked a lot about our black and white floral wallpaper from our primary bathroom lately – it’s by the UK brand Watelet and can be purchased here, without a Trade account. I had ours professionally installed and recommend hiring out wallpaper installs with designer papers (unless of course you have experience). A room like this took our wallpaper installer about 8 hours of labor to complete – they have to prep the walls and that alone takes hours. Then applying and cutting the paper for all of the angles, nooks and crannies – it’s definitely a job that requires a tremendous amount of skill and patience.

The x-bench is from The Inside and we use them in our family room (see below!) You can shop that room, here.

FIVE
I purchased this dress a couple of weeks ago from Poppy Kids Co. and it unfortunately sold out the day I started it (some of my other blogging friends like Katey and Brittany had shared it as well, so they were low on stock anyway by the time mine came in, but I know several of you were able to snag one!)

I love it a little more than my Hill House nap dress, but I still love HH and plan to purchase a piece or two from their fall collection. Unfortunately Poppy Kids Co. will not be re-stocking this one. I checked with the shop owner and she said maybe next Spring.

I’m planning to order one of more of these cute tennis-themed tees and sweatshirts…you can find them all linked here. Which one is your favorite?

Have a wonderful long weekend! I will be posting Labor Day Sales all weekend, so check back for all of my favorite sale picks!