Good morning! I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend. Kurtis took a vacation day Friday and his office was closed yesterday, so we tried to make the most of the long weekend. Here’s a bit of what we were up to this past week.
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Home Projects & Updates
Remember the hallway in our basement we were going to tackle over Christmas break? It’s basically our junk hallway, and looked even worse when we also had a washer and dryer down here. It was mostly all stuff we were going to use if I did an Airbnb but we then had to pivot when the pandemic hit. Now that the house we were going to use for that has long-term tenants, it was time to get everything out of here so it didn’t continue to be our junk hallway.
I had gotten about half of it done and Kurtis was able to wrap up the rest of it during his time off this weekend. It’s not perfect but it’s so much better! I actually donated all the furniture to Habitat Restore when they came to pick up everything from the two bathrooms. It now feels so much brighter and way less creepy down here. We talked about how we would ever finish this space and it’s still a bit of a mystery to us. The layout works fine upstairs, but down here, the extra wide and long hallway is kind of strange without windows looking out to what is the courtyard above it. It just feels like a lot of wasted space, but there’s not much we can really do about it.
When Kurtis had his hip surgery a little over a year ago and we were both stuck at home, I started working on organizing our spice drawer. If you have one of these, you know it’s kind of a mess trying to see what’s in each jar with traditional bottles. It also just looks chaotic. I got about halfway last year and then realized several of our spices had expired.
So, I replaced them over the past year as needed but that left me with a mix with some of these new bottles and then original packaging. This past weekend I finally decanted all of the new ones. It’s a total game changer! I used these glass bottles that come with two sets of labels (that work on top or the side, depending on your spice cabinet/drawer). I’m mostly just annoyed at myself that I waited so long to wrap this up! Mine are still are a little chaotic because I also used this 6 oz size for the ones we use more frequently. It’s causing the bottles to not line up perfectly, but it works for us. If I get ambitious, I may write a full blog post on the process. If I did it again, I’d probably only buy one size to keep it consistent.
It’s that weird transition period between winter and spring decor and my rooms are all confused. Especially since I still have a little Christmas mixed in too. I ordered this giant vase and I’m loving the punch of color it’s giving. I used these affordable greens from Target (mine are the 38″ size). Definitely some spring vibes going on in our dining room.
DINING ROOM SOURCES: Cane Chairs (look for less here) | Table | Abstract Art | Vase | Faux Greenery | Chandelier (look for less here)
Speaking of Target, I see some of my Studio McGee items I ordered super early Sunday morning are already scheduled to arrive today! I’ll share the good and the bad in stories when they get here. You can see my top picks here if you missed them.
Lastly, I wanted to mention a super cool free software that my friend Monica at Amethyst Home recommended. Off topic, but if you’re in need of a rug, they’ll Photoshop some of their options into your house if you need help. They have killer taste and the best rugs. Okay – back to the topic at hand. So, she also uses this software called RoomSketcher. It’s free and I downloaded the desktop version. It helps with room designs and is fairly intuitive. We’re meeting with another building company Friday to talk about a possible pool house. Anyway, I wanted to make a few mock-ups (mostly to show Kurtis and get him excited) but also to show the builder. Long story short, the software is like a grown-up version of The Sims and is actually fun to use. If you’re doing a room makeover or designing a house or need to visualize changes in your home, this is such a great way to visualize it. I ended paying for the $99 subscription to unlock more features since I think I’ll get a lot of use out of it, but also wanted to mention the free version in case you have a need for it! This is just a photo of my computer screen, but this is a high-level view and then you can do 360 virtual tours of each room. It’s pretty crazy!
I’ll keep you posted on how the meeting goes. And if this is a one-year out project, five-year out project or never-going-to-happen type project 😉
Top Sellers Of The Week
Following are the top sellers of the week across all of my channels. Links to each item are below the graphic.
Around Town & For Fun
I had to wear my sound-cancelling Airpods most of the week to help block out all the construction noise happening right over my head. I couldn’t listen to Taylor Swift one more time after having her on repeat for months. So, instead I listed to a few old albums I hadn’t listed to in ages. I needed so mellow music so I could still work but here were a few I loved and don’t know why I stopped listening to them! I thought I’d share in case you’re looking for some new old music to listen to.
- Sara Bareilles
- John Mayer
- Fleetwood Mac
- Norah Jones
Any other mellow good ones I should be listening too? I’m guessing I’ll have another 2-3 weeks where I’ll need to drown out the noise 😉
We had a blizzard warning Thursday night into Friday. We didn’t get tons of snow, but we had 50-60 mph winds for much of that time. So, needless to say, we didn’t leave our house much all weekend.
Of course we were really craving some grilled food but neither of us wanted to venture outside. We tried using our grill and griddle pans and we were shocked how well they worked to give that grill taste. I think Kurtis commented at least four more times that day how good it was. They also sell the grill pan separately. Even with baked on grease, you can literally clean them with a wet paper towel. Obviously we still washed them, but we love how easy they are to clean! Highly recommended if you’re missing grilled food in the winter months!
This was photo was pre-Blizzard, but you can see how full our pool is getting from rain and snow. The cover is actually sitting on the top of the water in the deep end if you look closely. We’re probably close enough to spring that we won’t have to drain it at all this year but it might be close! There have been years in the past where Kurtis has had to drill a hole in the ice that has formed to pump water out.
I tried to spend a little bit of time reading. These two are never sad about that.
I made a fun little stop motion video yesterday of our bathroom selections, and this little bug used it as her modeling moment. I’m not kidding – the second I rolled this out, she started posing immediately, George Costanza style. We were dying of laughter.
You can see the video here (it has music if you need to turn your volume off), but here is how all the products looked together. I finally opened everything up to make sure the finishes were going to work together. I think it’s going to be good! I think I actually pulled the chrome robe hook for the other bathroom (rather than the polished nickel), but you get the idea.
JACK & JILL BATHROOM DESIGN BOARD SOURCES: Vanity Light Fixtures | Star Light Fixture | Sink Faucets | Bath Accessories Set | Pinwheel Carrara Marble Floor Tile | Beveled Subway Tiles
And I should have shared this further up in the post, but tile is starting in the bathrooms today! I think that’s really going to change the look of the spaces pretty quickly! I’ll continue to give live updates throughout the week on my Instagram Stories if you’re interested.
Recent Buys & Sales
I created this fun winter blues collage and thought I’d share it here. Loving these colors for spring.
BLUE OUTFIT SOURCES: Quilted Jacket | Wide-Rib Crewneck Sweater | Tote | Floral Top | Jeans | Dress | Ruffle Top | Earrings | Ring | Bracelet
Following are some of the sales that have carried over from the weekend. You can see my top picks for the week here.
- ABERCROMBIE is offering up to 30% off sitewide. You can shop their site here.
- AMAZON has a number of deals sitewide. You can shop the sale here.
- AMERICAN EAGLE is offering 60% off clearance, with an extra 10% off in cart – no code required! You can shop their sale here.
- ANN TAYLOR is offering an additional 50-70% off sale styles. You can shop their site here.
- ANTHROPOLOGIE is offering an additional 40% off sale items at checkout (excludes furniture). No code required. You can shop their site here.
- BALLARD DESIGNS is offering up to 75% off all clearance items today only. You can shop their sale here.
- BANANA REPUBLIC is offering up to 40% off must have styles and an extra 60% off sales styles – no code required. You can shop their sale here.
- BLOOMIST is offering $25 off your order of $125+ with code MINDFUL25, plus free shipping on orders of $50+. They are the ones that carry a nearly identical oversized wood chain like we have in our living room, but they have a bunch of other really cute decor finds. This charcoal version of the chain and the small natural option are really beautiful too! You can shop their site here.
- CONTAINER STORE is offering 20-30% off some of their best-selling organizing components! Just in time to get organized for the new year! You can shop their site here.
- GAP is offering up to 75% off sitewide and an extra 50% off sale items with code BIGSALE. You can shop their sale here.
- HSN is hosting their first big sale of the year, with savings on 1000s of items! You can also get $20 off your order of $100+ with code 187130. We’ve been loving this baking/storage set that comes with lids. You can cook the food right in the container and then cover and store in your fridge when you’re done! Less dirty dishes is a win for everyone! I also love that they nest for easy storage. You can shop their site here.
- J CREW is offering 30% off full-priced styles plus an extra 60% off sale styles with code EPIC. They also have cashmere starting at $59.50 and coats and boots starting at at $85! Plus, if you’re a cardholder, you can get an extra 20% off your purchase at checkout with code CARDLOVE. I’m sharing a few recent favorites below, most of which are included in the sale. You can shop their sales here.
SOURCES: Quilted Jacket | Denim Jacket | Crescent Moon Drop Earrings | Balloon Sleeve Crewneck Sweater | Pearl Pendant Necklace | Mini-Stone Cluster Ring | Shirred Sleeve Striped Top | Starburst Sparkle Earrings | Jeweled Beanie Hat | Skinny Jeans | Snakeskin Mules | Rugby Stripe Top | Socks | Sneakers
- J CREW FACTORY is offering 40-60% off everything. Plus get an extra 60% off clearance items with code SUPERCOZY. Cardmembers also get an additional 20% off at checkout when you use your card. I’m sharing a few cute Valentine’s Day inspired picks below and most are on sale this weekend! You can shop their sale here.
SOURCES: Striped Button Shoulder Tee | Sweater Blazer | Red & Pink Check Button Up | High-Rise Girlfriend Chinos | Ruffle Floral Top | Ruffleneck Sweater | Lobster Socks | Small Heart Earrings | Pink & White Sneakers | Pink Blue-Light Glasses | Pearl Heart Barrette | Gold & Red Heart Drop Earrings
- KATE SPADE is offering up to 60% sale styles with code THISISIT. You can shop their site here.
- KIRKLAND’S is offering 10% off your entire regular-priced purchase with code REGULAR10. You can shop their sale here.
- LOFT is offering up to 50% off full priced-styles and up to 80% off sale styles with code LOVE. You can shop their site here.
SOURCES: Drop Shoulder Sweaters (all colors) | Similar White Flare Crop Jeans | Skinny Vintage Style Jeans | Indigo Flare Crop Jeans | Booties | Loafers | Fur-Lined Sneakers
- LULULEMON has a number of post-holiday deals including all these new items in their sale section! They even have my favorite Align Leggings nearly $30-$40 off and most sizes are still available! You can shop their sale here.
- MADEWELL is hosting a Secret Stock Sale with items up to 70% off (online only)! You can shop their sale here.
- MARSHALL’S is hosting their Winter Clearance Event with tons of savings sitewide. Plus get free shipping on all orders of $89+ with code SHIP89. You can shop their site here.
- MICHAELS is offering 20% off all regular priced purchases with code 20MADEBYYOU, plus tons of deals sitewide! You can shop their site here.
- NORDSTROM has a number of new sale additions in all categories on their site. I have these high-waist skinny jeans and love them – and they’re now 55% off! You can shop their sale items here.
- OLD NAVY is offering up to 50% off sitewide. Plus, today only, get 25% off your purchase at checkout (no code required). You can shop their sale here.
- ONE KINGS LANE is offering 15% off sitewide. Plus get an extra 10% off $600+ purchased with code OKLTAKE10. You can shop their site here.
- OVERSTOCK is hosting a Winter Red Tag Sale, with up to 70% off 1000s of items and free shipping on everything! You can shop their sale here.
- POTTERY BARN is offering 20% off bedding and bath during their Big Refresh Sale. How cute are these Parisian Woven Dining Chairs?! I love them so much! We have this textured striped pillow and love it and the price is pretty great right now! You can shop their sale here.
- RUGS.COM is offering up to 60% off and free shipping and returns! This PB look-for-less rug is also included in the sale! You can shop their site here.
- SERENA & LILY is hosting their dine-in event, with sales on dining chairs, tables, consoles, bars and more! You can shop their site here.
- TARGET is offering up to 25% off home items. You can shop their site here.
- TJ MAXX is hosting their winter clearance event with tons of deals sitewide! Feeling major S&L vibes with this bench! You can shop their site here.
- TUCKERNUCK has added some new sale pieces that are all darling per usual! You can shop their site here.
- VICTORIA EMERSON is offering an Winter BOGO Event with buy one get one free – no code required! You can shop their sale here.
- WILLIAMS SONOMA is hosting their Winter Clearance Event with up to 75% off tons of items sitewide. You can shop their site here.
- WILLIAMS SONOMA HOME is also hosting their Winter Clearance Event with up to 75% off 100s of items sitewide. You can shop their site here.
I hope you all have a great week!
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Kim says
I love your bedroom wall! Did it take a long time to do?
Also, what kind of stove is that?
Sarah says
Thank you! It’s actually our den wall (you can see a better shot of it here before I painted it: https://lifeonvirginiastreet.com/coastal-den-reveal/). And we have a Monogram 36″ range. We did the dual fuel so it’s gas for the stove and electric on the oven. I hope that helps!
Victoria says
Not sure if it’s big enough in real life but could the basement hall be a mini gym? Corridor one side and equipment the other. Maybe a few big mirrors on the wall?
Alternatively you could build in some pax wardrobes to the right hand wall for storage.