Blog - The Stripe

4.9.20

Rebecca Atwood x Pottery Barn!

Yesterday was a big day: my sister’s collection with Pottery Barn launched! I am so, so excited for her; this is of course a huge deal for her and her career but I know that as a small business owner (with very discerning quality standards) she’s always struggled with pricing and wanting to a) offer a more accessible price point and b) be able to dip into other categories like removable wallpaper, shower curtains, towels, etc. that would usually be cost-prohibitive for a small brand. (And of course beautiful bedding and pillows… the surf pattern is my personal favorite and it’s reversible!)

My sister’s goal with everything she designs has been to bring happiness and calm into people’s homes. This is an hard time to launch a collection but she and her team put a LOT of love and hard work into the line, and I do think that if you are looking to make some changes to your home, her pieces would be perfect. It’s so beautiful and it’s just so HER! I am a proud big sister! It’s cool to see how much creative liberty the Pottery Barn team let her have – everything from the product to the packaging and especially the photography feels so Becca. And the fact that it’s sustainably sourced! Congrats, Becca!!!!

Pop on over to Pottery Barn to see the whole line!

This was my sister’s first foray into bath products! I know she was particularly excited to create shower curtains and towels!

How much do we love these cosmetic pouches! I LOVE! Dark blue pouch and Swirl cosmetic case. I love that the lining of the cosmetics case matches the pouch.

So proud of you sister! Head over to Pottery Barn to peruse/shop the whole line here!

4.8.20 21

Everything You Need to Know About Dry Brushing.

This post is from the archives (nearly four years ago!) but remains a favorite. As I think about inexpensive things that we can do to pamper ourselves at home while we wait out this quarantine, dry brushing tops the list!!! Once you buy the brush, if you take care of it you will have it forever, and it’s something good you can do for yourself… every day, if you’d like!

So here we go. What is dry brushing, and why is it so good for you?

What is Dry Brushing?

Dry brushing is the act of exfoliating your skin (while it’s dry) prior to showering using a brush, jute brush, or even a nylon wash cloth (love these IN the shower, too!). I have tried all three and personally prefer using a brush (I use this exact one). It’s a little bit softer than the other options, and fits easily into my hand. Dry brushing boosts circulation + lymphatic flow and has been said to help minimize the appearance of cellulite + aid in skin’s natural detoxification process.

Why is Dry Brushing So Good For You?

A daily dry brush is particularly great for you if you spend a lot of time not moving as much as you would like to (i.e. commuting on the train, sitting at your desk all day, laying on your couch LOL, and so on and so forth). The skin is the body’s largest organ… and it’s primary source of elimination, so taking this extra step can really make a difference: dry brushing will help renew the outer skin layer and promote blood flow to skins’ deeper layer which results in detoxification, smoother skin, and a nice healthy glow.

The best time to dry brush is when the skin is very dry, before a shower or bath. While you obviously can’t take a bath every single day (well, TBH I have been, every night of quarantine!), it’s really beneficial to do it before a bath as a good long bath will further encourage the detoxification process.

The pros recommend spending a solid five minutes brushing. This seemed like SO long at first and has taken me some time to get used to (especially when it came to setting aside five extra minutes before my shower). I don’t always make it a full five minutes but it is a good goal to work toward.

Dry Brushing Tutorial

How to dry brush:

Set a timer for five minutes
Begin with your feet, and work in a circular, upward brushing motion.
Next, move to your calves and thighs.
Spend more time on the backs of your upper thighs and buttocks (applying a bit more pressure to these areas, especially if they are cellulite-prone).
Next, move on to the lower back, abdomen, chest, and upper chest.
Finish with your arms… starting from the hands and moving to your shoulders.

Always work in an upward motion and spend at least thirty seconds on each body part.

You can do it every day. I’ll be honest – I don’t always remember, and sometimes I’m in a hurry… but I typically dry brush 3-4 days a week. When I do it, my skin just feels so good. I like to think that it helps minimize the appearance of cellulite (which is why I’m wayyy more diligent about doing it in the summer) but I will say that it has definitely led to smoother skin (especially on the backs of my arms + legs), and a more even skin tone.

Dry Brushing Tutorial - Grace Atwood, The Stripe — jute dry brush

Oh! And this probably goes without saying/is obvious, but wash your brush at least once a week with soap and water. You’re sloughing off quite a bit of skin… it can get pretty gross otherwise. 😉

4.7.20 8

The Benefits of Using a Humidifier.

A couple months ago, I invested in a big humidifier for my living room and a smaller one for my bedroom and I am SO glad I did. I originally did it for a guy I’d been dating who complained about the dry air in my apartment, but I’m so glad I did. My humidifier(s) have made such a big difference in terms of how my skin feels, but also my breathing, etc. etc. Given that we are all spending a LOT more time inside, I wanted to talk more about humidifiers today!

And in case you weren’t familiar – a humidifier is basically a nifty little gadget that produces an ultra fine mist and puts moisture into the air. It’s especially handy during the winter months when the air humidity can drop and the heat can make the air really, really dry. A humidifier can be especially if you have dry skin, if you tend to snore, or if you have a dry cough! The environmental protection agency has a great document about humidifiers which I would encourage you to read!

Benefits Of Using A Humidifier

There are two types of humidifiers: evaporative humidifiers and ultrasonic humidifiers. Evaporative humidifiers transmit moisture into the air invisibly using a fan. Ultrasonic humidifiers are better for smaller spaces as they are more quiet. My bedroom humidifier is SO quiet which I appreciate – I have a hard enough time falling asleep!

You should also think about the temperature. Cool mist is a better choice for homes with children and pets, whereas warm mist humidifiers are a little quieter and can help you feel slightly warmer in the winter. My living room humidifier has a setting for both which I like. Steam humidifiers create stem by heating water with an electrical heating elemnt.

A humidifier can help with so many important things like snoring, dry skin, even bloody noses. It’s actually pretty wild!

Reduces Snoring.

The humidifier helps to soothe the tissues at the back of your throat, thereby helping to reduce snoring at night. Don’t just run it at night; running it all day long (especially while working from home) also helps as it keeps the throat nice and moist.

Keeps hair and skin moist.

This is the biggest one for me as my skin (and hair) runs SO dry. Our body is made from 50-60% water. Dry air helps contribute to dry skin, dry hair, chapped lips, and even dry eyes! Using the humidifier keeps your skin nice and hydrated as that added moisture in the air is absorbed by the skin!

Reduces Allergies.

A humidifier helps to soothe the tissues in your throat and nasal passages… I noticed a big difference when I was having allergies earlier this month. I hadn’t been remembering to fill the humidifier every day (sometimes I slack!) and once I did, I noticed a big improvement!

Humidifier Benefits Beyond Health

I did a little bit more research and there are some really amazing benefits I hadn’t even thought of!

It’s good for your houseplants!

Plants love a humidifier. Of course, it’s important to water them consistently, but by keeping the air levels moist, you’ll keep them much healthier!

Reduces static!

Static electricity is a product of dry air… and it’s super annoying especially with your laundry and HAIR! When the air is dry, static can get BAD. I’ve found that using a humidifier completely zaps static.

Helps wood floors and furniture to last longer.

Something I didn’t quite realize is that dry air can actually damage your furniture and wood floors! If the air is too dry, wood can crack. Because of that, using a humidifier on the reg can regulate moisture levels and keep furniture, floors, and doors looking their best.

Reduced heat bills!

Believe it or not, using a humidifier can actually help you to reduce your heating bill. Since humid air feels warmer, you can turn the thermostat down!

Tips to using a humidifier.

Fill it up every day.

I have made this my morning ritual – as my morning coffee brews, I fill up both of the humidifiers!

Use distilled or demineralized water if possible.

I will be honest: I don’t always do this but if you can, boiling a big pot of water the night before and letting it cool. Then, use that the next day to fill the humidifier.

Don’t let it get TOO humid.

Be sure you don’t let the humidity get higher than 50%. While a humidifier can be great for allergies, a high humidity allows dust mites to thrive which will increase allergy symptoms.

Be sure to properly clean it!!!

With regular use, the humidifier might get a little grimy. It’s important to keep it clean. I rinse the reservoir everytime I fill it and in terms of a deeper I keep an eye on mine but make sure to clean it out at least every month!

Photography by Carter Fish.

4.6.20 28

The Weekly Distraction, 4.6.20.

How is everyone doing? Last week was a real mixed bag for me. I think it’s probably the same for all of us – good days and bad days. Motivated days, unmotivated days, days where I felt great and optimistic and days where I did not want to do a damn thing besides cry. I have found the crying is directly correlated to watching the news and reading sad stories so have been limiting my news consumption and avoiding it in the mornings (when I am trying to start my day and be productive) and evenings (when I’m trying to wind down!)

I have been throwing myself into making funny videos for Instagram. It’s helping me learn a new skill set (I edit them on iMovie on my computer) and it’s fun, and entertaining. It takes me a while to make them but it’s fun. My first video was a music video and then I did a funny play on girls night. Thinking maybe girls night should be a regular thing.

Besides my new found penchant for cinematography I have been pretty boring. Yesterday I just stayed home and watched Damages reruns and worked. And did a lot of chores…. so many chores. It’s funny as I definitely have MORE cleaning and housework to do since being home full time. More laundry because I’m not wearing any of my nice things that I’d ordinarily dry clean or hang up after wearing… and more vacuuming and chores and dishes because I’m cooking most of my meals and home all day.

Lastly, my new favorite at home uniform. Naadam very generously gifted me one of their cotton cashmere sweatsuits (sweatshirt + joggers, I chose light grey) and it is DIVINE. 95% cotton, 5% cashmere so it feels like extra velvety lush cotton. I find Naadam to be very true to size – I take a medium in both pieces.

PS – check out last week’s distractions, and the week before, too!

SXSW Film Festival on Amazon Prime!

It was obviously a huge bummer when SXSW was cancelled but they’ve gone and made lemonade from lemons and done something really cool and thoughtful (and FREE!).

Later this month, the SXSW film festival is going to be streaming via Amazon! Here’s an article with more information, but essentially here is what’s happening:

They are creating an SXSW Film Festival Collection that will stream movies from the festival on Prime Video for 10 days, completely free in the US — you won’t even need a subscription to watch! They’re targeting a late April launch, and it will be over a ten day period. I just think this is so amazing; and personally CANNOT WAIT for all of the remote film festival fun from home. I’m excited for the lineup to be announced and am planning on researching each of the films and seeing at least one film a day during the festival!

A digital book festival!

Wordplay is a major book festival, put on by the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. As they cannot hold an in-person gathering, this year they’ve collaborated with the literary community to bring you live video conversations, podcasts, visual arts, author Q&As, playlists, social media takeovers, and other creative content.

Pretty cool as you can tune in anywhere, without making the trip to Minnesota. They have an incredible lineup planned (including Samantha Irby, Alison Roman, and Emma Straub). See the full lineup here, the schedule here (things kick off April 7th!), and of course, if you are inclined, make a donation!

Some recent beauty favorites.

I posted this to instagram yesterday but figured I’d share them here too!

one // The Coqui Coqui orange blossom fragrance. It’s summer in a bottle and makes me think of their beautiful hotels. Happy fragrances like this one are really wonderful when you feel stressed!

two // Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream. Always. always. I feel like a broken record but I am not testing anything right now so using this morning and night. It’s truly the BEST. Read my full review here!

three // Olehenriksen PHAT glow mask. Longer review in this blog post but this is gentle and makes you GLOW! My skin has been looking so dull and this helps a LOT.

four // Bobbi Brown bronzer in “Aruba”. Haven’t been doing much makeup but my friend Cassandra got me onto this and it’s so pretty.

five //The Jillian Dempsey gold sculpting bar. I bought this a few months ago when I interviewed Jenny Han with Sephora – she was raving about it so I ordered it as soon as I got home. I’ve been playing around a lot with it and am shook by how much more lifted my face looks after using. LOVE. Will work on a review but in the meantime recommend watching YouTube tutorials, whoa!

Sunday Brunch

I mentioned this on Instagram stories but one thing I’ve started to do is give myself weekly treats. On Tuesdays I order Dunkin for delivery, and every Sunday, I order in brunch from a fav local restaurant.

Last week I did the breakfast sandwich from The Butcher’s Daughter (and some yummy juices) and this week I did 12 Chairs… their breakfast shakshuka is something I love and CRAVE. It’s something nice to look forward to and a good way to support my fav restaurants (in a small way).

(Plate is from Scargo Pottery on Cape Cod and spoon is our family silver.)

And here is a photo of Tyrion, just for fun. Portrait mode is just the best.

Would love to hear your favorite distractions in the comments!

4.4.20 14

Weekend Reading | 4.4.20

I think I am going to have to stop saying “happy weekend” as weekends have become my least favorite days of the week! Not a complaint… I just need to figure out how better to structure my weekend days as a person quarantined alone. Maybe just adding a few planned solo activities (something from this list?) As a single person quarantined alone, two days with not a lot planned can be ROUGH – time seems to stretch on forever and I’ve found myself actually eagerly anticipating Mondays! My weekend is probably going to involve some at home yoga, family Facetime, and getting caught up on life admin. Whatever you are up to, hang in there! Stay safe and healthy friends!!! XOXO

Weekend Reading | 4.4.20

Becca and I were on the Veronica Beard blog, sharing our best advice for starting a podcast!

This pretty crocheted sweater is 40% off!

I’ve been dying for a new show and this teen drama looks GREAT.

Hahaha – how long can you go without washing your sweatpants?

Such a pretty “classic but still interesting” white blouse.

“I can’t read a book right now and I’m not alone.”

Madewell’s $75 Jean Sale is going strong and I’m tempted by these. (Use code SWEETDEAL)

Loving Girls Night In’s Stay Home Take Care page: activities, recommendations, and ideas to help you stay in and take care of yourself and others, updated every day!

All of your housebound beauty questions, answered!

Physically in Brooklyn, mentally on the beach. Love this cute little beach chair tee.

One of my best friends sent me this little video of the world’s smallest cat and it cheered me immensely.

Naadam sent me a few pieces from their cotton cashmere line (95% cotton / 5% cashmere) and it is DIVINE. I went for this sweatshirt and these joggers in pale grey and would highly recommend.

What a fun bathroom makeover!

It’s so important to support small businesses and creatives if we can right now… my friend Lydia launched a beautiful, body positive fashion print shop with prints, phone cases, etc!

Ten of the best calming bookish podcasts to listen to! (Honored to be included!)