I had such a good weekend and hope that you did too! I read a lot – making a significant dent in both Big Magic and The Midnight Library. So I highly recommend both books and can’t wait to talk about them on the podcast.
One really fun thing I have been doing before I move is making standing reservations at my favorite restaurants as the weather has been pretty good and it’s important to me to support my fav spots as this winter is going to be so hard on restaurants. This weekend I made it to both ABC Kitchen and Raoul’s (two absolute favs). Another thing I’ve been doing that’s making me really happy is taking Sundays completely off from Instagram. It’s a small thing but good for the soul. I actually have to delete the app from my phone as I have so little self-control.
I think I’ll write more about this but it was an interesting exercise and not having it on my phone made me realize how frequently I will idly reach for my phone to check in (even when I’m allegedly so “busy” and have so much work to do. I’m definitely learning a lot about myself and my habits from this, that’s for sure.
This week’s list of good things is a fun one… enjoy! XO
Faux Diamonds from Amazon
OK do not hate me/judge me for this but my latest obsession is these (rather gigantic looking) faux diamond eternity bands from Amazon. I ordered quite a few (and returned quite a few) but my top two contenders were this (more subtle, could maybe be real) eternity band and this (not even remotely subtle) baguette eternity band. At $13 and $20 a pop, they absolutely spark joy. I can’t explain it (and yes I know, I have plenty of nice jewelry!) but they make me incredibly happy. It’s fun, even when i’m just sitting at home writing, to look down at the keyboard and see my very sparkly (and very fake) diamond rings.
Mifa Eucalyptus Body Products
My friend Erin saw how much I love the Necessaire eucalyptus body wash (it’s still a holy grail fav) and sent me this eucalyptus mood mist and this eucalyptus coconut oil body wash. I LOVE both. Eucalyptus is one of my favorite scents, mostly because it makes me feel like I am at the spa, and both of these projects are legit. The shower gel is self-explanatory but the mist has a few uses: I’ll spritz it on my face after working out (or mid-day, as a nice pick-me-up), but it’s also nice to spritz all over a damp towel to pretend I am at Equinox (my old gym – their eucalyptus towels were always such a treat). You can also spritz it on your pillow. Or, when taking a bath, I sometimes get hot and will spray my face with it then. Absolutely heavenly.
A Discovery of Witches
This TV show was based on the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness (if you are not familiar with the books, I highly recommend them… the series is basically a witch/vampire romance but for adults, not kids), which I absolutely loved. The TV show is not as good as the books, but is still very fun. It also helps that it stars Matthew Goode, who I have a huge crush on. I’d forgotten about it a while back (I think it was originally on the BBC). Last weekend I binge-watched season one and am now up to date on season 2. It’s a little tricky to find but I stream it on Amazon. Don’t expect cinematic greatness but it’s a fun show to lose yourself in on a cold Saturday.
Loz City
If you’re a regular here you know how much I love pretty little pill things. My friend Allie (who has incredible taste in art by the way!) told me about Loz City last week and I fell in love with her work and immediately started following along on Instagram. Pill stuff has become quite trendy and I feel like they have a really cool and unique take on it. She’s based in New York and creates sculptures, paintings, graphic art and street art. The piece above, Hearty, is made entirely from aspirin, cast in epoxy resin. I realllllly want one of their pieces but am absolutely not allowed to buy anymore art until I’m settled in Charleston.
Salt Bag straps
A really fun way to update your existing handbags is to add a bag strap from Salt. (I’m wearing one in this Instagram post.) Their straps are (generally) 41″ long, and handwoven by Fair Trade Colombian Wayúu artisans. Such a cool idea! The brand is founded by best friend duo Marla Toplitzky and Kacy Lubell, and I love the bright colors and vibrant patterns. Also worth noting: a portion of proceeds from each purchase goes to Nest, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of global artisans through transparency, sustainability and advocacy.
Glad you had a great weekend, Grace! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
You too!
Salt bag straps are the best! I love mine so much. And now I want one of those pill art pieces. Great list this week, my friend xx
Thank you Julia!!! Hope you had a great weekend.
Those bag straps are amazing! Also, I binged the Flight Attendant yesterday and loved it!
Such a good show!
I had completely forgotten what a dreamboat Matthew Goode was until this weekend! I ended up watching Chasing Liberty (I can always count on it to make me happy) and was like please tell me Matthew has other shows/movies I can watch. Saw that he stars in A Discovery of Witches, was intrigued by it, but now definitely adding it to my list to watch! Thanks for the confirmation that Matthew is still a babe 🙂
Haha, love him. 🙂 He’s great in Downton Abbey as well of course!
And in the Crown in season 2? or 3? as Princess Margaret’s husband!
oh I FORGOT about that! YES.
I also binged the Flight Attendant this weekend & started The Midnight Library after Becca’s rave review! Just wanted to say thanks for posting today, I know it’s a holiday for many people, but not everyone & it was nice to have some new content to read over breakfast!
It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!!!!
And you’re welcome!
I feel like I love so many of yours (and Hitha Palepu’s!) book recs but I absolutely hated the Discovery of Witches series! Like deeply detested. No shade to you, obviously totally fine to not like someone’s recommendation (different strokes etc), but got me thinking about the other “just couldn’t get into despite the hype” books out there, which has now turned into a fun thread on my book club group text! I’m always so curious about which books sometimes randomly don’t do it for people.
Oh no!!! Haha! It isn’t for everyone but I LOVED those books!
Matthew Goode is…an exceptionally beautiful man. Got the DVDs for S1 from my public library and binged it so quickly. Hoping to do the same for S2 once it finishes. The whole story is bananas, but I don’t care because Matthew Goode might even top Vampire Eric (True Blood) as my No. 1 vampire crush. 😀
Oh I love that idea. Yes, I think he might top Eric (who I also loved!!!).
Matthew Goode in Leap Year=yum.
New reader in the lowcountry. Looking forward to following along!
Welcome!!! xx
I didn’t know A Discovery of Witches was back on but yay!! I loved the first season (but I basically like most anything romance and vampire/witch related). You can also stream it on Sundance as an option and I believe they have a free trial period if you’ve never used that.
Excited to watch that now!!
Ah thanks for the tips!
I had been looking at faux emerald cut rings on etsy and well, now I’ve got those two rings on my list at Amazon….going to buy jewelry for my march birthday. Thanks for sharing. Adding sparkle to our days sure is nice.
Hi Grace – are you wearing the 41″ or the 33″ Salt strap in your post? For some reason it looks so short compared to the other ones on their site!
I took instagram off my phone a few months ago and it has been the best. I’ve really detached from it and check it maybe once a day on the computer.
Amazing how something so small can really help me live my best life! Less anxiety, mindless scrolling, on my phone less and I don’t really care if I’m missing out on the latest post. I just checked it and really the content could all be from a year ago.