Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things

We’ve finally hit that time of year when the weather has turned, it’s green, sunny, and warm! We tend to have a period, usually mid-June, that’s especially nice. And I think that period is now. 

As crazy as this may be, I’m realizing more and more how much the weather can have an effect on my moods and mental state. It’s crazy, clouds come in and my entire outlook changes. Staying positive can be hard, but the sunshine literally makes me feel so happy inside. Cheesy, but it is the honest truth. I’ve been especially grateful for the morning sunshine. It’s coming into my bedroom in the early morning. It’s the most wonderful natural alarm clock. It makes hopping out of bed easier, and my hikes even more enjoyable. 

My apologies though, it’s cringy to go on and on about the weather. I just really am so happy it’s finally nice! Wo0-hoo! 

Moving on. This week was a pretty good one. If you watch my Instagram stories, I think that comes across. Both Creighton and Red have been in town this week and it’s always nice to have those guys around. There’s just a bit more going on than usual, and they bring a nice energy into the days. Creighton came solely for 2 reasons, to hang with Oslo and to enjoy some Five Mary’s Meat. It’s the sweetest to watch Creighton and Oslo together. They are 30 some years apart, but the bestest of buds. I’m not joking, Creigh has a hard time being away from him for more than a week. He doesn’t want to miss anything! 

Red came for a summer camp session he is leading over at Woodward at Copper. We’ve barely seen him, but the family is all together this weekend soaking up this beautiful weather. We thought about heading to Gateway Canyons, which is about 3 hours from here. Red wanted to golf, but there is so much more to explore here. They’ve got hiking, horseback riding, golfing, ATVs, skeet shooting, multiple pools, fine dining, and even a spa. Which you know Asher is all about. Oh, and heat, 99° yesterday and 97° today – whew! Another weekend though, sadly we just didn’t have enough time to give it. 

Ok, that’s the family update for you! Oh well, actually I do think we’ve landed on a location for our big family trip in a few weeks. I’m going to keep it a secret for now though. I love an element of surprise! But if you want to take a guess I’ll drop some hints. The first hint, it’s not a place we’ve ever been before, nor a place I’ve mentioned wanting to go to. It’s a totally new destination for all of us! 

In other news, we had 2 full days of design meetings here with Katie. As a refresher, Katie is our designer who’s working on the studio space and my house. We’re still a year out from when everything will actually be complete. But it’s been really fun planning, dreaming up spaces, and approving final designs. I’m sharing the renderings Katie kindly made, along with some Pinterest inspiration photos, below. 

Other highlights from the week. We had a really exciting call for a new project happening this fall. I can’t wait to share more about this. It’s nothing that major, but I think you all will really enjoy it. I know I’m excited! And then the highlight of the week included a sunset walk with my mom, buckets of peonies, and that morning sunshine.

It’s the littlest things that make such a difference for me. I’ll never take the one-on-one time with my mom for granted.

Have a beautiful Sunday! A million and one things to read this week!

1. Things I’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…this fun Staud beaded leopard bag. Asher would love this. it would be fun to surprise her with it. 

listening to…Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain. I don’t get to listen to this podcast every week. But I found Emma’s conversations on both Alcohol and Weed to be very interesting and relatable. These 2 episodes might be especially helpful for anyone in their teens and early twenties. 

dreaming of going…Puglia, Italy. Puglia is the “heel” of Italy’s boot. It sits along the coastline of the Adriatic, and wow oh wow does it look magical. Dreaming of staying at the Borga Eganzia hotel (stunning) and dining at Grotta Palazzese (yummm). Puglia just became number one on my Italian travel itinerary. 

reading…Liking Myself Back: An Influencer’s Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Acceptance by Jacey Duprie. I’m really excited to dive into this book after listening to Jacey on the It Sure Is a Beautiful Day podcast with Catt Sadler. Jacey’s story sounds interesting and understandable, whether you’re in the influencer/social media space or not. I think my mom is going to read it too!

ordered…a set of these pretty Italian goblets for summer cocktails. And picked up these French stackable glasses too, also great for cocktails. 

loving…Biossance squalane + caffeine clean body cream. I’ve been using this nightly since Miami and it’s helped to keep my entire body very well moisturized. 

testing…Bakuchiol as a retinol replacement. After reading this piece I am so intrigued about a cleaner option. Want to both the Biossance squalane + phyto-retinol serum and the OLEHENRIKSEN goodnight glow bakuchiol crème.

wearing…Emi Jay mariposa claw clips in lilac and golden hour. Also, love this big daisy clip.

ordered…so many new Aritza tees. I just needed some good basics for summer and Aritza has the best. My go-to is the TNA cropped tee. I love the TNA hoodie too. Also order this cute sculpt knit tank and muscle tank, fun for summer days! If you’re looking for a super soft fabric, Éterne tees are hard to beat. I love them. 

ordered…this purple “the dough” iPhone case. The sweet butterflies made me do it. 

following…Nails of LA. I need all the nail inspiration for my next trip.

listening to… Liana Levi on The Skinny Confidential. I haven’t listened yet, but I’m looking forward to learning more from Liana on maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle, finding motivation, and balance. 

loving…Adina Reyter jewelry. I don’t have any of her pieces yet, but this ring stopped me in my tracks. It’s a finer jewelry piece, so not something I’d purchase spontaneously. But it’s probably one of my favorite pieces right now. I’m a sucker for anything with a butterfly design and this ring is not only gorgeous but so unique. 

loving…the Last Line’s tiger’s eye and diamond butterfly earring. This too is a finer piece of jewelry, but it’s so cute, and again, I’m a sucker for butterflies.

reading…The Carlyle. Well, kind of, it’s more a coffee table book, but stunning and an interesting read for sure. 

2. My favorite summer recipes from previous years.

Iced Brown Sugar Latte with shaken espresso

One Pot Lemon Butter Ricotta and Zucchini Pasta

Tomato, Peach and Burrata salad

Pesto Cheese Zucchini Ravioli with Burst Tomatoes

Pesto Peach Chicken in White Wine with Burrata

Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake

Blueberry Chamomile Galette

Browned Butter Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon “Toast” Brioche Crumbs

3. Cocktail glasses for summer. 

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: advice on developing a skincare routine? I always forget/am lazy about it.
a: make a commitment to start doing 1 simple step every night, like cleansing your face (you have to do this!!). then slowly add to your routine – cleanse, serum, and moisturizer, and make it a routine! once you get in the habit of doing it, you don’t even think about it, you just do it. also keep it simple! mine takes me 5 minutes if I’m hurrying, 10 minutes tops if I’m just going my usual pace. I can’t go to bed without doing my skincare routine. 

q: aisle or window seat? coach or first-class?
a: if in coach, always the aisle seat. if in first-class, I like the window, but obviously, I’m not picky cause, well, it’s first-class, so it’s all great. 

q: what’s something you’re truly looking forward to doing more of?
a: traveling/being in new places. I’m excited to get out of Colorado a little more this year. switch things up! 

q: how do you stay confident when people tell you “you’re so young”? Struggling with this!
a: ignore them!!! embrace your youth, it’s what you want and NEED right now. being young and successful is so much more common than ever before. and honestly, I see it to your advantage. you have new ideas, energy, and the willingness to learn!

 “just keep swimming, swimming, swimming”

block out the negative people

q: New York or LA? Miami or Chicago? Seattle or Denver?
a: New York (it’s the energy). Miami (loveee). Denver (the weather).

q: what’s your favorite pick-me-up when you’re dragging and need some energy?
a: hot lemon water.

q: suggestions on how to get out of a work slump? lacking motivation. 
a: time to switch it up and find something to re-inspire you! for me, it’s been traveling and doing more outside of work. getting out and doing other things I’m interested in has helped make me excited to continue to create. if work isn’t feeling exciting at the moment, take the weekends to do only the things you love. it’s always going to bring you new motivation and a different mindset!!

q: can you link some cute black trousers?
a: I just got these from Reformation.

q: you have such an amazing selection of dishes. Suggestions on getting interesting pieces?
a: most of what I use comes from Etsy, handmade ceramic/pottery artists, vintage stores, resale stores, and the most random places. so look around for dishes! head to flea markets, and Goodwill. Source pieces through Instagram if you can. they can take time to find, but it’s worth it for unique pieces.

q: which city surprised you with the turnout on the book tour?
a: well each city was sold out, so that was incredible! but NYC and LA felt incredibly special. everyone had the most amazing stories.

q: it seems like you and all your sibs just went after your passions. what do you attribute this to?  
a: my parents! they’ve never forced us into any one path in life and have always embraced us doing what we love. both are the hardest workers I know, so they always lead by example. always work hard at everything you do, little or small. they’ve given advice but never made us feel like we had to take the “traditional” route. they let us be us and luckily for them, it worked. I don’t think they raised us this way intentionally, this is just who they are.

q: do you like oldie music? I really like the music you use!
a: I’m really weird and don’t listen to a lot of music. But the music I know the most is definitely the oldies.

q: what part of your day-to-day routine do you not miss while traveling?
a: probably just the day-to-day grind of everyday tasks. it’s a lot when I’m home – cooking, filming, and shooting all day, and then working at night too. So the break from the kitchen is always nice and needed.

q: can you please share again what brand of candles you love?
a: I have a few! Snif.co is amazing. also love Byredo, Diptyque, and Boy Smells. I’m curious about trying Nette.nyc candles. I also like Maison Louis Marie’s.

5. Zara looks and home finds for summer. 

Zara has so many incredible, affordable finds
sharing the best style looks and home finds

Full length pants are perfect for days spent at the office and nights out. I love Zara’s satin effect full length pants too. Dress this oversized linen shirt with shorts or over your swimsuit. Their knit tank is the best summer basic. Pair it with an adorable woven backpack for beach days. Obsessed with this corset top. It’s super cute paired with jeans. This corset is cute too, just a little “sweeter” with the printed design. Dress-wise, this satin effect dress, cutout satin dress, and linen blend dress are a trio of vacation dresses. Actually, the linen blend shirt, knit sweater, bikini, and pearl handbag, are vacation fit finds. These sheer shorts and joggers both look so comfy. And for shorts, my top picks are the mom fit denim and high rise shorts.

This inviting crochet throw pillow cover, along with this pretty striped cotton blanket, and these cotton towels are giving me major coastal living vibes. I love this hammered glass tumbler (cocktails will look so nice in these) and this borosilicate glass set (pretty for coffee and tea). And lastly, this terracotta pitcher is perfect for fresh-cut wildflowers. 

6. Studio/home design update + 10 weeks on “the list”.

A few behind-the-scenes images. nothing major, just fun!

Shout out to Katie for making these for us!

And lastly, this week marks 10 weeks on the NYT bestseller list! Including 2 weeks in a row at the number 1 spot on their list. And in the top 5 for 10 weeks running (currently #4). YOU GUYS – wow, just thank you!. Your love and support aren’t lost on me. In fact, it drives me to keep going every day. I just wanted to express a quick thank you. I couldn’t do it without our incredible HBH community, my second family! 

As a way to say thank you, I’m going to do a giveaway to celebrate. So be sure to be on the lookout for this on Instagram this week! It’s going to be a GOOD one. 

7. Favorite links I’m loving.

Every Chic Fashion Person is Wearing This Basic Again…I love a jean jacket. 

The Ultimate Guide to Your Chicest Vacation Yet…a summer of travel.

Zara Haul…every item you need for summer.

The Very Best Way to Sharpen Your Knives…the questions we all need answers to. 

Inside Britney Spears Wedding at Home in LA…I had no idea this was happening.

The Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2022…what are you reading? 

8 Natural Ways to Boost Your Fertility In Your 30s…very good to know.

This Drawer Is a Meal-Prepping Lifesaver…so many good organizational ideas. 

These 29 Summer Items Are Easy to Wear…you can never have too many basics. 

7 Sleepwear Brands for a Good Night’s Sleep…I have Skims and love them.

Homemade Ice Cream Cones Are Worth the Effort…I have to agree here. 

Zara Shoes…Oh my gosh, so many cute ones. I LOVE these. 

6 Wedding Trends Stylish Brides Are Avoiding in 2022…a good read for all you brides.

The Ultimate Wedding Day Emergency Kit…wedding season is in full force.

8 Popular Brow Gels…all about a thick, bold brow that frames your face.

Nine Orchard, the new NYC Hotel…so much history and a stunning hotel. 

Kosas Is Kicking Off Summer With an Epic Sale…14 items to pick up.

14 Beauty Products Tiktok Makeup artist love…read if you’re a beauty lover.

5 Productivity Tips That Will Actually Help You Get Things Done…taking notes. 

Best Canned Food Storage…some fun ideas – Why Haven’t We Been Storing Canned Foods Like This?

8. Swimsuits 

$100 and under

$200 and under 

splurge

9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.

Monday: Pesto Chicken Saltimbocca with Burst Tomatoes and Burrata

Tuesday: Zucchini Cacio e Pepe with Brown Butter

Wednesday: Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad

Thursday: Summer Niçoise Salad

Friday: Garden Herb Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Saturday: Jalapeño Cheddar Popovers with Honey Butter

Sunday: Avocado Shrimp Salsa