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Nine Favorite Things – hi from Cleveland
Hi, hi from Cleveland! I’m writing this from my grandparent’s patio, back in Rocky River, Ohio. Today, Friday, is a beautiful sunny day, and I’m loving being in the middle of so much greenery. The more I travel, the more I’m realizing how much I appreciate what the east coast can offer. Especially all the green, all the flowers, and the outside growth in general. And I know that most people hate it, but even the humidity can be nice.
I’m heading back to Colorado tonight for a few days, then off to my next location – I’m excited. But before I head back out again I’ve got a busy week of cooking ahead!
It’s been so nice being with my family this weekend. After weeks of us being apart, it’s so nice to have time together. So just a quick update today!
July is going to be a very busy month, I’m excited and looking forward to the months ahead! Below I have a lot of great summer sale links, both in home and fashion.
What are you all looking forward to most this month? It’s the month of SUMMER!
Enjoy yet another round of favorites and have a wonderful week!
1. things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.
loving…threads. This is Instagram’s version of Twitter. We certainly don’t need yet another social media app, but threads is pretty easy to use and I’m having fun sharing random day-to-day things!
everything in my cart (low)…summer dresses, from Revolve, the capri diamonte slip dress is pretty for a summer wedding. Or if you love a black slip dress try this one. Also, this Larenta knit dress from Reformation is great.
for beach dresses, I love this crochet dress with ties, or for something a little longer try this crochet beach dress. And from Zara, this beaded midi dress and this beaded embroidered dress are both pretty.
I could live in these comfy shorts all summer. Make them chic with a cute summer hat.
If you love the Chanel slingback shoes, here is an affordable option, pointy leather slingback flats. I also love the Reformation wisteria slingback.
listening to…Productivity Habits, Tactics, & How To Plan An Impactful Day. Everyone needs to listen to this. It’s a goodie, with so many wonderful takeaways that you can easily incorporate into your day-to-day.
watching…Olivia Rodrigo Answers Vogue’s 73 Questions.
shopping…Zara Home. Love this striped linen pillowcase and mini ash stool for the bedroom.
I need this floor chair for a sunny day in Cleveland this weekend.
for the kitchen, I ordered this kitchen towel. For cocktails, I love this lined glass tumbler and these raised wine glasses. This is a great stoneware bowl for summer salads. And lastly, this wooden salt shaker or classic glass salt shaker are both nice.
for vases, I ordered this smoky glass vase. And this textured ceramic vase and earthenware vase are really pretty too. And for a vase with handles, this ceramic vase with handles is cool.
everything in my cart (beauty)…I keep hearing about this Clé de Peau Beauté concealer with SPF 27. It’s so much money, but everyone says it’s worth it. Going to snag it during the Nordstrom anniversary sale this month. Other Nordstrom beauty items in my anniversary cart include the Dior lip glow oil and lip glow balm, Chanel glow stick, Chanel les beiges water-fresh tint, and the Westman Atelier petite lit up highlight stick duo.
for Skincare, I need to try the Dr. Dennis Gross glow up set. And for hair, Oribe’s gold lust set.
For the body, I want to try out some vitamin C-based products. In my carts, One Love Organics vitamin C body oil, Sanitas Skincare vitamin C body serum, and then this vitamin C lotion.
listening to…Tieghan Gerard: Half Baked Harvest Origins, Food Photography Pro-Tips, Behind-The-Scenes Of Recipe Development + Embracing The Pros & Cons Of Social Media. My conversation with Dr. Will Cole is live this week on his podcast, The Art of Being Well. I really loved this conversation!
everything in my cart (high)…The Row Terrasse leather tote is the bag I want the most right now. I also love adore this Christopher Esber gown I wore this weekend. So simple and pretty. It’s about the detailing.
for a pretty dress that’s on sale now, this Ulla Johnson Alexis dress is fun. For summer shoes, these Acne Studios hairy mules are fun too.
reading…17 Books To Read Before They Hit the Screen.
2. The most popular recipes of June.
Most popular: Skillet Creamed Street Corn Chicken
Runner-up: BLT Pasta Salad
Also, have to mention: 20 Minute Ginger Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
My favorite: Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata
OK, last one: Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
3. Amazon prime day picks.
Amazon Prime Day’s 48-hour deals will start July 11th!
random, but cute and on sale from H&M Home
Nordstrom home preview picks
4. Favorite questions of the week.
q: how much time do you spend on social media?
a: It’s super minimal. I spend most of my time creating IG stories at night. I don’t like to scroll on any platform (aside from Pinterest – love Pinterest) and I only watch family’s IG stories.
q: Do you ever get hung up on the number of followers?
a: I think of you all as friends I want to share my world with. I try to not get caught up in the numbers. In the very early years, I obsessed too much on numbers and it drove me insane, so I try not to look/worry about it anymore.
q: favorite season?
a: Fall. Always the fall 🍁
q: how many recipes fails do you have?
a: My phone is full of recipes I have fully tested, photographed, and videoed recipes that you will never see. The reasons being – I didn’t get photos I like (which I then usually try to re-shoot the dish another day), the recipe doesn’t feel special enough/yummy enough to share, or I’m not that excited about it. Or maybe even a combination of the three.
q: Best way to make a room feel fresh and inspiring again?
a: Fresh or faux florals/plants and seasonal candles always make any room feel instantly fresh, newly inspiring, warming, and inviting. You can swap candles seasonally or even by the weather that day. Add new florals weekly or save money and try faux plants (Studio McGee has nice options).
q: would you ever start a podcast?
a: It’s not something I thought I’d ever do. Would you listen?
q: banana bread recipe?
a: Got you covered. Try my maple banana bread and chocolate chunk banana bread.
q: travel bucket list?
a: Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain, France, and Japan.
q: how do you keep cast iron and baking sheets clean?
a: Stop stressing about it and just give them a rinse and a gentle scrub. Simply scrub with warm water 🤷🏻♀️ that’s just me though. Here’s a post I did on cast iron pots a while back.
q: what do you look for in the people you hire?
a: Positive energy, kindness, respect of others, resourceful, and hard-working.
q: how many recipes fails do you usually have?
a: Way more than you’d think. Sometimes once a day. Sometimes twice a week. It really just depends, but it does happen and relatively often too. Depends on the week and what my focus level is.
q: how do you film/photograph your content?
a: For Instagram stories, videos/reels I always use my phone. This photo was shot with my phone. The photos on the website are all photographed with my camera, a Canon USA DSLR Mark IV.
q: thoughts on the air fryer?
a: If you cook for more than two people, I would save your money and use the oven. The air fryer is just too small. If you’re single, it might be nice. I personally prefer the oven.
q: My corn tortillas always rip, any tricks?
a: Try using Whole Foods 365 organic corn tortillas. I don’t usually have any issues.
5. Summer theme nights.
I think we all love the idea of easy entertaining in the summer, but instead of just a night with friends, what about making it a themed night? Here are 3 fun ideas.
Mediterranean Mezze Night. I’m sharing a Mezze platter this week and I love the idea of heading to Trader Joe’s, picking up your favorite meats, cheeses, dips, crackers, pickled things, and spreads. Then setting it all out on the kitchen table for everyone to enjoy. Such an easy way to entertain in the summer.
Pizza night!! Pizza night is a classic, but pizza in the summer, especially if cooked outside, is just the best. Buy dough from the store, pick up all your favorite toppings, then let everyone create their own. If you have an outdoor pizza oven, that’s even more fun.
Italian night – pasta night, summer edition. Grab your favorite bottles of Italian wine, mix up a mocktail if that’s more your thing, and cook your favorite summer pasta. A fun low-key night to have with friends. Oh, and Tiramisu for dessert for sure!
6. Inspiring me.
7. Favorite links i’m loving.
Sofia Richie Just Re-Created Her Wedding Makeup…all the products she used.
Black Thumbs, Rejoice: The “Anti-Garden” Era Is Here…pretty garden inspiration.
The Cutest Under-$50 Swimsuits…if you need a cute summer suit!
Inside Aerin Lauder’s Romantic Palm Beach Paradise…I just love palm beach.
Inside Amanda Seyfried’s Farmhouse-Inspired New York City Pied-à-Terre…very cute.
How to Pick the Perfect Glass for Your Cocktail…I love a pretty cocktail glass, this is a fun read.
The Historic Montecito Home of One Creative Couple…unique and pretty.
a Malibu Home That Was Designed to Look Like a Mediterranean Resort…love this space. Such cute, funky styling.
8. My Nordstrom anniversary sale preview picks.
clothing
bags/purses
jewelry/sunglasses
shoes
9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.
Monday: 20 Minute Sticky Ginger Sesame Pineapple Beef
Tuesday: Herb Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza
Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Fries
Thursday: Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad
Friday: Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Saturday: Frozen Peach Rosé Slushy
Sunday: Easy Strawberry Tiramisu
Love your style and energy! Thanks for being you.
Thanks so much Brian!!
I’m glad all the bsck and forth of negativity both ways have been deleted.its extremely disheartening to read such nonsense from grown adults. it real is sad . This is the new normal with social media. T stay strong keep being fabulous. The more successful one gets there is always going to obstacles and people who don’t like their own life and jealous of what one creates. This is to the nay sayers and the supports who go extremely overboard. Thank you happy summer.Deb
There was no back and forth between two sides, Deb. One loathsome hater named Laurel, using multiple screen names, harassed T. about a complete non-issue. Several people spoke out and said that this was wrong. (As it should be.) The problem comes from one side, and one side only. Those that target this site for constant abuse. Fortunately, they are grossly outnumbered. However, proper comment moderation and pre-approval would prevent this from happening again, and improve the site quality by leaps and bounds.
The million dollar question, is why hasn’t Laurel’s comment (and all the backlash it warranted) just removed? Take that down, and boom, sanity restored. For reasons unknown, HBH continues to delete comments from supporters, yet leaves all the remarks from people deliberately disrupting the site and insulting her. Not sure if it’s to keep the engagement up. Seems an odd choice. If only she devoted as much energy to removing the negative comments on the site instead of deleting supportive ones.
Cleveland is gorgeous this time of year. The best!
You are so right Jess! Summer is the best in Cleveland!! xx
Hi Tieghan-it’s always so wonderful to be back home with family isn’t it!?
I love candles so much but can’t motivate myself to light any in the hot Midwest summer. Do you have a favorite summer scent?
Hi Tracy,
Thanks so much for reading!! Yes, spending time with family is always so refreshing and much needed! I love anything citrus-y or floral in the summer! I hope you are having a great Monday! xT
On a tangent kind of question after looking at the maple banana bread recipe. What can you use to substitute for coconut oil in the recipe? Would you do avocado or veggie (avocado is my go-to everyday oil and veggie is what I save for making carrot or zucchini quick bread.)
Hey Tams,
Honestly, either of those will work well for you:) Let me know if you give the banana bread a try, I hope you love it! xT
Great Sunday post, as always. Cleveland looks gorgeous! What a view 🙂
Enjoy your family time and have a great week 😎 xx
Thanks so much for your kind message Kelly-Jane!! Hope you had a great weekend! xT
Amazing peach slushy’ s! You’re onto something girl! Blessings to you and your family! Gloria
Thanks so much Gloria!! Happy Monday! xT
Unless Ohio moved it’s still in the Midwest and still not part of the East Coast.
It’s on the coast of Lake Erie, and is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by two states. It is a hell of a lot further east than Colorado. After such a beautiful 9FT post, is that really all you can think of to say? A rude, snarky, nit-picky, bitchy remark? I’m sorry your life is so miserable that this is the best and only thing you could come up with.
Kay, I live in Indiana. No one here refers to Ohio as the East Coast. We’re the Midwest or the Ohio Valley. It’s not snarky or bitchy. Literally no one in our region thinks we’re East Coast. The East Coasters snark on us saying we’re flyover states.
To someone traveling from Colorado, Ohio is quite east. That doesn’t actually matter. It’s obvious that “Laurel” only posted here to be obnoxious. Her only goal was to be a rude know-it-all. So yeah, it is nit-picky and bitchy. Her smug, arrogant tone is the problem, and it’s disingenuous to pretend geography is actually the issue. Her snarky BS was completely unnecessary.
Ohio is not on the East Coast.
– resident of Massachusetts
Heather, your arrogance is astounding. Not a good look.
Yeah, it’s irrelevant how people in Indiana view Ohio. To someone from CO, Ohio is way East. That aside, Kay’s point was that Laurel was being unnecessarily rude, only commenting to take a dig at T., and that’s painfully obvious.
Ohio has never been considered the east coast?!! Did we all skip 4th grade geography??! This comment section is always so weirdly aggressive. Just make the over cheesy pizza or the culturally insensitive Asian recipes and be on your way lol
Amber, you are acting like an obnoxious child. This comment section IS weirdly aggressive thanks to you and your multiple screen names and constant drama. Nobody cares about the geography. The point is Laurel was being rude. And she is. And so are you for that matter. What is your actual issue? You are also way off topic. Nobody is even talking about Asian food. Grow up.
No problem if someone calls Ohio “east coast” in relation to their much more western place of departure. What’s horrible is the jealous immature haters who have nothing better to do than complain about unimportant things. They’re the ones that need to move on, IMHO.
Great post, Tieghan. Have a wonderful time with your family!
“be on your way lol”? Amber, did you skip 4th grade grammar? The thought of you criticizing someone else is hilarious.
Your need to point out what you perceive to be others’ mistakes makes you look insecure, jealous and petty.
Do you feel superior now? 🙄
Pretty sure she still feels inferior. Hence her need to correct others, rather than be nice. 😒
A very negative person…
Wherever she is, she’s having a great time. Looks like you aren’t?
Haters are a right of passage for everyone who has properly achieved fame. Congrats T. Keep up the amazing work! <3
How many recipes do you typically make each day? And does everything get eaten if you make more than one?
Hey Christy,
It really just depends on the day, but I usually make anywhere from 1-5 recipes per day. The food always gets eaten whether I freeze it and save for later or donate to our local church, but there’s usually plenty of mouths around to feed! Thanks for reading! xT
I agree with with Jen. Beautiful flowers. I also was wondering about the destination of the family vacation.
Thanks so much Charlotte!! The family vacation was in Jamaica! Happy Monday! xx
Happy Sunday, Tieghan and Gerard Fam! Your grandparents’ yard is so beautiful! You must love just sitting out there and enjoying the peace and the gorgeous view. Is your family back from vacation yet? Did you ever announce where they chose for the trip? I’m so excited to see pics and hear all about it! Have a wonderful week!
Jen, I don’t think she went on the family vacation? There must have been too many time sensitive pizza and pasta recipes to post? If you want family vacation photos, check out her brothers’ instagrams, it seems like they actually attend these trips!
@Jen, the family vacation was to Jamaica. She shared a photo or two on Instagram but I don’t think she formally announced it anywhere. I don’t think she joined them though due to other commitments.
What a bizarre passive-aggressive remark, Kate. You ok?
Jen, I don’t think she went on the family vacation? There must have been too many time sensitive pizza and pasta recipes to post? If you want family vacation photos, check out her brothers’ instagrams, it seems like they actually attend these trips!
Hi Jen,
Thanks so much for reading!! Their backyard really is the best and we have so many memories there! Yes, my family is back from vacation! They ended up in Jamaica and loved it:) Have a great Monday! xT