Tag: Home

Blushing

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Something about the start of a new season always gets me a little restless and a lot inspired, and lately I’ve been drawn to all things blush. It just feels so summery to me — bright, quirky interiors, sun-kissed cheeks, cotton candy, sandy shores, Popsicle-stained lips, juicy watermelon… I could go on and on. Here is some blush-hued inspiration for you going into the weekend, while I ponder what little rearrangements I might make around the house for summer. Enjoy!

Via: vtwonen oliver bonas coco kelley glow recipe my scandinavian home (x2) milk decoration michael godmer home designing lonny glossier sarah sherman samuel via sfgirlbybay

Casual Friday – WFH edition

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Why yes, it is awfully difficult to tell what day it is anymore.  Friday?  It is?  Oh good!

Not that I have ever been hugely willing to sacrifice comfort for fashion, but working from home for six weeks has brought on a whole new level of expectations.  Tight waistband digging in?  No thanks!  Shoes that require anything more than nudging my feet forward to put them on?  Nah.  That being said, I do still have video chat meetings to attend and fellow Target shoppers to stay 6 feet away from, and there is no rule that says comfy can’t also be pretty.  Besides, I feel so much better when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror on my bazillionth trip to the kitchen for quarantine snacks more water if I wear an “outfit.”   It feels like a nice little treat for myself to wear something I’ve chosen, rather than whatever sweatpants are closest to my hand when I get out of bed (although there are also certainly those days, too!).

Here are the makings for a hugely comfy, very casual work-from-home Friday:

This sweet onyx heart necklace would make me smile every time I put it on.

A cozy sweatshirt with nice clean lines will last you forever.

This soft cheetah skirt feels (but doesn’t look) like pajamas.

Copper Birkenstocks for comfort with a touch of glam.

This Oscar Wilde candle by Paddywax is just as good during a workday as it is while you unwind in the evenings.  You know, when you have moved from your table to your couch.

A pair of nicely marked-down rose gold headphones (cute!) with excellent noise-cancellation (essential!) for all of those Zoom meetings.

A beautiful handblown glass pitcher and a pair of Deco-ish tumblers to keep you hydrated at your desk.  Also perfect for post-work margaritas to ease you into the weekend.

On my radar

~ cdelacuadra ~ 2 Comments

As the days continue to blur into each other, I thought I would share some things that have stood out to me amidst all the sameness of sheltering in place.  It is such a strange clump of feelings we are experiencing — gratitude to be working from home, concern over friends and loved ones, guilt over never being “productive enough,” tiny joys found in a daily homemade latte or a dog nuzzle midday, and a foreboding sense of anxiety suffusing everything (mostly) under the surface.  It’s a relief to turn all that off even for a little while, so please enjoy!

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc all around us, I was reminded of this thoughtful article from The Atlantic from 2018.  It rings just as true as it did then.  If you are a young child, be comforted by looking for the helpers.  If you have the autonomy and ability to, be a helper.

mr_rogers_helpers

 

Clare V. is having an excellent promo for Mother’s Day.  Now through 4/26 spend $200, and get a free webbing strap with code FREESTRAP.  Even better, 10% of all proceeds go to Every Mother Counts in support of safe pregnancy and childbirth for every mother, everywhere.  I have been eyeing her adorable Midi Sac for ages and finally took the plunge, along with this excellent Masculin Féminin strap for a nice graphic punch.

 

 

I’m still “nesting” now that we are home so much more, and currently I am focused on small tweaks to make our kitchen feel more pulled together.  This retro little microwave couldn’t be cuter.

daewoo_retro_microwave

 

Speaking of home decor, I am crushing hard on Nicole’s sweet pink Stardew Valley-inspired kitchen.  I’ve been playing quite a bit more of late, and I think I might be ready to dive into some modding for this game — especially if I can create a kitchen even half this cute!

And for a tiny dose of levity, here’s a video explaining the pandemic to one’s past self.  Ah, to remember the good old days…  four months ago.

 

Take good care of yourselves, and (at least try to) have a relaxing weekend!

 

 

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Retire to the bath

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

It seems that the bathroom has become even more of a sanctuary of late — someplace to find a moment of solitude away from a house full of family members or roommates, or to find succor in a warm bath if you’re feeling lonely as you isolate at home.  Here are a few particularly inspiring spaces I’d love to seek refuge, or at least imagine to.  Every one has a deep attention to detail, great finishes, and clever use of color.  Don’t forget a little pop of black for interest, too.

Via  Dwell  Architectural Digest  Viya Home  Sarah Akwisombe via Chairish  Studio DB via Domino  Maria Papko  Dwell  La Piece

May I suggest one or more of these for some self-care this weekend?  Retire to the bath and take a bit of a time-out.  You know, the good kind.  Enjoy!

Stayings and doings

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

cb2_crescente_copper_duvet_cover

It feels like this week has lasted half a lifetime, no?  Our lives are becoming very different, day by day.  After several weeks of will-they-won’t-they, I am now working from home for at least the next five weeks.  The state of California has issued a directive to stay home except for essential errands.  All non-essential businesses are closed in Los Angeles County.  And around the globe, many, many people are sick.

It is easy to feel helpless or despairing at times like these.  A global COVID-19 pandemic is certainly cause for concern, alarm, caution, and consideration.  That being said, with an abundance of care, we can make it through this together.  Some tips and musings below:

  • Stay at home as much as you can.  If you need to get groceries or take-out, delivery or no-contact pickup options are available, and currently many business are offering these services at no extra charge.
  • Don’t hoard things.  Supply chains right now should be keeping up with needs just fine, put people panicking has some shelves empty.  Containing this virus depends on ALL of us washing our hands and disinfecting around us.  Buy only what you’ll need for a few weeks, and leave some for everyone else.
  • If you can do so comfortably without straining your own household expenditures, consider buying gift cards to support your favorite local restaurants and small businesses.  Your purchase will help then through a difficult period, and you get a treat or a meal out later.  Win-win!
  • Focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t.  I have been coping by cleaning and organizing areas of my home when the mood strikes, for example.  I cannot help overburdened hospitals in Italy from my living room per se, but I can stay put and clean out my refrigerator.  So far over the last couple weeks I cleaned out my closet and sent a bag of items to thredUP to be sold or recycled (get $10 to shop when you click here), cleaned out my pantry and refrigerator, replaced my duvet cover with this beauty, and got these excellent bins to organize my newly-clean fridge.  Some people have joked this is stir-crazy fifth-week-of-quarantine level stuff, but I figure if I’m going to be home all the time, I might as well be able to enjoy a tidy space!
  • Find a balance.  If you live alone, make sure to keep yourself connected by reaching out by phone or online.  If you are suddenly working from home with a partner and/or kids, carve out time for yourself as best you can.  We live in a smallish apartment, so my husband and I are trading off using our desk space at home.  I need to keep more regular business hours, so I use our area during the day.  He needs to keep in contact with his job but has more flexibility with when he does his work, so he’s been using our work space in the evenings.  We do have two desks, but this way we aren’t on top of each other in a small space all day every day.
  • And lastly, go easy on yourself.  We have so much to worry about right now that it can feel all-consuming.  Cozy up in bed for an extra few minutes.  Take things a day at a time.  If that feels like too much, just focus on your morning.  Then your afternoon.  Then your evening.  Give yourself time to rest, make sure you are nourished, and maybe try to take joy in small things as best you can.  We are all in this together, even while we stay at least 6 feet apart.

Cozying in

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

It looks like a lot of us will be cozying in and social distancing for a few days or weeks thanks to the COVID-19 virus pandemic.  Please everyone take good care and limit potential exposure, wash your hands, and remember we are all in this together.  Find a balance that works for you in terms of staying informed vs. bad-news overload, maybe buy a gift card to a local restaurant to help them through the slump (plus you get an outing later!), take precautions, and get some rest.

In the meantime, I realized I haven’t yet shared the new mix of throw pillows I have in my living room.  I was feeling drawn to warm neutrals, so I swapped out a few for a fresh, casual new vibe.  It seems like this is a view I might have for a bit — I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

swirls  round  velvet  quilted  striped  half-moon (similar)  geometric  squiggles  throw

 

(Art) gallery

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Recently my mom bit the bullet and ordered a Frame TV, and she couldn’t be more thrilled with having interchangeable art on the wall instead of a large black rectangle hogging space in her living room.  We talked about doing a gallery wall to give that space even more visual interest, so a couple weeks ago I spent an evening shopping and installing it for her.  It was so much fun!

I can’t pop by and visit often since we live a couple hours apart, so rather than waiting for art from various places to arrive, we headed to Target.  Although I know they have really stepped up their home decor in recent years, she and I were both surprised we found everything we’d need.

travel photos  line portrait  neutral abstract

She’s been loving pinks, peaches, and warm neutrals lately.  I was smitten with this line drawing portrait as soon as I saw it months ago, so that was a top pick for sure.  My mom is thrilled to be traveling to Europe soon for the first time in years, so some travel photography was an obvious choice, and the graceful curves of this abstract gave a nice variety of mediums as well as a serene spot for the eye to rest.  I peppered in a lovely rose-colored African woven basket and a pair of 3-D printed planters she had found on Etsy, too, for even more texture and visual interest.

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We managed to leave an item behind in our cart (ooops!), so while she went back to get it I had the apartment to myself to hang her gallery wall and surprise her.  And *spoiler alert* — she LOVED it!

The addictive quality of new throw pillows is a constant joke between us, so that was another fun little living room update.  We picked a couple new pillow covers to mix with a few older favorites, and now she has this delightful combo on her couch.  Super pretty AND so lounge-y soft.  And voilà!  An easy January living room refresh.

metallic blocks  tufted half-circles  linear velvet circle  Mongolian lamb  velvet archways

 

Time to play

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Current obsessions: irreverent, playful pieces for home that are a little bit Memphis-design wacky, a little bit modernist, and a whole lot of fun.  Curved lines, chubby shapes, and a healthy dose of quirk?  Yes and please!  Perhaps it is the post-holiday lull, or I’m wanting to capture the freshness of a new year?  Either way, here are some fun items I am craving:

A curvy bench-couch hybrid just begs to be lounged on.  And that nubby fabric!

Francois Halard: A Visual Diary is exactly what I want on my coffee table right now.  Bold, stunning, and personal.

This chubby round stacked vase always makes me smile.  It’s like a wink of fun every time I see it on my console, and I love the minty hue.

I simply must have this print.  So hilariously clever!

This Scalamandré-esque shower curtain had me at hello.  Perfection with some minimal brass bath accessories and an amber apothecary jar or two.

Target’s decor options keep getting better and better, and this artsy-cool pillow is no exception.  So chic and easy.

And finally, I am dying over Ayush Kasliwal’s notch wood chair — classic and architectural, and so fresh and fun at the same time!

All of these together would be beautiful in my imaginary little Parisian pied-à-terre, no?  Individually, though, they are just as amazing, and easy enough to incorporate with a variety of decor styles.  Which would you choose?  Any fun new home additions calling your name this January?

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New classics

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Happy new year!  The start of a new year always feels fresh to me, and I’ve got classics on my mind for looks that are clean-clean-clean after all the excess of the holidays.

jcrew_parke_blazer_caramel

Leave it to J. Crew to make the perfect tan blazer.  I’m planning to wear this for years.  Paired with a chambray shirt and black denim?  Yes and please.  Jeans and a graphic tee?  Perfection.  Pencil skirt and blouse?  Of course!  I could go on and on.

universalstandard_v_rex_navy_dove_grey_stripe

Other items in my wardrobe may come and go, but my striped tees are forever staples.  Universal Standard’s Peruvian cotton has a wonderful drape, so I am thrilled to add this one to my rotation.

nordstrom_pave_huggie_hoops

I got a third hole pierced in each ear just before Christmas and I couldn’t be happier about it — I’ve been having tons of fun mixing and matching my earrings ever since.  Huggie-style hoops are having a huge moment right now, and these feel perfectly classic to me. These sweet pink ones are adorable as well.

vince_coastal_wool_cashmere_cardigan-e1578435363361.jpeg

Speaking of perfection, this cardigan is it.  Super soft, lightweight yet plenty warm, flattering cut, and a beautiful navy hue so you can pair it with anything.

amber_bottles

This perhaps falls into the huge-organizational-nerd category, but because it isn’t the new year without some sort of attempt to streamline things, I picked up a pack of these translucent amber bottles for our shower.  Goodbye, loud mismash of brightly-colored labels.  Hello, calm apothecary shower experience.  *hearteyes*

I don’t feel like I need a new me for the new year per se, but fresh clean and classic?  I’m all in.

 

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