I'm so excited that NICHE fit Studio is officially my first art customer! I met Jaclyn through her husband. I've tired her Spa Savasana class (yes, it's amazing as it sounds) and love that she always has a foster kitten (or two or three) in the studio. You can follow some of the extras here and let me know if you'd like me to make something for you!
One day each year, animal shelters across the country waive adoption fees to We went to Richmond SPCA.
They wanted an extra hand photographing pets and their new families, so my friend Arshan and I spent the day with them.
Arshan is the one who taught me how to use my camera, and some of my first practice shots were of kittens and puppies at the shelter.
Here are some of my favorite shots. (You can see the full photo album here.)
I saw this handwritten recipe cutting board featured in a magazine and bought it from this Etsy seller for my little brother's birthday. He has all of our mom's recipes and for the first Christmas after she passed away, he scanned and put them all on a USB drive for me. This was my attempt at one-upping him. I didn't see it in-person, but my sister-in-law said it smelled amazing and my brother posted this picture.
Chicken Divan is both of our favorite family recipes.
I think the writing is burned into the wood, but the description in the listing doesn't say how it's made.
Thanks SO much to this powerhouse group for lending your ears and ideas to help make the Rassawek jubilee sponsored by James River Air Conditioning Company even better!TFB’s “Ask The Influencers” combines a focus group and influencer strategy to get the right folks in the room talking about your brand at the right stage.
This dress is made of “poplin” and it feels like I’m wearing my bedsheets and I love it! The white was out of stock when I first found it, but I kept checking back and got it in white and black.
Here are a few more comfy, billowy dresses and tops that you might also like:
I love the Eucalyptus shower tablets from Aura Cacia since I discovered them last year. I'm always reordering these on Amazon or picking them up at the store. But, I use them so much that they're always running out. I saw this Eucalyptus Aromatherapy Spray from the same line at the grocery store with the idea of spaying it in the shower for the same effect as the tablets.
It's not as strong and doesn't last as long as the tablets, but it's still nice and to get a whiff of this to make you feel like you're in a spa shower when you first step in.
I spray this several times and wait a few moments before I get into the shower.
I first learned about Farmhouse Fresh through Richmond's own cruelty-free beauty boutique, Elements Beauty Shop. Aura Spa., one of my favorite places just
My favorite products are:
Sundae Mask Chocolate Softening Mask | $25
Vanilla Bourbon Body Oil | $23
One Fine Day Flawless Face Scrub | $23
Honey Chai Steeped Milk Lotion | $15-$31
The chocolate mask smells exactly like brownie batter. It's supposed to be softening. I find it gentle and just fun to use.
Jay's birthday is around father's day. When I took him for a couples' massage, they were running a special using the Vanilla Bourbon oil. They used it on both of us and I loved the way it smelled.
I haven't used a scrub in years, but when I got a "mini refresher facial" on my birthday, they used this one and my face felt amazing. The other thing I've started doing is using a washcloth instead of letting the hot water from the shower hit my face directly.
Farmhouse Fresh makes a mini pedicure kit that includes this Honey-Chai lotion, Honey Heel Glaze chemical exfoliant, and a body scrub. They were sampling it on the day we had our "bourbon massages," and I loved the smell of the lotion, so I bought a full-size.
If you're in Richmond, pop into Elements to play with the testers or book a service at Aura Spa. I love the facials - and don't forget to add on a bubble bath.
I love that Farmhouse Fresh is cruelty-free. They also indicate on their site what percentage natural each product is, as well as whether its organic, vegan, and gluten-free.
"We're big animal lovers. The FHF Ranch is located on a rolling pasture that is home to FHF fur babies of all sizes. Through veterinary care, healthy food & snacks, and unlimited hugs & love, we help animals erase the memories of their past and build new ones with our FHF family. Our team also dedicates time to rescue activities, including donating dog beds to shelters through our Dog Bed Fairy Program."
And look at their cute staff on the farm. Love!
I got this book because Sherry from Young House Love mentioned it, and I will literally do anything sherry tells me to do. It's one of those reads that inspires so many more.
This book introduced me to the term, "maximalism," and inspired this leopard jacket/neon manicure/glitter sneaker combination.
“Like a kid in a candy store” is one of the most iconic images of joy in our culture, expressing the wild, almost delirious pleasure we take in being let loose in a bountiful world. When I first started hearing about the places that give people joy, I realized that many of them evoke this giddy feeling of abundance: carnivals and circuses, dollar stores and flea markets, and giant old hotels like the Grand Budapest of director Wes Anderson’s imagining. The same feeling also exists on a smaller scale. An ice-cream cone covered in rainbow sprinkles is like a candy store held in your hand. A shower of confetti, a multicolored quilt, a simple game of pick-up sticks, have this irresistible allure.
Even the language of joy is rife with excess. We say we’re overjoyed or that we’re brimming with happiness.
We say, “My cup runneth over.” And this is very much how it feels to be in a moment of joy, when our delight is so abundant it feels like it can’t be contained.”
Meet my friend Jessica Brooks. She's a marketer/mom/master's student and antique-enthusiast.
She runs Renaissance RVA. If you're in Richmond, you can see her curations in-person at the West End Antiques Mall.
We met because her husband and my boyfriend play music together.
I saw on Instagram that she started renting a space at a local antique mall selling really cool pieces, so I asked her to be part of the TFB Art Pop Up.
She also always looks elegant and has a beautiful home, so I asked her if she could share some of her style wisdom with you all.
I went to her rancher home in Southside Richmond to spend a Saturday afternoon with her and her daughter, Georgia.
Of course, I was most interested in her beauty and skincare routine. She told me that she mostly learns about new products to try from Gweneth Paltrow's site, Goop. Here are her favorite products:
May Lindstrom The Youth Dew | $180 | Goop
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze | $25 | Sephora
Euphoria Full Effect | $28.50 | Euphoria.net
Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer with SPF | Nordstrom | $48
PCA Skin Total Strength Serum | Dermstore | $92- works to minimize fine lines and pores. I mix this with my sunscreen first thing every morning. Then I apply the Bobbi Brown tinted moisturizer mixed with the youth dew.
Tanology Drops Light Sunless Tanning Treatment | Target | $19.99
Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen | $19 | Sephora
She wants to try this serum from Vitner's Daughter next. I heard from my friend McKenzie that it's sold ad Need Supply in Carytown and that they'll even give you a sample.
I also loved her cool, summer outfit. She bought the top from a little boutique in Asheville North Carolina.
"I've got pieces I love everywhere from Roan to the Goodwill. But also H&M, Anthropologie, Zara, Gap… I bought a really cute jacket from Goodwill while thrifting recently, and also found a vintage Express jumpsuit at a Goodwill not too long ago I really like. But if I find myself somewhere like Roan or Saks, I make sure I’m buying something timeless and can be dressed up or down so that it’s an investment piece."
I found Jess's pants on the Target site, and here are some similar tops:
She also told me some of her favorite accounts to follow on Instagram:
Architecture:
@archdigest
@home
@modernhomesportland
@midmoddreamhomes
Decor & Style Inspo:
@Molly_britt - Newport Beach-based, California style
@themakerista - mom of three with an amazing design sense, lots of thrifted finds, based in Kansas City
@ashlyngoldberg - Durham based mother of two, lots of vintage, natural organic and traditional elements
@lizlidgett - art curator and gallery owner in Des Moines, Iowa
@vervehomefurnishings - local, amazing finds
@angelachruschiakiblehm - gorgeous pop art
@sothebyshome
Lifestyle/Style:
@inagarten
@whatlolalikes - AZ based mom who turned me on to May Lindstrom
@bat_gio - Italian fashion editor (formerly of vogue)
@erinfoster - hilarious, co-creator of Barely Famous
@camillestyles
Landscapes and beautiful places
@swiss - take me back
@vermontphotography - hope to visit
@villacamilla - just lovely
And... @glennclose on Instagram - cracks me up.
...and her own account isn't too shabby. I especially love the photos from her sweet, private wedding and gorgeous honeymoon all across Europe.
I spent the morning at Bowels Knobb Farm with Zuula Consulting for an equine-infused Communications workshop. Each of us talked about roadblocks and challenges we face personally. Mine was my struggle with teaching and feeling like I’m not doing a good job. At the end of the workshop, we were asked to write something on a rock that represented what we had worked through that day and that would remind us and keep us motivated and inspired through communications roadblocks. I wrote down the names of as many students I could think of that had ever said something. Nice to me about my teaching. It’ll be so nice to have this reminder handy. Thanks to Deanna and Meghan for putting on this workshop and thanks most of all to all these students I’ve met along the way.
