Friday Five

Happy Friday!

ONE
I went back to work this week after a four-week long medical leave and I’m so glad I was able to take that time off. It critically affected my mental health to rest, adjust to my medication and work on getting more mental health support. I remember when my initial 2-week leave was coming to an end, I was so anxious about returning to my regular routine. I didn’t feel better yet (I was working up to a full dose on my medication, which can take 6 weeks to kick in) and my psychiatrist felt I needed more time off. I felt guilty about taking more leave (the anxiety talking) but I’m glad I did, because I was able to return to work with energy and a positive spirit. I had zero anxiety getting back into my normal routine – I was actually looking forward to it. I realize it’s a privilege to have a job where I have good insurance, access to great doctors and the ability to use FMLA. I know this isn’t the case for everyone and hope one day it will be. 

I’ve also reflected on the fact that I need to accept that anxiety will always be a part of my story. I think I expected anxiety medication to totally change me when really it’s just supposed to help your life be more manageable and help you suffer less from anxiety and its symptoms. I still have ups and downs, but overall, I feel like I’m in a better place. I notice I’m more patient, less triggered by things that used to make me upset and I feel less irritable overall. What I’m working on is to stop fighting and resisting my anxiety, because it’s always a losing battle. Instead, I’m working on accepting anxious moments or days. My therapist told me one way to do this is to acknowledge the feeling (“I’m feeling anxious right now“), write down what you’re feeling and try to explore the why and remind yourself the feeling will pass (“I’m feeling anxious right now, but this won’t last forever“).

Something that surprised me is that I’ve gotten many DMs telling me I look “happier and more relaxed” on stories lately. That took me by surprise because I never thought I came across any other way – but in a sense, it was reassuring because it means that even though I can’t always see it, my medication is having some effect. It made me feel really validated in the decisions I’ve made for my mental health. I also feel really fortunate to have longtime followers who feel comfortable sharing that feedback with me – thank you!

TWO 
We’re into our third week with Teddy and my goodness, what a delight he continues to be! Yes, he’s A LOT of work (as all puppies are!) but he’s so sweet and adorable that it’s a joy to care for him. I can’t wait to start our puppy training classes and continue to watch him grow. He’s such a blessing for our family during this kind of crappy year – truly a LIGHT! I seriously feel so happy every time I see his sweet little face and snuggle him. He is a gift – and also the best co-worker ever! 

THREE
Harper’s custom shams from Jacquelyn Reese Linens came in this week and wow – they are just stunning! I worked directly with the owner, Vanessa, to pick the perfect colors for her pillows and to select the right monogram. I loved that every element of the shams can be totally customized – the scallop detailing is so gorgeous and feminine – I kind of want some with blue scalloped trim for our bedroom too! We had the monogram applied higher up so that it would not be covered by the height of the bolster pillow and I couldn’t be more thrilled! 

Harper’s room has taken me some time to complete (and she still doesn’t have a rug!) but it’s all coming together beautifully! I can’t wait for her euro shams to come in – they’re being made with this Lulie Wallace fabric – they’ll be printed on one side and solid pink on the other and have a rounded dark green piping. I love that they can be flipped for a different look, but not sure how often we’ll do that since the Lulie Wallace print is so beautiful. We also added this Les Touches bolster pillow to her bed – the print is such a fun contrast to the florals on the euro shams.

Here is the bedding concept I started with…

Then I got samples from Vanessa and went with the darker pink as it complements the colors in the LW fabric more…

Then, I decided to add dark green piping to the euro pillow shams to bring in the green from the Le Touches bolster – I cannot wait to see it all come together!

Lincoln’s room on the other hand has been 90% finished for some time – you can see the reveal post here. Since that post has been published, we’ve added a bamboo woven shade to his window and switched his night stand out to this rattan table. I also re-vamped his bedding with new euro shams from Biscuit Home in Hunter Green (a splurge- but so worth it as these will grow with him!) and a new custom monogrammed bolster pillow. I still need art for Lincoln’s room – for above his tall dresser and his bed.

I’m also planning to order these scalloped placemats from Jacquelyn Reese for the holidays – how beautiful, right?!

FOUR
I’ve had the book Verity in my audible library for months and finally started listening and wow…SO GOOD (and disturbing) so far! Highly recommend. I also read The Heir Affair and American Royals Part 2: Majesty.

We finished watching ALL of Grey’s Anatomy – from season 1 through the current one. Wow – what a journey and truly one of my favorite shows ever! We also watched Emily in Paris twice and the last season of Schitt’s Creek. What should we watch next?

FIVE

Some new purchases this week:

• Shopbop sale purchases: Mykonos Muse book, Eberjey ballet top (I am wearing this as I type and I will never not buy from this brand – it’s SO soft and washes and wears incredibly well over time), Eberjey track shorts, Beach Riot leggings (I finally got this and OMG – hello flattering! They’re super high waisted and have a ribbed texture which is elongating – LOVE!)
• The Anywhere Pan has sold out many times and I finally got one during their $30 off sale after so many women in my Facebook group recommended it.
• Target holiday home decor finds
• Amazon clothing finds (Christmas/holiday themed) for kids!
• Super cute finds from Mini Boden
• Some new toys for Teddy
• This neck cream
• H&M fall favorites (new arrivals!)

Enjoy your weekend!