Quick September update: I fell down the stairs at 11:30 p.m. on August 31st. I did a full season change on the staircase.
Toe, broken (I think). Purple. I painted the other toes to match because if you cannot fix it, make it intentional.
The next morning, I limped into breakfast. Two coffees, two plates,
$97.03!?!?!?
I looked at the receipt, then at my toe, then back at the receipt, and thought, ok, September, message received.
Time to get creative.
Here's what I’m thinking for the holiday season. Let’s lean into ‘hygge’ (hyg·ge: a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable). Try new traditions and retire the ones that feel like an obligation. I want to decorate early and not apologize for it.
To bring the outside in, to give gifts that feel right, not rushed. And yes, the Advent calendar is coming home with me. I have many, many calendars. Mainly, jam. This season, I want things to feel intentional, not precious.
xx
Quick Announcement
I'm taking 1:1 design bookings for the fall and holiday season on Intro.
The 6:40 Thing That Changed My Evenings
At 6:40, turn off overheads, turn on one lamp, just one.
Even the awkward one from 2015.
Everything looks softer and more expensive. Your house, but it feels like someone else set it up with care. I have been doing this for a week. The whole energy shifts.
Try it tonight and tell me what changed.
What is working right now
Moving things around counts as progress
Pull furniture six inches from the walls, and rooms feel bigger
Put one lamp on the floor, instant cozy
Stacking books horizontally with a candle on top signals intention
Use the good dishes on a Tuesday
September estate sales are quiet; dealers are busy elsewhere. Go early
The Sunday soup, one pot feeds you Tuesday and Thursday, and kills a takeout order
🍓 The Good Stuff (Pulling Its Weight This Month)
Hummingbird ring feeder – A tiny reason to stay still.
McAlpine (one of my favorite Architects!) on TikTok – Real beauty, quiet brain.
Santa Maria Novella wax tablets – Pomegranate spice, sweater drawer energy.
Redecker copper cloths – Cleaning that feels like a ritual, not a punishment.
Kasa Smart Plugs – One tap = all your lamps in harmony.
In My Search Bar:
advent calendars, kiwi slicers, and brown butter cookie cake
Whole Foods brown butter cookie caramel crunch cake, because apparently self-control is seasonal and mine expired in September
Kiwi slicer, because apparently eating one first thing primes your body for digestion, hydration, and antioxidants. Idk, I’m trying.
Best soup pot that won’t betray me in 5 years.
How early is too early to start a fire pit wishlist?
2025 advent calendars ↓ (bonus points if they’re female-owned)
The October thing we are doing
Starting October 1st: The Forgotten Room Makeover. Small budget, full honesty. And...I am documenting everything.
The 2 a.m. panic where I consider painting everything black
The moment the rug is obviously wrong
The coffee spilled five minutes after I fixed something
15 of you already said you are in. Consider this the unofficial, unfiltered, and unhinged October project. No perfection, no big budget, just real people making their spaces feel better, one rug shuffle and lamp swap at a time.
Group therapy with paint samples starts October 1 😭
You can keep reading by becoming a paid subscriber, which means that not only do you have monthly access to our designer hotline (yes, you can basically text me when your living room feels wrong), but you also have the full archive (all the good stuff I’ve done +2 am design meltdowns), and a holiday surprise I've been quietly plotting.
It's less than the cost of the coffee I spill every week, and honestly? Even I'd upgrade.