Some exciting news first: we are moving into a new (old) home in a couple of months!  Hooray! The full process has been far more exciting and peaceful than I ever imagined it would be and we are thrilled beyond belief.  We get to design the full scale renovation of the property and are watching our vision come to life as we speak.   I will share much more about this process – our design decisions and inspiration – soon, but for now, just know that I am thrilled to be buried deep in faucet options, wall paper, marble selections, and lighting fixtures.

One of the secondary blessing of moving into a new space (beyond the freshness of it all) is that you get to purge your home of objects that are no longing serving your life or bringing you joy.  We have been revelling in this.  With every box we donate I feel a weight coming off my shoulders.  I’m not a minimalist – I find so much joy in objects and coziness, but I do enjoy my home most when it is in order (and that’s hard to do when it is literally weighed down with stuff).

All that being said, I brought several new things into my life last year – intentional, lovely, useful, and well-made things that I fully intend to keep for quite a long while.  Books, perfume, paints, mugs, artwork… this list is not at all cohesive, but I ran out of energy – so these are the top 12 objects that came to mind.  Browse links and descriptions below.  

 

1: Openhouse Magazine // this international publication celebrates the art of gathering and hospitality on a really organic, personal level.  Beautiful read and so inspiring.

2: Incense + Plants // these two things have taken a starring role in the aesthetics and vibe of my home this year.  Plants you can get anywhere, incense I can recommend: we have been enjoying the Morning Star collection.

3:  Pencils // The most beautiful pencils in all the land (and so creamy to write with too!) Blackwing Pencils 

4:  La Labo Perfume // A few weeks ago, I received a wonderful collection of perfume from La Labo Fragrances.  Each and every perfume is heavenly – I recommend getting the collection package so you can play with them all too!

5: Paints // I splurged on some fine oil paint last year, and now I am spoiled foreverrrrrrr……  My constant favorite is Williamsburg Oils, second to them, I recommend Michael Harding Oils & Robertsons Oils.   Oh!   And Old Holland.  So fine.

6: Coffee //  Coffee is a large part of my daily ritual and I am pampered to have some of the best beans in the country right around the corner from my home!  Methodical Coffee (they ship!)

7:  Marbling // One of the most enjoyable aspects of 2016 was scheduled, allowed, and encouraged “play time” (adults need it too!)  I most enjoyed trying my hand at marbling and, while it was far trickier than I imagined, I was able to create some pieces that ended up finding their way into my legit artwork – so I call that a big win!  Plus, SO FUN.
You can get a starter kit here (although I must admit that I substituted my own paints for the ones in the kit.  The chemicals are still a must, though).

8: Art by Friends // My husband has the very good habit of gifting me artwork created by people I know and admire.  What a good guy.  He gave me this piece, created by Sarah Goddard Perez (Electric Sun Creative) for my 31st birthday as well as a couple other dear pieces of art.  I think this is a wonderful ritual and I hope he keeps it up!  😉

9: Books // My book list is long and nourishing, but I will just give you a small sample for now.   I highly recommend each of these books – especially if you are a creative person in any form and to any degree.

• Chasing Slow, Erin Loechner (this one just came out – buy it now!)
• In the Company of Women, Grace Bonney
• Creative Confidence , Tom Kelley
• Designing Your Life , Bill Burnett + David Evans
• Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk, Danielle Krysa
• The War of Art, Steven Pressfield

10: Skin Care //  I turned 30 last year and decided this is the perfect age to really, really start taking care of my skin.  One Love Organics has made this process literally fun and I can see transformative results on the days when I use their goodness (which is always now).

11: Dasein Perfume //  I stopped wearing most jewelry last year (except for rings and bracelets) as I found they just made me feel uncomfortable most of the time.  But you know what does NOT make me feel uncomfortable?  A really beautifully balanced, nature-inspired perfume that blends spruce and black cardamom, forest pine and french lavender.  HEAVENLY.  I smell so freaking good all the time and I feel beautiful because of it.  Win.

12: Ceramics // I purchased several pieces of ceramic artwork last year while traveling: Italy, France, California, England…  A fine mug or a utilitarian bowl is, apparently, my kind of souvenir!   The pieces shown above are from a San Diego based artist, Chelsea Bradford.

 

What objects bring you joy right now?  Any awesome designers we should be aware of?