Weekly Roundup

I'm back!! I took a pretty long blog hiatus this summer, but I promise to be back. I have oodles of blog post topics in the queue for you, but I'm always curious to know what you want to hear from me, so comment with requests!

Amber Morgan just finisher her 100 Portraits of Women project! She drew a female artist/creator/entrepreneur every day for 100 days and they are so lovely. I recommend sorting through them to discover new artists and creatives.

It's Plastic Free July! I've been making an effort over the years to avoid plastic and disposables, but I can absolutely do better. I'm paying really close attention to each and every item I touch throughout this month and thinking about how to avoid those pesky plastics. Trash is for Tossers is a great resource for living without waste and her store, Package Free Shop sells lots of alternatives to common plastic items. I recently got the bamboo toothbrush and I honestly enjoy brushing more with it! The Faux Martha also rounded up her favorite reusable food storage items, too.

Brett and Kara's HGTV pilot aires today! Tune in to Home To Last at 2pm EST.

It was my birthday this week and I got some pretty great gifts. My mom got me The Secret Lives of Color, a book all about the unusual stories of seventy-five shades, dyes, and hues. Ross gifted Obama: An Intimate Portrait, a photo book full of behind-the-scenes and iconic images of my main squeeze during his time in office. I'm really into candles, so I always request Sydney Hale Co. ones not only because they smell delicious but proceeds benefit dog rescues. My sister also gifted me wine that benefits your local animal shelter. Lastly, I selfishly bought a new camera lens as a gift to myself.

I need to start leaving notes like this in my walls.

I like the idea of having a jigsaw puzzle going all the time - something to add to over a cup of morning coffee or when friends come over. But I really lack the patience and want to race through it! I finished this one yesterday and as soon as I put the last piece in, I broke it into 1,000 pieces.

This stopped me mid-scroll. So pretty.

Artist Bri Lamkin created her very own trivia game for the show, Friends. I failed miserably even though I consider myself quite a fan. Give it a shot.

For years, a 1911 house sat vacant in the middle of a medical parking near our old house. But it finally moved to a new home - literally drove down the street! I was out of town so I couldn't watch it, but my friend Stacy caught it on video. P.S. Stacy was our wedding photographer and I couldn't recommend her enough for shoots of all kinds.

You'll hear designers talk about what "mood" they want a house to have and this one nails a defined mood. And I'll take every once of it!

I'll sign off now because today is the San Diego Pride Parade and I have some flags to wave! Don't forget to request blog posts topics in the comments!