A Few Things | June 23
Guests at the Small House and Two Shows I Just Binged
Guests at the Small House!
I’m not sure anyone else will care, but I’m so happy to tell you that Ben Blair’s cousins are visiting this weekend, and they are staying at the Small House! These are our first house guests staying at the Small House and it feels like a milestone.
To be clear, the ground floor is not guest-ready at all — we still haven’t put in the kitchen, we need a sofa and another rug, and we need to construct a powder room too. But the upstairs is quite delightful! There’s a big bedroom with a queen size bed and a luxurious ensuite bathroom, and there’s a loft with a twin bed and stocked book shelves.
A few days ago, we asked Gijsbert (our Dutch friend who works with us on the renovation) to help us get wifi over at the Small House, and for me, that’s a sign that it’s really getting livable.
Now I need to find an armoire that we can get up the staircase or through the window so the bedroom has some clothes storage.
Anyway, it’s really fun to see this beautiful space we’ve created in use. Plus, it’s fun to see cousins!
What I’ve Been Watching Lately
I was up in the night a few times with a stuffed up nose recently, and I ended up binging a couple of shows on Netflix. I think both are worth recommending.
First is Bodkin. It’s a series based in Ireland, and it’s about an American true-crime podcaster who goes to the small town of Bodkin to research a disappearance from twenty years ago. Lots of twists and turns I did not see coming.
Second is Baby Reindeer — this one deals with rape and sexual assault, so watch with caution. It’s a really compelling true story about a middle age woman who was a lawyer and then became a serial stalker. Sometimes it was really hard to watch, and yet I could not look away. It’s a story unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Have you had a chance to watch either of those? Anything else you’ve watched lately that’s on your mind?
In the News
Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
-From ABC News — It’s a war on women. A state-by-state breakdown of abortion laws 2 years after Roe was overturned. A total of 14 states have ceased nearly all abortion services.
-From The Week-ish With ElisaCP — An Ode To Screens?
-From Forbes — Women Have The Power To Change The Narrative On Longevity And Aging.
-From The Colorado Sun — An experiment to pay people who were homeless in Denver with no limits on how they could spend the money led to twice as many people in stable housing. Every time we try a UBI experiment is works brilliantly. We need a nationwide program already.
-From the WSJ — Yikes. The Influencer Is a Young Teenage Girl. The Audience Is 92% Adult Men.
-From Pocket Observatory — Are overnight oats ads proof that Instagram is changing reality?
Normandy Retreat — 2025 Dates Announced!
I’ve got two important updates about the Normandy retreats I’m hosting.
First, if you are thinking about joining us in Normandy this September, this is your last week to register. The first retreat week is no longer available, but there are still a few spots in the September 5th to 11th retreat. If you want to grab one, I would definitely recommend registering right away.
Need more info? Click for the details.
Second, I heard you loud and clear! Dozens of you let me know that you make your travel plans a year in advance and want to attend a Normandy Retreat in 2025. So just for you, I announced our 2025 Retreat dates! We’ll be holding retreats in April, June, and September 2025, and each one has a different focus. You can read about them on the Normandy Retreats page.
Registration for the 2025 retreats will open next week on July 1st.
Shopping
Nordstrom Rack is having a Home Summer Sale with Extra 25% Off. Everything you need to get your home ready for summer houseguests! Here’s are the top 5 things the Design Mom community is picking up during the sale:
Pendleton
Stripe Quilted Accent Pillow
In 4 colors/patterns
Was $100, now $44 (55% off)
Ted Baker London
Plain Dye Collection Sheet Set
In 9 colors
Was $149, now $37 (75% off!!)
Dyson
Pure Hot+Cool™ HP04 Purifying Heater & Fan - Refurbished
Was $499, now $314 (37% off)
Zero Twist
6-Piece Bath Towel Set
In 5 colors
Was $39.97, now $29.97 (25% off)
UGG®
Aileen Cotton Quilt Set
In 2 colors
Was $228, now $82 (63% off!)
You can find more of my picks from the Nordstrom Summer Home sale in the My Picks highlight on Instagram.
That’s all for now. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned above, or whatever is on your mind.
kisses,
Gabrielle
I am so invested in these retreats, because they are the exact way I'd love to experience a trip to somewhere brand new. But as my kids are just as they age they're going to start getting all sorts of travel opportunities, and I want them to be able to go anywhere they can that we can possibly afford, I feel like I NEED these retreats to become an annual thing for at least...umm...well, probably a lot longer than is realistic, as my kids are far apart in age. Ah well. If anything they'll give me a foolproof itinerary for a dream trip 20 years down the road 😆
Recently binged three great British dramedies:
Big Mood (starring the delightful Nicola Coughlan) about a playwright and a pubkeeper and mental illness navigating a friendship that is tested by mental illness.
Dinosaur, about sisters and neurodiversity. One is one of the only paleontologits in Scotland, the other is an adorable goof.
Love Sick, about friendships and relationships among a group of college friends kicked off by a diagnosis of Chlamydia and the young man making the rounds to inform his past partners