FRIDAY Q&A: INVESTMENT JEWELRY PIECES, SPLURGES I DO AND DON’T REGRET, MY IDEA OF SELF-CARE THESE DAYS, AND MORE

Happy Friday! This is our last weekend at home before we head to Nantucket for a while so we’ll mostly be packing and getting our ducks in a row for that, but we do have Lauren and Josh’s wedding to look forward to! So happy for all the couples who are finally getting their big days after lots of pandemic postponements. I hope you all have a great one! xx

design-darling-friday-qa-500x500-500x500

1. Any ideas for classic jewelry investment pieces?

A pair of diamond or pearl studs — I’m a big fan of anything I can wear every day and not take off to sleep, shower, work out, etc. I think anything from this bespoke line and this custom necklace are also stunning choices!

2. Did you get a push present for second baby?

We joke that my push present for Teddy was having Merry Maids clean our entire house and honestly that sounds like a dream right now! I talked about push presents here and here (the gist is not something we do, but happy for anyone who does!).

3. What is a splurge you regret? A splurge you don’t regret?

I really had to think about this one! A splurge I regret would be the color of the green lacquer dresser I bought when we lived in Dallas — I had it repainted when we moved back to Connecticut and I wish I’d just trusted my gut and kept it simple in the first place instead of trying to make this big statement that just wasn’t “me”. A splurge I don’t regret is the lighting fixtures in our kitchen — lighting is so expensive but in our case it really makes the space!

4. Favorite maxi dresses at the moment?

I’m living in my nap dresses and I just got this bow shoulder dress and this striped dress that I love!

5. Did you get anything from this Hill House Home drop?

I wanted the navy off-the-shoulder dress but I was at the pediatrician with Peter and it sold out by the time I got home! Keeping my eyes out for a restock.

*original post

6. Recommendations for semi flush mount kitchen lighting? Looking for a fun fixture!

Semi flush mounts are tough! What about this, this, or this? We also just put this one in our hall bathroom!

7. Resources for choosing the right paint shade? It’s stressful!

There’s a company called Clare Paint that offers big swatches so you can really get a feel for each shade — so smart! Definitely tape up lots of swatches, paint samples of a few shades you like, and then see how they look at different times of day.

*original post

8. Tips for enjoying and not stressing the final wedding planning and the weekend itself!

Just take a deep breath and remember that at the end of the day, you’ll be married and that’s all that matters! Little things might go wrong here and there and it will still be 1000% wonderful. This is one of the few times in your life you get to have everyone you love in the same place at the same time so just have fun and savor every moment with your partner and your people! 

9. What are you doing for self-care these days?

A mani/pedi used to be routine maintenance for me pre-kids / pre-pandemic but now it feels like the ultimate luxury to get out of the house and totally zone out by myself for an hour. It’s amazing how happy I am to come home after taking that one hour to myself! I guess alone time feels particularly hard to come by in this chapter of life so that’s my idea of true self-care at the moment, haha. Also if you don’t own one of these yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for! It’s on major sale today and is my favorite way to wind down after getting Teddy down for the night. Would love to hear some of your favorite forms of self-care in the comments!

*original post

10. Favorite tops to wear with white shorts?

Striped shirts by Saint James, knit oxfords from Ralph Lauren, and cute puffed sleeve tops like this from J.Crew and this from Tuckernuck!