Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things – finding the sunlight in between the rain

Happy Father’s Day to everyone celebrating today!! And happy summer Sunday! I’m so sad to not be celebrating with my dad today. We’re worlds apart right now, but don’t worry we’ll be back together very soon!

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week! Unfortunately, we’re still getting a lot of rain here. The dark days are wearing me down just a smidge. It’s definitely not felt like summer. A little sad, but even with the dreary weather, it was actually a great week. It was my first full week at home in a long while. So I was really able to crank out some work in the kitchen, hop on some important calls, and get some important “business” things hammered out. I know I say this all the time, but you all, I’m so excited for the next couple of years. We have fun things ahead!

It’s hard right now to be patient and wait for things to start happening, I’ve definitely had my days of feeling frustrated and even sad. But I’ve shifted my mindset a bit and I know things will soon start falling into alignment. And for that I am excited.

At the moment, my days are all looking like a lot of the same, cooking, cooking, and more cooking. Another week of this back-to-back kitchen work, then it’s off for a couple weeks of travel. Family time for a few days, then a work trip, and ending things back home in Cleveland for a family wedding. So all of that is exciting!

Those are my updates. Nothing super exciting, but sometimes life is just life. Things are good, and you live it day-to-day. Hope you all have a great Sunday!! And as I said above, to every dad out there, Happy Father’s Day. Dads and daughters have the most special relationship!

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…legs up the wall + dry brushing. An oldie, but goodie, love of mine. I’ve done this every night for well over a year now. Throwing my legs up the wall and dry brushing have been a game-changer. Legs up the wall for 15 minutes helps to drain the body of excess fluid, reduce toxicity in the body, increase circulation, and reduce inflammation. I think it’s even helped my energy too. And, I find it to help with anxiety and calm me at night.

Then, dry brushing. The skin is our biggest organ, so treating it right is important! I’ve been religiously dry brushing before hopping in the shower and it’s made a huge difference (love this dry brush). My legs feel baby soft.

everything in my cart (low)…loving quiet luxury Zara pieces. So many good selections this week. Loving their ruched asymmetric top. And this striped knit sweater screams old school Chanel. This sweetheart neckline cropped vest is cute too. This pointelle knit top is in my cart. And the open back satin effect top is great for a summer night out.

Now some bags. I love their basket bag, minimal flap shoulder bag, and pretty woven leather bag. Each screams summertime quiet luxury. And for shoes, this chunky wedge sandal could pass for a designer pair. Or try these flat leather sandals instead, I love the black and brown.

And then last, I think these irregular hoop earrings are fun.

listening to…How To Invest Money, Raise Money, & Find Investors To Fund Your Idea Ft. Kira Jackson. May sound a little boring, but I found it so informative that I listened twice.

dreaming of going to…The 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World. I love a small town.

shopping…summer bags. I know, more summer bags? I think I’ve shared this two weeks in a row, but I keep finding the cutest bags for summer. Here are a few from this week.

wanting…creative notebooks and fun pens. It has been back-to-back days of cooking, editing recipes, more cooking, and rain. I’m working my hardest to find happiness in color in little ways. Ordering new notebooks and pens (probably candles too) to keep me feeling excited! Below are my favorites. What notebooks do you love most?

everything in my cart (beauty)…re-ordered the Merit brow 1980 volumizing eyebrow pomade-gel, I love this for quickly and easily shaping my brows. Excited for the Summer Fridays lip butter balm, and their new line of colors for their blush balm.

Ordered the Chanel les beiges travel size water fresh tint.

Perfect summer tan, product favorites. Pool Time Glowing Body Oil from Summer Fridays, + Lux Unfiltered N°32 Gradual Hydrating Self Tanner, Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen SPF 30, and + Lux Unfiltered N°12 Bronzing Self Tanning Drops. All recommendations from Arielle Lorre.

watching…the Idol on HBO Max. I’m starting this tonight. I hear it’s really good. Lily-Rose Depp is a lead, so I’m curious! Also, Vanderpump Rules. Do you watch it? Do you love it?

everything in my cart (high)…these Prada crochet flat sandals are the perfect summer sandals for sightseeing while traveling. I would get them in black and pair with a simple jean short and then a cute sweater. This cropped crocheted cotton sweater from Love Shack Fancy is in my Net-a-Porter cart. A great lightweight summer sweater.

I have never been someone who wears a watch, but the panthere de Cartier watch from Cartier is making me want to start.

I have had my eyes on the patch slides from Bottega Veneta. Fun for summer vacations. Also really loving the simple square toe slides from The Row, very much my vibe.

Adore this MARNI Brushed mohair-blend sweater. Lightweight but cozy for summer.

shopping…random pieces for the summer home. Ordered these modern optic double old-fashioned glasses for summer drinks. Love this fungal rattan table lamp. It would be a cute update for a summer office or entryway. I’d be excited over the Lulu and Georgia round coffee table and accent chair.

And for outside, this La Paloma marble outdoor side table is super cute.

Everything from Burke Decor is always good, but their new ceramic beige vase would look stunning with a fresh bouquet of flowers.

Lastly, the new to me website, Panoplie for vintage one-of-a-kind pieces. Just scroll the new arrivals page.

2. A few of dad’s favorite recipes.

Tomato, Peach and Burrata salad

Peaches and Cream Pretzel Pie

Crispy BBQ Salmon Tacos

Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls

Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp

3. Host in style – summer entertaining.

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: where did your parents grow up and how did they meet?
a: Rocky River, Ohio. They both spent summers as lifeguards on the beach throughout my mom’s high school and my dad’s college.

q: the secret to creating a strong family unit?
a: So my mom had a hard time with this because there’s not one secret or magic trick. It’s a mix of having the same goals for their family. There’s a lot of compromise, and learning to enjoy and have fun doing small daily tasks TOGETHER.

My mom and dad do everything as one. They’re very unified and make decisions with each other in mind. They do their daily tasks together. Before we started HBH, they used to cook (dad dinner, mom dessert) and grocery shop together. They also go on hikes together every day. But most importantly, they both show up as parents.

q: do you take days out of the kitchen when you are home? 
a: Honestly, not so much lately. I’m working on a lot right now. I’ve also been traveling a good amount, so I pretty much cook every day when I’m home.

q: who pays for family vacations? 
a: My parents take care of it. And it’s not because the kids can’t. It’s because they’ve always created an environment that we kids want to be a part of. Splitting a bill between 8 siblings and cousins just gets tangled. They’ve worked hard all their lives to be able to do fun things like dinners out with the entire family. They want to pay because they love us all being together. A lot of times one of us will secretly grab the entire bill. But in the end, it’s not something they’d ever want us to stress about. Or worse yet, not come because financially it wasn’t a good time to go out.

The bottom line is they want us to be together as a whole family no matter what. Also, we don’t go out to eat much. Their thought is that life is super short, so they want to take all the opportunities we can to be together.

q: Favorite designer travel bag?
a: Splurge: I love this Givenchy bag. It’s classic and will never go out of style. It’s spacious and has a zipper and strap. Plus, I haven’t seen anyone carrying this, which I personally love. It’s different.

q: do your siblings mind being filmed?
a: Yes, some do, but none of them are adamant about it. Mostly, the ones you don’t see as much are just not around. Kai and Red are often snowboarding/filming. Brendan lives with his wife and son in LA. Trevor lives in the San Diego area. Creighton, Asher, and Oslo are mostly here in Colorado except when traveling. My mom hates being filmed and Kai’s not a fan either. Red could care less. Trevor’s fine with being filmed.

q: if you lived somewhere else, where would it be? 
a: This is actually a question I’ve been asking myself for weeks. I haven’t found “the place” yet but I think I need to spend more time in New York. Maybe this summer I’ll do a whole month in the city.

q: Best NY city restaurants? 
a: If you’ve never been, The Polo Bar is really fun to go to at least once. Definitely a good spot for a girl’s night. For really good food, I loved Indochine. And for Italian, you can’t go wrong with Carbone or Via Carota.

5. Love you Dad.

Just like with my mom, I could go on and on about my dad. If you follow on Instagram, you know how special my dad is and how much he means to me. Essentially, he’s my unlicensed therapist, and I love him for it.

We spend most nights cleaning the kitchen together. I’m so grateful for the time we have. I know it’s so special and not something everyone gets to experience with their dad. He’s just the best! Always there to support me, talk me through hard times, and give me a hug when I need one most. Oh, and he can always make me smile 😊

Love being a dad’s girl – I just love my dad!!

6. Inspiring me.

something to always keep in mind

summer herb garden inspiration 

a dream green house 

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

The Vogue Editors’ Guide to Outdoor Dining in New York City…so many mew places to try.

June 2023 Horoscopes: One of the Luckiest Months of the Year…I love mine.

The World’s 11 Best Camping Sites With Stunning Views of Nature…summer fun.

9 Castle Wedding Venues Around the World…stunningly beautiful.

Taylor Hill Is Married! Behind the Scenes…she looked beautiful.

Inside the Barbie Dreamhouse, a Fantasy Inspired by Palm Springs…so fun.

15 Books That Will Give You Travel Vibes..these are fun!

Scottsdale Bound…a guide to planning the ultimate girls’ trip.

8. Summer styles.

my favorites pieces from J.Crew

H&M summer collection selects 

9. This week’s dinners + favorite weekend eats.

Monday: Cheesy Tomato Basil Stuffed Chicken

Tuesday: 25 Minute Fajita Shrimp Rice Bowls

Wednesday: BLT Pasta Salad

Thursday: One Pan Corn and Zucchini Pesto Orzo Casserole

Friday: 30 Minute Korean Beef and Avocado Rice Rolls

Saturday: Frozen Aperol Peach Margarita

Sunday: Zucchini Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze