Life Lately #14

Shopping My Own Closet

I've had this blue linen skirt for-ever, but have always struggled to find a good top to match. For some reason I never noticed this one works perfectly. Both pieces are old from J. Crew - but I can still link my sandals that I get compliments on every single time I wear them. All this to say, isn't it satisfying to shop your own closet?

Fresh Bedding

I wanted something new for our bed that would work for the upcoming fall/winter. This quilt from Amazon is SO good. Blake really does not care for feminine looking bedding - so I thought this was a great option that we would both like. I also grabbed some fresh sheets in a windowpane pattern. And, I swapped out the throw pillows I just bought for the living room and I really like the combo. In a perfect world I'd do a matching throw at the foot of the bed to complete the look, but the minimalist in me appreciates the simplicity of not having one. 

Charcuterie Cups

I love making charcuterie! I think my friends have caught on because that tends to be what I'm asked to bring to various gatherings. This time, I decided to do individual charcuterie cups and it worked out great! There were none left at the end of the party - always a good sign.

Pickleball!

We have started playing Pickleball more often, and we totally get the craze. Recently, we had some friends over for pizza and we played Pickleball before and it was just such a good time. Now that I understand the rules better, I'd really like to play regularly. I also have my eye on this cute paddle. 

Lionel Garden Flag

File this under the most fun purchase ever. I saw this Hello garden flag on Amazon and just had to hit order. It's so funny, and we see a lot of smiles when neighbors walk by. 

Loft Jeans

It's probably just a millennial identity crisis but I've been shopping all year for different cuts of jeans. I got 2 pairs from Loft last month and they are both awesome! These in particular are very comfy. I didn't buy Tall like I usually have to, and I actually think I need to cut a few centimeters off the hem - but haven't committed to that yet. (This is the other cut I got)

Cutwater

I bought a variety pack of Cutwater margaritas and boy are they delicious! I feel late to the party. Another shout out to this throw blanket! Winston loves it as much as I do. 

Book of the Month

I got The Wedding People as my book of the month in August. Such a beautiful cover, I just had to take a picture of it. Ultimately, I don't know how I feel about the story. It's very memorable, but also got super raunchy and I didn't love it. 

Book of the Month is awesome though and I always look forward to seeing the selection. I didn't get anything in September because my to-be-read stack is hugeeee. If you want to give it a try, use my link for a $5 hard cover!

I'm BEYOND behind on book reviews. I won't lie, I have zero motivation to work on that post. I'm so behind I don't even remember half the books I read this summer. 😓

Loft Top

Another Loft purchase. This top is SO cute! I got it on major sale and have been very happily wearing it this summer. 

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-Kristen

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Life Lately #14

Friday, September 6, 2024

Providence Canyon State Park in Georgia

Blake and I had a free Saturday and decided to go take a hike! Providence Canyon has been on our radar for awhile and this seemed like the perfect chance to go check it out. Providence Canyon is a man made canyon in South Georgia made from poor farming practicing over a 100 years ago. It's super unique. 

We did the Canyon Trail and saw canyons 1-5. 4+5 were probably more photogenic, but 1-3 were worth exploring too. I think 1-3 would be more impressive in the winter when the greenery has died back. It was very hot, so I actually think the winter is the better time to do this park. 

Don't skip the overlook at the picnic area! The colors were awesome! 

@kristen_woolsey

📍 Providence Canyon State Park

♬ Heatstroke - Khalid

-Kristen

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Providence Canyon State Park in Georgia

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Paint Your Partner

Words cannot express how much fun this was! To celebrate my parent's and sister's wedding anniversaries (they are a week apart) we did a family dinner that included delicious steak and yummy cake. Our family loves to do board games or play cards on nights like this- but I really wanted to do something both special and different for this occasion.

I secretly purchased everything we needed to do a 'Paint Your Partner' experience, and snuck it into my sister's house. Then while while the kitchen was getting cleaned up after dinner, I set everything up!

Basically, everyone had exactly 1 hour to paint their spouse. (My nephews painted each other.) The results were both surprising and hysterical!! You have to watch the video for the full effect.

I loved that this was a fun family activity, and we all agreed it was one of our favorite experiences to date. Even more than that, I was shocked when my dad and brother in law mentioned that they hadn't painted since High School. Totally unacceptable, right?! Everyone needs to get creative and channel that side of your brain every once in awhile. 

It wasn't a very expensive thing to put together either. I picked up a pack of paints, easels, and canvases from Walmart in our normal grocery pick up. 

@kristen_woolsey

Paint Your Partner 🎨

♬ Monkeyshine-JP - Lt FitzGibbons Men

What You Need to Host Your Own Family Paint Night:

-Kristen

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Paint Your Partner

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Lots of Random Recent Purchases

Pillow Covers (Etsy & Amazon)

I have a few pillow inserts that I got from Ikea years ago, and I enjoy swapping out the covers when I feel like a change. Although I still loved the previous pillow cover patterns, they were really starting to wear out. We wash these things pretty much weekly since the pugs like to rub their stink all over them, haha. I purchased this really affordable set of 2 from Amazon for our square pillows. These come in a million covers and I am very impressed with the quality! For our longer 16x26 pillows, I went to a favorite Etsy shop. She's done several covers for me, and they are just great. I'm not 100% sure these two patterns mix perfectly together but I wanted something different and that's what I got. The orange make me excited for fall! 

 

Laptop/Work Bag

Don't walk, RUN to get this bag if you are in the market for a work/laptop backpack. It's perfect, no notes. I am able to pack up my laptop, charger, iPad, Kindle, thick Planner, pencil pouch, and whatever else I need with room to spare. I could barely choose a color, but I went with the neutral option. The handle is awesome, and there is a pocket to slip over your carry on for travel. 10/10. 

Multi-Charger

File this under something I didn't know I needed. With all the tach in my life, it's SO nice to be able to charge everything in one place. This charger charges my phone (which has a magnet case), my Apple watch, and has a place to wireless charge my Airpods. My iPad and my Kindle take the same charger, so I still have that - but this charger stand eliminated sooo many cords. 

Pet Gate

I bought this at Homegoods, so I don't have an exact link - but this is a pretty close match. Why didn't I buy one of these sooner!? Bailey, our sweet 14 year old going blind pug, really loves to be upstairs with us. She doesn't climb the stairs, so we have to carry her up. But, the risk is that she will take a tumble down with her poor eyesight. (It happened right after we moved in, and we were so fortunate she didn't get hurt.) I was using an old plastic pet gate that didn't fit the spot and it was really not ideal. I can't believe how easy this style is to use, and it makes all of our lives a lot easier. (And makes me feel better when we have pet sitters here.) 

Guest Room Suitcase Rack

With company coming, I really wanted to get a suitcase stand just to make it easier for our guests to unpack. I went with this one on Amazon - and wow it's so great! I really like that it has a few cubbies for their shoes or other belongings. I think adding this stand, as well as a cheap pop up hamper, were great additions to our guest room!

Kid's Stuff

We recently hosted my niece for a few days, and I got her a bracelet making kit which is so affordable and fun! We also had my nephews for a long weekend while their parent's were on their anniversary trip. Because I knew they'd be a bit homesick, I bought them a surprise for each day which included a few crafts and activities they could do while they were here. I'll just share a whole bunch of links here in case you need ideas:

The Game

If your family loves games as much as we do, you'll have to pick up The Game! It's so fun, and easy to get the hang of. I always like a game that Blake and I can play on our own, or with a group. What's nice about this one is that everyone works together and is on the same team. Which is nice when you have a competitive family 😂

Another pro with The Game is that it's a compact card game -easy to pack up and take with you on a trip or what we like to do is bring a game to a brewery to play with friends. 

Weight Set

This was a Prime Day purchase! We had our eye on it for a bit, and scooped it up on sale. Blake and I work out at home, and previously we just used a hodgepodge of hand weights we had collected. This set is really nice, and the price was just right. I'm keeping a couple loose dumbbells for now just to make sure I don't need them - but I feel like this set is comprehensive enough for what we do. I'll probably list the extra weights on Facebook Marketplace and consolidate. 

Currently, we are using Apple Fitness+ for workouts at home, and we both love it! I love that our watches connect to the TV, and you can see your stats right there on screen. 

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-Kristen

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Lots of Random Recent Purchases

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Closet Project

Just so excited to share our recent closest organization project! We have a really nice sized closet, but it lacks organization systems - there is just one rack all the way around. That's more that enough room for our hanging clothes, but not so great when it comes to folded clothing. In our old house we had a great closet system with lots of drawers and shelves, so we got by with just one dresser outside of the closet. 

I've been wanting to create a better system since we moved in 3 years ago, but honestly didn't want to spend the money. Closet systems are pricey and so is decent furniture! Even after casually searching Facebook Marketplace, I didn't really find anything ideal.

Well, things fell nicely into place for us and we now have 3 new to us dressers that totally transformed the way we organize our clothing. A friend had 3 older dressers that were solid wood, and in great shape. They needed a little TLC, and I had to decide if we were going to sand and stain or go with paint. 

Ultimately, I went with paint for ease! I fell in love with this shade of blue green called Balsam Fir, and did a matte black paint for the brass. 

A couple of before shots: 

Additionally, we bought a back of the door shoe organizer which really helped with floor space. Now instead of sharing a single dresser, we have 3! We each have our own and then share the third. I'm loving it, and it's inspired me to keep it looking great! I'm thrilled to have this project done after so long. We spent like $80 on paint and supplies (like a giant tarp because it's rained for 100 years straight here and I had to do 2 of the dressers in our tiny living room) which is so satisfying because buying 3 dressers new would have cost a pretty penny. 

-Kristen

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Closet Project

Monday, July 8, 2024