Our Guest Bedroom Collaboration with Pottery Barn

Last month, we did a guest bedroom collaboration with Pottery Barn where we showed you 8 quick tips on how to refresh your guest bedroom (or any bedroom, really) by making some subtle, yet effective changes. We've been getting a lot of questions about the items we used, so today, we're sharing those tips on our blog along with what specific products we chose to refresh our upstairs guest bedroom. Here we go!

Tip 1

Mismatched bedside tables and lamps can make a room feel off-balance and visually askew. We love the look of using different pieces of furniture so that the room doesn’t feel too matchy-matchy, but we do believe that matching lamps give the room a cohesive, intentional flow. These Chelsea Bedside Lamps in antique brass were the perfect mix of laid-back, casual, and sophisticated style that this room needed, and they look great beside the black metal of the bed frame and the brass pocket watch clock.

Tip 2

Sometimes simply moving furniture from one room to another can change how you use and see that piece. You may surprise yourself with how much you like it better in a different spot and, it’s totally free!

We brought in some wood and metal shelves from an existing bathroom where it used to hold towels and washcloths, and we repurposed it as a bookshelf between the two chairs to create a guest room reading nook. The bench at the end of the bed with the cute SLEEP IN pillow on it was also in another room not really being used, but it looks like it was made to sit at the foot of the bed.

Tip 3

Having a spot where guests can sit down and unwind or lay their belongings/luggage is ideal. We used to have one chair that looked pretty lonely by itself, so switching it up for two cozy leather chairs not only created symmetry, it also added additional seating. The Greer Striped Pillows add that extra layer of comfort, and they basically beg people to sit down, relax, and maybe even read a book or two.

Tip 4

Blank walls can make a room feel drab, uninviting, or even clinical. Creating a gallery wall of pictures in the space not only adds visual interest to the room, but it can make your guests feel more at-home, and even encourage conversation.

We grouped together old photographs of famous and intriguing people to create a small gallery wall that might make our guests stop to take a second look and discuss the people in the pictures. Plus, everyone loves a good gallery wall now and then!

Tip 5

Make a splash with pops of color! While we designed the room with creams, whites, and shades of ivory, we also brought in pops of red throughout for that fun splash of color. From the striped pillows and the plants in the room, to the thoughtfully-selected books on the shelves, it’s always a good idea to not leave the room too neutral-feeling. Have a little fun every now and then playing around with color!

Tip 6

Anticipating a guest’s needs is one of the most important, impressive, and delightful things you can do as a host. Case in point: Guests don’t always like to keep asking for the Wi-Fi password, so solve that issue before it becomes one by having it displayed in their room in an easy-to-find frame. They’ll thank you for the clever touch, and you’ll get bonus points for (almost) thinking of everything.

Tip 7

When choosing the bedding for our guest room, we wanted it to feel luxurious but not too pretentious. Going with the Harley Stripe Reversible Duvet Cover was the perfect fit for this room because it’s so casual, yet elegant-feeling (no seriously, you guys have to feel the linen/cotton blend because it’s amazing). Did we mention it’s reversible

The sheets we chose, the Belgian Flax Linen Sheet Set in Flagstone, feel every bit as comfortable as they look. When choosing bedding for a guest bedroom, it’s important to go pretty neutral; nothing too feminine and nothing too masculine. It’s all about balance, and with Pottery Barn’s choices of duvet covers and sheets, you pretty much can’t go wrong.

Tip 8

The colors you choose in your guest room — or any space, really — can have a powerful effect on how people feel when they stay overnight. Choosing a comforting, neutral color scheme layered with whites, creams, and browns creates a soothing and calming atmosphere where guests are sure to get a good night’s sleep. The linen curtains, white lamp shades, cream colored duvet cover, and brown leather chairs suggest this room is for one thing and one thing only: to slow down and relax.

So there you have it! We had so much fun putting this together and are happy to finally share it over here. For more inspiration and drool-worthy pictures, head on over to Pottery Barn's blog!

How to Help People Affected by Hurricane Harvey

Image via here

Our hearts are breaking as we see the news of the destruction that Hurricane Harvey is bringing in Texas. While most of us can't be there physically to help, there are still ways of sending love and support to help people affected by this terrible storm.

If you would like to send money or donate, The New York Times has a great article that shows you where you can do so, and how to avoid scams along the way. We chose the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, but there are plenty of others to choose from as well.

To everyone in Texas who is going through hell right now: our thoughts and prayers are with you all and we are sending as much love your way as we can. 

Scenes from the Weekend

A few pictures from our relaxing weekend spent with friends and family aka, our favorite kind of weekend!

The Two Parts of the VMAs That Gave Us Chills

Did you guys watch the VMAs on MTV last night? We used to be obsessed with them ~back in the day~ and it's fun to watch them now and see how trends and music has changed. 

We loved Taylor Swift's new music video , Miley killed it on stage per usual, and we thought Katy Perry was a so-so host. However, there were two parts of last night's show that we particularly loved and moved us. 

The first was Logic's performance about inclusion and equality, for everybody. It was a beautiful, honest, raw performance, but the best part comes at the end. Check it out:

The second was Pink's acceptance speech for the Video Vanguard Award. Ellen Degeneres (you know our feelings about her) presented the award to her which made it even more perfect. In the speech, she talks about how she doesn't change for society despite some of the negative things they say about her. It was an inspiring speech revolving around a conversation she had with her daughter about about how she should always be herself. It was moving and it was powerful and we hope that if there's one thing you take away from following us, it's to always always always be yourself, no matter what anyone else might think of you. Check it out below:

So what did you guys think? We loved seeing all of the positive messages about self-love, equality, and inclusion at the VMAs last night. What were your favorite parts?

Worth Mentioning (TGIF)

We already posted our Feature Friday today, but we wanted to leave y'all with some fun links for the weekend. It's beautiful (almost Fall-like) weather here in TN this weekend, but we know you guys in Texas are facing scary weather with Hurricane Harvey. We hope y'all stay safe and our thoughts and prayers are with you guys! 

And for everyone else, we hope y'all have a happy and safe weekend as well!! 

It took us a couple of listens, but we can't get Taylor Swift's new song out of our heads.

Thomas' sister and brother-in-law are traveling here from GA to visit this festival. Are you going too?

These facts about the eclipse on Monday were pretty interesting.

The trailer for American Horror Story: Cult premiered! 

Have smartphones destroyed a generation?

How to prepare for Hurricane Harvey.

The Fate of Our Show, Down to the Studs

Hey y'all, watch the video below to find out the fate of our HGTV show, Down to the Studs! Be sure to watch until the end to find out a secret we've been dying to tell y'all! 

Down to the Studs + HGTV

Pride.com + Scenes From the Weekend

Happy Monday everyone! Did you watch the solar eclipse? We got 100% totality where we live which was really cool, eerie, and crazy. But mostly just really cool. It kind of looked like a dark Instagram filter was on your eyes the whole time. Again, cool.

This weekend was really cute, too, especially because Pride.com asked us 20 questions and we answered them! If you want to learn who our favorite gay icon is and what advice we have for today's LGBTQ youth, you should check it out! Thanks again for the interview, Pride!

And finally, here are some scenes from our relaxed weekend. We hope y'all had a good one as well!

Feature Friday with Evan Bossio

TGIF everyone! As promised, today is the start of our new segment, Feature Friday! Each Friday we're featuring one of y'all on here telling us more about yourself. We love the idea of you guys sharing your story, not just with us, but with everyone, so that we can all connect and feel a little closer no matter how near or far we live.

Our first Feature Friday is with Evan Bossio! We loved getting to know him and we think you will too ;) So without further ado...

Where are you from? I'm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Where do you live? I still live in Philly, but in two weeks I will be moving to Madrid, Spain where I'll be teaching English for a year! 

What’s your Instagram handle? evan.tyler

Age? (optional) 22

Relationship Status? Single

What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited and why? My favorite place I've ever visited is Patagonia, Argentina. I spent a semester studying abroad in Buenos Aires and during a mid-semester break I embarked on a journey with some friends to the southern province. There was no way we could see all of the region in such a short time, but we witnessed the most incredible landscapes, mountains, and glaciers. The Perito Moreno glacier is in El Calafate in Patagonia and it's an absolute must-see. The glacier is incredibly massive, and sits with a beautiful backdrop of snow-capped mountains. I was entirely speechless when I saw it and I didn't look away for the entirety of our visit. Pieces of ice would fall off and make a crashing sound like nothing I've heard before. I have been dying to go back.

 If money weren’t an option, what would be the first thing you would do?I have two answers here: Firstly, I would make it so that every child had access to a quality education. Our world has such a large and widening gap in both the access to, and quality of education. The ability to learn and grow alongside peers, internationally, should be a universal right. 

Also, I would spend my entire life traveling, spending each month or year in a different country getting to know the culture, meeting new people, and seeing the sites. Most importantly, I wouldn't go anywhere without food in my hands. Like... anywhere. I would literally eat my way through every country. Maybe I'd even start one of those food Instagrams that are popping up everywhere. It would have to be creative and have a theme, like Lorde's onion ring account. 

Choose a movie title for the story of your life: Catch Me if You Can

What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator? Ranch dip... yikes.

What is your favorite quote? A classic from Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." This quote means so much to me and is always in the back of my mind as I look toward a career in international education. I want to help bridge long-lasting cultural divides between peoples by way of progressive education. We are all so much more similar than we think and once we realize that, our differences will eventually seem obsolete. 

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? I have a lot still on my bucket list, but at the top is skydiving in the Swiss Alps. I'm Europe-bound, so it could happen pretty soon! This is the first time I'm writing out the words and my heart is racing just thinking about it. One time I did one of those free-fall, bungee "rides" on the boardwalk and I legitimately cried so... we'll see how it goes! 

How would you describe your home décor style? Simplicity is key. I really like neutral colors for sofas, bedding, etc., and dark furniture with harder edges. Right now my bedding is tan, brown, and a soft, light blue (it's also the softest duvet known to man). For decorations or accessories, I typically use lots of pictures of friends and family in dark frames, some flowers or succulents, and vintage lamps. I also always have a map of the world on the wall. Overall, perhaps my home décor style is a mixture of traditional and modern? 

Describe your perfect date night: Okay, the date starts in a dog park and we're surrounded by dogs, mostly pugs. They all want to play with us because we're the most fun guys in the park. After a few minutes of playing with the dogs (realistically a couple hours), we leave for dinner. Ideally we would eat at a Mexican restaurant, some place in the city where we can sit outside that has the freshest ingredients and homemade everything. We eat our tacos and sip sangria until the sun sets and then depart for, wait for it, more food. We stop to get ice cream, homemade of course, and sit on a bench overlooking the water. The sky is totally clear and we're just far away enough from the buildings and lights to be able to see the stars. We'd tell each other stories and he would laugh so hard that suddenly I feel like the funniest guy he's ever met... which is so far from the truth. Anyway, he'd walk me home and say good night and I'd go inside and watch 6 episodes of Parks and Recreation before falling asleep (preferably with him by my side). 

Totally haven't put any thought into this.

Who is the last person who inspired you and why? The last person who inspired me, and quite frankly the person who inspires me the most, is my younger brother Austin. He is constantly faced with difficult situations and tackles them with outstanding poise. I was not nearly as mature and thoughtful as he is at 18. He did the bravest thing and took a semester off from college, something I never even thought possible, regardless of how I was doing academically or mentally. Austin taught me that vulnerability makes us human, and admitting that you're struggling should be encouraged, not shamed. He returned to school with a newfound confidence and energy that I hope to also carry with me on my next adventure. 

We Tried Intermittent Fasting for a Week and Here's How It Went

source

Last week we read an article online (that for the life of us can't think of which one it is now) that talked about intermittent fasting and the pros and cons of it. We had never heard much about IF (intermittent fasting) before even though, we found out, it's pretty big in the health and fitness world (no wonder we've never heard of it ;) ).

But what is IF? Essentially it's a pattern of eating that cycles between periods of fasting and periods of eating, typically fasting for longer than you're eating. Many people probably already do this and don't even realize it. Surprisingly, PJ does this every day! He typically doesn't eat breakfast and won't eat his first meal until around lunch time. 

Meanwhile, Thomas usually eats first thing in the morning because he's STARVING and can't function. Because he gets up so early (5:20a), he also eats a mid morning snack, and then lunch in the afternoon. So, because PJ already does IF on most days without even thinking, this post will be told from Thomas' POV. Let's get right to it!

I decided to do the 16/8 type of IF which is where you fast for 16 hours of the day and eat for the other 8. You can choose whatever time period works for you, but since you shouldn't typically eat after 8p anyway, I chose the (pretty standard) 12p-8p window for eating, and fasting from 8p-12p the next day. Something to note: I did still drink my coffee in the morning, and lots of it. I remember the article we read mentioned how they upped their coffee intake to take the place of no food and to make sure they still had enough energy. I usually drink 1-2 cups in the morning at most, but I was up to 3 cups for the first couple of days. 

Alas, here is my day by day journal on how IF went for me:

Day 1

The fist day turned out to be surprisingly easy (said in my best Cady Heron voice), or at least a lot easier than I was expecting. I didn't really start getting hungry until around 10a and at that time i made more coffee. I tried to distract myself with my work but my stomach kept reminding me that it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. So then I began counting the minutes and by minutes I mean seconds until 12. I started to think maybe this IF wasn't for me, but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and stick it out because it was literally only the first day. So, I decided to persist and give it another day.

Day 2

The second day was absolutely miserable. It was a lot harder than the first and to be honest, I almost caved 30 mins before 12p. I didn't, though, and I made it to lunch in the nick of time. Again, I just drank a lot of coffee which sort of helped, and sort of didn't. Besides being hungry, I was also kind of dizzy, bewildered, and weak. It was obviously due to the lack of food and energy I had, which resulted in me being very out of it and thinking about food WAY more than usual.

Day 3

This was the hardest day so, by far. The article we read said that around day 3 or 4 you start to lose the hunger you have and your body adjusts to not eating for so long, but I guess my body wasn't trying to adapt to anything like that because it just kept grumbling, LOUDLY. I wanted to eat so badly and I almost did, but my coworker talked me off the edge #thankGodforher. 

Day 4

Did I say day 3 was the hardest? Well, it was. Up until day 4.  I almost gave in TWICE. How could I go on for 3 more days? Again, my coworker had to help keep me in line and not give in to the hunger. I noticed I was very, very out of it that day, even more so than days 2 and 3. However, once you finally eat that first bite at 12, it tastes so good and it's very much worth the wait. It might be the best food you've ever tasted, even if it's just peanut butter and crackers.

Day 5

So I mentioned earlier that one of the reasons it felt so hard the first couple of days is because I start my days at 5:30 each morning, giving me plenty of time to get hungry before I eat my first meal at 12p. However, because day 5 was a Saturday, I took the liberty of sleeping in until 9! Which meant I only had 3 hours until I could eat! I had a small headache but overall this was the easiest day so far. 

Day 6

Pretty similar to day 5. I slept in even later, I'm ashamed to admit (10!) but, we did stay up until 1a the night before and I kind of slipped and ate after 8p, so I didn't eat lunch until around 1p. 

Day 7

Still very hungry. Still pretty delusional. Still pretty out of it. I figured I would be used to it by now but I really wasn't. And I found myself missing breakfast food pretty bad. I missed it so much that I had toast and oatmeal with banana for a snack after dinner. I might even have breakfast for dinner some time this week. Maybe for some people (me) it takes longer than a week to feel not so hungry before lunch (it does)? 

Day 8

Just for kicks, I did one more day and see how it would go. Surprisingly, this was finally the day that I wasn't very hungry before lunch, and I only had 1 cup of coffee! This was by far the easiest day and has given me the moral boost I've needed to get through this whole trial. I plan on continuing it through the rest of the week, at least.

So that ends my IF diary. Have I seen any changes? Physically, I can't really tell a difference. I do notice that I'm hungrier faster after I eat each meal. Used to, I would be good to go for at least 4-6 hours after eating, but now I feel hungry about 2 hours after eating, so it must be affecting my metabolism? I'm not sure yet. I plan to keep doing IF and I'll keep you posted on how it progresses over time. 

Below are a few helpful links, written by actual health professionals, if you want to learn more about IF and the benefits of it. We found them helpful and would like to further our knowledge on the subject in case we want to make this a long term thing. Have any of y'all tried IF before? What's your experience with it? We would love to hear your take on it!

Also, it's important to note: please be safe and take care of yourself when fasting for any length of time. If you feel like you're getting too lightheaded or dizzy, eat something. Just remember, your health is the most important thing!

Intermittent Fasting 101 - The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

6 Things That Happened When I Tried Intermittent Fasting For A Week

What Is Intermittent Fasting? A Beginner's Guide to Burning More Fat

How Intermittent Fasting Might Help You Live a Longer and Healthier Life

Intermittent Fasting for Beginners

Weekend Links

Happy Friday, y'all! Below are a few links we've enjoyed reading this week and wanted to pass along to you. We're cozied up on the couch tonight watching a few documentaries on Princess Diana and tomorrow we're going out to celebrate on of our best friend's birthday. We hope you have a good weekend!

Apartment Therapy shows you a century of kitchen color trends in this fun article. Which decade does your kitchen belong in?

Have you ever thought about deleting the internet from your phone? That's just what Aziz Ansari did in this GQ feature. Some valid points here!

An oldie but goodie: Design Sponge's essay on all-white rooms; something we did in a few of our houses. What's your take on it?

We've been watching The Handmaid's Tale all week and just finished it today. Seriously obsessed! Have y'all seen it?

This bookstore that Young House Love featured is the stuff dreams are made of. We have a serious crush on the wallpaper and giant mural on the wall. 

Sunday Funday + Show Update

So this post was supposed to go up last night BUT we started The Handmade's Tale and well, you can guess what happened next. #westayedupsolatebingewatchingitbutnoshamebecauseitssogood.

Anyway, after some of our friends who stayed over night left yesterday morning, we decided to go to Thomas' brother's house yet again because the weather was perfect and we couldn't pass up the chance to spend the day on the boat. We don't know what's been going on with the weather lately but it's been absolutely gorgeous!! The mornings have felt like early fall mornings and the humidity has been down so much and it's getting us sooooo ready for fall!

We packed the car and headed down to his house, called up Thomas' mom, sister, and her fiancé, and asked if they wanted to join us. Suddenly it was a family affair and the day was set! 

From then on, the day looked like this:

We stopped for ice cream downtown and while we were waiting in line, Thomas' mom gave us a few samples of the flavor she got.

However, a few minutes after we all tried her ice cream, PJ noticed the cup that Thomas' mom got the "sample spoons" from was actually the disposal cup that people were putting their USED SPOONS IN THAT THEY ATE SAMPLES OF ICE CREAM WITH. We all proceeded to almost puke :).

After that whole deal, we all loaded back into the boat and headed back to Tay's to relax before the rain came.

It was our perfect kind of day- spent with family and friends doing absolutely nothing but relaxing and enjoying each other's company. 

And as for the show, we've been getting a lot of comments and messages from you guys asking if there's a second episode, when will the pilot air again, if we got picked up or not, etc. From what we've been told, there are no plans to air the pilot again at this time, though that could change. We won't find out the fate of our show until the middle of August so we have to wait a little bit longer! But honestly, we're okay with that. We've learned this business is a huuuuuge waiting game and at this point, we've been in this process for a year and a half. Nothing worth having ever came easy/over night and we get that. So at this time we know as much as y'all do, but as soon as we find out more we will let you guys know!

Now, brb, we have to finish episode 4 of The Handmade's Tale. :)