Things I Love Thursday // 10.29.20

Things I Love Thursday: A weekly roundup of the simple things that are bringing me joy and that I want to share with you.

A surprise gift: Amazon Infinity Scarf

It was easy for my friend, Amy, to get me to join her "chain letter style" gift exchange on Facebook --not just because I'm a sucker but mainly because I've done this kind of thing before and it's delightful. If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me know and I'll take the time to explain in the comments. Long story short, this chunky, soft, oatmeal scarf arrived at my house today out of the blue from a stranger playing the game and I love it. Seriously. I've been wearing it all day and I haven't even left the house (I only stepped outside to take this rare selfie so I could show it to you). I looked it up by the packaging so I could share it with you and it comes in tons of colors and two different knit patterns. So affordable (and in my case: free). Love. (p.s. If you're looking for some inexpensive sunglasses that hide the fact that you've not "put on your eyebrows" yet, these ones couldn't be better!)

Comfy Season

Chilly temperatures, soups, snuggling... and also when my kids bust out one of the best gifts they received last year: their oversized, ridiculous, amazing, sherpa-lined "poncho thingies" (literally called The Comfy). Here's a picture of my kid wearing one behind our 23 pound ragdoll cat, Richard Parker. The Comfy is so generous that you can see a lot of it despite the size of the cat. Ha! Hooded and with a kangaroo pocket, these babies show up around here all fall/winter long. Thank you to the Bills Family for introducing us! Pictured below, a pile of teens getting comfy in their Comfys (winter 2019).

Lion-Cut Season

Wait. You didn't know? It's a thing. Every winter Richard Parker grows a thick undercoat. This happens despite the fact that he rarely steps outside his temperate home --and when he does venture out a door that's been left open, he typically runs back into the house shortly thereafter due to his being spooked by exceedingly dangerous things that live outside, like wind, and grass, or the occasional leaf. In any event, he produces excess fur, doesn't tolerate a good brushing, and ends up fairly matted. The mats can quickly get out of hand. Thankfully, we've found the solution: Seasonal Lion-Cuts from his stylist groomer. (And yes, he still weighs 23 pounds without the fur. He's chonky.) 

Richard Parker with a mat on his hip.

Sometimes it's hard to choose a "best" angle when all your angles are best.

Understated Holiday Decor

Don't get me wrong, I love OVERstated holiday decor as well --but the understated kind I can squeeze into the house before Thanksgiving by calling it "Winter" themed. See what I did there? I found these little goodies this week in the Target Dollar Spot at our Charlotte Midtown location. I fell hard for the pom pom trees that really are as soft as they look ($1/each). The wooden house silhouettes seemed the perfect compliment on our newly-painted mantle so those came home with me too ($5/set of 4). I wish you luck in finding some at a Target near you, as they are unavailable to link online. :(

Quality Tahini

The best ingredients make the best results. Thanks to my pal, Jill, I've fallen in love with Soom tahini. Are you not even using tahini yet?? Get. On. The. Bus. This is a staple ingredient in a lot of my favorite recipes and serves as the base for some favorite dressings and dips. Soom is nutty and rich, velvet smooth, shelf stable, and recommended by everyone who cooks (just kidding --but certainly by a lot of people who know more than me). Try it in these tasty recipes: Milk Street's Israeli Hummus, Plated's Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs, Half Baked Harvest's Kale Caesar Salad (or just make the dressing and dip everything into it). 

Rubbish Pet Portraits

I couldn't help but giggle when read this feel good story out of the UK. Phil, a father from West Sussex who draws under the fake alias "acclaimed artist Hercule Van Wolfwinkle," (to date he has) raised the equivalent of $26K for Turning Tides Homelessness by giving away his poorly drawn pet portraits in exchange for donations to the charity. This is just one of his masterpieces. Visit the link to read the story and enjoy all of the amazing examples of his work (along with the funny fake reviews of the portraits that he writes as well). Good stuff! If you want a drawing for yourself, you'll have to get in line behind thousands at his facebook page.

The softest (and flattering!) caftan nightgown

I've blogged about this piece before. I bought it last year and it has held up great! It's the perfect thing to grab in the morning if I'm heading downstairs for some quiet time with my coffee and my cat. Pictured below is the version from 2019 that I own and love. Unfortunately, this navy with cobalt is no longer an option; however, it comes in a few other combos for 2020 (navy with grey details and grey with black details are my faves). It's washable, the v-neck makes it feel "sexy" even though you're basically wearing a sleep sack for grownups, the length is chic, and the way the fabric comes together at the sleeves and down the sides gives it a "put together" look that belies it's outstanding comfort. If you're wondering about sizing: I'm 5'6" and I bought this at 135 pounds. Thanks to quarantine, that's not my current weight --but the caftan still fits beautifully. Mine is a small. ;)

Charlotte Nonprofit Spotlight: Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary

On the most excellent idea from my friend, Anne, I've decided to highlight a local nonprofit in each of my TILT posts moving forward. If there's one thing I love it's giving back to our community, our public schools, and the arts in Charlotte. One of the very first "neighborhood adventures" we had was discovering Wing Haven. You can read about our 2013 visit in this blog post --though, I'm sure a lot has changed since then! (The picture below is my now almost 14 year old studying her Bird Watching Chart.) Wing Haven is currently looking for Children Education Facilitators to assist with check-in, read stories, help with crafts, or lead programs. For more information on how you can volunteer for this flexible opportunity (or simply donate), click here to the Share Charlotte webpage for details. You can also support Wing Haven by shopping their holiday greenery sale!

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