Summer Reading List 2017

=I know summer is more than halfway over...yuck...but it's never too late to share a summer reading list because by now some of us have finished our summer reads, or discovered we didn't actually love the book our neighbor suggested, or were too busy to get a book back in June. Good news - it's not too late. Amazon Prime members: you can have one of these babies on your doorstep in 2 days. Target also carries a bazillion books and if you fill your online cart with more than $35 worth of stuff (you probably need more paper towels), then you get free shipping.

So, despite it being August already, Sonia, Michele and I are sharing our current favorite reads. By "current" we are referring to any great book we've read in the last 5 years...because finding time to read for pleasure can be painfully difficult. But, also SO worth it when you can.

First up, Sonia. Ignore the books her nightstand...for now.

Nightstand / Bed / Quilt / Lamp (HomeGoods find)

The Nix by Nathan Hill - My friend recommended I read this monster of a book (640 pages). It's a serious commitment, but one I am excited to start. I had to look up the meaning of "nix" and it seems that a nix is a term for shapeshifting water spirits of Germanic and Nordic folklore. Often times these mythical creatures appear as humans. Nix may take different forms, but their message warns of impending death by drowning. The title was enough to interest me, but the story itself is about a struggling writer and his relationship with his estranged mother. It's a psychodrama that involves Norwegian folklore and ghosts - sounds like a good read to me. It's also Nathan Hill's first novel, and appears to be an impressive one at that. I always root for the new kid on the block!

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan - With an upcoming trip to Italy, this book sounded like a good choice. I'm a sucker for books based on a true story, and this one is about a teenage boy and his time as an spy for the Allies during Nazi occupation of Italy. There's a bit of a love story, some history, and a good amount of suspense. It's queued up and ready to go on my kindle, now I just need some relaxing vacation time to actually read it!

Here are Michele's Picks.

Lamp (HomeGoods find) / Mirrored Side Table (Similar) / Vase / Bed

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck - It's a #1 seller on Amazon (and has been for a while). My husband bought copy for everyone in our family a few years ago and even started a book club at his office. It's based on years of research by Stanford psychologists about fostering a growth mindset versus a set mindset. It applies to finding success at work, school, parenting, relationships...everything.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - I think this is on everyone's summer reading list thanks to HBO's series based on it. I haven't read it yet, but I hear it's a juicy one about husband/wife, parent/child and friend relationships. I've had so many people ask if I read it that when I saw it marked down at HomeGoods I had to pick it up. 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - This is a fantastic thriller. I'm about halfway through and while life has forced me to put it down for months at a time, I'm always excited to pick it back up. The main character has fallen on hard times (don't want to spoil why) and she's quite the drinker. After a particularly drunk night, she wakes up not sure if she's killed someone.

Magnolia Story by Thomas Nelson (with Chip and Joanna Gaines) - One of my closest and sweetest friends from NYC sent this book to me when I told her I was starting a little business with a couple friends (ahem...Gray Oak Studio). She inscribed it with a note to wish us all great success together. Plus, who isn't a Fixer Upper fan?! 

And these are currently on my nightstand.

Nightstand (HomeGoods find) / Nighstand Knob / Lamp (HomeGoods find) / Book Light

The Secret Place by Tana French - I'm a huge Tana French fan. She writes detective thrillers set in Ireland. Beyond my intrigue in the Irish brogue (I have to re-read at times), I love that Ms. French does not follow your standard murder mystery formula. Her books are layered with complicated characters and complicated relationships and they don't always get the bad guy...or sometimes the bad guy isn't so clearly bad. She also uses a character from a previous novel as the lead in her new novel. Cool, right? My favorites are In the Woods and Broken Harbor. I've started Secret Place and so far, so GREAT. 

Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman - I read this book when I was pregnant with my oldest, who is now almost five. I loved it. It was hands down my favorite "parenting book" because it didn't feel like a parenting book. It is a story of American born and raised Pamela starting a family in France and discovering a very different culture of child-rearing. It features insight from Dr. Michel Cohen, founder of Tribeca Pediatrics. I lived in Brooklyn, NY as a new mother and brought my baby to Tribeca Pediatrics. I was (and am) a cult follower of their methodology and perspective. As my young family of hooligans continue to grow, I think it's officially time to re-read this gem.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant - I finished this book not long ago and really enjoyed it. It's a coming of age book about a Jewish girl growing up in Boston about 100 years ago. It's really well written. Her descriptions are vivid and give you a tangible feeling of what the streets of Boston looked like and even smelled like at the beginning of the twentieth century. Anita Diamont also wrote The Red Tent, which was an epic book and I highly recommend that as well.

Happy reading!

- Leah

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Leah's Kid's Bathroom: Volume 2

Let me reintroduce you to my kids' bathroom. I originally introduced you a couple weeks ago and this is about where we left off... 

Not pretty. Not even a bathroom. After explaining the evolution of my dream, the layout change and finally the big wall removal/header install, I left you with this...

Once the wall went down, the layout truly solidified. The bathroom would be bigger than we hoped and we would have plenty of room for a big linen closet and extra wide hallways. Epic. 

Demo began in late October 2016. This was a weekend warrior project, so you can imagine how many weekends just demo, wall removal and header install took. (Hint: SO many) And then we had a forced break for the holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas. Things took off to a slow start in the new year and by mid March 2017, we were back in business.

We fully framed the bathroom and linen closet and drywalled the exterior walls.

Here's a side-by-side of the old view (The Nook) and the new view. 

This is what I called the Scary/Frightening/Horrifying Phase of the project.

When we took down the wall between Nowhere and The Nook, and installed the header, it was amazing. The sense of accomplishment was enormous and the impact was immediate and fantastic. But 4 months later, it felt like we'd barely moved forward and the center of our house looked like a construction site. This phase brought a sense of "We are in too deep to turn back and we have so much more to do!!!". A sense of "WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!!!!" 

Here's a shot of the full span of the bathroom.

And from the other direction. Ignore the direction of the bath, it's not the finally landing spot. And note the blue painter's tape! I wasn't kidding. There are really so many critical uses for painter's tape, I may write an entire blog post about them some day.

By the Scary/Frightening/Horrifying Phase of the project we had brought in plumbers but done absolutely everything else ourselves. I'm exhausted just thinking back.  

This is the linen closet we built. Just installing the shelves took a whole weekend. The physics of supporting four extra long (68"), extra wide (22.5") shelves was hard enough, but cutting them to perfect size and fitting them into the space was near impossible. Then we painted everything and installed bifold doors...multiple weekends.

And take a look at new hallway to the bathroom and kids bedrooms.

Look at all that fresh drywall - impressive, right? Look at the ceiling - scary. Look at the unfinished floor threshold - frightening. Look at the rough wall on the right where the old wall was taken down and the header was put in above - horrifying.

It was around now that we decided to retire our warrior armor and spears, and call in the pros. Plumbers and electricians were always part of the big picture plan, but now we were adding plasterers and painters and tile installers and a handyman to the list. We were gassed and, more importantly, we were out of our league. 

We weighed the amount of time it would take us to fix the hallway ceiling (and the highly imperfect end result) against the cost of hiring a specialist (and the perfect end result). And the hallway ceiling was just one of about 200 steps needed to bring us to the finish line. There was no comparison and we had no hesitation.

By May, things were moving...not at lightning speed...but moving.

Things were looking less scary. Check out that long, thin cut out between the window and what was the built-in bookshelf. I refused to leave any space unused and I had big plans for new built-in shelving (think: towels and baskets and succulents).

The bathtub finally found it's proper home. And, yep, there's that blue painter's tape. Never let go!!!

Today, as I write this post, we have passed our final electrical inspection. We now await our plumber returning from vacation to complete the plumbing. What's another week when we've been working on this thing for almost a year. Then it's plumbing inspection, building inspection and, AT LAST, decorate. Oh, and then we get to use it. It's somehow become easy to forget that at some point this space will be a functioning bathroom, not just the idea of a bathroom.

I can't wait to share the final project with you. It's been a really long time coming.

- Leah

PS - Don't forget to check out our Instagram and Facebook feeds for sneak peaks of the bathroom in its post tile phase. That was a happy phase.

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2017 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale - Top Picks for Your Home

Here at Gray Oak Studio, not only do we love all things gray, but we really love it when we find them on sale! Believe it or not, although we are only half way through the summer, retailers are already gearing up to push us right back into the world of back to school gear and jackets, how dare they! The good news is that there are some major sales happening right now, including the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

If you are not familiar with the sale, it is held once a year and lasts for a few weeks. They have some great items that can help to give your home a fresh new look while not having to break the bank. Take a look at these new finds from the sale going on now, and don’t miss out, items sell out quickly!

1. Ticking Border Accent Pillow - We love this velvet pillow, and it's a great deal for the price!
2. Acacia Wood Cheese Boards and Marble Knife - What a great housewarming gift idea.
3. Dash and Albert Samode Indoor/Outdoor Rug - This rug will add interest to any space.
4. Two Tone Basket - A nice basket to stash away toys or books is always a good idea.
5. Quilted Pouf - Cute little pouf with loads of uses, footstool, extra seating, or ottoman, you choose.
6. Soy Candle - This candle adds a bit of industrial charm with its concrete container.
7. Turkish Towel - Turkish towels are not only stylish, but they are fast drying, lightweight and antimicrobial, a no brainer for summer beach days.
8. Spruce Tree Bookcase - This bookcase is adorable for a nursery or playroom.
9. Dash and Albert Beatrice Rug - Beautiful cotton area rug with a subtle geometric pattern.
10. Basket Weave Accent Pillow - Soft and stylish knit pillow in an array of neutral hues.
11. Embroidered Chevron Pillow - Fun pillow with fringe and chevron, yes please!
12. Jersey and Faux Fur Throw - Amazing throw, one side is cozy jersey the other is faux furry goodness.
13. Set of 6 Ice Cream Bowls - For under $15 these bowls are a great deal for a kitchen staple.
14. Pom Set of 3 Canvas Bins - Cute bins to keep your nursery organized.

Happy Shopping!

Sonia

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