Sunday Favorites with Friends | Most Lovely Things

Each week my friends Cindy Hattersley and Mary Ann Pickett bring you our Sunday finds of the week. It’s the next best thing to having coffee with my friends and talking about what we are loving right now. Since Mary Ann and Cindy both live on the west coast and I’m on the east coast, even if we weren’t still in a pandemic, we would probably still be talking about our favorite things virtually. It was exactly one year ago that we were all together in San Francisco along with Kim of Northern California Style. We had no idea what was coming, but this turned out to be my last trip. It’s made me realize how much I took traveling for granted. Sure we do our day trips, but it’s not the same as getting on a plane and going someplace far away. A place where the landscape looks very different from home. Like everyone, I’m excited and dreaming about travel again! But for now, I’ll just keep our little nest a place that I love coming home to every day! Here are a few of my favorites this week!

1. Non-Alcoholic Beer in Paris

Several years ago Brent and I stopped drinking alcohol. It has been almost nine years. There are those times when we miss having a glass of wine or a beer to sip on. It seems like there is a growing trend of people interested in a sober lifestyle. Have you tried non-alcoholic beer? There are several that are low in calories and carbs too. We tend to judge a restaurant on whether or not it has non-alcoholic beer. Typically French restaurants have a non-alcoholic beer and almost act offended that we had to ask. The photo above is from 2 years ago in Paris after our family surf trip to Biarritz. This has me dreaming of Paris, where will you go first when it’s safe to travel again?

2. Is there such a thing as a pretty microwave? The answer is yes!

Our microwave sits on an open shelving rack in a corner of our kitchen. It’s your basic small microwave that comes in white or black and is readily available for less than $100 at any big box store. It’s fine, but then I saw this one at Crate & Barrel. It was in what they call sage green, but a quick search and yes, it also is available in pebble grey.

3. Handmade Macramé Placemats

I’m always looking for creative ways to display my diffusers. I use my Desert Mist diffuser in a lantern and then I usually place my Aria on a cake stand or a wood trivet. I like layers of things to warm up a room, so when I found these macrame placemats made by KC Thread Co., I reached out to ask if she could make a custom size that would allow the Aria to rest on it and still show the fringe. We did a little back and forth and came up with the perfect size. It’s like the modern-day crocheted doilies. I didn’t care for them growing up and now look at me! Ha

4. This pair of trousers from Anthropologie

Last week, my talented and creative friend Nancy Sharpe came to lunch. Nancy is an artist and has the most amazing style. On the day she visited she was wearing a pair of plaid wool trousers, a pink stripe blouse under a cashmere cardigan, and Veja sneakers. My wardrobe consists of a lot of jeans and cashmere sweaters and shirts in black and gray. Maybe it’s the pandemic, but why am I always wearing black? I ordered those pants and I love them! They are on major sale too! Spring is cold in the northeast, so these pants will be making their way into my spring wardrobe rotation.

5. Grain and Knot

I’m not sure how I found Grain and Knot on Instagram, but it’s so beautiful and unique. Sophie Sellu creates a collection every 6-8 weeks and the best way to find out when her next collection is released is by following on her Instagram. Each piece is handmade in her home studio using reclaimed and sustainably sourced timber.