I have been much slower getting through books this year (and keeping up with this blog!). Here are the last 5 I finished.

As soon as I saw these, I knew I had to make them. I couldn’t find dried strawberries so I used blueberries instead. It was so delicious and simple that I think I will be making these often.

Also, this *large* pat of butter was completed unnecessary. The scones are perfectly buttery on their own.

I’m in the mood to revisit some of my favorite recipes, including this granola. It is simple yet flavorful, and makes breakfast more interesting. I paired it with coconut yogurt and a champagne mango, which tastes better than candy.

I know sourdough is so 2020, but I was thrilled when this loaf came out that I had to document it. I used the method described here, and it was far easier than I thought it would be.

I am currently in the process of putting away my winter clothes. Before I store my sweaters, I make sure they are clean and ready to go for when I open them next winter. This also helps prevent any potential moth infestation.

First, I use an electric defuzzer to remove pills. I then put like colors together in a laundry bag and wash on delicate (with cold water, low spin), using a detergent formulated specifically for sweaters. I remove and roll the sweaters in a towel to remove excess water, and then lay flat to dry. One of my favorite tips is to check the sweater measurements as it is drying. I find that it usually shrinks a bit and it is easy to stretch back into place when wet.

Over the years, I have honed my preferences for a well made bed. There is nothing like sinking into utter coziness at the end of a long day. We dress the bed differently for summer and winter, so these are a few of the items we use for each season.

Parachute linen sheets: We have these in light gray and white. They keep us cool, and I love the look of rumpled linen on a warm summer day (and the lack of ironing needed!).

Snowe percale sheets: We no longer have these, but they are my favorite all season sheets. The percale is cool and crisp, and has the closest hand feel to fancy hotel sheets. Snowe’s percale was my favorite over all the DTC brands (Boll and Branch, Parachute, etc.).

Garnet hill flannel sheets: Just got these this winter because this is the first time we live somewhere where the bedroom gets cold. I would rate them as okay. They pill quite a lot, but are very warm.

Brooklinen silk pillow cases: Once I tried silk pillow cases, I never went back. My hair doesn’t get frizzy, and my skin feels so much better.

Gingerlily silk duvet: I hate the look of a lumpy duvet on a bed, especially in all white. It always looks to me like an overcooked marshmallow, and in a room that you spent time and money decorating, it really draws your eye directly to the white lumps. These silk duvets are much more expensive than when I bought them, but to me, they are worth the splurge for a bed you sleep in every night. They also go on sale occasionally. The silk has a pleasing weight, and I think it helps regulate body temperature better than a feather or polyster filled down comforter. The best part is that they are so thin that you can hardly see them on the bed below. We have ours inside a Snowe percale duvet cover.

Pillows: Pillows are a personal choice. My husband and I use different ones, and I am still searching for my perfect pillow. Right now, I am using two from Parachute and they are pretty good.

Extras:

We have a wool blanket from Pendelton at the foot of the bed, and I love the homeyness it brings in the winter.

The shams and boudoir shams are from D. Porthault, purchased from Ebay. Are they pretty? Yes. Are they worth the money? No.

If you made it this far, congrats. My final thought is that these items were collected over years, and only on sale. To me, it was worth it to slowly buy the best quality I could afford, even if it took a long time. The result is that we have a bed that I an thrilled to sink into every night.

No one told me in my youth that there would come a time where I would be fighting both acne and wrinkles on my skin, yet here we are. Aging is inevitable, so I focus on making my skin clear and bright. There are the products in rotation at the moment. The vitamin C and retinol seem to have the best results.