Studio Josie

I hope everyone had a very happy holiday! It’s been a while since I’ve written a post but I wanted to just write a little something before the New Year. One of my resolutions for the New Year is to write on here once a week, if not more than that. I’ve already got posts planned so I can’t wait.

I love the New Year, but towards the end of the current year I always get lazy. If I need to do something or start something, I tell myself that I’ll just start fresh and begin doing it on January first. That’s not the best mindset, but the idea of having a fresh start is pretty cool to me.

What are your resolutions, if you have any? I always make a ton and then end up doing, like, three of them throughout the year. But that’s better than nothing, for sure. Some of my others are to stop biting my nails, (this has been on my list for the past four to five years…) drink more water, read a LOT, expand my vocabulary, and to stress less.

2017 was a crazy year. It was good and bad and happy and sad. (Dr. Seuss who?) 🙂 It started off pretty well but in March my nana passed away and that, of course, was super hard for me and my family. It still is, but I am so lucky to have awesome people in my life who were there through it all and who made the year better for me.

I made some amazing memories in 2017. I went to New York (upstate and the city), Vermont, and Arizona. I had soooo much fun in all three of those places and I hope I can travel more in 2018.

I also turned fifteen in April! I feel so lucky to have done and seen some amazing things already in my life. Two of the coolest things I saw this year were Ed Sheeran in concert and Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. I love music and musicals and those two definitely made the year a good one and I am super grateful I got to witness those shows.

There were so many horrible things that happened throughout the year around the world. I tried my best to focus on the good news… online especially as that’s where most of the bad news is.

One of my favorite stories I followed this year was Elsie Larson‘s adoption journey with her husband Jeremy. She’s one of my all-time favorite bloggers and I’ve followed her on Instagram for a few years now. They just got back from China with their daughter Nova and she is so so so cute!!! I was so invested in their entire trip that I had post notifications on and everything. LOL. Her photos always make me smile and they brighten my day when I see them. You have to follow her!

OK, so last year I did a list of my favorite things of the year, so I’ll do a quick one again. I just read the post from last year and ohmygosh I hate looking back at my old posts. I want to correct some of my grammar SO BAD. *cringes*

(FYI: Some of these things I mention didn’t come out this year, I just really enjoyed them!)

Books: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Christodora by Tim Murphy, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I read eleven-ish books this year and I am so upset about that. I hate that I don’t have tons of time to read but I’m hoping I can make time for it in 2018.

Television: Big Little Lies, (the show AND the book were both amaaaaazing) Parenthood, 13 Reasons Why, Stranger Things 2, Superstore, and Teen Mom (2 and OG).

Movies: Begin Again, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Wonder, and Pitch Perfect 3. And I still wanna see Lady Bird but it’s not playing in the theaters near me anymore 😦

Music: Here is the playlist that Spotify made for me with my most-listened to songs of the year. If you couldn’t tell, I loved Ryan Adams, The Smiths, Ed Sheeran, Fleet Foxes, and Jenny Lewis a lot this year.

I also got super into podcasts. My favorite one currently is We’re No Doctors with Steve Agee and Busy Philipps. They are SO funny and I totally binged all of the episodes in a week and a half. I’m also liking Out of Line with Caroline Lee, Talking in Circles with Laura Miller, and Rookie. Oh, and I just discovered Teen Mom Trash Talk and I am obsessed. I’ve been listening to them more than music lately and it’s so hard not to laugh out loud during some of them I probably look insane when I’m in public. 😉

Alright, that’s all I have for today. I would do a round-up of photos but my computer is super slow today and it would take quite a long time to get them all onto here. You can check out my Instagram if you want to see photos, though!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today and that your 2018 is the best year yet.

Oh, what are your thoughts on the phrase “See you next year?” Apparently lots of people hate it and think it’s obnoxious, but I think it’s so much fun hahah! So I’m gonna say it now:

See you next year! xo

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Chip and Joanna Gaines are back at it again with another amazing project! Their new line, Hearth & Hand, just launched at Target this past Sunday, November 5th. I am a huge fan of Fixer Upper and their whole brand in general so I was really excited to check it out. (It was also just another excuse to go to Target…)

From under $5 to over $50, all of the products are beautifully designed and follow a color scheme of dark green, navy blue, and other various neutrals. There truly is something for every taste and style within this line, so if you’re not a fan of the whole modern farmhouse aesthetic, it’s inevitable that you will find at least one thing you love.

Ornaments, garlands, stockings, wreaths, and holiday stationery are just a few of the many items that are part of this collection. They’ve even got pajamas! But while the primary focus of the line is the winter holiday season, there are plenty of other year-round items as well, all perfect for gatherings or simply your everyday life.

Here are my top ten favorite items from the line:

1. Smoke Glass Jug Vase – This isn’t a set, but paired with some flowers or plants, these three go so well together and would look lovely on a side table, entryway, or built-in bookshelf.

2. Textured Stoneware Pitcher – I LOVE this pitcher! The texture adds so much to the piece and I think it’s just gorgeous.

3. Striped Cooking Apron – I’ll admit, I have a bit of an apron obsession. I have, I think, three of my own ATM. There are SO many cute ones out there! I may have to add this one to my collection…

4. Wooden Dollhouse with Furniture – This dollhouse is super simple but really cute, and it mirrors Chip and Joanna’s own *gorgeous* farmhouse a bit too! I’d probably still play with dolls if I had it. 😉

5. Journal Set – This set of mini journals was so cute I had to get it for myself. The patterns are so simple but really lovely.

6. Washi Tape – If you know me, you know I am a sucker for washi tape. When I saw this at the store, I knew I needed it. Can’t wait to decorate gifts and Christmas cards with it!

7. Galvanized Metal Tray – I have been loving the look of galvanized metal lately. This piece would be perfect on a coffee or side table paired with a few accessories or a stack of books and magazines.

8. House Bud Vase – These mini houses would look adorable just on their own, but paired with little flowers over a mantel or as shown in the tray from above would really make these three stick out in a simple space.

9. Stoneware Bread Plate – The house illustration on this little plate is so adorable and ideal for year-round entertaining!

10. House Print Pot Holder – Staying consistent with the home print and dark green pop of color, this set of two pot holders is so charming I think I’d be too afraid to use them!

There are ten of my favorite pieces from the new Magnolia Hearth & Hand Target collection! You must take a look at some of the other wonderfully designed products within the line. Each piece gives off a very welcoming, homey, and effortlessly beautiful feel and I really think it’s perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

And after about two years of not really knowing what to write about, I have finally “launched” the design portion of my blog. I am really excited and this post certainly gave me some inspiration for the future! Design was originally a main goal of mine when I started writing on here, but I never seemed to get around to it as I am not a designer myself and it’s not like I can show you my current projects. But I guess that’s somewhat false as I’m redecorating my room pretty often! I hope to post a lot more regarding design and decor in the near future and I am very excited.

(PS: I decided to post this instead of my October playlist, but that’s coming tomorrow!)

I hope you have a great Tuesday.

Taken at my grandpa’s house in New Hampshire last month.

I haven’t shared a playlist since August and since it’s a pretty big part of my life, I felt like I needed to do a little catching up! But I’ll be honest. I’m an inconsistent music listener. Some people ONLY listen to Pop or Rock or whatever genre suits their fancy. I listen to it all. Except country. Never, ever country. Some days I can only listen to music that matches my mood and other days I want something totally new. It’s a never-ending cycle.

Please tell me I’m not alone! You know, I really think Spotify has a lot to do with it. The app is suuuuuper overwhelming at times. There’s so much music on there. Don’t get me wrong – I’m completely obsessed and I don’t know how I ever lived before I had Spotify – but it can be a little much at times. What are your thoughts on it?

This brings me to my September playlist. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing my October playlist.

The first song, “Don’t Take The Money” by Bleachers is my indie/pop-ish song for the month. It’s so catchy. And I love Jack Antonoff.

The next two, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle” by Cake and “Anna” by Will Butler were both songs I came across while watching the Instagram stories of one of my favorite bloggers. The Cake song is like, kind of bad, but also I really like it…so I don’t really have much else to say about that. And I actually had heard “Anna” before but never listened to it all the way through. I love it and the music video is so good and could pass for a Wes Anderson film. Plus Emma Stone is in it!

“Knock It Off” by Aimee Mann is catchy and reminded me of fall so I listened to it a lot in September. There are a few others on that new (by new I mean March of this year) album of hers that I really like.

“I’m Looking Through You” by The Beatles is a lovely song, and Rubber Soul is my #1 favorite Beatles album. (And that has NOTHING to do with the brilliant font on the album cover. I swear. #designnerd.) But seriously, that album is amazing.

“Bad Blood” by Ryan Adams also reminded me of fall. I know a lot of people seemed to hate that 1989 cover album but I really really like some of the songs on it and I think he did such a wonderful job putting his own spin on Taylor’s songs. Also: it’s his birthday today! Happy Birthday Ryan! I LOVE YOU. <333

“Cemetry Gates” by The Smiths is probably my #1 favorite Smiths song… at the moment. My favorites are always changing since all their songs are amazing. I just love the lyrics in this song: “They were born and then they lived and then they died… seems so unfair, I want to cry.” Ughhhhh!

“Up All Night” by Beck. His new album, Colors, came out in October. I gotta say, I’m not overly impressed. I love Beck but the album is a bit too poppy for my taste. I don’t think there will ever be an album quite as phenomenal as Morning Phase, but I was expecting more because he’s BECK and he’s the BEST! Aaaaand I’m a total hypocrite because “Up All Night” is tooootally poppy. I secretly love it, though. Anyways, I don’t hate his new album, but I don’t love it.

“When Doves Cry” by Prince. I don’t think I have to explain why it’s on my playlist. I loooove this song.

“A Step You Can’t Take Back” by Keira Knightley. OK, has anyone seen the 2013 film Begin Again? (Dumb question. Obviously someone out there has seen it.) It’s on Netflix and had been on my Watch List for a while. Last month I finally got around to watching it and I fell in love. It’s suuuuch a beautiful film and the music is awesome. It stars Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, James Cordon, Adam Levine, and Hailee Steinfeld, so there’s just a hint as to why I loved it so much. “A Step You Can’t Take Back” is the first song in the movie and my personal fave. The entire time I was watching it I secretly wished Keira Knightley was actually a musician. I would totally listen to her music. If Feist and Laura Marling’s voices (somehow?) had a child, it’d be Keira Knightly’s voice.

“Spent The Day In Bed” by Morrissey. Honestly, I don’t LOVE the song, but I LIKE it. It’s catchy and it’s Morrissey so of course I had to give it a try. His new album comes out this month, too. Speaking of Morrissey, “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” is on there. I never liked this song when I first started listening to The Smiths but it got stuck in my head one day and I couldn’t stop listening to it after that. Oh, and “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” is on there as well. It’s on my Top Ten Smiths playlist and I just think it’s such a pretty song.

“Atomic Number” on the trio album case/lang/veirs (Neko Case, k.d. lang, and Laura Veirs) is suuuuuch a beautiful song. I’m obsessed and am still listening to it in November.

“Bloodstream” by Ed Sheeran. I don’t think I ever wrote about this but in October I saw him in concert for the second time with my best friend and we had SUCH a fun time. His concerts have been so awesome and he’s a super talented guy. “Bloodstream” is on this playlist because he does that song SO WELL in concert and I totally forgot how much I love it.

And finally, the last song on my September playlist is “Losing All Sense” by Grizzly Bear. I just started listening to them, but their new album is fantastic. And Busy Phillips makes an appearance in the music video! #KimKellyForLife. If you guys aren’t watching her Insta stories, you MUST. They are the absolute best and she’s the funniest.

Alright, well 1016 words later and here we are! I hope this post wasn’t too disorienting for you. I told you I’m inconsistent when it comes to music! These past two months have just been crazy and I haven’t had time to make a super thoughtful playlist specifically for blogging purposes, but these are songs I genuinely love. I hope you love them too!

Happy Sunday.

Screengrab via Edward Scissorhands, my favorite Tim Burton movie. The set design is magical and the cinematography is gorgeous.

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week. It’s been about a month since I’ve written a post, but the holidays are upon us and I am really excited to write and post more.

I’ve been crazy busy and overwhelmed with school. The rumors are true – high school is stressful! But the weekend is here and I am so excited to RELAX.

Here are some fun links from around the internet:

Oh Joy! phone cases are out! So cute.

This Stranger Things rap was awesome. The cast is so much fun! Did anyone watch season 2? I binged it all weekend and loved it. What are your thoughts?

Chocolate-Pecan Tart. Mmmmm.

This also looks delicious. How can a pie be so pretty?!

The new live-action Lion King movie cast was announced this week. Beyonce AND Seth Rogen?! I have a feeling this is gonna be awesome.

Rose-Quartz Facial Roller. Super pretty and something I’d like to try!

Really cute measuring spoons.

And finally, Mari Andrew’s illustrations are wonderful. You have to follow her on Instagram.

Have a relaxing weekend!

ps: do you like the new-ish blog design? it works/looks so much better than the previous design AND it’s more cooperative on mobile devices!