Details from the Designer - Vol. 15

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Happy December! I have lots of fun stuff to share with you this month.

But first, I want to thank everyone who came to the Our Space grand opening and who cheered us on from afar. The turnout was bananas. Beyond my wildest dreams and then some. I am so grateful to the Gray Oak Studio community for your immeasurable support as I started this new chapter and every new chapter that came before it - through each new adventure (you know I like to change/add/tweak quite often…keep us all on our toes) your support has been loud and unwavering. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And now, onto December happenings…though I’ll circle back to Our Space in a bit.

Styling Breakdown

Now that our Dartmouth Project is 6 months old, we are happy to share sources.

 
 

Fashion Find

I got myself new pajamas and they are AMAZING. They are similar to the modal pajamas from GAP, but much less expensive. The whole set is currently on sale for $28. And, if you want to get fancy you could have them monogrammed by Click and Stitch - which will be at Our Space on December 11th. Details below. Such a nice holiday gift!

Keeping Myself Busy

I have been a little too busy these days. Between the grand opening of Our Space, business as usual for our Full Service and Designer for a Day clients and that other little thing called parenting…my calendar is exploding, and somewhat explosive. I’m so tired at night that I haven’t been reading as often as I want. I did finish The Dutch House. And I’m truly not sure how I felt about it. If you’ve read it and have some thoughts to clarify my…uncertainty, please DM me @grayoakstudio. I feel like I need a book club to digest that one. I’m going to start Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Cyber Monday sale is $6.60 for the paperback!) this week. Hoping it pulls me in right away.

I finished watching several second seasons: Shrinking, Sprint and The Diplomat. All fantastic. Highly recommend.

OH, and Wicked. Did you see it? How long do we have to wait for part 2?!? If you have an old or new Wicked fan in your life, I got my daughter the t-shirt below and it was a hit (not always the case for my attempts to win at tween fashion).

 
 


Our Space Events

I’m officially rebranding “Local Fun” as “Our Space Events”. A blog is many things and one of those things is shameless self promotion. So, here we are.

The ultimate of goal of Our Space is not only to share a unique and ever-changing selection of goods, but to also support other local, women entrepreneurs. There are so many incredibly creative and talented ladies right here in New England. We are eager to find them all and work together, whether carrying their products in store or hosting pop-up events. Below are the December pop-ups and each one features a local, woman business owner. The events will be at the store, which is located at 12 Centre Court in Lynnfield. Reach out with questions: hello@ourspacelynnfield.com

Wednesday, December 4th from 11 am - 1 pm

Sweet Cheeks by Renee is popping up for a cookie decorating event. Take a minute to check out Renee’s Instagram page because her cookies are just as beautiful as they are delicious. Art in more ways than one. It’s a half day for the Lynnfield public schools and we hope to host a big crowd of hungry kiddos. Let’s keep the sugar rush going!!!

Thursday, December 5th from 10 am - 1 pm

The Little Things will have a huge selection of handmade hats for babies, kids and adults. They are absolutely beautiful and made a couple miles away in Reading.

Thursday, December 5th from 2 pm - 6 pm

Nabia Designs is BACK! They were such a huge hit last month that we agreed that everyone needed a round two. There will be a charm bar and some unique jewelry.

Wednesday, December 11th from 6 pm - 8 pm

Click and Stitch is back too!!! While we will continue to be a north shore pick up/drop off location for Click and Stitch moving forward, this will be the final opportunity to have pieces custom embroidered for the holidays. We have so many items in store that you can customize (bags, cloth napkins, blankets, sweaters and more), Allyson also brings a fantastic selection (ski bags, makeup bags, clothing, etc.), AND you can bring your own items (jean jackets, backpacks, etc.).

Until next month, which will also be next year!!! Happy holidays!

Cheers, Leah

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Details from the Designer - Vol. 14

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It’s been a while. It’s been since July…if you’re keeping track. I've had a wonderfully and extremely busy few months: hip surgery, home addition, moved studio, opened retail store. All new beautiful chapters of healing, building and growing.

The quick update on my hip is that I’m feeling fantastic and getting stronger every day. My goal is to be skiing by February. My home addition is cruising along. I’ve shared just a bit on Instagram, but owe you a lot more. The quick headline is: there are walls! Our new studio space and retail space are one and the same. Polished boutique up front, design party in the back. And if you haven’t had a chance to stop by and check it out, you’re just in time: November 16 from 1-4 pm is our official grand opening. More details below!

Styling Breakdown

I’m breaking down the coffee table (ottoman) from our Lincoln Living Room. As a general formula, it all starts with a tray. Then a meaningful book or three, add a plant and finish with a bowl or box for remotes. Bonus points for a dog statue and coasters.

 
 

Fashion Find

I recently asked for fashion influencer recommendations on Instagram stories. I opened my bin of winter clothes and felt very uninspired. Think: decade old GAP sweaters that even my magical depiller wasn’t going to revive. I haven’t quite found a whole new wardrobe yet, but I am having a lot of fun finding my favorite influencers and making my holiday list! One thing has become quickly clear to me: belts are a thing. So, I kicked off my belt era with this beauty. And I absolutely love it. It comes in black leather too.

 
 

Keeping Myself Busy

I think I’ve sufficiently shared how I’m keeping myself busy. But I’ll add one thing: The Dutch House. I’m almost finished reading this. I can’t tell if it’s riveting or about absolutely nothing. I’m going to need a book club to help me digest this one.

Local Fun

Please join me and my retail partner in crime, Sarah from Busy Bostonians, at the GRAND OPENING of Our Space on Saturday, November 16th from 1-4 pm at 12 Centre Court in Lynnfield. We are so excited to celebrate this new adventure with the amazing community that has cheered us on from the minute we announced this was coming. We will have treats and activities and music and giveaways and promotions. It will be part of a bigger block party with 3 other local, women owned businesses: Beyond Dance, Opulence and Vault Training. If you’re planning on it, register here so that we can get a head count and plan accordingly (we want to make sure there are enough treats!!!).

If all goes according to plan, I’m back on my regularly scheduled program and will be back with a new blog post on December 1. Between now and then I hope to see you at the Grand Opening!

Cheers, Leah

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Details from the Designer - Vol. 13

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Hello there and happy first of the month! Summer is officially here in both calendar date and weather. The first item on my bucket list has been completed - I tried a new ice cream shop: Lickety Split in North Conway, NH. The hilarious part of this taste test is that Lickety Split sells Richardson’s ice cream, which is our local ice cream spot! I think this means I need to try another new ice cream shop.

Styling Breakdown

In case you missed it in our Instagram stories a couple weeks ago, I shared a whole bunch of flush mount light fixtures. I received a direct message request for some ideas and I got very into it. Living and designing in New England means that I’m often working in midcentury built homes with low ceilings. Those big, beautiful fixtures that you see hanging from a 10 foot ceiling in a new build in Utah won’t work. By a long shot. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept defeat and keep a boob light.

When considering if a fixture will fit in your space, make sure there will be at least 7 feet of clearance below the fixture. Also compare the diameter of the fixture to the room size. As a general rule of thumb, you can add the lengths of two perpendicular wall in feet and that sum should be the diameter of your fixture in inches. For example, if you have a room that is 12’ x 14’ then your fixture should be approximately 26” in diameter. We will go a little smaller (maybe down to 22”) if we find the perfect fixture, but not typically bigger (there are always exceptions - i.e. vaulted ceilings make a space feel bigger and can handle bigger).

1) Woven 2) Fabric shade with metal cage 3) Green 4) Tiered shade 5) Blue 6) Black trim shade 7) Wood shade 8) White shade 9) Triple black shade

Fashion Find

I recently discovered a tanning spray thanks to Jillian Harris (it was featured in her seasonal Jilly bag). It’s for your face and neck. I gave it a whirl because I was feeling quite greenish/white-ish after a long winter. I absolutely love it. I use it about twice a week to keep myself looking a little glowy. I love that it’s made in Australia where standards for clean makeup are serious.

 
 

Keeping Myself Busy

For Father’s Day, my family headed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a day trip. The loose plan was to walk around and have a bite to eat. A “take it as it comes” day. Last minute, I got nervous that my kids were going to be bored and, in turn, whiny and, in turn, ruin Father’s Day. So, I found a scavenger hunt to keep them focused through the walk and the discovery. It can be done as a competition or as a team effort. And it worked wonders. It kept kids and adults alike happy and focused in between the destination site seeing (gardens, bridges, statues, etc,). I would highly recommend it for a true walking tour of a city. And, it’s free.

 
 

Local Fun

The Northshore Music Theater has a host of kid friendly shows later this month: Frozen, Beauty and the Beast Jr. and Mean Girls. Beauty and the Beast and Mean Girls are the kid versions (abbreviated) and are full kid casts. It’s a great activity to break up the outdoor marathon of the season. Not only is it fun for kids to see other kids perform, but the shorter show is particular nice for toddler and little kid viewers.

Have a wonderful month! Stay cool!

Cheers, Leah

*This post contains affiliate links*