Happy Wednesday everyone! If you're new to the Gray Oak Studio blog, every Wednesday I round up thoughts, happenings and inspiration from the prior week. Everything from what Sonia and I are reading to new recipes we're trying. And, of course, interior design ideas and behind the scenes scoop on our personal and client projects.

So, let's get to it.

1. We love Instagram polls. We're kind of developing an obsession. If you haven't noticed, we've been polling our Instagram followers (via Instastories)...a lot. It's just so fun. A couple week's back I asked about Bachelorette viewership...those results disappointed me greatly. Turns out I'm one of the few who tunes in on Monday nights. This past week, I asked whether traffic going to vacation was worse than traffic coming home from vacation. And Sonia took a poll about the size of art above a bed. Close calls on both.

2. Speaking of polls...if you've been following along, I very recently installed barn doors in my house. They're amazing. I adore them in a normal/extreme way. The one thing left to complete the project is to add handles. And I can't decide which I love more. So...poll time. Obviously. Because the collective opinion is always greater than the solo opinion. Unless I disagree with the collective opinion...but let's assume I won't. HA.

Here are the final 3 options. I'm going to resist my instinct to describe each option because that could possibly sway your opinion or reveal mine. So, what do you think? Leave a comment or head over to our instastory and vote!

3. Being the mom of young girls, I find myself in the loop of mini lady fashion trends. So, animal face knee socks are the hotness. Apparently. If you don't know what I mean, check it out.

And if you now need these for your little one. I found them on Amazon. Ordered them. And gifted them to one of my favorite little ladies last week.

4. A while back I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that supports kitchen tables over kitchen islands. Technically, the article argues that kitchen islands are ruining America...which may take it a bit far, in my humble opinion. But, the overarching idea really resonated with me. I've always been someone who feels it's important to sit at a table for family meals and face one another and talk about our day and be, for lack of a better work, traditional about it. Then, Young House Love Has a Podcast discussed the article a couple weeks ago and it had me thinking about it all over again. Sherry and John do their family meals at an island, but they also agreed with some of what the article presented. I'm still on the side of tables over islands, but I'm curious as to what others think. Does your kitchen have an island? Could you live without it?

If I were to go island-less...this is a sort of fantastic way to go...

5. This weekend will be the 4th annual block party for my neighborhood. My kids look forward to the annual block party almost as much as they do their own birthdays. It means hours of play with their besties, unregulated sugar consumption and late bedtimes. As part of the planning committee, I mostly hope it doesn't thunderstorm...which is the current forecast. I'm also curious how others run their neighborhood parties. We haven't quite figured out a formula for maximum attendance and maximum enjoyment. If you have any suggestions by way of planning, food, entertainment...anything...I would love your input.

Until next week!

- Leah

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