With each passing day...slash hour...I get little more teary thanks to the closeness of the first day of school. My oldest is going to kindergarten this year and I'm a little verklempt about it. Super excited for her, she's gonna rock it, but man am I gonna miss her.

1. For those fellow parents who are dealing with similar feels about their little ones heading off to school, I have an awesome article for you. Sonia found it and shared it with me (she's the best) and now I'm paying it forward. It's a quick read with real ideas about coping.

2. We love using plants in our designs. They're great for your mental health - nature is calming - and they're also great for the air quality in your home. If you follow us on Instagram, you know I don't exactly have a green thumb. But, turns out that some of the most air purifying plants are also the most low maintenance plants. Check out this article from Better Homes and Gardens and get yourself more plants!

This is from the dining room in our Pilgrim Project. That glorious Boston Fern (on the left) is super easy to care for and a fantastic air purifier.

Gray Oak Studio - best air purifying plants

3. On a previous Wednesday Five I shared an article about how frequently you should be washing your kitchen towels. Today, I have a related article about how to clean your kitchen sink sponge. It's actually really easy...phew.

4. I sewed a couple pillows. WITH zippers. So, technically, I sewed a couple pillowcases. The zipper factor is pretty major. I've made pillows before, but I sewed them closed because the idea of adding a zipper seemed way beyond my pay grade. I'm a total amateur. But about a month ago, I found a really manageable, dare I say easy, tutorial on the blog of a fellow interior designer that I follow and love. The designer is Tara Lenney and here is the blog post with the tutorial.

The fabrics are by Nate Berkus (blue one and white one) and I grabbed them from Joann Fabrics and Crafts.

Gray Oak Studio - DIY pillowcase tutorial

5. With September a week away, we have a quick round-up of some beautiful autumn wreaths to get in the spirit. A couple are on sale! Most (all but one) are under $40!