The Link Up: The Rec Em Told All Of Her Friends About (But Is Embarrassed To Put On The Internet), Caitlin’s Carry-On Suitcase, And Ways To Help Los Angeles

We’re writing this post a couple of days prior to publishing so we can’t comment on the current state of the LA fires. What we can say is that it’s been completely devasting and terrifying, especially for those of us living in LA. Each of us personally knows multiple friends and families who lost homes along with all of their belongings. A house is ultimately a structure with things inside but we all know a home, one that you have created memories in, one you have thoughtfully built for yourself and loved ones, one that gave you peace and security, is so much more than that. And of course, the devastating goes beyond that with the loss of businesses, jobs, schools, you name it. Thankfully everyone here is safe as well as our extended EHD family. If you are in LA we’re with you. And for anyone able to provide aid to the thousands of people who are most definitely not in a wealthy position or to the incredible firefighters and selfless volunteers, this article and this article give a ton of wonderful places to donate to.

While a shift to Link Up links is a hard turn, a little break from everything going on has helped us too. If you are interested, here are this week’s links<3

This week’s house tour is a beautiful, sweet home designed by Hadley Wiggins. Calm, charming, and just special.

From Emily: This is one of those recs that I’ve told everyone I know in person, all my friends know, but I feel a bit embarrassed to put on the internet. Here goes! I have been marketed hard on IG for wine or beer alternatives and have tried A LOT in the last couple of years. Some of them I really, really like, but I can easily lose interest in them, opting for soda water + grapefruit as my mocktail instead. Starting in September I began drinking Brez, a THC + Lion’s Mane drink that is super super super low dose – only 2.5 MG (most of the THC drinks you buy at the stores in Oregon are at least 10 if not 20 MG which would knock me on my ass). Now if you are like me and let’s just say, not a stoner and very weed-adverse, you might be nervous that 2.5 is a lot, but its like SO LITTLE. I feel just more chill, relaxed, ready to watch a movie and then it sends me to sleep – no cravings, nothing mentally changes, no paranoia or anything – just chilled out. I’m not here to endorse general weed use (no judgment AT ALL, but just like alcohol use I don’t think we should be so cavalier about it) but this drink feels a little like a cocktail and more special than just a seltzer and is just relaxing (but I can still parent happily). Anyway, you have to order it online and it’s not cheap, but let’s just say I’ve reordered it a lot (again, I do not like the feeling of weed or being stoned) and I’m a fan:)

From Gretch: With the start of the new year, I like to at least pretend I have it all together, and as cliché as it may sound, a fresh planner is a nice way for me to get the ball rolling. I’ve succumbed to many a cute calendar over the years, but always kick myself when I don’t stick with them for various reasons–the sections are too structured for my ramblings or the pages go to waste entirely because I’ve fallen off and can’t repurpose a February date for a week in March. But it’ll be different this time, right?! At least I hope it will with this planner I picked up from a shop here in Portland. With just six, unlined boxes (five for weekdays and one for the weekend), a pre-bulleted to-do list on the side, and a smaller box dedicated to items punted to next week, this calendar feels like Goldilocks to me–just right! It’s so simplistic and visually clean (with a cover design that had me sold from the jump), but the best part is it’s literally timeless. You take a minute to scribble in the day’s date in each corner box and circle the month from the list at the top. It’s just a week at a time, which is great for me and my overwhelm, and sheets tear off as you go. I love the flexibility, that I could rip two sheets off and post them up side by side if I need a longer overview, or I can fall off track completely and get back on again in 6 months without any wasted paper. And knowing me, there’s a good chance that’ll happen, but this time I’m not mad about it!

From Jess: Les Bunge (my dad, for those that might be new around here) is a very good gift giver. It’s not always a home run but it’s almost never a miss (and he refuses to have us send him a list of ideas). Well, this Christmas, he got me a pair of jeans that I LOVE and have worn for 3 days straight. They are Everlane’s The Way High Sailor in Tint Blue and I got the longer inseam so they are full length on my 5’4″ body. They are currently on final sale for $64 but I’m telling you they are so comfortable, are the perfect amount of wide leg, and the two-tone hem makes them feel a little extra special. They recommend sizing up since these run a little small but I got the same size as my other Everlane jeans and they fit perfectly.

From Mallory: It’s certainly been a wild week so if you’re in need of a good smutty fantasy escape read – my sister recommended the book Fourth Wing and man it’s good. I’m typically more of a nonfiction reader but I’m about halfway through the book and I’m having the best time reading it so far. It’s a romance novel but with high stakes, lots of dragons, and a bad boy vs boy next door plot line that I’m heavily invested in now. Plus, it’s about to be a trilogy (the third book is getting released at the end of the month) so now’s a good time to start it:)

If you need some great wall art Bobby Berk just dropped a really good collection! It’s full of really beautiful abstracts. Go check it out!

From Arlyn: It’s been…a week. Not the way I think any of us expected to start this year. I planned on vision-boarding my life with my husband this weekend, but instead, we were camped out at a friends’ place to steer clear of the Eaton Fire near our home. After days of watching all the coverage of the horrific events, my friend in Atlanta sent me a photo of a snowman she made with the fresh powder that fell near her and it made me happy to see a glimpse into some regular life. Which then made me remember how much I loved this tunic sweater from Loft I grabbed on sale before the holidays. I literally wore it three days in a row while I was away because it was that comfortable. It feels like you’re wearing a (soft) potato sack, but it looks really pulled together which is my ideal combination of words to describe clothing. It’s on an even deeper discount right now, but selling fast.

From Caitlin: If you’re in need of a sturdy go bag, I have a great recommendation for you! (I’m sorry. But if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry – I got an evacuation warning while writing this.) ANYWAY – before I was living through the apocalypse, Brenda and I closed out 2024 with a month-long girl’s trip! She flew here for a few days, and then we spent December traveling ALL around Australia and New Zealand. We only brought carry-on luggage and my back isn’t what it used to be, so I splurged MASSIVELY on a new rolling suitcase from Floyd. Let me tell you: it was worth EVERY PENNY. The color! (I got blue, but they come in tons of easy-to-spot hues.) The wheels! (It outperformed my mom’s Away suitcase on bumpy terrain, FWIW.) The genius interior packing sections! And the kicker: NO EXTERIOR ZIPPER! (You just slide to lock. It’s INCREDIBLE, especially if you’re struggling with your hand mobility.) We bounced between towns and cities every 2-3 days and every time we packed, I could not stop talking about how much I LOVED my suitcase. It earned its11 fair share of black scuff marks and scratches along the way which made me nervous, but they all buffed out instantly with a Magic Eraser – it still looks like new! I’ve been really leaning into the “buy once, buy right” ethos and I couldn’t be more pleased with this one – I’ve finally found my forever luggage brand (you know, once I can save up for one of their big suitcases). Keep your eyes peeled for holiday sales over the coming months – I’ve literally never loved a suitcase like this.  (Can you tell?)

Also From Caitlin: If you’re a non-fiction gal like me, I’ve flown through two great reads this year that you may also enjoy. First up is Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway’s Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises. It’s a pretty self explanatory title – he was a wild guy with a wild entourage! The second is Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local – and Helped Save an American Town. It’s about the Bassett furniture dynasty, and it’s a blast to read – the title doesn’t begin to capture the larger-than-life characters inside. It’s SO complex – sometimes you’ll hate the Bassett family, and sometimes you’ll love them! – but it feels especially timely in the current political climate. (I’m VERY passionate about American manufacturing, though, if anyone has any similar recs for me!)

Thanks for reading today and stay safe. See you tomorrow xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Starting Fresh And Simple: The River House Upstairs Laundry Room Reveal

The post The Link Up: The Rec Em Told All Of Her Friends About (But Is Embarrassed To Put On The Internet), Caitlin’s Carry-On Suitcase, And Ways To Help Los Angeles appeared first on Emily Henderson.