Shanah Tovah (almost)! Hug your mother. And tell me about your towels. This is where we are.
Reflections from a week where dear friend and sister friend lost their own mother too soon, and not at all gently. We wished her on to a peaceful place, with the heaviest of hearts; hearts so heavy because she filled them with LOVE, for all of us, in more ways than she’ll ever know. And that, we’re all so lucky to carry forward. M and L, you are the embodiment of everything beautiful and magnificent that we knew your mother to be, and you pass that on to your own children, and that beauty lives on, in all of you. We love you.
I walked in from services to my own mother and kids. And I just counted my blessings, big time. Our home is still not done. Parts of it are beautiful. Some of it is maybe 80% done? The rest is dug-out work just beginning and half-finished work and the whole of it is full of sawdust and boxes, but less so only because my own mother has been here for weeks helping us settle all dust, move and clean, and loving her grandchildren, and me like only a mother does. And our friends. Oh my goodness. Friends just keep showing up for an hour here and there and doing what they can to help the progress and to fill us back up with love and more energy, and laughter. Always laughter. And then they leave. And then they come back. And we’re just so freaking lucky.
I’m looking forward to this new year. For so many reasons. And wishing you all a good new year as well. Whether you are Jewish, Jew “ish”, or not at all, when someone offers you an apple, honey, and a happy new year: just take it. Always.
Far less serious, and yet also real reflections on the old and the new:
Once upon a time, I was on the hunt for the perfect bath towels. They needed to be the right size; not too big, not too small. I like an oversized towel, but something short of a bath sheet. I like towels to be thick and fluffy, but not so thick they never air dry, and not so fluffy that they shed all over your newly clean body. And I like my towels white. Therefore, every so often, they require bleach; and not all towels can stand up to bleach over time. Oh, and they need to be “affordable.” It’s actually super easy to find towels that meet my requirements if you are willing to spend $80-$100 on a towel. I am not. So 10 years ago (Dear Lord) I found them. We as a family, extended family, and many guests and friends have gotten our use of those towels over the past decade, for sure. But ten years, and 4 moves later, it was, sadly, time for them to retire to the rags bag.
I repeated the search. I wouldn’t have if not for my respect for Gloria Steinem. If not for that incident, I would have just ordered the very same ones right-up, and looked forward to another 10 years of bath towel bliss. But there was that, and so I’ve been on strike from Lands End for 2+ years. My search ended me back in the very same place. They are just the best quality, best priced towels, and they were on sale (25% off with code: ROSE). So I sold my soul, and bought them in many multiple sets, because that also decreases the expense. I’ve since been repeating to myself, in my own mind, over and over, the wise beyond his years words of my friend Davis, “there is no ethical consumption in capitalism.”
Right. But ouch. And ugh.
So I’m putting it out there to you, sweet, well informed readers: what is your favorite bath towel? And why?
And for that information, I’ll trade you some other HOME Decor fun on sale this weekend. And wish you and your families a great weekend full of love and a very Happy New Year to come full of many blessings. xoxo A
CB2, through 9/10, 25% off select storage
Birch Lane September Essentials, Early Fall up to 60% off
William Sonoma Up to 75% off Clearance
William Sonoma Pillows, Extra 30% off Clearance, Code: EXTRA
Anthropologie Freshly Cut Limited Time Sales
H&M HOME Fresh New Sale up to 80% off!
West Elm 30% off!
Last Black Friday?? you recommended the Parachute brand and I bought two. I also own the Lands End towels that we received for our wedding 9 years ago. The Lands End towels are still soft and held up well. The Parachute towels are nice but have lost the softness.
Oooo I do love me some Parachute Home. In fact, there’s a sheet refresh about to happen here real soon and I’ll stay true to them! I needed towels now. And on sale. And I needed 30 of them. So….while I would have LOVED to have done Parachute…the LE just came in more affordably. That’s a giant understatement. There’s a world in which I splurge on towels for my master. But there are three small people who strongly believe ours is ours…and so…we are where we are! But thank you for remembering that! And for the comment re: softness b/c that certainly matters in the long long run and is good to have feedback on! xoxo A
I also love that while you don’t seem to get a lot of comments on your home sale posts I have purchased several things you have recommended and they did not disappoint.
I love this comment Sarah, thank you for sharing it! It’s been interesting what we’ve learned over the past 18 months or so, and you are absolutely correct. There aren’t as many comments on home. I think of it this way though: what people wear, is very public. You get dressed, you walk out of the house. The world sees you. Your home, is more private. You live behind a door, it’s a more personal thing in some ways. Or at least something that isn’t on public view, always, at least. So I tend to think people in general are just a little more quiet about their homes than their fashion choices, a little more private in commenting on them. It’s just one thought. Regardless, I do always appreciate when readers take the time to comment, and especially when they do so with kindness and love, and heck yeah especially when they do so with support. So genuinely-thank you! xoxo A