We hope everyone has had a great start to 2021! Isn’t it crazy that this time last year things were still fairly normal & news of a mysterious virus called Covid-19 was just starting to make the rounds? A year later, we’re so grateful for the health of our family & friends, and we wish the same for you!

The start of 2021 has been busy for us – with work & wedding planning, time has flown by! We’re really excited about the days getting longer & the weather getting warmer, although we really can’t complain here in Southern California.

We hope you enjoy learning a bit more about what we’ve been up to!

Credits (clockwise from top): Design by Amanda Barnes Interiors & Photo by Alyssa Rosenheck + John Ellis; Barefoot Blonde; Odysshome for Etsy; HalfBaked Harvest; ShopStyle; ballinaLOFT

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING…

We’ve reached a point in the pandemic where we’re finally caught up on so many of the shows that we started – and re-watched (hello, Breaking Bad!). We would definitely recommend watching the “Framing Britney Spears” episode of The New York Times Presents show on Hulu if you loved Britney Spears growing up, follow her on Instagram, or have been following any of the #FreeBritney movement. Along the same lines, we also loved learning more about one of our favorite artists, Whitney Houston, in the Whitney documentary – we had no idea how she got started, more about her rise to fame, and of course, her sad ending… It’s definitely worth a watch!

If you have Apple TV+, we highly recommend watching Defending Jacob. Starring Chris Evans, Jaeden Martell & Michelle Dockery, it tells the story of a family directly affected by the murder of a local boy. We don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say we kept changing our theories & wondering what we’d do if we were ever in a similar situation. And like in real life, you never really know if you’ve found out the truth.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO…

We’re loving the Annie Lawless episode of the Second Life podcast! Not only is she the founder of cold-pressed juice brand, Suja, which we love, but she also started a line of natural, full-coverage makeup called Lawless – we love their foundation & it’s so much like our favorite Nars foundation but good for you & good for your skin.

WHAT WE’RE READING…

Last month, we read Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee, another welcome uplifting read. It’s a non-fiction book written by the previous design director at IDEO, and we learned so much about the joys of the world around us. The book itself reads like a story (which we love!), but we also found ourselves looking up all of the different people, things & places mentioned throughout the book to add to our knowledge & joy. We highly recommend it!

WHAT WE’RE EATING & DRINKING…

We’ve been enjoying some classic favorites like burgers, burritos, tacos & saag feta (our new go-to lunch!), but we’re also trying to work more healthy foods into our diets for spring (as we’re starting to drink more beer, margaritas, and rosé outdoors now that the weather is warming up). Kelcy went to Costa Rica last month & enjoyed so many fresh, nutritious foods that were filling and delicious, so we’re trying to add more of that lifestyle to our everyday vibe.

Brooke also moved into a brand-new condo with so much natural light & more space, and she hosted a small dinner party filled with Italian favorites, like caprese salad, cacio e pepe, and Giada de Laurentiis’ lemon white pizza from her Giada’s Italy cookbook. So refreshing & perfect for spring and summer soirées!

WHAT WE’VE BEEN BUYING…

Kelcy splurged on an outdoor inflatable hot tub & highly recommends for anyone with a backyard! To help with the energy bill, we placed the hot tub on top of two 4’ x 8’ sheets of foam inflation + a layer of IKEA deck tiles so it looks put together. It’s so nice to decompress after a long day of work and soak in the tub to promote a good night’s sleep – plus, it reminds us of our vacation in Costa Rica that had a private wood-burning hot tub that we enjoyed nightly!

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO…

It’s March, which means it’s officially nine months until Brooke & David’s wedding day! Since some bridal gowns have long lead times, we’re excited to start wedding dress shopping together! We’re also excited to make a trip to Arizona this spring to see our friends and their babies, spend time with our mom, and possibly try on some wedding dresses at some AZ bridal salons that we’ve been eyeing if we don’t find what “The One” in California.

After nearly four years, Kelcy has also made the decision to step away from her role as an E-Designer at Havenly to focus on other projects and e-design clients via The Inspired Abode. If you’re interested in learning more about our E-Design Packages, click here! If you’re one of her past Havenly clients, please email her (kelcy@theinspiredabode.com) if you have any questions about the transition. We’re excited to begin growing our own e-design business, share more about The Inspired Abode ventures that we have in the works, and continue connecting with our audience!

We’d love to know what you’ve enjoyed watching, listening to, eating, drinking & what you’ve been eyeing and are looking forward to. Let us know in the comments section or send us a DM on Instagram!

Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest to see what inspires us daily! Also, be sure to check out our e-design packages.