Blog - Oh, I Design Studio

MY HALF MARATHON TRAINING SCHEDULE #OHIDESIGNRUNS

July 18, 2017

Well, guys, the week has finally arrived! My HALF MARATHON training officially begins. I’ve been running/working out a few times prior to this week to make sure I’m prepared to begin, and I have to admit…I’m pretty nervous. I don’t know if I’m ready, but there’s no looking back at this point!

In case you didn’t see the half marathon details, you can read about why I signed up & the race info here. The race is October 14th, so I have exactly 12 weeks until the week of the race. These are going to be the most challenging 12 weeks of my life and if you see me out and about in Boston in workout clothes multiple times a week, don’t judge. I have a feeling I will be living in my running shorts, tanks, and running shoes for the next 3 months. 😉

Like I mentioned in my previous half marathon blog post, I am also raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization that I am very passionate about. In an effort to raise $3,000, I have some pretty awesome brands (that I love & use everyday) that are donating items for an AMAZING wellness giveaway for you guys! Brands like: Runkeeper, Organic Bath Co., Follain, The Optimist Co., and more to come! I will share the giveaway details in a separate post, but basically, for every $5 you donate, your name will be entered into the giveaway(s). So for example, if you donate $20, your name will be entered into the giveaway 4 times. Got it? I’m going to finalize the details and will let you know if anything changes, but if you go ahead and donate today (or when you are reading this), your name will absolutely be included in the giveaway! So feel free to donate today & know how much I/the children at St. Judes appreciate your support!

Below is my training schedule in case you are running a half marathon as well or would like to bookmark it for the future! It’s a mix of a couple different training schedules I’ve seen online. Also, Runkeeper has an AWESOME training schedule built into the app that I’m going to use as well.

Half marathon or marathon-ers out there…Please send any tips my way! 🙂

Photography by: LCS Studio (miss you, Laura!!)

Training Schedule created by: The Business Bar

GUEST ROOM UPDATES WITH FINALLY BULBS

July 14, 2017

Although we have been in our home for two years now, we are finally getting to the point where we feel things are “coming together”. Two years may not sound like a long time for a home to feel complete, but as an interior designer, it feels like a decade. Our guest room has been the room that has struggled a bit, which looking back, should’ve been the first one to prioritize considering we host guests often and have combined it with my office. I’ve been attempting to make this room feel warmer and more inviting for guests while keeping it functional for my everyday work environment.

Recently I’ve been introduced to Finally Bulbs, a light bulb created with Tesla Technology™ based in Boston, and an energy efficient bulb made to last without the cringe-worthy blue light that a typical LED bulb emits.

“Finally was founded on the notion that people should not have to sacrifice light quality for energy efficiency.” – Finally Bulbs

This is going to be quite the problem-solver for this designer (pointing at me). I’ve been working on energy efficient lighting for various clients and we can’t seem to find a solution when sourcing LED fixtures. There are either not attractive fixtures or they emit a blue light that will eventually make us all…well, sad. Trust me on this, without getting into the nitty-gritty on this topic, I will say: there are studies being done that blue light is not good for us and can leave us in a depressed state causing more health issues.

That being said, with inefficient bulbs filling our home and my bad habit of leaving all the lights on ~~because I’m scared of the dark~~, I decided to test out a couple Finally Bulbs in our guest room to see how they compare. When designing a space, obviously I want as much natural light as possible, but when artificial lighting comes into play during the night hours, I want it to be warm and easy on the eyes. Well, I’m happy to report back I think I’ve found my new go-to light bulb. The quality of light is SO good, you guys – whites are whiter and colors are brighter. I’m truly impressed! In addition to warm, energy-efficient lighting, here are some other ways you can create an inviting guest room:

1. add plants and/or fresh flowers – this is a quick, cheap, and easy way to make a room feel more welcoming. It’s simply the best accessory a room can have!

2. layer your bedding with options for the guests – everyone likes different temperatures while they sleep. I love our new Seersucker Duvet and shams for the Summer months as it’s lightweight and bright white. We also recently switched our uncomfortable mattress to a Nectar Sleep and we LOVE it! (click the Nectar Sleep link to the left for $125 off & 2 pillows). Now we can rest assured our guests aren’t uncomfortable when they stay at our home.

3. leave fresh water and some snacks – traveling guests might arrive with an empty belly and water is always key. I try to make sure guests don’t have to ask for things like water or where more toilet paper is located by leaving them easily accessible.

4. if you want to go the extra mile, create a little basket filled with towels, samples of bath products, water, snacks, the Wi-Fi password, a couple of magazines/books, any touristy items, and anything else you think they would enjoy! I haven’t done this for our previous guests this year (sorry friends) but I’m going to try to begin doing this again!

I try to keep my work area as organized as possible, but I don’t have a lot of space for my interior design samples and it tends to get chaotic during the week. But when I prepare for guests, I will typically put extra samples and random papers, etc. in a box and put it in our basement. We don’t have much storage in our condo, but there’s a ton downstairs. By the way, I changed the light bulb in this Ikea task light to a Finally Bulb and it’s made an incredible difference when I’m working at night or it’s rainy and dark outside.

Click here to switch your bulbs to Finally!

The kind team at Finally Bulbs has kindly offered to giveaway a Finally Bulb to 50 of our readers, and it takes just seconds to enter.

Head over to Oh, I Design Blog & Finally Bulbs around 10:30am today for more info!

This post was kindly sponsored by Finally Bulbs, a brand we are very excited about and use in our home every day. All thoughts & opinions in this post are, as always, my own. Thank you for supporting brands that are supporting Oh, I Design Blog!

MY FAVORITES: NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

July 13, 2017

I’m pretty excited about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this year! In the past, I have rarely shopped the sale because I didn’t have my list ready to go ahead of time, didn’t get early access, and items sold out by the time I got to them. This year I made it a point to be prepared. To be honest, I also recently applied for the Nordstrom card so I could get early access (anyone else guilty of this as well?!). I feel a little silly, but I will just pay it off right away so I guess it’s no biggie. I’m usually a hard “no” when retailers ask to sign up for their CC, but this one I think will be beneficial for the points and you can shop at Trunk Club as well. None of this is sponsored by Nordstrom by the way, just wanted to share my favorites in case you were shopping their sale! Above are my home decor picks and below are my women’s clothing, shoes & jewelry picks. You can click on the links below and it will take you to each piece.

Dates for the Sale:

July 13th – July 20th Early Access

July 21st – Aug. 6th Public Sale

FYI, I receive a very small percentage when you make a purchase after clicking the image through reward style. I really appreciate your support!

6 SKINCARE MUST-HAVES FOR WEDDING SEASON

June 29, 2017

Wedding Season is upon us! Although we have only one wedding to attend this year, I have some friends that are going to 5! I wanted to share some of my favorite healthy skincare products for not only the bride but also the guests. I’ve tested all of these products thanks to my kind friends at Follain, and can’t recommend them enough.

one // RMS Magic Luminizer – I’ve been using this luminizer every day that it’s sunny out! I put it on as a highlighter (above my cheekbones and in the middle of my nose). It’s hydrating and provides the perfect glow! It’s a product I can’t live without at this point.

two // RMS Coconut Oil Makeup Remover Pads – Another RMS product I’ve been using non-stop. These don’t need a lot of explaining, it’s coconut oil in a wipe. Great for throwing in your purse or travel bag on those nights you are more than likely not going to wash your face. Maybe due to those extra glasses of wine? 😉

three // Orgaid Vitamin C Sheet Mask – A new favorite. I love bringing sheet masks when I travel, they come in handy when your skin needs a little boost of moisture or brightening. This one would be perfect the night before a wedding or the morning of to boost your skin’s radiance.

four // Lumiere Body Oil – Bronzing – being fair-skinned, this one is a must for any event or wedding in the Summer/Fall months. I love the way the oil gives my skin a beachy glow with some color! Obsessed.

five // W3ll People Bio Brightener Powder – with a number of oils I typically use on my face, this powder helps set them and tones down the excess oil. It’s a staple for a Summer outdoor wedding because if you’re like me, you sweat…A LOT. This magical powder will help blur pores and fine lines as well!

six // Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner with SPF 15 – The perfect amount of color and protects your lips from the sun! My lips tend to be on the dry side and anytime I put on lipstick I’m so nervous they are going to crack or it’s going to look messy after an hour or so. These are super creamy and lasts awhile!

This post was created in collaboration with Follain, my go-to natural skincare shop. Thank you for supporting brands that support Oh, I Design!

OUTDOOR DECK DESIGN #OHIDESIGNHOME

June 21, 2017

My favorite day is June 21st. It’s Summer Solstice which means we get 16 hours and 38 minutes of sunlight, and since I thrive off of sunshine, I’m a very happy camper on this day. I plan on spending the late afternoon/evening on our deck and not leaving until the sun is completely gone. Since moving into our home, we have done a lot of work to the exterior. To give you a bit of a refresh or if you are new here, we bought our first home 2 years ago – the top floor of a triple-decker in Boston, MA, it’s 3-bedrooms & 2-baths and 1,200 sq. ft. It’s pretty common in Boston to own a floor of either a brownstone or a triple-decker instead of living in a single family. I absolutely love it, but there are definitely some pros and cons. You know, like carrying Evie up and down 4 flights of stairs every day, but looking on the bright side, it’s keeping me in shape. 😉 I digress. So we have two decks, one at the front of the house and one at the back. The back deck is where we spend most of our time, there’s more space, a nice little view, and it’s that’s where our grill is located.

Since my husband is a Landscape Architect, we’ve had a great time designing and planning our decks together.

Below is some exterior inspiration that looks nothing like our home, but aesthetics we hope to achieve in other ways if that makes sense.
Below is the in-progress design scheme for our patio. We already have two of the rugs from dwell studio, the sofa, string lights, and some planters & decor from Ikea. What’s next on the list: side table, dining table & chairs, different planters with a hole at the bottom (or drill a hole in our ikea ones…our plans keep dying). Does anyone else have this issue? Also, how amazing is that outdoor rolling cooler?! That’s definitely on my wish list. Because it’s really exhausting to walk 15 feet to the kitchen. 😉 haha!