Living Room Notes & Windows of Hope

"We can still string lights."

me the past week.

And not because I was feeling festive but because I felt like I needed some sort of light. Honestly, I am sad. The world feels heavy, and I find myself endlessly scrolling, trying to be present anywhere else that feels lighter.

You know what I mean? When saving photos of peaceful interiors feels less like planning and more like creating proof that tranquil moments still exist.

The screenshots feel like little windows of hope.

I've been thinking about why I do this - why we do this. Why do we save inspirational photos like they're lifelines? Why do we lose ourselves in dreamy interiors at odd hours? It's not just about making things pretty.

It's about creating a sanctuary, a space that holds us when everything else feels uncertain.

“In a world of chaos, we can still create calm.

In moments of darkness, we can still string lights.”

So today, if you're feeling a bit lost or overwhelmed, know this: your desire to create beauty isn't frivolous. Those late-night Pinterest sessions planning your holiday mantel? They're acts of hope. That urge to rearrange your living room? It's self-care in its purest form.

And yes, sometimes healing looks like putting up Christmas lights in November.

---

the Secret Formula to a Chic, Effortless Tree

Last month, I turned my home into a testing lab (my UPS driver now thinks I'm opening a candle store). After weeks of research and real-life trials, here's what's genuinely worth knowing:

🕯️ The Scent Library

• That $400 Diptyque diffuser everyone's DMing about? Skip it. Here's what I'm actually using: Mad et Len's Spirituelle placed strategically near air returns, not on coffee tables.

• The "company's coming" combo I swear by: Cedar + fig oils (2:1 ratio) in a simple ultrasonic diffuser. I tested 12 different combinations in varying spaces - this one hits differently.

  

  fig branch | gold figs | vintage glass pinecones | DIY candle holders | branch

• The Williams Sonoma holiday secret: cedar + white sage + eucalyptus (2:1:1). I make this in roller bottles for design clients, and now you have the formula.

💫 What's Actually Worth It: Holiday Edition

All tested in real homes with real kids, pets, and red wine spills

• Battery window candles with dusk-to-dawn sensors (linking my exact ones below)

• Trader Joe's olive trees ($11.99)

• The brass polishing secret: Wright's copper cream, never Brasso

• Skip the $40 room spray. Place this simmering pot on your stove: orange peels, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and vanilla extract

• Dip pine cones in bleach water first (kills bugs and whitens edges)

• Navy blue velvet ribbon > burgundy this year

holiday hacks for the overthinker

Real Solutions for Real Spaces

Let's talk about actual problems we've solved recently

wishing tree | Is fringe making a comeback? | terry bath towels | leopard chair

"Make it feel like Christmas without looking like Christmas." A client's modern home with a minimalist aesthetic and two kids who want ALL the sparkle. Here's the exact solution:

• Oversized branches in tall vases (Home Depot garden center, $12)

• Textural throws layered on every seat & Italian velvet pillows

• Lighting at three heights for that perfect glow

• A wool plaid blanket in deep earthy tones

• Real Touch Norfolk Pine Entry / Staircase Garland

The Holiday Decorating Masterclass

The Good Stuff:

🎄 HOLIDAY INTEL YOUR GROUP CHAT NEEDS!!!

• Best candle: Trudon Ernesto Candle (trust me)

• Trader Joe's eucalyptus bundles ($3.99) on every showerhead

• Battery window candles with dusk-to-dawn sensors

• Real Amaryllis bulbs > fake anything

• Moravian Star Lights for your tress

Creator's Ring | No. 12 Skillet | Driftwood Flat Paint Brushes | Bell Lamp

Before I Go,

You might have noticed I've been quieter lately.

Like many of you, I've been trying to balance creating beauty with being present in the heaviness of right now. Part of me wants to share all the gift guides and decorating advice - I usually love diving into this time of year. And honestly? Part of me feels strange even thinking about the holidays.

But here's what I keep coming back to.

Some of us need to host family next week, whether we feel ready or not. Some of us are choosing smaller gatherings this year. Some of us might just need to know how to make our own spaces feel a little more peaceful.

So I've put together a guide for all of it - from the practical (yes, including my exact sources and timelines if you need them) to the real (like how to create quiet corners for when you need to step away and ways to make your space feel held even if gathering feels hard right now).

It's available for members tomorrow, along with access to our holiday support system.

Not because any of it is essential right now, but because sometimes having a plan helps, even if that plan is just making your own space feel more peaceful.

And a heart note: I know times are tough for many right now. If you're feeling like you could really use this support but finances are tight, please email me. We'll figure something out quietly, no questions asked. Because we all need a little light sometimes.

Keep the lights on in whatever way feels right for you.

Love ya, mean it x

Peyton.