Happy Friday Friends!

I took another *wee* break from writing and creating new projects on this blog because like I mentioned a hundred times we moved houses but ALSO (!!) because I have some really fun things lined up for late summer. Stay tuned for more of that next month.

When we moved to our new place one of the things I loved most about our unit was the fact that we had a walk up, a front door, and a huge porch for our plants. One idea we threw around to DIY the space was adding lights but we put it on the back burner until a very intriguing project idea from Jasco Products came my way. They just released lights that change color, yes you heard that right they CHANGE COLOR. As a color loving maximalist this thrilled me and I knew I had to share these with you guys.

But we before we jump in, here is something I want you to know about this post! 

This post is sponsored by Enbrighten Seasons Color Changing Cafe Lights by Jasco. All opinions are my own and I only work with brands that align with Ariel and Alder standards. #ColorCafeLights

Our porch is a pretty simple space, and with the help of my brother we were able to install these beauties in about twenty minutes. My brother is a perfectionist when it comes to home improvement and as a result the lights are perfectly aligned with our overhead beams. What a gem!


Something awesome about these lights is the way they hang, it made it super easy to keep uniformity when stringing your lights or screwing them into various surfaces. If you need some ideas for hanging or installation, this pinboard really helped me brainstorm!

After a quick installation, things get wild fun and you can customize the color of your strand! What's so awesome about this is you can select up to two colors from the color remote, or choose from the presets, you can even dim the lights if you want a simple white look. The remote is also a small size and will operate up to 750 feet away, this thrills me because I don't have to go outside to turn them on and off and can use it from the window.

There are colors in the presets for various holidays and occasions like Christmas colors, Fourth of July, Autumn, Halloween, and even Pride! We got them in June so ours have been set to a vibrant rainbow for a few weeks :)

Here are some of the pre-sets that I have been loving and can't wait to use them for future holiday seasons!

Christmas/ Holiday Setting

Halloween/ Autumn Setting

Summer Setting

I love these and think they are such a great addition to our little porch, I put this post under the DIY category because this is an easy little project to get you ready for summer evenings. Here is a link to these color changing lights if you think that they would be a good fit for your outdoor space!

xo,

Natalie

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I was looking around my house the other day and identified a few key things that I really loved and had made it through the many purges of college-hood, to then conclude that many of these things were gifted to me by my Aunt Laura. Cute little felt penguins for our christmas tree, perfectly broken in pillowcases that she made me one summer. It became a topic of dinner conversation how interesting it is that things gifted to us by someone older and wiser can turn into our favorite things as we age ourselves. One gift Laura gave to me that went beyond just sticking around was my Glassybaby votive, the little lavender one she bought me when I was eighteen caught fire and turned into a full blown obsession. 

What the heck is a Glassybaby? 

This is a question I get all the time and to sum things up quickly they are handblown glass votives that are nearly perfect in color and proportion and they are very very coveted here in the Pacific Northwest. They are on the expensive end of the spectrum, so if someone gifts you one it probably means they like you or wanted to do something extra nice ;) ha!

Each votive is made by hand and the company has a sustainably conscious background. The votives come in almost every color known and illuminate beautifully. You can read more about the Glassybaby story here. The whole thing is very "Seattle" and it's easy to get hooked after just one. 

After 3+ years of using my original lavender one, I made a pilgrimage to the Lake Oswego store to look for another. Still being in school, the fifty five dollar price tag felt extra real and I realized some shoes might be a better purchase. That was when the woman in the store told me about the seconds sale, an event where "almost perfect" votives are sold for twenty two dollars in a warehouse and a  serious case of FOMO set in. 

For the last four years my college town was an hour away from Portland and the sale started early in the morning. So if I had attempted to go, I would have had to get up way early (4am-ish) on the weekend to attend. When we moved back to Portland last month, I knew I had to go to one. 

Last Saturday we got up at 6am, got some coffee, and headed to the seconds sale. Here is what I learned in the process and a few tips for you if you ever have the chance to attend one.

1. Get there at opening

The sale is at multiple locations in the upper left portion of the United States (see here for a list) and at some of the more popular ones like Seattle people will camp out overnight and line up super early. I went to the sale in Lake Oswego so getting there 30 minutes prior to opening worked just fine. Basically, just get there early enough to ensure that there will be a good selection of colors. For reference, here was our schedule for the day. 

6:00- Wake up!

6:45- Dog walked, dressed, out the door.

7:30- Starbucks acquired

7:45- Arrive in Lake Oswego, wait in line

8:00- Doors open, shop the sale

9:00- Brunch downtown

2. Bring a flashlight, socks, but not a large purse

Bring a flashlight and socks in your purse. A flashlight, because each Glassybaby transforms when illuminated so a flashlight mimics this effect and socks to keep your votive safe during transport. They will give you boxes to pack with, so do not bring a large bag or backpack. It will only bump other people when the tables get busy.

Knocking other people around in a warehouse full of glass = party fowl.

3. You don't need to buy a thousand, be selective

One thing I only half anticipated was the frantic-ness of the event, everyone is hardcore eyeballing the tables and moving as fast as humanely possible. It's more than a little stressful and it's easy to get sucked in. I think unless you are getting some as gifts, it is totally possible to spend your time at the sale looking for the perfect one or two to take home with you instead of filling up a whole box. If you are there picking up a bunch for friends and holiday gifts, then feel free to ignore this advice :)

4. Bring a friend

This one is simple, bring a friend and make a morning out of it. It is way way better to have someone to talk to in line and compare colors with. Cameron didn't quite fully grasp the concept of people loosing their mind over colored glass cups but tagged along with me anyway and it made the wait far easier to tolerate plus I then had someone to hold my selections while I searched. 

To summarize: Get up early, get caffeine, and have fun searching ;) This sale is really fun if you get an opportunity to go. 

Happy hunting!

xo,

Natalie

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