Style Scouting: Vol. 174

Thanks for stopping by for this week’s Style Scouting. My Sunday post where I share the random stuff that captured my attention or inspired me that I found online.

small bedroom made into an office
photo: Kismet House

Hello and happy 2024! How were your holidays? I hope they were everything you wanted them to be.

My daughter, Kelly, SIL and grandkiddies left on January 1st to head back to Los Angeles after spending 5 weeks with us.

Christmas was made extra special having little kids around and we enjoyed every minute of their visit. It was non-stop. Trips to the park, playing pretend everything, baking, eating, baking more, games, walks and renting a big SUV to fit all of us so we could travel with car seats and room for a 6 hour trip to see our younger daughter and her boyfriend and my sisters in Charlottesville for a long weekend.

I was hoping to get back to posting this week, but Ed and I are both EX…HAUS…TED!!! Little kids keep you on your toes.

messy living room at Christmas

I did focus on getting the house back in order. I took the tree down on New Years Day. Over the week, I got the rest of the holiday decorations put away.

The room feels so sparse now, not only with the holiday decorations down, but all the toys and play table that were in the living room the last 5 weeks are stored away until the next visit.

Now I feel ready to tackle some new projects. Ed is working on one today – a new garage door opener. I know, exciting right? The function is great, but not so pretty, so I won’t be blogging about it. :-)

Now onto the links I found this week.

Decorating

This designer’s decorating portfolio.

This home was once a church. (Hit the > on right edge of photo to scroll vertically through the images.)

A home where blue hues rein supreme.

This pretty and colorful home in a rustic setting.

DIY

I love what she did with her fireplace wall.

A very small bedroom becomes a cozy office.

Did you know this about using a tape measure? I didn’t!

I like seeing creative furniture makeovers like this.

Organizing

Another way to look at decluttering and letting go.

Need to declutter? Here are a few methods you may not have thought of to try.

Food

This looks like a cozy meal for a cold winter night.

Did you know that by adding this simple ingredient to any hot chocolate (packaged or made from scratch) will make it the creamiest?

If you have a bread machine and like bread sticks, you may want to try this recipe.

Out & About

Ed and I went to the movies to see The Boys in the Boat. It was so good. I wish there were more movies made like it. Have you seen it? Our daughter, Kelly was a rower in college so we could relate when seeing the hard work and focus needed to be on an 8-person crew working as one.

Fashion & Beauty

The #1 thing my capsule wardrobe taught me.

Fun & Interesting

Have you heard about Cozy Cardio?

How to make your alone time feel extra special.

Did you know that January is not just about new starts. It is also about doing more of this.

Something to Think About

Lets always keep this wisdom in mind as we age.

I agree with doing everything on this list to save money this year.

Looking for more Joy in your life?

“The easiest way to enjoy your favorite things is to only own your favorite things” – Be More With Less

Diane in a sky blue oversized half zip pullover.

Oh… So Stylish Finds

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • I live in cozy casual clothes. I bought this oversized half zip pullover in blue and love it. It has lots of room in the back. I have been wearing it everyday. I may get in the color palm now. Go down a size if you don’t want it too big. I am wearing a medium.
  • I have so many family photos and slides I want to make digital. I am thinking about getting this. Does anyone have one and does it work well?
  • You can see all my Stylish Finds on my SHOP page.

If you enjoy these posts – You can find past Style Scouting posts here.

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13 Comments

  1. So glad to hear you liked “Boys in the Boat”. My husband and I want to see it as well.

    Regarding the 27 things not being purchased this year… most of the things in that list are things I haven’t been purchasing for quite awhile, so I couldn’t agree more!

    Happy New Year!

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Margaret – I am with you on the 27 things not to purchase. I haven’t had the need to purchase in a while either. I buy less and less as time passes by. Thanks for reading my posts.

  2. So glad you and Ed got to spend five weeks with your family! And I can relate to being (happily) exhausted after they left.

    When I taught art in middle school, my students were tested on how to use a ruler. Amazing how much they didn’t know about measuring.

    We gifted one of our granddaughters a calligraphy kit for Christmas in 2022 and she’s done amazing work with it. I just sent her the link to the Joy poem so she could practice her lettering skills.

    I’m always looking for the decluttering method that suits me. Those ideas just might make the process successful for me.

    With the cost of living increasing every day, I’ll be saving money, too, this year. I liked most of her choices to help me say “no”.

    Thank you for these great links this week (and always).

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Patti – I am almost back to my normal routine. As I get older it takes me more time to readjust. Thanks for reading my blog. I was a contributor to a lettering book back in 2015 that your granddaughter might like if she likes to do calligraphy. The book shares more about unique ways different artists create lettering beyond both traditional and modern calligraphy. You can see the book here: https://amzn.to/3Sb6Q70

  3. Lots of great links as usual! I always look forward to this!! (& I ordered the pullover ~ thanks!) 😊

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Jeanne – Thanks for reading my posts. I hope you like the pullover. It is always hard to find something that is comfy, but stylish.

  4. You are a brave woman to cut your own hair. 😁
    Glad you had fun with the family.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Ncdcmi – It took me a while to get up the nerve to cut my own hair, but once I learned the tips and bought the right tools, it wasn’t scary at all. When I went to the salon, I was never happy with the cuts I got. Even when I would find a stylist that cut my hair right, when I went back after 6-8 weeks to get it trimmed, they cut it in a different way. :-(. I finally decided that I could do a better job myself and get the look I wanted. :-)

  5. I thought of you guys a few times as we had our grandkids & daughter stay over for only 2 days & 2 nights & my hubby & I could barely stay on top of it all lol. So nice to see you back here!

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Holly – I enjoyed the time off, but do miss my Zoe and Dean, even though it was a lot of work. It is nice to get back into my routine.

  6. So many informative, relevant, and beautiful links in this post! What a way to start the new year. I am so happy that I subscribed, especially in a time that I hit “unsubscribe” to many other blogs. Looking forward to many more Sunday reads with my coffee. Thank you!

    1. Looking forward to seeing lots more from you in my inbox. Happy New Year.

    2. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Beverly – Thanks for reading my posts and taking the time to comment and connect with me. You made my day. So happy that you enjoy my posts. :-)