Here’s a look at some of the best images taken by Globe photographers last month: watching World Cup soccer, The annual Boston Pride Parade, protesting gun volence, protesting the presidents immigration border policy, blessing animals, and great action – reaction on local baseball diamonds.
Nicole Eigbrett of the Asian American Resource Workshop drummed on a bucket while marching in the Rally Against Family Separation in Boston on June 30. (Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff)
There have been multiple times during the Merc renovation that I said aloud “MY GOSH. How do normal people do this?!” By normal I mean, not the type of people that think/talk/dream about design all day everyday….ya know, people with hobbies. 😂 There are just so many decisions to make! And they domino, so you can’t screw it up or the whole thing turns out horrible.
Hi. No pressure.
Picking out tile for the Merc has hands down been the hardest thing. Here’s the problem, I love everything. Also I love color. Also pattern 🙌🏼. Which lead me down a rabbit hole of colorful patterns that were super fun and very thrilling. (Did you know that homedepot.com has got some CRAZY cool tile? You can see some of my favorite patterns here!) But I kept coming back to the authentic style of the Merc. It was built in 1928 and the goal was to keep it in that era, and guess what? Crazy patterned tile wasn’t part of the world in Santa Clara UT in 1928. So I’d scrap those ideas and bring myself back to black and white. But then my mind would start to wander again and I’d get caught up in the crazy fun tiles all over again.
What finally broke this vicious cycle was deciding first and foremost what THE MOST important tile related design was. Was it the backsplash in the kitchen? The bathroom floors? The hallways? If you’re in this cycle that seems to never end, use this trick because it totally worked. Ultimately I realized that it was the Merc logo on the floor in the entryway. It was the single most important tile situation in the whole building, something I was unwilling to compromise on. That was an easy decision, and like it does, everything domino’ed from there.
The clarity that I needed to keep the Merc true to her roots came once I stopped looking at allllll of the options and really thought about what was right for the space.
All of our tile (100% of it!) came from homedepot.com. The real question here is have I convinced you yet that Home Depot is the answer to everything?!
The way I finally was able to scratch that pattern itch was to hand lay contrasting tiles on the kitchen floor. It kept the vintage vibe I wanted but is so freaking impactful I cant even stand it. The kitchen floor is hands down the star of the show at the Merc. And the best part of all, if you can count, you can do this in your house!
I decided to use simple 4×4 white square tile from Daltile on the kitchen backsplash. These are in stock at every Home Depot and a wall this size cost less than $500!! One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that color lovers like myself need a simple place to start, that way I can customize to my hearts content. So as contrary as this sounds, if you love color, start with lots and lots of white.
In Ivie’s bathroom I hand laid a border in the white 1″ square tile out of contrasting black tile and it’s just SO good.
I’ve got some very in-depth tutorials coming for each of these tile projects (including videos!) but I thought it would be fun to show you a little bit of the process first cause honestly, who doesn’t like a good sneak peek!
Customs and border patrol officials in the United States are enforcing Presidents Trump’s strict immigration policies on the Mexico border, causing widespread protests. At least 2,000 children have been separated from their parents since April.
A US Border Patrol spotlight shined on a terrified mother and son from Honduras as they were found near the US-Mexico border on June 12 in McAllen, Texas. The asylum seekers had rafted across the Rio Grande and had become lost in the woods. They were then detained by Border Patrol agents and then sent to a processing center for possible separation. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is executing the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy towards undocumented immigrants. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions also said that domestic and gang violence in immigrants’ country of origin would no longer qualify them for political asylum status. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Freehand New York is brand new but it’s already a hub for people to gather and create. Miguel Gutierrez is the artist in residence working on a dance-based performance in their 19th floor studio. #MRPartner http://bit.ly/2JrZGZG
Huge thanks to Purple for partnering with me on this post!
Hey guys!! Lets talk beds! Not like headboards, bedding, throw pillows. Like actual mattresses. I’ve had my fair share over the years, especially the deliver to your door and let them expand kind. Leesa (in Ivie’s room), Tuft and Needle (in Dylan’s room) IKEA (at the cabin) and Sleep Innovations top the list.
When it was time to move into the Merc I was dead set on getting a new mattress for Court and I (and Brem cause #co-sleeper) As I was researching it the same company kept coming up, Purple. Everywhere I turned people were talking about it. Not just internet people, my real life people too. And if we’re being honest, who hasn’t watched in its entirety the Goldilocks egg test commercial? That thing is magical.
So while we may not have a master bedroom (it’s in phase 2 of the Merc renovation) and we’re squeeeeezing a king size bed into a kid’s sized bedroom, gosh dang it, we will have a great mattress!
Purple recently added a whole new line to their mattress offerings. The New Purple 2 | 3 | 4. The difference between the new ones and the OG is that the bottom layer of foam is replaced by pocketed coils (so more like a traditional mattress vs. foam) We ended up with the Purple 3. One thing to note, because of the new design the Purple 3 is heavier than traditional foam mattresses, so it comes with white glove delivery included! 💃🏼 The delivery guys will move your old mattress, and set this one up complimentary.
So the question on everyone’s mind, do we love it?!
YES!
It feels totally different than any of the other mattresses that we’ve had. If you prefer a firmer mattress, you’ll want to go with the Purple 2, if you love something extra cushy, go with the Purple 4. Court and I are at the opposite ends of the spectrum and settled on a Purple 3. I absolutely love it!! Speaking of love, have you seen their latest video?! Billy!! 😂😂
One of the greatest parts of ordering a Purple is their 100 night guarantee. If you don’t love it, you can return or exchange it!
If you’re investing in a great mattress like Purple, make sure that you are getting all of the benefits. I’m hyper-vigilant about keeping mattress protectors on our bed. At least until our co-sleeping adventure is over. I didn’t realize with all of my layers of plastic in my battle against moisture I was completely killing the cooling feature of Purple. So make sure you also order one of their mattress protectors. It has made all the difference in the world!
I decided to use simple 4×4 white square tile from Daltile on the kitchen backsplash. These are in stock at every Home Depot and a wall this size cost less than $500!! One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that color lovers like myself need a simple place to start, that way I can customize to my hearts content. So as contrary as this sounds, if you love color, start with lots and lots of white.
I’ve got some very in-depth tutorials coming for each of these tile projects (including videos!) but I thought it would be fun to show you a little bit of the process first cause honestly, who doesn’t like a good sneak peek!
jeffdonaldsons 