Paloma Contreras: Hi Caroline. Caroline: Hey Paloma Paloma Contreras: Very genuine indeed. Caroline: How are you? Paloma Contreras: I'm well, how are you? Caroline: Good, good, good. How's my baby Milo? Paloma Contreras: He's doing so much better. Thanks for asking. Yeah, we had a little bit of a scare last week, but all is good. He's feeling a lot better and, you know, back to being his puppy self. So crisis averted, a few. Yeah. Caroline: Okay, yeah. Good. Yay. And how's he doing as far as settling into the house? Paloma Contreras: He's doing well. I mean, he and Margo are ⁓ thick as thieves and he's really close with Fabian. he's really sweet and ⁓ precious, he's... Caroline: Yeah. Paloma Contreras: Great, mean he's ⁓ doing really well with potty training. He's ringing his little bell on the back door now, so that's good. Yeah. ⁓ he uses a little, there's like a potty training trick with dogs where you hang like a jingle bell on a ribbon or like you can buy one that's pretty strong, which is what we did, on the door. And so as you're training them, you jingle it and say, go potty. And eventually they learn and they will. Caroline: What? What's he doing? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Paloma Contreras: tap it with their paw or bump it with their nose and they'll sit by the back door like they'll ring the bell and then sit back there and wait for you to let them out. So it worked really well with Tate last time. He looked, he picked it up so quickly. And so Milo hadn't picked it up quite as quickly, but we're two weeks in and he's doing great and sleeping through the night. So no complaints. Caroline: ⁓ man, that's amazing. That's great. Well, you're you're there then. Those are the two big hurdles. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. For sure. What's new with you? Caroline: what's new with me? some exciting ⁓ Probably ⁓ kind of what my good week is. Lou's just for a little bit of time she leaves to go to her second camp. And we had a horse show out of town over the weekend, and we had been planning, we talked about, Paloma Contreras: Mm hmm. Yay. Caroline: We missed the Role Model concert series last year. Are do you follow Role Model? Tucker Pillsbury. Paloma Contreras: I I know some of his songs from the radio, but I don't know much about him, honestly, like as a person. Caroline: Okay. Okay, if you like who's the guy that ⁓ has done song with Olivia Dean that you like so much? Sam Fender. Okay, if you like him, you're gonna love Tucker Pillsbury, who's Role Model. ⁓ I think he's about to blow up by the time this second tour is over. He going to ⁓ he's be a major star because Paloma Contreras: ⁓ Sam Fender. Mm-hmm. Caroline: I was watching the Las Culturistas podcast, the one that L Lena Dunham was on, ⁓ and has cast him in a in a role. I'm not sure if it's a movie ⁓ or wasn't paying close enough attention on the front side of this conversation, ⁓ but were all crazy about him, talking about how handsome he is and what a and she was saying what a great actor he is. ⁓ so anyway, just Paloma Contreras: ⁓ Caroline: Keep him on your radar, but we we kind of missed the whole, we didn't get crazy about him until last fall. ⁓ and I say we, she might have been listening to him earlier, but ⁓ he kind of showed up on my radar. I'm gonna say like September, October last year. By the time his tour was over, I was like, let's go see Role Model. And it was like, okay, it's over. because it I kept getting Paloma Contreras: Wow. Mm-hmm Caroline: concert footage in my feed on all social media. ⁓ okay. So he recently a new song, announced a new tour ⁓ starting this summer. And the new song is great. It's a little it's like crossover country and pop. You know, it's ⁓ like a really nice little place in between there strum strums and acoustic guitar and ⁓ you know blue jeans and all that. I mean Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Caroline: So anyway, we were s she was saying I think he's gonna open for Harry Styles. And if he is, and Harry Styles has ⁓ his, you know, residency at Madison Square Garden this fall. So if you wanna see him in America, you have to go to New York to see it. And she was like, Let's wait and see who they announce is gonna be opening. So maybe we can get the two of them. Well, they Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm Caroline: I don't even know who here is opening for Harry Styles. Nobody ever really ever paid attention to, but it was clear it was not going to be Role Model. ⁓ so it's like, well, okay, gonna have to do two concerts. But ⁓ Model ⁓ going to be in New York City on the same weekend. ⁓ one of the weekends that ⁓ Styles is in New York. So and I got our tickets, Friday night, Role Model, Saturday night Harry Styles. Whoop whoop. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm Yay! How fun, well you win the Coolest Mom Award for sure. That's so fun. Caroline: ⁓ I don't know about that. By the time Marg gets to be in high school, you probably people probably be flying around to, I don't know, on their private jets to go do, I don't know, personal things with them. But I think a lot of moms, I think a lot of Gen Gen X moms do the concert thing with their kids. At least. Paloma Contreras: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, it's a fun, such a fun way to bond that music is such a great unifier and spans generations and it's a cool experience. She gets to go to a cool concert. You get to be there with her to make sure she's safe and all is good. And you get to have a mother daughter trip out of it. That's wonderful. Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait. I ⁓ yeah, that's my good week. My bad week is I had to get back on the scale to the doctor, ⁓ with the body composition and everything. And it it ain't it ain't right to have to do that right when you get back from vacation. I'm like, listen, before I got on, I was like pleading my case. Paloma Contreras: That's exciting. So that's your good week. Caroline: Like it's taken me a month to get into this situation. It's gonna take me a month to get out of it. But like, ⁓ and she was looking at the stats, like everything comes in on her, like visceral fat, you know, all this the not just the weight, it's all of the tiny details. And I was doing so great, you'll remember last time. And then she was like, ⁓ yeah, okay, I can see, I can see. It's like, listen, I have been on vacation when I Paloma Contreras: Sure. Yeah. Caroline: I I've had croissants for breakfast, no protein, no, just a croissant, you know, croissant, maybe some jam, maybe some jelly, a little bit of butter, sometimes if it's warm. You know, I've had coffee with cream, I've had wine at lunch, wine at dinner, I've had all manners of pastas and all of those rich Italian, you know, cured. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Caroline: And sauteed meats that go into their ⁓ pastas was like and then everybody was on vacation. Well, I haven't been to the gym, hadn't been to the gym in two weeks 'cause my trainer's been on vacay. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Well, but in your defense, you were probably walking 20,000 steps a day, right? Caroline: Yes, since I got back, I've been in this Rosé ⁓ at end of the day. I I as you I normally I just don't drink ⁓ just because I'd rather sleep better and feel better and not have puffy eyes. So I've been in the evenings because just it's been so hot and icy, I like ice in my Rosé ⁓ It's just refreshing. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm Yeah. Caroline: Whenever I drink wine, that's the other reason I don't drink it. Whenever I drink wine, I end up gaining weight. I I just do. It's just the blood it's a insulin kind of blood sugar thing. I start making bad decisions. I start wanting sweet things and all that kind of stuff. That's the other reason why I don't. I'm like I'm better off with red wine than Rosé. But Rosé is super sweet, know. I I like the dry. ⁓ me too. I cannot drink the sweet ones. Paloma Contreras: Interesting. Well, I like mine really dry, yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-mm. Caroline: I'm not talking about that. It's just the amount of sugar in a dry Rosé is extraordinary. Like you would be surprised. yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's way up there. ⁓ yeah, it's too hot. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. More than a red. ⁓ Don't tell me that. I can't drink red wine in the summertime. I just can't. Once the temperature gets over a certain point, I just, I can't even stomach it. I love red wine in the cooler weather, but not in the heat. Mm-hmm, chilled. Mm-hmm. Caroline: I do too. Mm-hmm. I like my red wine to be cool too. And I embarrassed, yeah, I I am I embarrass husband all the time when I order red wine because I'm always like, Can you also bring me like ⁓ a little glass ice, like little of ice? ⁓ And ⁓ he's like, Why don't just tell them to put ice in your red wine. And I was like Well, 'cause they'll put too much. I don't want some big jug of iced down, you know, wine in a cup. I want like one ice cube in it. Just I don't want it hot. And everybody serves red wine hot. And it should feel like it's come out of a cave, I feel like. Or at least when somebody told me that, it was like, well, now that makes sense because I like it. It tastes better, I think, when it's a little bit chill. But anyway, so Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Right, yeah. Definitely. Caroline: have some work to do. I've got to get off this Rosé situation ⁓ like every other day. Now I'm down to every other day. I have to move slowly when I'm changing my habits. ⁓ well, I can jump into a bad one pretty quick, but it takes me ⁓ minute to roll out of the ⁓ of it. Yeah. ⁓ that's my good and my bad. What's up with you? Paloma Contreras: you Yeah. Well, that's convenient. Similar actually. So last week I was in Fredericksburg, Texas, which is in the Hill Country near San Antonio and Austin. It's this really charming historic town founded by the Germans and it has been preserved in great part, but it's also grown exponentially in the last 10 years or so and even more recently. Caroline: ⁓ yeah, I saw that. It looks great. Paloma Contreras: ⁓ But I'm working on the Southern Living Idea House for 2026, which opens in September, and we had our install last week. we were there, and ⁓ similarly, I feel like I've relaxed ⁓ a little bit in terms of diet and exercise this summer. Just my schedule's a little bit more chaotic with Margot being in camps versus full-time school. So I'm like, I just have less hours in the day. We have a lot going on. ⁓ Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: But anyway, last week we were there and I was just sort of like at the mercy of what was ordered for lunch. You know, was like Jersey Mike subs and chips ⁓ most days. And then we're in this tiny town and I don't know about in Alabama, but I assume in most small towns that eating isn't healthy. So it was lots of Tex-Mex and barbecue and just like heavy, heavy stuff. ⁓ So, you know, and then of course it's Caroline: Ugh, I hate that, yeah. Ugh, yep. No. Barbecue. Paloma Contreras: peach season and Fredericksburg is known for its peaches. So we had to go look for some peach ice cream. we ⁓ had peach ice cream and in ⁓ alcohol than typical because we were going in groups every night. You know, it's just different than being at home. ⁓ So then when I stepped on the scale morning, I was... ⁓ Caroline: Mm. ⁓ nice. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Paloma Contreras: Unpleasantly surprised by the number looking back at me. I was like, whoa, how did we get there? Like I was doing so well and now I've got to get back to where I was. It was just a lot. I know, I know. Caroline: We just gotta live our lives. You know what I'm saying? I mean, it's just like, I can't, I have all this regimen, you and I both like keep everything straight down the straight and narrow. But when we're out and you know, and circumstances change, I think life is better when you just roll with it. You just like. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. mean, I agree with you. feel like you're not gonna and the fact that I ate all that stuff and did all that is sort of a testament to that. Like I do know I've traveled with people even on my team who are extremely strict and in situations like that, no, I know I'm like live your life. Like why are you restricting yourself so much? So now it's like, you know, again, three pounds in the last however many weeks and ⁓ Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. It ain't nobody got time for that. Me two three killing me. But it's frustrating. Paloma Contreras: Which is not a lot and like it can be water fluctuation, whatever. So immediately I'm like, need to up my water intake. I'm gonna skip breakfast and do the intermittent fasting. I'm gonna need to reduce the alcohol. Cause also in the evenings I'm having Rose. ⁓ But you know, three pounds is not a huge deal and you just hate to lose the progress. Caroline: Yeah. It's funny. Yeah, for sure. My doctor was trying to be so sympathetic. She was like, ⁓ I'm sure it's just water weight. And I was like, Well, I just came off the tennis court and at 8:30 in the morning, it was 95 degrees, and I sweated five gallons. I'm surprised that I'm not completely dehydrated and down like five. There there's no extra water in my body right now. You know, it this is all just fat. Paloma Contreras: Yeah Right. Mm-hmm. That's funny. But then my good week was this morning I went to workout with my trainer and ⁓ she was so sweet. I was in the middle of like doing some bicep curls or something and she ⁓ was like, I just have to tell you something, Paloma She's like, I mean this as a compliment, you really are just the picture of health. And I thought to myself, well, that's such a nice thing to say because I certainly don't think that of myself, but she was like, Caroline: That I've gotta get rid of. So Mm. ⁓ yeah. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Your hair is shiny, your skin is radiant. Yeah, she's like, your nails always look good. You have great form. I, you know, here I am thinking I'm like, I'm just like so out of shape and I need to do this and I need to do that. And like, you don't think that of yourself. So to have somebody who is a health professional and sees all kinds of ladies in there say something like that was really nice. So that made my day. Caroline: Yeah. You've got a rosy glow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, you were talking about doing that ⁓ back in the spring when you were really going through the ringer there with everything that was coming up with your mom and everything, and the way you were working out of it was to get out of your own head and ⁓ and say something nice to make point every day to say something nice to somebody. ⁓ And it's just, you know. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Caroline: I just feel like that is beyond important. I think that is one of the most important things that we do here on this earth is to bring a smile to other people's faces. You know what I'm saying? Like it just makes such a huge difference. Now it not insincerely, because I think 95% of people can spot BS at a mile, you know, and they don't want you just blowing smoke. That's not legitimate, but genuine. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Caroline: Kindness and generosity and saying out loud kind thoughts that you have in your head is such a huge difference for everybody. You know, the vibration changes, yes. Paloma Contreras: Yeah, huge and it doesn't cost anything. Exactly, it doesn't cost you anything. It doesn't take much time. And you're right, I mean, we're thinking these things. So why not share that thought? If you have something nice to say to someone, you never know, you might change their day, you might change their perspective, you might really impact them and make a difference. So it's a really great reminder for sure. Caroline: Right. Yeah. Absolutely. Okie Paloma Contreras: ⁓ I Where are you sitting? That's so pretty. Caroline: I'm sitting on the other side of my desk because it's I just and I brought look I brought my ⁓ those are my geraniums. Yeah, the ones that shipped. Can you believe how big they are? Paloma Contreras: ⁓ that's a pretty window. What are those flowers? Are those geraniums? ⁓ Mine do not look like that. Mine are like little weeds. They have no flowers. They're literally like this. Caroline: Now, now listen, these are The okay, you got the ⁓ but you had to get the other ones, right? The ones that ship from the Netherlands. These are these are the ⁓ okay. Well no, they came from the same place. These are the Well no, hey, this has been me. Although I will send you a picture of the bag of ⁓ fertilizer that he gave me. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: What in the hell? That's not fair. The Bluestone Perennials ones. Are these your, no, mine came from America somewhere. So they're the same ones? Yeah, I don't have a Steven. I don't have a Steven. That's all you? Okay. ⁓ yeah. Caroline: But I also will say this. Stephen has ⁓ a fertilizer. I will send you the picture. link it the notes. ⁓ Okay. Paloma Contreras: ⁓ huh. Caroline: It is charcoal looking, like ground up charcoal is the look it has. Okay. But it smells ⁓ like barn. It smells like horse manure. ⁓ And and in fact it is. It's like just pure like farm ⁓ nitrogen been dehydrated into this charcoal. ⁓ And that what I've been fertilizing these guys with. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Caroline: And it's not particularly for blooms, it's for the whole plant. But the other thing that I have found out is ⁓ because I I put it into Claude, I'm going back and forth between Claude and Chat GPT. I'm not sure which one I like better. I need to eliminate one, but said, even though tags say they take full sun, ⁓ that the Alabama summer sun may just be too intense for them. ⁓ And I have found that to be true. And so I have them on my outdoor dining table that is under ⁓ an umbrella. It's, you know, a canopy of tree leaves, but it's the same as being under an umbrella. So as the sun is coming up, they get sun that comes in at an angle, but never the overhead sun. ⁓ and I have so many, I have like 15 of these. I ordered so many. I got a little carried away. ⁓ so they're all sitting out. That's why I brought a couple of them in so can enjoy them during the day, but also there's so many on our table, it's hard to eat. ⁓ so I needed to kind of scoot them around, but they can't sit out in the strong sun, but they need sunshine. They just can't take the because I've yeah, the leaves were starting to burn and they were fainting, they were all flopped over really bad. Paloma Contreras: Mm. Too much indirect. Caroline: And one of these, I don't know if you have this one, I think it's called like Boom Chocolata. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: ⁓ huh. couldn't tell you what I have because none of mine have blooms and they're two inches tall. Caroline: Well they it maybe still still has the tags on it. But ⁓ this one is very much like ⁓ sweet pea, you know, and the tendrils like peas, like how peas grow and everything. and the other one has the same kind of blooms, but it grows more straight up. So anyway, really, really pretty. I'm excited on this journey, but Paloma Contreras: Yeah, I need some horse manure, I guess. Mm-hmm. Yeah, looks like it. Pretty. Mm-hmm. They're beautiful. Caroline: I need, you know what I was thinking? We should have somebody on the pod like who's a geranium whisperer to come on and just like give us a tutorial on how to like where do we clip these back? What time of year? What are we gonna do over the winter? And like how, how do we maintain this investment? Paloma Contreras: Mmm. Yeah. I mean the ones that come to mind are Kate Reinstein-Brodsky and Veere Grenney. Two fabulous people, I'm not sure if they'll want to come talk about just geraniums, but they have plenty of other things to talk about. Caroline: ⁓ yeah. I'm not sure if would, but I I love Kate is such a hoot. I would love to get her on to give to give ⁓ geranium advice and ⁓ everything else. she has her finger on the pulse. She'll know everything that's going on in design. So ⁓ okay. ⁓ ⁓ news that Frederick is, it's been full years since they launched. Can you believe that? Paloma Contreras: Yeah, she'd be great. For sure. Yes. I know, it feels like it's been around forever, honestly. And maybe that's in part because Dara Capinegro has been at the helm. the whole time and we've known her obviously from the different publications that she's headed over the years and she clearly brought her very distinct point of view to Frederick and I think is a great ⁓ factor in its success. But it just keeps getting better. I feel like every issue is so beautiful. It's so well done. mean, the size feels so luxurious. The paper quality is great. The images are beautiful. Caroline: Absolutely. Yeah. So good. Paloma Contreras: And I feel like even the front of book stuff is inspiring and beautiful and so well done. There's always something new to discover. I mean, I've said it for a while. I feel like it's one of the best, if not the best looking design magazine out there. I really derive a lot of inspiration from it. I enjoy reading it every month or every time, I guess not every month, but every issue. Caroline: Absolutely. Me too. And let me tell you what my hot take is. Let the word go out. I'll defend this to the end. American magazines have it wrong. They are going in the wrong direction. Going down market, thinner, all of that kind of stuff. They need to be charging so much more and beefing up. Okay. Because Paloma Contreras: Yeah. It should be aspirational. Now we have social media. Digital can be the part that is the unifier, is democratic, that is accessible to everyone. But that book should be beautiful, as you said, expensive, aspirational, inspiring. Like, that doesn't need to be where you go down market. Caroline: Yeah. That's right. I mean, because what how much does Frederick? I mean, think there are designers like you and I, and there are others that they comp. They get ⁓ probably if you spend enough a Schumacher every year, they're gonna give you it for free. But if not, I think it's like sixty dollars for an annual subscription. Cabana is like a hundred and twenty ⁓ a hundred and fifty. I'm not even sure, but I'm delighted and world of interiors costs a ton too. I I don't know. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Yeah, yeah, we get a free copy. Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Caroline: ⁓ I can't remember how much it is, honestly, because that's a setup. Because once you get in that system, it's impossible to undo it. You know what I'm saying? Like you can't get online and figure out how to undo it. But it is not cheap. And I would rather pay more. I would rather pay so much more. these magazines ⁓ get this high quality, beautiful homes. ⁓ ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Right. Yeah. Caroline: Gorgeously produced, maybe there are not as many, then to get these thin little, you know, like you remember, like it's like Sunday Parade used to be in the newspaper. Do you remember that magazine? There's some magazines. Yeah, there's some magazines printing on that. I'm like, what? Guys, what are we doing? And you look at the cover and you look at what's inside. There are hardly any ads. They're just drying up into nothing. And it's because Paloma Contreras: Yes, it's yeah, some of these magazines are that quality now. Caroline: They're going down market instead of up. And that's just, that just doesn't make sense to me. ⁓ Particularly seeing how much more they pay for magazines in Europe and how they're thriving as well. So like we need to change our attitude over here, American magazines. Yeah. And that's coming from somebody who has never spent a day looking at numbers or figuring things out. But if you just want to know my take on it, that's it. Paloma Contreras: Yeah, I agree. Mm-hmm. Agreed. Yeah. Spread the word. Mm-hmm. think I think there's something worthwhile there. I agree with you. I feel like It's just gone too far in the other direction, you know, like it and it's not just the paper quality. I get it It's hard. It's a hard market. I'm sure but even some of the content that's featured I mean there are certain magazines that I don't even bother to look at anymore because They've just gone so far off in terms of what is being published where I'm like Caroline: Me too. Paloma Contreras: This isn't even, it doesn't have to be in my taste, but I feel like there are things that are just not in good taste where I'm like, not only is this strange or whatever, but like it's also not good in the sense that like the proportions are off or the rug is too small or like there's things like that where it's like if you're publishing professional design, you should be publishing the best, like new ideas and really. Caroline: A hundred percent. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: well executed things. anyway. Caroline: And here's here's here's my idea. Somebody needs to bring back house and garden over in the States. That was my favorite magazine. It was so good. Whoever was in charge of it before they made it go away needs to get together, staff of people, all these people need would love to come back to journalism. Paloma Contreras: Mmm. That was so good. Caroline: You need to charge a hundred and fifty dollars a year for the subscription and make it fabulous. But ⁓ well. Okay, have you taken a Waymo? Paloma Contreras: Yeah. I have not. ⁓ The first time I encountered a Waymo was last summer in San Francisco. Of course, I feel like way back in the day, the first time I ever took an Uber was also in San Francisco, as one would expect, know, cradle of technology. ⁓ But it was amusing, but also like a little bit off putting to see these cars being driven without an actual driver. ⁓ Caroline: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: especially on the hills in San Francisco. And recently they've come to Houston, probably in the last like six months or so, and I see them around all the time. ⁓ But I don't know that I would get in one, to be honest. I feel like I barely trust a driver when I take an Uber, like a person that I don't know, and that's like a living person who can react in real time. So it would just be... Caroline: Yeah. Mm. Paloma Contreras: Weird to me, I don't know that I'm ready to go in a driverless car. What about you? Caroline: Sure. Think there's certain circumstances under which I would do it, probably in San Francisco, probably in New York City when I'm just like going uptown or, you know, across town or what have you. I imagine, if you're not in a huge hurry, you know, I mean where you need a an a ⁓ common sense override of how you're gonna get there. You know what I'm saying? Like, ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Caroline: I could do that. I saw them driving around. I could ⁓ start like when we used to take ⁓ the kids out to a summer camp at on the Stanford campus and be in Palo Alto, those Waymo vans, and it was like they were testing them out then. ⁓ they were really big, but they weren't carrying anybody. There wasn't a you couldn't get in one, but you would see them every now and then. And I know that because the kids would go crazy. They were so excited. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm ⁓ Yeah, yeah, Margo was excited to see them. Caroline: like ten years ago. It's a driverless car. ⁓ but I don't know. I it would be very limited circumstances. I just know. Like, for instance, if you're pulling up in like in ⁓ Houston probably like Birmingham, but unlike New York, in that there are restaurants that I would become like when I take an Uber is when I'm going to a restaurant ⁓ and I don't to have to ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Caroline: valet and park and do all that kind of stuff. I want to be dropped off and then I don't have to wait for my car with a valet when I'm coming out. I want to have called my Uber ahead to pick me up. So it's very efficient. Okay. I cannot imagine a Waymo getting you dropped off at like Bottega here in Birmingham. It's just not gonna happen. You know, I mean it would and there's gotta be so many restaurants in Houston that are the same. So my uses Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm You Yeah. Caroline: local uses of of ⁓ like car services ⁓ it wouldn't serve those purposes. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, I it's interesting. just, I feel like we have people who need jobs, like let's let them drive the cars for now and have some real life, real time decision making. Mm-hmm. Caroline: For sure. Absolutely. Yes, girl. ⁓ okay, what are you watching on T V? I got two good shows. I'm sitting on over here. Paloma Contreras: I'm not watching anything new. When I was on that install last week, all anybody would talk about was ⁓ Off Campus which I haven't watched. I haven't watched it yet, but shout out to Nicole Hendrick from Southern Living. She binged it every night and she was obsessed with it. So I'm saving it for in a couple of weeks when I have I'm having a procedure and I'll have some downtime. So I'll watch it then. Caroline: Yes. Have you not watched it? You've gotta watch it. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, you'll probably I mean, like I watched it in a weekend. So good. So so good. And let me say this. I think it's clearly written by a woman. Okay. Which is good. We haven't had a show like this. Okay. It is fantasy world, as all of these shows are, right? Like this is not how yeah. Paloma Contreras: Sure, but we need a little fantasy. Caroline: This is fantasy world in a positive way. I think it's good for young women because what they are what they are modeling are seemingly very realistic relationships and relationship situations, but mature positive ways of managing this situation. Now let me say again, kind of like industry, very sex forward, okay? But Paloma Contreras: heard it's very steamy, yes. Caroline: Very steamy. Okay. So, you know, don't have your seven year old cuddled up and, you know, in don't watch it with Marg. You know what I'm saying? I mean, but it's not, it's not. But it is everything today is. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, what are we watching? Game of Thrones. I mean, everything is that way these days. But this at least the guys are very mature about their relationships with girls. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm Caroline: Which we have not seen, like the cool guys being mature about their their relationships and their sexual relationships and being, you know, like thoughtful partners. It's like, hmm, okay. We could if we can write it however we if we can script it however we want to. Why is this the first time this is happening? Like it's it's crazy. Somebody hasn't come in and thought, probably because they thought it wouldn't sell. Paloma Contreras: Yeah. That's true. Caroline: Probably because I thought nobody it has to be and also because it has to be crazy or ⁓ aggressive or ⁓ raunchy or whatever for people to be interested in. And that is not true. There's a million women out here who are like, give me more, honey, how many more seasons of this do we have? Reliving their college years through these young people. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm Caroline: but anyway, it's a great show. really crazy. my other show is Larry David has his new show out. Liberty, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. It's really good. Yeah. You'll like it. It's a good, it's good. It's funny. It's kind of like there's a show on British TV that's like Cunk ⁓ Cunk or have you read this. ⁓ It's of Paloma Contreras: Another show. Okay. ⁓ I want to watch that. I love him. I love him. He's come ⁓ huh. I haven't heard of it. Caroline: She really loves things in history in a in a really kind of absurd way. It's funny. Anyway. Paloma Contreras: Is it multiple episodes or just like a special? Caroline: ⁓ yeah, it's my it's a it there's a whole season. And they're they're ⁓ through all of them. ⁓ it's star studded, so it's a lot of fun because everybody's in costume and ⁓ you know of acting things out, which ⁓ is ⁓ good up for ⁓ everybody will when this airs, we will have just come off the holiday weekend, the fourth of July. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: ⁓ great. Wonderful. That's fun. Hmm? Caroline: And speaking of the history of America, because life, liberty, and the pursuit of unhappiness walks through different vignettes ⁓ of American history. and ⁓ this is what do we call it, the semi-quincentennial, semi-quincentennial? Just trips off the tongue. The 250th birthday of America. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Hmm, it just rolls right off. That's it, Yep. Caroline: was this weekend. We're celebrating 250 years, which is exciting. And I, unlike you, Paloma, lived through our bicentennial, which was such a vibe. And I'm not picking up on this vibe. Maybe it was a vibe also because it was so exciting like America, but I don't think so. I think it was a vibe because America was so in such a patriotic moment. Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Well, we were coming off of Vietnam, right? Caroline: ⁓ mm. Right, yes. And Richard Nixon had resigned and everybody kind of and you know everybody had been so down on America that the bicentennial gave everybody an opportunity to revitalize their love of country, which I think is great. One of the most interesting things to me about it is that it spawned this, which I remember. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Caroline: from my childhood, this colonial interior design moment. And I was doing some research on it. It was like one of the most distinct interior design movements of last century was this colonial revival movement in the 70s. And nobody really talks about that anymore, but it was like a huge deal. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Mmm. Caroline: Like Williamsburg became a big there was a whole magazine, colonial homes. And everybody was decorating everything everywhere was colonial. and we had a bicentennial quarter. Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Caroline: Which was a big deal. Everybody was collecting that and like people lined up around courthouses around the United States to there were bicentennial stamps, but everybody wanted their postmark for the fourth of July on their bicentennial stamps and like things that was like a really big deal. But they had this OpSail thing in York Harbor. Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Caroline: There was over 200 ⁓ boats and tall boats with the big masts and everything. There were a lot of those, but you could join, and there were like there were six million people that lined the harbor, New York Harbor. Six million people to watch these boats come sailing through. And they were Paloma Contreras: Yeah, yeah. It's incredible. Right. Well, and also this was before like social media and word could spread so easily, you know, like this is people reading about it in the local paper, hearing about it on the local newscast. That's really cool, actually, to get so many people activated and excited about America's birthday. Caroline: That's right. Yes, absolutely. and you know, it it looks like they're gonna have a big fireworks show. ⁓ this ⁓ or will have had a big fireworks show and they're gonna do this, try to do the boat thing again in New York Harbor. I would love to know. and I'll be on the lookout to see how it ends up. It look before they put up bleachers and they sit on top of a landfill, which is curious to me. But Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yes. Hmm. Caroline: You know, I guess they weren't as serious about the environment as we are today, but there were over seventeen thousand people that paid twenty five dollars a seat to sit in those stands on the fourth of July in the heat to just to watch the boats passed. I love a big celebration like that, but I thought we could ⁓ take a minute and like go back over some. There are some, you know, really patriotic or Americana ⁓ design trends that are out there. made a list of that I could think of and see what your thoughts are or how you ever use them. Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Caroline: Okay, Americana style. Have you ever done ⁓ like a house like ⁓ all like red, white, and blue? Paloma Contreras: I think the closest would be a beach house that we did on the East Coast ⁓ where we leaned into that look a little bit more, but not... Caroline: Mm-hmm. Why it so easy to go Americana at the beach? Paloma Contreras: I think maybe it's like a shingle style house is generally a little bit more pared down. And I feel like American and colonial style is a little bit more pared down and it sort of has a sort of washed out quality too. I don't think of, know, American antiques aren't gilded or heavily ornamental. There's a simplicity, a humility to them. And I think that that translates really well to Caroline: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Right. Simple. Mm. Paloma Contreras: you know, like a beach house, if you will. So I'd say that's the closest. What about you? A full on? Caroline: Okay. And I have done I have done red, white, and blue. I love red, white, and blue as ⁓ as a color combination. But ⁓ so I've done that a couple of times, but in in varying shades, not crisp red like your shirt, royal blue and white like the flag, but like shades of red, white, and blue. They go so well together. And ⁓ yeah, I've done that, but I've not done Paloma Contreras: I did too. Mm-hmm. No. Caroline: And I know sh Frederick is is has been highlighting this week some of rooms that they've ⁓ published over the years that are in red, and blue. And it's it's a really good ⁓ I I like a ⁓ I but I it really does have be a beach house. I don't know what I would think about a house in town that was all Americana. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I I feel like in a city environment, we've done it in like a boys room. You know, I feel like that's such a classic color palette where it works in a little boys room. ⁓ But yeah, I mean, I'm thinking about it. I agree with you. I feel like it works really well in a country house, in a beach house, ⁓ but something about doing it in the city, maybe because it just, there's something about it that feels more relaxed. Like if you think about classic American style, if you, if like, Caroline: Yeah, okay, yeah. Sure. Mm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: Ralph Lauren comes to mind and that sort of iconography of what Ralph Lauren represents and all of his various like moods and avenues, because there's so many different versions of it, but there's a relaxed quality to it all. Caroline: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Sure. Sure. What about folk art? What do you think about folk art? Paloma Contreras: ⁓ I can't think of when we've used folk art, honestly, but I find it charming. It's just not my thing. Caroline: Yeah. Like weather vanes and you know that kind of stuff. has a good friend who lives in DC, and I'm trying to think of her name, but she introduced Jack Jackie. so ⁓ they were the that them over for dinner ⁓ and introduced them to each other. She's still alive, she's in her 90s. And she has a townhouse and Sister Parrish did her house in the fifties. And I think she introduced her to Jackie, Sister to Jackie. I'll think of her name in a minute. Her house is full of folk art and it is fantastic. I mean, she's leaned into the theme and it works really well, as you might imagine, with the sister parish designed house. And I think sister used so much of that and it works really well. She also used quilts a lot, which and rag rugs, which I think all of that can be really charming. Paloma Contreras: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. also think that it has such a sense of place. So while I have not used those elements to that degree, it's not to say that I wouldn't. I feel like if I were commissioned to do a charming house on Nantucket or Cape Cod or a federal style or Georgian style townhouse in Georgetown, know, like, ⁓ Caroline: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: farmhouse in Hudson, New York, like any one of these sort of East East Coast classically American kind of locations, all of that would work really well. Whereas I don't know that it works as well in. Yeah, you know, like you don't want it to feel inauthentic. And I think having it in a place like the ones that I just listed off that there's. Caroline: Mm-hmm. In downtown Houston or where sprawling Houston. No. Sure. Wyoming. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: a sense of authenticity with those elements there. Whereas if I put it in my house here, ⁓ it might feel a little forced. Caroline: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. It's interesting because house is is Georgian, but it's just kind of in a regular ⁓ neighborhood, it is DC, you know. ⁓ It's it's not red, white, and blue. The color palette is not, but ⁓ it's just her passion with all of this ⁓ folk ⁓ And know, Abby Rockefeller was a big collector and they've got that museum at, but it's you know, it's not my go-to. ⁓ Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Caroline: But I would I would be up to the challenge. I think it would be fun to try to figure it out because it's so far outside of my comfort zone. Now I will say I have used ⁓ quilts on the end of beds and I'm on a quilt text chain. ⁓ when they come across across fresh ones. I think those can be really charming and really kind of more British. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: same. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, I agree. And I think all of those classic Americana staples are very charming. ⁓ I agree with you. I feel like even though it's not in my regular wheelhouse, I would be up for the challenge and would welcome the challenge because I think that's what keeps our jobs interesting is, you know, trying out things that are different from our usual. Caroline: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Okay. we have two listener questions. One is from Amy Sharkey and she says, I'm curious how trends get started. Do you want to take this in Paloma? 'Cause I'm not sure. Paloma Contreras: ⁓ goodness. Well, I mean, that's a great question. feel like they probably trickle down from magazines. I feel like the editors are always shopping the various markets. They're being pitched, you know, new product launches and the color of the year and all of these things that are sort of privy to all of those releases and launches before the rest of us are. So surely a lot of that comes from editorial. But I think in this day and age, it's born out of Caroline: Mm-hmm. Paloma Contreras: social media, you know, it's born of TikTok or Instagram. ⁓ There's a little place, this is not design related specifically, but there's a cute little place a couple of blocks from my office called The Cottage Grocery. And it's our go-to, it's like our little cafeteria, you can pick up, ⁓ you know, prepared salads and sandwiches, things like that. They have a coffee bar and pastries. They also have a whole frozen food section of. Caroline: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. ⁓ love those places. Yeah. Paloma Contreras: stuff that they make that you can take and then heat up at home. It's great. It's like if the Barefoot Contessa had a shop and it's delicious. But I think it, I know actually that it was all over TikTok for a while because it got to the point where I would have to strategically go at like 8.55 after drop off to pick up what I would have for lunch later on in the day and just put it in the office refrigerator because it's a small parking lot, but I would have to circle the block. Caroline: ⁓ that's unfair. Paloma Contreras: multiple times before I could park and then sometimes I couldn't so I'd give up and go somewhere else. But people were posting about like some latte they made or something. you know, whether it's a latte at a local grocery store or coffee shop or a trend, you know, a design trend, I feel like a lot of that comes from social media and then it just spreads like wildfire. I mean, look at the, we talked about it last week on our hot takes, the grand millennial trend, like. I think it's died down a bit, a lot of that stuff is still really popular in the general public and the GP. Caroline: Yeah, I think people are always on the lookout for something that's good looking that seems fresh and new. And that cycle is has gotten to be so tight, it's like sp ⁓ so tight that it's a spiral. But ⁓ yeah, I think people are on the lookout. And then when it hits fresh and new, everybody wants to jump on and be a part of it and Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Caroline: experience it because it's something different than what you're maybe used to. So okay, so our next question is where do you like to shop for antiques? Paloma Contreras: My very favorite place is the Marché Opus in Paris. I I have found so many incredible things there over the years. ⁓ But that's, you know, that's a big undertaking. And in order for it to make sense, you have to buy a lot of things and fill a container or at least half a container and split it with somebody. ⁓ in the last handful of years, the cost of shipping via ocean freight has gotten really, really expensive. Caroline: Same. Paloma Contreras: ⁓ But you can still go and pick up a treasure and bring it home in your suitcase or mail it home. Sometimes air freight, if it's something small, isn't crazy if it's already coming to your town. ⁓ I like that. I feel like there's so many great fairs and markets in Europe too. I like to go straight to the source. ⁓ We are lucky because we have Round Top, which happens twice a year. Actually more than that now, I think three times a year in Texas. Caroline: Mm-hmm. Paloma Contreras: And there are people who are diehards and love Round Top. It has changed a ton in the last five years where it used to be a place where you would like go and dig in the fields and find treasures. Now it's like every brand is having a pop-up and celebrity designers are shopping the fields. And it's just gotten to a place where so much of it is so curated, which is nice in a sense. Like if you're a consumer going to spend the day or find a treasure for your own home as a designer. and shop owner who's going to look for things to resell to a client or in their shop, it doesn't really make sense because things are, I think, priced above market, like fair market price in most cases. So I'll go every now and then, but it's just not my vibe. So I also like to go straight to the source. Those people are buying from dealers in Europe, I'd rather go to the dealers in Europe and make a trip out of it. ⁓ And then we buy things at auction too. What about you? Caroline: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. auctions and I try to buy directly from my friends who are antique dealers, you know, and I just got back from a shopping trip to Marshea Pooce and it's always great. ⁓ I you know, ⁓ I have a fantasy of just filling up a container one day of just stuff that is good looking that I have no buyer for. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm, exactly. Mm-hmm. Careful. Yeah. Caroline: I don't wanna shop, I don't want to store, but I wanna I want a a stash of good things that I know that I will use for a good price, you know. I mean, if you have a good eye, but yeah, I I have no interest in having a store and I have no interest in a lot of overhead, so I don't know that I'll ever do that. But when I'm there, I'm like, I cannot believe I'm leaving this because it's such a good deal and somebody should buy this. So Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Caroline: Anyway, Paloma Contreras: We should get a group of us to go sometime and we can split a container. I mean, I did that on a shopping, my very first antique shopping trip was with a group and they were out of Atlanta and directed everything to Atlanta. They brought the container over and then put it on a truck to everybody's various cities. ⁓ So I think the shipping was a little bit more expensive doing it that way for us, but it was nice to split the container and be able to fill it. Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure. Okay, well I think we're almost to the end of our time, but I will note ⁓ that Wimbledon started this past week and will be I think the big weekend is this coming weekend, ⁓ when this airs. And the t yeah, and the Tour de France ⁓ starts started Fourth of July. so be on the lookout. Paloma Contreras: Yes. Mm-hmm. Yep. So right before this here's Caroline: For that as well. And I saw that Venus, not Venus, but Serena is playing Wimbledon this year. She got a wild card and asked for and received a wild card, which is interesting to note that Harry and Megan. Okay, so we gotta be on the radar. Everybody be on watch, be on the lookout. Harry and Megan are headed to ⁓ home for the Invictus Games announcement or whatever. Paloma Contreras: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Caroline: But it also seems to be coinciding with Wimbledon. you know what a brew ha ha was the last time Megan went to Wimbledon and sat in the Royal Box. So I mean, if you're down for some drama. ⁓ I know that's what I was gonna say about off duty. The drama on off duty is like real life drama and they handle it like responsible adults. This sounds boring, but it's a really great show. Yes. Off Campus, what'd I say? What'd I call it? I'll do. Paloma Contreras: beginning goes. Right? Off Campus, yeah. ⁓ duty. I knew what you meant. But in case the listeners don't, that's okay. Caroline: I'm a horrible misspeaker. Yeah. I say the wrong thing all the time. Yeah. Okay. But so I'm on the lookout for some real life drama coming from for us with Harry, Megan back in the UK while Wimbledon is going on and Serena is playing and all of this just all it's just like a big drama stew. I can't wait to watch it from the sidelines. Paloma Contreras: Hahaha We can talk about it next time, yes. Caroline: Yeah, yeah. Okay, well I'll have being with you. Paloma Contreras: Always, yes. Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye. Caroline: Okay. See ya soon. Okay, bye.