Watch artist Shantell Martin draw a stream-of-consciousness portrait on stage at #CreateGood

Celebrate International Women's Day With These Fun Ideas

Tip 1: Build a group playlist of your all-time favorite feminist anthems.

Good tunes can make or break the mood of a get-together, but there's no need to play DJ all night. The best hosts do a little work up front to make sure they can join in once the good conversation starts! Before you Zoom or have a few pod friends over, set up a shared playlist and ask each of your attendees to add their go-to empowering female artists to the musical line-up. You'll end the night with the knowledge of new songs and feel accomplished knowing that you all contributed to the party. Here's our Female Empowerment Playlist to get the evening started.

Tip 2: Invite everyone to bring a book that has impacted their year and inspired them to take action. Share + swap for good measure.

With 2023 in full swing, everyone is already itching to see what the year has in store. Your best gals have amazing taste and will know just what to recommend to motivate one another to make a difference. Allow each friend a moment to share about their newest book and make the trades. Bonus points if you have a take-home goodie to give, like this mouth-watering english toffee!

Tip 3: Treat your ladies to a bottle from a female-operated winery.

Everybody knows that the best conversations happen over a nice bottle of wine. This get-together is no exception. You'll want to stock up on our go-tos: Cambria Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir and Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay. Don't forget to mention to your pals that by sipping, they're also supporting a winery that recognizes and inspires female leaders. Unlike many others in the industry, Cambria Winery is women-owned and operated from top to bottom! Sounds like a win-win.

Tip 4: Serving a Pinot Noir? Pair it with a simple chicken recipe, like this Cheesy Mustard Chicken.

The hearty flavor of the chicken will pair well with the flavor notes in a red wine, like Cambria Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir. See the full recipe in our chicken breast recipe roundup and get ready to impress your guests!

Tip 5: For a Chardonnay, whip up some smoked salmon deviled eggs.

These picnic apps are a modern twist on a classic recipe (move over, paprika!) and will complement a tropically lush white wine, like Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay. You'll score extra kudos for serving a dish that is low-carb too! Get the full recipe here.

Tip 6: Use ice breakers that will prompt purposeful discussion.

When you’re surrounded by smart and interesting women, there’s no need to default to chit-chat about the weather.Help your guests skip the small talk in favor of some more stimulating dialogue by posing a few conversation starters throughout the evening:

What women inspire you and why?

What qualities make a great female leader?

How are we teaching the young girls in our lives to be strong women?

How do you want to make an impact this year?

Leave room to hear each unique perspective by separating into smaller conversations or going around the room in a group setting.

Tip 7: Most importantly: Remind your pals why you value their friendship and take time to encourage them.

Use the evening as an opportunity to lift up the women in your life for their strengths and courage. After all, your ultimate goal for the night is that everyone will leave feeling appreciated and inspired to continue to grow and lead!

Living Room

We’re giving your most lived-in room a practical and trendy upgrade. Scroll on to learn the basics of patching and painting your own walls, mounting an egg chair, and installing a hanging gallery. These projects came beautifully together in a living room, but you can literally do these projects in any room in your home.

Living Room: Patch and Paint a Statement Wall

Learn how to patch pesky holes *and* give the room a vibrant, multi-colored effect. Why stop at just one shade when two will do?

Gorgeous and easy! Didn't catch all that? Here's the step-by-step gallery to walk you through the nitty gritty of completing this gorg statement wall look.

What you need:

• Paint: We used Sherwin-Williams® Emerald® Interior Paint in Embellished Blue (SW 6749) and Refresh (SW 6751)
• Spackling paste/hole repair
• Sandpaper
• Drop cloths/paper
• Rags
• Painter's tape
• Stir sticks
• Paint rollers
• Paint tray
• Paint brushes, for cutting in or touch-ups

How To:

1. Clean all surfaces.
2. Apply spackling.
3. Sand, and wipe away dust.

4. Add painter's tape to create your design.

5. Apple lighter shade of paint and dry for 3 hours.

6. Adjust tape and apply second color.

Let dry and voilà!

Style your room as you wish!

Living Room: Mount a Hanging Chair

Hanging a basket chair in your home is a creative and cozy way to utilize small spaces while adding dimension, style, and comfort. Learn the safest and most stylish way to add one to your living room.

Living Room: Install a Hanging Picture Gallery

Create a colorful hanging gallery with your favorite artwork to completely transform the look of your living room. Mix and match photography, paintings, and anything else that tickles your curating fancy.

Get The Look from Our Living Room:UO Cappa Curtain Rod, Frametory Gallery Wall Frames, Umbra Conceal Floating Shelf, Bayou Breeze Swing Chair, Hammock Hanging Kit, Macrame Rope, Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon.

Now, let's get cookin' in the kitchen!

Kitchen

No matter what you use your kitchen for — making toast, practicing for Top Chef, or a mix of the two — it’s truly the heart of the home. Give it some love by elevating your cabinets with colorful, two-tone paint, adding a bold tiled backsplash, and upgrading your old faucet with a chic new fixture.

Kitchen: Revive Old Cabinets with a Two-Toned Facelift

Don't replace your old cabinets, refresh them. This straightforward, two-toned painting project breathes life back into your old cupboards to make it a space you'll love entertaining in again.

And voila — you've got beautiful new cabinets! Need a full recap? Here's the step-by-step gallery to walk you through each phase of achieving that next-level kitchen look.

What you need:

• Paint: We used Sherwin-Williams® Emerald® Interior Paint in Rhythmic Blue (SW6806) for top cabinets and Indigo (SW6531) for bottom cabinets
• Sandpaper
• Drop cloths/paper
• Rags
• Painter's tape
• Stir sticks
• Paint rollers
• Paint tray
• Paint brushes, for cutting in or touch-ups
• Screwdriver

How to:

1. Remove doors and hardware

2. Sand and wipe away dust

3. Place painter’s tape as shown.

4. Paint a lighter hue on the upper cabinets.

5. Let dry and remove tape.

6. Add new hardware.

5. Paint a darker hue on lower cabinets.

Kitchen: Apply a Peel-and-Stick Tile Backsplash

Add texture and personality with a stick-on backsplash to your kitchen wall. It's much simpler than *actual* tiling and creates a seriously Insta-worthy effect.

Kitchen: Upgrade to a Fancy Faucet

You love everything but the kitchen sink. Instead of removing it entirely, install a beautiful faucet to make your fixture look elevated and upgraded.

Get The Look of Our Kitchen:Smart Tile Metro Ava, Cost Plus World Market Marble Pattern Ceramic Canister

Next up — let's work on that bedroom!

Bedroom

There’s nothing sleepy about these projects that will leave you with a striking ceiling, a new headboard, and colorful curtains. Scroll below to see the dramatic difference a few updates can make.

Bedroom: Add Trim and Paint a Drop Ceiling

Elevate your bedroom's vibe by adding custom trim and eye-catching paint color to the walls and ceiling. The final product promises to deliver twice as much character as your typical one-coat paint job.

Ready to make it happen? You've totally got this! Just to make sure you have it all down, check out our step-by-step gallery to walk you through how to paint your own bedroom.

What you need:

• Measuring tape
• Hammer
• Handsaw
• Wood trim
• Miter box
• Paint: We used Sherwin-Williams® Emerald® Interior Paint in High Reflective White (SW 7757) and Fun Yellow (SW 6908)
• Paint bucket
• Spackling paste/hole repair
• Sandpaper
• Drop cloths/paper
• Rags
• Painter's tape
• Stir sticks
• Paint rollers
• Paint tray
• Paint brushes, for cutting in or touch-ups

How to:

1. Measure the distance of your drop ceiling.

2. Make angled cuts to trim.

3. Use trim nails to hang your cut pieces.

4. Patch and fill nail holes

5. Sand and wipe away dust. Apply painter's tape.

6. Chip in along trim edge, and all corners.

7. Use a 9" roller and paint to cover the wall and ceiling.

8. Paint in both directions in a W pattern.

9. Let dry and remove tape.

A pop of sunshine!

Bedroom: Create an Upholstered Headboard

Upholstering your headboard with an oh-so-you fabric will revive your entire sleeping environment. Toss in a few jewel-toned pillows and you've got a dazzling space where you can dream away.

Bedroom: Hang Colorful Curtains

Your windows can make an eye-catching statement dressed up with playful curtains, so don't let the task of putting up rods keep you from that look. Paired with some natural light, these colorful ones deliver the dose of cheer your room *desperately* needs.

Curtains make a big impact in any room.

Get The Look of Our Bedroom: VClife Checkered Duvet Cover, UO Shelly Round Velvet Pillow, IKEA Sanela Cushion Cover, UO Modern Berber Rug, Purple Couch Pillow Covers, Cost Plus World Market French Yellow Taryn Chair

And now, it's time to step up your bathroom game.

Bathroom

A girl's bathroom is all about morning routines, quick afternoon zhushes, and evening relaxation. Give it a sparkling makeover by installing decorative wall shelves, replacing your showerhead, and revamping an outdated apothecary cabinet.

Bathroom: Refinish an Apothecary Cabinet

Your useful yet unremarkable apothecary cabinet deserves a dazzling new look. Add a vivacious pop of color and a decorative knob for a complete DIY transformation.

Now it's time for you to take that drab cabinet to the next level. Follow along with our step-by-step gallery and add a ton of color to your ho-hum bathroom.

What you need:

• Paint: We used Sherwin-Williams® Emerald® Interior Paint in Osage Orange (SW 6890), Oleander (SW 6603), and Daffodil (SW 6901)
• Sandpaper
• Drop cloths/paper
• Rags
• Painter's tape
• Stir sticks
• Paint rollers
• Paint tray
• Paint brushes, for cutting in or touch-ups
• Screwdriver
• New hardware

How to:

1. Remove door and hardware.

2. Sand rough edges and clean up dust.

3. Paint base and let dry.

4. Add a pop of color!

5. Screw door back in.

6. Add new hardware.

Bathroom: Install Floating Shelves

Give your bathroom serious character (and free up much-needed counter space) by installing minimalist, floating wall shelves. Add a personalized touch and deck out with sculptures, air plants, a Himalayan salt lamp, and everything else you love.

Bathroom: Replace and Extend a Shower Head

Why settle for weak water pressure or a low-hanging nozzle? You'll be singing in the shower when you replace and extend your showerhead in just a few simple steps.

Get The Look of Our Bathroom:August Grove Linen Cabinet, Hotel Spa Chrome Extension Arm, Moen Adler Chrome Four-Function Spray Head Standard, UO Peaches Shower Curtain.

Expert panel: Matt Fraser, Carpenter at Wine Country Builders, Holly Huntley, Contractor at Environs, Chip Wade, HGTV Home Expert and Liberty Mutual Insurance Consultant, and Jason Pickens, DIY Expert for HGTV.com.

Production + Styling: Cassidy Miller, Alonna Morrison, and Kayla Haykin

Authors: Lindsey Graham-Jones and Sarah Koller

Video: Michael Sullivan, Ryan Shelley, and Trevor Tillman

Photography: Brittany Griffin + Chris Andre

Design: Torii Burnett

* Please note: WARNING! Removal of old paint by sanding, scraping or other means may generate dust or fumes that contain lead. Exposure to lead dust or fumes may cause brain damage or other adverse health effects, especially in children or pregnant women. Controlling exposure to lead or other hazardous substances requires the use of proper protective equipment, such as a properly fitted respirator (NIOSH approved) and proper containment and cleanup. For more information, call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (in US) or contact your local health authority.

This post was empowered by Sherwin-Williams®.

1. Ellie is dealing with some major trauma.

In The Last of Us season 1, episode 8 "When We Are in Need," we had the unpleasant experience of meeting a man named David, who says he's a pastor who found God. And over the course of the anxiety-inducing 51 minutes, David kidnaps Ellie, Joel attacks David's men to get her location, and, oh, Ellie realizes David has turned the group into cannibals without their knowledge.

At the end of the episode, David attempts to sexually assault Ellie while the lodge burns down around them. Ellie winds up killing him with a literal meat cleaver before stumbling outside covered in his blood. (I still think about this scene, I hate it so much).

Joel finds her, and from this moment until the end of episode 9, Ellie's a changed person (duh). She's still curious and fun, but she's definitely more closed off than she was before — and we'll have to see how much it affects her five years later.

2. ​Joel saves Ellie at the expense of the Firefly hospital.

Ellie's troubles are far from over after her run-in with David. In episode 9, "Look for the Light," Joel and Ellie arrive in Salt Lake City. After a very sweet conversation about how she helped Joel heal from his daughter Sarah's death that had me emotional, the Firefly rebels arrive and both knock Joel out and take Ellie.

Joel wakes up in a hospital room, where he learns that the Fireflies will operate on Ellie (who's immune, remember) to get the cure for the infection. The only problem? She won't make it out alive. And in a fit of pure paternal rage, he takes out the entire hospital, including both doctors and soldiers.

3. Ellie is immune thanks to her mom.

The show finally explains Ellie's immunity in the final episode during a flashback. Ellie's mom, Anna, gives birth to our leading lady right around the moment she's attacked by an immune. And since the umbilical cord still connects Ellie and Anna, the cordyceps infection enters Ellie's body, and immune system, differently than if she'd been bitten.

4. Joel and Ellie return to Jackson.

The beginning of The Last of Us saw Joel trying to find his brother Tommy, and they do reunite in episode 6, "Kin." After everything that happens at the hospital, Joel and Ellie head back to Tommy's home in Jackson to start their new lives alongside Tommy, his wife Maria, and the rest of the town (including Dina and Jesse, two new friends Ellie has in season 2).

5. Joel lies to Ellie about the cure.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about The Last of Us ending is that not only does Joel kill a dozen Fireflies, but he tells Ellie that there were multiple immune people, and that raiders had attacked the hospital. Ellie doesn't know that the cure would cost her life, but she's obviously disappointed by the fact she couldn't help — especially since it's clear she feels like her purpose as an immune is to help develop a cure.

In the final moments of the episode, she tells Joel to swear he was telling the truth. And when he does, all she says is, "Okay."