Ahhhhh 2020...

 

This year...I had the most grand plans. I was going to take trips, I was going to go hard in my businesses, I was going to be more creative...quite frankly I was going to do it all. This was going to be the year I got my life together and just went for it. I think that was everyone's plan, am I right? I feel that collectively this year we had all made this plan to get out lives on the right track or at least try.

And then the waves hit.

One thing after another just kept coming and it was all we could do to keep our heads above water, to not drown under what feels like an onslaught of situations and problems and concerns. Magnified by feeling helpless and trapped.

Ok, was the dramatic enough for you?

But honestly, things feel heavy right now and it's okay to not be okay. It okay to be upset that plans have changed or been cancelled. To be sad that trips are restricted and school is not what you thought it would be. It is good to mourn these things and experiences that we had long for with a passion that can not be turned off.  All of this is okay.

I will keep trudging along with the plans that do work, go to the places that I can get to. My daughter starts preschool in September and I long for what it was supposed to be like, the utter normalcy of it, only to be replaced by something different and strange. I'll get through this, mostly because I have no choice. I'm on this ride and there is no getting off. But also because my daughter is none the wiser of what "should have been". She has no idea what 1st days of schools are supposed to be and I'm going to keep it that way.

We are still going to travel, just safer than before. More aware of what we come in contact with and who. I want my daughter to see the world, more than I ever got to, which is still a lot. I want to see all these places through her eyes, seeing wonders for the first time. I'm not going to let much stop me in my tracks.

How are you going to handle the new "norm"? What plans did you have to put on hold? Did you have any plans for 2020? 

Leave a comment so we can talk

A Quick List of Stationery Needs

 

Have I ever told you how much i love stationary? Like I really LOVE stationary. In the past few years I have developed what some might call an obsession with it and all that it entails. Planners, pencils, papers, stickers...the list just goes on and one. I think my favorite of them all is pens. I am the person who will take your pen if you are not watching. Not always on purpose, but I am never sorry if you call me out on it. If anything, I'll be upset that you called me out on it. *lol*

So today, in honor of that unhealthy love, I thought i would share with you some of my top stationary loves. I would say in no particular order, but that honestly would be a lie. 

• Pens...make my heart sing. I can not explain the sheer pleasure that i get when an order comes in from Amazon or JetPens or PenGems or really anywhere and there is a pen in it. I like to savor opening the package, let it marinate a day before i take it out and admire it. I know...i sound crazy and that's okay. I freely admit it.

• Planners - WHOOO BOY! that's all i can really say. This is like my second love right here. I will buy a planner knowing full well that I have six more at home i have to use. Right now I'm trying to talk myself out of buying a B6 planner. I have no use for it. None at all, but why should that stop me from being happy?

• 

• Highlighters - one can never have to many. Does it matter than i drawers full of them? That i'm not in school and have no real need for them? That I collect different brands? NO. All that matters is they are pretty and I can look at them whenever I want to.

• 

• Washi - I need to be honest here. I do not use washi like you would think. Not really. when i scrapbook I try to use the washi but it just does not work. I forget I have it, I can't figure out how to place it, I don't like tearing off the ends. And I still keep my subscription box to Simply Gilded because every month is a new surprise. This newest box is Paris themed and I was like "Welp, can't cancel now. Maybe next month" *lol*
  

• Paper clips - let me clarify though. Not the basic ones with no pizzaz. I need the ones with pom poms on top or pretty felt characters or something. They gotta stand out.
  
  
  
  

• Planner Pads - I like to use these for pre planning my week and making notes on to dos for my day. Easy to toss in the bag and go and they have cute designs. 
  

• Charms for planners - This comes and goes depending on the planner. When i was hardcore into my TN and A5 size planner, I really wanted a lot. But the Happy Planner is a bit harder to put charms on, so i had to put a bit of a hold on them, curate a collection that made sense for the planners I was into. 
  

• Notebooks - Need i say more.

Time to shine

Time to shine by stylishafter30 featuring a blush throw blanket

Lite source lamp
macys.com

Thro bed pillow
saksoff5th.com

Blush throw blanket
bedbathandbeyond.com

Patterned bedding
amazon.com

Oversized top
$28 - azbro.com

Bellini metal computer desk
luxedecor.com

Twin bed
macys.com

Wingback dining chair
luluandgeorgia.com

Office goals

For the past few months, my office and my daughters room have been sharing the same space. To say that this has put a crimp in my style is putting it mildly. It was hard to get work done since I was cramped in a little corner and as a sometimes night owl, it was impossible to get stuff done once she went to bed. Or if she was taking a nap...or if I wanted to hide out...you know how it goes.

Well...no more.

I recently took over the extra bedroom in our apartment. 

The pictures above are what we were working with. I know...tragic. But a good place to start. Looking around, I have to admit that I was getting a little overwhelmed. I mean, I knew I wanted a space that was me...but what did that really look like? Where did I start? Well, the starting point was easy. I went to the place where all the dreams are stored... Pinterest of course. Where else? 

After a bit of pursuing and getting distracted with recipes and how to make $$$ blogging, I came upon these pictures of what I feel is my style.

As you can see, I'm looking at something light, bright and lots of room and storage for my things. I do love the textures on the floor and the different patterns that bring life into the space. I'm more into neutrals but these pops I like and I could definitely live with on a long term basis. 

Now...time to put my visions into action.

A place to dream

So, my little family and I been living in this apartment for the past year. A nice three bedroom that's just close enough to the city to make it easy access, but no so close that I feel closed in. I had big plans for this space when we moved in. Even when I was pregnant I was planning and designing. Somehow... things got away from me.

NO MORE I TELL YOU!

Seriously though, this time I'm going to follow through with at least 1/2 of the plans I've made...if not all. 1st thing on my list is going to be the patio. I'm looking for a place to relax, drink some coffee and do the occasional snooping on my neighbors. I don't feel that is too much to ask.

Snooping around Pinterest, I found a few idea of what I want my space to look like.

Both of these photos came from Ikea's Pinterest board and I think they suit me. I would love to have some flowers and herbs and a few fruit trees. Maybe let my daughter have her own little dig box...I know...sounds ambitious doesn't it? especially when you look at what I'm starting with:

Just looking at it hurts my eyes!

Looks so sad doesn't it? Don't judge the Christmas lights.

I have high hopes that this gets done BEFORE summer is over so I can enjoy the fruits of my labor. 

Party! Party! Party Time. Baby Shower plans

Let's talk parties. Personally, I look for almost any reason to have a party. You got an A? Party! You made the squad? Party! You got a new car? Party! You get the idea. So when I found out that I was pregnant, I was eager to plan my baby shower. You are probably thinking..."shouldn't your hostess be planning that?" she should...but I'm too much of a control freak to ever let that happen. That and my BFF lives in another state, so it really wasn't going to work.
First, I needed a theme. After scouring Pinterest like a fiend, I came to quite a few conclusions. #1-I did not want a traditional baby shower, at least when it came to themes. I wanted something classy, sophisticated, timeless and something that represented me. The second thing I realized was that I have expensive tastes.
So, after searching for a hot minute, I stumbled across this picture:
































































And I knew that I had found my theme. It was perfect.
Next came the perfect place to have the party. Where else but my mother's backyard? After that, much of the details came together and this is what came about. The cake is from a local bakery, Daphne's Bakery here in Mint Hill, NC. It was delicious. A nice white cake with raspberry filling. I got a smaller cake because we also had cupcakes. The original plan was to have a dessert bar, but things came down to the wire and I had to make some sacrifices. I don't think people even notices, since I still had a good chunk of cake left at the end of the day. It took about 2 days to finish it.
Here is the setup for the catering. I had these wonderful plans of making little sandwiches and salad...but in the end, the catering option was much better and I had less to worry about. The lovely table set up that my sister and her kids helped put up. It was a perfect day. Not too hot, with a good breeze coming through.    Here we have the dessert table, with prizes for the games at one end. I really enjoyed the favors. Here's close up of the inspiration for the favors. We put kisses, hard candies and Jordan almonds in the ones we passed out.
The drinks table. My father makes his own wine, so we created a nice sangria with a red wine he made.

The gifts table. I am very blessed to have friends and family who gifted us many wonderful things. This shot was taken before the party started.

Myself and my boyfriend, opening gifts and being celebrated by our family and friends. He was a little shy, not quite knowing what he was supposed to do, but I think he had fun.

This was the photo booth that I put together. To be honest, I forgot about it until after everybody had left, but my family did not disappoint by taking turns using it and posing for some great photos that I can not wait to put in frames.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this recap of our baby shower. It was great party and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to plan my daughters 1st birthday.

Getting ready...or trying

So...if you've been watching my YouTube videos, then you know that I'm in my 29th week of pregnancy and I have been trying valiantly to get the nursery in order. This is the closet that I have been working on since...we found out I was pregnant. These pictures are just a hint at the chaos that I'm facing.

     . Most of this stuff (all of it really) does not belong to me. It is either the BF's or the roommate's. I'm not in the mood to deal with it. I've got a few ideas of what I want to with this closet, including taking out that bar the clothes are hanging on. I've been looking at Ikea for their closet systems, along with Home Depot and Lowes, but I think that I'm hooked on Ikea. Easy to customize, quick to pick up and go...plus I love Ikea. Now, I know that changing out a closet in an apartment might not seem the most cost conscious, but I plan to be in this unit for a minute, at least until I graduate, so it would be worth the money. Also, I can take the units with me when I move...so win win!

This is the other side of the closet, but it's going to be my work storage for crafts and stuff, so this won't count towards my mad rush to get ready.

So this is just a precursor to what is to come. I have an entire room to get into order.


Lord...I hope I'm up to it.

Some magic in the bedroom

So last week we were talking about my desire to upgrade the bedroom. make it more of a beautiful retreat. I had gone to Ikea and picked up this beauty:

with the intent of putting my spin on it and incorporating it into my scheme. After about an hour or so…or more…I finally had it together. But…it still look like it did in the picture. Not what I was after. So…I got to work. My mother is in the process of redoing her bedroom as well and have picked up a few color samples from our local Sherwin Williams store to test out in the bedroom. I stole borrowed one that I liked which she was not happy with and went to town.
(Tricorn Black)
After about two coats and getting pain all over my feet…this is the end result.

But I wasn’t done there. The knobs were still the untouched wood color and I didn’t like that. So, I had some gold spray paint (We’ll talk about why later) and decided to add some finishing touches
It’s a little hard to see the gold, but it’s there. I’m still not happy with the knobs and I’m debating a trip to Anthropologie to get something more…just more. Maybe some glitz or glam or just a sparkle to catch the eye. I did line the drawers with scented drawer liner, but I forgot to snap that picture.
In the end, I’m happy with the results. I am even thinking of getting another dresser and putting them side by side. You can never have enough storage in the bedroom.
Happy Decorating!
XO

Where all the magic happens…

We are by no means done with the dining room, but I thought I would move to another room that has been getting some of my attention. That would be the bedroom. Let’s start from the beginning shall we…

This was the bedroom when we first moved in. It’s a nice size, large enough to fit a king and one nightstand, though there is that awkward little angle to the side. Not sure why, but hey…what can you do about it. My mission with this room is to get it here:

with the color scheme shown or this color palette:
Any variation of the above is also acceptable. I want this space to be an elegant, stylish, restful retreat. If I could, I would put up chandeliers and long flowing curtains and paint the room a subtle gray. Alas...I can not. But I can dream.


This is where we are at now:

Glamorous aint it? But that’s okay because we are working towards a goal. A nice, beautiful goal. On the road to said goal, I picked up this lovely piece at ikea:
(Tarva series $79.00)
Product dimensions Height: 36 1/4 "
Width: 31 1/8 " / 31 1/8 " Height: 92 cm
Width: 79 cm / 79 cm It’s a nice piece, with good storage and very sturdy. The only problem is that it’s not the right palette for what I want. So…I set about putting my own mark on it and bringing it inline with my vision. Seems simple enough.