{ via } Today, I'm over at Dallas' blog with my picks if I were heading somewhere exotic. Head on over there to check out the goo...
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I have one passion in my life where it's impossible for me NOT to be total hoarder: collecting jewelry. I mean, I even had a vintage shop that sold jewelry for goodness sakes! I love to collect (and wear) jewelry and I am so excited for BaubleBar's newest collection from Courtney Kerr, a Dallas blogger and Bravo TV star. I literally want everything in her collection. The picks above are some of my favs. Which ones are yours?
{ 1 } { 2 } { 3 } { 4 } { 5 } { 6 } I have one passion in my life where it's impossible for me NOT to be total hoarder: collecting jew...
{Fouta Bath Towel} {Cane DOF} {Travel Jewelry Box} {Ibiza Bracelet} {Tote bag} {Aviators} {Samson Dress} {Floppy Hat}
How was everyone's Memorial Day weekend? Mine was absolutely...productive! Not the word you thought I was going to say, huh? And I say that in the best sense possible because sometimes being productive doesn't always equal 'fun.' But remember how I said we were living in squalor because we had some home renovations done? Well, we cleaned up the house and I mean we really cleaned it. I'm talking vacuuming, Swiffer'ing (both dry and Wet Jet'ing), and going through our closets and garage and being ruthless with what to keep and what to throw out.
You may think that it was hard deciding what to keep and what to throw out, but when you get so fed up with just having 'stuff' take over your house, it's super easy to make that decision. I think we had about 8 giant, big trash bags full of crap from our closet alone! Then there was about 20 plastic bags full of books from our bookcase that we just aren't ever going to reread again (all being donated to the library). And the center of our garage is filled with more crap to go to the dumpster. It's absolutely insane how much we kept just because we were both lazy and thinking we would need some of this stuff later. I mean, I'm a bit of a hoarder, clearly, but after saying "oh my gosh, I was wondering where this was!", oh about a hundred times while cleaning/sorting, I'm thinking I really need to NOT hoard and only keep what I really use and love.
But because everyone on my Instagram feed seemed to be at a beach or a lake or just somewhere warm and sunny with a cool drink in hand, I couldn't help but dream of laying out at the beach. Thankfully, we will be at the beach at the end of next month (cannot wait!!!) with our good friends, The Gatbsy crew. So, I've started dreaming up of what I would want/need to take to stay chic and cool. If that's possible with a one year old...
{ Fouta Bath Towel } { Cane DOF } { Travel Jewelry Box } { Ibiza Bracelet } { Tote bag } { Aviators } { Samson Dress } { Floppy Hat } How ...
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I hope your Memorial Day weekend looks just like the photo above. Mine won't be exactly like that, but I am hoping to squeeze in a picnic at the park along with a pool day. Somehow Memorial Day crept up on us like the way my dog, Emma, does whenever I'm eating something. I think between Cora's birthday party and Steve traveling for 3 days, we were just really preoccupied. And of course, now I'm regretting that we didn't plan something for this long weekend. Because the weekends are everything now, ya know.
But it might actually be a good thing that we're not going anywhere this weekend, because as you know, the house went through a few renovations (i.e. Steve's wall was finally built, a new powder room light was installed, and our closet got a makeover). Yup, lots happened in the past week and we are still living in squalor. Yes, I said squalor because there's no other word to describe it. The entire contents of our master closet was moved to the guest room (a.k.a. Cora's future playroom), and well, let's just say that moving it all back into our closet is going to be one heck of a project. And Steve's office-to-be desperately needs to be cleaned because there is a film of drywall dust everywhere. And don't get me started on our living room -- books everywhere along with cardboard boxes and remnants of Cora's party. So, like I said before, it might actually be a good thing that we're staying home because we have lots to do to get the house back in tip top shape.
Even though I'm envious of you all that are heading to the beach this weekend, I gotta say, this week was absolutely fantastic. To start off the week, I was featured on Brittany's blog, Classically B, sharing my Favorite Four Finds. And then Cora's nursery was featured on Lindsay's blog, Sadie + Stella. I am so thankful and honored that both ladies asked me to be on their blogs. The response from both has been unexpectedly wonderful! Thank you to all who left such sweet and encouraging comments! Makes a girl feel so loved. So all of this wonderfulness definitely helps the blow of not going somewhere warm and beachy.
If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen these shots, but for those of you who don't, here are a few sneak peeks at what's going on at home.
Steve and I are still in disbelief that the wall is up. We've been talking about getting this wall built for two years and now that it's done, its just hard to believe. Funny, huh? And as if that wasn't awesome enough, we got a TV mounted above the fireplace. Yep, Steve is one happy guy right now.
Bought this from Anthropologie.com for $20! Really regretting I didn't buy more since they're sold out now.
I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I'll be back on Monday with some beachy finds! XOXO
{ via } I hope your Memorial Day weekend looks just like the photo above. Mine won't be exactly like that, but I am hoping to squeeze ...
Happy Wednesday everyone! Today, I have some very, very exciting news. Lindsay, from Sadie + Stella, asked me to share with her readers my favorite room that I've ever designed/decorated. I was and am so honored to be over there today sharing Cora's nursery, so please show her some love and head on over there to check it out! I know I've shared with you all her nursery already, but this time I've really gone a little deeper with the details. And if you ever wanted to know where I got certain pieces from her room, there's a Source List to let you know where to find it!
A huuuuge thanks to Lindsay for having me over at Sadie + Stella today!
Happy Wednesday everyone! Today, I have some very, very exciting news. Lindsay, from Sadie + Stella , asked me to share with her readers m...
Ahh, Cora's 1st birthday party...it was a such a wonderful party and so much fun to plan. Definitely stressful at times during the planning process, but nevertheless fun. And the real fun didn't come into play until every single element was completed and in its proper place. Like I said in my post yesterday, family and friends really came together to pull this party off. Everyone had an integral part in making the party plans come to life.
I think any child's first birthday is a really big deal. I mean, you only turn one once, right? Gotta make a big deal about it. And it's no different in the Korean culture. I've covered Cora's 100th day celebration and did mention that we'd do a big bash for her first birthday since both occasions are important. So with that in mind, the underlying theme of the party was, well obviously Korean.
There was Korean food that was catered, the Korean custom of Cora picking out objects that would somehow tell us of her future career (she picked a calculator first, but then quickly picked up everything else in the line up), and of course Cora's Korean traditional outfit. But seeing as how I rarely get to throw a big party, I wanted so desperately to incorporate a French theme to the mix. Crazy, I know. Korean and French? Weird, but I was dead-set on having both at this party. So I figured, after much time researching on Pinterest, that a French-themed dessert bar, complete with a black & white awning would be the thing to have. And not to stop the French-theme there, I also decided that we had to have some kind of Photobooth. I found some amazing ideas (like this one and that one), but after much deliberation, Steve decided to take on the unbelievable (and aaamazing) task of painting (on a giant canvas) a Parisian perspective of the Eiffel Tower. Now, I know you're probably saying that that seems like a lot of effort for just a birthday party. And you'd probably be right, but we also thought that we could put it in Cora's Playroom as wall art. So that settled it! A photobooth wall AND wall art for her playroom.
I'll stop talking about it all and let you see for yourself how it all turned out. Enjoy!
That tassel garland really completed the whole French dessert buffet look, don't ya think? I followed Stephanie's DIY tutorial on creating the tassel garland and it was easy peasy, so I highly recommend making it for your next fête.
Towers of rice cakes that symbolizes a life of prosperity for Cora. These are faux rice cakes since real ones would've cost a fortune.
We, of course, had some bubbly for the occasion, but also provided some Pink Citrus Lemonade with fresh cut up strawberries to add.
The hubby's masterpiece. Still can't believe he created this in 4 hours! I really should get on him to paint more, huh?
My parents having some fun with the photobooth. That mustache looks awfully natural on my dad, no?
This little girl had a blast walking around in her traditional Korean Hanbok.
This was the best family photo we got of all three of us.
The Awning
Supplies for the awning: scissors, pen, disposable cup (or anything circular), stapler, Command Medium Hooks, duck tape, and fabric.
Cardboard was the route I went. It's easy, cheap and well easy. I didn't really have any DIY instructions to go by, so I just kind of came up with my own way. Of course, I didn't document the process at all because I was in such a rush to get it done. My apologies for that! I'll try to explain how I did it here as best I can. If you all really want me to, I can make another one and document it for a future post, just let me know!
I cut tiny holes on that flap and had the Command Medium Hooks go in there.
Ready to go up!
Had to end the party on a sweet note. The fun goodie bags are from Waiting On Martha (love Mandy's shop!) and the printable stickers are from Michael's. The goodie bags were filled with yummy macarons from Praline Bakery.
Ahh , Cora's 1st birthday party...it was a such a wonderful party and so much fun to plan. Definitely stressful at times during the pla...
Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I sure did. In fact, I'm somewhat recovering from all of the preparations and festivities that occurred. Cora's 1st birthday party was on Saturday and preparing for it was all my family and I did all week long. Honestly, I should've prepared for it a little further in advance, but that's just not my style, right? I'm a last minute preparer, always have and always will be I guess. But with all of my stressing over the party, it all went off without a hitch. And I have my incredible family and best friends to thank. You all made the party the most amazing celebration of Cora's first birthday possible and it was so wonderful to share the special occasion with you all. A special thanks to my parents for hosting the fabulous fête and for being the best host & hostess imaginable. Thank you mom and dad!
I have lots more photos from the party and even a DIY to share with you this week. But here's just a sneak peek of the awning I created for the dessert bar. And yes, there was a French theme involved. You know me, I'm a Francophile. I couldn't help myself.
And even more exciting news today. I'm featured on Brittany's blog, Classically B, today! I met Brittany through Instagram (another reason why I love that social media app) and am so glad I did because I learned about her blog and her stunning pillow line! Head on over to her blog to see what my Favorite Four Finds are right now!
Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I sure did. In fact, I'm somewhat recovering from all of the preparations and festi...
{ via } Head on over to Dallas' blog to see what she and I are coveting for the warmer months ahead!
How was everyone's weekend? Mine was freaking fantastic! Lots of fun with family and news of renovations (hooray!). Let's start with Saturday's exciting news. We had our contractor come over on Saturday to go over the renovations & updates that we want to have done and we are finally getting it all done this week! I probably just made you all say, "what renovations??" The renovations we're getting done are what I talked about almost 2 years ago. Sad, I know. We're getting the wall built to create an office space for Steve on our first floor. When you walk into our home, you walk right into a small living space which Steve has been using as his office. The problem though is that we need a wall built in order to keep out noise from the upstairs. Which is what's going to happen this week. I didn't realize how fast they'd be able to squeeze us into their schedule, but apparently we lucked out cause it's happening soon. Woohoo!
And then on Sunday, we celebrated both my mom and Steve's mom at our house with a lovely brunch for Mother's Day. Steve kept insisting that I relax and do nothing (what a good man, right?), but I really wanted to do something for both of our moms so I made this Blueberry Biscuit recipe that I found on Pinterest which turned out to be aaaamazing. Because it was so good (a definite keeper in this household), I wanted to share it with you all too. It's easy to make and it's sooo yummy. All I have to say about Sunday is that Mother's Day might easily become one of my favorite holidays, haha.
{Blueberry Biscuits w/ compote}
There was compote, but I forgot to take a picture of it.
Loooved brunch. Such a wonderful time with family. And yep, those are the orchids the hubby had delivered to me for Mother's Day. #hespoilsme
During the weekend, I made an amazing discovery. I follow this insanely talented artist/business woman on Instagram, Jennifer Vallez. She owns Sophie and Lili, an online boutique of signature collection dolls (you can customize them!), children's clothes, and illustrations. While perusing her gorgeous site, I came across her artwork and literally had a "what the what?!" moment because right there on her site, the Giclee prints are literally almost exact images of me and my 3 best friends. I had to show Steve to get a reality check because I was in total shock at how right she got me and my friends without even knowing us! And he even agreed that it was uncanny how much these illustrations look like us.
I've been shopping around for some artwork to fill Cora's new playroom and finding these was like hitting the jackpot. Take a look at the prints of me and my friends below. Kidding, they're not really of me and my friends, but they sure do look an awful lot like us. Right gals?? And please check out her site for all of the other gorgeous watercolors and illustrations she has. They're stunning.
Happy Monday!
{Embroidered Dress}
Me. Hair, dress, shoes, clutch and all.
{White Black Check Coat}
This has to be Lauren, right?
{Pink Polka Dot Top}
Linds, this is you all the way!
{Denim and Stripes}
Alicia, the auburn beauty.
{Army Cargo}
Yep, had to order this and the embroidered one too. I also ordered this one. Couldn't help myself.
How was everyone's weekend? Mine was freaking fantastic! Lots of fun with family and news of renovations (hooray!). Let's start wi...
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How happy am I that today is Friday. Very happy. Yesterday was a wonderful day and I'm just so glad that the weekend is here to continue that train of happiness. Especially since I'm party-planning it up with my best friend to get Cora's 1st birthday party in order. *I'll be sure to document all the goodies we'll be working on for a later post. And we are celebrating Mother's Day at our house with a family brunch. So much to look forward to, right? And to start it all off, the sun is shining and it's 70+ degrees today. Doesn't get much better than that, no?
If you're still looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift, don't fret. Just head on over to my Mother's Day Gift Guide. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. It's a tough job, but the best job there is. Have a great weekend everyone!
{ via } How happy am I that today is Friday. Very happy. Yesterday was a wonderful day and I'm just so glad that the weekend is here ...
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Today is Cora's (Victoria) first birthday and I am a ball of mixed emotions. Shall I just list all of the words that describe how I'm feeling? In awe, sad, worried, overjoyed, shocked, and happy. A pretty wide range of emotions, right? I woke up feeling sort of saddened at the idea of Cora getting older. She's my baby and I guess I don't want her to grow up. Simple as that. But after I got some coffee in me (a must in the morning), a sense of joy just took over the minute I saw her little cherub face lighting up from playing with her toys in her new playpen. I know that as she gets older, the less dependent she'll be on me/us and I guess that also saddened me too. I want her to be dependent on me. I want to be the one she goes running to when she's happy or sad or needs comforting. I know that the day will come when that won't be the case and I guess I was thinking a little too far ahead, huh?
She's at an age right now where it is just amazing to see her development into a little person. She's learning new words everyday it seems. Granted, she can't say them but she knows what we're talking about when we say, 'go play the piano' and she goes over to her little piano and starts banging on the keys. She's also walking and it just leaves me in awe every time I see her waddle around because then it hits me that she's really growing up and is becoming her own person. And there's no denying that she is becoming her own person, because she sure knows how to throw tantrums when she doesn't get her way.
I know that I talk about Cora quite a bit on the blog, so I hope you don't mind that today's post is all about her. And that it's full of photos of her first year. I suppose I could've had more photos on here, but I didn't want you to get sick of seeing her. These were just some of the highlights from her first year. And sorry for posting this so late! I took her to her first Tiny Tykes class today (kicking myself for not taking her sooner) and I wanted to get some pics for you all to see.
Enjoy!
1 day old!
Passed out from being in the baby carrier.
Her first photoshoot.
Halloween 2012 as a little Native American Princess.
Keeping it real classy with a do-rag at Christmas dinner.
New Year's Day in her traditional Korean outfit.
Her first bin ride.
A robe and slippers for this babe.
At the park walking with daddy. One of my favorite shots.
Her first time seeing a water fountain.
Making friends at her first Tiny Tykes class.
She threw a tiny little fit because she didn't want to share.
Some babies have a favorite blankie, this one has an iPhone. She's definitely our daughter, for sure.
{ via } Today is Cora's (Victoria) first birthday and I am a ball of mixed emotions. Shall I just list all of the words that describe ...
