My Very Best "Bad" Habit

It’s time I let y’all in on a little secret. Actually, it’s one I’ve shared with you plenty of times in the past, so to rephrase that last statement, it’s time I wrote a blog post devoted to this little secret.

Around this time six years ago, my mom introduced me to my very best “bad” habit. In my Easter basket, she stashed a mini container of Tyler Candle’s Glamorous Wash Detergent in the Diva Scent, and now I can’t do laundry without it. While I know doing laundry is certainly not a “bad” habit, the price of this detergent, at the very least, makes it an expensive one and one that I only feel semi-badly about getting many of you hooked on as well. 

 

Ever since that Easter, I don’t think I’ve started a load of laundry in the washing machine without including some of my Glamorous Wash detergent. According to some friends, it has become my signature scent, and I’m so used to it at this point that I don’t even notice it on my clothes and instead expect them to smell that way. I know the Tyler Candle brand has their detergent in other scents, but I’m not one to mess with a good thing when I have it going so, I’ve yet to stray from the Diva scent. Over time I’ve even added their sachets to some of my dresser drawers and was once even gifted their car fresheners (both of which smell equally as great as the detergent).

 It’s safe to say I’m at the point where this is a habit I don’t plan to break despite the cost. Speaking of which, given that I was in college when this started, it didn’t take me long to figure out how to have my laundry smell like the detergent while making it last longer. I figured if I’m sharing this expensive habit with you, I may as well be kind enough to share how to make it a bit more frugal too. A little goes a long way with the detergent, which works out nicely, allowing it to be combined with an unscented detergent to ensure everything is clean but still smelling how you want it to. I use an average amount (what is recommended on the bottle) of All Free & Clear with one small cap full of Glamorous Wash detergent since a little goes a long way. I’m sure this would have the same effect with other unscented detergent brands, but I’ve only ever used All. 

By combining the two detergents, I’m able to make one 32 Fl Oz bottle last about six months, meaning that I only need to purchase two bottles a year, turning a bad habit into a not-so-bad one! Now, if only the scent did come in a perfume because I think it goes without saying that I’d have a stash of that as well! 

To shop the products in a variety of sizes and product offerings, I’ve included the links below! I’d love to know if you’re just as obsessed with this detergent as well! 

Step Into My Week 3.29

 Guess who wrote this Step Into My Week post as the week went on!? That’s right, me! I need to get back into the habit of doing that because it made things a whole lot easier.

I took Monday off work, so I slept in until around 8:00 before lounging and drinking coffee for a bit. It was pretty out, and I was able to go straight from pajamas to shorts which ended up being the perfect attire for what was to come during the day. Hunter’s parents gifted him a smoker for his birthday, and it was ready to be picked up, so I went to his house so that we could go and get it. Thankfully the place helped put it in his car, so all I had to do was help him get it up the stairs onto his deck. That required moving his other grill to a different corner, so we blew off the deck, which got me into a bit of a spring cleaning kick. While he set everything up, I cleaned the kitchen counters and vacuumed when Hunter got a wild hair to mop his kitchen and dining room area. Over an hour later, that was done, and most of the common areas in his house had been vacuumed and tidied up. We were both hungry by this point and picked up Ashley Mac’s to-go for lunch. We ate it while watching some basketball before I left to go to the grocery store and meal prep for the week. Once I had finished cooking some sweet potatoes, I did an at-home workout, then I showered and got some blog work completed before making salmon, brussels sprouts, okra, and quinoa. Rebecca and I caught up on our weekends and ate dinner on the sofa while watching the new Amy Poller movie on Netflix. I think we were both in bed by 8:30.

I had a shoot on Tuesday that was supposed to have taken place the week before but was canceled due to severe weather. It was client work for Bob’s Red Mill and took us the entire day to shoot beauties and technique shots of the two recipes. I was able to multitask some during the shoot and begin figuring out products to use for an upcoming Autumn-themed shoot I’m assigned. I left the office a few minutes before 5:00 and took it easy when I got home. I had leftovers for dinner and worked on a blog post before getting in bed early to read. I was asleep before 9:30, which gave me lots of energy come Wednesday morning.

shirt from Willow Park Boutique

I came into the office to find the cutest PR mailer from Honey + Hank.

On Wednesday, I woke up a few minutes before my alarm, ready to start my day. I read and had coffee in bed before going to a workout class at True40. Once the class was over, I made some iced coffee and got to work. I continued to pull product ideas for a shoot and got in touch with a few homeowners about upcoming shoots. During lunch, I decided to enjoy the nice weather we were having and chose to walk and run the steep hill I live on. I needed a shower after that and continued to work and eat lunch. I continued to get work done in the afternoon before taking a few photos for upcoming blog posts. Hunter decided to use his new smoker that night, so I walked over to his house, and we sat on his deck playing chess while finishing cooking. I kept asking what I could do to help, but he had already done everything that needed to be done to the potatoes, brussels sprouts, and corn which made things easy for me. We ate dinner outside before coming in to clean up and watch a couple of episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I left and went to bed a little after 10:00.

Thursday feels like multiple days wrapped up in one. I had a cover shoot in the office, but we were forecasted to have another day of bad storms similar to those we had the week before. The office closed early, and we had to wrap our shoot around 1:00 to leave before things started getting especially bad. On my way home, I had lots of friends checking in on me to make sure I was safely at home, so I was relieved once I finally got there and could tune into the weather report. We were under a watch for about an hour early in the afternoon when I was home, and then in one of the breaks in the weather, I went over to Hunter’s house since he has a windowless basement. We both got a lot of work done while camped out down there with the TV updating us on the situation. We had a few other alerts to take shelter, but fortunately, our area was not hit as bad as some. It was crazy to see how quickly the storm was able to damage areas I am familiar with, given that growing up on the coast, I was as in-tune to tornadoes as I am to hurricanes. That night we made baked spaghetti for dinner and watched another episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel before I found another break in the storm to head home.

I woke up early on Friday morning to read a bit before going to the office for another cover shoot. Since we only work half days on Fridays, I knew we had our work cut out for us to get all of the options that were asked of us. We finished a little afternoon and put away the props I had on my cart, and gathered what I would need for my shoot on Monday. Once home, I finally ate my lunch and decided to do some cleaning before showering and taking it easy most of the afternoon. Hunter and I had plans to cook again, so we went to the grocery store and got the rest of what we needed before heading back to his house to cook. He made wings that were probably the best wings I’ve ever had, and I made okra in my air fryer to eat while those finished cooking. Since it was nice out, we ate outside and then came in to finish the first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Nell came into town that night, so I met her back at my house a little before 11:00 since she stayed with us. 

Saturday morning, I tried to sleep in later than I was successful but decided at 7:30 to get up and make a cup of coffee. I did some blog work in bed while sipping that and listening to an audiobook before eventually making breakfast and chatting with Nell to figure out what to do that day. She entertained me while I switched my closet from winter to spring before we changed to go to lunch with our friend Mary at a Greek restaurant called Nabeel’s. After that, we met up with a few more people to play pickleball at a park nearby. After a few games, we called it quits and went to get Icees. We had dinner plans at our friend Mallory’s house that night, so we used the in-between time to shower, get ready, and chill for a little bit. We got to Mallory’s house at 6:30, and she had made a delicious meal of steak, potatoes, green beans, mushrooms, salad and appetizers for us. We stayed there until around 8:45 before grabbing a beer at Back40 and heading home. 

I was a bit more successful sleeping in on Sunday and had a similar morning working on blog posts while drinking coffee. I needed to grab some props for my shoot on Monday, so Nell and I went to Target and then ate lunch while watching a show on Netflix. I had her help me with some blog photos, which I was able to get edited and on my computer before getting ready to go watch the Alabama basketball game at Hunter’s. He had smoked a Boston Butt and wings, so dinner was yet again delicious even though Alabama didn’t win. I stayed and watched part of another game before helping him clean up and heading home to go to sleep. 

I hope that y’all had a nice week and weekend! 

Sunday Styling vol. 22

Happy Sunday! After a few weeks off from sharing Sunday Styling outfit ideas, I have a slew of cute looks for you today to make up for that. Whether you’re headed to a wedding or are just looking to get dressed for the day, there’s a little something for any occasion (and no lack of color). I have included links to the items featured beneath each image in an attempt to make shopping especially easy! 

Outfit 1:

multicolored embroidered shirt // pink ruffle shorts // white bucket bag // white scallop sneakers

Outfit 2:

pink sleeved cocktail dress // tan bow heels // scallop beaded clutch // pearl hoop earrings

Outfit 3:

white eyelet sweatshirt // floral headband // jean shorts // white and pink sneakers

Outfit 4:

pink midi cocktail dress // flower hoop earrings // strappy block heels // raffia with flower bag

Outfit 5:

pink eyelet top // brown straw crossbody bag // white eyelet shorts // raffia platform sandals

Outfit 6:

blue midi dress // tan crossbody bag // gold stretchy bracelets // gold bow sandals

Outfit 7:

floral workout top // floral workout leggings // navy quilted backpack // neutral sneakers

Outfit 8:

floral jumpsuit // rayban sunglasses // flower ring set // white sneakers

Outfit 9:

blue and white embroidered top // jean shorts // tan wrap sandals // tortoise sunglasses

I'd love to know which outfit idea was your favorite! 

Saturday Shopping vol. 80

 I hope your Saturday is off to a great start. This is the one and only Saturday of March that I’ve been in town, so I’m allowing mine to be pretty lazy. The weather here today is supposed to be rainy, so maybe today will be the day I finally move my winter stuff out of my closet in order to put my spring stuff in! I’m sure my parents are ecstatic to know that all those winter clothes will be making the trip with me to Fairhope to hang out in my closet there until I need them again, oops.

If there’s anything a closet cleanout reminds me, it’s that I do not need any more stuff, but here we are with another roundup of cute things I’ve found over the past week. Just because you don’t need them doesn’t mean they aren’t a want. If something in this image fits your wish-list, you can shop the piece by clicking directly on them in the graphic below.

My Spring Wish List

 There are so many things I love about blogging, and one of those many things is that I love being able to share what I’m interested in with you all. Over the years, that has led me to share so many cute pieces through posts and Saturday Shopping roundups but unfortunately often leaves my online shopping carts filling. It doesn’t take long for the price tags of these items to add up and be left unattended because #budgets. By sharing these with y’all, hopefully, an item here or there ends up in your closet to enjoy! Because it’s fun to imagine, I thought I’d share the things that currently top my spring wish list. I think it could go without saying, but just in case it’s not clear, I definitely will not be purchasing all these items. Maybe as the season continues, a few will trickle in, but for now, the closest they’ll get to my closet is if I pull up this post on my phone while standing in there. 

*keep scrolling for clickable image*

I’m hoping that switching my closet from winter to spring this weekend will help me rediscover the spring clothes I already own and have loved in years past will fill my want for something new. If you see something you’re interested in you can click directly on the item in the image below to be taken to where it can be shopped!

March 2021 Questions & Answers (Dating, Reading, Routine, and More)

I guess accidentally taking a month off from a questions and answers post left y’all with lots of ideas of what to ask since I think this is my longest Q&A post yet. Although I was working on it off and on, I wouldn’t be surprised if it took over three hours to work on! Hopefully, I got to everyone’s questions, but if not, stay tuned on Instagram since that’s where I always ask you to submit them. 

top // jeans // headband // watch // bracelets // necklace

Before we get into all of the questions, I wanted to take a second and talk about this top. I shared it originally in this post, as it is part of Willow Park Boutique’s Le Printemps collection. Unfortunately, this exact print is sold out, but there are still a few other items from the collection available. Even if one of those pieces doesn’t strike your fancy, I have no doubt other cute pieces on the site will. I ordered it, and it arrived the next day, which was truly impressive and may make the boutique a new go-to for any last-minute pieces I may find! 

How is your needlepoint going?

It’s going well and has been such a fun hobby to discover. I am almost finished with my first project, which was this Taco Mama canvas. I really want to stitch this one next to frame in my bedroom, but sadly it’s sold out, so I’ll more than likely order one from this list instead!

You were one of the bloggers I was really impressed with in 2020 with how thoughtful you were about the Black Lives Matter movement. Are there any books you read or are continuing to read about race and inequality? I feel like I’ve stalled out myself and would love to re-commit!

That is so kind of you to say, especially since I feel like there were so many bloggers who did a much better job being vocal about this than I have. Be the Bridge is next on my list when it comes to nonfiction books on the topic of radical reconciliation. I just recently finished a fiction book, Such A Fun Age, that I feel like brings a wonderful story but also a lot of perspective about race and privilege that I would recommend to anyone! If y’all have recommendations, definitely leave them in the comments! 

What have you struggled with during the pandemic? 

I recognize that I have been so privileged this past year to have remained healthy and been secure in my job. I know that not everyone has been that lucky, and I don’t take that for granted. Compared to those who have lost love ones and struggled in other ways, I feel like my struggles have been minuscule. One thing I’ve had to learn to be better about is being flexible and not so dead set on my plans. We’ve all had plans that went to the wayside this past year and learning to live in the moment and be ok with not having anything scheduled. I’m still working on that (with a long way to go), but this past year forced me into being better about it.

What is your skincare routine?

I’m almost embarrassed to share this because I know it’s probably missing crucial steps that may be recommended by a professional. In the morning, it is so minimal. After waking up and brushing my teeth, I use this Nivea lotion and then use this Cetaphil lotion before putting on makeup. At night, I use CeraVe’s face wash in the shower and a little bit of this Beautycounter charcoal bar. Once I’m out and have dried off, I use the Nivea lotion again and call it a day. When I remember, I apply this Retinol before bed, but because I use it somewhat inconsistently, I don’t know if it really does much. 

Where to buy swimsuits that cover my booty?

I plan to do a whole post about cute swimwear (all of which will have full coverage bottoms because I’m not about anything else). But in the meantime, I rely on J.Crew’s bottoms to cover me up. They usually offer a variety of styles and colors which fit me well and allow me to somewhat match the bottoms to the cute bathing suit tops I find. I’d love to try out a swimsuit from Summersalt, but since I haven’t done so personally yet, I can’t guarantee they are full coverage.

Are you dating? Details? 

Yes, and have been for about a year now (see below).

How did you and your boyfriend (Hunter) meet?

Oh boy, buckle up because a better question would be how many times did y’all meet before anything happened. Because of that, this answer may be a bit lengthy. Hunter and I both actually went to Furman but (despite being a small school) didn’t know one another there. I knew of him, but we are in different grades, so we never really interacted there. 

Fast forward to me moving to Birmingham. One of my first guy friends here is named Wayne, and he invited my roommate, myself, and a few of our friends to a Super Bowl party back in 2019. Hunter and Wayne went to high school, so he (Hunter) was also there. Nell recognized him from Furman and went over to make that connection and came back to me saying that he didn’t really register the connection (which now makes sense given that he’s not the best with names), so when I went over to introduce myself to people in the group I was pretty cold toward him out of solidarity to Nell, oops. Good thing he doesn’t remember that interaction. 

Now fast forward to November of 2019, and at some point during that time, Wayne moved into a house down the street from us, and Hunter became his roommate. Wayne was hosting a small game night and had invited Rebecca, Macy, and me over to his house. When we got there, one of Hunter’s best friends from Furman, RJ, was there who I did know in college, so I went over and talked to them. Mind you, I didn’t reintroduce myself to Hunter since I didn’t think there was a need to, but in retrospect, it may have been helpful for him. We all played a few games together before ending up at Bourbon Street, an old Pizza Hut turned karaoke bar where according to Macy and Rebecca, Hunter was flirting with me but in reality, where we were just chatting. 

You may think that’s where the story ends (begins?), but nothing happened from that, and it took interacting at another Superbowl party at Wayne’s house, a run-in at Taco Mama (where I later learned that Hunter got back in line behind me after already ordering so that we could bump into each other), and then finally at a charity ball before he finally asked for my number. I happened to be there with someone else and was trying not to get separated from him and our group and ended up forgetting to give Hunter the last two digits of my phone number. He didn’t realize the mistake until the next day and although he was able to get the rest of it from Wayne he never used it. 

About a month after that, I was on a run heading back toward my house when we literally ran into one another, and he asked if I intentionally didn’t give him my last two digits and if it wasn’t intentional if he could have them. I agreed but didn’t necessarily think he would use it given that I hadn’t heard from him after the charity ball, but a couple of days later he asked me to play tennis, and I guess the rest is history. 

What would you wear for spring engagement photos? 

Oh gosh, I can’t say that’s something I’ve really thought about. From what I’ve seen friends do, most photographers allow you to have an outfit change mid-shoot. If that’s the case, I’d do something more formal for one outfit and casual for the other. I think the secret to ending up with photos you love is dressing in something that you feel comfortable in. I’d probably go for a dress with wedges for one option and maybe jeans and a cute top for the second.  

Where to get cute décor for an apartment?

I feel like nowadays you can find cute apartment décor just about anywhere. I love wandering through Target’s home section in-store, but I don’t find myself browsing their selection online all that often unless I’m working on an interior design inspiration post (office/guest room and living room). Wayfair and Overstock have great affordable finds that are easier to narrow down if you know what you’re looking for. One Kings Lane and Ballard are some of my favorite stops for general inspiration, and I love Etsy for pillows and trim! I also just discovered that TJ Maxx and Marshalls can be shopped online, which would be another affordable option! 

What are current trends that you can’t get on board with?

Gear up for a long list because it seems like any trend that has originated from TikTok isn’t really my forte. From there includes…biker shorts, tiny sunglasses, cropped tops with sweatpants, long pointy nails, and tube socks. I’m sure I’m missing plenty of other ones I can’t get on board with, but just because I can’t doesn’t mean others don’t have to. I’ve always been a bit more traditional than trendy, so most of these probably come as no surprise.

Classic push present gifts based on your recommendations? 

Another thing I can’t say I’ve ever thought about. I guess it depends on what you and your partner want to spend but something that you’ll have a long time to commemorate the occasion would be special. What comes to my mind initially is jewelry.

What are your impressions of the shooting in Georgia?

I want to say disbelief, but honestly, with how frequently racially charged shootings are occurring, that word wouldn’t be fair to use. Disgusted may be better suited, and I know I’m not alone in wishing that violence of this nature would cease. Since I asked y’all to send questions, we’ve now had an additional shooting in Colorado that I feel similarly about. 

What’s your favorite place to travel and why? I need post covid inspiration!

I haven’t been to many places outside of the US, so while I wish I could say somewhere cool and international my answer is simple, I’m craving a beach trip. Fortunately, that’s a place I can safely travel during Covid, given that my family has a beach house, and everyone is well on their way to getting vaccinated. 

I do have a saved folder on my Instagram with some places I’d love to travel to (although most are a pipe dream). That folder includes:

The Monroe On Spring in Charleston

The Omni Homestead in Virginia

The Broadmoor in Colorado

White Barn Inn in Maine

The Don Cesar Hotel in Florida

Montage Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina

Blackberry Farm in Tennessee

Old Edwards Inn or Half-Mile Farm in North Carolina

Coral House in Harbour Island

Go-to easy dinners you find yourself coming back to over and over.

When I’m looking for something quick and easy, I usually resort to something that can be made on a single pan and assembled in a bowl. Taco bowls and chicken, brussels sprouts, and broccoli bowls are what I tend to gravitate toward most often. I also love making soups in the crockpot because most of the time, all you have to do is dump in the ingredients. I am thinking about doing a post on this if it’s something y’all would be interested in. 

How’d you get into your career design-wise? I love seeing the behind-the-scenes pictures! 

For those of you who may be new, blogging is not my full-time job. Instead, I work as a prop (photo) stylist for a magazine production company (read more about what I do here). I got my start at our company working in an editorial role and, after assisting at many photoshoots with a stylist, discovered my interest in the field. About a year after working on the editorial side, a styling position opened up, and I applied and auditioned. My background in education has no relation, but I think over time, observing stylists on set (and having a knack for creativity thanks to my blog), I was able to develop an eye for the design side of things. 

Favorite tv show lately?

An always favorite for me while multitasking is Criminal Minds. I’m on the final season of Schitt’s Creek and have been really enjoying that too!

Favorite movies/shows you and your boyfriend have watched together?

Hunter knows that if any of the Harry Potter movies are on then, there is no other option of what we will be watching no matter how recently we’ve seen it. Aside from that, we recently went through a phase of watching some Sherlock Holmes movies and The Da Vinci Code duo of movies. As for shows, we’ve watched quite a slew. The 100, Outerbanks, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, Blown Away, The BBQ Cookoff show on Netflix, Queen’s Gambit, the list goes on and on. Currently, we are watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but I’m always open to additional suggestions. 

Cute ideas for décor/furniture for a back patio?

Stay tuned, I have a blog post coming on this!

Have you found a new place to rent?

Yes! I definitely thought I had updated y’all on that, but I am glad you asked! This may be the easiest move of my life since my roommate and I are actually just moving next door. Our landlord also owns that house, and the guys there are moving out, so the timing worked out perfectly. While I wish we could stay in our current home (it’s cuter), our new house will give us the flexibility to get a third roommate. The kitchen is a little bit bigger, which is also going to be nice, and we will have both a yard and a deck, meaning that our patio parties aren’t going anywhere!

Any sunscreen brands you’d recommend? On the same note, any self-tanner recs?

If I’m not using some generic spray sunscreen, then I tend to gravitate toward Sun Bum’s rub in lotion. Because of how often I tend to end up by the water in the summer, most of the time, it’s whatever is on sale at Target. 

As for self-tanner, I’ve used St. Tropez in the past and have stuck to it because I know it works. I don’t use it all that often, so a bottle can last me a while! I’ve also used Coola’s sunless tanner lotion on my face and love the natural color it gives my face when that’s an area I layer on the sunscreen. I recently received a sample of Isle of Paradise’s Tanning Drops and have only used them a couple of times but was pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to use. 

What are you currently reading?

I am in what feels like a forever long process of finishing What Happens In Paradise. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to read, but I plan to listen to the third one once I’ve finished. I’m always listening to audiobooks and currently am about five hours into Karin Slaughter’s The Last Widow and just recently finished The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica.

Any trips planned this year?

Nothing major, but I do have a couple of smaller trips lined up. In May, I’ll be going to Asheville, NC with my parents since my dad was supposed to have a bike race there that has yet again been postponed. Since they don’t want to have to keep rescheduling the trip, they’ve decided to go ahead with the trip as planned. In addition to that, I have a wedding to attend in Charlotte, NC in June, but that will likely just be a weekend trip. I’m sure there will be some weekend lake trips and hopefully a trip or two to our family beach house, depending on the progress made after hurricane damage last fall. 

I hope you enjoyed reading through these answers. Thank you so much again for asking such fun questions! 

Florals For Spring

 “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.” I know Miranda Priestly was being sarcastic when she said this, but brands seemed to take it to heart this year with how many pretty floral pieces are. Available for purchase at the moment. 

*keep scrolling for clickable image*

When I was younger, I used to hate being dressed in anything with tiny flowers. I was pretty picky when it came to clothes (sorry, mom) but have since seemed to outgrow that aversion, and this post is proof. If you’re hoping to go slightly more subtle than all-over floral, these floral face masks are a favorite of mine! 

shop this dress here

Clearly dressing in florals doesn't bother me so much anymore. I've shared this dress a few times in collages with y'all and the number of clicks and purchases when looking at my analytics was enough to convince me to purchase it for myself. I even wore it to a friend's wedding weekend welcome party this past weekend! I'm wearing it in a medium for a little added length, but since it comes with a belt it made it easy to cinch and look a bit less tent-like. There are currently three patterns available and sadly it looks like they are selling out and rightfully so at this price point! If it does sell out not to worry since there are so many other pretty garden inspired patterns available online this season! 

With so many florals pieces next to one another in the collage below, you may want to click on anything you’re even slightly interested in since it will be less overwhelming to look at when it’s not next to other floral patterns and colorways. To do that, click directly on any of the items in the collage below to be taken to where they can be shopped! 

Step Into My Week 3.23

Happy Tuesday! I was off from work yesterday, so I decided to take the day off from getting a blog post live. After being so on the go these past few weekends, it felt nice to have a day to regroup, and it almost felt like a Sunday at home. I’m in town this coming weekend and am already looking forward to fewer plans and some spring cleaning, including switching my closet from winter to spring! I am hoping I feel the same motivation I have now come time to actually execute that over the weekend. 

Monday morning started as it usually does, with a pretty early wakeup so that I can read in bed while drinking my coffee before I get my day going. I had a few work video calls that morning, which makes the first half of the day go by really quickly. I had lunch, continued to work, and then once my workday was finished, I went to help Amanda take photos of some of her new art. I came home after that to shower, make dinner, and watch The Bachelor with a couple of friends. I didn’t end up watching “After the Final Rose,” but from social media can get a general idea of what was said. 

I got up early again on Tuesday morning before heading into the office for a shoot for Louisiana Cookin. We moved pretty quickly through the recipes and wrapped up around lunchtime. I worked from home the rest of the day before eventually going over to Hunter’s house. We had planned to cook but still needed a few ingredients and decided to pick up something from Saw’s instead and save the cooking for Thursday. We watched a movie that night, but for the life of me at the moment I can’t remember what we watched. 

I was supposed to have a shoot again on Wednesday, but Birmingham was forecasted to have some severe weather, which got rescheduled for this week. It was nice to have an unexpected work-from-home day and was convenient given that a few friends used our house as their safe location since we have a basement. They monitored the news while Rebecca and I continued to get our work done. Later that night, we watched Yes Day on Netflix and another movie before going to bed. Fortunately, where we live, it didn’t get too bad, and we never had to take shelter. 

I woke up early on Thursday to read before going into the office for another Louisiana Cookin’ shoot. That lasted until lunchtime, when I cleaned off my styling cart at the office before heading home. On my way there, I stopped to pick up a salad from Chopt at the Summit after receiving a couple of gift cards in the mail. After eating that, I did an at-home workout before showering and finishing up some work. That night Hunter and I cooked the fish and vegetables we had planned to make on Tuesday, and I had him start The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I’ve seen all the seasons that are currently out and thought it would be a fun show to watch together, and so far, three episodes in, I think it will be fun to watch together. I went home after our third episode of the night to pack some before I went to sleep.  

Friday morning, I woke up early to shower and get ready before my first video calls of the morning, starting at 8:15. Once those had all wrapped, I was able to send out some emails and get all my work done so that I could easily leave my laptop on my desk unopened the whole weekend. Once that was wrapped up, I loaded my stuff in the car, got gas, and picked up Chick-fil-A before Hunter and I headed to Greenville, SC, for a friend’s wedding over the weekend. We progressed nicely until getting stuck in mid-day Atlanta traffic for about an hour and a half. I do not have the best attitude in traffic (especially when I’m hungry), and it was iffy whether or not we were going to get in town soon enough to make our dinner reservations. We stayed at Sophia and Judson’s house and made it there with about 10 minutes to change and head to Soby’s for dinner. Once we finished, we went to the welcome party at Larkin’s event space downtown before getting a drink with a few friends we ran into at Vault and Vader after that. I think we made it back to the house around 12:30 and were all asleep soon after.

shop this dress here

For Christmas, Sophia gave me a voucher for a Barre3 class to take with her while I was in town. I used to go to Barre3 when I lived in Greenville, so it was really fun for the two of us to get to do that together on Saturday morning. The class ended at 10:45, and we quickly went back to her house afterward to get the guys and head to Sully’s steamers for a late breakfast. We didn’t have plans other than the wedding for the rest of the day, so we went and grabbed a cup of coffee before heading back to Sophia and Judson’s house to hang out in the afternoon. The guys were all for that since there were basketball games on, and Sophia and I walked around her neighborhood and into a home store before coming back to get showered and ready. We made it to the church around 4:40 for the 5:00 ceremony and from there went to The Poinsett Club, where the reception was taking place. They had a cocktail hour before the bride’s father gave a toast, said a blessing, and everyone began making their way to different stations to eat. Soon after that, the band started playing, and we hit the dance floor. We only stopped when the band took their break, and the cake was being cut. By the end of the night, a lady had come up to our group saying how much fun it was to watch us all on the dance floor, but my feet weren’t thanking me by the time I took my shoes off at the end of the night. We had wanted to meet up with some other friends at Up On The Roof but ended up going home instead. 

We all slept in a little bit on Sunday before enjoying a cup of coffee and then packing up. I had been asked to take any gifts delivered to the wedding back to Birmingham and met Nell to pick those up before we could hit the road. We ultimately left Greenville around 11:15 and made it back to Birmingham close to 3:00. I unpacked and went for a walk and talked on the phone with Nell and my parents during that before showering. Hunter and I picked up dinner and watched some basketball games before leaving to go to bed early. 

I have a pretty busy week coming up before a bit more time off next week, so I’m hoping to be as productive as possible in the coming days! I hope y’all are having a good week thus far.

Saturday Shopping vol. 79

 Happy Saturday! I’m out of town again this weekend, but this time further away from Birmingham than the past two weekends. I’m so excited to spend a few days in Greenville, SC, to celebrate a friend from college. It’s always fun coming back to my college town, although Greenville has established itself as far more than that in the years since I graduated and is often listed as a top town to move to (and rightfully so). I’ll be eating at a few favorite places, working out this morning at the workout studio I used to go to, and spending lots of time with one of my college roommates (Sophia) in addition to the celebrations. I know I’ll have lots of fun things to update you on in my next Step Into My Week post!

But since it’s not Monday and not the time for that, I’ve rounded up more of my favorite online finds from the past week for today’s Saturday Shopping post. I’ve given up on trying to find cute sweaters to share and have jumped into spring and summer clothing finds. That seems a bit fitting, given that today is the first official day of spring! 

If you happen to see anything you’re interested in buying, you can click directly on the items in the image below to be taken to where they can be purchased! 

Guest Bedroom & Office Interior Design Product Finds

Y’alls enthusiastic and positive responses to the interior design-related posts I’ve done make me so happy! I’ve loved getting messages saying that they are helpful, and it has been so fun to see what you’ve ordered so far. After sharing the guest bedroom/office design yesterday, I do have to admit that the items that made it into the image only scratch the surface of all of the pretty pieces I found. Instead of keeping those items to myself, I wanted to share them with you here if the ones showcased yesterday were on the right track of what you wanted but didn’t completely fulfill your design desires. 

With plenty of daybeds, pillows, desks, desk chairs, and accessories, I hope that this post is as helpful for those of you starting from scratch as it is for anyone looking to make more minor updates to a space. Recently I took down all of the photos on my bulletin board to replace them with more recent ones, and something as simple as that has made my desk feel more inviting. 

Instead of sharing click-able images, the links to the items featured in the collages below can be found directly beneath each image. 

Blue and Green Patterned Pillows

 

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Rattan and Bamboo Accessories

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Pretty Desks

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Desk Chairs

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Daybeds

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Affordable Daybed Finds

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Wooden Desks

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Blue Throw Pillows

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Desk Accessories

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Blue and Green Artwork

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I'd love to hear which items are your favorites!

Interior Design Inspiration: Office/Guest Bedroom

I was so thankful for some sunshine on my drive to work this morning after the scary weather we experienced yesterday. Fortunately, where I’m located in Birmingham is somewhat protected by a mountain, making tornadoes a bit less likely, but still, tuning into the weather all day was a bit exhausting. It was nice, though, to have an unexpected day of working from home since my shoot had to be rescheduled.

I know many of us had to quickly adjust to working from home last year, which meant that dining room tables or desks in the corner of our bedrooms quickly became our new offices. Those of you with designated office rooms at home were envied by coworkers who had the distraction of kids or family members also trying to manage zoom calls nearby. 

 *keep scrolling to get to the clickable image*

After sharing a living room interior design inspiration post (that was entirely hypothetical, but a girl can dream), I knew I wanted to continue this series with additional spaces. My friend Sophia was quick to encourage the next round-up to be of an office that doubles as an extra guest bedroom since she’s currently working on that type of space in her home. Although she and her husband are back in the office, I can imagine how enjoyable it would be “commuting” to this type of space each day or hosting loved ones in it as well. 

Including a daybed in a space like this really makes it feel like you aren’t only working from a bedroom, and I was impressed to have found some affordable options that even have a trundle option (more of those to come tomorrow). As for the color scheme, I am still so drawn to blues and greens and kept that going in this post. It made sense to me to include a dresser in the space, too, since depending on how long your guests are staying, they may want to unpack, but if not, a pretty luggage rack does the trick. 

Prices for the items included are all over the place, but tomorrow’s post will be sharing even more pretty pieces I found when making this post at additional price points. To shop any of the pieces included, click directly on the items in the image below!