My Birthday!

I just celebrated my Birthday!! It was a quiet day with the boys, but I took the day off and we worked in the yard- mulching, planting flowers, and playing! I got tons of amazing messages and surprises from family and friends near and far that brought me so much joy! It was a quiet, simple, wonderful day filled with lots of love. Perfect way to roll in my 37th year! :)

The inspiration for my cake was this family picture we had taken two years ago on my birthday when we visited California. It was such a point of limbo in my life... I had just sold my house, signed a contract to build a new house two hours away, accepted a new job, signed the kids up for daycare, and was officially embarking on life as a single mom of three young boys. I had made some absolutely huge decisions and had no idea how any of them were going to turn out. I was definitely scared, grieving, and exhausted, but I just KNEW it was the right thing to do and trusted that God had a plan for us. And wow, was that ever true! I think my 35th birthday really was the beginning of a new life for us. That trip with my family (my parents, siblings, me and the boys!) was such a turning point. I vividly remember my birthday wishes that year and I’m happy to say they’ve pretty much all come true and have exceeded my expectations! It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in two years and I just want to celebrate that!

Last but not least, in spite of how crazy everything is right now with Covid and the lockdown and life being turned upside down, I have a feeling it’s going to be another year of growth and great memories!

Neutral and Peaceful Home Office Reveal!

This is definitely one of the most exciting reveals I’ve EVER done! Welcome to my home office!

I LOVE this room! I joke with the boys sometimes that it is “mommy’s playroom” because it contains so many of my favorite things and is a place where I feel so inspired. Books, family pictures, a bulletin board filled with pictures/quotes/little items that inspire me, more books, pretty decor, and more and more books! Haha :)

My goal for this space was to make it feel peaceful, calm, and light, while also still cozy. I wanted it to be a place where I feel totally serene. The room contains two HUGE windows and a glass-paned door so it gets tons of natural light. I painted the room a super light gray from Sherwin Williams (Fun fact, I only chose this color because my Dad had a gallon of it on hand and I felt like painting! That made the decision easy, haha, and it has turned out perfectly!) I hung the same white Restoration Hardware drapes I have in the rest of the floor to keep the room feeling airy and light. I then grounded the room with this new navy blue stripe McGee and Co. rug from Target. (Best $99 I ever spent!) It definitely ties the blues in the rooms together and makes the room warmer and cozier! I just love how the design elements came together. It is exactly the feel I was going for!

It is also a place where I can WORK! So thankful I had a docking station, ergonomic keyboard, and double monitors set up for my work computer. Cute is one thing but it was essential that this desk set up be completely function for working too. May not be the prettiest equipment but it is fully conducive to spending hours upon hours at my desk!

I still want to replace the open console table underneath the bulletin board with a closed navy blue cabinet that hides the bins and the printer.. On the hunt and I’ll update you when I replace it!

I also have a handful of candles, lotions, sanitizers, and cute trinkets on my desk at any given time. I’m always switching it up but these things bring me joy when I’m looking at Excel spreadsheets all day!

The corner to the right of the desk is what I refer to as my “yoga corner” and it’s where I stash my yoga mat and weights/pillows/blocks for restorative yoga. Once again just makes me love that this room contains my favorite things!

This chair is also Tucker’s favorite place to perch day in and day out. Gives him a good view of the neighborhood and some peace and quiet away from the boys! Also totally love this bulletin board. I actually refreshed it at about 10:00 last night so it looks a little different between the two pictures on here! The one below is the updated version!

Here’s links to some sources in case you are interested! Hope you love this space as much as I do!

Here is what it looked like about a year ago…. It has certainly come such a long way! Just in time for this Coronavirus lockdown!

Overall just so thankful I have this space where I can work and dream and be inspired!

Outdoor Living Plans

I am in the process of designing our deck addition I HOPE to put on the house this summer (of course this pandemic is making things a little more tricky/iffy) but I’m dreaming of making it a welcoming, relaxing, and inspiring outdoor place!

I want there to be room for dining outside (my favorite thing to do in the summer!) and comfortable seating where I can put my feet up while the boys wear themselves out running in the yard :) Plus I want to make it a cozy place to host friends on the deck with a glass of a wine after the sun goes down, with twinkling string lights and a warm fire table. Ahh how I long for these days!

Here is my inspiration of how to decorate the space once the deck is done (btw - full deck plan post coming soon!):

I already purchased these Trex Adirondack chairs and I got six of these wicker bistro chairs from Target a few years ago. The outdoor living set and dining table are from the Portside Outdoor collection from West Elm. The amazing log fire table is from Arhaus, along with the hanging chair. And I got these cute outdoor lumbar pillows from Restoration Hardware to tie everything together. Last but not least, I bought these outdoor vintage string lights from Ballard Designs. We had them at our house in Cleveland and they were such great quality and lasted for years and years!

Shop the Post:

Now all I need is for the Coronavirus to go away so I can begin building, using, and loving this space! So ready for some beautiful summer days (and nights!) :)

My Newport Beach Travel Guide

There are twelve days between my and my sister’s birthdays, and typically during this time I will go visit her in California for a long weekend. Oh how I wish I were making this trip this year! But alas, since we are sheltering at home, that is obviously not happening. That being said, I decided to pull together a list of my favorite places in Newport Beach and revisit them via pictures!

Bixby and Ball
3424 Via Lido #103, Newport Beach, CA 92663

This is the CUTEST home store! I never walk away empty handed. I have gotten the most amazing candles, books, cutting boards, and even a rug from here. I wish I could decorate my entire house form this shop- I feel like it was designed for me!

McGee & Co.
1720 Santa Ana Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

This shop is within walking distance of my sister’s house, so needless to say, we go here a lot! Such a great place for inspiration!

Castaways Park
700 Dover Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Hands down one of my favorite places in the world! The most beautiful park with the most stunning views of sea, sky, flowers, and houses!

Malibu Farm
3420 Via Oporto #101, Newport Beach, CA 92663

One of my favorite restaurants in the area - from the absolutely amazing cocktails, to the food, to the marina views, and the overall concept. One of my favorite memories was having Christmas cocktails with my sister and on the outdoor patio, under a cozy heat lamp and Malibu Farm blankets, soaking up the stunning water views.

Sugar Paper LA
3431 Via Oporto #105, Newport Beach, CA 92663

I also LOVE Sugar Paper! Gift cards are my love language and this store is the cutest. I literally feel like a kid in a candy store and totally stock up on giftcards and stationary when I’m here!

Lido Marina Village
3434 Vida Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663

This is definitely one of my favorite places to roam around and window shop! (It actually contains several of the shops I posted about!) The perfect open air shopping plaza!

Serena & Lily Newport Beach
3636 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92663

If you know me, you know I love this store! It is AMAZING inside and out! Enough said :)

JuiceMi Newport Beach
609 E Balboa Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92661

The BEST cold press juices ever and the cutest shop! This is one of the first places I go to when I visit!

Sidecar Donuts
270 E 17th St #18, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Hands down the best donuts on the face of the earth! SO GOOD! The line is always out the door, they are that good (But don’t worry it moves quickly!) A must have at least a few times when I visit!

And of course my very, very favorite place in Newport Beach (and maybe the world!) the beach!

Until next time, California!