wayfair writing desk c/o, wayfair cork bulletin board c/o,  wayfair wooden stools c/o

This year both of my boys are going to school. I can hardly believe little Fos is old enough to go to preschool!

With two big boys now, I wanted to make a few changes to our home to make a space for the boys to do their schoolwork. We have a little space off of our family room downstairs that was originally a playroom with a little table and chairs, a chalkboard, and a play rug.

They were starting to outgrow the space, so I teamed up with Wayfair to create a homework station and reading nook. Wayfair has tons of great furniture and accessories, and with their Back-to-School sale going on right now, it's the perfect time to pick up a few new things to make your own homework station.

Plus I'm sharing the easiest DIY of all time to make fun and modern pencil, crayon, pen, and marker cups!


This was the sad before:

And now, so much better.

I had originally planned to put two desks and two stools in the space, but with the addition of the bookshelf it was just too crowded. But this writing desk is perfect width for two little stools, so they're able to share it without a problem.

Since we nixed the idea of the second desk, that made extra room for something else. My boys are huge readers, so I had the idea for a cozy little reading nook. A couple of layered rugs, a pouf, and a few pillows, and now they want to sit there and read all day long.

Wayfair has tons of great pillows, and lots of cozy rugs! I think layered rugs make a space feel more homey and lived in, and throwing a sheepskin rug over another rug is always a good choice. As soon as I did it in the reading nook, the space was perfect.

And just for a fun little modern touch on the desk to keep everything organized, I made these little tin can pencil holders. They're so, so easy to make in four easy steps.

Take a tin can -- I chose beans, but anything works. Open it up, empty the contents into a bowl or tupperware to be used later, and then clean the inside and remove the wrapper. Repeat for several cans, and then display on the desk with pencils, crayons, markers, pens, or whatever else you'd like.

Go check out all of Wayfair's back to school sale right here!

created in partnership with Wayfair

photos by rad and happy

Each month, I get so excited to share some of my favorite things with you all that range from a skincare product to a new food item that I've been into. Here are my favorites from last month:

Essie Gel Setter Top Coat:

I think I've tried every single top coat that's deemed to be the best, but out of all of them, this is my favorite. With anything else, my nails always chip within 1-2 days, but this stuff actually makes the polish last.

Philosophy Fresh Cream:

In general, I'm a big fan of Philosophy Products. Their Amazing Grace is one of my signature scents and I always make it a point to smell any new scents they come out with. While I haven't loved the last few, this stuff makes up for that. The smell is a delicious, creamy vanilla, but not in an obnoxious way.

Pixi Glow Tonic:

I've expressed my love for acid exfoliators on numerous occasions. I make it a point to use one every single day and on the days I want something a bit milder, this has been my go-to. I especially love this if I'm planning to layer other products  (like Sunday Riley's Good Genes) and don't want something as strong as my other beloved, Biologique Recherche P50.

Colleen Hoover Maybe Someday:

While I love all types of books from memoirs to a juicy mystery, I fully admit that I'm a sucker for a good YA/NewAdult book. With all the craziness that is going on in the world, I often crave an easy escape with a story that's going to give me the feels. Colleen Hoover is my absolute favorite in this genre and while she might be juvenile for some, I love most of her books. Maybe Someday is one of my favorites.

Cauliflower Rice

I've totally jumped on the cauliflower rice bandwagon and why not? It's easy, low in calories and so tasty! If you follow me on Snapchat, you might have seen me make this several times. To save some time, I typically buy the Trader Joes version, but it's easy enough to make at home. Here are some great recipes!

So Delicious Dairy Free "Creamer"

In an effort to consume less dairy, one of the most difficult things was giving up my coffee creamer. So Delicious, specifically the coconut milk version (they also have almond milk), has made that transition so much easier. I admit, it's still not the real thing as half and half, but it's pretty close. I find it in the milk section of my supermarkets and the hazelnut flavor is my personal favorite.

Aquazzura Disco Thing Sandals

There are probably five different pairs of Aquazzura shoes that give me heart eyes (including these flats), but this pair just stopped me in my tracks. I envision them with a pair of distressed denim to play off their fanciness, but more than anything, I think they're the ultimate wedding/bridal shower/bachelorette party shoe.

Eat Dessert First Plate Set

These adorable plates make for the perfect house warming gift, but they also make me want to invite my girlfriends over for some wine and cake.

The post July Favorites Roundup appeared first on Brooklyn Blonde.

Dressed up look: Nordstrom pleated dress (I sized up for extra length -- wearing size 8), similar nude sandals, DIY leopard clutch (tutorial here, similar clutch here), Pave earrings

Dressed down look: Nordstrom pleated dress (I sized up for extra length -- wearing size 8), Hinge military jacket, BP crossbody bag (under $30), Panacea necklace, Vince Camuto boots

I'm always looking for versatile pieces to add to my closet. There are lots of great little black dresses out there, but I ran across this one that's part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and the pretty pleats and simple, classic shape instantly drew me in.

The best part about this dress, beside the fact that it's on sale, is that it's easy to dress up or dress down. And its shape is flattering on everyone. You need this dress! And hurry and snag it before the sale prices go back up next week.

To dress it up I paired it with some simple nude sandals and a bold clutch, and then dressed it down with ankle boots, a military jacket (that is insanely soft and perfect), a crossbody bag (that's under $30), and a half topknot.

Just a few little tweaks to completely change the look and make a night look perfect for day!

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created in partnership with Nordstrom

photos by rad and happy

WHITE DRESS  (also comes in other colors)  ||  SIMILAR JEANS  ||  BAG  ||  SUNGLASSES  ||  SIMILAR BOOTS  ||  STROLLER  ||  CARSEAT 

Last week I took a quick trip to New York City. I haven't been there in years -- in fact, the last time I went was when I was barely pregnant with B. Seven years ago!

There's just something about that city that simultaneously draws me in and repels me. The fast paced lifestyle, the creativity, the sounds, the signage, the gorgeous architecture and history, the amazing food...there's just so much to love. But there's also something so impersonal about it that makes me feel like it could never feel like home.

Anyway, it was a whirlwind trip that left me exhausted, but also incredibly inspired. I came home and spent several hours over the last few days sketching out new clothing designs, organizing my processes and deciding on new scheduling for my work. It was just the boost I needed.

This little white dress is part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and it's available in two other pretty colors. I love this style of dress paired with super skinny jeans and chunky heeled ankle boots, and it was perfect for running around the city and feeling comfortable while still looking put together!

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photos by rad and happy 

Why do I keep adding more stripes to my closet when I have more than enough to go around?

Because there is no such thing as 'too many' stripes; especially when they come in the shape of a versatile cardi!

Stripes are great for adding pizzazz to a plain outfit, but they're also perfect for pattern-mixing. Just make sure that:

1. The colors in your other pattern 'go' with the colors of your stripes.

2. The size of your two patterns play well together. Thinner stripes look better with larger florals and vice versa. 

The striped cardi I'm wearing below is from the ever-fab Catch Bliss Boutique-- and you'll probably want to get your hands on it ASAP because the last lightweight cardi that I posted sold out immediately.

So if you're considering buying it, hurry! :)

Striped cardi c/o Catch Bliss Boutique (Exact here) Floral/watercolor top- The Limited | Green/blue versions here, here, here | Pink versions here, here, here, & here White pencil skirt- The Limited (exact) | Similar here, here, here, & here Black flats with gold chain- Target | Almost exact | Super chic pair with a bold knot and with gold hardware Skinny black belt with gold accents | Love this unique knotted one here and this simple one here

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Vest: Marissa Webb (this seasons version, another alternative & cannot get enough of the details of this piece. | Button Down: Frank & Eileen | Denim: Levis | Bag: Coach ℅ | Shoes: Jimmy Choo (lower heel/lower price option) | Sunglasses: Celine | Lipgloss: Bobbi Brown 'Bellini'

By no means am I trying to rush summer, but my friends often tease me for being that friend that excitedly talks about fall way before I probably should be. I mean, who can resist a chunky sweater and an apple pie?  I styled this outfit for a pre-fall project wearing some of my favorite pieces from my closet, including one of my "must have" fall items, a military style cargo vest. While the exact one I have is from last year, I linked to this years version and another alternative.

Hope you all have a wonderful start to your week!

photos by Keith Hodne

The post Olive Green appeared first on Brooklyn Blonde.

Such a cool lobby!

Last weekend we got out of town for a little celebration for my 29th birthday. Palm Springs is one of our favorite places to vacation since it's only about 2 hours away from us and filled with lots of fun things to do.

We've tried a bunch of different hotels down there, but we had heard amazing things about the Desert Springs JW Marriott for a long time and wanted to check it out.

With a lake full of flamingos greeting us at the entrance, a huge and gorgeous lobby with a boat dock inside and boats waiting to sail us to dinner or just on a cruise at sunset, four beautiful pools, and so much more, we were definitely not disappointed.

There was a bad heat wave the weekend we went, so the temperatures were upward of 117 degrees during the day. Philip had planned to go golfing with B early one morning on their beautiful golf course, but it was just too hot. So we stuck to the pool and the overly air-conditioned room and we were much happier.

My sweet B, always reading! 

the smoothies by the pool were AMAZING. Maybe because it was 115 degrees outside, but probably because they were just really good. 

We ate at Mikado the first night and it was so good. The boys loved all the fun tricks our server did, and both boys even caught a piece of shrimp in their mouths when he threw it at them! 

They have a free mini golf course that is an exact mini replica of their regular golf course. It was burning hot so we didn't last super long, but we played long enough to get about 15 water hazards, ha! 

 we went on the boat tour so many times. It was just so gorgeous!

this baby float was our saving grace. It kept the sun off of San completely so he stayed pretty cool and didn't get burned at all. We found ours right here. 

San is not a very cuddly baby, but he fell asleep on us so many times during this trip! That heat definitely wore him out...and we weren't complaining about the extra snuggles. 

We stopped by a chocolate shop on the hotel property and bought a chocolate and caramel covered marshmallow. Holy cow, it was so good.  

I was dying over how cute he was in this baby life vest! 

Nothing better than this -- 3 little monkeys in my bed!

And here's our video of our time there! You can see more of our travel videos over on my youtube channel here. 

My hat is from here, and my pom pom sandals are available right here. 

Thank you to the Desert Springs JW Marriott for hosting our stay!