Coastal lifestyle is a gem that can translate to any home when it comes to home decor. I am now obsessed and so inspired to turn our master bedroom into a coastal feel soon.
I recently went on an awesome family vacation retreat with my dad’s side of the family. I was not planning to attend when it was originally booked in 2019 for 2020. In 2019 my husband and I were working in retail and it was during Mother’s Day timeframe. I was a director for Beauty and fragrances during Mother’s Day is huge. I could not schedule a vacation at the time. But in 2021 I have a new job and I work from home so I could at least go!
The home is stunning. It’s a new build that can sleep 30+ people with a elevator and massive eating area, kitchen, pool and much more. It screams coastal living with all the beautiful white and cream color story. As I am sitting here this week I am inspired to bring some things back for our backyard and our master bedroom since those are still up for redoing.
Sipping coffee in this beautiful living room! The neutral colors made the space calm but open.
Here are few ideas I have for our master bedroom:
White/Cream Linen – I am obsessed now with linen comforters and off white/cream colors. This rental home had that through out and as long as you find a comforter or bed sheets that color that are machine washable it is fine to get. I think for so long my mom told me light colors are the worse to get.
Blues – To really get that coastal feel you have to have blues/teals in your home decor. I am looking to have decor pillows in blue to off set the off white/cream comforters.
Vases – throughout the beach house there were amazing big glass vases with a blue tint on the end tables within some of the bedrooms. It just made the feel of the room scream coastal for me.
Less is more – Every room had a simple decor piece, wooden bed frame, simple artwork and shiplap. That was it. So when I am working on our bedroom I will push for less with impactful pieces.
Here are a few more pictures of the home! And also shop some of my favorite
We were so excited when we bought our very first home that is a fixer upper. As many people know in the last 10 years “fixer upper” homes have been very popular but at times people underestimate how much it really costs to fix it up.
We completely revamped the entrance to our home. See below for picture before.
Our home was built in 1976 so it is over 40 years old…so yes a little dated. When we first saw the home we were overwhelmed with the size of it and we loved some of the great features like the high ceilings and the wooden beams.
Before we removed all the plants and tall grass.
As we started moving in we also paced ourselves on fixing it up. Here are the 10 pieces of advice I would share with you when it comes to renovating a fixer upper home.
Pay close attention to the inspection paperwork – This is so important because it gives you the key details of what needs to be fixed and the timeline needed. The electrical panel in our home had paint all in it, the previous owner painted the room and just did not even cover the panel! There was white paint all in it and in order for us to have homeowner’s insurance we had to get that fixed within the first 30 days of moving in. All that detail was in the inspection report. PAY ATTENTION TO THAT PLEASE! It will give you guidelines on what to prioritize first.
Appliances – Ensure your appliances work. Check it yourself with the inspector! If something does not work ensure the seller fixes it or lowers the sell price of the home. Important! This should be one of the first things you fix when you enter a new home. The dryer we had was the original one…I repeat the original one. I did not check it when we had the inspection. It took 2 cycles before the clothes were dry. It was frustrating and we had to replace as soon as we could.
Paint goes a long way – One of the first things we did was paint the inside and outside of the home. The house was lettuce green so in order for me to mentally be excited about the new house, I had to paint it. As soon as we did that, it felt like a new home! We painted the inside a pure white. White represents fresh and a new start, it is a great color to start with.
Painted the walls completely white to start over. In time we may warm it up but for now it was a great start to see the vision I wanted for this house.
Pace yourself – Do not push to get everything done at once if you cannot afford it. It is not worth renovating a kitchen if you have to finance it and struggle to make the monthly payments. Many families save for years before they update their home, it is normal. Do not feel pressured to do upgrades if you really cannot at first.
Work your way from the bottom up – If you hate the floors in your new fixer upper, save and get that done first. One mistake I regret is updating our bathroom vanity and not doing the floors first. What happened to us was the tile on the floor is not manufactured anymore, so it was extremely hard to find a tile that matched. So if you want to redo your kitchen and you hate your floors, do the floors first so then you can easily install everything else and your floors are consistent.
Before & After of the kitchen. We liked our floors so we didn’t need to change them.
Focus on one room at a time – You will feel that you got a lot done if you completely finish one room at a time when it comes to decorating. I focused first on the office/closet, then the kitchen etc. I literally went from room to room and decorated. I had a theme and I made sure it reflected from one room to the next. It becomes depressing if you do not finish an entire space at a time I feel.
On the day of our closing!
Hope you found these points helpful! Stay tuned for part 2 of my advice on updating a fixer upper! How has your fixer upper Reno going?
It’s spring! Who wants to be comfy? Everything seems positive and it is so funny how everyone is excited for spring season and all items that come with it. Check out my favorite lounge picks!
I love bright and fun loungewear! It just makes you feel good right? Shop the look below and follow me on Liketoknow.it app!
Within each space in a room you need that pop of color to show a bit of edge and personality. Within our lounge space I decided to purchase this amazing green velvet sofa to make the room pop. It was the perfect contrast with the neutral/soft nude tones within my home.
So challenge yourself and be a bit bold especially when if you are a fan of neutral home decor. Adding color has stretched me creatively and now I am on a roll updating my home with a bit of color.
Are you a fan of a pop of color in your home? Share in the comments!
The famous saying that you have to crawl before you walk…well that is extremely accurate with own boho powder room. For those you are not familiar, my husband and I moved into our first home in September 2020 and it was a true fixer upper.
The challenging Space before
First, the previous owner was a nice mother & daughter who lived there for 25+ years. They decorated here and there, but you can tell the two had not updated the decor in years. So when we bought the home we had to have a vision and one of the first challenges was the powder room.
Next, for phase 2 of powder room Reno, I was in need of filling the second wall in the space to reflect the rest of my home. I have been decorating my home to fit a boho semi-modern, semi-mid century/industrial feel and I want people to see that in every area of our home.
Here is what we did to elevate this powder room more:
Add Shelving – This was not my first choice, but I came up with the idea after two floating shelves wouldn’t fit in my kitchen. So the result was to put them them in the powder room, and I love it. Since we had white walls adding dark wood floating shelves creates contrast just enough to have an amazing statement. Check out my favorite shelves below…
2. Concrete/cement pieces – in order to have a rustic/industrial feel that I do love to incorporate into my home, I wanted it to reflect in my powder room a bit more. I found some really neat pieces that were inexpensive from amazon for my decorating. See below…
3. Marble bowls & coasters for more contrast – I like mixing materials in a space to give it that boho feel a bit. Check out the bowls I purchased as well as my other favs:
4. Faux Plants & Wooden frames – To top it off and give some height to the shelves I bought some faux plants & wooden frames from Target. I wanted some earth tones and greenery in the space to finish the look. Check out some amazing duplicates from Amazon below:
Happy shopping! Visit my Liketoknow.it page to shop more of my looks. Click picture below:
This blog post includes affiliate commission links
This is literally a fun post of the Bartesian Cocktail Maker that is the #1 Wedding Registry Gift ever!
Enjoy a demonstration above of this amazing machine!
When we first moved into our new home my husband came home with this cocktail machine that I knew nothing about. I thought he was nuts to purchase it but after having a cocktail or two…it is amazing.
The cocktails that it makes you cannot even taste the liquor in them…WATCH OUT MY FRIENDS lol.
Steps to Making a Cocktail:
Place water in the back of the machine
Put the liquor in the glass bottom & turn it upside down to place into the machine
There are 4 different glass canisters for 4 different types of liquor you can use
Pick the capsule of your choice and place into the machine and close
The machine reads what type of alcohol it needs based on the capsule. That is why it is so important to have the correct liquor in the correct glass canister
Then turn on and choose strength of drink AND YOU CARE DONE!!!
Cocktail Capsules
There are many capsules you can choose from to make the cocktail of your choice. Below are my favorite flavors to choose from:
Rum Breeze
Sex on the Beach
Margarita
Old Fashion
Long Island Ice Tea
Links
Purchase a Bartesian from my Amazon links below and enjoy multiple capsule flavors too!! CHEERS!! Please share if you have one or have tried a cocktail from this machine?
I am not usually a New Year resolution person but I feel for 2021 it is needed. Putting together some great tips to jump start 2021 is key.
2020 for most people was a terrible year and I can completely understand why with Covid-19. My husband and I lost our jobs at one point and we were living off of unemployment. However we came through it and we are stronger than ever before.
I want 2021 to be a great year of growth and being grateful. Here are some tips to start 2021 right:
Vision Board
I’ve never done one but working on mine now. It’s a great way to set goals and visually see them all year so you continue to grow and stay focused. Vision Boards also make you have the sense of urgency to get things done as well, they keep you motivated for sure.
Some of the key things I am placing on my vision board:
Continue Home Reno – We want to focus on the master bathroom, butler pantry and possibly some other room updates. Very Excited!
Learn and grow with my new company! Started a new job in December 2020.
Learn SEO for my blog in order to optimize it on google. This is a process for me, not easy but I am learning.
Finish my John Maxwell Speaker/Leadership Certification
Continue to evolve on my blog and social media. It has been very fun to learn and connect with so many people. Excited to keep it up.
Write a Children’s book. I will elaborate more on this later! Stay tuned!
Have a BABY. We are ready to have a little bundle of joy, we will start trying in 2021. Blessed to be healthy and to be able to try with my husband.
Get Rest aka Go to bed earlier
If you go to bed at a decent hour, the next day will be more productive. Basically go before 11p! If you get your body to go to bed earlier you will start your day earlier and get more done in my opinion. During furlough my sleep pattern was thrown off and I was up late all the time. This resulted in me becoming sluggish in the mornings and it took twice the time for me to get going. For 2021 I cannot allow that and will be making this change.
Wake up with 3 blessings
Wake up daily being grateful for 3 things in your life. Say it out loud, it goes a long way…trust me. I usually wake up, say a prayer and proclaim out loud 3 things I am grateful for that day. Starting your day with something positive is the way to go.
Give your body 15 minutes
Workout! Be active! Do something to get your physical body going from jogging to walking to spinning to yoga to crunches. You name it. Do it! We recently bought a Peloton and we love it. I am making myself get up in the morning and get my workout in whether it is 45 minutes to hardcore 15 minute workout.
Set time aside for “You” and friends/family
In my previous job I never made time for friends especially. I realized that I need to schedule this time just like a I do a doctor’s appointment! Make time for friends…it will help to maybe clear your mind or just catch up with people you love to be around.
Make time for friends…it will help to maybe clear your mind or just catch up with people you love to be around.
Last, family is everything. With my new job being remote I make time to spend with my parents and my grandparents. You just never what time you have left, make the most of it always.
Date Night
If you are involved with someone make sure to schedule date night. Even if you see each other daily set a permanent time to hang out. It will make you look forward to something. Also, I prefer having a date night where I can actually talk to them. I never want to do a movie or a loud sports event.
Hopefully some of these tips will help you start 2021 right! What are you going to do differently in the new year? Share in comments?
Glow Girl GLOW! And no I’m not pregnant. Anyways my skin is glowing these days! The products I’ve been using has transformed my entire look.
And…no I am not a makeup artist or skincare expert. I am a beauty director for the business side. Always have been and love it.
I have always been embarrassed to do demos/show off my makeup/skincare routine. But I’m working on my confidence lol. One day! For now check out my fav products that I cannot live without:
Chanel Milk cleanser – Hydrating my face with this milk cleanser is everything. Its so soothing!
2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo – This powder has 2 colors and it blends so well to create the best brow tint. This is my secret to perfectly arched brows that look natural.
3. Shiseido Power Infusing Concentrate Serum – My skin has improved so much. This serum has erased my dark spots, especially under my neck.
4. maccosmetics Studio Fix Powder Foundation – The best matte foundation powder ever, it has such great coverage!
5. Chanel Sensitive Skin Cream – Such a soothing moisturizer for every skin type. Its usually for sensitive skin but I love it. It’s not too heavy so my foundation goes on perfectly.
6. Clinique Make-up Remover Balm – THE BEST MAKEUP REMOVER EVER! It all comes off!
What products make you HAPPY??? Also…these items are 15% off right now @macys for #friendsandfamily! Click below to my Macy’s Style & Crew Storefront to enjoy discount as well as explore other items that are on sale!
One of the toughest jobs I was stoked to be selected for, was the running of Handbags and Accessories division at New York City’s Macy’s Herald Square in 2013.
Yes . . . that one. The same Macy’s that hosts the Thanksgiving Parade every year. Of course, now you understand why it was such a privileged position to hold.
I knew when I accepted the position that it was Macy’s highest volume store and a multi-million-dollar unit and although I have many lessons I took away from that experience, I’ll save some of those for another blog.
Let me give you a little background first. Before Herald Square Macy’s I was managing a $30 million women’s clothing department in Miami, FL at the #3 Macys door. I was known for my strong leadership skills and compelling visual presentation setups. Then I was asked to relocate to New York City and enter Herald Square where after one year in the building I was ranked top 3 out of 35+ Merchandise Managers.
I was recognized as one of the strongest coaches in developing talent too and had promoted over 8 colleagues to middle management positions within my first year there in NYC. All of which brought me to my 2nd assignment at Macy’s Herald Square in 2013 running a $50+ million business in women’s accessories.
I was to take over the position from a woman who had been running that massive department for 12 years! Under her management the department experienced many successes and by her own estimation was growing more and more difficult to handle.Being the trouble shooter that I am, I jumped right into the boiling pot and that, I will say, was when I made my biggest mistake.
Being the trouble shooter that I am, I jumped right into the boiling pot and that, I will say, was when I made my biggest mistake. Within the first 2 weeks I pointed out several things that were inefficient or lacking in production and shared it with my leads.
Consequently, by week 3, I was public enemy number one. I was confronted about my steam roller tactics, by my beloved team. I couldn’t believe it! I literally thought that I blew this huge opportunity in less than a month. I had to re-think and re-do my strategy and leadership tactics and learned:
“How do you start strong in a new role with a new team?” Here are some tips on how to do that and be successful:
1. Get personal. Share a little about yourself.
Let them know where you are from, who you call family and talk about something you love (not pizza) something that is personal. It will make you more human! Good introductions are key.
I did a trivia game one time and made the team try to guess things about me to break the ice a bit. It was fun and interactive vs me just talking about myself like it was an autobiography.
2. Get Input. Have a meeting with your new team and ask them what they like and don’t like about their working environment.
Just listen to them! That means DO NOT answer your phone, NO texting, NO tablet, NO anything. When someone is talking look them in the eyes while you listen. Have you ever tried to have a serious meeting with your boss and they were texting or gaming for the entire conversation? Needless to say, that does not make an endearing impression.
Respect your tenure colleagues. They come with a wealth of knowledge from a business perspective and from a cultural prospective. Try your best to utilize your tenure colleagues’ ideas and make sure to give them credit for it.
Some of the best ideas I’ve implemented came from associates and they deserved the credit and recognition for it. Setting aside time with them can give you real insight and as a bonus you might gain some of their trust
3. Get Real. Set clear expectations on what you expect from your team
This is the time to go over the business focus and explaining why things need to be done in a certain way. Setting expectations on treatment of customers, treating each other with respect, schedules etc.
It doesn’t hurt to make an appointment with your boss to see their observations on processes and things as well so from the beginning you are on the same page with expectations.
4. Get Patience. Ensure you don’t change anything for the first month. Observe and take notes of what’s working and what isn’t.
There are times when things are done in a certain way, not for productivity sake but for humanity sake. For example: I had a support colleague who had worked in New York store for 50 years and really could not move around at all.
He just was not productive and took forever to get the trash thrown out or to process shipment, however he lived to go to work…literally. I used to give him easier tasks and looked the other direction despite how slow it took him to get anything done. I had to have so much patience with this support colleague but in the end we grew close and he brought such optimism to the team.
You might be in a situation where the previous manager is still on site. Take the time to visit with them and listen to their advice . . . yes, even if they were terrible at their job, I have found that everyone has something to contribute. Goodwill goes a long way and in business you should never burn your bridges. Lesson here NEVER BURN BRIDGES!
Tough to be a new boss…communication is key
5. Get Intel
Ask the team what they want from you as you are in this new role.
When I entered this women’s accessories role, the #1 question I was asked to do in my new role was recognition. I was shocked. The team wanted upper level senior executives to understand everything they did and how at times their jobs are not easy. Immediately I would recognize the team on the floor in the mist of my store manager and always spoke highly of my team in front of my boss.
Hope these tips help as you transition into your new role as a boss! Remember transitioning into to a new role with a team can be hard but focusing on your people and your style of management is the #1 priority. Tell me about a time you started a new role and what were your top 2 struggles with transitioning into the job?
Hope these tips help as you transition into your new role as a boss! Remember transitioning into to a new role with a team can be hard but focusing on your people and your style of management is the #1 priority. Tell me about a time you started a new role and what were your top 2 struggles with transitioning into the job?
So what is it like shopping in South FL outlets during pandemic?
Like everyone else… Sawgrass Mills is open and accepting customers, but I wanted to see the experience for myself especially in the Colonnade area of the outlets where the designer section is located.
If you are not from South Florida, Sawgrass Mills, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area as well as one of the biggest outlet malls in the United States. At Sawgrass Mills they carry Versace Outlet, Michael Kors to Gucci and for the most part the luxury experience is usually very evident in these establishment at all times. With the pandemic I wanted to see how different it is and how they are really functioning with customers.
Being that this is South Florida and June…it is HOT! HOT as ever! So, having to walk store to store outside with a mask on is not comfortable, but it is the smartest and safest thing to do right now. Sawgrass requires all stores to enforce wearing masks inside their establishment.
As I was strolling by each store, everyone I passed gave you the option to enter but some locked their doors and you had to knock to be let in. It was a way to control capacity in each store. I also saw that some doors had the option of curbside pick-up which I find to be interesting as well. Burberry, John Varvatos were all welcoming customers but the one store that stood out to me was Kate Spade. I like Kate Spade especially their handbags and phone cases. They are usually one of the first to get the newest iPhone case covers.
As I walked by, I wanted to check out KateSpade but the door was locked. An associate came to the door and spoke to me through the door and asked me, “What do you need help with?”
I was confused at first as to why she didn’t open the door, but I saw then that there was a sign that spoke of curbside pick-up ONLY. Basically, Kate Spade is only offering curb side pickup vs entering the store at all at during this time. What I found weird was if I didn’t do curbside, the associate was yelling through the door asking what items I was looking for and would then bring me a sample to look at through the door. I couldn’t touch anything mind you. It was hard to hear her and to even pick what I wanted. Needless to say, if I want to get something from Kate Spade I am going online.
I understand being safe but having to scream through the closed door to try and purchase something is tough to do, and the luxury feel goes out the window.
The interesting observation I saw while shopping at Sawgrass was that the other doors did not do this. The ones that were open were allowing customers to come in and shop with social distancing and mask procedures. It was complete opposite shopping experience in Tory Burch though. Tory Burch at Sawgrass came off like a free for all. The door was open, and customers were going in and out and ignoring the arrows of where to walk and 6 ft apart guidelines completely.
Associates were selling and people were brushing up against each other constantly. I didn’t stay in this store for long. Hey it is up to the store and customers in there to choose to shop in that manner. No criticism there.
The best experience I had that day shopping was in St. Laurent or aka YSL. YSL let customers in and were so inviting. I actually had an amazing customer service experience with a salesperson named Mel. She was so friendly and showed me the most amazing buys, unfortunately the shoes I wanted were not in my size, but she got a hold of WhatsApp information and vowed to contact me when new merchandise arrives.
I loved that she was still pushing her clientele even during COVID 19. Despite the setbacks in retail it is always great to have a great retail shopping experience. Have you had any Covid-19 shopping experiences to share?
[…] retreat and we stayed in this amazing 4 story beach house that could sleep 30+ people. Read up on…
[…] I have an earlier post about the first phase of this powder room, check it out if you […]
[…] from some time ago she has an amazing dining room with a massive glass table that is to die…
[…] Some time ago I shared a home with a stunning living room, and a beautiful entry way with the…
What a beautiful difference from before. It now has a more modern and updated look! Great!
If you are not from South Florida, 
[…] retreat and we stayed in this amazing 4 story beach house that could sleep 30+ people. Read up on…