• , ,

    cute easter things for babies & kids

    easter is about a month away, so we put together some cute easter baskets, reusable eggs, things to fill them with and just some general things that would make sweet little easter gifts!

    click on the images in the collages directly to shop!

    and i’m always adding more easter items to my amazon storefront

    cute easter baskets

    cute easter things

    bonjour fête

    eco eggs fillable easter eggs

    and if you’re looking for some eco friendly easter eggs, these ones are super cute and made entirely of plants!

    happy almost easter!

  • ,

    beautiful frame tv art for spring

    spring is weeks away now, so i rounded up some pretty art to freshen up your tv for the occasion! lots of florals and lots of color, i’m a changed woman!

    for a very easy way to swap your frame tv art without having to use the app, i have a tutorial here.

    click on the images in the collages directly to shop!

  • ,

    cute places to host kids birthday parties in nyc

    photo: canopy

    i rounded up cute places to throw a kids birthday party in LA and it seemed to be really helpful, so we thought it would be fun to expand and do lots more cities! first up is new york city (and surrounding areas), but let me know which city i should do next!

    we put together a big variety of options but they’re all adorable (and almost all aesthetic too!)

    1. the wonder

    photo: mother mag

    a kid’s club with a ball pit, bounce house, and lots of crafts and other activities. a birthday package books you 1.5 hours of private use.

    location: brookfield place

    pricing: $1800 for members / $1999 for non-members

    2. museum of ice cream

    photo: museum of ice cream

    unlimited ice cream at the prettiest place space ever?? tons of fun dessert-themed rooms to explore like a banana jungle, a carnival, a play room, and a sprinkle pool!!

    location: soho

    pricing: inquire

    3. nitehawk cinema

    photo: nitehawk cinema

    nikehawks host a “spoons toons all ages” watch party, where kids can watch classic cartoons, play trivia, complete challenges, and go nuts at the cereal bar. you can also host a private event, where you can choose your kid’s favorite movie and one of nitehawk’s specialty drinks.

    locations: Prospect Park / Brooklyn

    pricing: $20 per person for “spoon toons all ages” / inquire for a private party

    4. cotton candy spa

    photo: cotton candy spa

    party guests get mini facials, make up application, manicures and pedicures. it also includes cotton candy, cake and cupcakes, and you can also choose from fun activities like make your own perfume and glitter tattoos.

    location: Brooklyn

    pricing: $649+

    5. color factory

    photo: color factory

    with a party package, kids can enjoy immersive art experiences and a private celebration room. tons of treats throughout the space, photo stations, surprise giveaways, and 10% off the color shop are some of the additional perks included.

    location: soho

    pricing: inquire

    6. canopy

    photo: canopy

    this baby/toddler play space looks so cute! their package includes a two-hour party with access to a private room and their open play area. they provide decorations in your color/theme of choice and custom signage, and you can opt for add-ons like pizza, cake, goodie bags, a photographer, temporary tattoos, a balloon arch and face painting.

    location: brooklyn

    pricing: $1250

    7. let’s dress up

    photo: let’s dress up

    a cute space where kids can dress up in their favorite princess or knight attire, put on make up, play in a magical castle, and have a tea party with food and cupcakes. you can also opt for specific themes like frozen, barbie and even taylor swift.

    location: manhattan

    pricing: $680+

    8. perry school

    photos: perry school

    party packages get you access to their galaxy room for music, their sky room for gym time and their children’s art factory for free art play, plus food and cake. they offer themes to choose from, like my first birthday, dance party, superhero, under the sea, unicorns, space explorers and more. and you can add on things like a bouncy castle, a band, and face painting. they can also do an outdoor party or even come to you.

    location: west village

    pricing: $850+

    9. space club

    photos: space club / brooklyn bridge parents

    an indoor playground designed for kids but also for adults to enjoy. highlights include a ball pit with their signature star-shaped balls, jungle gyms, arts and crafts, a lego pit, a bead pit, a glow-in-the-dark room and other sensory experiences throughout their two locations. a package gets you 2.5 hours of a private party room and playground access.

    location: brooklyn

    pricing: $990

    10. twinkle

    photo: twinkle

    another open indoor play space for toddlers and preschoolers. packages get you two hours of exclusive access to the whole playground, a party area, food and cupcakes, and balloons. a “super star” package lets you customize your theme.

    location: brooklyn

    pricing: $1050+

    11. jane’s carousel

    photo: afar media

    jane’s carousel offers birthday parties during public hours. party guests have a separate line to enter the carousel and get unlimited rides for 1.5 hours. depending on the season and weather, you also get a party area set up in the outdoor picnic grove or an indoor seating area inside the pavilion.

    location: brooklyn

    pricing: $350 on weekdays / $450 on weekends

    12. the seaglass carousel

    photo: citydays

    another cooool carousel option, complete with iridescent fiberglass fish and undersea-inspired light effects. you can host a party under the nearby terraces, and choose from one of the water-themed packages they offer.

    location: manhattan

    pricing: $670+

    13. cocoon

    photo: cocoon

    this play space offers premier, fully customizable birthday parties. it’s on the pricier side but looks so cute. they also offer catering and other add-ons like a popcorn machine, cotton candy, and ice cream party. activities like bounce houses, build a buddy, diy slime, musicians, face painting and tons more options are available for additional fees.

    location: tribeca / upper west side

    pricing: $1000+

    14. luna park

    photo: condé nast traveler

    how fun would a party at this famous amusement park be?? choose from a few packages that include private seating, wristbands to access the park, food and decorations.

    location: brooklyn

    pricing: $707+

    15. oh my goodness kids

    photo: oh my goodness kids

    a pretty play space with a cute little cafe. packages get you a private room with pizza and decorations, and you can add on things like cake, face painting, crafts and more for additional fees.

    locations: port washington / garden city

    pricing: $699+

    16. good day play cafe

    photo: good day play cafe

    a contemporary play space for kids. a package gets you 2.5 hours of play time and a party area with pizza and other add-ons to choose from. you can also book a professional photographer through them.

    location: brooklyn

    pricing: $835+

    17. tutu school

    photos: tutu school

    for the little ballerinas — the tutu school’s parties include a brief ballet class, a special birthday story featuring the guest of honor, a cupcake picnic, and party favors. they offer a few different packages plus extras like fairy wand crafts and games. this place is on the pricier side but does seem really special.

    location: upper east side

    pricing: $1075+

    18. new york botanical garden

    photo: new york botanical garden

    if you’ve got a nature lover, you could host their birthday at the botanical garden. you get a private space for two hours with a garden instructor to lead activities, pizza, and all-garden pass admission for 30 people. you also get access to special exhibits, the tram tour and all outdoor gardens and collections. if you’re a member, you get a 10% discount. parties here aren’t cheap but they do sound fun!!

    location: the bronx

    pricing: $1850

    hope this helps you find the perfect spot for your kid’s next bday party!! let me know if i missed any good ones. i’ll add more as i find them.

  • pretty table and floor lamps

    nothing cozies up a home like lamps! i’d be happy to never turn on the overhead lights and just have endless lamps around the place.

    i found a bunch of table and floor lamps that i love.
    click on the images in the collages directly to shop!

    pretty table lamps

    pretty floor lamps

    link for my portable lamp from top photo

  • printable 2025 oscar ballot

    apologies for those of you who were concerned this wasn’t coming this year! it’s here! the academy awards are happening march 2nd (which is still 10 days away i might add!) and as always, i’ve designed a printable ballot for you to use at your oscar viewing parties!

    how i like to use them is we all mark what we think will win in one color, then mark the winners in another – you tally up the score of who got the most correct predictions and the winner gets nothing at all whatsoever!

    this year i saw a whopping 2/10 best picture nominees! i bet you could guess based on me which ones i saw — anora and the substance. (i loved both, although the substance did go on quite a bit at the end there)

    i sort of want to see emilia perez to see how truly bad it is because that penis to vagina song was incredible. how is it nominated so much?!

    i would want to see the brutalist (very big time commitment though) and complete unknown but when there are horror movies to see in the theatre, how can i resist them?!

    do we think i should start doing my own annual list of best movies of the year?! because my old ass and blink twice would both be winners.

    and no i didn’t see wicked. i’ll see wicked when arlo makes us, and not a moment before then.

    i changed up the design of this years ballot ever so slightly! i’m liking it, i hope you are too!!!

    click here for the printable oscar ballot

    for best results, download to your computer and print the file directly vs downloading from your browser window.

    printable is for personal use only, redistribution is prohibited.

  • my favorite president’s day sales

    i know tons of sales are happening this weekend but thought i’d try to pick out the best ones i’ve seen! i rounded up some favorites, including lots around my home, that are on sale below. happy shopping!

    lulu & georgia

    up to 20% off

    shop some of my recent favorites here.

    hanna andersson

    25% off with code WKND25

    hanna has the cutest patterns and highest quality pajamas! so many cute pieces i want for izzy right now.

    i love these cute linen pants i got for arlo (make sure you size up!) and this little skater dress is also so sweet

    frame tv

    $700 off the 65″ we have above!

    the frame tv is a much bigger investment than most TVs but i swear i could never buy a regular TV again. such a game changer to not see a huge black rectangle on your wall.

    avocado green mattress

    up to 20% off

    the comfiest mattresses for kids and adults! both kids have one and now even arlos bff has one because he couldn’t shut up about it after a sleepover!!!! haha

    eyebuydirect

    30% off with code ebd4prez

    my favorite sunglasses! i buy all my prescription glasses from EBD, their prices are amazing, they have super cute frames and they have tons of lens customization options.

    west elm

    up to 60% off

    such a good sale. up to 40% off lots of rhode products i love!

    magnolia

    20% off

    lots of magnolia faves on sale here!

    mcgee & co.

    30% off

    it was a splurge but i’ve gotten so much use out of this pretty tablecloth

    rejuvenation

    up to 50% off

    so many recent purchases from rejuvenation that i love, including so much in my kitchen and this throw in my room

    rugs usa

    45% off with code prezday45

    i have sooo many rugs from here, they’re all great. shop my bedroom rug here and my living room rug here.

    hope this helps make the weekend sales much less overwhelming!!

  • my favorite rom-coms

    i consider myself an expert because i will pretty much watch any and all romcoms – and i’ll happily rewatch them 1000 times beyond that too. name a genre that is easier to turn on at any given moment no matter how hard life is and make you feel good and hopeful. i got deep just now, anyway here are all my favorite rom coms in one place!!

    i’ll keep adding to this list but this is a solid list of some very well knowns and maybe some lesser knowns you may not have seen!

    1. always be my maybe

    photo: Ed Araquel/Netflix

    i am always so excited when a new rom com comes out and is ACTUALLY SUPER COM haha. so funny, great acting, loveeeed it!

    where to watch: netflix

    2. what’s your number

    Photo: amazon prime

    was not expecting to enjoy this as much as i do. i love anna faris, it’s got a lot of good quotes and it’s just a totally fun watch. also there’s this super weird part when chris evans is topless and has no nipples (?!) you have to see haha.

    where to watch: hulu, youtube tv, apple tv, amazon prime

    3. no hard feelings

    photo: Macall Polay/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures

    another new one that i just loved. whenever i get to watch a new rom that is actually good i think i might be grinning the whole time.

    it takes place in montauk, so the coastal grandma in me was thrilled with the setting, and jennifer lawrence is SO funny in it.

    where to watch: netflix, apple tv, amazon prime

    4. someone like you

    photo: amazon

    it’s a bit corny and a lot 90s (well it’s 2001 but same diff) but this one is totally cute. i’ve probably watched it 25 times on TV, she’s so cute.

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    4. music and lyrics

    photo: alternate ending

    another one you might have skipped but it’s actually so cute. i love both of them so that helped, but the songs are also SO GOOD. don’t worry, it isn’t a musical! and if you like musicals, sorry, it’s not a musical! but you’ll probably still enjoy it!

    where to watch: amazon prime

    5. to all the boys i’ve loved before

    photo: netflix

    the newer teen ones make me feel old, BUT IN A GOOD WAY !? haha. super cute, well done movie and in case you avoided because you’re not a teenager, try it anyway!

    where to watch: netflix

    6. set it up

    photo: Netflix

    if you know me personally, i’ve probably tried to convince you to watch this at least once. i was so pleasantly surprised by how much i loved it. glen powell and zoey deutch are both SO GOOD AND SO CUTE. i would watch 1000 romcoms starring the two of them.*

    *at some point they were going to make another one but it fell threw i guess !!! 🙁

    where to watch: netflix

    7. kissing jessica stein

    photo: Everett Collection

    i think i was a preteen when i first saw this but loved it. jennifer westfeldt’s first movie and it’s the best one (although i actually totally enjoy ira & abby and friends with kids too). funny and cute and she’s adorable.

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    8. only you

    photo: rotten tomatoes

    this one holds upppp. marisa tomei is just the cutest and she looks so chic and is so good in this! i used to watch it as a kid but i will still gladly watch it pretty regularly.

    where to watch: youtube tv, amazon prime, apple tv

    9. long shot

    photo: philippe bossé

    this one surprised me too! i expected a comedy but it’s totally romantic and it’s so funny and i somehow did end up buying their chemistry.

    where to watch: hulu, amazon prime, apple tv, disney+

    10. something’s gotta give

    photo: warner bros.

    DUH. ok so the first time i ever saw this one, i remember like it was yesterday – my mom was watching it on martha’s vineyard and i walked in and was judging so hard like omg what is this romantic movie for old people!? and then i kept watching and i am still sitting there watching to this day.

    this movie probably transformed me into the coastal grandma i am inside hahah – i just love it so much. the food, the setting, the house, their chemistry!?

    and no spoilers but the crying montage is like epic.

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    11. it’s complicated 

    photo: npr

    a big debate over which of these two movies is better and the two main men in my life (husband and brother) say this one. i guess i have to say it is funnier, and i love it just as much, but i like the ending less (no spoilers!)

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    12. pretty woman

    photo: getty images

    when i was 5 and my parents had just split up, my mom bought this on VHS and we watched it A LOT. my dad found out and they had a huge fight in therapy about it.

    needless to say, i still love it 35 years later!!! maybe it’s nostalgia but i still feel it so much when he comes for her at the end. if you haven’t seen it, what theeee? go watch it.

    where to watch: youtube tv, amazon prime, apple tv

    13. little black book

    photo: slant magazine

    another movie i’m constantly telling people to watch. i loved brittany murphy so much, i can’t even imagine all the movies she would have made that would have been my favorites. 🙁 i don’t want to spoil it, but this movie is less romantic and more just a freaking cute movie that you will love if you love her or carly simon or diane sawyer. it’s SO CUTE.

    where to watch: youtube tv, amazon prime, apple tv

    14. my best friend’s wedding 

    photo: Everett Collection

    obvious i know, but another one i could just watch until the day i die! yes jules is totally a bad guy, but somehow i’m still on her side.

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    15. when harry met sally

    photo: Everett Collection

    absolutely one of my top 5 movies of all time. i have seen it so many times and it’s just the best. the best writing, their chemistry is so palpable and i cry every time i watch forever. as i’ve gotten older i have questioned the casting decision of billy crystal being the lothario, but somehow you buy it.

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    16. you’ve got mail

    photo: warner bros.

    am i in the minority that i think this is way better than sleepless in seattle? i mean i love them both, but i just think you’ve got mail is much more funny and cute and less creepy. and the ending is just one of my favorites.

    where to watch: amazon prime, apple tv

    17. palm springs

    photo: jessica perez

    i love a time travel movie, but a time travel romcom?!! HELL YEAH. this was hilarious and so fun to watch, i love andy samberg a lot. plus the boho desert wedding is pretty much exactly the same as our boho desert wedding so it’s nostalgic for me.

    where to watch: hulu, disney+

    18. bridget jones’s diary

    photo: Allstar/Working Title

    another obvious choice but it’s just so good. sure, she’s totally NOT overweight and gave us all a little more body dysmorphia on top of the other hundreds of ways we were dysmorphing throughout the 90s and 00s but she is adorable and the movie is hilarious and never gets old.

    where to watch: max, amazon prime, hulu, youtube tv, apple tv

    19. defending your life

    photo: cinema sips

    it’s not just a romcom, it’s so much more. this is actually my favorite movie in the whole wide world. if you haven’t seen it, i hope you do go watch it right away.

    no question it’s albert brooks’s best ever and it’s so beautiful and poignant and hilarious and everything you would want in a movie. i have never watched this without hysterically crying, but i promise you’ll laugh more than cry. i don’t want to overhype it, but sorry, it’s unavoidable because it’s just a perfect movie.

    where to watch: amazon prime, youtube, apple tv

    now there are PLENTY of movies i left off this list that i truly love and have watched 8000 times, but i mean i can’t just go on forever… can i??????

    are there any i missed that you think i may not have seen!?

  • ,

    strawberry jam cake

    happy valentines day! i’ve always liked being extra on valentines but since having arlo its much more intense. i dress us both in pink and make everything heart shaped and hey right now we don’t have much going on so it’s pretty exciting. 

    we made this simple strawberry cake twice in the last two weeks, it’s so quick and easy and reaaaally good!! arlo is way more into fruity desserts versus chocolate, so when i asked him what he wanted to bake for valentines day he said lets make strawberry cake again lol. 

    this cake is so simple but i was asked a lot to reshare the recipe, so figured i’d put it here for a permanent residence. if you have a jar of jam, you can make this today!

     

    strawberry jam cake

    we love to make this simple strawberry cake for valentines day! basically all you need is a box of cake mix and jar of jam.

    Ingredients  

    • 15 oz box cake mix (white or vanilla)*
    • 2 cups strawberry jam divided
    • 1 cup butter room temperature
    • 4-5 cups confectioners sugar

    Instructions 

    for the cake

    1. prepare the boxed cake mix and then add 1 cup of strawberry jam.
    2. you could obviously also make a white cake from scratch and just add the jam!

    for the frosting

    1. in a mixer, cream 1 cup of room temperature butter with the remaining cup of jam. cream for about 2 minutes – and then gradually add the confectioners sugar, continue to mix. use less or more sugar depending on the consistency and taste you’re happy with.

    Notes

    we used sprinkles this time, but we also love to use freeze dried strawberries to decorate too. you could also try adding some to your cake mix as well!
    *recipe actually calls for 18oz but these cake mix companies have cheapened out of course and made cake mixes now 15oz standard

    sources

    sprinkles / plates / table runner / cake cutter

  • ,

    how we added a entryway built-in with ikea cabinets

    ever since we bought our house (almost a decade ago now!), the tiny little entryway that’s in the middle of our living room has been incredibly awkward!

    the last owners added an oddly tall and slender built-in cabinet that we promptly tried to disguise a bit when we moved in – we removed some of the moulding pieces and promptly painted it white and then a few months later we modernized the doors.

    still, years went by and the space never felt like it made much sense. we never really had a place to store our 1000 pairs of shoes that ended up by the door, and a friend suggested that a built-in would probably be a really good use of space for us… i got to thinking about how much space we actually had in terms of width and realized how much better it could be for us!


    it’s been a few months now since we had the built-in finished and i am so thrilled we did it. (sorry about the delay on this post!) not only did we gain so much storage we needed so so desperately, but we changed the look of the whole great room too and basically our whole house since it’s so small!

    how i planned the entryway :

    our room had limited depth space, so that really dictated the plans of what we could fit – because of the location of the front door, i had to go really slim and i worried about the depth shift looking weird, but luckily with the design we went with – it totally works and doesn’t feel awkward to me at all!

    the cabinet on the right is much smaller than the rest of the unit, but the design looks intentional (to me anyway!)

    i used the IKEA designer planner tool on their website which helped a lot – it’s just always so challenging when you’re looking at different sized items and can’t tell how they’ll look in relation to each other so i just measured our exact space and figured out what we could fit from wall to wall.

    it worked out pretty beautifully that we were able to fit everything with an even 3 inches on each side. that would give us space to open cabinet doors and look like it was intentionally designed that way!

    after talking with a friend who did a built-in herself, she advised me to do a little cubby for each family member. i loved this idea and incorporated it by doing four cubbies in the bench area for each of us – for shoes mostly, but also backpacks and whatever else would otherwise be on the ground at the entryway.

    (ps I AM SO HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE A PLACE FOR ARLOS BACKPACK TO TUCK AWAY)

    i also knew i wanted to do hooks above the bench for jackets and hats – i was sad to lose the mirror in the entryway but i knew the storage was more important. we have so much stuff and so few places for it all.

    other than that i wanted as much closed storage as possible, because i know realistically it’s all gonna be gross and cluttered behind the doors and i love that i no longer have to see it.

    while planning – i knew things i wanted to store in here were cold weather gear, mail supplies, office supplies, decor i wasn’t currently using, our hand vacuum, board games, puzzles, if i had even more space to work with i’d also love to store art supplies in here but it’s not happening. what i didn’t expect to have space for but i’m so happy we did was izzy’s toys. we ended up having three drawers just for toys to tuck away and while it’s not a playroom, i’m just so glad to have somewhere to put even some of them away!

    which pieces i purchased from ikea :

    • PAX wall-mounted storage frame with rail (QTY x2)
      (29 1/2″ width x 13 3/4″ depth x 92 7/8″ height)
    • KALLAX bookcase (on it’s side)
      (16 3/8″ width, 15 3/8″ depth, 57 5/8″ height)
    • BILLY bookcase
      (15 3/4″ width x 11″ depth x 79 1/2″ height)
    • KALLAX Insert with door, white (QTY x4)
      (13×13″)

    doors and hinges are all sold separately!

    what we customized :

    in order for everything to fit properly, he had to cut out baseboards and we had him move outlets so we would still have access to plugs inside the cabinets (we have one for our hand vac on the left and one in the kallax)

    because the small depth pax cabinets only have sliding doors, i had my carpenter build the doors out of MDF. i love the way they turned out – BUT FYI!!! since finishing the project, my cousin informed me you can use the normal PAX doors for the shallow depth PAX wardrobes (you may just have to use different hinges!)

    i had no idea, so maybe i’d have just done that — but honestly i’m really happy with the custom doors because they’re much less likely to chip and probably higher quality than the ikea ones would have been. that’s what i’m telling myself!

    i knew i wanted a landing spot with a bench for sitting but was planning on a cushioned bench for a while until right before we started i changed my mind and thought wood would look so good against the rest of the piece. i am SO glad we did this – a cushion would have gotten filthy with young kids and the wood looks so handsome. it’s birch wood with a lip that hangs over the top of the kallax below.

    for the shiplap paneling behind the bench, i didn’t want standard ship lap but instead liked the look of something flat – so he just cut grooves into a big piece of MDF and it turned out exactly how i wanted! he made enough to go above the shelf as well, but it felt busy to me so i decided to keep that area plain instead.

    he built all the trim pieces to surround the entire thing which really make it look actually built-in and barely resembling ikea cabinets!

    your questions answered

    why use doors on the bench when you have to bend down?

    a lot of people suggested not using the doors on the kallax because it would be a pain to get down on the floor to open, but honestly it looks so much better to me than if we’d used open shelves with baskets. i don’t mind the doors, in our tiny cluttered house i’m just happy to be able to throw all the crap in, close the doors and not see it! the paint has chipped a tiny bit below the doors but everywhere else seems to be intact.

    how did you paint the ikea cabinets? i thought you couldn’t paint ikea!

    it took the paint better than we expected but we used a LOT of primer (if you know me you know i hate priming) i was worried about using something that supposedly would work best but was super toxic and smelly – but after many visits to the paint store for advice and a lot of reddit boards – we went with this primer and it worked out great! we rolled on two coats and had to have a lot of drying time and SO MUCH sanding before actually painting.

    is it renter friendly/removable?

    not at ALL! it’s heavily attached and customized to the wall so i would never want to remove it! but luckily i feel like there are lots of beautiful pieces you could buy instead. i found a couple here!

    how did you choose your task rabbit to work with?

    i had used the same guy on a smaller project (arlo’s desk and closet shelves) and was happy with him and his work. but when it comes to choosing someone to book for a project, i always look at the highest rated taskers, read a couple of reviews to make sure they are professional/nice/etc. they also have photos of their work which you can browse through to make sure you can find similar work.

    what was the cost? was it actually cheaper than doing custom?

    for the ikea pieces (with delivery and including all the accessories inside) i spent $800.

    my carpenter paid for the rest of the materials (the paint as well as all the trim pieces, the doors, the wood bench, the shelf above), i paid him $3500 for labor + materials.

    $4300 is not cheap but i’m pretty sure it is WAY cheaper than doing something totally custom!? i believe it would have been around 6-8k for custom, but i’d love to hear from an expert!

    can you share the contact for your carpenter?

    he is very busy already, so i didn’t want to overwhelm him with giving out his info – if you want his info and live in los angeles, you can message me directly and i can give!

    how is it functioning for you? is it cluttered?

    it’s been amazing and probably the best thing i’ve done to the house honestly. for a small house like ours with very little storage, it’s sort of life changing! i still haven’t gotten around to fully organizing the inside yet but it’s still been working out so well for us.

    so yes it’s very cluttered inside but you would never know!!!!! WOOOOO.

    why didn’t you go up higher with the cabinets?

    i know we have a lot of vertical space and i considered adding an additional whole row of cabinets to the top for even more storage, but because this is in our great room – i wanted to mimic the height of the rest of the space. our kitchen cabinets go up to this same height and it just felt like that would be more cohesive in terms of the entire design of the house.

    if it was a contained room i’d definitely have considered going higher (imagine if i had space up top for all my seasonal decor?!!)

    all the details in one place :

    • paint color : sherwin williams “eventide”
    • we used two PAX wall-mounted storage frame with rails
      (29 1/2″ width x 13 3/4″ depth x 92 7/8″ height)
    • KALLAX bookcase (on it’s side) with 4 insert doors
      (16 3/8″ width, 15 3/8″ depth, 57 5/8″ height)
    • BILLY bookcase
      (15 3/4″ width x 11″ depth x 79 1/2″ height)
    • wooden shaker peg rail hooks

    sources

    brass knobs / wood shaker peg hooks / baskets (similar)

    i hope this post helped in case you want to do something similar! let me know if you have any additional questions!

  • a valentine’s day love door

    this is just a really simple little sweet tradition i wanted to share. we started doing this a couple years ago after i copied a girlfriend and i love it so much.

    every night in february, i hang a heart on my sons door leading up to valentine’s day with a handwritten compliment, so that every morning he wakes up and gets to see a new one. you could obviously do this in a lower-key way like every few days, or just do them all at once on valentine’s day eve as an amazing surprise to wake up to.

    two years ago when we started doing it, arlo was really struggling with low self-esteem and i swear this helped so much. you can go as shallow or as deep as you want – i did both. i complimented him for being brave, generous and a loving brother, but also for having so many valuable pokémon cards (watch that be the favorite lol).

    it took me less than 30 minutes to make all the hearts at once and to make things even easier, i pre-taped the back and secretly hung them on the back of our closet door so we can easily transfer every night. once my daughter can read and i have to do two doors, that’ll be when it gets harder haha.

    i just used construction paper along with a pretty red envelope i got in the mail – use whatever you have on hand!

    just a simple little gesture that can make your kid feel so loved!

    this is the kind of thing they’ll remember me for, i hope.


    sources

    here are the pens i used / tablecloth
    light pink ribbon / dark pink ribbon