I have never felt more alive and rejuvenated than I did in March this year. Winter was rough for me this year – it felt like it just dragged on and on and on for what seemed like forever. It was so bad it literally had me contemplating how hard it would be to pick up and move back to California. That’s how much I hated winter this year.
But then the little glimmers of spring started appearing, the first 7pm sunset hit, the first 70 degree day, and slowly but surely my sparkle started coming back. It’s slow going since these chilly days keep trying to slip through, but I heard First Day of Spring and decided that I am back, baby! <3 So let’s take a little twirl back and see some of the things I bought, I tried, and I loved in March:
butterfly house wallpaper from rifle paper co.
I have this really interesting space in my apartment that I guess would best be referred to as the mudroom because it’s in between the kitchen/dining room and leads out to the backyard. It’s unfortunately been used exclusively as a little dump zone, storage room situation since we moved in two years ago, but that is changing very, very soon! And this gorgeous butterfly wallpaper is what finally sent my design mind running and skipping wildly toward what I hope will be a really cute, fun bar area/mudroom situation. I’m really excited about it and I cannot wait to share all the details as it starts coming together. I just got this wallpaper ordered, so hopefully as soon as it arrives I can just hit the ground running and get the space done ASAP. The wallpaper also comes in both traditional wallpaper and peel and stick versions, and a few other color combos, as well!
peel and stick tiles from smart tiles.
I think peel and stick tiles are such a game changer for renters, but – and this is a really big but – I think they are so hit or miss in terms of quality. I’m really, really picky when it comes to “renter friendly” hacks, in that I pretty much want them to look like the real deal and not like an obvious hack. But between a very ugly wall with no backsplash whatsoever in my kitchen and some hideously outdated tiles in my bathroom, I desperately needed to get over myself and find a peel and stick tile that I actually liked. These ones from Smart Tiles are well reviewed across the internet so I decided to give them a shot! I got the pink and green colors for the kitchen and bathroom, respectively, and true to everyone’s praise, I think they are SO GOOD! Really easy to work with, easy to cut and reposition if needed, and while I wouldn’t say they look exactly like real tile, I think it’s about as close as possible with a peel and stick option.
floral coir doormat from at home.
You will be horrified to know that I left my outdoor Christmas decor fully set-up until March 22nd this year. In typical me fashion, I couldn’t just take it down without giving the front patio a little spring spruce up in its place. And also in typical me fashion, I didn’t think to do this until the same day that I decided to film this video, so I needed something on the fly. I popped into At Home, found this 10×30 doormat (which is the only size that fits – I have steps that lead up right to the front door, so no room for a bigger one!), picked a coordinating wreath and made it home in time to film with the most perfect golden hour lighting ever.
new work bag from kate spade outlet.
As a girl who schleps a lot of stuff around on the day to day, a good work bag is absolutely essential. Which is where one of my favorite life hacks of all time comes into play – using a baby bag as a work bag! Before you tap tap away, hear me out. They typically have a bunch of separated sections and little organizing pockets throughout, and most of them are made from really easy to clean and water repellent materials like nylon. They’re made to take a beating and stand up to tiny human messes, so they are just literally the best! Personally, I love Kate Spade for this style of bag. They never look like a diaper/baby bag to me, and they really hold up. I just picked up this very cute navy one with pink detailing, and it might already be my favorite one I’ve ever had. It fits my laptop, chargers, notebook, content accessories, make-up bag, lunch for the day, a 40 oz. Stanley, all of my day-to-day items, and could fit so much more.
gold decorative tray from wayfair.
I have been slowly working on giving the upstairs landing area in my apartment some love and this cute vintage feel gold decorative tray fit right into the design plan! Tiny homes like my little Polly Pocket House mean storage is a premium, so almost all of my decor has to do double duty. I got a really cute sideboard for the upstairs area for linen storage, but instead of wasting the surface space on top, I wanted to make the decor functional. I needed somewhere to store some getting ready items that I reach for every day, so one of my favorite ways to make “clutter” feel intentional is by organizing it nicely on a decorative tray. Truthfully, I actually wanted a much more expensive one (this one from Anthropologie), but I got this one to see if the idea would even work in the space. I styled it in the space a few weeks ago and I really haven’t even thought about the Anthro one since.
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