Tips to Maximize Limited Outdoor Spaces

Chairs, Ceramic stool, pillows: Costco/ Planter boxes & stand: Lowe's Home Improvement

1. Know what you want to get out of your space.
Will you be eating there, just want a place to sit, or have a garden? Originally we just wanted our little balcony to be a place we could sit in the evenings with a beverage for a bit of a different atmosphere. Then we decided we'd also like to add some flowers and herbs for a little hobby and something more pretty to look at out there.
2. Find pieces that won't overwhelm your small space.
We found most of our pieces at Costco because they have great deals and good quality stuff. They sell big, beautiful patio furniture sets, but also had single chairs, umbrellas, etc. for sale as well. We decided all we needed was a couple of chairs, and some type of small table to sit drinks on. We found the ceramic garden stool/ottoman at Costco for only $40 (they usually are $80+!) and I think it's the perfect size for our balcony; it's just enough space to set drinks on but it's not the focal point.
At first we tried planter boxes to hang off the side of our railing, but our railing is an odd size so that plan fell through. We wanted to do it that way so that we could add to the atmosphere with the flowers but take up no space on our balcony so that would be ideal choice #1. When that didn't work we ran across this two-tiered planter stand at Lowe's and thought it was perfect! It has the two tiers so we could do flowers on one and herbs on the other to make us both happy and it was thin enough that it didn't take up much space.
3. Just because it's small doesn't mean it can't be stylish.
Much like the way I decorate the interior I decorated the balcony here. So, we chose neutral colors for the chairs, stool and planter and added pops of color with the pillows and of course the flowers.
The chairs are made of vinyl wicker and I thought that gave it a little bit of a beach/vacation vibe, not to mention it's heavy duty for the elements. The outdoor pillows give the space more color, comfort and style to accessorize with. I love the color green and it obviously ties in with the flowers and other surroundings well, but the stripes reminded me of a striped beach towel I have, again going back to the vacation vibe.
Ceramic stools are really popular this year and I think that the stripes are a stylish choice that will never be out of date for an outdoor space. The two-tired planter is a super cute shape, I think, and makes me feel like I'm at a little outdoor bistro with the scroll details.
4. Minimal is better.
Did I want to add string lights and lanterns and ceramic figurines? Obviously! But for the tiny outdoor space I have on the balcony, anything else would start looking like clutter. When you're working with a small outdoor space less is definitely more. When you're outside you want to feel like you're in a calming environment and if it's got stuff hanging and sitting everywhere it's likely to make you feel stressed and not even use the space.
I hope this helps if you're creating an outdoor space for yourself,. I definitely had fun doing it even if it is small! If you can think of any other tips, let me know!

One-piece Swimsuits

Scalloped/Patterned/Crochet/High-waisted

It's almost officially summer (although the temperatures are already saying summer!) so it's that time of year that everyone's vacationing and relaxing by some form of water. Whether you're going to a beach, pool, waterpark or what have you, you've probably eyed this year's swimsuits and the style I've been drawn to is the one-piece!

They're good for so many reasons...hiding areas you're not comfortable with, showing off areas you are comfortable with, if you're a little modest or just want to try something different! I think one-piece swim suits can be really chic, especially paired with accessories (if you're into that) and/or a high bun and that's why that's what I'm  into for this year!

I didn't choose all Target swimsuits for any reason, I just happened to like these the best. Let me know what you think!

Tom's Natural Deodorant

When I ran out of deodorant a while ago and I was browsing for the one I wanted to try next, I ran across the Tom's Natural Deodorant. What really caught my attention was the "No Aluminum" sticker that was on the cap. I've heard studies and read articles that say that aluminum has been linked to cancer so I was wanting to try to find a deodorant that was formulated without it. There was one other that I saw without aluminum, but it was unscented so I decided to go with the Tom's which is a more natural formula altogether.
To keep on the topic of scent, Tom's does come in unscented, but it also comes in the Apricot, which is what I chose. It's a very light fruity smell, which I like because it doesn't smell super perfumey and fake.
The front label does say that this is a 24-hour protection deodorant, which I would not agree with. Because it's a more natural formula, it isn't packed with preservatives and all that yucky stuff, it lasts for my work day but not much more than that. If you have a job where you're more on-the-go or you just perspire more heavily throughout the day, this might not be enough for you.
As you can see in the second photo, it is technically a solid stick, but it applies like a gel. The texture is fine with me, it's just a little cold in the morning because I'm used to a more solid stick!
What I'm happy about most with this product is the back label...No animal testing or animal ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, fragrance or preservatives. You do pay more for all of the natural-ness, of course, but deodorant is a product that lasts a while so I don't feel like I'm constantly buying it.
I know this was a different type of post, but let me know if you've ever tried this or another natural deodorant!

Welcoming Spring

This piece of furniture, lovingly referred to as "The Coscto Furniture", because that's where we bought it, gets redesigned all the time. For major holidays or events I'll decorate the entire house, but for smaller things like Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day or in this case just Spring in general, the only piece that really gets decorated in the house is the Costco furniture.
I love this piece of furniture and I know you've seen it before in my Christmas House tour, but I just love the color (unlike me), the style and the fact that it's a great size for the landing at the top of our stairs. I just love to decorate it because I feel like when you get to the top of the stairs it looks all cheery and it greets you as you come up.
The lantern and the metal sphere stay out all the time and just get thrown in with whatever decor I put there. As far as the banner, I decided to DIY it with some scrapbooking paper, mini clothes pins, glitter letters, twine and scrapbooking flower stickers. I think it turned out pretty cute and added a bit of color that it really needed. I really like the "cluttered" look on this piece of furniture. We're still adding furniture to our house, so it's really the only piece that I get to change with the seasons and I take full advantage of it!
I usually have fake flowers sitting there, but my mom was sweet enough to have these flowers sent to my work on the first day of spring so I couldn't resist adding that here.
Dresser- Costco Mirror- Kirkland's Burlap Runner- Target Metal Lantern- Pier 1 Metal Sphere- TJ Max Daisy Candle Holder- Bath and Body Works Lady Bug jar- Marshall's Silver mercury glass jar- Unknown (gift) Glass Lantern- Kirkland's
I'm so happy it's finally spring! Now if the weather would only cooperate! :)

Benefit Push-Up Liner

It's no secret that I'm awful at eyeliner...It takes me forever to put eyeliner on, it's thicker on one side, not a smooth line, etc and some days I just skip it altogether because I don't even want to go there.

Oh, and I have trouble with all types of eyeliner...my struggles aren't limited to one method. However, I will say that I've had the least amount of trouble with gel liner because it's easier to manipulate than any others in my opinion.

So, I decided to try the Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner. It's a gel liner pen, which gives the benefit of gel liner, but without the hassle of a little pot that dries out and dealing with a brush.

The tip on this pen is supposed to draw an easy line and hug your lash line to make your eyes look bigger. On the box there is also percentages of people that claim that it's long-wearing and water proof.

The first time I used this I loved it. It seemed so much easier and it didn't take me forever to apply my eyeliner to both eyes. I felt like I finally found a solution! However, as I've used it more, I'm still struggling with getting a thin, even line on both sides so it hasn't exactly solved all of my problems.

I will say that it is very long-wearing and is difficult for me to remove with makeup remover so it's probably waterproof as well. I seem to touch around my eyes a lot and they get watery as well, so that's always a good thing to have in an eyeliner. It's also very pigmented so it's very opaque and black. I really dislike eyeliners that I have to go over multiple times to get a dark line out of. A negative that I've found with this product is the packaging. You have to twist the end to get product to come up through the tip. That's fine, except I've twisted it and had nothing come out, so I twist again and then I get a huge clump that I then have to waste and wipe off because there's no way to apply that. This is a higher end product price-wise and I don't like that I feel like a lot of product gets wasted that way.

If you're an eyeliner pro, or even decent with eyeliner, you'll probably love this product. I think I just struggle with applying eyeliner no matter what the type is so while the product is good, it's not magical!

Have you tried this? What is your favorite eyeliner?

Guest Bedroom Reveal

I'm so excited that the guest bedroom is complete! We've been working on it for the last couple of months trying to compile everything that we needed because the only thing that was in there was my vanity. I think it turned out to be so adorable and cozy and I just love it! 
I might add a couple things like a plant for some greenery and a big mirror above my vanity eventually but this is the room about 98% done and I'm very pleased. I went for a monotone color scheme with just a pop of color in the tassel pillow and a simple piece of artwork on the small wall next to the closet (not pictured) to pick up those colors as well as the chalkboard easel that picks up the teal. The curtains that are in the room are from the previous owners and while they're not exactly what I would've picked out, I've kept them for now because they are white and flowy, which did go perfectly with my "vision."
I think the chalkboard easel is SO cute and I loved the phrase "Be Our Guest" on it because it's obviously fitting to be in a guest bedroom. I think it just makes it so warm and inviting. Another great idea for a piece like that would be to put your wifi password for guests so they can easily connect to your internet!
Another piece I love so much in the room is the tassel pillow from Anthropologie. I was slightly hesitant about it at first just because it is a little different, but it's velvet so it's super soft and the multi-colored tassels added a little color to the room, but didn't make me commit to a color.
I also added some magazines and other reading material to the night stand since there's not a TV in the room so our guests had some other form of entertainment if they wanted .
I'm going to do my best to list/link where everything in from in case you're interested:
Headboard: Wayfair Mattress: Costco Bedskirt: Bed Bath and Beyond Shams & Duvet: Ballard Designs Quilt: Old; already had Sunburst Mirror: Burlington Coat Factory (spray painted) Wall Sconces: Thrift store Night stand: Thrift store (already had) Lamp: Home Goods Chess Piece: Target (old) Chalkboard Sign: Gift from Kirkland's Accent Chair: Wayfair Tassel Pillow: Anthropologie (sold out of multi-colored) Vanity: Ikea Vanity Chair: Ikea
If you want to take a look at my inspiration you can check out my last Home Decor post here and see how it measures up.
I hope you like it as much as I do!
Happy Friday!!

Alex and Ani Bracelets First Impressions

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I started my Alex and Ani bracelet collection on the 16th. I've been wanting to start a little collection for months now and I decided that I was just going to do it!

There are a few things that I want to make sure I cover when I talk about these so I'm going to divide my "review" into categories so here goes!

The Packaging: I bought my bracelets from Reed's Jewelers so I'm not 100% sure if they're packaged the same everywhere, but I would assume so. Mine came in a little black box with "Alex and Ani" written in a gold metallic and on the front of the box where you pull it up to open it, it has a gold foil American flag in the shape of a heart. Not that it's the most important part, but the packaging gets a thumbs up from me, I think it's classy, cute and on trend.

Each bracelet that you get has a meaning behind the charm and comes with a card for each individual one explaining the traits of the charm. There is also a nice write up on the back going into more detail which I think is a really nice touch and something that I'll keep.

The Design: What I really like about the design of their bracelets is that they are easy to take on and off. You don't have to mess around with trying to close a clasp or a lobster claw, you don't have to ask a family member or someone at work to help you- you just adjust the size and slip them on. I definitely appreciate the simplicity of getting them on and off because I'm the type of person that won't bother with jewelry if I'm going to struggle with it.

Some of their bracelets are leather, some are beaded, some have just their classic charm. They have a lot of finish options, from the Rafaelian gold and silver that I got to shiny silver, shiny gold, gold/silver plated, gold filled, rose gold, etc. so there is something for everyone.

Also, a lot of the bracelets come with 3-4 small charms in addition to your main charm that say "made in USA", "infused with + energy", the recycle symbol because they're recycled material and if you got a special bracelet for a charity or something along those lines a charm will tell you that too. I just like them because I feel like they're neat little extras that are included.

Just in general, I think that they are simple, pretty and easy to stack together and with other pieces.

The Concept: The overall concept is sustainability, economic growth, being made in America and utilizing positive energy. Each symbol has a special meaning and is "intended to empower the wearer." I highly recommend you read their "About" page to learn more in depth about their process.

Overall: Their bracelets range in price from $25-$300 with a majority of them being around the $28 mark. I feel like the price is reasonable for a nice quality piece that's made in America. Also, I do like that they make higher quality pieces like sterling silver, 14k gold filled, etc. and of course that they help remind me to think positively. 

If you're interested in their bracelets I would recommend you go to a store before you buy online just so you can try them on and get a feel for them first. Even though my Reed's Jewelers experience was just fine, I would also recommend you try to go to an actual Alex and Ani store because Reed's doesn't have a huge selection and at mine things get sold out quickly. 

What I'm interested to see is how they are over time and whether or not they tarnish because there are a lot of restrictions with these which does make me nervous. As of right now, though, I'm pretty happy!

Let me know if you have any of these and your experience with them!