Sale items for the home

#BlackFriday sales are still going strong, so I've rounded up items that I have my eye on for my own home office! I just ordered this desk which is on sale for under $200 and a set of bookshelves which was over $100 each but I found them here for less than $60 each. I am super excited to do a home office reveal once they arrive and I get them set up and situated!
I've always wanted a gorgeous makeup set up. I saw a similar acrylic drawer set on Katiesbliss.com so I might ask Santa for it for Christmas :) The one I picked out is less than $40 here.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy times with your friends and family!

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How to make your bedroom a santuary

Countless studies have shown the amazing health benefits of a good night's sleep. Doesn't it make sense that getting a good night's sleep starts in your bedroom? I find it difficult to shut off my brain if I'm distracted by lights blinking, computers whirring, or even by overwhelming piles of papers and other clutter.

Here are 5 easy tips to make your bedroom a sanctuary, so you can rest easy and get those 8 hours of shut eye that you deserve.

1. Keep the electronics to a minimum. 
We all have our cell phones, some have alarm clocks, computers, tvs, radios -- all of these items come with blinking lights and noises. Try to keep your bedroom an electronic free space (within reason.) I use my phone as my alarm, but I always make sure to put it on Do Not Disturb (the little moon on the iPhone) so that if people are emailing/texting/calling me after I've gone to bed, my phone doesn't vibrate or ring so as not to disturb my sleep.

2. Invest in good bedding, and wash your sheets regularly. 
Sounds basic, right? I'll be the first to tell you that I have found some awesome bedding at a discount price at Homegoods. Homegoods is an awesome place to buy high quality, high threat count, super soft sheets for WAY less. I recently bought a new bedset there (duvet cover and pillow shams) and I am obsessed with it! Upgrading our bedding gave our room a whole new feel and going to bed in clean sheets always feels so luxurious and comfortable.

3. Light a candle. 
You guys know I'm a candle freak! I can't get enough of candles. (Here is a good scent for fall.) I like burning one candle in the bedroom and one in the bathroom (ours are connected). I also try to open a window as often as possible to get some fresh air circulating, too.

4. Wear a cozy eye mask. 
I have a few different eye masks that I rotate through (I usually end up losing them - don't ask me how - they always fall off my face when I sleep!) These help me sleep when my fiance is up late reading (it's so hard to sleep with the lights on!) This one is in my shopping cart right now, it's so cute!

5. Keep work outside of the bedroom. 
Some of us don't have the luxury of having an office separate from our bedroom. Take it from me - my fiance and I have our desks in our room and it is NOT restful. We are planning to move our desks into the spare bedroom in our house to really create that work/rest balance and separation.

Try these tips at home and let me know how they work out for you!

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must have items for a living room

My boyfriend just moved into a new house so I'm helping him figure out what he needs for each room :) His old house came furnished so he's had to buy a lot of new stuff. Decorating a new place can be fun but it's definitely time consuming and can be a little overwhelming. Hopefully this will help him and some of you, too.

 I love white with gold accents, so I'm super into this faux marble table lamp and this gold painted side table. I really like rooms to be bright and well-lit, so I'm all about lamps, lamps, lamps. Mirrors are also good to have on the walls because they open up a room and make it brighter.

 Another item that brightens and livens up a space is a plant. I really like how big green leafy plants look in rooms, but in case you're not a plant person, you could always just get a print like the one I linked above. Isn't it nice? I'm big into gallery walls and Lulu and Georgia has a lot of bright, beautiful prints that would be perfect for a girly office or a super cute living space.

It's important to stay organized in your space, so make sure you have a place for your stuff. If you're anything like me you have a lot of books and candles. I have so many and not enough places to put them. I'm planning to get a bookcase like this one for my room for my books, candles, makeup and jewelry. That's the great thing about bookcases, you can put your stuff on display on them and make it look artistic and pretty.

The last important thing about setting up a living space is to pick out a good color scheme that reflects your personality and/or how you want to feel in your home. I recommend browsing pinterest for some color pairing ideas, or you could always head to your local home depot and pick up some paint swatches. It's a good idea to look at what you already own to determine what color scheme you might already have going on, and then build off of that when you go to buy more stuff.

So, what do you think of my picks? Also in case you need it, here is a helpful article of 33 places to shop for home decor online. It has a lot of really good links including some places I had never heard of. Thanks as always for reading!

Shop the post: mirror | side table | table lamp | accent pillows | plant print | rug | bookcase | couch

The 7 Habits to a Tidier Home

Feel like you are constantly cleaning your apartment or home? Does the laundry pile never seem to end and the dishes haven't learned to do themselves yet? I might not be able to do your laundry or dishes for you, but I can give you the 7 habits tidy people practice to keep a clean and tidy home. 

1. Follow the 1 minute rule.
Can it be picked up, washed, cleaned, straightened, or put away in 1 minute or less? If yes, channel Nike and Just Do It. Often times tasks get neglected or shirked because of the fear they will take forever and eat up your precious time and energy. What people don't realize is the energy it takes to avoid doing something and/or looking at a mess constantly actually eats up more energy than the original task itself! If it takes a minute or less, just do it. Your future self will thank you and your home will look much tidier and more inviting.

2. Take off your shoes. 
Practice cleanliness and take off your shoes when you get inside your home. Why track all that dirt and muck around the house? You don't walk around on your hands all day and then touch every surface in your home, do you? Then why should your shoes? Take them off.

3. Become friends with dish washing. 
Accept that dishes are a part of life. You eat, you drink, you live, you wash dishes. Dishes should not be left undone overnight. If they must be left undone overnight, do them in the morning. If you don't believe me, read this post about ants taking over my kithen. Personally dish washing is my least favorite chore because it grosses me out to touch other people's half eaten food and dirty dishes, but some people find hand washing dishes to be very zen. I like to rinse them and use the dishwasher. I try to think of it in the grand scheme of things -- how lucky am I to have food on the table and clean water and indoor plumbing that I have dishes to do. (Yes, seriously.)

4. Accept laundry as a part of life and devise a system.
Like dish washing, laundry is simply a part of life. You have clothes, you wear them, they need to be washed. Now that I live in a house instead of an apartment and I don't have to put in quarters to use the machines, I like to do a load of laundry every few days (as opposed to when I lived in an apartment and would wait as long as I possibly could before doing laundry because I hated trekking up and down the stairs and fighting with my neighbors over who got to use the machines.) I live in California so there is a constant drought and we have to be very mindful of how much water we use. When I have a full load of laundry (aka my hamper is full) I wash my clothes. Find a system that works for you. Follow the 1 minute rule and don't take off clothes and pile them around your room. Put them in the hamper and when the hamper is full, do your laundry. That might mean doing laundry a couple of times a week if you have a family/children, or it might mean once a week if you are single and live alone.

5. Make your bed. 
If you make your bed first thing in the morning, you will not only feel like you have accomplished something, you will be contributing to the tidiness of your home. (Also how inviting is a made bed at the end of a long day!?)

6. Wipe off the counters.
Every night before bed wipe down the counters -- kitchen, bathroom, etc. Wipe them down and you will be cleaning up the water stains, crumbs, dirt and whatever else has accumulated throughout the day. You will feel so much better waking up to a clean bathroom sink and clean kitchen.

7. Put things in their place and have a place for every thing. 
I admit, this is the HARDEST of each of these 7 habits and something I am definitely still working on (especially since I am still not fully moved in yet.) When I start to feel like things don't have a place, I evaluate what I no longer use, need or love and give it away or sell it. There is something very liberating about making sure everything has a place and that way you know what you have and you don't buy duplicates of things! What a waste of money to buy something when you already have it but you just couldn't find it, right?

***

I hope you found these 7 habits to a tidier home useful! What habits do you have in place to keep your home tidy? 

Kohl's Labor Day Sale Picks

Who's excited for Labor Day Weekend?! I always enjoy having a Monday off and going back to work for a shorter week, don't you? Labor Day means barbecues, beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, and waving goodbye to summer while welcoming fall with open arms. There's also lots of sales events to hit up! These are my picks for the Kohl's Labor Day sales event that's happening through September 5th. Stock up on some home/beauty and closet staples like this blending sponge (less than $5!), these beautiful lattice towels or this simple classic cardigan. We all know that fall means the kids are back to school too... so treat yourself to a new Keurig to make getting up in the morning a little easier. Your teen will love this Nerd is the Word notebook because everybody knows... nerd chic is back in style! And you and your daughter might be fighting over who gets to wear these these adorable ankle booties... so you may want to get two pairs-one in each color ;)

 I hope you all have a lovely and safe weekend! 

The sale price isn't always reflected in the picture above, so see below for accurate sale pricing. 

Keurig on sale for $119.99 (regular $149.99)

"Nerd is the Word" makeup case on sale for $9.90 (regular $18)

Earth Therapeutics Precisso Beauty Blending Sponge on sale for $4.20 regular $6

Nerd is the Word notebook on sale for $5.50 (regular $10)

Mudd Animal Dome Cosmetic Case on sale for $12.50 (original $25)

Sonoma Life + Style Hand towel  $6.99 (regular $13.99)

LC Lauren Conrad solid leggings $9.99 (original $20.00)

Croft & Barrow textured-stitch open-front cardigan  $21.99 (original $40)

AB Studio open front cardigan $19.99 (original $34)

Sonoma Life + Style buckle ankle boots on sale for $34.99 (original $74.99)

Birthday Brunch - My Apartment

Hello everyone!! Happy Monday! Today is my BIRTHDAY!! For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you know that I celebrated my 26th birthday a little early with my family and friends up in the Bay Area two weekends ago, and it was so lovely. I felt so celebrated. I'm lucky enough to say that the birthday festivities continue, and yesterday I hosted a birthday brunch at my apartment in LA. I feel so grateful that I have wonderful people in my life (in both places.) It's you guys that make my life so special and make me feel truly excited to have another birthday.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me celebrate and made me feel so loved. It's the people in my life that matter the most- my family, friends, SH- without all of you I wouldn't experience such happy days. Thank you :)

Here are some pictures from the brunch. It was about 110 degrees in my apartment (we are having the weirdest weather here in LA- super muggy rain/heat) so we took a few pictures before the food was served and then gave up.

My romper is from the new Cupcakes and Cashmere line for those of you who follow Emily (love her) and I'm completely in love with this romper. (I sized up FYI. You can find it on Shopbop or Nordstrom. I also ordered it the day the line came out and picked it up in store for those of you wondering how I snagged one in the right size- I know they've been selling out like crazy!)

Pink Carnations

Champagne Flutes

Gift from my sweet friend Angela

Her ridiculously beautiful calligraphy

New Kate Spade earrings- I love them!

Wednesday Wishlist: Home

I'm moving again, and I can't wait to get started on decorating. Here are some things I am wishing for as I'm thinking of decorating my new space. 

Wednesday Wishlist: Home by lovecoffeetea featuring provence furniture

Favorite Accents

Wall Hangings I Love

Wall Hangings I Love by lovecoffeetea featuring retro home decor

I'm getting ready to move, and there is something about having a fresh space to decorate that is both exciting and a little unnerving. Nothing says "new" like a blank wall and an empty space. There is room for imagination and creativity, and making the space how I want it. I can make improvements to my current space, take away from it what I love, and change what I don't. Moving is also slightly daunting because clutter is inevitable, and things always seem to get lost no matter how much care I put into packing. In any case, I am thrilled to move to my new apartment soon, and these wall hangings would be the perfect accompaniments to my new space.

Sentimentality

I'm quite a sentimental person, almost to a fault. I keep everything-- you could say I'm a sort of packrat, though I like to think of myself as a treasure and memory keeper. I safeguard things until I can turn them into a project or scrapbook. I am a firm believer in sentimental books and jewelry, most of all. I am not really one to wear jewelry unless it means something to me, and I have more books than I have room for.

Here are some examples of things I keep around the house that hold very fond memories, as well as my sentimental jewelry and the stories behind them.

1. Everything on the right hand side of my bathroom counter reminds me of someone special in my life. Earrings my mom gave me.


This jar reminds me of both my parents. My mom bought it because she thought it was beautiful. Turns out it was filled with cherries that my dad loves to put in his old-fashioneds (a type of cocktail.) She washed it out and gave it to me because I liked it so much :)


A pearl necklace from my grandma and a necklace my dad gave me. My ancestors on my dad's side are Swedish, and it's a Swedish horse :)


The watch I received when I graduated college. I wear it almost every day! The adjustable ring one of my best and oldest friends gave me for my birthday. The rings I received from my parents for graduating from my master's, one is David Yurman and the other is my school ring. A horse bit ring from my childhood and a ring with mountains, trees and the sun/moon that I can't quite remember where I got it. It's also a childhood ring and is quite small. Last but not least a "C" bracelet I received for my birthday from sweetheart and horse earrings (my favorite animal!) my dad gave me from Finland. Each is special in its own way! :)



Everything together. I love keeping these where I can see them everyday! Other items include a bracelet from sweetheart's family, my favorite J Crew necklace, a candle from my mom that says "Light up the Room" (she has a matching one in her home,) a seashell because I love the ocean, etc.

I wear these two bracelets every day, I just leave them on overnight. One is from my first trip to Paris, the other has the name of my horse engraved on it. The third is a new Alex and Ani bracelet I just bought the other day. It's the "Path of Life" bracelet and the symbol means strength, motivation and knowledge. It reminds me of a dear friend from college who always says, "Trust Your Path."

The three bracelets.


Better image of the "Path of Life" charm.

2. Perfumes I've worn throughout the years. Each hold memories from the times when I wore them:

Paul Smith, studying abroad in London. Ralph Lauren Romance, high school. Hollister scent, high school. Chanel Chance, my current scent.


Fresh bottle of my current scent. Lola by Marc Jacobs, college. Daisy by Marc Jacobs, college.


3. Books. I have tons of books all over my apartment but the favorites are always most treasured.

Some of my favorite books. Yes, I know Twilight is on there. (Sorry I'm not sorry, I just love the fantasy genre!) These are a mixture of books I've read and loved over the years. Some are more recent favorites, others are favorites from childhood that I still love today!

One of my Harry Potter books is signed, my parents used to read Mr. Popper's Penguins to me when I was a kid, I've read The Little Prince in multiple languages, Thanks! is from my senior thesis on the science of happiness, Four Texts on Socrates is from my freshman year independent study on Plato, The Language of Flowers was recommended to me by a dear friend who suggests the best books. Just a little insight into why some of my favorites are so loved!

Are you sentimental? Do you have certain items around the home that remind you of special people in your life?