All posts in: Home Life

19 Apr 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Think You Know What That Small Pocket on Your Jeans Is For? [Gear Patrol]
  • Our Pandemic Summer [The Atlantic]
  • How Long It Takes to Binge Watch More Than 50 Popular TV Shows [Mental Floss]
  • Nordstrom to delay Anniversary Sale [WWD]
  • Why Kids Write Letters Backward [Vox]
  • Netflix Adds Some of its Shows to YouTube For Free [Hypebeast]
  • Instagram Founders Launch a Covid-19 Tracker [Gizmodo]
  • 15 Tips For Living in a Small Space [A Cup of Jo]
18 Dec 2019

LoveShackFancy Launches Homeware Collection

The one time I ever threw a soiree for myself and meant it was for my going away party to the Bay Area. I had planned many events leading up to this before – benefits, birthdays, surprises and concerts, but this was personal. I used some of my sign on bonus to rent out a venue space with my friends and family and themed it “garden party.” Maybe that theme is out nearly six years later, but I still swoon over it.

LoveShackFancy is my new favorite brand from the last year and in addition to their beautiful dresses, they are now launching homewares. It’s basically everything you would want to have a garden party on the regular. The line is currently available online and soon in stores at their very own shop in Palm Beach.

[Source]

18 Dec 2019

Holiday Gift Guide 2019

[Google Pixelbook Go] – $849

I’m not sure how we were able to start this gift guide before Thanksgiving this year, but it seems as if everyone had the same idea! The guides are out and it’s exciting to see what made the list. This past quarter, I’ve tried my hardest to be a bit more financially focused. In years prior, I’ve never had a budget when considering gifts for my family, but this year it’s at the top of my to do list. Finding the perfect gift for every family member is key, but if I did a bit of research on prices and deals, I’d also be doing myself a favor too. There’s no reason why we can’t have both, right? This year’s guide is covering gifts across all areas and at different price points:

[VSCO Annual Subscription] – $19.99

Read more “Holiday Gift Guide 2019”
28 Nov 2019

The Sill – Cow Hollow

One of the most fun parts about having Yow Yow! is writing about something and then having it be something you can experience years later. When [The Sill] first debuted in New York, we wrote about it on [Yow Yow!] back in 2013. I believe back then I may have called them a start-up, but they have a true store front now and they’ve landed in San Francisco. A week into their shop in Cow Hollow, I dragged Brad along with me so that I could see them in real life. The process was seamless. First you pick your pot, then your plant and then they put it all together for you so that you can bring it home without having to do any of the work yourself. Except for, well, keeping it alive. I suppose that’s where the real work comes in!

2181 Union Street

There are no shortage of plants store within the city, but I’m partial to this one for personal reasons. 🙂

07 Apr 2019

A Collection Part 54

For me, birthdays can act as complete shifts in your life. It was decided that this year, I wouldn’t celebrate the way I normally would and opt for smaller gatherings. The morning after last weekend’s wedding, my friends and I seemed to all decide that we were going to change our perspectives on how we had been “doing life.” In my day-to-day, my weekdays are now packed with activities every night while my weekends are seemingly quite open.

I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t it worse to go out and have a night of drinking during the work week? Yes, it’s completely irresponsible, but I don’t make the rules here! I will say, that it does feel great to wake up in the morning on the weekends without a hangover and with a complete and clear mind to tackle the day. It also means I can make it to my 11AM workout class without any regrets.

This moment right now is not in balance, but I have some high hopes that we’ll be able to get there. Eventually.

Read more “A Collection Part 54”
30 Jan 2019

A Collection Part 53

Tonight I did something for the first time that I’ve never done with these posts. Since I started working on this post over the holidays while I was at home there were a few Christmas themed photos in this batch. As I scrolled through the preview, I didn’t feel that same spark or attachment to them as I once had. So while on my way to finish this post, I replaced those photos. Since we’ve been through 53 rounds of this and I’ve never once replaced any photos before posting, in some way, I felt like I was being inauthentic. Could my readers tell that I had swapped them out? Of course not. But I would know and that kind of ate me up for about 15 minutes.

We haven’t written our resolutions post yet, but this made me think of two previous resolutions I’ve had. A few years back, I had “say yes to everything.” The intent was good, sure. But saying “yes to everything” can sometimes do more harm than good. Sometimes you say yes to things when you don’t want to. Maybe saying yes to things causes you to spend money when you don’t want to. Have experiences that you don’t think you’ll appreciate. The next year I refined that resolution: do the things you want to do. And that has stuck around longer than saying “yes.” So if that’s what I truly believe, why not act upon that when it comes to this blog and my posts?

Read more “A Collection Part 53”
22 Dec 2018

Blog Roundup

  • How Tourists Are Loving Nature to Death [The Guardian]
  • The Long-Term Cost When Graduates Move Back Home [New York Times]
  • 25 Simple Rules For Not Acting Like An A-Hole at the Airport [Inside Hook]
  • When Priyanka Met Nick: A Love Story [Vogue]
  • Is Orthorexia the Eating Disorder for the Digital Age? [Vogue]
  • 10 Things You Should Throw Away Before 2019 [Refinery29]
  • Artist Reveals The Hidden Side of Long Term Relationships in 15 Perfect Illustrations [GOOD]
  • 100 Best Songs of 2018 [Noisey]
  • 9 Celebrity-Owned Bars That Are Worth The Hype [Vogue]
  • Rising Instagram Stars Are Posting Fake Sponsored Content [The Atlantic]
  • JoJo Has Re-Recorded Her Debut Album [Nylon]
16 Dec 2018

Holiday Gift Guide 2018


 Chanel N°5 The Bath Soap – $26

Readers, what kind of Christmas shopper are you? Every year, I tell myself that I know how much easier it is to shop online, but can’t bring myself to do it. I have managed to order a few online exclusives and a few items that be personalized since I just found out you can upload photo on socks, but for the majority of my shopping, I still go to the mall. I hate the crowds at the mall, but yet I love it at the same time. There’s a certain kind of holiday cheer that you can get from the mall that you just can’t get from putting items into your cart from your couch. So this year, I did a mix of both and like every year, I know I’ll find myself at the mall one or two more times for that extra last minute Christmas shopping. 

Here are just a few items that I’ve caught on the interwebs that I think would make great gifts along with a couple of things that I might want for myself too! 


Firebox Retro Handheld Console – $22

Read more “Holiday Gift Guide 2018”
27 Jan 2018

When Your Home Is Everything

Whenever I visit my best friend back home, she is constantly improving her house. I see her roughly every six months and with each visit more and more projects have been completed and there is always at least one project in process. This time, as far as I remember, she was talking about incorporating antique silver cutlery and candles into her dining and living room. She’s been searching in places like this Professional silver antique shop so that she can find something unique to match her taste, and whilst I struggle to envision her projects, I can really see how a touch of silver could really complete the rooms she has in mind.

Even though we are in different stages of our lives – her owning a house and me still renting – we’re not that much different! Since I moved to my new place, I’ve been noticing that I’ve loved spending time at home more than anywhere else I’ve lived. Decorating was the first part of the process after moving in. These days, I’m spending more time cleaning, looking at different plants, purchasing candles, and discovering new ways to bring more of my own personality into my home with decor.

My friends make fun of me because I’m always telling them how much I LOVE my home. It’s my sanctuary. It gives me a place to escape when I want to get away from work. It sparks my creativity when I want to focus on my blog or side project. It brings me peace when I need a quiet moment. I don’t think there will ever be a time when I’m not continuously working on my home and making it better, but I don’t mind that it’s my personal ongoing project.

Whilst I do love a good home improvement project, these things can admittedly be expensive. The best thing to do if you’re on a tight budget is to look for quick and easy ways to make something look or work better. For example, if you have an old, stained carpet that you can’t bear to look at anymore, pull up a corner and have a look at the floorboards underneath. You might be surprised to find that your floorboards are in good condition, so all you need to do is rip the carpet up, give the wood a good clean and polish and you’ll instantly have improved the room. If the floorboards are looking a little worse for wear, you could simply paint them instead with an old can of wood paint you have lying around. It’s quick, easy and cheap!

What are your favorite things about your home and how do you make it your own?