Spring Wardrobe Favorites

It finally feels like Spring around here! Although I know as soon as I take my snow tires off, it'll inevitably snow one more time ;) Yesterday was 60 degrees and it was GLORIOUS. It got me inspired to round up some of my spring favorites for you! I'm all about feminine details like ruffles, florals, bows / ties, and lace trim, but I also think the overall trend is SO cute-- especially paired with basic tees for an every day look, or dressed up with a white ruffle blouse and wedges.

DETAILS | ruffle back top / overalls / converse / booties / floral shirt / wedge sandal / white blouse / gingham dress / floral jumpsuit / earrings / pink blouse w/ flowers / green jumpsuit / lace sleeve tee / sandal
I'm completely obsessed with that ruffle back t-shirt. It comes in a couple colors, but I'm diggin' the army green right now! Anything with florals on it pretty much has my heart, so this blouse is on my wishlist. This pair of block heel wedge / booties have had my attention for a few months but it's been snowing up until a couple weeks ago, so now that it makes sense to actually wear them soon maybe I'll grab them. They are SO cute and versatile! I love that the heel isn't too high. 
Spring also means it's time to pull out my denim jacket. I wear it so often because it's easy to throw on, looks great with tons of outfits and in Michigan, you really do need a jacket because you never know what the weather might do ;) Here are some of my favorites:

What are some of your Spring must-haves?! Happy Friday!

You might want to hop over to my Instagram today for a fun announcement!

xoxo
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March Flowers for Your Home

This month I found one of my favorite flowers to use in an arrangement from Trader Joe's! Ranunculus! And only for $5.99 for 10 stems. That's an amazing deal! I grabbed one bunch of those + one smaller "farmers bunch" with 1 stem of spray roses, 3 pieces of lavender stock and 2 white mums (not my favorite, but I liked the other things so I went with it). This small bundle was only $3.99.
I actually made this arrangement for my friend who's birthday it was last weekend! I picked up a really pretty vase I'd been eyeing at Target recently and I knew she'd love it. You can find it here. 

 Since I'm making these grocery store flower arranging posts a monthly series, I had my friend Alex from Prairie Letter Shop do some calligraphy with the series name so I could put them on the pictures! She's so talented :)

 There was this one peach ranunculus in the bunch and it was SO beautiful!!

I show this every time, but I never want someone to miss it because it really helps! Since this was a smaller mouth vase, I cut the strips of tape in half so they wouldn't take up too much space. This just provides support to the flowers so they can stand up easier on their own.

I started with the bulkier blooms which were the Stock pieces. Then I placed the spray roses, but as you'll see, I ended up moving them towards the end ;)

I started filling in with more flowers and this arrangement was tough, I'll be honest, because all of the blooms are on the small size. Usually you have some that are larger and others that are small, but all being the same size, I had to play around with it for a while. I started by putting a mum in the front, but I didn't like it. As seen below, it looks out of place.

I took it out and made the tallest ranunculus shorter so that the two tall ones on the side would balance each other out instead of having 3 tall points. I think it looks much better!

Lincoln went and laid down under the buffet while I was taking pictures. He always has to be right next to me ;)

This little guy is amazing with its green center. I can't wait to see how it opens up.

This is from the side with the spray roses...

I think ranunculus are just so pretty, I wish they were in season all the time! I'm so glad they had them for my friend's birthday :) I left this tip on my instagram, but I also wanted to leave it here: when you know certain flowers are in season, be sure to ask your local Trader Joe's if they're getting any shipments in. Then ask them to take down your number and have them call you when they arrive. My store even lets me reserve a bunch! So they put these flowers in the back for me to pick up when I came in, so that they wouldn't be gone by the time I arrived. I'm always so impressed by them!
xoxo
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Friday Finds: Sales + Noteworthy Links

Happy Friday! I haven't done one of my Friday Finds posts in a while, so I'm excited to share a couple fun sales going on! I'm including lots of Spring-like finds, because I'm SO READY! Anthropologie: 25% extra off sale!

J.Crew: 30% off with code NEWNEW

J.Crew Factory: up to 40-60% off

LOFT: 40% off tops, sweaters and dresses * the first two rompers below are SO cute! Major crush.

Beautycounter: get a FREE Brightening Face Oil when you spend $125. 

I also wanted to show you this adorable top I love from one of my friend's boutiques! It would be so sweet for Spring. They have an awesome sale section here.

Home: Anthro: 25% extra off sale! Pottery Barn: 60% off bedding, furniture, and decor & 25% off sofas, sectionals, and chairs using the code "RELAX" West Elm: 20% off your entire purchase + free shipping using the code "FRIENDS" Serena & Lily: 20% off everything using the code "INSPO" Noteworthy Finds:
- The best clean beauty products of 2019 -- I found some new ones I want to try and some of my faves are on the list!
- My friend Jenni wrote a really great blog post on the value of professional photography, but it can really be applied to ANY creative business that is seen as a "luxury service". I thought it was so well written!
- My friend Carmel wrote this awesome post on navigating smart phone use for kids and teens. I found it so helpful (for future kids) and was nodding in agreement with her the whole way through!
- This message from our pastor last week at church on John 6 was SO good. I shared it on instagram this week, but wanted to share it here as well. 
- I got these Blue Light Blocking Glasses on Amazon a couple weeks ago and I feel like my eyes aren't as tired and haven't gotten any headaches since using them while I'm on my computer! Win!
- While in California a couple weeks ago, I grabbed these new PJ's and I've been LIVING in them...like my husband would probably like me to put something else on now ;) The color is so beautiful and they're softer than soft.


Hope you have a wonderful weekend! See you back here next week when I'm planning to share some Spring Essentials + a fun announcement!
xoxo
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Client Reveal: Michigan Modern White & Gray Kitchen

I love Wednesday! Making it to the middle of the week feels like an accomplishment. In case you missed it last week, I shared the family room of this home. Today I'm excited to share the kitchen and dining room, after taking a poll of what room you'd like to see next on my instagram. (Thanks for voting!)

The kitchen, dining room and living room are all open to each other with no dividing walls. We kept the whole space one color so it felt cohesive and made it feel even larger. Collingwood by BM is one of my favorite grieges these days. It goes great with beiges, grays, and any accent colors. One of the reasons I love it is because it gives warmth, depth and makes your trim pop, but also makes the room feel light airy. 

Probably my favorite element in the whole room is this gorgeous custom table we had made by my friends at Haven Creek in Rockford, MI. Everything they create is stunning and so well made! When I can support local businesses like this, I always do my best to do it. This orb chandelier makes the perfect statement and ties in our matte black hardware throughout the house. 

 rug-- on sale now

I just love how their kitchen turned out! The gray island gives the kitchen the perfect amount of contrast and the gorgeous quartz countertops make it feel so sleek and clean. To warm it up a little, we did some open shelves (stained the same as the shelves in the family room) for displaying serving pieces and accessories. We brought the warm tones from the wood shelves into the window coverings (gorgeous custom roller shades) to continue to unify the space. 

Using the same subway tile, we set it in a herringbone pattern behind the range and I love the subtle yet effective design element in brought to the room. 

If you are wanting to cover a window in your home and get the look of a roman shade, but don't want the larger stack of fabric sitting at the top of your window when the shade is drawn up, roller shades are a great option! When rolled up they sit in the cassette at the top, which is only about 3-4" high, so you still have your view out the window. I get all my shades from The Blind Spot of West Michigan and love working with them. 

I love when sinks face out towards the room. It just seems to work so well for gatherings-- if people are over and you're doing dishes, your back isn't toward them and you're still able to continue conversation. And don't even get me started on this huge farmhouse sink! That's on my dream home wishlist ;)

Steve Visser Builder  / Flowers / Table / Window Treatments

What's your favorite part of the room? Thanks for scrolling through! I hope these room reveals provide inspiration for you in your design adventures.
xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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8 Steps to a Luxurious At Home Facial

I don't know about you, but I LOVE treating myself to a facial. Being pampered is always fun and my favorite form of self-care ;) I try to get professional facials every quarter, if budget allows, but in the in between, I have developed a little at-home process that is also really great. I thought I'd share it with you as we enter a new season here (hopefully soon, ha!) So I'm coming to you live in my favorite new pajama's (similar sweatshirt I almost got) and no makeup...here we go:

1. Cleanse: for this step, I encourage you to use a cleansing butter or balm first. One that is super hydrating and removes makeup from your skin at the same time. I use about a dime size of this Cleansing Balm and massage it all over my face (also comes in a travel size). 

 After learning some massage techniques on YouTube and from estheticians, I learned you should be using your entire hand for massaging your face, not just your fingertips. It's important to get the blood flowing and massage muscles in your face and jaw that you don't even know you have ;) So that's what you see me doing here-- the Cleansing Balm is all over my hands and I'm massaging it into my skin upward, towards my cheek bones and ears, to promote tighter skin.

After this first cleanse, I follow with a Charcoal Bar to remove any impurities. 

2. Exfoliate: this is a quick step I sometimes do and sometimes don't, depending on if I think my skin needs extra exfoliation. I use this one and gently massage it on my skin, then wash off with warm water. 3. Steam / Heat: if you have access to steam machine or even a humidifier, that is awesome! When I was sick two weeks ago, my Dr. told me to turn on my humidifier and put a sheet over it to sit under and left the steam really get into my skin (for my congestion) but I love this idea for a facial, too! If you don't have one, get a couple towels really warm and lay them over your face, pressing the warmth and steam into your pores. Let them sit for a few minutes. If you want an added element of luxury, put a couple drops of essential oils on the towels before you run them under hot water. The smell will be so lovely! If your skin is extra dry, you can actually apply more of the Cleansing Balm before this step so the steam will press the hydrating oils into your skin.

4. Mask: there are lots of awesome mask options out there, but my favorite is this charcoal mask. My goal during a facial is usually to draw out impurities and hydrate it, so the mask does the first part and everything after this step does the latter. I leave it on for 10 minutes (or until dry) then wash off with warm water and pat dry with a warm wash cloth. You could even do this step while you take a bubble bath to further promote relaxation ;)

5. Peel / Serum: this is the point in a professional facial where they would usually apply a chemical peel. Since you're at home and probably don't have access to this, I'll give you a couple options that are similar! I have tried the m-66 peel and I thought I loved it the first day after, but then I broke out pretty severely the next day and the blemishes took almost a week to go away. It was covering my face and neck, so that didn't work for me. I have friends who swear by this peel though.  I've heard amazing things about Drunk Elephant's baby facial. I don't think it's 100% safe/non-toxic, but I know the company does hold those things as important to them, so it is a better option than a lot of things! Another good one is Goop by Juice Beauty's Instant Facial. Currently I use Beautycounter's Resurfacing Overnight Peel. It has 15 botanically derived acids and is made to clear away dead skin cells and smooth the skin while giving you a more even skin tone. It also clears up acne, which is an amazing added benefit!

Just to note, peels don't typically actually make your skin peel. If you get a very strong professional peel done, then yes, that might happen. But these I mentioned shouldn't peel your skin. If you use them too often, it might get dry and start peeling, but these are meant to be used as directed on the package. I use the resurfacing peel 1-2 times a week in the winter and 3 / week in the summer. A serum is meant to be applied after cleansing on a regular basis, not just during a facial. This is the one I recommend because of it's hydrating properties. It contains Vitamin C, which is one of the most important things for our skin to drink up, and helps even skin tone and lessen the appearance of wrinkles. 6. Oil: this is the game-changing step in my skincare routine! Face oils are so luxurious and help hydrate and brighten your skin. I apply this one every day, but do a couple extra drops if I'm doing an at-home facial for added luxury and results ;) 

7. Moisturizer: Obviously the finishing step to any skin care routine, moisturizing is super important. It locks in every previous step! This is my favorite moisturizer for night time (which is usually when I do facials). Hyaluronic Acid is one of the main ingredients and is one of the most effective hydrating ingredients, delivering moisture without clogging pores. It also contains plum oil, which is rich in Omega 6 & 9 and Vitamin E. If you're doing this in the AM and plan on going outside, don't forget about sunscreen! In the summer I use this tinted moisturizer with SPF 20. It also contains vitamin C so it's working for you while you're protecting your skin from the sun. 8. Eye cream: don't forget the eye area, ladies!! This is where a lot of our first wrinkles appear. If you're wanting more of an anti-aging cream, this is for you. If you're not quite there yet but want to still hydrate your eye area to prevent dryness and fine lines, this is the one I use!

 I use my ring fingers to tap in the eye cream since they're your most delicate finger.

Those are all the steps I take to a fun at-home facial. Do you have any favorite masks or other facial products?! Happy pampering!! xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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