creating a shared office space for mama + her girls

i've shared a little bit about this new space on instagram that we created in partnership with Big Lots. i think this collaboration was the push that i needed to make good use out of the nook space in mine + aaron's bedroom. the room overall feels much like a loft space featuring what most lofts do, a little nook for whatever one may dream it to be. over the years it has housed a dresser, a cozy chair for late night feedings, a beautiful fort space, and various baskets of books and toys that i kept near for the girls whenever we found ourselves lounging around in mom and dad's bedroom. while all uses were great and served their purpose when needed, it was time to change things up again and try to create space that could carry us a further distance.

kaia has been asking for a desk in her room since kindergarten but unfortunately there just isn't the space for it without making things feel cluttered. in addition, i too have been wanting a space to work but one that didn't require working in the family room or at the dining room table. while there is nothing wrong with either of those spaces, i wanted a space that offered peace and quiet and privacy when needed while at the same time gave my girl something she's been wanting too. 

we now have a functional office space that houses both mine and the girl's things to do what we need to do. we added the built in shelves and cabinet door to give the space more function and coziness. the cabinet door is actually the access to our attic but there is enough room to store my camera and camera lenses in there, which i love. it's a perfect spot to hide from curious hands and i love that it's not sitting out for all to see. 

outside from a few vintage pieces, we were able to snag most of what you see from Big Lots when they had their friend's and family sale. this space is so budget friendly and honestly didn't take much work or effort other than the built-in because "hello, old house with crooked walls!" 

some of the accessories you see are actually from Big Lot's "back to campus" collection, which kaia took a strong liking too. i love the "love u babe" sign which is also a light. it's a neat way to leave notes or messages to/for each other as well as serve a good learning tool for the girls. i opted for fake succulents because let's be honest, real ones wouldn't survive with my younger two around and went for canisters/jars found in their kitchen section to hold things like pencils, paperclips, letters for the letter board, etc.

i am giddy over this new space and find myself coming here after bedtime just to sit and dream. i was telling a sweet friend of mine that i met through instagram that it only took us 9.5 years to find this space's function. she reminded me that "sometimes it takes that long, but that's okay!" 

. . . . . . . . . . . .  i am happy to report, it was worth the wait.






* thank you Big Lots for the help in designing this space as well as sponsoring this post. all opinions are my own as well as the overall design of this space. thank you reader for the help in supporting brands that help support this space. 

clean + safe beauty care

i posted a homemade face scrub on my instagram stories the other day and received a lot of questions and requests for the recipe along with what i use when it comes to beauty products. i thought i would share a quick guide of what i use and how it has helped my skin.

i feel i'm low maintenance when it comes to using products of any kind. i'm a less is more kind of gal when it comes to putting anything on my body product wise but i'm sure NOT to skip on the quality of the products i use. i have noticed as i've gotten older that taking care of my skin and body is more important than ever. aging is no joke, dears!

okay… so moving right along. most of you know that i'm an essential oil gal and love to use them in and with anything that we do. i came up with a lovely face scrub that includes four ingredients! that's right FOUR and all of them are clean and safe. in fact, you could lick your fingers clean after using this scrub. it's that safe. the simple recipe below!

homemade  f a c i a l  s c u b : 

- one cup sugar
- 1/2 organic coconut oil
- 8 drops frankincense
- 4 drops patchouli
( you can simply add whatever oil(s) you want really. the sky is the limit. but for my face i chose these two for the simple fact that they are good for your skin and those fine lines. can you hear my cry dears, ANTI-AGING!!)

i use the scrub 2-3 times a week. i use it to rid of any dryness. it's a beautiful natural exfoliator. if my skin is feeling really dry for some reason i will i follow up with Beauty Counter's rejuvenating day cream but honestly the coconut oil is such a lovely moisturizer so little is ever really needed on the days i use the scrub.

everyday-- and the days in between my scrub treatments i use the skin care line from Beauty Counter. i absolutely love LOVE their products. not only do they work and keep my skin aglow, they are clean + safe and i don't have to worry about what I'm putting on my body because everything they use safe and clean for our bodies. i also a use facial oil blend that i made combining natural oils like apricot, rose, sweet almond combined with essential oils from Young Living. if making your own oil blends isn't your thing though, Beauty Counter has you covered with three amazing oils to add to any one of their moisturizers. they also have amazing kits to cover everything that you need. again, i'm all for simplicity so go for what is easy and what works.

i outlined my routine below for the curious. i have found a routine helps to keep me accountable to make sure that i am caring for my skin the way i need to.

s u n d a y: facial scrub. moisturize around around my eyes, smile, and neck. rejuvenating night + eye cream. facial oil around eyes, smile, and neck.

m o n d a y: gentle wash with warm water. apply rejuvenating radiance serum and day + eye cream. add facial oil if needed. at night wash with rejuvenating facial wash and/or cleansing balm. night + eye cream. facial oil on sensitive areas.

t u e s d a y: gentle wash with warm water. apply rejuvenating radiance serum and day + eye cream. add facial oil if needed. at night wash with rejuvenating facial wash and/or cleansing balm. night + eye cream. facial oil on sensitive areas.

w e d n e s d a y: start the day with facial scrub. follow up with day cream if needed. eye cream. at night cleanse with rejuvenating wash and/or cleansing balm. night + eye cream. facial oil the sensitive areas.

t h u r s d a y : gentle wash with warm water. apply rejuvenating radiance serum and day + eye cream. add facial oil if needed. at night wash with rejuvenating facial wash and/or cleansing balm. night + eye cream. facial oil on sensitive areas.

f r i d a y : gentle wash with warm water. apply rejuvenating radiance serum and day + eye cream. add facial oil if needed. at night wash with rejuvenating facial wash and/or cleansing balm. night + eye cream. facial oil on sensitive areas.

s a t u r d a y : gentle wash with warm water. apply rejuvenating radiance serum and day + eye cream. add facial oil if needed. at night wash with rejuvenating facial wash and/or cleansing balm. night + eye cream. facial oil on sensitive areas.

of course this is subject to change depending on what is going on but generally this is what my routine looks like. if for some reason my skin is feeling extra dry, i may work in another scrub. or if those blemishes are showing up, i may add another treatment or switch things up and use the balancing kit from Beauty Counter.

hope this helps to answer those questions or anyone that may be looking for a routine using clean and safe products. also feel free to email me if you would like a free sample of either the Beauty Counter skin care line or my homemade facial oil blend. it would be an honor to share more with you and send clean and safe products your way!

skin care // young living oils

last month i did a post on instagram talking about my daily skin care routine featuring the amazing spin for perfect skin brush by vanity planet, with mentioning of a natural face cream i use with essential oils. after some heavy inquires and questions about the cream and the brush, i thought i would share a bit more about what i am using, how i use my products, along with a recipe for the face cream i use and a discount code for the spin for perfect skin brush for those that may want to take advantage of an amazing deal!

so here it is…
my routine is pretty simple you guys. i have found that by keeping things simple and using less stuff on my face, the better. i have tried many face washes and creams throughout my days, as i am sure many of you have also. this past season i started using a wash that i stumbled upon at Target called 29 by lynda mondavi and so far i have been liking it. i feel it is gentle on my skin and cleanses well without leaving it dry or oily. prior to using this wash, my cream and oils, and the spin for perfect skin brush, my face was not looking so great. i was breaking out in places where i hadn't in years, my pores were looking bigger than ever, and my overall complexion was looking drab and worn. this routine though, has saved me and my face. seriously my skin has been thanking me ever since i started using the spin brush and these products.

so when do i use my spin brush?
i wash with the daily face brush tool (the small white one) every two - three days and use the exfoliating brush (the small dark gray one) every 7-10 days for a real deep clean, getting at those pores and opening them up. my face is always glowing a little extra on the days that i exfoliate, which i love! after all the cleansing is done, i apply my face cream for day and night. and that is pretty much it folks. it's that simple and my face has seriously been thanking me!

to find out more about the spin for perfect skin brush or to purchase one for yourself at 70% off using code: karispin, click here

my face cream recipe using young living essential oils is the following:

1 cup organic coconut oil 

2 tablespoons of organic jojoba oil 

25 drops frankincense 

10 drops lemon 

use a hand mixer and whip your coconut and jojoba oils in a large bowl. after the cream has become fluffy or mixed together add your essential oils and mix on low until incorporated. 

find a cute container to store it in and you're all set!

if you are interested in purchasing young living essential oils and don't have the premium starter kit, check out their website to learn more. and if you're interested in joining the team i am a part of and get fun recipes like one above and many many others, use my number, #2780206 at check out. i started oils some months ago and regret that it took me so long to click that check out button. they have saved my family and i in so many ways.

july 4 2015

i am finally getting around to sharing some of our july 4th celebration. this day was nothing short of sweet and i keep finding myself thinking about this very day quite often. it was one of those days that if it was possible to restart over and over again, i'd be more than okay with it. we started the day picking strawberries, which is was one of my favorite pastimes as a child growing up. i remember going to the strawberry field with my mother down the road from our home and picking in the late afternoon hours, just before dinner or after. i remember it being such a special time for the both of us and to relive some of those same feelings with my own children, ahhhh my heart sings just thinking about it.

what a joy it was to see our two little gals enjoying themselves. kendi probably ate about fifteen strawberries or so, freshly picked, unwashed with not a care in the world other than feeding her tummy with delicious and ever so sweet berries. kaia loved finding the really big ones and teaching little sister the ins and outs about how to pick the berries and what to look for. nothing like making a mama's heart smile when you witness moments of your children teaching their younger sibling or siblings how things are done ;)

after picking berries the day was still young and we ventured on home to our little abode in the city where we spent the rest of our day soaking up the gorgeous weather with water games in our beloved backyard, fixing up our first homemade strawberry pie (that turned out soooo good by the way!), and fireworks in our back alley. it was such a perfect day celebrating this beautiful country.

here are a few iPhone images of our day together…

the nursery

i had been picturing her nursery for quite some time. her room sat with an empty crib in it for far too long. i dreamt every detail for nearly two years. and yet, after each new pregnancy and then a loss, the room i had thought of would change and i would be back to wishing and hoping with everything i had to be able to bring another little love home to our family. but this time, her pregnancy, i knew in my heart it was going to be different. and so, at 23 weeks pregnant, i gave myself permission to think about the nursery again, and what her nursery would look like. i thought about the colors her room would be for months. what her sheets would look like and the curtains that would hang from her windows. i knew i wanted her room to be bright, whimsical and meaningful. kendi's nursery was a special project. a project i sat on and waited ever so patiently to design and implement, as i wanted it to be perfect. i wanted it to be meaningful. and i wanted it to signify the miracle that she is . . .

because her room gets such amazing light, we knew we wanted to keep the color of the walls bright and airy to complement the light coming in. white felt like the best option since neither of us were too keen on a specific color. i wanted to keep her room looking simple by adding pops of color and a touch of whimsy by bringing in some vintage flare mixed with some meaningful modern day pieces. i also wanted to keep her room budget friendly by making use out of things we already had or making them myself. while i changed my mind a few times, one too many my husband would say, i think her room suits her perfectly.

the little details in the room :

- the sheets are the land of nod { here }

- her curtains are handmade by me with Amy Butler fabric

- the book shelves are custom built by my step-dad 

- her rug was purchased last year { you can possibly still find it here }

- coat rack : the knobs were purchased at World Market and spray painted + then screwed onto a simple wood board.

- the embroidery hoops were purchased at JoAnn Fabrics + made with vintage print fabrics

- her armor, that we current use as a changing table + dresser, was a gift from a few years ago. the baskets used to hold her clothes are from ikea. 

- elephant art was painted by my sister 

- fabric bunting : made by me with simple cotton fabrics purchased at JoAnn Fabrics

- the floor lamp was a thrift purchase for a $1.00. i added lace fabric over the shade and some pompoms  to make it fancy ;) 

- the table and chairs were a christmas gift for kaia last year and are from ikea. 

- the doll house is kaia's and that is where she plays when i am changing kendi's diaper or getting her down for naps. it was purchased at a local store, Peapods 

{ p.s. the photos of kendi are from when she was just a week old... look at how itty bitty she is ;) }