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my new workspace with hp spectre

July 12, 2016 15 Comments

since getting my new hp spectre, i’ve been feeling inspired, and itching to put it to good use. it’s literally the thinnest laptop in the world and it weighs only 2.5lbs, so it’s been super easy to tote it around wherever i need to get work done: on the sofa while adam eats breakfast, laying in bed while the baby naps, propped up at the coffee shop when i head out of the house for some fresh air. but most-importantly, at my brand new dedicated workspace. i have an office, but with life as busy as it is these days, it’s more important than ever for me to have an inviting workspace that can still function while fitting in with my busy schedule. having my spectre laptop ready at my standing desk has become my new secret weapon for getting the job done.

like i mentioned in my last post, a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into maintaining this blog. i’ve been doing it for eight years now, and i’ve had a lot of people ask me for advice on how to make it as a professional blogger. a lot of people talk about strategy and social media, but my number one recommendation is almost always to make sure you have the right tools to get the job done. i remember when i decided to start taking this blog more seriously, the first thing i did was go out and invest in a brand new computer, a professional camera, photoshop, and a host of other essentials necessary for independently running my own self-hosted wordpress site. strategy is certainly important, but without these essential tools, i never would have been able to launch this blog into a full-time career. and as time moves on, it’s been more important than ever for me to evaluate my technical needs to make sure i can be as productive as possible, especially when i’m pressed for time.

so here’s my new setup. a lot of the usual suspects: computer, software, a stash of chocolate bars hidden in my drawer. but things have been upgraded with my new standing desk and some clean and simple decor for a calm and inviting workspace. it makes it so that i’m able to stop in at any time of the day to type out a few emails or edit some photos. and it’s where i’m standing right now as i type out this post. it’s really important for me to have a beautiful space to work, and love the way my spectre fits in perfectly with my setup, while still being able to do some seriously heavy lifting. it comes with windows 10, up to 512gb of pcie-based ssd storage, intel® coreâ„¢ i processing, up to 8gb of ram, and three multi-use usb type-câ„¢ ports. so while it may look pretty, it’s also helped me to change the way i approach my work, and to reinvent my obsession with this blog so that i can continue grow and evolve this ever changing space.

lifestyle, home

a fab entryway upgrade

June 6, 2016 7 Comments

slowly but surely, over the past year, i’ve been pulling together this little house of mine. and while things have been shaping up in many parts of the house, there are still a few spaces that could use an upgrade. and despite the fact that the entryway is obviously a pretty important focal point in my living room, it’s mostly remained sad and empty. i have a big round mirror and a nelson-style bench, but other than that, we just throw off our shoes under the bench and let piles of mail collect there. so when fab asked if i’d like to upgrade my everyday with some new decor from their site, i jumped at the chance to spruce-up this sorely neglected space. if you’re not familiar with fab, they offer a massive selection of unique and stylishly functional objects from home decor and women’s accessories to tech gadgets and kid’s toys.

i was obviously focused on finding some bright and interesting objects to transform this barren space to something more warm and inviting. i really love that they have such an expansive selection of items, including a lot of handmade goods by independent designers. i decided to go for a mix of mid century and ‘bohemian’ to match the decor in my house, and was able to choose items from a non-profit organization that donates 100% of their profits to the economic empowerment of women in rwanda, in addition to some really cool mid century inspired, nelson-style pottery. the packages arrived in a few days and i was able to turn this lonely little corner into a proper, inviting entryway. in fact, after everything was set up, adam was so intrigued by what i was up to, that he asked if he could pose for a picture with me in our newly decorated space.

i’ve also learned that fab is hosting a massive giveaway, so make sure you head over and enter to win a $1,000 fab shopping spree!

a very bare “before.”

a little peek at the mini eyelash catchall by indego africa. the perfect tiny basket for keys or change or little trinkets.

fueling my basket addiction. the two in the back are vintage. the pom palm tote bag by indego africa and mini eyelash catchall by indego africa.

the perfect large and medium nelson planters by shiraleah and the basant block print pillow by shiraleah hanging out with some vintage throw pillows.

the nelson gourd vase by shiraleah sitting pretty.

don’t be fooled by that face, this little guy insisted that i let him pose for a picture with me in front of our newly decorated space. he’s such a sweetheart!

lifestyle, home

it’s ok

June 1, 2016 5 Comments

if you follow me on instagram, then you may have already seen a few glimpses of edie and adam’s shared nursery/toddler room. but what you may not know is that her crib is largely ornamental. we didn’t buy a new one, it’s the same crib that we got for adam when he was born. but back at that time, we didn’t know that we’d ultimately end up co-sleeping. so much for buying a crib! but a nursery doesn’t really seem complete without a crib in it, so i don’t mind having it around for show. and we do get a bit of use for it, usually during daytime naps or tummy time. it’s a convertible style, so adam used it as his toddler bed for a short time before we transitioned him to a montessori-inspired floor bed a few months back.

anyway, all of this is to say that the more “functional” set up can actually be found hidden in our bedroom. a simple moses basket placed in a rocking stand so we can remove the basket and carry it with us to any other part of the house. it’s really nothing fancy, but i still wanted to spruce it up a little bit so she could have a pleasant spot to hang out. and as per usual, i always fall the most in love with the little spaces that i set up for my babies.

if you love that “it’s ok” banner as much as i do, make sure you enter my instagram giveaway because one lucky winner will be getting one at the end of the week!

natalie joy house plant mobile, “it’s ok” banner by secret holiday co., tadpoles moses basket, moses basket rocking stand from dada boutique, kosas home kilim rug from overstock, fog linen baby blanket. and those are my favorite solid state custom slides hiding out in the back!

home, kids

mother’s day

May 3, 2016 1 Comment

it’s kinda fun that mother’s day is so close to edie’s birthday. i couldn’t think of a better mother’s day present than to see these two together for the very first time. before she was born, i was pretty anxious about what it would be like for adam to meet her. he’s only two, so we tried our best to talk to him about her arrival without confusing or scaring him. it’s a fine line to walk with little ones. but of course, the moment they met, all of my anxiety melted away. adam actually walked right past me and made a beeline to his new baby sister. he smiled and cooed and hugged her and kissed her, and everything was well in the world. now edith is one week old, and while adjusting to a new family member is not without it’s challenges, i’m just completely focused on the love that i’m feeling right now.

right before she was born, enrou reached out and asked me to answer the question, “what do you love about being a mother?” at the time, i was heavily pregnant and feeling pretty grumpy, but in hindsight, it was all worth it. i still remember the day that adam was born over two years ago. i’d been in labor for over 24 hours, but my progress had stalled. i was exhausted, i was shaking, and i was crying because i was terrified of having a c-section. by the time we reached the operating room, i had to ask brendan to hold down my arms because i was shaking so violently. but the moment that i laid my eyes on him, my entire body relaxed. i took in a deep breath and felt warm tears fill my eyes. i was instantly in love, and none of the fear or trauma could change that. i will never ever forget that moment. and since then, my love has only grown. he’s taught me so much these last couple of years about what it means to love so unconditionally. he’s taught me patience. he’s taught me how to slow down and live in the moment. he’s changed my life forever in a way that i never thought was possible. and now i have two! before edith was born, people warned me that it would be twice as hard. but you know what else? my heart has grown to love twice as much. and i am so excited for what she has in store for me.

this month, enrou has launched a made for moms, by moms mother’s day collection, including this beautiful handwoven chiapas throw, made by a mayan artisan and mother of 10 in southern mexico. i couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate mothers than to support the fair trade of goods to help women like elena to put food on the table and send her kids to school. not only that, but 10% of the proceeds go towards supporting artisan education, youth academic scholarships, and community health initiatives for the artisans of aid to artisans. this is not a sponsored post, it’s just something that i truly support, and i’m honored to have the opportunity to help spread the word.

use code ‘calivintage10‘ to get 10% off your orders for mother’s day!

lifestyle, home

a bedroom sneak peek with framebridge + paper jam press

April 4, 2016 3 Comments

hard to believe it, but we’re actually coming up on the one year anniversary living in our little 1920s home. even though our house isn’t huge, it’s still been a long process pulling everything together from scratch. and while we still have a long way to go until we can say it’s “complete,” we’ve been making some good progress on all of the rooms. today i’m excited to finally share a little glimpse at how things are shaping up in our bedroom!

i have never, ever decorated my bedroom as an adult. it has always just literally been a bed, a closet, a pile of laundry. i don’t think i’ve ever even had matching linens! so even imagining what i might do with this room was a daunting task, make infinitely easier with the help of my friends at framebridge and paper jam press. i teamed up with them and a few other instagrammers on for a cute feature called art we love 5 ways: paper jam press. it’s really fun to see all of the different ways we styled our prints. and as a bonus, paper jam press is offering 20% off your next order with code “FRAME20” through may 15, 2016.

but now back to my bedroom! it’s still not 100% complete, but it feels so much better now that i have a little gallery wall around this cool mid century modern vanity that i scored on craigslist last year. from the left, the artwork is: fine little day eye eye poster in blue in the sonoma frame, secret holiday co. it’s ok banner, margins imprint live by the sun/love by the moon print in the marin frame, and paper jam press today was a good day print in the irvine frame. oh, and a special shoutout to my sacrificial chair from thing industries.

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guest pinning for krrb!

February 25, 2016 2 Comments

just wanted to let you guys know that i’m guest-pinning over on the krrb pinterest page for a bit! they’ve invited me to share some inspiration for their apparel & accessories and for the kids boards! over the years, i’ve become so completely obsessed with pinterest. honestly, if it weren’t for all the hours i spend on that site, i would have no clue how to decorate my home. it’s become a super important tool for me when i’m planning new projects or can’t figure out what to wear for the day.

oh, and if you’re not familiar with krrb, it’s a really nice online classifieds page where i’ve found some really awesome furniture for my house!

above: boligcious

smile and wave.

bonnesoeurs.

camomile london.

lifestyle, home

breakfast in bed with eve

November 25, 2015 8 Comments

as many of you know, my life has changed pretty dramatically over the past couple of years. after making a big move across the state, having our first baby, and buying our first home, we just found out that we’re expecting another baby early next year! with all of these constant changes, we’ve been making a lot of big adjustments. one adjustment we didn’t anticipate? the shrinking size of our bed! we’re all about attachment parenting, and we’ve been co-sleeping with adam since he was born. and while we are beginning to transitioning him to his big boy bed, we still fully expect him to occasionally wake up during the night and wander over to our bed… which is soon to see yet another new occupant! so when eve asked us if we’d like to try out a mattress, i jumped at the opportunity to upgrade!

eve just launched in the us earlier this month, so i was pretty excited to be among the first people to give it a try here in the states. the model is simple and straightforward: they designed one ridiculously comfortable mattress, cut out wholesalers and middlemen, and ship the mattress in vacuum-sealed packaging so it can easily fit through a doorframe, or up a flight of stairs. the result is a luxury mattress experience at a fraction of the price. when it came time to pick my own, i didn’t even hesitate: i knew we needed a king sized bed to accommodate our growing family.

when the mattress arrived, it was tightly wrapped up in its compact box. we slid it into the bedroom, pulled it out of the packaging, and watched as it magically unrolled and filled with air right in front of our eyes. the yellow trim and cheeky packaging was unexpected and delightful, but we were sold once we stretched out on our new massive expanse of bed. adam hopped around while i dressed the bed in new linens. and we spent the rest of the day anticipating bedtime to give it a try. as expected, the mattress is super comfortable thanks to four different layers of squishy memory foam. and all of the extra space feels like a major luxury after sleeping on a much smaller bed for the last couple of years.

one major perk? eve offers a 100 night trial — if you don’t like the mattress, they pick it up and give a full refund — no questions asked. but we’ll be keeping ours, thanks!

this post was sponsored by eve. all content and opinions are my own.

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thing industries

August 18, 2015 1 Comment

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as i’m sure you’ve noticed, for the first time in my life, i have become interested in home decor. probably because it’s the first time in my life that i’ve actually owned a home! so now i tend to sit in my little house, looking up at the walls and imaging all of the different things i might do to spruce things up here and there. and i spend tons of time browsing the internet for new ideas, and dreaming about the possibilities. i came across thing industries not too long ago, and i just love their minimalist yet quirky design aesthetic. i have a lot of basics and neutrals around the house, but things start to get really boring if you don’t pick a few interesting accent pieces. i can see just about everything in their shop making a surprise appearance in some little corner of my house to keep things interesting. adam would go nuts over the banana pillow, i could certainly use the sacrificial chair for my constant mess of clothes, and oh, how i am swooning over the indoor stoop!

all of the pieces are designed by bridie picot and matt smith who are based in new zealand and new york. it started as a passion project for them a couple of years ago, and has now grown into an award winning studio now on their third collection.

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lifestyle, home

a new gallery wall with framebridge (and a discount code!)

August 11, 2015 3 Comments

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in this beloved digital age we live in, it seems that everyone is spending more and more time documenting just about every moment of our lives. now that adam is around, i know i pull out my phone at least once a day to snap a couple of photos. and i’m certainly not the only one in constant battle against that little pop-up on my phone warning me that my storage is almost full. but even with all of this picture-taking, i’ve somehow never gotten a single image printed, let alone framed, in the entire 19 months since adam was born! it’s actually kind of embarrassing to admit, but the task always seems so ridiculously daunting. i have so many photos to go through, and then i have to find a printing service, load adam up into the the car, and either attempt to frame them myself, or take them into a framing shop. it’s pretty much the last thing on my mind, until adam’s grandparents and great grandparents remind me that they’re still waiting on all those portraits i’ve been promising… so you can imagine my relief when framebridge asked if i’d be interested in partnering with them to try our their online framing services.

the way it works, you simply visit the site, upload your photos, select your frame, and kick back while framebridge does the rest. you can do a live-preview of each photo within it’s respective frame to get an idea of how it will look, but if the selection of frames feels too daunting, you can always opt for the designer choice to have one of their professionals on staff help you pick the right frame for your photo. or you can take a peek at their cheat sheet for a few different ideas to help you get started. and i especially like that they have an “instragram mini” option with perfectly-sized frames for only $39. i’ve personally been getting into the swing of thing when it comes to home decor, so i got a little carried away planning out a whole theme for the portraits and frames i chose, with a focus on capturing all of the different stages of adam’s life. i decided to go with simple white frames as a base with a selection of different wood frames to compliment the mix of mid century and bohemian decor in my house.

the only problem? i was kinda sorta planning on giving the photos as gifts, but once they arrived, i couldn’t resist the temptation to try out a gallery wall in our entryway. and once all of those photos were up there, i couldn’t bear to take them down! so it’s a pretty good thing we have a 20% off code, because the next time we get a visit from the grandparents, we’ll all be fighting over who gets to keep what!

get 20% off your first framebridge order of $59 or more using code “calivintage20” now through november 30, 2015!

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lifestyle, home, kids

building blocks

July 24, 2015 5 Comments

i’ve been a little scarce around these parts lately. the past two weeks have been… challenging, to say the least. adam has begun to transition from two daily naps to only one, but the transition has not been so smooth. needless to say, there have been many cranky, overtired days between the two of us while we try to figure out our new normal. thankfully, it seems like we’ve started to hit our stride again over the past couple of days. i’ve been trying to keep up with answering emails on my phone and posting a few instagram photos here and there, but most of my life has been operating offline. so i thought i’d share a few tidbits:

1. the weather is hot, so i’ve been building adam’s summer wardrobe around plain t-shirts and an assortment of different lightweight rompers, like these amazing linen overalls by jasmin lucero. they are my favorite thing ever and they basically make him look like a little vintage doll. we frequently get stopped on the street by older ladies exclaiming how he reminds them of spanky from our gang. life goals? achieved.

2. we’ve been spending a lot of time indoors, partly due to the weather, and partly due to the aforementioned sleep challenges. last week, i started taking a good look around adam’s room and realized that it was time for a few upgrades. play is super important around our house, and while i try to keep his toys age-appropriate, i also want to mix in a few things that will be challenging for him without being too frustrating. it’s a hard balance, but mega bloks are a pretty big hit around here lately. he especially loves this set because it comes with a little car base that you can build up and push around. and it’s really fun to watch his little gears going while he builds and rebuilds little structures. he’s also currently obsessed with crayons. i have a massive roll of drawing paper that i lay out on the dining room floor. i cannot believe how much time he spends drawing, making sound effects, and even telling me what he’s drawn (mostly owls, dogs, and the moon).

3. while little adam is getting lots of new things, i’m in the middle of yet another purge. since moving into our new house, i’m actually quite impressed with the number of boxes i haven’t unpacked. it’s really showed me just how much stuff i’ve been holding onto without ever actually using it. this week, i’ve been selling off a good portion of my personal wardrobe over in my instagram shop. and i still have a million more boxes of other stuff to go through. it really feels good to let go of all that literal baggage, especially because i’m currently in the process of clearing out said garage and converting it into my very own studio space. which means more room for fun stuff like the re-opening of a more permanent online shop with lots of vintage and handmade goods….

4. speaking of fun stuff, i’m about to start working on a bunch of crafty projects in the upcoming weeks! i have a couple of really awesome vintage patterns that i can’t wait to try out, and i’ve got all of my supplies lined up for a really big indigo-dying session. i’ve been doing my homework on new shibori techniques that i’m especially excited to try on some white cotton bandanas.

5. and if you’re curious about adam’s room, the shelf and baskets are all from ikea! the artwork is by fine little day, the camera is by fisher price classics, we got the badger toy pram from target, the desk is vintage, and the little toy kitchen is by hape. feel free to ask if you’re curious about anything else!

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