The week before quarantine began, I moved into a new office space for my “regular” job! I was so excited to decorate the space, but that got put on the back burner while we all worked at home for a couple of months. I got to perfect my home office space, but was thrilled to get back into work to bring my new space to life!
I was thrilled that Desenio wanted to collaborate to help me decorate my new office, but they have SO many prints to choose from I was overwhelmed at first. I realized these 3 tips during this process and wanted to share, in case any of you need help decorating a new space!
Thanks to Babiators for gifting us some sweet sunnies & The Brushies to share with our friends & followers.
I mean is there anything cuter than a baby in sunglasses? I’ll wait……
What’s better than just sunglasses on a baby? Quality, stylish and safe sunglasses! Enter: Babiators. From newborn to age 10+, Babiators makes some seriously adorable sunglasses that help to protect children from UV exposure. Children’s eyes are much more vulnerable to the sun and if you start them wearing sunglasses at a young age, you can help prevent damage.
Babiators tells us that : “If babies and kids spent just 30 minutes a day wearing Babiators and Aces, their eyes would gain 3,000+ hours of UV free time!”
SPANX ~ You guys know I love the Spanx leggings and I talked about this sale a few days ago on stories. The basic black pair – pictured here – aren’t included in the sale but there are plenty of other colors available at 50% off! Do not miss this one. Add a couple pairs of underwear to your cart while you’re at it.
What a crazy roller coaster the past 3 months have been! For us, and for the entire world. Baby Phoenix was born on March 3rd, right before we all went into quarantine, helping us mark the time we have been staying at home. I can’t exactly speak for Cath when I describe how becoming a new mother during a pandemic has been – I’ll let her do that when she’s ready – but I can give you an update on how we are / have been during this time.
Catherine has obviously been on maternity leave, and for the first two months I was working my day job at home! I think it’s safe to say that we both went a little stir crazy at times, like everyone else. Catherine, adjusting to life with a newborn at home and me trying to work at home while my husband had zoom calls with his students.
Throughout past three months, though, we have learned some valuable lessons, spent some quality time together with each other and our families and are adjusting to a slower paced lifestyle.
As we continue to learn, listen and discuss the #BlackLivesMatter events going on in the world right now, we have been actively diversifying our instagram feeds and seeking out black businesses to support. Yes, we know this is a very simple start and just scratching the surface, but believe us when we say that we are also silently doing a lot of work within ourselves and our families as we continue to listen and learn. We acknowledge our white privilege and recognize that we have a lot of work to do.
This list is compiled of both personal favorites and discoveries from fellow content creators looking to support and spread awareness about skincare, fashion, and lifestyle companies owned by people of color. Please feel free to comment any that you love that we may have missed. We know this is nowhere near as comprehensive as it should be, but we’ve got to start somewhere!
Fashion & Accessories
Sun & Selene – This Richmond based business is beautiful handcrafted jewelry by the brilliant and talented Britt. Her pieces for the “adornment of the modern goddess” are made of recycled metals and natural gemstones, and her Spring collection is inspired by Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, sea and sky. Britt’s entrepreneurial spirit gave birth to the Brunch Market, which we look forward to welcoming back once it is safe again. I just purchased the GAIA studs to wear in my second holes everyday!
Little Nomad – This children’s shop, owned by Anthony Bryant AKA DJ Ant Boogie is located in downtown Richmond and has all of the best things for your little ones. From books educating children (A is in Activism, Love Makes a Family) to the cutest, ethically sourced clothes for babies and toddlers, they’ve got what you’re looking for. Additionally, the shop is more than just a store. It is a community center where all are welcome and all are made to feel safe. We featured Little Nomad on our Google Local Guides Video a few years back.
At the beginning of quarantine, Jamie Beck of Ann Street Studio started a series called Isolation Creation. Each day, for 60 days she took one photo, sharing on her instagram feed and has since decided to start selling prints of her creations. I discovered this brilliance a few weeks into the series and fell in love with her images. I have always been a huge fan of her photography and how she captures the true essence through her photos, but this series especially spoke to me. My favorite being the final piece, on Day 60. It reminds me of a Monet which brings me such joy.
Now, I am nowhere close to as talented as she, but it certainly inspired to do my fair share of isolation creating!
Every so often, we like to update you guys with the things we are currently loving, coveting and using! Summer is just around the corner and these five things are on our minds.
Gold Rings: There’s no better time than the present to treat yourself to something special and we have got our eyes on AU-Rate’s collection of gold rings! Whether you are looking for something classic and simple dainty or something with a little more bling, AU-Rate has you covered. Nothing says I love you, to you, like a piece of jewelry, in our opinion. We could all use a little extra self-love right now and this is a great way to treat yourself.
In honor of Catherine’s birthday today, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos of Cath and put a spotlight on her essential accessory: HATS.
Catherine has been wearing her signature hats for so long that I cannot remember when it began! They are so much of a staple for her that back when we used to be able to get out and about around town, people would recognize her because she was wearing a hat. From oversized black boater hats, to white options for spring and beyond, I have rounded up some hats to encourage you to try out her favorite styles.
While I could do a blog post on what my baby registry (and maybe I will!), I wanted to first give you guys a breakdown of what I consider essential for the first few weeks of having a newborn. I’m talking tried and true products I have used, over and over and over.
