Creating a Vision Board

Lately, I've been binge watching Mr. Kate's OMG series and it has really made me think more about my style and how to incorporate that style into the decorating process.

Since I'm redecorating now, I thought it would be a good time to make the space fresh in a way that looks and feels like me. Time to design! The problem is, I have trouble envisioning how things will look in a space without actually seeing them in it.

So I decided to take a page out of Mr. Kate's handbook and make a vision board. I browsed Pinterest and Google and compiled a few images I like to help me get ideas on how to decorate my space!

First off, I included a few items I already have: a red lamp and red vase similar to those above. I'd like to incorporate those into the design because I love them. Secondly, my walls have already been painted blue and the picture above was my inspiration for color. Now for the other elements:

Colorful rug- Since my walls are dark, and so are my floors, I would like to get a lighter rug. I shy away from whites because I know they will not stay that way and will show stains easily. I found the above rug on Wayfair and I think something like this would work great. It brings in the blue from the walls and the red from my lamp but also adds a little more color.

Photo Collage- Before I took everything down to paint, I had two photo collages on my walls. One I considered my wall of fame (where I kept photos of me with my favorite celebrities I've met at conventions) and one was supposed to be of family and friends. Problem is, I never filled most of those frames. I like the collage above, with various sizes and colors of frames. I'm thinking about painting some of the frames I have (they are all black currently) and trying to create something that looks good but isn't monochromatic.

An Organized Bookshelf- I moved my bookshelf from a dark corner to front and center so I want to make sure it looks organized and uncluttered. I want to incorporate not only books but picture frames and other cute objects or geometric shapes. It is the first thing you see when you come down the stairs so I want it to be appealing to the eye.

Rose gold- I love rose gold. It's probably my favorite metallic color but I do not have anything in that color aside from jewelry. I would love to find a small table or other accessories for the room in rose gold. My one fear is that it will clash with the reds I already have. Or maybe it's juxtaposition.

Plants- The only plant I have at the moment is a cactus and it is, believe it or not, kind of dead. I do not have a green thumb. But I love the way plants look in a space and I hear they also help improve air quality. I just need to find a plant that doesn't require a lot of care or sunlight.

Couch- Because everybody needs a legit couch in their living room. I'm leaning towards dark grey because I think it will go nicely with my blue walls.

Fangirl pillows- I have eight brown and red throw pillows on my current "couch". I wanted to find covers for them, something that would match a dark grey couch. Then one lovely afternoon, when I was browsing Etsy, I got really inspired. The perfect way to bring in a little more of my fangirl side (which is a huge part, let's be honest) was to find pillow covers from my favorite books, shows and movies! I am on the hunt for the perfect covers now. And even if they don't match each other, I still think they will fit in perfectly and will scream "Mallory lives here".


Making this inspiration board has really has given me a better visual of how I want to decorate. I would recommend trying this for your own space.

Basement Apartment Makeover- Part 1: Paint and Flooring

Well, it's official. I have the re-decorating fever. Every few years I need a change. Whether it be paint or flooring, furniture or accessories, I just want something different. About a year ago, I re-decorated my bedroom by purchasing a new desk, storage units from IKEA and Home Depot, new rugs and curtains. There are still a few projects left in this room (I have a new light fixture I need to hang and my blinds are falling apart!) but I've moved on to another major project: my living/dining room.

When I first moved into the basement "apartment" 7 years ago, I decided on a clay-brown paint for the majority of my walls, with a clam-shell peachy color for the accent walls. I'm not sure where the inspiration came from originally, but over the years I've grown tired of the brown.

Recently, I found a shade of blue that I absolutely love called Midnight Show. After very little debate, I purchased this paint color for my walls. My parents graciously painted them for me while I was in Canada a few weeks ago.


As for the floors... Carpet covered most of the living room space but a light hardwood sat under my dining room table. My original plan was to match the hardwood in the dining area and just replace the carpet. Unfortunately, this color has been discontinued and in order to avoid two shades of laminate, I just purchased flooring for the entire room. I opted for a darker color this time (Kingston Peak Hickory) and it looks good with the blue.

The next step is deciding which furniture to keep (and what to buy!) and determining the placement of my large pieces. Then comes accessorizing and styling, which will probably prove to be hardest part for me. I've been browsing Pinterest and watching a little too much HGTV and YouTube videos on home decor lately (check out Mr. Kate) so hopefully I will find my inspiration.

Updates to come!

P.S. Yes, that is a bed I am using as a couch. New couch is a must!

April Favorites

1. Midnight Show paint- I decided a month or so back that I was ready to re-paint my living room. I wasn't sure exactly what color I wanted so I started browsing Pinterest (like I do). I found this color by Behr and I loved the way it looked in pictures so I ventured out to Home Depot and found the paint swab. Soon after, I purchased a few gallons and my parents graciously painted while I was out of town last week. I love the color!

2. Pink Nail Polish- Since spring has sprung (sort of) in Georgia, I wanted a brighter nail color. The one pictured above is the closest pink I could find online to the color of my nails. I only hope I can keep from breaking a nail before Easter.

3. Cure For the Common Breakup- I recently started reading the Black Dog Bay series by Beth Kendrick. Cure For the Common Breakup is the first book in this series. I actually read the second book first (I didn't realize it was a series) but it wasn't a big deal. Each book can be read as a standalone though they do overlap somewhat. I've found myself hoping for books about other characters in this little town. If you like chick lit, you should check out this series.

4. On a Roll Work Bag- I've wanted a small rolling carry-on bag for a while now, so a few months ago I decided to take the plunge and purchase one. I got this one from a Vera Bradley outlet store and I love it. It was perfect for my trip to Canada. Definitely worth the investment if you love to travel.

5. Mid-Rise Rockstar Jeggings- I've had these jeggings from Old Navy for a while now but I love them. They fit really well and look good with an assortment of tops and shoes (which can't be said for all jeggings I have). And they are good quality even though I got a really good price on them.

Body Movers 8- What Happens in Vegas...

So let me start by saying that I knew Liz was a scummy bitch all along!

I mostly enjoyed the 8th installment of the Body Movers series, which saw Carlotta and the gang venturing to Las Vegas for a fun and uneventful vacation. Just kidding.

To summarize: Carlotta and Peter head off to Vegas for a "romantic getaway". Peter has to work some while they are there and Carlotta secretly hopes to sneak off to investigate a clue she found about her family. Wesley heads up to meet them, with Hannah and Chance in tow, determined to gamble away part of the 250k he found stashed in the walls of their townhouse.

At dinner that first night, Peter proposes again. With the pressure from everyone watching and after convincing herself this is what she wants, Carlotta says yes. Afterwards, she thinks maybe she and Peter will finally have sex but their plans are spoiled when she finds a dead body in their hotel room safe. But it's not just any dead body. It's that creepy hot guy from next door. (The one who Carlotta previously thought was spying on her.) She calls Jack Terry for help even though she is determined to get over him. She's been giving herself a good bracelet snap every time she thinks of him. Jack heads up with Coop to examine the body.

They find out this guy was in the FBI and had been hired to watch Carlotta and Wesley in case their mother showed up. He had asthma and accidentally suffocated in the safe. Jack also informs Carlotta that her father was stabbed in prison and is in critical condition.

Wesley, who manages to get a fake ID and play a few games in the casino, get arrested for using counterfeit money. As it happens, all of the money he found in the townhouse is fake. Which is unfortunate for him because he also paid off his loan shark with that money. He finds out from Chance that the Carver has now put out a hit on him and that his parole officer's boyfriend, who also works for the Carver, is in town. He calls Liz, who comes out to Vegas to help him, but he refuses to tell her or anyone else where he really got the money.

Carlotta and Hannah stake out a post office where her dad has a box and then follow the man who picks up the mail from it. When they arrive at his house, Carlotta meets a little girl name Priscilla. She goes inside and is surprised to see her mother. The man informs her that he is their caretaker while her father is gone. He doesn't know Randolph was arrested. Carlotta discovers that her mother has early onset dementia and that the little girl is really her sister. She decides to bring them back to Atlanta and has Coop come take a look at her mother to see if she is able to travel.

While spending the day with her sister, Carlotta runs into Jack and Liz. Jack seems good with Priscilla, which surprises Carlotta. He then secretly follows them back to her mom's because he is uber suspicious. Since he's not supposed to be involved in her dad's case, Jack is not happy about finding out about her mother's whereabouts. But he agrees not to tell anyone.

Wes finally confesses to Carlotta where he found the money and they conclude that their father had stolen the money on purpose from the company he worked for to prove they were counterfeiting, but had been accused and arrested before he could show it to the police (or something?). Wesley also finds out from Mouse (his partner in the collection business) that a woman hired someone to try and kill his father in prison.

For some reason, Carlotta automatically thinks it was Hannah (who has, admittedly, been acting squirrelly but that's your best friend gosh) and is worried because Hannah knows where her mother is. She calls Jack and asks him to meet her at her moms. But it's not Hannah who is holding a gun to her mother and sister. No. It's Liz. The bitch! Apparently, she had all of her money invested with the company Randolph worked for and they would be bankrupted if the truth about the counterfeiting came out. She was not having that. So she demanded to know where the rest of the stolen money was so it could be destroyed. Also, she planned to start a fire in the house to kill all witnesses.

Luckily, they are able to stop her and get everyone out of the house before it burns. Jack arrives and arrests Liz. Later, back at the hotel, Carlotta tells Peter she can't marry him and never should have said yes. (Well, duh.) We find out he knew about the counterfeiting and plot to frame Carlotta's dad. Jack arrives and arrests Peter as well. Then Carlotta, who has been reunited with her dad (who did not die and who has been released and exonerated), heads back to Atlanta with her family. It is also revealed that Coop is still waiting for Carlotta and she thinks she should end up with him. Which, no. And Hannah and Chance secretly got married.


I'm very happy that Liz and Peter have both been arrested because they are the worst. I do find it a bit odd that Carlotta wasn't more upset with Peter for knowing the truth about her dad and not saying anything. Which, maybe he hadn't known for long but then who was he talking to on the phone? It doesn't really make sense but I don't care too much because he's seemingly out of the picture.

I'm not certain what will happen to Liz but I kind of hope she gets at least 20 years. The only downside to her being arrested is Jack is going to have to take care of their baby on his own.

Side rant- I know I addressed this in my last blog about this series but I find it completely unnecessary for Jack to be the father of Liz's baby. It seems like the author was just trying to find a way to drive a wedge between Carlotta and Jack. In my opinion, Jack has been the front runner from the beginning and now, 8 1/2 books later, Carlotta is totally over him and going to run off with Coop? I'm pretty peeved about the whole situation. I was especially irritated in the way Carlotta said she was in love with Jack but it only took her a week to get over it? The whole thing is stupid.

I will be even more pissed if she and Jack both act like they don't have feelings for each other anymore after this book. In Coma Girl, as mentioned, Jack said he was in love with Carlotta. And he doesn't strike me as the type to easily fall in and out of love. I feel like we've had this character development with Jack, he's started to open up to Carlotta and even came close to admitting his feelings to her. Taking all of that away now is like a painful reminder of the How I Met Your Mother finale in which Barney regressed back to his old self. It made all of his previous development pointless. Lest I get started talking about that mess.

I feel like it's been built up so much...his house boat...his family...his feelings... If Carlotta doesn't ever get the chance to find out about any of this, if they don't ever have an emotional conversation... Then what was the point of any of it? Why bring it up if it won't be resolved? Are we supposed to believe that Jack is always just going to be a man-whore commitment-phobe who will forever be alone? That's bullshit to the extreme. End of rant.

This book in general seemed a little rushed and a lot of the characters weren't acting like themselves. Like, I know Jack is in a different position now but not one single inappropriate comment? Carlotta really wants to have sex with Peter even though she suspects him of treachery? Hannah marries Chance when half of the time it seems like she doesn't even like him?

I read this book in a couple of hours but it was quite a bit shorter than the others in the series. We sped through the plot and I feel like a lot was wrapped up in a very short amount of time.

I am also confused as to why Carlotta's parents left and more importantly why they were gone so long. I know people were trying to kill Randolph but why not take your kids with you? And everyone seems to have forgiven him but I'm not over it. He left his 19 year old to raise his 9 year old for 10 years. Like, damn dude.

I did like Carlotta's sister and I think it's cute that she's crushing on Jack. I think the way he interacts with her further proves he will be a good father. I'm excited to see more of her in the future. She seems like she could be a handful. At least Randolph is out of prison now and can take care of her and Valerie.

I am not digging the idea of Hannah and Chance getting married. First off, Chance is an immature loser. Second, I want Hannah and Coop to be together. Although, it looks like that ship has sailed. Ugh.

Wesley was actually less annoying in this book than all previous books so that was an improvement. Maybe now that his daddy is back he will stop acting like a petulant child.

Here's for hoping the next book doesn't crush my heart and soul.

March Favorites

1. Create 365 Planner- I absolutely love my planner. It has really helped me keep track of events, appointments, my workout schedule and more. I love this planner because it was relatively inexpensive (I got it on sale at Michael's) but it is still very cute and colorful. It has a place for notes, to-do lists and weekly goals. It fits my needs very well and has inspired me to keep better track of my life.

2. Jergens Hydrating Coconut Lotion- I recently started using Jergens lotion on my legs after I shave to help prevent burning and bumps. I love the hydrating coconut, one because it smells really good and two because it helps keep my legs smooth and moisturized. I also use it on my hands and arms to help with the dryness and cracking that always comes with winter weather. I tried using coconut oil on my legs for a while but it just made them too greasy for my liking so this is a great alternative.

3. Plastic Dot Stacking Baskets from the Dollar Tree- As I've mentioned, I'm on a mission to re-organize. I went to the Dollar Tree looking for the right storage to clean up underneath my kitchen sink. I settled on the Plastic Dot Stacking Baskets because I thought they were cute and they would allow me to easily see what all products I have. I will post a blog soon showing the results of my cabinet's makeover.

4. Journee Collection Tiffany Women's Slouch Boots in Taupe- Around Christmas shopping time, I went on a search for black boots as mine were falling apart. What I found were these marvelous (not black) boots at Kohl's. They were a little more expensive than a lot of the boots I own but I absolutely love them. They look great with jeans or leggings and are perfect for fall/winter.

5. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie- My book recommendation this month is a romantic comedy (chick lit). I won't say this is the best book in the genre I've ever read, but it was funny and cute and I enjoyed reading it. I will say, I don't know how any one person could eat the same dish every night of their life like the main character of this novel did. I mean, I have favorite foods but damn. If you're looking for a quick, happy read, check this one out.

Decluttering My Closet: Konmari Method

Last summer I decided to revamp my closet. I searched the internet for ideas and finally found a style that I thought would not only look better but that would also make more sense. I decided to purchase The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo since I'd heard so much about it. After reading through the book, I decided to give her method for decluttering clothing and folding a chance.

I started by piling all of my clothes on my bed. Then I stood atop them and began picking up each item individually to see if it sparked any joy. I tried not to reason with myself or try to think of occasions where I would need an item of clothing again.

A good rule of thumb would be: if you have to think of a reason to keep something, get rid of it.



It went well, all things considered. Below is my donation pile:

I also tried the Konmari Method for folding and I actually quite like it. I am still folding my shirts and underwear this way. I like being able to see what all I have and it seems like I can fit more in my limited space. I have two storage bins under my bed for cosplay items and con shirts. Once I purged and folded them, everything fit with room to spare!

I bought my new closet pieces from the Home Depot and painstakingly put them together myself. I did enlist help to attach them to the wall. I didn't really hang my clothes via the Konmari method. I hung them in a way that worked for me. I grouped items together by type and color and didn't focus on length.

I folded my pants and sweaters and placed them on the shelves. I put items such as bathing suits, leggings and shorts in the bins. I finally found a place for everything!

Before

After

I was very happy with the way it turned out. It feels more organized and put together and the best part was I didn't have to find extra places to store my winter clothes. Everything fits! And after purging a good fourth of my wardrobe, I have a ton of extra hangers.

Below are links to the items mentioned above:

Shelving

Corner Organizer

Storage Bins

Rolling Storage Bin

Velvet Hangers

12 Months to a Healthier Life

I may have mentioned this briefly in another post but I have taken on a challenge this year to get healthier one month at a time. I found this particular challenge on Pinterest last month and decided to give it a go.

You can find the original article on The Beachbody Blog here.

In January, the goal was to focus on the positive. So I tried not to stress about parts of myself I don't like as much and things I want to change. It's hard sometimes not to think about the negative, but what you're really doing is discouraging yourself from changing those things. So think positive, people!

My February goal is to keep a food diary. As luck would have it, I had already started keeping a food diary in January. I use MyFitnessPal. So far so good except I do not understand the calorie adjustment thing. I tried linking MFP with my Striiv watch but it never showed any calories burned, so I'm not convinced the step counter really does anything in this app. Otherwise, I like it. I am able to keep up with my calories eaten per day and how many calories I've burned exercising. They also offer articles with healthy recipes and tips.

So if you're looking for a challenge for 2017 but a total lifestyle change seems overwhelming, try this one! I am simultaneously dreading and looking forward to challenging myself in future months (No added sugar and junk food? Eek!).

More updates to come!