Home Decor
Eliza
How I Made DIY Book Ledges: No Power Tools ...

I recently made some custom book ledges for my daughter’s room and both she and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Best of all? They couldn’t have been any easier. Read on to see what a couple of craft boards and some wood glue can get you!

How I Made DIY Book Ledges: No Power Tools Required!
Home Decor
Eliza
All the Nursery Sources

Here is an update on how the nursery came together, with all the linkable sources in one place!

All the Nursery Sources
Home Decor
Eliza
Nursery Progress

We are into Week 3 of the One Room Challenge where we are turning our guest room into a nursery for our baby girl due in January!

Before we started this Nursery adventure, I had already planned on this week being a bit of an easy one, because we snuck in a little babymoon in Los Angeles! We relaxed, saw some sites, and ate very well! Now, back to the Nursery ORC! Knowing that we were going to be out of town this week, we planned to spend this week placing orders. This way, we could be sure that nothing arrived while we were out of town!

Nursery Progress
Home Decor
Eliza
Nursery Pivot and Closet Update

Week 2 of the One Room Challenge is upon us and I’ve been getting. stuff. done. (Or at least as much as my 6-month-pregnant body will allow!

My mind has been on overdrive recently, and as a result, I’ve been revising my original nursery design plan and truly diving into exactly how I envision each piece functioning. First, let’s talk about this pivot in design…

Nursery Pivot and Closet Update
Home Decor
Eliza
Nursery inspiration

This fall I am transforming one of our guest rooms into a nursery, as Baby Girl is due in January! The overall mood I’m going for in here is elevated neutral with pops of soft color. I’m not looking for an overly baby-themed room…let’s be honest, the baby won’t care what this room looks like! But if I’m going to possibly be spending late nights rocking her to sleep in there, I want it to be pleasing to me and my overall aesthetic! As she gets older and develops her own little personality, I’m sure this room will transform along with her evolving tastes, so I’ll be making design changes with that in mind.

Nursery inspiration

New York

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Where to get the best taste of Italy without leaving the US

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Where to get the best taste of Italy without leaving the US

Where to get the best taste of Italy without even needing to show your passport? The answer, without a doubt, is Eataly.

Eataly had been on my list of places to visit for a while. It is a huge marketplace devoted to Italian food and culture. It includes markets, restaurants, a bakery, retail, and even a cooking school. Basically all the things I love, and all devoted to Italy! There are just a few locations in the US, so when we were planning our mother-daughter trip to New York City it was a the top of the must-see list!

The first rule of visiting Eataly? Go hungry! 

Eating in NYC: Carmine's

Eating in NYC: Carmine's

On a chilly winter night, we wanted a spot that was as close to our theater as humanly possible! We opted for Carmine’s, a popular destination within the theater district, especially on a cold Saturday night! 

The atmosphere is electric here...that’s my nice way of saying that it was packed! People on top of people on top of people! But it was a fun way to get excited for "Hello, Dolly!" And being just steps from the Shubert Theatre was delightful.

Our waiter was wonderful, inquiring if we were headed to a show that evening, and when hearing that we were, he ensured us that he had expedited our meal in the kitchen so we wouldn’t miss our show. 

Eating in NYC: Mexicue

Eating in NYC: Mexicue

While in New York, we wanted to have some tasty food that would be a bit off the beaten track -- stuff we don't eat every day, and stuff that our significant others may not always enjoy.

For dinner our first night, Mom and I ate at Mexicue, a cute Mexican place just a few blocks from Times Square (I told you, it was freezing the weekend we were there, so close spots were key!)

I loved the atmosphere here -- trendy, buzzy, and we could still hear each other over the music and din of the restaurant. I heard the place is a spin-off from a popular food truck, and has a few locations scattered across the city. It didn't feel like a chain though, which was great.

Hotels We Love: Hilton Garden Inn, Times Square Central

Hotels We Love: Hilton Garden Inn, Times Square Central

I've got to admit I feel a little like a fish out of water when it comes to New York. I've only been a couple of times, always visiting someone who already lived there. Therefore, I never paid much attention to where exactly I was or any logistics like that. All I knew was that Times Square was a bit of a madhouse (see photo above...a day after a big snowstorm).

So when it came time to find a hotel for our Mother-Daughter Trip, I did a lot of research. We wanted to be in Midtown Manhattan, as close to the Shubert Theatre as possible. We wanted a clean room, nothing too fancy, simply a home base for the sightseeing we were looking forward to. I found a good hotel that checked all those boxes, at a very nice price, by reserving through Booking.com. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, Times Square Central, which worked well for our needs.

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A Guide to Visiting the Empire State Building

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A Guide to Visiting the Empire State Building

This was one of my Mom’s requests during our stay in New York City — to go to the top of the Empire State Building. So what did we do on the record-setting coldest day of the year? You guessed it; it was the top of the Empire State Building for us! Read on to get some tips on how to make the most of your visit to the Empire State Building! 

Planning a mother-daughter trip to NYC

Planning a mother-daughter trip to NYC

One day last summer, my Mom mentioned in passing that one of her favorites, Bette Midler, was starring in “Hello Dolly” on Broadway. I told her that was cool, and didn't think much of it...

No joke, the very next day, I happened to hear on the news that Bette Midler had just announced her final date on Broadway would be January 14th. I called my Mom immediately and told her we had a reason, and perhaps more importantly, a deadline, for our own mother-daughter trip: we were going to New York City to see Bette Midler live. My mom was on board, so before she could overthink it and come up with reasons not to go, I quickly bought tickets for “Hello Dolly”. We were set! Once we had our reason to go, the plans came together rather quickly, and believe it or not, the weekend of our mother-daughter trip is upon us!

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