Lately we have made tremendous progress with the house! Up next on our list of larger projects is to get some landscaping done, with a heavy focus on our backyard. Jeff and I are really aiming to turn it into an outdoor living space – one that we truly want to utilize on a regular basis and be spacious and comfortable enough for our friends and family to enjoy as well!

After doing some searching around online, I have come to realize that patio furniture is incredibly over-priced, that outdoor themes can be just as overwhelming as indoor themes, and that I literally want to buy ALL THE THINGS.

Keeping a level head, I’ve found some pretty great pieces with awesome reviews (tell me y’all read reviews as much as I do on EVERYTHING..) and at very fair price points! I want to share some backyard inspiration for the summer — all items are linked on the “Shop My Instagram” tab here on the blog, or you can find/follow me on LikeToKNOW.it @stinamarina.

Mother’s Day is already right around the corner… doesn’t it seem like time is flying by? I put together a gift guide – all items under $70 – for mommas of any age! There are plenty of options under $25, and many of the gifts can be combined for a little gift basket if you’re not wanting to spend it all on just one item.

Be sure to check out the sales going on right now! You will always see free shipping and free returns with stores like Nordstrom, but many times folks overlook stores like this because they perceive them as being too expensive… this is not always the case! I have learned to shop sales at any store and many times will find quality pieces even cheaper than what is selling at stores like Walmart and Target.

My personal favorites are the slippers, the candle and hand cream. I have used all of these and can say they are QUALITY products at a great price! What are some of your favorites?

Happy shopping!

Back in the Fall of 2019 we made a rather large purchase, and with it came a ton of potential! I am so excited to finally share a bit of what we have been up to with our first ever renovation and real estate endeavor, and what we hope to be one of many!

We bought our property with a small in-law suite, which was solid and had great bones — just a little lacking in the “pretty” department.  Queue a woman’s perspective, some talented contractors, one attentive husband and what feels like a few million bucks invested into The Home Depot and you have the final product:

Here are some BEFORE photos — the bathroom vanity had already been removed for some plumbing that needed work, but I think you can still appreciate the difference!

This whole process has been a great learning experience for both of us. Jeff and I learned that we make a pretty great team and share a similar vision. He trusts my design ideas and I trust him to make those thoughts a reality!  We are still working on our own home a little bit at a time and are amazed at how different it looks from the day we bought it. Patience has been integral throughout this development, and time and money management have also helped us to really keep on a timeline and within a certain budget.  What looked a little scary and made us feel like just maybe we were in over our heads has helped us grow and become a stronger team to tackle our next project!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this transformation and look forward to sharing more in the future!

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