March was a fantastic month for me – a little nuts but mostly so much fun! I made some new friends, had a few “firsts” and read a LOT of books. Spring Break was a welcome pause in my semester; school has been awesome but it’s always refreshing to be able to put it away for a week and do some reading that isn’t required. AND my bed was FINALLY delivered! Bless CB2 for getting their act together – it only took seven entire months. Now I can finally start designing the finish of the bedroom. Pictured above is a new favorite organization of mine: I’d Rather Be With My Dog. They’re doing wonderful things in terms of rescuing animals in horrid situations and showing them so much love. You all know I’m a dog lover extraordinaire – so supporting them is a given!

I had my first ever podcast interview with the Southern Fried Tea. We discussed diversity, inclusion, and other matters in light of recent events here in DFW. In a nutshell: a certain company recently put together a panel of bloggers for a event, marketed said panel, and then were immediately put on blast for only featuring white, blonde, skinny, young bloggers (especially when the DFW area is FULL of DIVERSE talent). Some local influencers, myself included, put the story on our social media feeds which prompted some push back from the featured bloggers – thinking they were under attack when it actually had nothing to do with them personally – it was all about the company and brands doing better as a whole. The entire fiasco was a learning situation for all involved and an eye opener for people who might not recognize their privilege and how especially women of color aren’t afforded the same opportunities that many others enjoy. The podcast went really well – you can catch it here.

Also – HUGE NEWS – I joined forces with three other incredibly talented ladies to form a new group Femme Diversity. Cindy, Dania, Vanessa, and I all come from extremely different backgrounds, cultures, and religions, and each recognize the need not only for promoting diversity and inclusion, but also to give voice to female empowerment. This isn’t the first diversity/inclusion group that has come out of Dallas, but one that endeavors to continue the platform and encourages more discussion.

Monthly Faves

• Wall Storage Bins – If you watch my IG stories, I recently gave a little tour of my walk in pantry. I’ve spent so much time organizing it but realized I needed a little bit more room for produce. I LOVE these baskets! I think maybe my pantry deserves its own blog post! Would you be interested?
• Retro Jelly Purse – This bag is all my childhood dreams come back to life. Do you remember jellies? I had sooo many! This purse is 14$ and comes in 13″ and 9″ as well as a variety of colors. It’s the perfect purse for warm weather!
• Lemon Pajamas – I found these while perusing Amazon and thought the print was adorable. Anything with a pretty bow basically ends up in my cart. They’re soft, comfy, and the perfect excuse to stay in pj’s all day. I also think they’d make an incredible gift – ranges in size small to xxl.
• Big Bow Headband – Last week I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Deepa Gurnani in person at Dallas Market. I’ve adored the brand for years when I first discovered them through Shopbop. I met Jay (co-founder) and learned their story of building the brand up from its origins of hand-beading in their living room. Now they’re an international seller!! They’re so humble, kind, and genuinely caring. Coming from a family with roots in small business, brands like this mean so much more to me than big corporations.

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Newest Reads

• Year One by Nora Roberts – I am a total sucker for a good series. I finished this book last night and am starting the second installment, Of Blood and Bone, tonight. It involves a gripping contagion that ignites panic, fear, and an awakening of magical abilities. I went through the book in about two days! It’s a little (ok, a lot!) worrisome that society crumbles in the face of the unknown – but I could totally see it happening should a pandemic really occur. Could you?
• Educated by Tara Westover – This book is a true testament to the power of education despite someone’s circumstances or background. As a warning, this book does involve and shed light on abuse and the author’s personal experience bringing that abuse to light and ultimately estranging from certain family members. I think it’s a remarkable story and all the incentive we need when we feel like we can’t conquer our most difficult dreams. This book will leave you feeling inspired, thankful, and wanting more of the story!
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – I loved every part of this book. I haven’t read much historical fiction or fiction in general from Asian cultures other than Memoirs of a Geisha (loved!) and the Crazy Rich Asian series (so good!). This was a remarkable story about a young woman from Korea who then moves to Japan near WWII. The story discusses prejudice, hardship, perseverance, and loss. I couldn’t put this book down because I was so enraptured with learning about another culture and its history. Both of my parents grew up extremely (understated) poor – and I have so much respect for people who work themselves to the bone not only to provide more for themselves, but also for their families.
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – I absolutely love Greek mythology! After reading Circe (also a great read) by the same author, I read this book in about a day. The story follows Achilles and Patroclus from their youth to their dying day and is devoted to their love story. I highly recommend.
• I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella – Sophie is one of my favorite authors. The stories are always adorable, funny, and emotional. This story feels all too familiar when it comes to love and figuring out how to listen with our brains instead of only our hearts. The lead character is a courageous woman trying to find her voice in a world where she feels small – hence I LOVED her!

Reading List for this Month

• Of Blood and Bone – hugely looking forward to this second installment. The third book, however, doesn’t come out until November. The suspense is already killing me!
• A Study in Charlotte – one of my lovely readers and fellow Harry Potter fan recommended this series to me today. It’s a four part book series seemingly akin to a Sherlock Holmes vibe. I’m totally intrigued. Thank you for the rec!
• Where the Crawdads Sing – I’ve seen many great reviews but haven’t been able to really get into the book yet, hence many other books being read through. I started this about a month ago – I’m trying to finally devote attention enough to get it going. Have you read it?
• I’m always game for new reads, feel free to send your recs my way!

Beauty Faves

• Sara Happ Lip Scrub in a Tube – I LOVE this brand. I met Sara at a Nordstrom pop-up event, she is SO nice! I have a variety of her scrubs in different flavors, the clay lip mask, and the lip slip. I’ve also gifted them all! If you haven’t tried, it’s like an unbeatable trio. First apply the scrub and smush around on your lips to get rid of all the dead skin, then apply the clay mask for about 10 minutes – wipe off, then apply the lip slip balm and go about your day or bedtime. I keep the lip slip in my nightstand! When I saw the tube product I ordered in both the lemon flavor and the confetti cake. The tube doesn’t require getting your fingers messy!
• Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Oil – Face serums and oils have been an essential part of my skincare regimen. This serum quickly absorbs into my skin and does a wonderful job at both hydrating and illuminating my face. I still suck at drinking enough water every day so I try to really incorporate hydrating products in my skincare routine. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory benefits which can aid in puffiness as well as acne. As always, spot test on your skin before fully diving in.
• NARS Exposed Cheek Palette – This blush palette is gorgeous. Each shade is mixed with a pearlescent sheen making any amount applied gorgeously luminous. It’s a powder/creme mixture that isn’t chalky and isn’t too creme-y. I’m picky when it comes to blush (no idea why) and absolutely love this palette.