Beach Bum

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Everyone is talking about Spring but I'm thinking ahead to summer because [drumroll please] I'm going to the beach!  Now, those of you who know me are probably thinking but Maria, don't you live in Florida?  Yes, but you see, I'm lame and thus I have not gone to a Florida beach in I don't even know how long.  

This summer, my family and I will be taking a beach vacation and, fingers crossed, nothing come up at work, I will be looking forward to soaking up some rays and enjoying the beach breeze.  It's been awhile since I've gone swimsuit shopping so that will be interesting.  In the meantime, these are things that have caught my eye.  Let's go to the beach beach!

Simplicity

I'm in need of some serious color these days.  I've always gravitated towards more neutral colors.  Even my house is mostly gray, black, and white but I'm trying to make more of an effort to add color in all aspects of my life.  I still have a rack of colorful pencil skirts so I may start incorporating them more into my daily wardrobe.  Admittedly, I'm in a clothing rut.  Mornings are usually go go go and I've even gone to work with wet hair (AHHHHHH) but I've turned a new leaf and really trying to get up an hour earlier so that my day doesn't always start out so crazy.  Here's to hoping that the turning of a new leaf adds order to this hectic but awesome life.

 Shirt: Old Navy {Similar}   /  Pants: Old Navy  /  Necklace: Gifted {Similar}  /  Bag: Tory Burch  /  Shoes: Nine West  /  Earrings: David Yurman  /  Watch: Kate Spade

Back to Blogging

I've been a bad blogger but I'm back!  AND with a blogging schedule that I plan to stick to.  

Lately, I've been thinking that I've had an identity crisis.  I'm a mom, wife, attorney, daughter, sister, etc and felt like I lost a little bit of myself and I have no one to blame but myself.  With life's craziness, I felt like I was lost so I started thinking of things that make me happy.  One of those things is blogging and reading blogs.  

I've been so behind on reading some of my favorite blogs that when I started reading them again, a fire was lit.  And believe it or not, I even stopped shopping for myself.  Whenever I would even think about shopping, my shopping cart was magically filled with toddler boy clothes and then I just lost interest in looking for my clothes.  Now, with a blog schedule and changing little things here and there lifestyle-wise (jogging, eating healthier, etc) I hope to become a better me.  

Sweater: Loft {Similar}  /  Pants: Old Navy  /  Shoes: Nine West {Similar}  /  Bag: Louis Vuitton  /  Earrings: Kendra Scott  /  Ring: David Yurman  /  Necklace: Tiffanys

Homestyler

** This post is brought to you by Joan Robinson **

Looking to Renovate? Know Exactly What You’re Doing with Homestyler
Every home renovator knows the struggle of staring at a room and having a head full of ideas, but being too fearful to try any of them out. After all, it’s easy to feel discouraged when you spend hours moving the couch to the other side of the room and rearranging your shelves to install the new piece of furniture you’ve just bought, only to realize that the room just doesn’t work. When we unnecessarily spend our hard-earned money and make such a huge effort to get things done, only to put things back the way they were, it can deal a serious blow to our inner renovators.

Luckily, this scenario should happen less, what with many app developers now coming up with great tools that home renovators can use. Last year, Reuters said that Americans spent $130 billion on home remodeling projects, the highest amount since 2007, and at the moment, apps have been found to help ease the financial burdens of home remodeling. Gaming Realms, the owners and operators of Free Bingo Hunter, have said that growth in mobile internet is among the strongest trends in the internet landscape to date, and app developers have begun creating apps to aid any and all problems consumers may face. This is great news for home renovators, as it is thanks to this that the free app Homestyler was born.

 

Available on both iOS and Android, Homestyler eliminates the guesswork from renovations by allowing users to snap a photo of the room they wish to renovate, and freely experiment with placing 3D renders of the products onto the rooms, and even hanging light fixtures from the ceiling. Products found in the app are branded so you can easily find the ones you want to purchase, after seeing how well they work with the rest of your décor. The app also comes with a built-in design stream, which gives you easy access to inspiring décor ideas from the world’s top interior designers, as well as other users of Homestyler.

What’s more, should you feel the need to contact a professional for help, the app has listings for some great designers in the area, as well as copies of their portfolios so you know exactly what you’re getting into. It’s an app that could certainly evolve to become a home renovator’s best friend – and it’s completely free. Obvious gripes, of course, are that there need to be more products included within the app, because more choices are always better, but as it stands, the app is a great starting point to let your creativity shine.

FTC Disclaimer: Links in this post may be affiliate or sponsored links so I may make a commission from links I recommend.

Casual

It's been back to a full work week but not without a little bit of hiccups.  Lucas must have caught a bug from last weekend so I worked from home Monday so he would feel comfortable.  Being a working mom is no joke but it is always the worst when your child is sick.  I think this is when my working mommy guilt comes swinging back at me since all I want to do is be there for him.  Oh vey.  I'm waiting for someone to assure me that things get easier because...well, it doesn't feel like it.  See, sometimes I get deep here on Dainty and Decadent.  Welcome.

Sweater: J.Crew Factory  /  Shirt: Banana Republic  {Similar}  /  Skirt: Loft  /  Shoes: J.Crew Factory  /  Bag: Tory Burch  /  Necklace: Swoozies

Disney World Toddler Edition

My husband and I are calling 2015 the year of Mickey because we decided to purchase annual season passes!  Growing up in Florida, I frequented Disney World quite a bit but coming back to this place that I love so much with Lucas was one magical experience.  

We took our first Disney vacation this past weekend and the three of us had the best time!  We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside resort and really enjoyed it.  Luckily, this weekend was a low crowd season so the lines were only about 10-15 minutes long.  This was key since Lucas isn't at the age where he can understand that he needed to be patient.  We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.  Our days were jam packed but Lucas kept up and even took long naps in his stroller.  It was actually nice to go through each of the countries at the World Showcase in Epcot during one of Lucas' naps which is not something we did before.  

I know this isn't a typical post for me but we had such a great time that I wanted to share in case anyone else was thinking about taking their toddler to a theme park.  I highly recommend it!  It takes a little bit of planning but totally worth it!  Until next time Disney!