Our completed master bedroom

Sharing our updated bedroom today. It's been a long process but I am so happy with the way it turned out. We used hand me down furniture from my mother in law for the past 7 years. While the set is super well built, it's not really my style. I like modern looking furniture while the husband tends to learn towards traditional style. There is no way I can convince him to put mirrored dressers in our bedroom. You probably have seen it all over Pinterest. He wants quality furniture that can stand the test of time. Not trendy pieces that will be outdated in a few years. It wasn't easy to find a bedroom set that would compromise both of our personal styles but I think we pulled it off. Gray is definitely my first choice of color when it comes to interior design. We spent quite a bit of time checking out local furniture stores as well as online stores. I stumped upon the Livingston collection from Pottery Barn and fell head over heels in love with it. It's everything that I was looking for. Pieces in the collection have traditional style with a modern twist. Not to mention, the gray washed finish is just simply perfect. The only downside is that the dresser is not big enough. While our bedroom is not the biggest, the dresser does not look proportionate. It will not create the wow factor I was looking for. We later found out the collection is also available in office furniture. We did some measurements and the Livingston office suite is perfect as a dresser/bookcase combination. I love the way it turned out. The matching bed is also available but it's too matchy-matchy for me. I love the classic tufted upholstered look with nailhead trim and decided to go with the Harper bed (Fabric = Basketweave Slub, Color = Ash). It goes with the room yet at the same time, different textures create dimension to the room.

While I love the furniture, the star of the show is this beautiful chandelier. 2 things we didn't upgrade when we built this house: light fixtures and carpet. I knew I wanted to take time to find exactly what I wanted. Light fixtures are easy to upgrade. Words cannot describe how much I love this chandelier. It's incredibly beautiful and sparkly in person. It really made the room. I ordered it in April and it just arrived last month. Mine is a large size. I plan to get the matching rectangular version for my dining room in the near future. Keep in mind if you plan to order this chandelier, each piece of crystal came in individual wrapped and there are 400 pieces of crystal for the large size. We had to hang each piece individually. It was actually a good bit of work but I can't get over how beautiful it is.

Items mentioned/pictured in this post:
Pottery Barn Harper tufted headboard
Pottery Barn Harper upholstered bed
Tempur-Pedic mattress (the best!)
Pottery Barn Livington office suite
Pottery Barn Livington night stand
Pottery Barn pick-stitch quilt
Pottery Barn pick-stitch shams
Pottery Barn Gemma large round chandelier
Pottery Barn Gemma rectangular chandelier
Pottery Barn McKenna leather jewelry box
Volta watch case
Crate & Barrel marble tray
Jo Malone fragrances
Jo Malone candle
Cartier L'Envol de Cartier Eau de Parfum
Samsung TV
Similar large floor mirrors
Styling the bookcases: This is what I have right now but will eventually replace these objects with things that have more meaningful to us throughout the years. If you're wondering, a 55" TV fits perfectly between 2 book cases. Thanks to hubby for hiding cable wires in the wall (my biggest pet peeve when it comes to mounted TVs - no visible power cords please)

Last but not least is the window treatment. I love the combination of dusty pink and grey. The curtains add a touch of femininity to the room but not over the top girly. They were custom made from someone we know (similar option here and here). The only thing left that I’d like to change is getting 2 new table lamps. These are from ikea. They go with the room for now but at some point, I'd like to upgrade to better quality lamps. Other than that, our bedroom is finished. It might not be the most Pinterest-worthy bedroom but I love it. It's totally my style. I feel calm and relaxed as I enter the room after a long day at work.

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Our completed master bedroom

Asymmetric Floral Dress

We had quite an eventful weekend. Madelyn had her birthday party on Saturday. Can't believe my little girl is 6 years old. Then we had a cookout with friends and family later in the day. Today, we took the kids to the Jurassic Quest expo and it was actually pretty good. I highly recommend you check it out if they're in your city. Then we went boating. My in laws are staying another day with the kids since they don't have school tomorrow. I wore this pretty floral dress to run errands this weekend and I love it. It's so lightweight and airy. I am wearing a size S here and it's a bit big on me. If you're my size, go with an XS. This type of dress can be easily transitioned to Fall. Just throw on a denim jacket or a leather jacket and a pair of booties and you're good to go. Outfit details: Floral maxi dress | Suede wedges | Cartier bracelet

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Asymmetric Floral Dress

A birthday well spent

TGIF! It's been a crazy busy week for us. My husband just came back from another business trip at 1:00 a.m this morning. I am so overwhelmed this week that I had to take a half day off yesterday to get some stuff done. Our little angel is turning 6 tomorrow! Where did the time go? My in-laws will be in town this weekend for her birthday party. I've been running around all week trying to get things done. Speaking of birthday, I am sharing a recap of my birthday. I seriously had the best day and feel so loved. We planned to go to NY that weekend so I didn't really have any plans for my actual birthday. My husband took a day off as well. We spent the day together while the girls were at school. We did some shopping and had lunch together. I then went in for my microneeding appointment (if you're interested in hearing about my experience, let me know). I came home and took a nap! Can't even remember the last time I took a nap. The girls came back from school, I made them dinner, spent a bit of time with them before heading out for my birthday dinner at 8:00 p.m. We came home around 1:00 a.m and I could not have asked for a better birthday.

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A birthday well spent

Q&A

Before I get into the Q&A portion of this post, I wanted to quickly review this dress. I ordered this dress and this jumpsuit for my birthday. Unfortunately, I ended up sending both of them back. The jumpsuit was a disaster. The length is super long for a size 0 petite yet the crotch area is so short. Plus the color looks very different in real life. I didn't even take photos. This dress is better but the fit is still off. It's designed to fit someone with a longer torso. It's hard to tell in these photos but the bust area is very roomy on me. Even though the lace detailing is beautiful, I decided not to keep it. Outfit details: PLT dress | Christian Louboutin pumps | Michele watch | Cartier bracelet | Gucci bag

Now onto the Q&A

1. I respect your privacy. But if you wanted to do a ten facts about you, that would be a nice read. I enjoy your blog and visit often! I appreciate the luxury and affordable things you post about. Such a nice mix.
1. I don't know how to swim =)
2. I worked at Express Distribution Center (second shift 3:30 p.m - midnight) throughout college
3. I am really terrible at directions. I can't drive anywhere without Google Maps
4. I am a creature of habit when it comes to food. I can eat the same thing everyday
5. I tend to attract to passionate, driven and motivated people
6. I am a morning person. I wake up between 5:30 a.m - 5:45 a.m everyday
7. I rarely apologize but when I do, I really mean it.
8. My biggest fear is rats. I would probably pass out if I see one.
9. My dream career is to become a pharmacist. Clearly, it didn't go as planned =)
10. Believe it or not, I find cleaning to be mentally relaxing

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Q&A

09.07.2018

Today is a very big day for me. I officially turned 40 today. We're supposed to be on our way to New York right now but something came up so we postponed the trip until the first week of October. No complains from me at all. I am enjoying my day off from work. Tomorrow, we're going out with a small group of friends for dinner to celebrate my birthday. If you're a follower of my blog, you probably heard me talking about my birthday for the past few weeks. Leading up to this day, I feel really good about where things are in my life. I woke up at 4:00 this morning with an overwhelming sense of gratefulness. I started to reflect on where I am at in life, what I accomplished so far and what goals do I set for myself. Today, I am sharing something very personal to me so that you'll have a better understanding of where I am coming from. I am a true believer that life events shape our thinking, our beliefs and our personal development. It was definitely the case for me. I ended 6 years of marriage right before I turned 30. I wouldn't say it was the darkest time of my life because it wasn't. My family was very supportive and I didn't feel like I was going through the divorce myself. However, it was definitely the lowest point of my life. I won't go too much into details. Both parties have moved on. I am obviously remarried and have my own family. The other party is remarried and has his own family as well. It doesn't matter how amicable your divorce is, it's a major life event, it's painful and tiring. The divorce for sure took a toll on me. While my parents gave me their unconditional love and support, they couldn't give me any type of guidance. What I want to do with my future was 100% on me. I distanced myself from mutual friends completely. I just wanted to stay away from drama and judgments (sad but true, people will judge you). I wanted a fresh start and took this opportunity to focus on myself. Slowly but surely, I started to discover my own identity, got to know myself better, what I truly want in life, what should I focus on and most importantly, I have a clear vision of who I am. I become stronger and more independent throughout this whole experience. Things started to turn around shortly after. The past 10 years of my life were full of ups and downs, trial and errors. Looking back, I can't help but feeling great about how far I've come. I wanted to note down some of my accomplishments as well as my goals for the next 10 years (hope you don't mind the bullet points - I am a visual learner). Outfit details: Keepsake lace dress | Rolex watch | Le Specs sunglasses | Express sandals | Chanel WOC

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09.07.2018

Camo print jacket

The print of camouflage is not something that I am particularly drawn to. However, once in a while, I like to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things. Today, I am dipping my toes into this Fall's camo trend. Here are a couple of ways to incorporate the print into my wardrobe. One of the easiest way to wear the print is to pair it with your solid and neutral pieces (since the pattern itself is already bold). This lightweight jacket adds a subtle edge to a super basic outfit. Not to mention, this transition piece works great this time of the year. Outfit details: Camo print jacket | Similar knit skirt | PLT white bodysuit | Suede wedge | Louis Vuitton mini backpack | Cartier bracelet | Rolex watch | AE shorts | GAP tee

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Camo print jacket

Labor Day Sales

I am so glad the long weekend is finally here. Monday will be my very first day off since I started my new job 2 months ago. Looking forward to spend time with my family and friends this weekend. There are so many great sales going on right now. Even though everyone is gearing up for Fall, it's still blazing hot outside. I found some amazing summer pieces at rock-bottom prices. Check them out below if you're interested. Have a fun and safe holiday weekend, everyone!

Lulu's is one of my go-to places to shop for affordable trendy pieces. I got quite a few clothing items from them in the past and they're wonderful. This weekend, you can take an additional 40% off sale items. There are some amazing pieces still available. I purchased this dress a few weeks ago and it's now 80% off (what???). I plan to take some pictures this weekend to show you. Shop the entire sale here
1. White & nude lace dress ($18 - was $62)
2. Star print wrap dress ($18 - was $52)
3. Steve Madden slide ($46 - was $78) - A great Hermes dupe! Also available in black
4. Black lace mini dress ($31 - was $175) - I purchased a size XXS. For only $31, I might pick up the coral version as well.
5. Rusty button up rompers ($17 - was $59) - Also available in olive green
6. Floral jumpsuit ($21 - was $69)

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Labor Day Sales

The watch of my dreams

I've been eager to share what I got for my 40th birthday so, here we go! I've done "what I got for my birthday" post every year for the past several years but I totally understand if this is not your cup of tea. As long as I can remember, birthdays and holidays are always a big deal in our household. I am beyond grateful for having a loving family and a great support system. Let me start by saying this wasn't an impulse purchase. I mentioned briefly in this post that a Rolex watch was the last big ticket item on my wishlist. We've been saving for it and finally pulled the trigger last month. Truth be told, we didn't know much about Rolex watches. One of our "life goals" is to have a matching set of Rolex watches. I really dislike using the word "goal" but not sure what else to call it. It's just something we wanted to do at some point in our lives. We gained a lot of knowledge by talking to the salesman. If you're interested in learning more about the brand or the watch itself (sizing, different types of bands, bezels, dials, how to wind a Rolex watch, how often you should wind one..etc...), let me know in the comment section below, I'll be happy to share the information.

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The watch of my dreams

Joseph and Stacey OZ White Mini Bag

There was more than one occasion that I wished I had a white handbag to go with a specific outfit. A white handbag is something I was contemplating getting but wasn't sure how much wear I'd get out of it. One thing I am certain of is that I wouldn't spend a huge amount of money on a white handbag. I am thrilled to welcome this latest addition to my handbag collection from Joseph & Stacey. It's gorgeous, ticks all the boxes and the price is reasonable for a full leather bag. Outfit details: Express dress | Joseph and Stacey bag | Cartier bracelet | Michele watch | Free People sunglasses

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Joseph and Stacey OZ White Mini Bag

Petite-friendly Culottes Pants

Hope you're having a great weekend so far. It's been a really really tough week for me. My husband was out of town on a business trip and I struggled keeping everything together with 2 kids. On top of that, our little girl had a high fever and ended up missing a day of school. Then there were extra curricular activities and curriculum nights on top of that. I am one tired mama. I am not a complainer but when you sit in an 8:00 am meeting wearing your shirt inside out, you know you're having a rough week lol. So glad the weekend is here. Looking forward to a sushi night out with friends tonight and maybe hitting the pool tomorrow for the last time this season. Onto today's outfit, I am a huge fan of culottes but it's so hard to find the right one when you're short. I stumbled upon this set and fell in love with the color. While the top is too revealing for me, I love the pants (that's the beauty of a 2-piece set). The length worked perfect on my 5'2" frame. Paring them with my favorite bodysuit and my beloved round straw bag. Outfit like this is good for summer as well as transition into Fall. Outfit details: Shein culottes *come in a set* | PLT bodysuit | Round straw bag | H&M denim jacket | Hermes belt | Cartier bracelet

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Petite-friendly Culottes Pants