Revamping My Studio with California Closets X Marie Kondo

Learn more about my home studio renovation and tips on how to create a smart space of your own, inspired by California Closets and Marie Kondo! Schedule your own consultation today!

Thank you California Closets for sponsoring this post. #MarieKondoXCaClosets

I recently had a very inspiring online consultation with Jessica Ballesteros, a very talented Design Consultant for California Closets. She and California Closets recently teamed up with Marie Kondo, the author of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" and creator of The KonMari Method. 

I sent Jessica a brief explanation of what I wanted from my space, and she gave me lots of amazing suggestions and explained what one could expect from an in--home consultation, which I will explain further into this post. After that, she inspired me to completely re paint, and then overhaul the closet in my home studio / photo studio space. I am so excited to share my experience and new space with you!

The company's professional design consultants will collaborate with you to create custom designs at a range of styles and budgets.

THE STUDIO

To explain the space a bit better, this is one of our three bedrooms, and we had nice Pergo flooring installed a few years ago, but never got around to painting it. We use the space for our photo studio and any other fun and creative projects we come across.

It's a great size space for our photo studio, and the space basically needs to be kept very neat and tidy because when one project is done, we start the next, The space has to be versatile, and changes depending upon what we are working on. These projects range from food and drink recipes to product photography and home decor projects and more!

BEFORE + AFTER

Below, you can see my studio before the transformation. While it definitely wasn't stuffed to the gills with things (yes, it was at one time), it was not very tidy or inspiring. There are things that had been in this closet for years and years, and I would just keep adding thins to it because I didn't have any place else to put them. That should have indicated to me to get rid of some things, but I never gave myself enough time to really dive into making a more inspiring space.

While I did not install actual pieces from California Closets, I did use their mission to inspire my own design.

WHAT I DID

Painting really did help so much. I chose a light grey color called Filtered Shade from Valspar in an eggshell finish.

I also added a metal shelf to the closet, which holds a lot of weight per shelf. This will be amazing to hold props, my cameras, and anything I am using for current projects. This shelf even now has a few empty spaces that can be utilized in the near future for lots of upcoming projects. 

I also hung my fabric pieces on hangers, which I use for backdrops or as tablecloths in lots of my photos. I like having a smaller selection of fabrics hung, because then it sets the color scheme for lots of my images, making my posts look more coordinated.

I made sure to keep everything in view, without crowding the shelves too much. I was able to easily store the two large camera cases in the closet and this will overall just be great because I will have everything at my fingertips during photoshoots, instead of having to run to different rooms of the house, which does waste time and energy (which never brought me joy).

IN PROCESS / BEHIND THE SCENES

THE KONMARI METHOD

After reading more into the KonMari Method, here are some key points.

Step 1: Decide what you want to get out of your space.

Ask yourself, what is your ideal lifestyle, and how can this space help you attain that? For me, I want to be a professional, very organized lifestyle blogger, and so this closet space needed to help me with that mission.

Step 2: Declutter and divide like items into groups

Take everything out of the space and organize it into piles of similar items. If there are certain items that do not actually make you feel happy, or that distract you from your initial goal(s), then it may be time to pass those items along. Then, you will be able to better organize those things that you do need.

Step 3: Decide what "sparks joy".

Marie Kondo explains what it means to spark joy. Ask yourself questions like

- Does the item contribute to making you feel good about yourself, your job, and your space? 

- Will it help you with that particular job?

If not, then time to remove that item from the space and either discard, donate, or recycle it.

Step 4: Say Thank You and Discard (or Donate)

This is probably the most important and hardest of all of the steps. It's important to first realize how much space you even have for things, because if there are things we just never have room for, it may be time to just simply purge things. It can definitely be "scary" getting rid of things that you are so sentimental or that you have had for along time, but if it's something that you never use, or keep moving back and forth without using or having space for, then it may be time to let it go. 

As suggested by Marie Kondo, say a little "thank you" to the items which have served you in the past, and send the items on their way. Discard, recycle, or donate those items which are not fulfilling your mission to "spark joy" in your life, and then give a quickly tidy up or reorganize to the space to now suite your needs better.

For me, I have gotten rid of tons of clothing, old papers, and other photography and food/drink styling related props by asking myself, would I ever really use this again, or is is outdated? Or, is this s timeless piece that I will be able to use again and again?

The Design Consultation with Jessica

As I mentioned, Jessica is a Design Specialist for California Closets, and you can read more about her in the below articles:

https://www.californiaclosets.com/expert-tips-for-displaying-and-organizing-everything-in-your-new-closet/

https://www.californiaclosets.com/blog/whats-your-organizing-style/

She gave me some expert advice, as stated below:

"If you were wanting to try the KonMari method of organizing your office closet you would first start by removing every single item, and I mean everything.  One by one you would hold each item deciding what to keep (things that Spark Joy) and what to get rid of. Then putting everything back in an organized way. Using bins or baskets is always encouraged to help compartmentalize items by category if no drawers are available. Mari Kondo loves using boxes inside boxes to help divide things into categories."

I loved her ideas, and utilized as many as I could.

What an inspiring project this has been! I know that going forward, my new space will be an amazing home studio that inspires me each and every time I see it! 

Learn more about California Closets Here! And again, check out my studio space after the revamp, below!

California Closets has an extensive range of beautiful finishes to choose from, from clean and simple white, to proprietary textures imported from Italy, all of which are environmentally sustainable and California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliant. You can really go wild and create a dream space of your own.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Time To Rethink What Your Pups are Eating

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CheckYourPetFood #CollectiveBias. We are so excited to share our favorite new pet food today!

Happy dogs, happy life - that's my motto! We are definitely dog lovers through and through. We literally don't spend a day away from them unless we absolutely have to. We cater each and every day, as well as each and every vacation to making sure our pups are happy, healthy, and enjoying the right food. Above, you can see our cousin dog Mickey, the English Bulldog. She also LOVES this food so much and could not wait for her turn to show off her new favorite food.

We care about each and every dog in our families, as well as our friends' pets, and we often get asked what sort of food we feed our dogs. That's probably because everyone knows we are such dog lovers. 

TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK

It may be time to do a reality check on your dog food. Does it contain real meat? Is it grain free? If not, it’s time for a change…for something that is a better value both to your pet and to you! Meijer has great products for your dog that are full of quality ingredients and at a great price. I love shopping at Meijer for Purina® Dog Chow and Purina® Beneful® products, and I encourage you to do the same. We brought some on our latest vacay, and the dogs were super happy about it.

We treat them like family, so making sure they are fed the right ingredients makes me know they will be happier for lots of years to come. Our two beautiful girls, Porter and Cabbie are definitely food-motivated. This means that I can even give them a few kernels of dog food as a treat, so I stick to their diets properly, and I do not overfeed them. I'd be lost without these dogs, they're my everything! 

NOW THROUGH MARCH 3, 2018 - GET $1.00 OFF Purina® Dog Chow (32 lb and smaller) and Purina® Beneful® with mPerks coupons at Meijer!

Porter is only a year and a half old, so she was a bit harder to motivate to sit still. The whole time we were taking photos, she only wanted to sit near the dog food :) She kept pawing at the Purina Dog Chow making sure we knew which one she wanted! While she wouldn't actually sit there long enough to take a portrait of her, I thought this in-action shot of her giving Cabbie a kiss was pretty cute. She loved the food so much.

TREATING THEM LIKE FAMILY

Re-think What You’re Feeding Your Dog - take a closer look at your dog food, and compare its quality and value to what can be found in Dog Chow and Beneful.

Feed Them Like Family - Our dogs are 100% part of the family, too. That means feeding them quality nutrition.

Take Them On Walks and Give Them Plenty of Exercise Through Play Time - I try to walk the dogs for at least one hour, five times a day, weather permitting (basically only rain or SUPER freezing temps will keep me from doing this). While this may seem like a lot of time, I think of those hours that I may spend watching TV or playing on my phone. Time flies, so it's fun to refocus your energy and free time on your pets when possible.

Provide A Comfy Dog Bed - Our pets do need a comfortable and supportive bed. Meijer does have a ton of great options, and while some beds may be made from cute fabrics, above all else, I always make sure to look for a bed that has super thick, supportive memory foam and a washable cover.

Include Them In Travel - like I mentioned before, we always try to take our dogs on vacations with us. We make sure to stay in pet friendly hotels, go camping, or rent a rental house that's pet friendly. More and more, establishments are welcoming well behaved dogs with open arms, so do a quick search for dog friendly travel, and you may find something new! Otherwise, feel free to do a staycation with your pets, and treat them like royalty in your own home.

Take Time To Do Special Dog Activities With Them - while we humans have TONS of things to entertain us like our phones, tablets, games, conversations with other people, etc, dogs only have a limited amount of entertainment just within your home. I love taking the dogs on special car rides to the dog park, pet store, or if I will only be in a store for a few minutes, I sometimes take the dogs for a ride then too. They absolutely LOVE that extra stimulation of a new setting, smells, or environment. 

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FEATURED PRODUCTS:

Purina Dog Chow Natural Plus Vitamins & Minerals Dog Food 4 lb

Purina Beneful Grain Free With Ream Farm-Raised Chicken Adult Dry Dog Food 12.5 lb

Now is the time to take advantage of the in store savings, and MPerk deals at Meijer! Here are a few more tips that make me choose Purina products! 

Quality Doesn’t Always Mean a Fancy Label - Just take a look at Beneful and Dog Chow. Both brands come loaded with quality nutrition, and they’re backed by Purina—a leader in pet nutrition with 90+ years of experience.

Every Dog Deserves Real Meat - Dogs love real meat. It’s what they seek in nature, and what they deserve. And you deserve to buy it at the prices you find when you shop Dog Chow and Beneful at Meijer.

No More Compromise - Think you can’t get real meat dog food at a price you can afford? Think again. That’s what Reality Check at Meijer is all about—finally, you can get real meat at the right price and don’t have to settle for lower-end dog foods.

Better for Them, and My Budget - Tout the benefits of feeding your dog real meat, quality nutrition like Beneful and Dog Chow, and the positive impact it has on your wallet when you save at Meijer.

What to Look for in a Label - Meat, or meat flavor? Real meat, of course. Showcase the quality ingredients found in Dog Chow’s and Beneful’s label as a part of a ‘label lesson.’

Real Ingredients, Right Prices, Remarkably Easy - Reality Check is all about finding real meat dog food at the right price, and it’s even better when you throw in Curbside shopping—it becomes super easy, too. Order Dog Chow or Beneful for pickup or shipment to your door, and you’re done. You can do it with the rest of your regular grocery shopping for even less hassle.

Connect with Meijer on Social

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/meijer/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/meijer / @meijer

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/meijer

Instagram - @Meijer

Connect With Purina On Social

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/purina

Twitter - https://twitter.com/purina / @Purina

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/purina

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/purina/

Instagram - @Purina

Thanks for stopping by!

The Best Way To Stay Cool This Summer! Summer Fun With Dr Pepper

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dr Pepper®. The opinions and text are all mine. #PickYourPepper #Walmart

Summer is definitely here, friends! I’m trying to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible before it gets too dreadfully hot and humid here in southern Illinois. Luckily, there are lots of great picnicking areas and lakes available to us here in and around the Shawnee National Forest so we recently headed out to cool down!

I brought the sweetest summer essentials with me too – cold drinks, SPF, and my new 90s-inspired inflatable float :)

There’s nothing like floating in the lake or river while enjoying a cold drink and some fresh air. I always love to bring a big, floppy hat to protect my face and shoulders from excessive sun. Plus my ever-important sunscreen and my favorite shades - that’s about all I ever need to have a good time.

Dr Pepper sent me this float as part of their new Pick Your Pepper campaign with packaging that was made by millennials, for millennials, that I picked up at Walmart. It’s so unique and I was pleasantly surprised at how big the float was once inflated – it held me afloat in the water just fine! It was a little taller than me, so I could lay back and just float. I am excited to use this all summer and next year!

To claim your very own Dr Pepper Shaped Pool Float, or one of their other cute prizes, get the details below.

When you buy any Dr Pepper 6/15-8/15 this summer at Walmart, you can upload your receipt here to get the prize featured in my blog and/or other prizes like:

Spend $5, get a unicorn beverage holder inflatable

Spend $10, get a Walmart e--Gift Card worth $5

Spend $20, get a 6-pack can/bottle holder with ice pack

Spend $40, get a Dr Pepper bottle shaped pool float

I wound up getting almost everything for our day at the lake at my local Walmart! They have lots of cute summer items left, and some are even going on sale – get everything now before it’s gone.

I found everything from this tie dyed beach towel, which I absolutely LOVE, to my Dr Pepper, snacks, bowls to put the snacks into, summer-themed plastic cups, colorful straws, a cute sun hat, flip flops, and my new favorite summer clutch!!  

What are some of your favorite locations to visit during the summer to enjoy the outdoors? Do you tend to stay local, or do you like to drive a few hours to enjoy something even better? Leave a comment below and let me know – we are always on the lookout for travel suggestions!

Also, what are your favorite picnic day snacks to enjoy outside? I went for classic options, and everything paired well together. An ice cold drink always helps the temp cool from inside and out!

This day, we got the most perfect weather ever! A little on the warm side, but the slight, cool breeze really helped keep things feeling great – and luckily kept mosquitoes at bay! It had actually rained earlier in the day, but the clouds cleared just enough to allow us to enjoy the sunset (the best thing in the world to me!). The water was so calm this day.

Now, let’s talk lakeside fashion! I loved this Made You Look Sun Hat from Walmart! Each one of our local stores seems to have a bit of a different selection, so I tried to browse them all for the cutest summer accessories. I also found this pair of mint, crochet-like coverup shorts, near the selection of bathing suits. I also just HAD to grab these donut printed flip flops – after all, it’s summer, right now I’m saying, “I Donut Give A Care” to so many of life’s worries. This great weather is really doing me some good!!!

This "Made You Look" hat is so fun!

In order to offer chilled refreshments on a hot day, I bring a small bag of ice in my cooler, and simply set the drinks into a metal tray. I then dump ice into the tin. The cans chill in about 20 or so minutes, and it’s such a cute presentation! Speaking of presentation, I do love a cute food table display, so I brought out some cute items to the lake with us. I used three tins (one for drinks, one for chips, and one for cookies), two fish-shaped bowls for candies, a wooden box to elevate the drinks, and of course plates and napkins. No utensils were required

Love the three colored tassels on the clutch bag! How adorable for summer!!

Taking a few extra minutes to set up a cute refreshment table really makes a day at the lake even better!

Invite your friends and family out this summer, and connect with them! Create meaningful memories during your summer celebrations that will be cherished forever!

Porter Turned One!

Just wanted to wish my little girl, Porter a Happy Birthday!!! 

Here's a portrait of us, both after our fresh, new haircuts!

How To Add A Recipe Card To Squarespace Blog Posts

Are you a food blogger who is currently looking to add a Recipe Card into your blog posts? I've done lots of research and after finding only WordPress plugins and widgets, I have finally found a Squarespace-friendly way to incorporate printable, Pinterest-friendly recipe and instructions to your posts! This means your recipes will finally show the ingredients and instructions into a Rich Pin on Pinterest. 

This amazing Bread Pudding recipe can be found here!

SO excited to have finally found a way to create a Recipe Card that is optimized for Squarespace! I have been searching for months to find some way to code in a recipe card of my own, or even use a plugin. Every single one I've seen is for Wordpress, and I love Squarespace so much that I didn't want to have to switch over. I love the sleek design of my Squarespace template, and while a large portion of food bloggers do use Wordpress, I knew there was some way to stick with it! I am thrilled to share the Recipe Whiz! 

The Recipe Whiz is a no-frills form that you input your title, description, yield, prep and cook times, ingredients, and instructions! You are also able to put the Image link to one image of the food too. YAY! 

I originally found out about Recipe Whiz here, on the My Life As A Mummy blog, where she explained how it was perfect for Blogger Blogs, which it definitely is!

I would also recommend simply testing this out on one of your already-created recipe posts, since the info is already there for you, to copy and paste into the Recipe Card!

YOUR BLOG POSTS WILL FINALLY CONTAIN A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD! (SEE BELOW)

YOUR POSTS LOOK GREAT ON PINTEREST - THEY FINALLY APPEAR AS A RICH PINS! (SEE BELOW)

1.) INPUT YOUR RECIPE INFORMATION

When you first visit The Recipe Whiz, the form below will be blank. Simply fill in the details of your recipe below, such as recipe title, cook and prep time, ingredients, and instructions.

At the very bottom of the form below, you will notice a box that says image. To get the direct image link, right click on any photo on your blog and select, Open Image In New Tab. It will open a new tab, and copy and paste that window's website address into this box.

After that, click "Get Microdata" and it will create some code for your Recipe Card.

ADD THE RECIPE CARD CODE TO YOUR BLOG POST

Grab that "Microdata" Coding in its entirety, and in a new or existing blog post, choose Add Code. Simply add this to a coding box on your squarespace post. Save and Publish, and you're done! In addition to the recipe card, I would still include all of this information in plain text, as well as lots of beautiful images. But, this definitely opens up a whole new world for use food and lifestyle bloggers who love using Squarespace! 

If you have any questions at all, please comment below and I'll get right back to you! Thank you SO much for reading through this tutorial, and feel free to drop a link to your blog posts that utilize this Recipe Card, below.

Organic Dessert Tortillas

Tropical Morning Sunshine Smoothie

Carbondale Farmer's Market

We are so fortunate to have such a vibrant Farmer's Market for still being in s pretty small city. I shot these photos in late May. It's interesting how some produce is only available a week or two, and I am sure even a few weeks later, the market looks completely different. It's definitely my goal to visit the market as many times as possible this year, especially before those mornings are a balmy 95 degrees with a very high % of humidity. 

Also, this year, our weather has just been kind of odd, so I believe that growing seasons for early growing produce was severely shortened and stunted. But, now, the weather has gotten a lot warmer, it's not raining excessively, and the sun is definitely shining and feeding all of those plants! 

Here is a sneak peek of the Market, I will share lots more photos later. 

Treating With Nutrish Treats From Rachel Ray + Road Tripping With Dogs Tips

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TreatingWithNutrish #NutrishPets #CollectiveBias

I found a new way to make my dogs behave better, haha! They absolutely LOVED these Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Dog Treats. Our two beautiful dogs had such a fun time helping me with this post, and planning and packing for our next road trip. I am excited to share some tips on Road Tripping With Dogs (and a puppy)! Our 8 year old Chocolate Lab has traveled nearly 60,000+ miles with us, and our recent road trip from southern Illinois to the Florida Keys was our Chocolate Labradoodle's first big road trip ever. Bringing these treats along with us helps immensely! They will do whatever we want when we temp them with treats, so I was so happy to incorporate these NUTRISH treats into our travels. 

Visit the Social Hub, Here.
Get your coupon for $1.50 off the treats, Here.

HERE ARE THE AVAILABLE VARIETIES OF TREATS:

Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Deli Cuts
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Meatloaf Morsels
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Pawsta
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Savory Roasters
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Burger Bites

WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP WITH DOGS + A PUPPY:

1-2 Gallons of water

Dog Bed

Keep Collars on Dogs + Leashes Within Reach

Dog Treats

Dog Food In A Gallon Ziploc Bag 

Doggie Waste Bage

Dog Toys

Chewies Like Rawhides

I found these amazing treats at the Winn Dixie grocery store in Big Pine Key, FL. They had these two varieties, the Savory Roasters and the Deli Cuts. In fact, I've already gone back a second time to get more treats, the dogs love them SO much!!

Look for them where you purchase your family's groceries! 

NO artificial flavors or meat by-products!! This is extremely important to me.

Safely USA cooked with the world's best ingredients. 

Note: Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Treats are intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Please watch your dog to ensure Nutrish treats are thoroughly chewed before swallowing. Break into small pieces for smaller dogs.