I have talked a lot about my love of Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw over the years. I've talked about what the character means to me and all these years later, I still love her dearly. I even love her and the much-discussed reboot, "And Just Like That..." I am one of the few people who is actually enjoying the show and the reason is, I would love anything that brought me back to Carrie Bradshaw. I don't even care that people can't stand her and think she's the worst. She is everything to me.

I've realized people like to hate on things that aren't up to their weird standards and I don't care what anyone says about "And Just Like That"... except for the Steve/Miranda storyline. I do not like what they are doing to Steve Brady. That's another post though.

Over the years, I've made my fair share of purchases that symbolize my love of Carrie Bradshaw and her iconic brownstone. I love being able to look at these items to symbolize and remind me of my dreams and my favorite main character. 

Etsy has always been one of my favorite places to shop. It has everything you could ever want or need, whether it's a piece of jewelry, home decor, or notebooks. When you shop at Etsy, the possibilities are truly endless.

Sometimes when I have something in my head, it can be difficult to figure out what kind of retailer would have that... but Etsy always delivers. You want a fancy, printable bookmark? Etsy has it. You want memorial jewelry? Etsy has it. Whatever you want, there's an Esty shop that caters to that specific item. It's pretty intense. 

So I did something over the weekend that I actually have been wanting to do for a while... I opened an ETSY SHOP!

I am by no means an artist but I have big ideas and always loved inspirational quote images. My Pinterest and Myspace obsession is showing! I've always been the type of person who can look at a quote image and feel instantly at ease.

Also for the past few years, I've been really into illustrations and decorating my room/house for the holidays and have loved being able to download art from Etsy to fill my gallery wall. Ever since discovering this online world I wanted to release something myself and after so much thought but not a lot of action, I took action last week.

I tried starting an Etsy shop last year with some planner printables but I wasn't really focused on it. This time around I decided to release some quote images and even bookmarks (because who doesn't love a good bookmark?). I figured Fall was the perfect time to do so since I still have a week of unemployment left and Fall is my favorite season! What better to release than Fall art printables?

I'm always looking for quote images for my wall but sometimes I can't find exactly what I'm looking for... so why not just make them?!



For now, I'm working on some Fall decor, then will probably go straight into Christmas/New Years. I will definitely be throwing in some random non-holiday pieces and already have!

Eventually, I'd love to offer planner printables and printables for bloggers/influencers/entrepreneurs. Please let me know if you have any requests and I'm more than happy to add something to the shop :)

Please head over to the shop and see if there's anything that you might fancy for your Fall decor this year and stay tuned -- more is coming!

xoxo
B

For the past year or so, I've been using a Louis Vuitton MM Agenda as my planner and I don't really know how I used anything else. I love the chic style that comes with carrying Vuitton but also love the personalization and freedom I have to create my perfect planner.

I've tried so many inserts over the past year from different websites and random Etsy shops; I've taken recommendations from planner Facebook groups, Youtube, and just from my own browsing. There are definitely some popular inserts that I've loved, some I've hated and some hidden gems.

I wanted to take you through the inserts that have worked for me in case you are looking for new inserts for your own personal planner.

I've always been a lover of Etsy, ever since I joined a sorority in college and ordered a lot of monogrammed items from there.

As I've gotten older, I've found other needs for Etsy, like home decor or planning, or really just anytihng random. Etsy is like Amazon, it has everything and anything you're looking for.

Over the past few months I feel like I've been shopping a lot on Etsy, for various things and it's become my go-to for anything cute and fun I feel like I need in my life.

Here are some of my favorites:



1. Sleepy Cottage Eye Mask: I've been obsessed with sleeping eye masks lately and I wanted to glam it up. That's when I stumbled on Sleepy Cottage. They have the cutest eye masks with adorable sayings and a few other accessories like Breakfast at Tiffany's ear plugs and cute bracelets. It's a must-see shop and I highly recommend the sleep masks. They're very comfortable and adorable!

2. Minted Sugar Inserts: If you have a planner that you build yourself, the only inserts to buy are Minted Sugar. They're minimalistic, very customizable, and beautiful. I've tried making my own inserts (meaning printing them and punching holes in them myself) and the Minted Sugar route is so much better. I use them in my mini LV agendas and my MM Agenda - I have the marble to do lists, marble mini lined pages, rose lined pages, monthly layouts, and dated detail weekly layouts. They're always releasing new pages and it's a must-try!

3. Blogger Templates: I find all my templates for the blog on Etsy. My latest one is from the shop Best for the Blog. All the templates come with instructions on how to install and they're just so easy -- yes, they aren't custom made and you may find a few other blogs with the same layout but they're great for beginner blogs or someone who likes a different look every so often.



4. Wall Art: I've bought all my wall decor on Etsy -- some have been digital downloads straight from Etsy, others I got shipped to me. I like being able to print them myself because it gives me more flexibility on switching things up and they're cheaper LOL. My favorite to date has been this Carrie Bradshaw closet one -- I NEED the apartment print next. 

These are just a few of my current Etsy favorites!

What are your favorite finds from Etsy?
xoxo
B
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Ever since I started this blog in 2012, I've been searching high and low for the perfect blog planner. I've tried making my own, a regular notebook, a regular weekly planner, tried Google calendar, and nothing was ever good enough for me.

When I started my Louis Vuitton obsession this month, I realized that the PM agenda would be perfect to create my own little blog planner. I started viciously searching Etsy for the perfect layout and came across a few that fit the planner size (the PM is ultra small and is equivalent to a pocket agenda).




The one that I mostly use are these from Whatever Bright Things. She was the sweetest shop owner ever because I asked her if there was a way to make these for the pocket agenda and she gave me instructions on how to do it. When you print these, just print 4 on a page and they'll be the perfect size for the PM agenda.






This pack comes with so many different pages; everything from dashboards to analytics to blog goals and editorial calendars.






I also purchased the GirlBoss Planner Dividers from My Paper Love Studio to better organize the planner; they're super cute and make the planner even more special. I organized into four different sections: Goals, Editorial, Social Media, and Random Notes.






Before I purchased the Whatever Bright Things blog planner, I bought the personal size blog planner from Mockeri. I had to scale these down to fit inside the PM agenda but it worked. I just felt like I needed something more than just blog post planning; I wanted the whole kit and caboodle.

I felt like I needed a regular notepad part of this planner so I bought the 'Brilliant Ideas' notepad from Alinas Creative Corner; she has some other great planners as well!

I've been using this for about 3-4 weeks and it's been working out great. The planner comes with me everywhere and is so handy. It's adorable, compact, but I'm still able to feel like I'm really planning things out.

I highly recommend the Louis Vuitton agendas (pre-loved on Tradesy or eBay) or just making your own planner in general. I don't think I'd ever use this as a regular agenda as I love buying one from Henri Bendel, Kate Spade, or Lilly Pulitzer, but it's a nice alternative for the blog!

What kind of blog planner do you use?
xoxo
B

I am a lady who likes her handbags and that is no secret. From Kate Spade to Rebecca Minkoff, I have my favorites, but I do not discriminate against higher end luxury bags. I have a Louis Vuitton Speedy that I got for my 16th birthday, and have lusted after other LV bags for years.

While I love my Kate Spade bags that I can buy without a second thought, because there are always sales and they aren't too expensive, LV products are not something that I can buy at the drop of a hat. They are thousands of dollars, and are just not feasible all the time.

With the rise of resellers like Poshmark, Mercari, and eBay, the idea of owning pre-loved items are more prevalent and designer pieces are a little more on my level. I've eyed many pieces on these apps and websites but have never pulled the trigger because they aren' items I need and are still a bit out of my price range.

I can lust all I want but buying has never been my thing.

That is, until Tradesy. I don't remember how I found it but it's my new favorite website. It is essentially like Poshmark & Mercari where you can create an account and sell items. The difference is, from what I can, Tradesy specializes in luxury items. They have everything from Louis Vuitton to Chanel to Hermes, but don't get it twisted -- they have Kate Spade & Rebecca Minkoff as well.

My FAVORITE thing about Tradesy? They use Affirm which essentially is a loan, meaning you can purchase an item and pay it off like a credit card (or specifically a loan). You get approved right on the website during checkout and it'll tell you how much you are covered for. Affirm even has an app which makes payment even easier.

Ok, I know this has sounded like a sponsored post but it is 100% not... I just want to lay out all the information for you.

I started looking at some items from Louis Vuitton (who is really the only designer I truly love and like almost everything they have), and knew what kind of pieces I wanted. I have been eyeing up their agendas, because we all know how much I love agendas.



I also really wanted the pouchette that comes with the Neverfull MM bag, in Rose Ballerine. These two items aren't that expensive and I found some that were in near perfect condition, so I scooped them up and paid for them with Affirm. I treated myself because I've paid off 2 credit cards and once I pay off the rest, you bet I'm buying myself a new Louis Vuitton bag.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying this to brag, I just figured you ladies would want to know about a new site that I found & see my new goodies that you can own if they're your thing!





For the agenda, I got the PM which is the smallest they have (it is the same size as what would be a pocket agenda) & I wanted to use this more of a blog planner/quick to do list. I didn't need another actual dated planner because I have two of those already. I found these printables for a blog planner on Etsy and they are probably the only ones I found that are in a pocket size. They are perfect for the planner and have everything I wanted in a teeny tiny blog planner.

I also downloaded these regular lined pages just to have for any ideas or notes I had.

While I'm very excited that I own this agenda and it is perfect for what I need it for, it's very tiny and I wouldn't recommend getting the PM size if you're going to use it for an everyday planner. This is perfect for something tiny that you want to always take with you and have for lists or ideas.




Now onto the pouch; I knew I wanted this forever, just to have as a catchall pouch in all my handbags. It's sleek, gorgeous and such high quality; I also really wanted the Rose Ballerine interior because well, it's pink & I love pink if you didn't know...

I've been using this almost as a wallet and just throwing my bills in it because my full size Kate Spade wallet feels so heavy and this has multi purpose. I also keep the PM agenda in it because I like keeping the inside of my bag neat and organized.

All in all, Tradesy is a great website if you're looking to buy some luxury items or even limited edition designer items. They have everything from clothes to shoes to jewelry and luggage.

What is your favorite site to purchase pre-loved items from?

xoxo
B

I tackled how I decorated my room with coffee table books already, and explained how that was on my decorating to do list.

Something else that has been on my decor to-do list even longer, and even more important than coffee table books?

A gallery wall.

It's such a cliche and a typical blogger/twenty-something girl to have but I couldn't help it. A gallery wall was calling my name and the moment I found out I was going to be moving, I started looking for prints.

Etsy is the place to go for prints, in my opinion. I decided to just buy the prints for cheaper, and frame  them myself. I thought it was silly to pay $80 for a print, when I could buy it for $15 and buy my own frame.

I waited until I was moved in and a bit settled to order the prints and frames; I wanted to figure out the best place to put the gallery wall and how many photos I needed.

My mom bought me two regular, but fun photos to hang on my wall, which you can see below:



Because of this, I knew I didn't want too many photos for the gallery wall, so I only purchased four photos from Etsy, from a variety of shops.

There are so many incredible artists on Etsy, and so many prints that fit my aesthetic, but I knew the types of photos I wanted:

Something related to Carrie Bradshaw
A macaroon print
A lipstick/perfume/or nail polish print
A makeup quote
Something fashion related, like shoes or a handbag

Carrie's Walk in Closet Carrie Bradshaw Quote YSL Lipstick Print Macaroon Print

I chose the four I wanted, ordered them, and waited patiently. Etsy, depending on where the seller is, does take a little long so it was a waiting game. Once they did arrive, they were well worth the wait because they were so nicely packaged and well protected.

I went to Target and picked up these frames in a few different sizes (2 black frames and 2 white frames). My mom and I hung the frames within 30 minutes and I had my perfect gallery wall.

I am completely obsessed with the wall; it came together perfectly and really reflects the feeling I wanted. I'm also not mad at the fact that I found a print of Carrie Bradshaw's closet. I mean, she is my idol so it's only appropriate.

Here's what the wall looks like: