Posts in Home & Decor
Sonny's Cool Kid Room
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Sonny’s room reveal! Palm trees, peace sign and sunshine vibes! This space is all about creating an environment just for him where he can develop and grow! Even though this kid gets all the hand-me-downs from big sis (the crib and glider were hers plus so much more), I wanted to make sure I channeled his personality and interests in his room. He’s so sweet and chill so the peace sign from Kawaiian Lion felt right. I love how it makes a statement and is a piece of art I’d totally use in another area in my home if he ever grows out of this vibe. And since we live in SoCal I’m always thinking about earthquakes and conscious of putting anything above his crib that could hurt him. The color of the sign really sets the mood for the rest of the room.

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Haha please note that you can see Milly’s old bite marks from when she was teething. Sonny never chewed on his crib! Btw, this crib was a floor model so we saved huge on this!

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This rug is SO soft. We used to have it in our living room but it was too small for the space and felt more like a bedroom kind of rug. It would also be great for layering! It’s not quite cream and has some variation in the color of the wool threading so it’s easy for hiding little stains but we also don’t wear shoes in our home and there is no food allowed upstairs so that’s helpful too.

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Even when I was pregnant with Sonny I felt like his color was green. I originally wanted a green dresser and thought about painting this one but that would just be a travesty since it’s gorgeous with the mahogany wood and burnished brass hardware. His dresser is sold out but I found a smaller one in the same finish or this similar one in walnut. The changing table on top is removable and was from Milly’s dresser that we got on Craigslist!

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This shelf cubby and baskets was a swap find from another mom who was giving it away. I’m all about second hand furniture especially something like this for the babes. It’s the perfect size for him and helps keep his toys organized in one space. I also love how it can be used as a bench or a place for him to play with his Dinos and cars.

Since Sonny is a Leo sign, I naturally gravitate toward lions. This round rug provides a great little cushion for creating a reading corner in his room. I also had fun adding some texture and more color in this area with the green and striped throw pillow. Pillows are such an easy and affordable way to change up a space!

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I also love the pillows and blanket on his glider. The mud cloth inspired rust pillow is from World Market and the blue washed linen lumbar one compliments it nicely. The blanket is from Sackcloth & Ashes and comes with a book called Everyone is Someone. For every purchase of the set, they donate a blanket to a child in foster care. I really love the coastal shades of this blanket and it pulls more of that orange and blue that I adore.

One of the most used “toy” investments we’ve made for Milly & Sonny is this Montessori play gym featuring the Pikler triangle/ball tracker slide/climbing ladder set plus wobble balance board. We’ve gotten endless play from these pieces and can not rave about them enough. I’ll bring them downstairs when friends come over to play. We also have the rocker which can be used to rock and do teeter totter, slide, a tunnel and so much more. They toss a blanket over these and set up a fort. They play with their toys on them. They slide, climb, jump and more! The company we bought them from were local and have since closed but here are some places that sell them as well: Pikler triangle, balance wobble board. The younger you get these for your children, the better!

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This display bookcase is such a beautiful way to create a home library for your child. The forward facing bookshelf encourages early reading and makes it easier for your child to see the cover of each book and prompt them to read on their own! I love rotating our books out each season or more. Above the bookshelf is a print showcasing helicopters my dad flew when he served in Vietnam. It’s very special to us and I love how Sonny will always point to it and say Baba. Those Shel Silverstein books are from when I was a little girl and the little doll beside Sonny in this next pic was mine too. There are so many little details in this room that are meaningful to us.

You’ll notice behind me we have a Blueair air purifier in his room. We put Blueair air purifiers in both Sonny & Milly’s room to help remove airborne pollen, smoke, dust, VOC’s, microplastics, bacteria and viruses. We have one in our great room too. Clean air is a non-negotiable for me, especially because Sonny has really bad allergies. Did you know, the air indoors can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outdoors? That’s so crazy to me! But with us living by LAX and an oil refinery-even though we are by the water and get that beach breeze, it’s easy for pollutants to come in the house. We’ve been so pleased with our Blueair Blue 411 Auto air purifier, and the sleek, modern design goes great with the entire aesthetic of the room.

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Let me know if you’d like to know more about Sonny’s room or have questions about where anything is from. Head to my Instagram @BrandiMilloy for more behind the scenes!

Small Space Makeover

Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post

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AFTER

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BEFORE

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For me, home is about creating a cozy inviting space where people will want to gather and spend time. Our home's color palette is a lot of natural, earth tones with shades of blue. Since we've only been here a year, I'm continuing to slowly furnish each room-being super thoughtful about what I bring into our home. I want gorgeous pieces but also ones that function well for our family. Each season, I love to layer in new decor pieces to bring fresh energy and personality to the space. Right now, World Market's fall collection is all about tons of texture. From crushed velvet to cane to fluted wood, the new collection is full of pieces that are on trend, global inspired and versatile. Many of the pieces are great for small spaces and feature multipurpose use! Scroll down for some of my favorites and then head to my instagram for more!

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The Leanna Loveseat features impressive channel tufting along the back and sides. The rust velvet like fabric adds warmth to any space. This would be great in a living or sitting room for unwinding with a book.

This Cecile Bookshelf can be used as a bookcase, console table or buffet. The curved ends with the open weave rattan cane give it an upscale boho look.

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World Market's fall collection is all about multipurpose pieces. This Acrylic Waterfall Desk can be used as a desk for a home office or even a space for children to do their homework. Place it in the entry way and it's a spectacular console table. Use it as a bar or a place to display your wines with a few accessories.

The Megan Swivel Chair comes in ivory or gray fabric-which are both great neutrals for styling with throw pillows. Super versatile, you can use it in a dining, living room or as an accent chair in a bedroom.

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I love incorporating poufs into a space for extra seating or for kicking up your feet at the end of the day. These basketweave velvet poufs are playful in style but feature an elevated sage green and they don't take up too much space.

This Round Gold Hammered Coffee Table is an exclusive piece from World Market. Crafted in India, this round table infuses rich texture and has functional storage for blankets, extra pillows or a hiding space for my children's toys.

Scroll down to check out more pieces from the new fall collection including some behind the scenes from our fall small spaces shoot!

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Kids' Organization

Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post

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With a toddler and baby at home I know exactly how easy it is for all of the toys to takeover. I'm happy to partner with @worldmarket to show you how creating a few designated zones and by putting similar toys together helps to bring structure and organization to your children's play area.

I created a cozy reading nook with this hunter green floor pillow and throw pillows on top. I love mixing different textures and patterns like velvet and cotton with the striped b & w pillow. Plus it compliments the rug we have it this area.

I used these small hyacinth baskets to store Milly & Sonny's blocks, play food and musical instruments. Aesthetically I love the way these look and they also fit perfectly on their shelves. This is a great way to rotate toys every other week. I have these baskets in my linen closet and pantry too. They are so versatile!

This canvas wall organizer is great for storing tiny books for little hands and loveys to hold during reading time. There are so many possibilities with all of the pockets! 

We love to read in our home so we have which means we have a ton of books- so I like displaying them a few different ways to breathe fresh life into them! This rattan letter holder is fantastic for featuring a few favorite books at a time. Especially if you are tight on space, a few of these would be phenomenal for creating a tiny library. I also chose to color coordinate our books. For visual thinkers, this can really be a great way to categorize! Also, if there's anything I've learned in parenting, it's less is more.

These large glass containers are amazing for tiny toys like matchbox cars, legos, dinos and cars. I love these so much-they are in my office closet for art supplies too.

I hope these tips help you get a handle on your play spaces in your home! Head to my instagram @BrandiMilloy to see the before a a behind the scenes video of how this came together. Plus make sure you're following me on Like to Know It for links to everything I used. And if you have a great organization hack I'd love to know it, share it with me below. 

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World Market Kids' Furniture

Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post

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One of my favorite things about the World Market Kids’ Collection is the versatility of the furniture. The Elliot Table, for example is multi-functional, super cute and features tons of storage. The table has four cubbies and the stools double as extra storage. Everything is easily stowed away. As a mom of two active kiddos I want furniture that looks good, lasts and makes it easy for all of us to transition from school to play to snack time.

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When it comes to a place you can relax, read, cozy up and cuddle it’s all about this oversized bean bag and canopy. Milly & Sonny each have one of these in their room and it’s their favorite spot. Add a few throw pillows, a basket for books and loveys and find your children spending hours in their little canopy corner. If you’re looking to add a bookshelf or area to neatly display toys and boys the Elliot Book Shelf is chic and great for maximizing small spaces. I have one of these in my office because it looks so good. Using baskets to style the shelves is a great way to hide things you don’t want displayed. Scroll down for all of my favorite furniture pieces from the new World Market Kids’ Collection!

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Maximus Egg Chair

Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post

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I wanted this Maximus Egg Chair from @WorldMarket since last year! I wish I hadn't waited so long. This oversized hanging chair makes such a statement and is everything I imagined and more! This stunning piece is so cozy, substantial and the perfect haven for relaxation. The babes love it too. I'll find Milly eating her snacks in there or Sonny will climb up and read a book. It's our family's favorite spot!

I love how substantial it feels with the powder coated metal base and hanging stand-this was something that was really important to me since I don’t want to drill holes in my patio or anything. And the all-weather wicker means it will withstand so many natural elements. If you’ve never had furniture made with this material you know it’s amazing! I had a few chairs from World Market made with this and they still look new after years and years of use outside! I’d love to know if you end up getting this egg chair-I just know it will be the only chair you’ll ever need! Scroll down to see more pics and sources!

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Milly's New Room
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I’m so excited to share Milly’s new room! I can’t believe our baby girl is old enough to have a big girl room. I wanted her space to be all about everything our little girl loves. She’s fearless, carefree, enjoys reading and I wanted her space to support that. I enlisted the help of Sophie Rankell to help design the space. She’s a Santa Barbara interior designer specializing in interiors with a coastal midcentury modern vibe. She’s been a friend for years and I was so excited to get her design help on this space. Sophie offers a wide variety of services (including virtual): from full service concept to completion to straight interior design to pulling together pieces in your home to make your space feel fresh and cohesive. She sourced items within my budget but also helped me design with what we already had. You can reach out to her via Instagram @SophieRankell.

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This room has so many dreamy vibes, from the airy house bed to the muted rose and ocean blue colors to the cozy window seat and canopy reading corner. When you walk into her room it feels open and calming, playful and fun. But the first thing that commands your attention her bed. It really is the focal point of the room.

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We found Purveyor 15 on etsy. Handcrafted in Ozark, Missouri they’re a family owned small business that makes gorgeous beds specializing in toddler beds. We went with a full size house bed for her room and we are so pleased with what we chose. If you’re interested in getting a  Purveyor 15 bed use the code BRANDI15 to get 15% off plus they already offer free shipping in the continental US!

There was a lot of back and forth between getting a twin versus a full. And ultimately the positives of getting a full (so we could lay with her when we read at night, it could act as a guest bed when needed, she could grow into it, etc.) outweighed getting a twin. I love the Montessori style and how it’s low but not on the floor. We tied crinkle curtains from World Market to the top post on each side to create a fun canopy. These come in several amazing muted colors but I loved how the white continued this feeling of light and bright. She can choose to leave it opened or closed and it’s just enough privacy so she feels like she’s in her own secret world. She loves to go to bed with her flashlight and a book. For a playful touch we added paper lanterns to the peaked post on the end. These are currently sold out on World Market but I love these too! You could also string pom poms across the frame! For her bedding, so many people recommend Beddy’s bedding but I wanted to repurpose what we already had so we used a white duvet, white sheets and a few fun pattered pillows for a pop of color. The large pillows have since moved to our bedroom because they were a bit large for her space and mostly ended up on the floor!

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And while her house bed is the focal point, her rug is probably the anchor of the room. Sophie had originally chosen this rug which we adored because the blush and blue color palette was so spot on with other inspiration ideas we had for the room plus we both gravitate towards Persian style designs. However, when I went to the store I noticed this rug and something about it really pulled me in. I FaceTimed Sophie and she agreed we should get both and see how they work in the space. We ended up using the other rug in our loft playroom area and then kept this contemporary abstract circle jute one for Milly’s room. The photos really don’t do it justice! The colors are perfect and I love the texture of the soft jute and cotton combo.

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I love these wooden name blocks Milly got from her best friend, Jack. You can find similar ones here. I think they are such great gift ideas and now that Milly is learning how to spell her name, they are great for practicing with her letters!

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One of our favorite features of Milly’s room is her spacious window seat. I envision her spending hours in that spot reading, writing in a diary, playing with dolls, dreaming about all of the things her heart desires! Mr. A’s mama designed the cushion and it just fits perfectly! The throw pillows soften the space and add tons of texture against the large window.

Since Milly has plenty of closet space in her room, we opted to swap out her dresser and chose this media stand instead. It’s just enough drawers for her needs and the height is great for displaying her things: like her diffuser, narwhal coin bank,

We hung a few pieces of art that exude the carefree California vibes we wanted including a few prints from this collage set. The other art I got from a boutique in NYC when Milly was a baby but I’ll be sure to post the source here as soon as I figure it out!

The yarn wall hanging is from The Dancing Tapestry. This was in Milly’s nursery and ultimately it played a huge part in the vibe of the room. I love the rose gold sunset and the calming blue ocean. Alicia does incredible work and you can also work with her on special requests. I just adore everything she creates! You can follow her on Instagram @TheDancingTapestry.

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How much do you love the wicker rattan rocker? It was mine when I was little! It’s from the 80’s and my parents kept it this entire time!

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Staying in line with a space that is made for Milly and allows her to thrive…we hung this circle canopy in the corner. The gauzy sheer canopy is the perfect space to play with lovies, read books or relax. Can you tell we were all about soft texture in this space? We added tons of pillows to the floor and placed this seagrass basket nearby for toys. And since Milly’s closet has plenty of storage for her books, we moved her former bookshelf to her brother’s room and opted for a few display book shelves for the books she’s currently reading.

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Milly is so pleased with the way the space turned out and I am too. The design is so versatile and can easily be changed depending on what she’s into, but I have a feeling she’ll be enjoying it for years to come! If you have questions about any other products featured, let me know by commenting on my latest post on instagram @BrandiMilloy

What I Bought I Can No Longer Live Without: eufy
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I’m so glad my bestie Breelyn told me about her secret for keeping her floors clean and free of dust and dirt! The eufy robot vacuum cleaner is such a life saver especially with a baby and toddler running around this home. We have mostly hard wood floors with a big rug in the living room and some runners here and there and the eufy seamlessly goes from cleaning the carpet to the hardwood floors, will go under the couch, our stove and even grab crumbs and dirt along the floorboards of our kitchen. It gets it all! I was impressed after 5 minutes of using it! Takes minutes to set up and you can even put it on a timer to turn off and on. It self-charges so you can just keep it in an area in your home plugged in so it’s ready to go when you need it. I use it all the time. Totally worth the less than $200 price tag. I got it for $180 but right now it’s on sale for $160. It’s one of those things I tell everyone about and has saved me hours sweeping up after dinner and before we go to bed every night. With Sonny being the age he is now he puts everything in his mouth! I’m so glad I have that piece of mind with the eufy and know that it is picking up everything so I don’t have to worry about Sonny finding something random on the floor. The thing is so quiet too-probably as loud as a microwave when you have it on. There’s a filter in the back you pull out and tap into the trash can after every use and you’ll be surprised what it picks up! I can’t imagine how well this must work for pet owners. Do yourself a favor and stop sweeping and breaking your back holding the dust pan and little broom. This eufy does all of that but with a press of a button!

We Moved! Our Coastal Modern Farmhouse
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Feels like a whirlwind these last few months selling our bungalow, packing everything up, moving to a temporary home and then moving into our new home all during a pandemic! And even though it felt very quick and sudden it’s been in the works since last year. We decided to keep the news close to our chest with so many unknowns and different variables and quite honestly all of it was falling into place too well that I didn’t want to get my hopes up if something happened! I gave a quick sneak peek tour on my IGTV if you want to check it out here. I plan on doing a more in depth tour to talk about all the decisions we made, how we found the home and then worked with our builder, Chris of Style Q Construction to truly make it our dream home. But I thought I’d share some more photos here since so many of you support my blog and enjoy the space we’ve created here.

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Organizing Your Fridge with These 5 Easy Tips
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Organizing my fridge and labeling everything has been on my list of things to do for a while now so as soon as I put these labels on I couldn’t wait to snap some pics. I actually needed to do a fair amount of grocery shopping when I took these photos so this is not a post about my fridge must haves because that is something I’m thrilled to share with you. We were out of a lot of food we keep on hand (Dr. Pepper to name one!) so stay tuned for that post and IGTV episode. In the meantime I’m excited to share how I organize our food in the fridge.

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PURGE AND CLEAN

I mean, this is self-explanatory really but get rid of any old food (check expiration dates), condiments you never use and random things you’ve been keeping in there. For example, small jars of jam you got at a hotel that you thought were super cute so you took but you’ve never used? Tip: these are really cute but maybe put them in the pantry (as long as they’re unopened) and bring out the next time you put together a charcuterie board! Take out each drawer, shelf and bin and wash in hot soapy water and dry before returning to your fridge.

CHECK INVENTORY

As I was putting each food item back, I started taking inventory of anything I needed or what I realized I had a lot of. For example, we love hot sauce so I made a mental mark that we’d probably want to designate an area for all of our spicy sauces!

DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT EVERYTHING TO GO

Everyone has different needs and eats different foods so once you’ve emptied your fridge and cleaned it out then you can really access what kinds of foods you keep on hand. This helped me see what space made the most sense for each category and helped me choose the place where I wanted everything to go. Traditionally you see refrigerator drawers filled with vegetables and fruit but for us, we keep a lot of fruit on our counters so having a drawer just for fruit would be a waste of space for us. I decided our love of cheese would go in a drawer instead.

LABEL IT

When I came across these custom labels on etsy by Vinyl Goods Co I knew I wanted to use them in our fridge (and pantry…blog post part 2 coming soon)! The farmhouse calligraphy script font was just perfect for our style and I loved that I could custom design exactly the categories that made sense for us. I mean, have you ever seen a label for a fridge that says “cookie dough”? Probably not. But in our house, we always have it on hand! Once I decided each category I wanted and the color and size I needed, I emailed Tiffany at Vinyl Goods Co and shared my list with her. For all of the clear bins, I choose white and then black for the labels on each shelf to make them easy to read. Here’s what I ended up with:

  • Leftovers

  • Refreshments

  • Milk

  • Snacks

  • Eggs

  • Specialty

  • Sauces

  • Veggies 

  • Fruit 

  • Cheese

  • Protein

  • Condiments

  • Dressings

  • Butter 

  • Spreads

  • Yogurt

  • Briny

  • Spicy

  • Cookie Dough

The labels were really easy to transfer onto each surface and they included instructions for how to do so. With each label I got more and more excited to finish!

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MAINTENANCE

The only way for your fridge to stay organized is by weekly check ins. Every time I take something off a shelf, I give a quick glance at what else is over there. I wipe down bbq sauces and make sure things are staying in place. I find that every time I grocery shop I end up doing a bit of maintenance to keep things nice and organized. This has been especially helpful when we have someone care for Milly. I love that they can easily find her snacks and since we added a bin just for Milly she can choose her snacks and the nanny can find her lunch easily because it is all contained.

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What I love about an organized fridge is the more organized you keep it, the less chance of food going to waste! It also discourages you from buying things you don’t need. I hope this helps inspire you to organize your fridge. I’d love to see your photos and hear about any other ideas you come up with as you organize. Post your photos on instagram and tag me! xoxo, B

Holiday Movie Watching Party Tips
Photography Credit: Home & Family

Photography Credit: Home & Family

Every time I work at Home & Family I have an absolute blast. Their team is truly “family” and everyone is so warm and welcoming. So it was even more special to work with Cost Plus World Market, partners I’ve worked with for years now and is a dream company to represent. The theme was a holiday moving watching party! Do you love the Countdown to Christmas on the Hallmark Channel as much as our family? They have the best movies and it always gets us in the holiday spirit.

Photography Credit: Home & Family

Photography Credit: Home & Family

For this set up I created a few different themes. The first is for families complete with a hot cocoa drinking station and all the yummy fixins like snowmen marshmallows. The other is for girls night in and is all about lux touches and feminine colors. When my friends come over I love spoiling them with charcuterie boards, cocktails and dessert. You can watch the full segment here and then let me know if you set up your own holiday movie watching party!

Photography Credit: Home & Family

Photography Credit: Home & Family

DIY Toddler Learning Tower Stool
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Ever since Milly was an infant she’s been hanging out in the kitchen with us. When she was an itty bitty babe I’d wear her in my wrap or carrier and she’d watch me put dishes away or prepare meals. Many times we would keep her in the dock-a-tot on our island in the kitchen and she’d watch us cook and eat. Once she was sitting up, she’d sit in her chair and watch me from the counter. I’ve always encouraged participation in the kitchen. When she was old enough to grasp things I’d let her stir a dish or press the button on the mixer. I love how interested she is in learning! If there’s anything I’ve taken away from parenting it’s to embrace the messy and give your child the liberty and independence to learn. Every day there is something new to discover! So you would imagine as soon as she was big enough to cruise and then stand, she was always tugging at me trying to see what I was doing and get in on the action. One could think your child is whining or getting fussy because they want a toy or want you to stop what you’re doing but with Milly, as soon as I picked her up and showed her what I was doing she was immediately engaged and excited. Once this clicks, it’s a lifesaver for continuing your day and getting all that household business done. Even just explaining to Milly what I’m doing or why I’m doing it makes her feel like she’s involved. They just want to help and be a part of whatever you’re doing! I couldn’t wait to have Mr. A help me make this learning tower stool IKEA hack I found on Happy Grey Lucky (the link is below!) And by help, I mean I picked up the $19 stool from IKEA. :) He did everything else.

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What I love about this learning tower stool is the design. It’s sleek, modern and I like the raw pine look. We haven’t put the finishing touches on (we plan on covering the screws with wood filler, staining it slightly and then sealing it with poly to make clean up super easy) but I love the way it turned out!

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There are a lot of similar stools available but they are bulky and large and in our amazing bungalow, space is limited. Plus, they cost anywhere from $200-$250 and this entire hack cost us less than $50! This is something Milly will use for at least 3-4 years and hopefully one day her little brother or sister will enjoy it too. Be sure to follow me on instagram to see the many ways we use it for learning and hands on activities!

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For the full tutorial go to Happy Grey Lucky!

A Mermaid Inspired Dessert Table
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I adore a good dessert table. It's perfect for someone like me that can never just commit to one dessert. Anyone else want the cookie AND the ice cream? I remember when I was a little kid and my parents would let us get one treat-I'd always try to find a way to get two! Why have just ice cream when you can get an ice cream sandwich with two chewy cookies hugging that ice cream. Right?! A dessert table at a party is always a good thing...and in some ways it's easier! Making a batch of a few things brings me so much more joy than stressing about making one gigantic perfect cake. And something I've learned in my years of hosting parties and my experience owning a dessert catering company (raise your hand if you knew this-and if you didn't-let me know in the comments below and if you want me to blog about that amazing adventure) is not everyone likes cake (gasp!). So I knew a dessert table was the way to go when it came to our daughter, Milly's first birthday shellebration! 

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How cute is this babe holding her birthday cake truffle? For the record Mama took it out of her hand before she could sneak a bite (sorry baby girl!).  If you read Milly's first birthday party post, then you already know I didn't end up making her a homemade smash cake like I wanted to. We actually didn't let her do a smash cake at all and guess what? It was fine! She already got her first taste of buttercream when we gave her a cupcake during her one year photos and that was enough for both Mr. A and I to agree that we don't need to let our babe go ham on some cake. 

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We did however make sure we had cake for our guests! I ordered our favorite birthday cake and truffles from Momofuku Milkbar and made my favorite funfetti cupcakes topped with chocolate seashells and mermaid tails.

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These are SO easy to make and you can find the molds for each online. Scroll down for the full recipe/directions on how to make these. 

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One of the easiest treats to make ahead of time for a party are marshmallow treats! You can't tell, but these are made with brown butter giving them a salty caramel flavor.  It's my absolute favorite way to elevate any dessert.  Then while they were still warm, I sprinkled my favorite sprinkles from Sweetapolita on top. These were gone in like .2 seconds!

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And if that's too much work and you want to keep things simple, host a candy bar! Even if it's just to see adults act like giddy little kids-have a candy bar at your party.  I'm telling you it's amazing! We love Sugarfina because they have all the best candy.

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I'm partial to gummies so we chose 5 of our favorites (baby whales, peach bellini, baby butterflies, apple frogs and ice cream cones). Nothing brings me more joy than to watch the look on people’s faces as they load up their candy bag! I also love how this pretty much acts as a party favor meaning one less thing I need to do which by the way-I don’t like party favors and think they’re a total waste of money. :)

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The last dessert we made were these cookie dough gems. Mr. A and I actually tag teamed making these because they’re that easy to do! They’re filled with homemade egg less cookie dough using this recipe (or you can also just buy Edoughble). All I did was tint white chocolate using gel food coloring (you can also use candy melts) and then filled each mold with the melted chocolate. Flip it over to allow the excess to drip and then place in freezer for about 5 minutes to set. Then you fill each chocolate coated mold with cookie dough and top with more melted chocolate to seal. Place back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to harden. To remove gems from the mold, just tap on a kitchen towel covered counter. You can make these up to a week in advance if kept in a cool, dark place. You can also keep them in the refrigerator but they can sometimes sweat. For a finishing touch, I dusted mine with luster dust.

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I melted several different colors of white chocolate and then swirled them with a knife to create the marble effect before coating each mold!

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I actually used the same chocolate for the gems as I did with the mermaid tails and shells. Keep it simple!

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 I just adore how our daughter's party turned out. Let me know what you think! And if you recreate any of these recipes or ideas, tag me on instagram @BrandiMilloy. For the full party blog post including the simple DIY balloon arch Mr. A and I made, be sure to check out Milly’s First Birthday Shellebration. And scroll down for a quick recipe for these show stopping mermaid tails!

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CHOCOLATE MERMAID TAILS RECIPE

by Brandi Milloy

Ingredients:

Directions

  1. Slowly melt candy melts using a double boiler method or in the microwave for 30 seconds and then 10 seconds at a time. Once they are melted, use a spoon to carefully fill the mold, tapping it on a hard surface to get rid of any air bubbles. I mixed a few different colors to achieve the pastel watercolor look.

  2. Place mold in the freezer to harden and set for about 10 minutes. You can make these up to a week in advance and they will still taste and look fresh as long as you keep them in a dry cool place. 

Milly's 1st Birthday Shellebration
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Thank you to Jenny Quicksall for her amazing photography in capturing this special day for us. Like all parties, it's always a whirlwind trying to say hi to everyone, make sure food is replenished, all your guests have a drink, baby is happy, etc. I can't imagine trying to remember to take pictures on top of all of that much less pictures that include both myself, Mr. A and Milly- so to have our friend, Jenny there taking photos of each moment was an immeasurable relief and a priceless gift we will cherish forever!

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Happy Birthday Little Amazing!!! I can't believe our baby girl is already 1 year old. They say the days are long and the years are short and now that I'm a Mama I totally get it.  My little mermaid baby that couldn't wait to meet us, who was almost born in Daddy's car-is here and has given us so much joy in the last year it's hard to remember life before her. She is a dream baby but I don't know if I ever really looked at her like a "baby" because to me she's always been a magical gift from God, this tiny person that I've always known and continue to fall more and more in love with. Every night after we put her to bed Mr. A and I will look at each other and talk about how amazing she is. Sometimes we do this for hours. We love being Milly's Mama & Daddy! And we couldn't wait to shellabrate her with a party fit for the mermaid babe she is and invite all her friends.

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The inspiration for her party began with the sweet ruffled one piece she wore. I bought this on Amazon a few months after she was born because I liked it so much but never really planned on it being her birthday outfit. After months of looking at it hanging in her closet, I couldn't wait for her to wear it for her special day.  I like that it has the mermaid scales and pastel watercolors without being a true mermaid costume/outfit. When I added the pink tutu all of a sudden it was the perfect birthday ensemble. 

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Our favorite park felt like the best spot to celebrate. There's plenty of room for all of her friends and their families and I liked the idea that guests could bring a blanket and we could all party under the trees.  The only predicament with this idea was figuring out where to hang decor and how to make the large space personal for our birthday girl. One night I was wasting hours on Pinterest when I showed Mr. A a balloon arch and backdrop. I explained to him how I didn't know where I was going to hang a simple Happy Birthday banner much less any other decor and he told me he'd make it for me.  Wait. What? He said he'd make a backdrop for the party. Maybe two of them. We had a ton of reclaimed wood on the side of the house his dad had given us from old projects/who-knows-what-else and he'd make them for me.  You guys-I HAD NO IDEA Mr. Amazing was so handy when I married him. I mean-the man is actually beyond handy. He is a home engineer! He fixes things, builds things, did a ton of remodeling on our house and so much more. In two days he had created two wood backdrops.

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I'm obsessed with them. Oh but his help with the party didn't stop there. The man pretty much created both of the balloon arches in one evening so there's that too. I totally scored the best husband.  Granted these balloon arches look way more complicated than they actually are. I should have taken tutorial photos to share but it's not even necessary cause anyone can make these. All you need is balloon tape, balloons and a balloon pump (to make your life easier). The balloon tape is a plastic ribbon with holes where you place the tied balloons. Once you've blown up your balloons in various sizes, you just push each balloon tie into the holes on the ribbon (alternating colors and sizes). Once you have the length you want, simply cut the ribbon and fasten the arch. We used a staple gun to attach our balloon arches to the wood backdrops. If at this point you want to fill in any spaces and build out your arch with other balloons to make it fuller, you can tape them on, use glue dots or use a low temperature glue gun to add more. We ended up being pretty satisfied with how it looked the way it was! I think the real key is making sure you use different colored balloons that are still complimentary. I love these affordable variety packs I found and I still had balloons leftover!

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But I think what really made the backdrops were the two banners we got from Glam Banners. It's tough to tell in the photo but both the "Let's Shellebrate" and the monthly photo banner are made with this fun disco glitter card stock so they catch the light and have this fun colorful prism look. I just adore the playfulness of the Let's Shellebrate banner and the monthly photo banner holding Milly's pics from month 1-12 is a must have at any first birthday party! It's so sweet to see the changes month to month!

Mr. A and I went back and forth on if we were going to let Milly enjoy a smash cake. I mean we wanted her to enjoy something and I couldn't wait to hang this adorable high chair banner I got on Etsy.  As you know, Milly's been self feeding since 6 months so she is very capable and able to pick up a ton of cake and frosting at a time. She's definitely not one of those kids that will just poke at a cake. If she sees food in front of her, she's devouring all of it. But all of this sugar can't be good for any child, especially a 1 year old so I thought I would make a carrot or zucchini cake with coco whip. Then the night before her party I absolutely bailed on that idea after having a complete melt down (literally-our city got hit with a heat wave that wouldn't let up) and I threw in the towel and went to bed deciding I would just use the Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake we ordered for the dessert table as her cake. Done and done. This is one of those moments where I had to just let go of what I had planned and go with the flow. Everything in our house was melting (no AC for this beach town living family) and I was losing my mind trying to control everything. 

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The morning of her party we added a chocolate mermaid tail I had made for the dessert table to the center of the cake, a custom cake topper from DeLovely Details and the cake was done! I figure I have plenty of years ahead to take cake requests from my daughter and joyfully look forward to making all her sugary dreams come true.

And even though I didn't make her cake, I made plenty of other sweet treats for our guests including brown butter rice krispie treats, cookie dough chocolate gems, funfetti cupcakes and so many chocolate mermaid tails and seashells. Sugarfina gummies completed the dessert table and are always the star of the show. I've never seen adults get more excited than when you give them a cello bag to fill with candy from Sugarfina. To read all about the dessert table of our underwater dreams, I'm creating a dedicated blog post just for this with a ton more photos tonight so stay tuned for more!

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The dessert table was such a big hit, I think people skipped lunch and ate dessert first or maybe only dessert! We hosted lunch from our favorite, Chick-fil-A (sandwiches and nuggets), sweet tea and lemonade and made pasta salad, sliced fresh fruit and a veggie platter. It was so wonderful to have most of Milly's friends there (a few were out of town!), our friends, some of Mr. A's family and a ton of my extended family that live in SoCal but I hardly ever get to see.  Milly had so much fun playing with her friends, crawling and cruising around, eating everything in sight and waving at everyone passing by! 

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We are so grateful to everyone who was there physically and in spirit to celebrate our daughter. And even though we put "no gifts necessary" on the invitation, Milly was spoiled beyond belief and we were spoiled too. The cards with sweet messages telling us we are kicking ass as parents and how much they've enjoyed watching us as parents are cards I will keep forever! Thank you to everyone for being a part of our first year as parents. We couldn't do it without our village. 

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Mr. A made this too! This was a total surprise.

Mr. A made this too! This was a total surprise.

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Three Amazing Holiday Tablescapes
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I love, love, love decorating the house this time of year but the hardest part is always figuring out what theme I want to go with. From traditional to elegant and my latest favorite-whimsy and playful, you can create the most beautiful tables for the holiday. You'll notice I love mixing colors and textures and repurposing other decor I already have.  I just can't deny my love for terrariums!!! Check out my post on the World Market blog for all my decorating tips and then watch my video below featuring three amazing tablescapes!

Gingerbread Ice Box Cake
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Traditionally, ice box cakes are made with chocolate wafer cookies but I've given one of my favorite desserts a festive twist. Made with six layers of gingerbread, homemade whipped cream, and buttered toffee pretzels this cake is sweet, salty and perfect for the holidays.

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Get the recipe and watch my video on how to make it below plus head to the World Market blog for more of my favorite desserts this season. 

#SHOPSMALL Business Holiday Gift Guide

I love supporting small businesses. I find the best gifts come from those small shops who are really putting their blood, sweat, tears and love into every single thing they make. They have a story and typically it includes a whole lot of sacrifice.  They're the people with a dream that turned it into a side hustle and then a full on business. I'm a small business. I've owned other small businesses. There was Brandi Lea Boutique where I sold hand beaded jewelry and other handmade things like denim purses. Then there was Sweet Party STIX, a dessert business my friend, Miranda and I started as the answer to the mini dessert frenzy. We catered parties and events where we created dessert tables and candy buffets. We drove all over SoCal and worked nights and weekends together.  I've actually had that entrepreneur spirit since I was 11.  Back in the day when you couldn't find "fun" nail polish colors I would mix my own and sold them door to door. I love making things and love supporting those that do the same even more. Take a look at some of my favorite small businesses to support and #ShopSmall! 

The Dancing Tapestry -Dip Dyed Yarn Wall Hangings and Bohemian Tapestries

The Dancing Tapestry -Dip Dyed Yarn Wall Hangings and Bohemian Tapestries

Indie Claire Boutique -Affordable, handmade headbands & clothes for your littles

Indie Claire Boutique -Affordable, handmade headbands & clothes for your littles

Bliss and Baker -Small batch artisan crispie treats

Bliss and Baker -Small batch artisan crispie treats

Edward Avedis x Brandi Milloy -Teeny tiny rose gold cross 

Edward Avedis x Brandi Milloy -Teeny tiny rose gold cross 

Zartiques -Persian rugs and vintage mid century modern furniture and decor

Zartiques -Persian rugs and vintage mid century modern furniture and decor

Muddy Heart -ceramics for the home

Muddy Heart -ceramics for the home

Four Sisters Farm Soap Co- handmade soaps
The Sleepy Cottage- custom and luxury handcrafted sleep masks

The Sleepy Cottage- custom and luxury handcrafted sleep masks

Get Swank- handcrafted, hand painted wood signs made with love

Get Swank- handcrafted, hand painted wood signs made with love

Beautiful Briny Sea- handcrafted salt and sugar blends

Beautiful Briny Sea- handcrafted salt and sugar blends