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The November List

11/30/2017

 
This post contains affiliate links - this means if you shop on my links and in some cases, click on them, I earn a little something towards helping me keep the blog going!
I feel like I just did my October list! I had a lot more posts planned than what I was able to get up for you all, but vacation and Thanksgiving and being sick got the better of me, and here we are, already hitting on December! Without further ado, the November List...
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Photos by Lauren Listor of Laurel Creative
  1. What I'm Watching: Stranger Things 2 & The Christmas Prince - both on Netflix. Stranger Things 2 was awesome, and The Christmas Prince kind of reminded of a teen favorite of mine, Princess Diaries. Cheesy, but the perfect rom-com to get you in the Christmas spirit.
  2. What I'm Reading: I didn't finish my book from last month, Stay with Me, so I'm still working on that, but I also have a copy of The Magic of Motherhood on my nightstand that I've been meaning to crack open, so that's next on the list.
  3. My Current Obsession: Christmas decor, obvs!
  4. My Favorite Beauty Find: Okay, it's not a new find, but it's seriously the best, Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish. I've been rocking Model Clicks basically all month long.
  5. What I'm Wearing: These Old Navy Fitted V-Neck Tees (I'm wearing the white one in the photos in this post). They have the perfect amount of stretch and hold, and they didn't fade after two washes. I have one in black and one in white, and they look perfect either dressed up or dressed down.
  6. Best Meal I Ate This Month: While we were in New York, we ate some pretty awesome meals. But by far, the standout this month was the duck at Momofuku Ssam. If you can manage to score reservations while you're there, this is definitely the dish to have. They stuff sausage under the skin of the duck, and it's really just such an eruption of flavors. Good stuff. Also, our Thanksgiving dinner was pretty killer, too.
  7. What I Can't Stop Humming: Leslie Odom Jr.'s Christmas album, Simply Christmas. Such a nice, smooth start to the Christmas season. His voice is like caramel.
  8. My Favorite Score This Month: My Mountain Grey Ryla Pack, which I posted about yesterday (and you can score, too - with a 20% discount!), go check out the post.
  9. What I'm Most Looking Forward to in December: Disney (again!), and Christmas, duh!
  10. Wish List Item: Anything on my registry, which I did with Babylist. It's a pretty awesome site where you can add gifts from anywhere, including Etsy and smaller retailers! Pretty cool concept if you ask me!
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xoxo, 

​Jenise

How I Carry What I Need with RYLAPack

11/29/2017

 
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I received this backpack free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 
If you've been following me for a while, you more than likely remember me posting about VauvaPack. Over the last 6 months, they have been in the process of rebranding, and they are now RYLA Pack. The bags are just as great, and didn't change enormously, but the small changes they did make are awesome. 
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First off, I'm slightly obsessed with their new color, Mountain Grey. The hardware is more of a matte gold than it was before and the grey and gold go together spectacularly. They added elastic to the side pockets, so fishing your keys and cell phone out fo the side pockets is much easier. They also lined the inside of the secret pocket in the back with a soft liner so your electronics won't get scratched. The interior of the bags is a nice beige color, and the new bags are more matte than their older counterparts. 
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If you follow along with me on social media. you will have seen that we spent some time in New York right before Thanksgiving. I took my purse and I also took my RYLA, and guess what I took with me everywhere in the city? The RYLA. I even used it to carry all my camera equipment when I went to take photos of my brother-in-law and his wife. 
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So what do you think? Do you need one for yourself? I think you do! And if you go get it right now, RYLA will give you 20% off your purchase price! Just follow this link and your discount will automatically be applied at checkout! If that doesn't work, use the code TOPKNOT20. 
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Keep it real, friends! 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

Caleb's Superhero Bedroom

11/9/2017

 
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We have not stopped around here lately. Since the holidays are around the corner, and I'll be into my third trimester by the time they are done, I have felt this pressure to have as much prepared for Chloe's arrival as possible before the end of November. 

One thing that was really important to me to get done well in advance of the baby's arrival was to transfer Caleb to his new bedroom and out of his crib. We decided not to purchase a new nursery set and instead we purchased Caleb a twin sized bed that he would be able to use for years to come. 
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I knew I didn't want a dresser in the room because his closet has great bones and I preferred some toy and book storage in there, so one of the things on my list was a bed with storage underneath. We found this set from City Furniture, and I had my heart set on it since I spotted it. It was clean, had storage, and was sturdy. It was also a reasonable price. 
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We asked Caleb how he wanted his room decorated and made a really big deal of having him go with us to "pick out" the bed (I actually just led him over to the bed and asked him how he liked it and he said, "Mommy, wike it," and that was that. We made a big deal on delivery day, and that weekend, he announced that he wanted to sleep in his "big boy bed." He cried once or twice the first week, but now he jumps into bed every night and hasn't given us any issues whatsoever. 

The sheets, comforter, rug, and pillows are all from Target - I linked as many similar items as I could below. 
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The letters that spell out his name, the sign over the bed, and the cartoon sound effect signs my parents picked up at Hobby Lobby. I had seen photos of a superhero bedroom where the capes were all hung on the wall, so when hubby ordered these capes (affiliate link) from Amazon, I knew I had to do the same thing. 
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Heeding my friend Jessica's advice (find her juicy morsels of organizational perfection on her site, Thoughtfully Organized), I organized his books by color. It's really just so pleasing to the eye! The bookshelf and bins are from IKEA - the bins hold SO much, so there are toys stored in there. 

The lettering on the wall I had done when the room was Caleb's playroom, but I decided to keep it up and I think it adds a nice touch to the room. 

​The trunk at the foot of the bed was a gift from my aunt - my dad painted it white and I hand lettered the top of it to personalize it some. It holds all his stuffed animals. 

Once his closet was finished, I asked him if he was ready to let his little sister have his old baby room, and his reply was, "Yeah, Mommy. Baby sister Chloe my baby room. I sleep in my big boy bed." So all in all, I'd say it was a successful transition! Let's see what happens when she arrives, huh?
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What do you think? A room fit for a superhero? 

xoxo, 

​Jenise
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Ten Things...

11/3/2017

 
I've been tagged to do this post numerous times, and I have never gotten around to it. But I finally sat down and gathered up some facts you might not know about me! 
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10 Things You Didn't Know About Me
  1. I'm a reformed slob. Sometimes I revert to my sloppy ways, but it's usually restricted to my car, my side of the bedroom, or my closet. But when I lived at my parents house my room was a disaster area and my mom and I had a LOT of arguments about it. 
  2. I'm shy/introverted by nature. I can't walk into a room and be social. It's not in my nature. I will always wait for someone to introduce me or introduce themselves. I'll never make the proverbial "first move." 
  3. I'm a rule-follower - almost to a fault. ​I hate to break rules and I literally will break out in hives if I think I'm breaking a rule. Even stupid rules. It's an admirable but annoying trait. 
  4. I'm a crier. I cry over anything. Last weekend, we were at Disney and I must have cried 3 or 4 times. If I ever think I'm going to get in trouble (see #3), I'm probably in tears, too. 
  5. I laugh when I'm nervous/afraid. I don't mean to be inappropriate, but sometimes I just can't control the little giggle when I'm nervous! 
  6. I snore. 'Nuff said. 
  7. I need glasses but I rarely wear them. I need them to see from far away, and they are always in my purse, but I typically will only put them on when I'm driving in the dark. 
  8. I'm the strict one. I'm not sure if it's my teacher background or what, but I'm the one who always lays down the law. Hubs is the "nice parent." 
  9. I bite my nails & cuticles. It's a horrible habit that I have had since I was a little girl. It was so bad when I was younger that my Dad would give me money for every day that I didn't bite them. I've used the gross tasting nail polish and everything and nothing worked. The only thing that really helps is regular manicures, and when they start chipping, all bets are off! 
  10. I'm obsessive about my hair being clean and wash it almost every day. I've learned to skip a day most of the time, but I won't usually go more than one day without washing it. Thankfully I found Living Proof Dry Shampoo and that has been my saving grace for second ay hair. I just have really greasy hair and can't stand for it to even feel a little dirty. 
There you have it! Now you know some more about me hehe. 
What's something that most people don't know about you? 

xoxo 

Jenise

My Thanksgiving Tablescape

11/1/2017

 
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Happy November!!!!! If you're like me, November equals the start of everything holiday related, nicer weather, and the lead up until my two favorite holidays ever, Thanksgiving and Christmas. To say I am excited about hosting Thanksgiving is an understatement! I have been thinking about it for months already, and deciding on my menu, what I want my table to look like, and everything I will do to prepare and make it a beautiful day and meal for our families. 
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I had really been on the hunt for some gold flatware in the last few months. We have an amazing set of flatware from Cutco, but I really wanted something that would elevate my table for special occasions. I finally found this gold set that wasn't too expensive on Amazon. ​
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I also knew we would be having 12 guests (more than likely), and our set of white bone china (which are also our everyday set) was one plate short because we lost one to breakage a few years back. The plates aren't sold individually, so my only option was to buy a box set for $80 that has four plates, four salad plates, four bowls, and four mugs. I really didn't need all of that. While shopping around for a replacement, I came across these gold rimmed plates from the same manufacturer (linked below). I ended up spending just about $20 more for a set of twelve plates. 
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The metallic detailing on the tablecloth is just gorgeous and was an awesome Target find, along with all the pumpkins that I am using for decor. Some of them I purchased last year, and the rest I found early in the season this year and snatched them up. The flowers in the center are faux, but I will more than likely find some fresh flowers that I can use to add a little more to the table for the actual day of Thanksgiving. I picked up a couple of sets of decorative napkins at Target in the dollar spot, but haven't been able to find any more, so I picked up some that match the tablecloth and I will have a mixture of napkins on the table for Thanksgiving Day. 
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I did a trial run of the tables cape because I wanted to make sure the vision in my head was what i could execute for that day. Honestly, it turned out better than I imagined, and I am so so so excited about this tablescape. 
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If you'd like to shop the look, I linked some of the items, or something similar below. 

​Anyway, I'd love to hear your Thanksgiving plans and how you prepare for the holiday! 
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xoxo, 

​Jenise

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