My family has been through a lot the last few years and that doesn’t even include the world’s challenge of Covid. So once 2020 hit, I knew in 2021 I would create a backyard oasis for my family. We are a family that have always loved creating experiences outside whenever we can and when it is cozy well, we tend to utilize it even more.
I had the pleasure of partnering with Wayfair to do that. Getting the backyard oasis pieces put together for my family created just what we needed after a hard few years. We can’t wait to have dinners, chats, family hangs and s’more making nights whenever we can!
Here is part 1 of the Oasis and stay tuned for part 2 very soon.
Tis the season to be jolly and spread joy to your loved ones, safely.
One of my favorite things about the holidays is putting together thoughtful gifts for those I love that remind me of them. Here are some of my all time favorite thoughtful gifts to give right now. Here is to a Happy Holiday season. Sending everyone lots of joy and love!
Every holiday season I try to brighten up the joy in my room since it is where I spend most of my time these days working from home. Joy and Christmas go hand and hand for me. This year the joy is needed that much more so for the first time I decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I am happy to admit I am so glad I did. Thee joy radiates for me each and every day seeing all my Christmas decor throughout my room thanks to Wayfair! I can’t wait to decorate the rest of my house 🙂
Wayfair helped me created a joyful space this Christmas and holiday season. Here is what I came up with and what is helping make me smile each day.
Happy Holidays! Don’t forget to spread the joy for others but also for yourself!
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me.Fluttering from the autumn tree.” ~ Emily Brontë
I’m teaming up with Wayfair to bring you The Fall Edit, a collection of advice, inspiration, and trends for the upcoming season, starting with a Q & A between Wayfair and I:
Fall Decorating and Renovation Q & A with Iced Tea & Top Knots
Wayfair: Which fall home decor projects do you get most excited about?
Iced Tea & Top Knots: I get most excited about changing up all my pillows, blankets and flowers throughout my home for Fall.
Wayfair: Are there any design trends you are loving right now?
Iced Tea & Top Knots: I am really loving all of these and hope to implement a few where I can this Fall.
Canopy Beds
Non-white Kitchens
Floral Wallpaper
Vintage Accents
High Contrast
Velvet
Wayfair: What are a few ways people can spruce up their homes with fall decor while on a budget?
Iced Tea & Top Knots: Changing up your decor by season is definitely overwhelming sometimes because of the cost. I have found the picking up a couple new pillows, a new blanket and a new vase definitely help change up your room for the fall season while staying on a budget.
At the beginning of this year, I did a revamp of my office and bedroom to start fresh and it definitely has helped me do that. I hope it inspires you to change up a space in your home. Here it is!
Where Design Meets Function: Major Appliances
Image Credit: Wayfair
For those working on home renovations this fall, you know how important it is to find the right appliances to go with your design scheme.
Iced Tea & Top Knots: Advice on Selecting Appliances:
My biggest pieces of advice for choosing appliances is do your research, measure the space you want the appliance to go in and factor in the theme of that specific room.
Iced Tea & Top Knots: Chandelier Picks for Different Styles:
Chandeliers are one of my favorite details that help change up a room in a blink of an eye for each season. I love the added personality it gives your room.
While you may be finishing up your indoor or outdoor halloween decorating game, if you’re hosting for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukkah this year, you’ll probably want to start checking all the boxes on your holiday prep checklist before friends and family arrive.
Iced Tea & Top Knots: Tips for On-Point Holiday Decor:
“Sometimes it feels so good to just sit by yourself, relax and not talk to anyone.” ~ Kristen Butler
Loungewear for me is like a comfy hug that comes from clothes. I wanted to share some of my favorite loungewear that I currently own or that are on my wish list that I hope to be able to purchase soon 🙂
Hope these pieces inspire everyone to take time for oneself especially during these times we continued to be in of racial injustice as the global pandemic of COVID-19.
Here’s to a great day of relaxation in fun loungewear! My promise to everyone is that going forward I am going to be featuring more diverse brands that include BIPOC owned businesses. I stand with you and I love you!
~Iced Tea & Topknots
P.S. What is your favorite loungewear to relax in?
Some of my favorite black owned fashion businesses can be found here.
Summer decor is one of my favorite things I look forward to every year. So I am so excited to be teaming up with Wayfair to bring you the Wayfair Summer Edit, a curated guide of design trends and recent happenings at Wayfair to help inspire you to turn your home into the perfect staycation spot – at a time when we need it most!
Design Ideas I am Loving this Season
This season, I am all about bright colors, statement pillows and anything that spruces up my outside and inside spaces for the season of Summer.
Some Top Trending Summer Decor Categories at Wayfair:
With the help of incredible customers Wayfair has been able to raise more than $2.3 million for the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund. This contribution will go directly to supporting more than 200 food banks, 60,000 meal programs, and millions of Americans during this difficult time.
Read more about Wayfair’s response to COVID-19 here.
To Find Out How Wayfair Responding to Racial InJustice, read more here.
Wayfair x Kelly Clarkson Home
Wayfair recently launched Kelly Clarkson Home, a collection which Kelly curated that reflects her French country style (with a mix of glam and boho as well!).
Thanks to incredible customers, Wayfair and Kelly were able to donate a portion of profits* from Kelly Clarkson Home after its launch to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.
*”Profits” means net revenue minus wholesale, shipping, and other product-related costs, customer service costs, and merchant fees, plus credit card points and rebates.
We are going through a time of uncertainty personally and in our businesses. I know that we will get through this and we will do that by supporting one another.
A way I wanted to support was to share my favorite and my friends’ small businesses to shop right now online to help keep them going and to help keep supporting their employees.
“Self Care is a priority and necessity-not a luxury.”
In these uncertain times and us all being at home, Self Care now more than ever is so important. It needs to be made more of a priority that we fit into our day. Self Care will help us get through this all. Here are some of my favorite Self Care gifts to either give to yourself or to girlfriends and family (some of these work for your guy friends too). Stay Tuned for the top 10 Self Care gifts for the guys in your life next week!
“Palo Santo is traditionally used for relieving common colds, flu symptoms, stress, asthma, headaches, anxiety, depression, inflammation, emotional pain and more. This Essential Oil is great for Aromatherapy and can also be used during massage work to assist in healing.”
I have made this a part of my daily routine for all of these reasons and it has continued to do wonders for me during these unfamiliar times. Both Palo Santo and crystals bring about the best energy into any room.
Candles have always been a part of myself self care routine and this line of candles is one of my favorites. Candles lighten the mood and scents bring about the best memories whether it’s just reading or taking a bath while they burn, it is the best.
If you love doing your nails while being at home like I do, then definitely check out Olive & June’s The Everything Box and all their amazing products. Their products are 7-Free and that makes me love them even more. Their products are your at home manicures are going to make you smile. An added bonus, their owner Sarah Gibson Tuttle is awesome!
This is another gift perfect for yourself or loved ones. I got these for my dad for Christmas and he loves them. They are perfect for just taking time for yourself and putting your favorite lotion or hand oil then put them in and sit for 20 minutes, makes for such a special self care moment. Also be sure to follow the directions for safety 🙂 This is definitely a gift that will put smiles all around and make for a great at home time.
Face Masks are a great way to boost your skin and in turn boost your mood. During this time of unfamiliarity, giving your skin and mood a boost is important so lets mask together 🙂
Can never go wrong with a cozy robe whether you use it as a coat while you work or cozying up on the couch while watching your favorite show. When I think self care, a cozy robe is always on that list and makes for the perfect gift for yourself and/or friend.
There are moments, especially now, that we know we want to incorporate self care into the day, but feel stuck on how to do that. This book gives you so many options on how to incorporate some self care, which I love and I have definitely given this as a gift before. May have to gift it again soon 🙂
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration is always key for your skin. It is a great way to take care of yourself when you incorporate a skincare that works for you. I know finding the right products, gets me excited to take time for my skin, which is great self care.
The uniform for this time is a cute lounge that can also work for virtual dates and happy hours with friends, which is my newest self care must. Being cute and comfy is so fun and this lounge set below is one that is on my wishlist. When feeling cute while being comfy, that lifts your mood and creates a great self care moment.
Meditation and breathwork are so important for staying grounded in life especially in uncertain times. We all have a different look on what meditation is whether it is using an app like Calm, painting, organizing or prayer. Whatever your way of mediation is having a meditation pillow that you can dedicate your mediation on and when you sit on it you feel that peace. I plan on gifting this to many, I know will love it.
Here is a great definition of meditation: “Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.”
Quote: “Where flowers bloom so does hope.” ~Lady Bird Johnson
With Spring Time Activities being in a moment of change with everything going on right now. I first and foremost wanted to send my love and support to everyone. Stay happy and healthy!
Since we will all be spending much more time at home, here are some of my favorite at home Spring activities. Fun is in full bloom 🙂
Looking at real estate online
Cute puppy videos and photos online
Face Masks
Face Time Happy Hour with friends
Catching up on reading
Rocking Sports Gear for my work from home look
Meditation
Online Shopping, supporting small businesses
Binging on Schitts Creek on Netflix
At Home Yoga
My Favorite, Go To Spring Activities For Being At Home
Here’s to making the most of everything right now while being at home and remember, don’t lose hope and things will get better 🙂
“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.” ~Bryant McGill from the @calm app
As you all know, I just redid my bedroom and office for 2020, thanks to Wayfair! This was such a great experience and so needed not just for the physical spaces, but for my mental health.
I am someone who struggles with anxiety, it was the main reason for wanting less clutter and be more at peace. Anxiety is something you may not always notice that someone is going through because it can be very internal especially for me. I have learned what creates less anxious days, it starts with my space being calming and less stuff.
Setting up my sanctuary and creative office has helped create such calm for me in life and it feels amazing. I am more hopeful now more than ever going forward in life. It feels amazing to have my own mediation corner, my nightstand with my sage and palo Santo, a bed that gives me calming sleep and an office that opens up my creative juices.
I am excited to keep creating that calm and peace everywhere in my life and to help whoever I can create calm and peace in their lives
