Having to be socially isolated from the outside world has given me lots of time to think and daydream. Of all of the things that have appealed to my interest, home decor has intrigued me the most. From Chinoiseries wallpaper to the Grandmillennial trend to Hamptons style, I’ve aimlessly browsed home inspiration. This past fall I moved into a new studio apartment. I really enjoyed searching for and decorating my new home. Although I love the way my apartment currently looks, I am playing with the idea of changing my throw pillows for my couch. It would be easiest to change up and create a whole new look. I currently have these floral ones (sold out) and absolutely love them, but thinking I may want a more summery look or a lighter color. I am not sure if I will go ahead and switch them out, but it doesn’t hurt, and it is fun, to reimagine new decor for my NYC studio apartment. Here are a few pillows I have in mind.

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Recently, with this pandemic, celebrating Easter seemed to have slipped my mind and not be a priority on my radar. With that being said I think we need something normal in our lives, something to celebrate. I know we can not be with family and friends during this time, not even to attend church service, but we can find ways to acknowledge this holiday. Easter is about the renewal of hope and faith as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Right now more than ever we need this sense of light after darkness. Hope is about patience; understanding and having faith in things we do not quite grasp. Hope is about a love for someone or something, and there is so much love we have to give to those working in hospitals, grocery stores, family, friends, neighbors, strangers on the news, etc. So although Easter may not be of a concern to you at the moment nor is Easter decor, I encourage you to give it at least a thought for what the meaning behind this holiday represents. There will come a day when this is all over and we did it together with hope, faith, strength, and love.

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If you read my Friday’s Simply Smitten post from last week then you would know that I FINALLY found a new apartment!! I am moving into my new place on November 1st. After about 19 apartment viewings and too many brokers that I cared to deal with, I found my new studio apartment last Monday. The broker that I did work with the most was a real trooper (read on my FSS series on how I got the apartment.. most New York thing you will ever hear). I know what I want and I have been in New York long enough to know that you can get more bang for your buck, you just have to really dig deep and be patient to find these gems. And out of all the apartments I have lived in here– 5 to be exact- I have always gotten big apartments for less. Except for one apartment on E31st, my God that was the worst apartment known to man. Anyway, I would know immediately upon entering an apartment, heck sometimes upon entering the building, whether or not I would like it. It was not that I disliked all of them; there was one I loved on W23rd and 7th that had everything I wanted and more– 3 CLOSETS HELLO! Unfortunately, there were multiple applicants and I lost out on it. C’est la vie.

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pillows c/o

Since I am moving at the end of the month, it’s time for me to start thinking about the decor that I may want to add. Luckily for me, Serena and Lily’s The Friends and Family Sale has started today. They are offering 20% off almost every item with the code BEOURGUEST. If you are unfamiliar with Serena and Lily, they sell adorable home, outdoor, and bedding items. During this 20% off sale, it’s a great time to grab whatever item you have been coveting; whether it be a new side table, a lamp, a desk chair, or pillows. I got these cute decorative pillows to add to my couch. Sale ends on October 14th!

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