10 years ago I packed my bags, sold my car and moved to New York. $500 to my name. A story that is not unique to me, but mine nonetheless. I lived in Flatbush for 6 months with my then best friend, and shortly after I found my first apartment on MacDonough St in Bed-Stuy. The first person I met was Mr. Thomas. We still text and chat on major holidays. He sends me updates on his kids and how the block is doing since I’ve moved. Then there was Ms. Pat who would always save me a plate at the annual block party, and Ms. Judy who will never ask for help but always accepts it when I offer. I had my daughter at Woodhull Hospital, 6 months before Sha-Asia Washington passed away in that same hospital far too soon and completely avoidable. I met one of my best friends, , when she came to view my apartment and take over my lease before we moved to Decatur St. As it turns out she didn’t get my old apartment but now we live a block away. She has made Bed-Stuy feel even more like home. Now, on Decatur st. we have Steve a few doors down aka the Mayor of the block, and Manny’s on the corner whose bodega we frequent for afterschool snacks and whatever other odds and ends I forgot to get at the grocery store. There’s Ms. Helen the crossing guard at my daughters’ school who gives me all the gossip on my way to after school pickup. There’s Ms. Lorraine who I met when her package got delivered to my address on accident. There’s One Love community Fridge, there’s Milk & Pull, Dick and Janes and a whole universe in this small radius that I get to be apart of.

I’ve felt conflicted for a while now, being a transplant in a city that is constantly displacing people who look like me. I wanted to give back to a community that has given me so much. My family, my friends, my beautiful home that I feel honored to wake up in everyday. I realize my dream life is someone else’s too, and I don’t take that for granted. I don’t know what Bed-stuy used to look like or feel like but I know what it feels like to me, and what its given me. is my way of giving that back.

What if we already have everything we need?

My daughter and I were traveling back to California to visit my parents for spring break and with the LONG TSA lines and traveling with a 6 year old I was terrified to wait in line to check a bag and then potentially have to get in another line just to get through TSA, so a carry-on it is.

I knew I had to be resourceful and pack outfits that I could mix and match throughout the week so my packing this trip was VERY intentional. Here’s everything I packed in my carry-on and surprisingly I had room to spare!

• I brought my favorite bikini for a pool day I had planned with my bestie . Here’s a version listed on Poshmark. Paired it with my brown havaianas.

• I was supposedddd to go to The Crenshaw Mile, but I woke up super jet lagged and decided to take the day to rest. Traveling with kids is NOT for the weak. This is what I would’ve worn.

  • Uniqlo Long sleeve Tee

  • Bandit Running shorts

  • New Balance x Action Bronson

• I did however wear my sneakers (that took up most of the space in my suitcase) to Disneyland! We had a blast and I was comfortable all day in these GAP lounge pants. I paired them with a vintage Star Wars Tee I scored on eBay.

• We decided to do Easter service Saturday night to avoid the crowds Sunday morning but that didn’t stop me from getting my fit off. I wore this Zara dress that I plan to get altered soon for another event I have coming up, stay tuned !

• My travel day outfit there and back was the same, shoutout to my parents washer and dryer! I paired my favorite vintage trench coat with a simple white tee from duh, some vintage baggy Levis and a sweater from Quince in case I got cold on the plane (spoiler alert I did not)

  I also started reading ‘Sky full of Elephants’ by Cebo Campbell and am loving it so far !

While traveling through JFK and I*e agent checked me in at TSA and although it was jarring to see it, it unfortunately is the reality of our country in real time. Here are a few funds you can donate to to support those most affected by our current administrations policies :

• Immigrant Defense Project

• Bronx Defenders

• National Immigration Project

• Minneapolis Mutual Aid

I did what I always do before a trip and made a full moodboard of outfits I was definitely going to wear, only to wear one planned outfit and different versions of the same look all weekend. A rodeo recap, or confessions of an overpacker? Hard to say. Here’s everything I packed for what I thought I was going to wear to my first Rodeo.

from left to right:

• This set from Jaded London was one of the first things I packed. The bottoms I scored on Poshmark new with tags, the top unfortunately was full price.

• My Tom Ford for Gucci kitten heels also made the trip, because they go wherever I go. They’re my ideal kitten heel and somehow manage to work with everything.

• I packed my Roberto Cavalli cow print jeans too because I was convinced this would be their moment. They never actually made it out of the suitcase, but the intention was there!

• I did end up wearing my favorite vintage tee, just not the way I originally planned. Instead, I threw it on with black linen pants and flip-flops, which felt more like me anyway.

• I also found this Alamo woven straw hat on Poshmark for $15 and wore it on the plane, because if there’s ever a time to commit to the theme, it’s the airport.

• For rodeo day one, I kept it simple: light wash denim button-down, light wash denim shorts, an eBay bolo, and black cowboy boots.

• And for rodeo day two, I did what I do best and repeated the formula in black.

• There was also one pool day, which gave my tiger print swimsuit a chance to see the light of day.

• By Sunday, I made it to brunch before what turned into a travel day from HELL. I wore my black COS maxi dress and let the cowboy hat sit this one out before heading back to New York. It’s sadly sold out but here’s a similar one from Zara.

• And finally, an honorable mention for my tan suede Mombasa bag, which never left my side all weekend. The only one I could find listed now is almost triple what I paid, so I guess it was a good investment.

In need of new nightstands and inspired by the wood veneer that’s all over my Pinterest feed, my latest DIY might just be my favorite to date.

I wanted a storage solution and a way to get that wood veneer look without the commitment (or the price), so I used wallpaper as an easy alternative. Using the IKEA Ivar cabinets for both nightstands, I wrapped them in Belarte Studios’ Vibrant Veneer Grey wallpaper for the perfect finish. Here’s everything I used :

• Ikea Ivar cabinets x 2

• Belarte Studios’ Vibrant Veneer Wallpaper , here’s what to order:

  • Full wrap per cabinet (each cabinet individually wrapped)

  • Width: 230 cm
    Height: 123 cm ≈ $300.

• Gorilla Wood Glue

• Smoother tool + Box Cutter

Here’s how it came out

As my girls get older (they’re 5 and 9 now), keeping up with their ever-changing personalities and styles feels like a full-time job. Last summer, I painted their room a pink that ended up being way darker than I pictured. This year, I decided it was time for a reset. I wanted to create a space that felt playful and functional for right now, but also flexible enough to evolve with them as they grow.

• After plenty of back-and-forth and a democratic vote we settled on the color Banana Mania by BEHR. It’s soft, bright, and versatile, exactly what the room needed.

• Next up was storage, I’m forever torn between decluttering toys (because they seem to multiply overnight) and finding ways to store the memories we’re not ready to let go of. Enter what I call the “dump method.” I sorted everything by category and gave each pile its own basket from H&M Home. Four baskets later, they fit perfectly into a custom shelf I built myself.

• We kept their rug, because stripes are timeless. To carry the theme through, I grabbed matching striped bedding from H&M Home in pink (obviously).

• We went with twin bed frames from IKEA and kept their original mattresses. Nothing fancy, just solid and simple.

• The girls love reading before bed, but their old lamps had both broken. I swapped them for whimsical cloud lights from IKEA that make the whole room feel cozy.

• Finally, I gave them a set of blank canvases (repurposed from above my own bed) and let them create their own art to hang above each of their beds.

And just like that, they have a room ready to grow with them.

Here’s how it turned out :

• I’ve had my eye on these spiral coasters for a while but haven’t been able to justify the purchase for myself so they were at the top of my wishlist!

• This Frankie Shop Coat is perfect for fall and perfect for my boyfriend to buy for me :)

• Apparently I’m running the NYC Marathon this fall?! I’ve been testing vests and belts for long runs and this hand held water bottle is perfect for when I don’t want to carry anything on my body and it was under $30!

• A copy of “The Creative Pragmatist” because…duh

• Fall was on my mind again with these Tabi Ballet Flats. I cannot wait to style these!

• I love a leather slip on shoe, these were on Depop for less than retail…

• The perfect beach chair doesn’t exis-

• I’m determined to have a home that doesn’t smell like a farm, the girlies are saying this litter box (and scooping it daily) helps tremendously to keep smells to a minimum.

• Quite literally the chicest pet bowls I’ve ever seen!

• My favorite food is sushi, so I obvi had to get these for my babies.

• Male cats are prone to kidney issues so on top of wet food I got a stainless steel water dispenser as well.

• They’re too tiny for collars yet but once they get a little bigger these beaded collars will be on them immediatelyyy.

• I’m not like other moms, I’m a cool mom…who also lives in New York and has limited space so this vintage foldable pet carrier was a MUST.

• I’ve wanted to add something cowhide to our home for the longest and finally got to with this cowhide pet bed. They won’t even look at it but I love it.

• I couldn’t forget about my first fur baby, so Dilla needed something too. I upgraded his food bowls to this elevated dog bowl.

• Last but not least, I needed something to hold all of their toys in— this ceramic basket is stunning and fits perfectly in our living room.

I can’t stop thinking about everyone impacted by ICE raids and deportation. It's unfathomable to seeing families torn apart. My mutual shared a list of regional resources and I’ve included it here as well.

When I first saw this cabinet on my Pinterest feed I know I had to have it, then I saw the price and for upwards of $7000 I knew I could make it for a fraction of that price. So after a trip to Ikea and many many measurements later I made my dream cabinet. Here’s everything I used:

• Ikea Ivar Cabinet x 2

• 2” Wood Half Circles - I ordered 4 bags of (50pcs) and had about a half of a bag left over.

• Wood Glue

• Wood Stain - I did two coats

• Polycrylic Finishing Gloss

Eventually I will add a base to the bottom with some 2x4’s, but for now it’s sitting pretty in my dining room as I admire my work.

Total Cost: $320 (rounded up)

Total Time: 6 - 10 hours over the course of a week!

• I sourced this Burl Wood Credenza on 1stDibs and it is easily my favorite piece of furniture…like ever.

• I’ve been checking FB Marketplace daily for this Arrel Speckled Wool-Blend Rug. They keep going on sale and I’m sooo close to pulling the trigger.

• Back in the day when craigslist was still a thing I scored this Mid Century Slat Bench for $40 !!

• My brother and I got these Curva Magazine Racks for each other when we moved into our own homes. This is a special special piece.

• The Brooklyn/Millennial requirement Hay Design Paper Shade is timeless in my opinion, quite literally don’t care if its over done.

• I literally snatched Le Corbusier Style Chaise Lounge Chair off of FB Marketplace for $250 15 mins after it was listed.

• Another FB Marketplace find, this Vintage Midcentury Drexel Consensus Dresser was a quarter of the price!

• My DREAM Italian Marble Coffee Table in Emerald. Still on the hunt for this one but I’m manifesting. I feel a DIY project coming…

• This Feather Filled Sofa from World Market was one of our first purchases for our home. Having a white couch with two kids and a dog is just as horrible as you could imagine, but it is so comfy.

• My latest obsession ! I found my Vintage Japanese Byobu Screen on eBay, but linked is another affordable option!

• John Coltrane - Impressions on vinyl

• Alvin Ailey Photography book

• 1987 Lisa Bonet Jet Cover

• Hardcover copy of ‘Black Women Writers at Work’

• Hardcover copy of ‘Black Rage’

• Darine Stern Playboy Magazine cover

• Essence ‘25 Years of Celebrating Black Women’ Hardcover

• ‘We Shall Overcome’ Pins

• ‘Strong Men Keep on Coming’ Tshirt

The obvious first place to look was SSENSE and after setting my filters to “pink maxi dress” I found this very modest Jil Sander number which was still not in my price range but we’re getting closer... I can feel it. Finally after about an hour of scrolling on Tiktok and coming back to my new obsession of finding this dress I came across the dress I ended up choosing the Helmut Lang Protection Dress, now I scored mine for under $100 directly from their website but the one I linked is also on sale. I know you’re probably thinking “it’s giving rhythm nation” and it is. But also trust the vision. The category is “Florals”. Earlier this week I ventured into the wild and found myself at Michaels because I wanted to create a floral shoe to match my dress, think Loewe petal sandal. I found the most beautiful Phalaenopsis stems that I carefully hot glued to a piece of painters tape and then attached them to my favorite strappy sandals my bestie got me for my 30th birthday that don’t get nearly enough wear. Here’s the final look:

• I repurposed our old Floating Shelves and made three long rows above our cabinets to save space and create a book wall.

• This Hay Design Paper Shade is actually a requirement to have in your apartment if you live in Brooklyn, again I don’t make the rules.

• Our Fiddle Leaf Fig “Aretha” , named after the Diva that she is!

• I wanted a pattern to break up the repetitiveness of the color blocking so we chose this Zebra Area Rug and I’m obsessed.

• We first used this CB2 Silverado Dining Table for its intended purpose but when we moved to a bigger space and got a new table I couldn’t part with it, so now we use it as a desk.

• Paint Color - Thundercloud by BEHR. This came out MUCH darker than I had anticipated and once it was on the walls I had to trust the process.

• I still need to hang this Face Mask , but I think it’s such a good addition to the space and works perfectly with the brown couch and rug.

• Somehow this Sleeper sofa that was intended as a guest bed became Joels and we haven’t gone back since. Don’t ever let anyone shame you for separate bedrooms ya’ll, do what works for you!

• These Ikea Cabinets fit SO MUCH. I lined three up to create a credenza look and I love how it came out.

And these are the results!

• The most perfect structured straw hat. I found mine gently used on Depop, but this one is on sale !

• Grabbed this Christopher Esber bikini for the sole purpose of wearing it under my brown macrame dress, and I ended up styling it 3 different ways all weekend. Safe to say its now a vacation staple. Its sold out in brown but here it is in Charcoal.

• Scored this Faithfull the Brand macrame dress after waiting patiently all year for it to go on sale, apparently hard work does pay off!

• Ralph Lauren blue button down, I wear this in my daily wardrobe and was so excited to style this on an island.

• I know leopard print was been having a moment but I had to switch it up with this tiger print bikini from Tropic of C.

• As a self proclaimed Flip flop enthusiast I had to grab my favorites in brown to go with my brown dress and brown bikini of course.

• So I’m definitely NOT a fan over priced polyester, but these Julia Heuer trousers spoke to me. Still not worth the price tag in my opinion, but I do love them I fear.

• I grabbed this GIMAGUAS cover up before my last trip to Mexico and unfortunately its still sold out.

• A simple white button down IS part of the uniform requirements on vacation, I don’t make the rules !

• I feel like its sacrilegious to not wear a triangle black bikini on vacation, but thats just me

• Finally pulled the plug on a pendant necklace, this pearl shell necklace is from Etsy

• Made a clutch call and threw this Raey sleeveless tshirt dress in my suitcase last minute and wore it to breakfast on my balcony everyday.

• Literally can’t go wrong with a vintage white tee, here’s one I sourced for solace!

• These are my fav black linen pants, and shockingly good quality for H&M.

• wore a stunning Red Ferragamo crochet dress recently, this one was more in my price range.

• I paired most of my bottoms and of course my red dress with these Jeffrey Campbell red jelly flats and they were easily the star of the trip. I cannot wait to style them all summer!

• Grabbed this Monikh x Faithfull the Brand Macrame Dress for 70% off.

• Sourced a Vintage Alvin Ailey Photobook for solace after visiting the exhibit at the Whitney.

• Saw this Christopher Esber Brown Bikini on the Ssense sale and couldn’t resist

• Checked ‘brown suede bag’ off my wishlist with this Vintage YSL Mombasa bag. I know Klarna hate to see me coming !

  • Found a similar one here on TheRealReal

• Was having a horrible day and ended fining me Dream dutch oven from Marshalls. I can’t find the brand I got online but here is another!

• Found this Vintage Miles Davis poster from the late 1980's/early 1990's for solace as well but tempted to keep it for myself.

As a California Native and current NY resident the fires in LA/Bronx are hitting incredibly close to home, here are a few resources and links to donate if you are able to:

• Eaton Fire Displaced Black Families GoFundMe Directory

• For Families with children with disabilities

• Venmo : @NYCLIBERATIONCENTER

  • Please label donations as “Bronx Fire Donation”