When Target first announced they would be doing a collection with Magnolia & Joanna Gaines, I didn't think I would be this into it. Of course, I casually checked out all of the options available. I even picked out a few that I thought were the best of the best. The products I would 100% put into my own home and show off to anyone who would listen. Cut to about a year later, and this entire collection has been my go-to nearly any time I need something to spice up my kitchen or home.

I will be the first to admit, as a child I took having a fully stocked kitchen for granted. There was always a variety of fruits, vegetables, and snacks at the ready. As an adult, stocking a kitchen for myself, I find myself in a constant struggle between "I want that" and "Oh, I don't actually have that." It's a dance where I am juggling shopping lists, new recipes, and forgetting what I already have. How many containers of cayenne pepper do I currently have? Three. Yes, three. See what I mean?

Another month down. We just keep inching towards, arguably, the best months of the year. I'm really just looking forward to summer being finally over. Not only does fall suit my #mood and personality more, but it's not a sweltering sauna every day. But to be fair, this summer has had more rain and far fewer days under 110 so I can't complain (that much). August has been...interesting.

Right off the bat, when I hear the word sconce I immediately think about the lights that used to decorate my great-grandmother's bedroom. The tiny, yet stylish, lights that would softly illuminate the room when we used to invade her space to watch Bob Ross early on Saturday mornings. I always thought of sconces as an older style touch or simply just hotel lighting. Recently, I have seen so many stylish ones that I have completely changed my mind on them. I love the simplicity that they have. 

Somehow, someway my life has turned into a quest to try nearly every chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world. It might just be some way to compare my own recipes to those of others or maybe it's just I get sick of those recipes and want to try new ones. It also doesn't hurt that the holiday season is creeping up, and I'll need some new go-tos for the cookie tin. No one can resist a good chocolate chip cookie.  I found this recipe while browsing Pinterest for something completely unrelated. In fact, Pinterest showed it to me countless times in the pins I might enjoy section. Pretty much whispering in my ear "make these" every 2 seconds.

I can't believe there is only a little over a week of summer left. Unofficially of course. Truth be told, Phoenix doesn't even cool down until about...October if we're lucky. I guess summer nights will be sticking around just a little bit longer in these parts so I thought I would play around a little bit. Recently I've been trying to go out more. And I don't mean popping into Shake Shack for a bite to eat or stopping to pick up some wine at Trader Joe's before heading to a friend's house. I mean socializing in a public space with a variety of people.

Anyone who knows me understands black and white IS my color combo. Just take a glance at my closet and you'll wonder if I strictly shop with a magnet that attracts the most monochrome of colors. Okay, maybe I do like a little bit of grey here and there. Okay, to be fair, one of my favorite sweaters is burgundy. But you get the idea, right? Every season there is a selection of colors that you'll see everywhere. These are the peak color trends.

Right at the top, I have to admit, this is one of the most fun mixes I've made. Mainly because I got inspiration from it, randomly, from the radio and it led me down a rabbit hole. This playlist is a shout out to the summer I spent watching Gidget on TV Land as a teenager.

Every time I do a blog inventory, whether it's looking at categories or just posts in general, I always make a note to be a little more personal. I started blogging long ago when blogs were really online journals. When you're an angsty teen/young adult, you've got a lot to say. With modern blogging, it's more about high-quality photos and building a creative outlet (or business even). I love having a creative outlet for myself even if a huge part of my 9-5 is being mostly creative. It's fun to make things for myself rather than someone else. But, I really try to be personal because, after all, I am a person.