My baby shower for my first daughter was during Covid times, so we had a “drive by and visit as long as you’d like” baby shower. The theme I chose was “Classic Winnie the Pooh”. This post may contain affiliate links (rstyle and Amazon). By using these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps pay for my site maintenance and fees, as well as support me & my family. Thanks for your support…
Welcome to the Happiest Place on Earth: Magic Kingdom, Ellie’s 2nd Birthday. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links (rstyle and Amazon). By using these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps pay for my site maintenance and fees, as well as support me & my family. Thanks for your support! Ellie has enjoyed watching classic Disney movies, so we thought this was a fitting birthday theme. We decided to have a mini Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom experience theme for her 2nd birthday. We also went later that month…
It’s time to start organizing and simplifying your life. This tends to begin in the home. To make things easy, I started with the pantry, which for me is a small space. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links (rstyle and Amazon). By using these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps pay for my site maintenance and fees, as well as support me & my family. Thanks for your support! After reading two organizational books: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō and The Home Edit…
I am sharing with you my daughter’s first birthday party from last year. We decided on an “Our Sunshine” theme with accents of pinks and yellows. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links (rstyle and Amazon). By using these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps pay for my site maintenance and fees, as well as support me & my family. Thanks for your support! We put together the balloon arch and added the sun with faces balloons. We fastened the balloon arch to this cute stand that…
I made a goal for myself to read at least twelve books this year; about one book per month. This January, I read two books and listened to two audiobooks. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links (rstyle and Amazon). By using these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps pay for my site maintenance and fees, as well as support me & my family. Thanks for your support! The four titles: 1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 2. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art…
Happy 2023! It has been a long time since I have posted here on my blog. To catch you up, my husband and I have an almost two year old daughter that has been keeping us busy. Last year I opened up an Etsy shop selling stickers and earrings, all while still teaching middle school science. From the time my daughter was born until now, our time and energy has been directed towards making memories with each other and focusing on my Etsy shop. As a result, there are areas in our home where organization and order have been neglected…
Double D’s Coffee and Desserts is a unique coffee shop in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The shop is an adorable converted double decker bus. On the first deck, the barista crafts the drinks and on the second deck there is a seating area. There was also a garden patio for outdoor seating with hanging market lights. Our barista was so friendly. She recommended the lavender or peppermint mocha flavors. I ended up with the special crafted drink of the day, a Blackberry Lavender White Mocha latte. E had an iced peppermint mocha coffee. The blackberry lavender mocha was…
This past weekend I hosted my first garden party. I had the idea a year ago, but due to time and other events, I was unable. However, this year I made it a priority and it came to fruition. I invited family and friends with a homemade stamp Garden Party invitation. (Video tutorial shown below). The garden party consisted of hor d’oeuvres, garden games (see below), and a plant exchange. In a tin container, I added ice cubes with flowers, Dasani Sparkling Water (Raspberry Lemonade and Meyer Lemon), water, and two sodas in glass bottles: IBC Black Cherry…
My husband and I got married this past November. We had a sixth month engagement so we put in our time to plan our wedding. We wanted our wedding to be a reflection of who we both are. We did not have a First Look; instead, we wanted to have a First Touch. While we held each other’s hand on the opposite sides of the door, we exchanged some words and prayed for our marriage that would begin that day and for a fun and blessed day. It was so special seeing each other for the first time…
Earlier this month, we repainted the full bathroom at my family’s home. It was a needed uplift and the bathroom looks so much better. Previously, we had light tan walls, a bar vanity light fixture with warm white light bulbs, and the color scheme was brown and tan. Recently, we added a new light fixture (Minister 6-Light 8-in Brushed Nickel Bell Vanity Light Bar), changed the light bulbs to soft white, and painted the walls with Benjamin Moore Tranquility AF-490. We changed the shower curtain from grey to white. The new shower curtain was purchased…
Happy Fall! Fall is by far my favorite season. Unfortunately, Florida does not get to see fall in all her glory. Even so, I still make do with what Florida shows. To get me in the spirit of fall, I made my own fall rose wreath. I bought all the materials at Michael’s while they were having their 40-60% off fall items. Items Used: – Ashland Brown Leaves Wreath Hanger ($5.99, regular $9.99) – Ashland Mixed Fall Rose Pumpkin Stem Bundle ($5, regular $10) – contains three pink roses, hay bundle, brown bay leaves, and…
I bought a new pair of shorts that are out of my comfort zone. I like to keep things classic, but when I saw these patterned pair of shorts on sale, I wanted them. I am expanding my casual wardrobe by purchasing cute, comfy clothes, and these shorts made the cut. To me, they are wildly cute, and I am so glad I purchased them. Outfit Details: – Top: Ann Taylor Pima V-Neck Shirt – Shorts: LOFT Paisley Tie Waist Shorts in Arabian Sea Blue (here) – Shoes: Circus by Sam Edelman sandals…
I have received many Stitch Fix boxes and this adorable black and white polka dot dress was in one of them. I love this dress because it is fun, comfortable, and I love the way it fits. Pair it with a colorful cardigan, and you are ready to teach! Outfit Details: – Dress: Gilli Haven Textured Knit Dress – Cardigan: GAP Factory Crewneck Button Cardigan in Hula Red (here) – Shoes: Kelly & Katie Kirstie Sandal in Black Leather (here…
This outfit is the precursor before fall arrives. One of my co-workers said I looked very “fall-y”, even though we are still in the summer! I can’t wait until fall comes. Outfit Details: – Top: LOFT Tropical Floral Mixed Media Shirred Shell in Lush Pine (here) – Cardigan: GAP Slim Crewneck Cardigan Sweater in Burgundy (here) – Pants: LOFT Girlfriend Chinos in Stone Grey (here) Shoes: DSW Kelly & Katie Poppie Flat Sandal in Black Embossed Faux Leather (here…
Two weeks ago, I went into my second year of teaching with a very professional outfit on the First Day of School. I teach 6th grade Earth and Space Science and my fashion goal this year is to dress more professionally, and not too casually. Outfit Details: – Blazer: Stitch Fix Rebekah Stretch Crepe Blazer – Top: White House Black Market Lace Peplum Top – Pants: Stitch Fix Liverpool Anita Skinny Pant – Shoes: Black pumps – Necklace: Charming Charlie’s (mint necklace…
This post does NOT contain affiliate links. Links provided are for the readers accessibility to locate items online. I would not consider myself a “fashionista”, but when I like my outfit, I like to show it. All throughout teaching the last two school years, I posted my outfits I really enjoyed on Instagram (@simplecharmbeauty). Because my blog is all about the home and family, I want to show my style as well! My friend, Laura, wanted to take pictures of me for my bachelorette invitations, and here are some of the outfit pictures. Outfit Details: – Alice…
My best friend, Laura, and I enjoy going on Coffeeventures to different coffee shops. We decided to venture down to Coral Gables to visit Café Demetrio. This café is Coral Gables’ first coffee house that serves artisanal coffee with adorable cocoa hearts dusted on top of your latte. I had a delicious Cafe Leo that features a thick drizzle of caramel. The café also serves sandwiches, salads, pasta, and breakfast. The building is from 1926, but the coffee shop opened up in 1997. After our coffee break, we drove to the Prado Entrance and spent some time there. Another…
Two months ago today, my love and best friend (E) asked me to be his Mrs! It was a special day not only because he asked me to marry him, but because he asked me to marry him on my 25th birthday. A week or so prior, he asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. He wanted it to be somewhere outdoors, so I choose a park across the street from our church. We picked up some sushi and had a picnic at the park. Upon arriving, I noticed that two of our friends were standing in…
Hello everyone! Today I am presenting you with my first home table setting. Since Easter is this weekend, I decorated the table with a a robin egg theme. For the greenery, I purchased this Fresh Picked Greens Large Fern Bush at JoAnn’s Fabrics. It costs $9.99, but they were on sale for 50% off, thus making it $5. I pulled out all the fern leaves and placed them around our personalized MyThirtyOne “Close to Home Tray“. I also added some faux Queen Anne’s Lace flowers around the ferns. Along with the floral wreath…
Today I will show you a Blue Apron recipe I tried. I order these boxes about 1-2 times a month. Blue Apron is a food subscription box that provides you with fresh, high-quality ingredients that are sourced by their network of farmers, fisheries, and ranchers each week. Each box comes with two or three meals with pre-measured ingredients and proportioned amounts for each serving. Each week, Blue Apron provides a variety of recipes to choose from. They also provide a menu card with directions and pictures to assist you while you cook. I enjoy getting my Blue…
For St. Patrick’s Day this year, I baked some Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Cupcakes. I originally got the recipe from Easy Baked (found on Pinterest) and I modified her recipe. She used Bailey’s Irish Cream, but I chose to use Saint Brendan’s instead because it is cheaper and the preferred Irish cream for the group of people I made the cupcakes for. Ingredients: (makes 24 cupcakes) Cupcakes: 2 1/2 cups cake flour 3 teaspoons of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 1/2 cups granulated…
Today, I’m bringing you another recipe post featuring pico de gallo! I made this side dish to bring to work during our weekly luncheons. I volunteered myself to pick up some pico de gallo, but when I went to Publix the night before, there was none to be found. Instead, I decided to make my own. Of course, I turned to Pinterest (my cookbook on-the-go), and looked up a recipe. I choose the first picture and the recipe from Luci’s Morsels opened up. Looked simple enough, so I purchased the products needed and started…
I was walking through Target’s hair product aisle to pick up a new shampoo when I stopped to see a section that showed minimalistic packaging. I turned and faced the products that had a pretty pastel peach, white, and a darkish grey/black color. I was impressed by how sleek and simple the packaging was and immediately pulled out my phone to inquire about these new items. I saw only good reviews (although very limited amount of reviews) in my research while standing in the aisle and decided to purchase three new hair products. To be honest, although…
I like when recipes are simple to put together. It makes it easier to cook something after a long day at work. Today’s recipe is chili! It is quick and easy (compared to cooking it in the slow cooker for many hours), and you can customize it however you’d like. Time: 1-2 hours Chili Ingredients List: 1.5 pounds of ground beef or ground turkey 1 tbsp olive oil, to brown the beef or turkey 1 can (15 oz) of tomato sauce 6 grape tomatoes, quartered 1 cup of water as much chili seasoning as…
Christmas in January? I thought we need to wait at least half a year before hearing about it again. Yes, its true, but I wanted to share with you an event we did at my church this past December. My young adult group put together a Christmas gala for young adults and the pastors and their wives. Upon arriving to the gala, everyone walked through the arch draped with red chiffon and pretty lights. I just love how the lights twinkle through the chiffon, so beautiful! As you can see, we had market lights strung across the ceiling. Once we…
Hello, and welcome to Simple Charm Home! My name is Desiree and I am venturing back into the blogging world. Several years ago, I had a beauty blog named Simple Charm Beauty, but stopped writing when I created a YouTube channel for it instead. So here I am again, starting with a fresh slate! A home may be a building where one lives, but it also encompasses more than that. Home is the people you go through life with, a place where traditions are formed, love is shared, recipes are enjoyed, goals are achieved, family relationships are cherished, and so…
L & M – “Better Together” Sunrise Engagement Session Earlier this month I was a second photographer for my best friend’s engagement pictures at Hollywood Beach, Florida. L’s future brother-in-law was the main photographer. It was the most beautiful and perfect sunrise I had seen in a while. The clouds had the perfect puff and the colors were gorgeous. I have known L for the past 4.5 years and we were always looking forward to our special day. We would pray and wonder who we would end up marrying. Finally, we…