Shop With Me: What's In My The Container Store Cart... For The Kitchen?

You guys! I don't what's taken up more of my time these past couple of weeks... renovations or organization. If you don't know this about me yet, I love organization... so much so that I even considered adding organization services to my e-design packages.

The great thing about renovating the kitchen is that it's given me a chance to control nearly every detail of every surface, giving me a sort of clean slate when it comes to organizing. For so long I've had to work around what was already there and now that it was a design of my making, the storage solutions could be just right.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsFebruary 16, 2021the container store, organization, kitchen, shopping

Shop With Me: What's In My H&M Home Cart?

It's been a while since I've done an H&M Home haul and that's definitely not for lack of shopping; but with the recent decision to make some changes around the house, now seemed like a great time to do some window shopping, especially with so many of their new releases giving me all the hygge vibes my little heart can handle.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsFebruary 11, 2021h&m home, hygge, my home, shopping

5 Ways To Practice Sustainability With Grove Collaborative

I remember when I started using Grove Collaborative, it was so I could make sure my household essentials, specifically for cleaning, were always stocked and within my budget. However, over the course of being a Grove Collaborativecustomer, my shopping habits have evolved in a way that supports a more sustainable lifestyle.

Lifestyle, ShoppingAlbie KnowsFebruary 4, 2021grove collaborative, sustainability, cleaning

Amazon Favorites: January 2021

ShoppingAlbie KnowsFebruary 2, 2021amazon, shopping, monthly amazon favs

LG Signature Laundry Experience

Once upon a time there was a girl that got her dream washer and dryer. And she lived happily ever after. The end. That's the story. And the girl... is me!

Lifestyle, ShoppingAlbie KnowsJanuary 23, 2021build with ferguson, sponsored post, lg, laundry room, the hygge ranch, my home

Health & Happiness: Plans to Reset My Physical & Mental Fitness

I remember at the top of 2020, I was in the middle of an on again & off again physical rollercoaster. I'd come a long way from where I was in 2019, but I was still adapting. Prior to the pandemic -- at the end of 2019 -- I'd lost about 20 pounds from the previous 6 months. For someone who was only occasionally consistent with working out, I was really impressed with myself. I was in a groove & even when I'd veer off track, it would only be for a couple of days.

Then the summer came...

Those days turned to weeks... then to months... and before I knew it, I couldn't even remember the last time I really worked out.

By the time my husband came home and we, shortly after, found ourselves gearing up to move, all my even halfway decent habits had gone out the window and had been replaced by constant stress eating & snacking. I was drinking more coffee & wine, but less water. I was only active because of having to haul things up & down the stairs. And sleep... well, what is sleep?

All of that only outlines the rise & decline of my physical wellness but truth be told it was simultaneously the rise & decline of my mental wellness too.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsJanuary 17, 2021fitness, mental health, new year, work life balance

Another Design Pivot At The Hygge Ranch: Media Room (ORC) Update

DesignAlbie KnowsJanuary 15, 2021media room, one room challenge, the hygge ranch, my home

Shop With Me: What's In My Build With Ferguson Cart?

As I type this, it's been over 60 days since we became homeowners and it has completely upended my world — more on that later though! — but one of the best unexpected surprises is shopping retailers that I'd only previously shopped for clients... one being Build with Ferguson.

The home improvement e-retailer is one that I have sourced for years for everything from lighting to flooring to plumbing for e-design clients, so the chance to browse their catalog for myself has always been a secret dream. I'll have to go through a whole bunch of other posts talking through what projects are happening (planned or in progress) but in the meantime, here's what's in my cart…

ShoppingAlbie KnowsJanuary 14, 2021sponsored post, build with ferguson, the hygge ranch, my home, shopping

The Hygge Ranch: 60 Days Later & Projects We've Done So Far

Dear Diary -- some days, I honestly can't believe that we bought a house. And since this is my diary and a safe place, I feel okay with saying that there are even some days I wonder if we made a mistake.

Do I regret buying our house? Not even close!

But... baby... I most certainly underestimate how much I didn't know about being a first time homeowner. There really is so much that no one ever talks about, and not just the buying process.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsJanuary 12, 2021the hygge ranch, shopping, home buying, my home

Home For The Holidays with The Home Depot

While ideating what Christmas in our new home would look like, I put together a round up of black, white, and gold Christmas decor. In our apartment, our white Christmas tree lived in the dining room, where I would also do light holiday tablescaping. Now having the options to have more than one tree + other trimmings, and tablescape — yay! — The Home Depot was an easy one stop shop for creating our Hygge Holiday Home.

LifestyleAlbie KnowsDecember 23, 2020holiday season, the home depot, the hygge ranch, sponsored post, tablescaping

Behind The Design: Our Living Room Reveal

Up until this point, admittedly, I never really did any "reveals" anywhere I've lived. In our condo, I shared quite a few rooms and that was my first taste at opening up the virtual doors to our home. But this is different... it feels different.

This design was almost 5 months in the making but it was also in partnership with many of my favorite brands. I didn't just move in and start designing.

Now rather than having you see my design and dismiss it as impossible and/or get inspired only to get sticker shock, I wanted to bring you behind the design — numbers & all — so you can see what & how much is feasible for YOU.

ORC Media Room Design Update

It's been a little over a month since we've fully moved into our new house & jumped right into some projects, including the media room.

Having already spent time ideating made getting started right out the gate super easy, but I was still — mostly — working off of a High Point Market specified design.

Did I love everything I chose for that design? DUH! But was all of it feasible? Nope.

Between cost, customizations, and availability, I quickly (mentally) processed all the substitutions I'd have to make to make this design come to life for us for real for real.

DesignAlbie KnowsDecember 10, 2020one room challenge, the hygge ranch, design therapy, media room, sherwin williams

Fall 2020 One Room Challenge: Real Life Edition

From the very beginning, I'd said that my ORC was based on real spaces in a real home. That home is now my home — look at God! — and I am able to bring this design as close to real life as humanly (and financially) possible. That said, consider this my part 2 to the Fall ORC. As all the guests are wrapping up their reveals, I am going to take you on another 6 week journey (because why not) as we tackle our "must be nice" spaces.

DesignAlbie KnowsNovember 23, 2020one room challenge, the hygge ranch, design therapy, media room

Shop With Me: Black, White, and Gold Christmas Round Up

It's so funny because I seem to have a habit of moving RIGHT before the holidays — nearly every major move in my has been in the Fall — so I always find myself pressed for time to get myself together to decorate and celebrate. Of course 2020 wouldn't be any different. I'm geeked because, duh, new house; but nervous because decisions have to be made & I don't know that I have the time or bandwidth to make em.

Remember when I talked about saying no to project pressure over on Emily Henderson's blog? Yeah... this is one of those projects I'll likely have to say no to because the alternative would be rushing & doing a half-assed job at what I had in mind, or going balls to the wall & spending an exorbitant amount of money less than 90 days into our home ownership journey.

BUT... that has NOT stopped me from window shopping and oogling everything that I would get, in a perfect world.

ShoppingAlbie KnowsNovember 19, 2020holiday season, christmas, decor styling, shopping

Living Room Update: We Moved!

3 months ago, I started my living room refresh and I shared the plans with you guys. The refresh started out just fine — we patched up some holes, put furniture in storage to free up space, hung new lighting & drapery, and the project even spilled over into the dining room when I made the decision to convert it into a study. At that point all that was left was for me to receive my furniture — it was slated for around now actually. That delay ended up working out in our favor. While our home buying journey is another story for another time, I can tell you that in August — when I started the living room — it isn't something I thought would be a reality for at least another year.

L'homme propose. Dieu dispose.

Translation: man plans, God decides.

And He decided we were to be homeowners NOW!

DesignAlbie KnowsNovember 17, 2020the hygge ranch, my home, living room, apt2b

How To "Home" When You're Dealing With Anxiety

LifestyleAlbie KnowsNovember 15, 2020the hygge ranch, mental health

5 Tips For Sofa Shopping Online

2020 has been the year of online shopping but if I'm being completely honest, online shopping has always been my jam — more choices, less people. Granted there's nothing that can fully replace the in person experience of shopping and engaging all of your senses as you make your decision, but sometimes online is all you have...like during a global a pandemic or when you're shopping an e-tailer like one of my favs, Apt2B.

But how do you shop for a sofa online — pandemic or not — when you can't see it in person, feel the upholstery, or sit on it to do a comfort test?

ShoppingAlbie KnowsNovember 12, 2020apt2b, sponsored post, design therapy, shopping

Fall 2020 One Room Challenge x High Point Market: Week 6

Has it been 6 weeks already? I guess if the calendar says it, then it must be so!

Which means we’re at the end of the first ever virtual edition of the One Room Challenge, sponsored by High Point Market.

The scope of this year’s ORC was one that came with it’s own challenges but I am so thankful for what the gift it’s given me — the chance to preview (and manifest) a real life home I’ll love!

DesignAlbie KnowsNovember 11, 2020one room challenge, high point market, my home, edesign