Live Cozy and Feel Cozy

Hey guys! I thought this might be a cute way to start off my blog, especially because I've been practicing some self-care lately and I realized that "coziness" is kind of a big part of my lifestyle. So keep reading if you'd like to hear some of my own tips on how to create a cozy lifestyle.

Just thought I'd throw in a picture of my cozy little living room.

1. Making your home more "homey":

• Get plants! Inside or outside plants, it doesn't matter. If you feel like you have a terrible green thumb, fake plants are great too, to bring those cozy, airy vibes into your home. I recently just got about five plants for our outside patio. Inside plants can also "clean the air" in your home and can not only cozy your home, but brighten it up.
• Candles, candles, candles. Not just candles though, but a candle holder. A great way to make an ordinary candle look elegant AND cozy is to get one of those candle holders from bath and body works. They are so cute and help a candle stand out. I bought a candle holder from there that has a tiny stand and it's made to look like leaves growing around the candle. I personally keep it on my kitchen counter in the middle to give a homey look and I'll switch my candle out depending on my mood or the season. You can fit almost any other candle in it too, I currently have a yankee candle placed inside of it. Side note: get cheap candles at home goods or TJMAXX!
• A chalkboard memo board. I think this is such a cute, homey look that will bring a nice family aesthetic to your home. I got mine at Target and it's just a simple stand-up board with a cork board on the back. There are all different kinds though! I saw the cutest one at target with little mason jars on the side and the chalkboard next to it. There are a lot of "organizer" chalkboard memo boards. I currently have "love grows here" written on it inside a circle of flowers. It's pretty adorable. A good idea to write on one would be a countdown to something important, like an up-coming vacation. Be sure to get colored chalk! Also, letter boards are pretty in right now and a cute, cozy way to spice up your home. I'll link two down below, as well as my own chalkboard I have in my kitchen. That's the first pic right down here (I couldn't link mine to Target's website because I got it a while ago and I don't think they have the exact one anymore.



• Throw blankets. Pretty self-explanatory. How much cozier can it get? Home goods is my go-to place for most home accessories like this. Just throw it over your couch, ottoman, or fold it nicely across the end of your bed.
• Rugs. Even though I have carpeting in my living room, you can't believe how much getting a rug has brightened up and brought complete coziness into my home. My favorite type of rug is "oriental" but of course that's totally up to preference. I think it has something to do with how my mom always had a few oriental rugs around my home growing up, so naturally it reminds me of "home". Not to mention, they look elegant. I got my current rug off of Amazon and, wow, just wow, I wasn't sure what to expect because sometimes buying rugs online doesn't always go over well, but it was perfect and made of a great thick material! My rug is by the Safavieh Evoke Collection, the vintage oriental ivory and blue 5'1" by 7'6". Link and picture down below!

• Decorative pillows. Comfy and cozy. I'm a bit of a clean freak, so I'm constantly perfecting my decorative pillows back in place on my couch once I get up from it. What can I say? I mean, they are cute.
• Farmhouse decor. The whole "farmhouse" look is very in right now, although I feel like it may not always be in, so my home does have a few items with that whole farmhouse style. Distressed-looking rustic decor is a great indicator if you're not sure if something is "farmhouse" worthy. Some examples of this style are: barn doors, wire or wicker baskets, mason jars, anything made of that distressed grey wood color or natural wood colors.
• So in the same category I wanted to list a couple things I have in my own home that bring up the coziness factor and could be listed as "farmhouse" decor. For one, and I literally have no idea if there's a specific name for them but lemme try my best, wooden wall boxes with inspirational quotes. Does that make sense? If I can figure out how to insert pictures or link a pic, I will. I have one of my wall that's made of distressed wood that says, "all you need is love... and more coffee". And how much more accurate can it be? I got it at "Altar'd State". If you don't know that store, look it up. It's one of the most adorable stores there is. Although, I can't really afford any of their clothes, but they've got a super trendy selection of homey decor. Also, Etsy is a great place for these.
• Wicker organizer baskets - These are simply the best! I have two that came as a set, from home goods, and to tie in the whole vibe, they also happen to have a square piece of chalkboard attached to it (meant to mark what's inside). I use them to store all of our dvds and video games and keep it in the living room next to our tv stand. This is a great way to not only bring a cozy feel into your home, but stay organized!
• A nice bookcase. If you're a book reader like me, it's important to have a nice place to store all your books. I personally have one now that I want to get rid of in the future. I'm planning on getting a nice dark wood, or cherry colored one that isn't backless, like mine, and looks more.. I guess expensive? Mine was pretty cheap off of Wayfair and really doesn't hold enough books.
• Collage picture frames (with family pictures). What would be a home without pictures of your family? Picture collage frames let you have multiple pictures in one to display in your home so that way, no matter where your family is, it's a constant reminder of them. A home is where the family is. I personally think having one or two on your wall really makes a home more of a home. If you don't have any, get one now!
• Things that make you feel like "you". Okay, so this is a good point I didn't truly think about until recently. What makes you feel good? What makes you feel like... you? I recently got a record player for my birthday and the cutest stand. I've always loved old vintage things and I love music from the 80's, 70's and 60's. Even 50's... I love myself some Frank Sinatra. (My parents were born in the 50s so I grew up with this kind of music) And because of all that, the presence of having these old records and player in my home just make me feel SO comforted. Other examples of this... well, I love Harry Potter (anyone, relate?) I have a wand I got from Universal I don't know what to do with, and I'm like.. "I don't wanna just let it sit in it's box" so I'm ordering a shelf and stand to put it in my bedroom. How cute is that? And these little things just make your home feel even more "homey", not only to you, but I feel like when others come over they can also feel that same cozyness.
• Wall Shelves with cute knick-nacks. I'm placing a picture below of exactly what I mean. I feel like wall shelves really bring a cozy-ness factor to your home. Especially when you put cute little knick-nacks on them that mean something to you. For example, on mine above my record player I have a little figurine of the Eiffel Tower I got in Paris last year, I have a candle (of course), a little plant (I really want a hanging plant though), and this odd little picture I thrifted that says "our love can't be measured". I'll also add a picture that links to an etsy page for these really cute rustic wall shelves. 

These are my wall shelves that I got from Target. (And my lovely record player, from Amazon)

• Things from other countries or travels. I think this makes for a unique home. I want to get more things, but obviously I need to travel more. I have a plate I hung on the wall from Capri, Italy. And my dad gave me a little wall decoration from Sicily that I have near my front door as well. It holds importance because that's where his side of the family came from and where he lived as a kid. Things like that make my home feel more homey :)

Stay tuned for my next blog that will feature what you can do for yourself to unwind, de-stress, and make yourself feel cozy.
If anyone has any questions about where I got some of my other things I mentioned, leave a comment down below!

Have a beautiful day, lovely people!