Holidays historically stress me out. The only tradition I have ever sustained surrounding the holidays consists of saying “let’s do something different this year” as if every year we don’t buck some illusive tradition that doesn’t exist and replace it with pizza. Decorating for Christmas follows a similar script for me - always feeling a bit vacant, wasteful and exhausting. But last year I started the first tradition that sparked enough joy to actually sustain for a repeat year and hopefully, several to come: Merry Wesmas. It started with a Grand Budapest Hotel Christmas Tree adorned with DIY ..read more

Before Cricut approached me about trying the Maker 3, I will admit I spent many afternoons in Joann Fabrics trying to understand which machine did what, googling and referencing the shiny packages of materials that seemed like a secret language I couldn’t figure out. As a hands-on, see it, touch it to learn it kind of gal - I get it now y’all. I see you, buddy who makes the whole gang custom coffee mugs for every occasion regardless of whether it’s actually a worthy occasion. I see you, custom T-shirts for the whole family mom.     And now let me reintroduce myself, Mid-century Mil ..read more

  When I met my friend, Connie, on Instagram mid-pandemic in 2020, I had no clue that we would ever interact beyond the Artifact Uprising referral code I shared with her over DM. We are coming up on our one-year friendiversary and all I can say is, if you haven’t made a sacred new best friend as a fully grown 30-year-old-woman, then just hang on and keep an open mind because it has been one of my best adventures yet. We warmed our relationship up with a constant stream of shared Facebook Marketplace vintage furniture links, followed by masked meetings around Austin, went vintage hunting i ..read more

DISCLAIMER: OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS BLOG WAS CREATED AS PART OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH WALLAROOS FURNITURE, I MAY EARN AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU IF YOU PURCHASE THROUGH THESE LINKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Long before we moved into our 70s Austin ranch-style home, earlier inhabitants craved a larger footprint. They transformed the original exterior into an additional ~800 square feet with an addition boasting natural light and more space than most would know what to do with. However, rumor has it that there was a former occupant who took the challenge appropriate ..read more

In the past, if someone told me that December 6th was late for wrapping up holiday or Christmas gift shopping I’d say they were off their rocker. But the longer I live in the world of content creation and marketing, I am understanding that planning and executing meaningful gifts within a budget takes some planning. So ready for the holidays or not, it’s time to crush the rest of your list. I still think secondhand gifts are one of the best ways to find unique options for everyone on your list - but failing that, here are my favorite gifts that span ages, interests and price points (of course w ..read more

Gift giving is my love language. So, as much as I want to rail against the consumer construct of the holiday season, it is also the dedicated time of year I am reminded to gift. It’s the ultimate brain teaser for me, resulting in the satisfaction of showing someone I love them, through a gift that exposes their own personal unique qualities. But, especially as Black Friday rolls around…the impulse to make my money go further and gift more increases. I begin populating hundreds of tabs with items that seem like a good deal, but honestly aren’t really the right pick for my loved ones. One way I ..read more

I have ADHD. I don’t keep that a secret. On my Instagram and my TikTok, I often share my experience living with ADHD. The good, the bad, and the ugly. While I truly believe my ADHD fuels my strengths, it is also the cause of a lot of my anxiety. At it’s worst, can contribute to falling into a depression cycle when I don’t feel like I am able to keep up with what seems like simple, common demands of life. ADHD & the task graveyard To the untrained eye (who doesn’t follow me on social media), I am high-functioning - juggling a 9-5 career in marketing, running Mid-century Millennial on the s ..read more

Viva Vintage Las Vegas In the world of travel blogging with a focus on vintage and kitsch, it’s easy to find the top few recommendations. Beyond that, I’m left trying to index more unique finds. In lieu of being unique in travel blogging, I will strive to offer unique Retro Traveler’s Guides centered around useful and retro-inspired picks based on my candid experiences. I am starting with Las Vegas, a place where it can be harder to find real “vintage” than you would think. In the spirit of attracting as many tourists as possible, there are less and less relics of the Las Vegas I pine for. Sav ..read more

Just joining the One Room Challenge journey? Check out my weekly updates: One Room Challenge Week 1: Retro-tropical Guest Bathroom Preview One Room Challenge Week 2: Renovating Better Together I’ve never been the tightest budgeter. But, I know how to work a spreadsheet, I have done project management professionally and I’ve never had enough money to ignore my budget. So for this week’s One Room Challenge blog, I decided to focus on the finances, with a transparent breakdown of my One Room Challenge DIY Bathroom Renovation. Read on if you want the real-life, fully transparent costs and s ..read more

There are a number of considerations that will save you money when you are DIY renovating a room in your house, the largest contributing factor being the cost savings on labor. Stay tuned for my upcoming One Room Challenge DIY Bathroom Renovation budget breakdown I am not a purist DIY renovator. There are many scenarios out of my league that will ultimately save me money to NOT DIY, by removing the risk of burning down the house, flooding or many other forms of complete destruction. These types of tasks - complex plumbing, electrical, roofing, to name a few still fit solidly in the category ..read more