Valentine’s Day has taken on a sweeter meaning over the years, especially now that we get to celebrate it as a family of three. This is my second Valentine’s Day celebrating with my now-husband (we’ll be married six months in March). I couldn’t resist capturing a few simple moments with Andrew and our toddler this year—nothing fancy, just us at home in white tees and denim, with a handmade paper heart garland.
This Christmas feels extra special because it’s our first one as a married couple. Last year was also our first Christmas together, and looking back at those photos at Superstition Mountain fills my heart in a way I can’t quite put into words. Before meeting my husband, I was a single mom imagining what family traditions might look like one day. Now, here we are — married, growing, and soaking in this season together. This year’s photos at San Tan Park in Queen Creek feel like such a beautiful marker of how far we’ve come.
It’s that cozy, heart-warming (and chaotic!) time of year again. There’s something so special about the look on loved ones’ faces when they open something thoughtfully selected just for them. As I found myself scribbling wish lists for myself, my husband Andrew, and our toddler Sage, I thought it would be helpful to share my gift ideas! I’m really excited about this holiday gift guide because I’ve curated favorite gift ideas for her, for him, and for the little ones — all things we’ve used, loved, or that are on my own wish list. I mixed practical must-haves with a few splurge-worthy picks, almost all available on Amazon. I did include a handful of adorable kids’ items from Maisonette (because everything on their site is just too cute!). Whether you’re shopping for a bestie, spouse, or toddler, I hope this guide takes a bit of the stress out of gift-giving — and maybe even inspires something your whole family will love.
With our sights set on saving for a home, we decided to pour creativity—not money—into our wedding decor. Every element was a DIY labor of love. After our son went to bed each night, Andrew and I would sit down to thrift, design, and plan together. Since we couldn’t get married in Italy, we brought the feeling of it to Arizona—warm, relaxed, and earthy. I leaned on my background in interior design to curate a modern bohemian aesthetic with neutrals, terracotta tones, and natural textures that felt effortlessly romantic.
A week after our wedding, we met our photographer at a stunning historic mission just outside of Tucson—a place that once sat high on our list of potential venues. In the end, it didn’t make sense logistically, but the beauty of it never left my mind. Heading there for our bridal sunset session felt serendipitous, like the universe was letting us experience that dream in a different, more intimate way.
When we first started planning our wedding, we dreamed of saying “I do” in Italy. That plan eventually evolved—it would have been too hard for our families to travel—but we carried that vision with us. We wanted our day to feel warm, intentional, creative, and full of soul. Every detail was chosen with care, and almost everything—from the florals to the food—was made by our own hands. We thrifted, styled, cooked, arranged, and designed our way through six months of wedding prep, carving out time after our son went to bed each night to bring our vision to life. Then, the weekend of our wedding, a record-breaking rainstorm swept through Phoenix and nearly derailed everything. But just like our love story, this wedding was never about perfection. It was about showing up, leaning in, and building something beautiful together—even through the mess.
Like any bride, I wanted to look and feel my absolute best on my wedding day. Andrew proposed to me in April after eight months of dating, and we quickly set a wedding date just six months out. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of finding “the one” and getting married. After the heartache I experienced in a past relationship, meeting Andrew and getting engaged truly felt like a dream come true. As the big day approached, I became more intentional about my wedding prep — hitting the gym more regularly, cutting out alcohol, drinking more water, taking collagen, and more. But along with the lifestyle changes, I also had a long list of beauty treatments I wanted to explore. In this blog post, I’m excited to share the full rundown of my wedding beauty prep!
My breastfeeding journey is sadly coming to an end, so to celebrate 18 months of breastfeeding my son, Sage Wylder, Andrew took these beautiful photos of us. When Sage was taken to the NICU after my c-section, I fought really hard to be able to breastfeed him because it meant so much to me. I totally would have kept going, but the toll it was taking on me physically was really starting to wear me down. It’s been an emotional roller coaster—mentally and physically. I wish they would warn you about the hormone crash that happens when you start weaning your baby off breastfeeding. It’s been brutal, not to mention how much I miss the connection between Sage and me during those precious moments. I’ll forever cherish that time, and I’m proud of myself for sticking with it as long as I did! Also, Sage looks huge in these photos, lol—I wish we’d taken them when he was littler, but it’s hard to make the time in these busy days. I’m so glad we made the effort!
We are ENGAGED!! Andrew proposed to me on our second day in Malibu on El Matador beach with a surprise picnic that he planned with my sister. They had been designing the ring & planning the proposal since the beginning of January! We have been talking about getting engaged/married since we started dating, but because Andrew is from Colorado, I thought he would propose on our upcoming trip there, so I wasn’t expecting it. He and Sage “popped” the question together which was so sweet and special! After all the heartbreak I went through in my previous relationship, I’m so lucky to have found this man, and for a “second chance” at love. I can’t wait for the future for our little family!
How could I resist taking a few sweet photos with baby boy Sage Wylder for our first Valentine’s Day together?! I shot some photos with Andrew and I as well as a few of just Sage a few weeks ago (linked here), but I had a vision for some mommy and me Valentine’s photos and I love how they turned out! We used the same paper heart garland from the other photo shoots, and I picked up a simple bouquet at Trader Joe’s for only $5.99! I actually had picked out two bouquets that we held up for Sage to grab so he got the final say. I love the pretty peach color he went with! I wrapped the bouquet up in packing paper to give it an old-fashioned feel.
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