My Life

Modern Bohemian DIY Wedding In Phoenix, AZ

By Esperanza on October 28, 2025

Phoenix, Phoenix wedding, boho wedding, modern bohemian, vintage wedding, thrifted wedding, DIY wedding, wedding decor, wedding style, wedding dress, groom style, wedding food, Italian wedding food, bohemian wedding, vintage style, thrifted style, handmade wedding, wedding photography, romantic wedding, wedding tablescapes, wedding altar, altar decor, tablescape decor, groom, bride, ringbearer, flower girl, bridesmaids, groomsmen, wedding DJ.

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.

Bridal Sunset Session At A Mission In Tucson, AZ

By Esperanza on

Phoenix, Phoenix wedding, Morilee, Arizona, Arizona bride, Tucson Bride, Phoenix bride, Morilee bride, Morilee wedding dress, boho wedding, modern bohemian, vintage wedding, bridal session, bridal photography, bride, groom, bridal editorial, mission, Tucson, wedding style, wedding dress, groom style, elopement shoot, vintage style, thrifted style, wedding photography, romantic wedding, wedding.

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.

DIY Projects | My Life

Our Wedding: A Handmade Celebration Full of Love, Rain, & Pasta

By Esperanza on October 7, 2025

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.

Beauty | My Life

My Wedding Beauty Prep | Microneedling, Lip Filler, Botox, & More

By Esperanza on September 20, 2025

Wedding, wedding beauty, beauty prep, wedding beauty prep, microneedling, lip filler, botox, lip blushing, PRP SkinPen microneedling, Chemical Peel, Oxygen facial, lip filler, hair makeover, lymphatic drainage, bride, bride to be, bride 2025, The Now Massage, Elevate Grace, Phoenix, The Pretty House Beauty Lounge, Bonita Aesthetics, Karma Aesthetics. — Screenshot

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 Life | Pregnancy

Celebrating 18 Months Of Breastfeeding My Baby

By Esperanza on August 5, 2025

Breastfeeding, baby weaning, breastfed baby, breastfeeding journey, breastfeeding mom, motherhood, motherhood journey, baby boy, first time mom, boy mom, new mom, mom style, mommy blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, toddler, baby.

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!

My Life | Travel Style

My Surprise Beach Picnic Proposal In Malibu

By Esperanza on April 30, 2025

Proposal, surprise proposal, beach proposal, engaged, engagement, engagement photos, engaged couples, El Matador, Malibu, California, family travel, family style, family blogger, beach picnic, The Urban Darling, engagement ring.

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!

Beauty | My Life

Mommy Makeover | New Hair, Fillers, & My First Wax

By Esperanza on November 7, 2024

Mommy makeover, mommy, makeover, self care, hair makeover, new hair, hair before and after, fillers, botox, waxing, brazilian wax, hair removal, Lady & Wolf Salon, Giovanni Med Spa, Opal Raw Beauty, Phoenix, beauty, Phoenix blogger, lifestyle blogger, mommy blogger, The Urban Darling.

At 7 1/2 months postpartum, it was time for a little mommy makeover! I needed a boost in confidence and some self care after many months of sleep deprivation and non-stop mommy duties lol. I wanted to get my hair done (dye & fresh cut) at my favorite salon in Scottsdale. I wanted to freshen up with some botox/fillers at Giovanni Med Spa and I decided it was time to try getting my first wax at Opal Raw Beauty! In this blog post, I am sharing more about my experiences at these local Phoenix businesses.

Holidays | My Life

Our First Family Halloween Costume

By Esperanza on October 31, 2024

Halloween, Halloween 2024, Halloween costumes, family costumes, family Halloween costumes, baby costumes, avocado, baby Halloween costumes, family photography, baby photography, couples photography, lifestyle blogger, family blogger, mommy blogger, lifestyle, family, fashion, The Urban Darling.

A few weeks back, Andrew and I thrifted the cutest baby avocado costume to dress Sage in for his first Halloween! I was just going to dress him up, but then I realized it would be really easy to do a family Halloween costume with that theme. Baby Sage was an avocado, I was an avocado tree, Andrew was an avocado farmer, and Arlo was the farmer’s dog, although he wasn’t feeling very photogenic that day, so we only got a few photos with him lol. I think it turned out so cute for our first Halloween together as a family, and I can’t wait to see what we come up with next year!

Baby | My Life

Visiting The Pumpkin Patch & Animal Farm

By Esperanza on October 20, 2024

Phoenix, couples, pumpkin patch, pumpkins, animal farm, couples photography, family photography, family, couples style, family style, baby style, baby boy, baby boy style, neutral style, retro style, desert style, desert vibes, desert plants, fashion blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

I was really excited for the holidays to come up this year because I knew it would be so fun experiencing them with my baby boy Sage for the first time! Andrew and I took Sage to his first pumpkin patch last week and even though it was soooo hot here in the Phoenix area the day we went, we had a ton of fun. The farm we went to had a little petting zoo with goats, cows, horses, sheep, a llama, and even zebras! Sage does seem to love animals, especially Andrew’s dog Arlo, but he wasn’t nearly as excited about them as he was the big orange pumpkins! Those really put a sparkle in his eyes lol.

My Life | My Style

Life Update: My New Relationship & Fresh Start

By Esperanza on October 16, 2024

I have been waiting to share this news for a few months now and I decided that I was finally ready to open up about my new relationship! Andrew and I met in an unexpected way on a dating app and hit it off right away. He was living in Portland but the app changed his location to Phoenix while he was here for a few day’s interviewing for a position (he is a chef/food consultant). It happened to be the day I created my profile otherwise we would have never matched! He came to visit me about a week later and we started officially dating.