The Sunday Spread

on Self Trust, LVMH, Toddlers First Roadtrip and Whimsy Baby Birthday Parties

Welcome to The Sunday Spread!

I’ve been away, so if you’re new here, The Gated Community was built out of my postpartum experience. It’s where you come if you’re no longer choosing between present mom, hot wife, or well-lived individual.

I’m currently refining and redefining my own life postpartum. That looks like having a uniform, building a signature style, updating the character and personality of my home and navigating sahm life with 2 under 4.

I’m currently in Arizona as I type this, visiting my brother. He had to have heart surgery (wild btw) so we came down to support him and see him for the first couple of days and then had to head back home. Times like this, I wish he lived closer, but I’m grateful we had the means and the ability to even get to him in the first place. Finding out about his surgery, where it was, why he had to have it amongst other things really required time to digest.

I hate that we have to leave, but we’re working out what the next few months will look like while he continues recovery. Pay attention to patterns for health issues in your family. It’s easy to brush it off when it’s not a close line if that makes sense, but it’s so important. I’m grateful my brother was super proactive about it on his own — those are life changing decisions.

What’s on the table this week: Last month I posted more than I have in a minute on IG and not only did it feel good, it felt like me. I wasn’t trying to do too much, I wasn’t trying to be overly perfect. I simply created, posted and moved on. I’m really proud of everything I posted and I had a light bulb moment. I’ve been following Julia Broome for a while now, was apart of her subscription community, bought a ticket to her LA Workhorse tour stop, I was all in.

I recently canceled my subscription, because I feel like I was starting to have posting paralysis. I’m still a huge JB fan, don’t get it twisted. I was just watching her Bachelorette content, she’s such a cutie and she’s so fit, good Lord — however, I was over thinking every single headline, overlay, this that and the third, not because she did anything wrong or gave any bad suggestions, I felt like I was too reliant, waiting for the next best suggestion to then decide to post or prepare whatever I wanted to posted about (yikes!) — I needed to see if I could do it myself and go all in. I needed to just keep it simple and I did. I’m really proud of myself for that.

I didn’t over think anything, it all made sense, all of it fell into my ‘pillars’ of things I want to talk about and feel confident in. It all worked out. Not because I needed the confirmation that action outweighs ideating, I needed to have this experience as I find my way back into consistently showing up.

I only want to create from a place of peace. I don’t want to be short with my kids because I’m trying to create, if it’s tense, if it’s uncomfortable, or just simply feels forced, that can’t be my portion. It won’t be.

I’ve also been engaging way more with brands I want to either work with or receive gifting from and hopefully turn into work. I’ve mentioned Hotel Lobby Candle several times, but hadn’t made a purchase yet. I’m trying to be intentional with every single purchase, picking the right fragrances, colors, all the things. Our home signature is very important.

Being a chatty jazzy has paid off because they’re sending me candles 😍. The Founder Lindsay Silberman is such a warm and inviting yet playful energy, she’s SO engaged with the community, she’s always in the comment section, and as a result of my comment they responded. So excited to share the candles and continue making our house a home! I also feel like Hotel Lobby is so Gated Community coded.

ALSO, ya girl got invited to a NARS event to celebrate their new Insatiable Liquid Blush ! I literally got the email while I was finally back reunited with my husband and on the way home to relax. The beauty videos are paying off and I love that for me.

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What I Ate This Week: I started reading Race, Religion & Racism, a book by our late great Apostle Fred KC Price — the general of Faith — a true MOG. I feel like I can’t even properly talk about it until I get through all 3 volumes. I’ve been highlighting like crazy. It’s exceptional especially from a biblical perspective — especially as a black person and black woman, who has experienced racism. It’s so fitting — it was perfect during the time it was released as a series in person at our church and still perfect for a time such as this. It will forever remain relevant.

If you believe in the Jesus and God’s Word in the Bible, I encourage you to read it. If you want to use it as a tool to have the conversation, I encourage you to read it. If you’re tired of being gaslit into thinking you’re doing something wrong by speaking up about racism and your experiences, I encourage you to read it. IF YOU THINK that Jesus approves of your racism, I would encourage you to read it too.

I’m enrolled in the LVMH Certificate program, I wanted to give my all to focused work and it led to a lot of good things. A lot of good outcomes. I have until mid July to finish, but it’s been super informative and a really great experience so far. My view on luxury has not only been expanded, but it makes me appreciate what can come in terms of a product, now knowing what I know. On top of that I aced my first quiz and course and I’m onto the next, I gotta lock in though because I took so long for the first section.

Sunday Daydreams: I’m looking forward to more home content, our dream couch comes in on Monday! I originally thought we were going to order a couch from Quince, fell in love with the performance velvet, had it in the cart and all.

Then we decided to wait because the Quince couch was made to order, so 4-6 weeks off the top. Then we found another couch that we loved but it was 6-12 weeks made to order. If it was January I would have been more okay with the wait. 6 months into the year it needed to be an already made couch.

Deep in my research, I found a brand called Povision — we ordered the Aurora Power Sofa and it is the most functional, gorgeous, blend of several things that were important to us. Material, color, the desire for a sleeper and a sectional were all super important. The amazing thing is we got all of that in one. We did get it in white performance chenille, which I’m beyond excited about. I’m sure there was a Sunday Spread where I mentioned a dream white couch at some point; to be at this point is so exciting. I’ll share more about it when it arrives.

I’m also daydreaming about switching my hair up, I’m so excited to get it done hopefully this coming week, it’s time for a change. I need to give my ponytail a break and I still have a little color that is hanging on, so really just trying to let my hair do its thing without any further intervention. Except I’m intervening this time.

Meal Prep for this coming week: My current hyperfixation is Shirley Temple Poppi. It’s so so good. Better than the Olipop version, full of flavor, and all I want to do is drink one every day.

Now that the weather is warming up, I think I’m going to start my fermentation journey. I’ve been loving making lemonade and fun drinks, so looking forward to keeping that vibe going through the warmer months.

I’m ready to get a cast iron skillet and a grill so I can make some steaks or something, this summer I want to cook more outside. My dad is the grill guy, but it’s time for me to get on it. I also love the anticipation of grilling — the prep, that first light, the smell, the wind down, the eating, all of it. Another reason to enjoy the mortgage and time being home.

What I’m bringing to the table: I haven’t been making lattes at home, I’ve been buying them and as a result cutting back on how many I have. Well drinking the Ube Lavender Matcha Latte from Hilltop has me so into lavender syrup (which it has). I decided that I wanted to make a lavender iced latte, but I wanted it to be more me. I mixed Chobani cookies and cream creamer with my espresso, milk and lavender syrup and it’s so so good.

Something about it feels summer coded in a playful way

TGC Lavender Cookies & Cream Latte

• 1-2 tbsp of Espresso (your own preferred amount)

• Vanilla Almond Malk

• 1-2 pumps of Lavender Syrup

Mix pour over ice and add Cookies and Cream creamer. I absolutely love it, so much so, I’ll either have 2 or have one later in the day. The issue is, the creamer was a limited run, so I ran out and haven’t seen it since. The devastation.

I also made a Summer Spritz, accidentally, but it ended up being good and working out.

• Homemade Lemonade (Lemon Juice)

• Homemade Simple Syrup (add Syrup and mix)

• Can of Island Punch Spindrift (half or whole depending on carafe size)

Anything with sparkling water added is great in my eyes — unfortunately I don’t have exact measurements it’s really contingent on the size of the container you use to store your lemonade or mixed drinks. I have my measurements and eyeballing down to a science now.

My kids love it, I love it, anything bubbly.

At the Kids Table: It’s about to be summer which means it’s time for all of the summer birthdays and outdoor things. We went to the beach about 2 weeks ago on a Friday evening, stayed until it closed, bon-fired the whole things and the kids loved it. I managed to pack all of what we needed and then some and to say I was proud of myself was an understatement. I didn’t second guess or talk myself out of bringing anything, I brought it all and we used it all. Another lesson on trusting yourself.

We’re throwing my daughter a party at Adventure City for her 2nd birthday this month — it’s like a kid friendly, but also adult friendly mini theme park. I went as a kid and have gone several times for birthdays for our friends kids, so we’re excited to do that for her. 41 people, adults and kids, I’m so excited!

Plus we love an all inclusive experience. Food, drinks and unlimited rides. The birthday room and area is so whimsy and fun plus the train passes through so it’s fun to watch it go by as your having a birthday or attending one. All of the birthday magic will be worth it. I’m praying in advance that I’m not irritable that day, hosting and toddlers is an interesting mix. Thankfully, Adventure City handles all of the hard work, we just have to show up.

Also how cute are these birthday shirts, my theme for her is birthday, so the colorful, pastel, full on birthday vibes. These are all from Old Navy and super on sale. I might just get her a bunch of shirts to make it a week long thing.

• Birthday Cake Graphic Tee

• 2 Yr Old Graphic Tee — literally $5 on sale right now

• Birthday Emoticons Graphic Tee

• Birthday Girl Graphic Tee

I have to add I’m so proud of my babies for making it through their first road trip. The time remained basically the same so that helped as far as naps, but ya’ll they would not go to sleep at the end of the night. It was about 5 hours and 45 minutes to Arizona, we made 2 stops on the way out to AZ including stopping to eat in Palm Springs and then only once on the way back.

I’m super grateful that I don’t have carsick kids. We do a good amount driving, not always far, but regularly enough that they are comfortable in their car seats. Speaking of which, my next car has to have captain seats, it’s the best thing ever especially for car seats and additional space.

I rented the Kia Telluride for the trip and while there were things that I love — the getup, the captain seats, the space, at 55K miles which the car had (and a rental, so beat up a little), it was kind of raggedy. My mom and I always feel like renting cars and taking them on a good push is a great way to see how you really feel about a car. The power was great, but I don’t think I could be a Telluride girl.

In Rotation:

• Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balm — it is everything and then some. So creamy, so pigmented. Rich shades, that don’t have red undertones (more of a personal thing), and they blend out so wonderfully. I’m also kind of loving the fact that Summer Fridays has their own brushes now. They are so good. I kept Sienna and Haze and gifted Sand, Dune, Clay and Desert to my broadcast channel

• Old Navy Ribbed Snug Baby Tees

• Old Navy Ribbed Snug Baby Tanks

• Eva Pouchette in Caramel

• Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil

• Lavender Syrup — I’ve really been missing out

• VIRAL Old Navy Poplin Red Zip Up — sold out in red; but here are some other options

• Summer Fridays New Trio of Mini Lippies in Peach Granita specifically. I pray they make it permanent, like asap

• Navy Blue High Waist Leggings in XS for an extra snatched waist

• Vaseline Glow Oil

• Lancome Genefique

• Augustinus Bader Rich Cream

• Carpe Deodorant — Hot (and sweaty girl) approved

On Reserve | My Seasonal Wishlist: Couch has been checked off. I feel like I need a million and one things from Sephora and Ulta. I particularly want:

• Summer Fridays Daily Exfoliant Pads

• Rhode Pocket Blushes in Candy Apple, Freckle, Spicy Marg and Piggy

• Rhode Pocket Bronzer in Drench

• Loewe Oregano Hand Soap — I bought the Element Brooklyn hand soap — particularly Olympus which is inspired by Loewe Oregano and Wild Pear which is inspired by Byredo Suede. I loved Olympus way more than Wild Pear and I had a chance to smell Byredo Suede at a baby shower and though the OG is more pungent, the smell is pretty spot on.

  Though I purchased reusable dispensers from Element Brooklyn, my heart still wants glass. I plan to purchase Loewe Oregano to compare, but also because I want the glass dispenser.

Speaking of hand soap, Necessaire finally released a hand soap and hand lotion duo, literally days after I purchased everything from EB. I love that the dispensers are glass and not plastic. I might buy Necessaire for the babies bathroom since sensitive skin is a thing and then do Loewe for our Kitchen and downstairs bathroom.

What my bank ate this week: My husband actually bought me some high waist Nike x Skims V line leggings and Nike x Skims socks. I’m really into V line style leggings — leggings that accentuate without the ruching or booty bunched look.

I fell for the look after seeing a similar style from a brand called Nama. That style influenced my decision to pick the Alo Outline leggings that I have. It’s a tasteful way to accentuate especially if you’re not a fan of the booty scrunch style of leggings. They come with a white outline in black, brown and beige. The rest are one color with the outline. These vapor grey ones are so sick. They look so great.

This is how I strategically build a wardrobe that I love as a postpartum mom. It starts by being super clear about what you want to wear and hope to wear and taking the steps toward that. When you’re intentional about building your signature style, it keeps you focused, not scattered. You begin to stand out as you, not only focused on trends — you begin to build what becomes the version of you, you want to be on the other side of postpartum.

Waiting List | Things needing to be replaced/purchased:

• Glass soap dispensers even if I’m mixing brands

• Hand Retinol from Necessaire — my hands endure too much water and I just feel like hand lotion and hand creme is working, but I need a bit more repair. I don’t want my hands to look older than me. It comes as a duo with the hand creme or you can get the retinol by itself. These are the type of low maintenance to be high maintenance things I love.

• Lip Balm, the great restock is upon us

  • Eadem — this would be my first purchases with Eadem. I want Chateau Rose, Sakura Shaved Ice, Butter Mochi (clear), and Boba Bounce

  • I need a little Summer Fridays LBB, particularly Toasted Marshmallow and Vanilla

  • Necessaire Lip Treatment

  • Rhode Lippies in shades Colada (limited edition), Honey Mango (limited edition) and Ribbon — I always need a pink lip. It’s my favorite

  • Rhode Highlight Milk in Pearly Rich Bronze — already a waitlist for it

I’m definitely due for some new lip gloss, but a good glossy balm should hold me over for now

• New CUUP Bras

• New Bodysuits

I know summer hasn’t even officially eclipsed yet, but I’m looking for a fire pair of boots for the fall this year. If I can get a lot of things I want done as far as the home in the next few months, we’ll take our holiday photos at the house which would be so chic and fun.

Anywho, until next Sunday!