Hello, my beautiful gems! Happy Friday! I cannot believe we are already through launch week here at Costiera Pearl. It has TRULY been a dream come true. I cannot wait to see where this site goes in the future. For now, I want to share my “Latest + Greatest” with you. You’ll get a post like this about once a month (I promise my blog is not going to be just different series of posts haha), and in it, I’ll share 10 things I have been loving lately, five things you a can purchase and five random other things you can try. Everything will be linked in the post, so you can check them out and hopefully find some hidden treasures, too!

1. Target Storage Bins: Now that wedding planning is in full swing for me, and we could potentially be moving out of state between now and when we actually get married, the organization is a must. I definitely did not think about how much “wedding stuff” collects over the course of the planning process, and with two shedding dogs, one of which is still a puppy and loves to chew all of the things, you can never be too safe. At first, I was using cardboard boxes to keep track of everything but I am a visual gal, so these Target storage bins that I can see right into have been perfect!! I can keep things organized in different bins for different wedding-related things, and keep them away from my dogs, while still being able to locate everything I need to find without rummaging through 1000 cardboard boxes. I even use a couple to organize my podcast, youtube, and miscellaneous brand or office supply things.
2. Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer: I’ve been baking A LOT lately and a couple of weeks ago my relatively new hand mixer broke. Dalton got me this one as a replacement, and even just using it a couple of times, I can tell you it feels a lot stronger and more powerful. Seeing as the last one broke when I was trying to make homemade icing, this is DEFINITELY a good thing for me. Bring on all the baking.
3. Acrylic Clear Photo Frames: Fun fact, I actually bought these for the photoshoot I did for my new website. I am SO glad I did, though, because they are so cute and convenient. I hate putting pictures in frames because sometimes I don’t pay attention and end up cutting myself on the glass edges. These literally pull apart and have four tiny little magnets, one in each corner, that keep them together. I can’t wait to have an office one day to use these in!!
4. Wifey Sweatshirt: This is both a shameless plug and something I literally am obsessed with. My future sister-in-law, Kayla, owns the best Etsy shop, and I get to be her guinea pig for new products. I never saw myself wearing bride-themed clothing, but this one is different. It doesn’t just say “wifey” – my favorite part is actually the personalization on the sleeve. It has Dalton’s name and our wedding date!!! Also, I LIVE in sweatshirts, so this was like a win-win-win-win!
5. Tiny Target Hoops: I was in a wedding about a month ago and the bride wanted us to wear simple silver jewelry. Well, if you know me at all, you know that neutral-wise, I tend to lean gold and NONE of my jewelry falls in the “simple” category. I made a last-minute run to Target the day of the rehearsal dinner and picked up these cute little huggies and while I’m not sure I would have chosen them without needing them for the wedding, they grew on me pretty quickly and I am looking forward to wearing them often.
6. Schitt’s Creek: I am the kind of person who needs to be able to revisit things for comfort. I can never watch a dramatic TV show for “comfort” because they usually all affect my mood. Most of the time Dalton has to cut me off because I’m too invested (it’s usually Grey’s Anatomy and I’m usually crying a little more than normal). Schitt’s Creek is PERFECT. If you haven’t seen it yet, I literally don’t know what you are doing. It is so dry and unexpectedly funny with the perfect amount of warm, fuzzy family moments. I am a David Rose STAN. The only thing that sucks is that you can literally get through the series in like 2-3 days and then you may get sad that it’s over because I definitely do. You can currently stream this on Hulu!
7. Plomo Quesadillas: Calling all of my Northwest Arkansas friends! If you love Mexican food but have struggled to find a place in NWA that can satisfy that craving WELL, look no further than Plomos! It’s just quesadillas but with a twist. Think Torchy’s but for quesadillas without the atmosphere and with a smaller menu. I HIGHLY recommend the Escobar: steak, pickled red onion, avocado, elote, and crema. I can eat it every day. Also, if you’re on Dickson street (IYKYK) it is the BEST food for those late-night cravings.
8. Duolingo: I used to be getting a Spanish minor but listen unless you have a photographic memory or have the ability to study 15038 hours a night of JUST Spanish, it is not easy. Eventually, I changed my minor to management but I didn’t want what little Spanish I knew to get forgotten over time. Enter Duolingo! I’d heard about it before but finally decided to download the app. I’m telling you if Spanish had always been taught to me in the form of a game, I would have learned so much more. Also, if you are like me and don’t want to play a mindless game, this is a great way to learn and still satisfy that “game-playing” urge.
9. Morbid: A True Crime Podcast: Is it weird to plug a podcast if it is not my own? This should tell you how FANTASTIC Morbid is. Ash and Alaina are hilarious, dedicated, and tell great stories. I’ve even got Dalton enjoying it. I know true crime isn’t for everybody, but if you struggle with the darkness that comes with these truly gruesome stories, Morbid may be able to help you. Though they do share those gruesome details, they always give trigger warnings and do their best to “keep it light” where it is possible and appropriate. They also share little life anecdotes with their listeners and it does not take much to get me fully invested in the life of someone I don’t know, so yes, I am HEAVILY invested in theirs!
10. TikTok Account: OopsIGossipedAgain: I am a HUGE fan of reality television. I absolutely love The Kardashians, most of, if not all of, The Real Housewives, and I have even been getting into Love and Hip Hop. This TikTok account is mainly beneficial for Bravo fans, but if you love to keep up with the drama that is not always present on the show when it airs, this girl has you covered. She covered BravoCon so well and she wasn’t even there!! I love the drama!!