When thinking about how to upgrade your space, the first thing to remember is that small decor changes will make a huge difference in your home’s look! For that reason, here are my top 5 inexpensive decorating tips to instantly upgrade your space...

Let us know your favorite inexpensive decorating tips in the comments!

We are two days away from June and that means it is officially time to dive into summer for swimsuits, beach essentials, and the Marleylilly Warehouse Sale! Grab your summer staples early so you're fully prepared for spontaneous pool days and weekend getaways!

Beach Wear

Kick off your swimsuit shipping with these hot deals! For tops, shop the trendy high-neck, bandeau, and tankini tops. For bottoms, find something that works for you whether it's high-waisted, adjustable or bikini bottoms!

The Monogrammed High Neck Bikini Top is flattering for every figure! Pair it with the High Waisted Foldover Bikini Bottoms or the Monogrammed Bikini Bottoms and you are cool for the summer! 

Don't forget those cover-ups and beach bags! Snag the Monogrammed Tassel Cover Up for an easy and comfy post-pool outfit. For a Marleylilly summer tote fav, shop the Monogrammed Straw Tote Bag. Cute, personalized, and sand resistant, no more sandy beach bags for you! 🙌🏽 Not to mention there are everywhere on the fashion scene!

Summer Outfits

New summer, new styles! Make room in your closet for these summer styles and accessories!

Twirl through your summer days in the Monogrammed Boyfriend Dress. I have to mention there is a sailboat pattern! For a daytime sundress look, shop the Mexicali Dress for a colorful summer piece! And you can't have a summer wardrobe without a romper. Style this Monogrammed Romper with an elegant cardigan and flats to brunch with your mom or throw on a denim jacket and heels for a night out with the girls.

Your outfit is not complete without a little bling bling! Put the finishing touch on your outfit with the Monogrammed Taylor Necklace that sparkles with your summer glow! Or snap on the Monogrammed Bar Bracelet to match your Monogrammed Bar Necklace for the cutest jewelry set!

Be one of the first to strut this season's hottest styles and make this summer your most stylish yet!

Outerwear

Fall's hottest trends = on sale. Say what?!

With the pool just now opening and the sunscreen on every store display, the last thing that I want to do is think about fall fashion. However, I have zero complaints about shopping fall fashion early because these ML sales are just too good to pass up!

Adjust from summer to fall in the Monogrammed Chambray Shirt; this top is perfect for the mixed weather because of its light fabric! Tackle Friday night football and Saturday tailgating in the Monogrammed Lace Up Tunic — feel super cute yet cozy! Pack your Monogrammed Pullover Sweatshirt for your fall camping trip or mountain weekend—you will never be asking for an extra blanket. To knock off the early autumn chill, the Monogrammed Field Jacket is here to save the day! Toss it on over your fave summer tank top to stay warm during the transitional weather!

Prep for both summer (and fall, even) with the Marleylilly Warehouse Sale! Trust us, your wardrobe (and wallet) will say thank you later! 

Why spend big bucks on a flower crown when you can DIY? Here are 5 easy steps to get you ready for a summer full of flower crowns! In honor of Memorial Day, we're repping our American pride with our red, white and blue...

What you'll need to get started:

ribbon (thicky and shimmery/slightly transparent)

flowers

scissors

hot glue gun

hot glue sticks

measuring tape (optional)

Step 1: Measure length of ribbon around your head

Using your ribbon (or tape measure), loosely measure one time around your forehead. Cut your ribbon to match this measurement, adding an extra inch. Take the two ends of the ribbon and tie it in a tight bow or knot. If needed, wrap the ribbon around your head to double check where your bow/knot should start. It never hurts to double check!

Step 2: Trim flowers

Next, start cutting off the stems of your flowers. Leave enough stem left that you can still pinch the stem and hold up the lower. Throw away the excess stems.

Step 3: Hot glue flowers to the outside of your ribbon

Starting at the ribbon knot, begin hot gluing your flowers to the outside part of your ribbon. Put the hot glue directly on the flower stem, instead of the ribbon to keep the ribbon looking pretty. There is no right or wrong way to arrange your flowers, so pick and style and go for it!

Step 4: Hot glue flowers to the inside of your ribbon

Once you have glued flowers all the way around the outside of the ribbon, begin hot gluing the rest on the inside. Gluing flowers on both sides of the ribbon will make your crown more full!

Step 5: Let the glue cool down and flowers set

Let the glue cool and harden (approximately 10 minutes to be safe). Once your flowers are safe and secure, you're ready to style your new flower crown!

Make your #OOTD extra fun, festive, and vibrant with a flower crown! Wear it with straight hair, a messy bun, a loose braid or summer beach waves! 

Where do you plan to wear your flower crown? I know I'll be wearing mine today in honor of Memorial Day! For more red, white and blue, shop Marleylilly.com to catch the Memorial Day sale. Preview down below! Xo!

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. ~Audrey Hepburn

Aloe there! (See what I did there? Hello….Aloe….ahhhh…plant humor ha!)

I’ve been itching to get our raised gardening bed planted with some vegetables and herbs, but I’ve seemed to miss the window to do it the past couple of springs. This year, we made it happen though and I’m enjoying checking on them each morning and seeing how they’re progressing. So far so good! My mom is a master gardener, so I thought it high time I take full advantage of all she knows. I’m hoping her green thumb rubs off on mine, somehow.

So, I’ve been doing some mental comparisons between the principles of gardening and the principles of life and thought I’d share a five of them with you guys today.

Let’s get going!

1. With the faith of a mustard seed…

I’m always amazed at what all can flourish from the tiniest of seeds. It’s really incredible when you think of it. Something nearly as small as a grain of sand can produce life-sustaining fruits and vegetables.

The same can be said of our faith walk with God. As Luke 17:6 tells us,

The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!

There is so much power in rooting your identity in who God says you are and in walking out your faith on a daily basis. I think it’s interesting that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds sown on the earth and God chose to use it as a demonstration of how our faith, small as it may seem at times, is enough to see big changes in our life.



2. Location, Location, Location
Much like real estate, I’ve learned that gardening is SO much about where you decide to do your planting. Crucial, in fact. My backyard gets full sun pretty much all day. So, while I might love to see some pretty green ferns prosper back there, I know that’s just not going to happen in those sunny conditions. So, I have to keep that in mind as I choose what to put in our raised bed garden.

The same is true of people.  Some of us blossom in front of a crowd. Some of us long for solitude. People may love to push their bodies to the limit. Others challenge their minds in as many ways as possible. There are those who long for big families, small families, excitement, peace, structure, freedom…

These are ALL good. We simply need to recognize where WE best grow, as individuals, and plant our roots there.



3. Accept Help.
I can be stubborn. Just ask my mom. She had to take me to the pediatrician when I was a toddler to have my arm put in a sling. She wanted me to go one way in the grocery store and apparently I wanted to go the other. She gave my arm a tug and out of the socket it went! Stubborn. Ha!

While I’ve gotten better, I’ve always loathed having to ask for help with something. I like to fancy myself as a kinda ‘can-do-it-all’ chick! I’ll exhaust every option first before asking for help, generally speaking. I’m so fortunate to have a mother who knows a ton about how to grow a successful garden. She’s always happy to help my little one and I get going on the right foot with it.

So here’s my advice to you.

No matter what you are tackling — be it professional, personal, or anything — never be afraid to ask for help and take it. There is always someone out there who can help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength! It’s not always knowing the answer (or having the skill) but it’s knowing who to ask. Having the confidence to ask for help when you need it is both brave and wise.



4. You reap what you sow.
You knew this one was coming, right? Ha! It’s a powerful lesson and one we all need to be reminded of from time to time. As gardeners, we don’t plant cucumbers expecting juicy tomatoes to pop up, right? If we want tomatoes, we plant tomatoes. Simple as that.

The same can be said of our life expectations. Sometimes we look at our lives, don’t like what we see and wonder where we went wrong. The answer may be that we planted the wrong seeds. Look at your relationships. Are you and your spouse as close as you’d like to be? Do one or both of you spend more time glued to work or Facebook rather than investing more of that time in each other? How about your health? Are you taking care of your body so it will continue to stay strong and serve you well as you grow older? Or are you/we over snacking while sitting in front of the tv allowing our bodies to become stagnant?

Yikes, that kinda hurts, right? Hopefully, though, you understand what I’m getting at.

Ask yourself what you want, and then make sure that you’re planting the seeds that will get you those results.



5. Build a fence around your garden.
Now, the last thing you want after you put all that time and energy into building your garden is for little furry creatures or little pests to come in and try to destroy it. In the same way, we need to build a little wall of protection around the dreams and goals we have set for ourselves. In short, we need to create some boundaries, friends.

While we should do our very best to be cordial, sometimes there are certain people that bring a level of toxicity to our lives and just drain the life and good energy out of us. At the risk of sounding harsh, these are the folks we need to keep at a long arm’s distance. Honestly, if someone is not bringing life-giving vibes, it’s time to move along. Be nice, but move along. Pulling out the ‘bad weeds’ allows for new things to grow and blossom in its place.

Also, know your limits. Sometimes other people aren’t always the problem. We can often be our own worst enemies. We over schedule and over commit to people and projects that spread our time and energy too thin. We can’t bloom like that, you guys. It’s MORE than ok to say no when we need to!



Ok, I could probably throw in a few more, but I’ll leave it at those five. Who knew gardening had so many life lessons to teach us?!

Hope these got your thoughts going a little this morning! Thanks for reading today!



(Photography by Alyssa Fisher Photography)

Blouse || Black denim skirt || Booties c/o || Similar hat || Layered necklace c/o || Bracelet c/o || Backpack

Original content by January Hart

Calling all Marleylilly and Lauren James fans! We have partnered up with our friends at Lauren James in a co-branded t-shirt collaboration! Featuring three brand new t-shirt designs, each shirt has a faux pocket on the front, perfect to rep your monogram, of course! These limited edition t-shirts were designed for YOU, and we hope you'll love them as much as we do...

Looks like this sailboat docked right in time for the Fourth of July! Sailboats and the American flag — it doesn't get much more American than that! Show your patriotic pride in this "American Sailboat" design! The light heathered grey color is so flattering and will keep you cool all summer long!


Front porch sittin' and sweet tea sippin' — it's a southern thing, y'all! Show off your inner Southern Belle with this charming "Rainbow Row" t-shirt design. The pastel colors and monogrammed pocket were simply "mint" to be!

We are so excited for this Marleylilly + Lauren James collaboration and hope you are, too!

Which t-shirt design will you be repping this summer? Shop this unique link to select your favorite design!

Laurenjames.marleylilly.com

Peace, love, and monograms!

Wedding Portrait by Alexi Lubomirski

Queen Elizabeth

Amal Clooney

Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Gina Torres

Victoria Beckham and David Beckham

photographs via Getty Images

For any Royal event, the fashion is always the buzz, but for this ceremony, my favorite parts were the tributes made to Harry and William's beloved mother, Princess Diana. Diana's favorite flower, forget-me-nots, were included in Meghan's bridal bouquet (as well as hand-picked flowers by Harry). Lady Jane Fellowes, Diana's older sister, read Biblical scripture during the wedding ceremony and also accompanied the Royal Family as they sent off the newlyweds on their horse and carriage. Following the couple's send-off, photographs were later taken as they made way to their wedding reception, where Meghan was spotted wearing Diana's emerald cut aquamarine ring (seen in the photo below).

In addition to honoring Princess Diana, the couple put a lot of thought into making the public feel included. The couple selectively chose their horse-drawn carriage for its height so the Windsor bystanders could catch a glimpse of the newlyweds as they made their way to their evening reception. The couple also requested the wedding flowers be donated to local hospice patients following the ceremony.

It goes without saying, the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was a true modern fairytale. This historical day was one to remember and will be celebrated for years to come!

So there you have it — my favorite moments from the Royal Wedding. What wedding details did you love most? Let us know in the comments below! 

If you haven't noticed yet, fruit-themed fashion and accessories are one of the hottest summer trends!
Avocados, lemons, watermelons - you name it and I'd bet it's out there in the retail world somewhere! In the spirit of the fruit trend, here are some uber cute monogrammed goodies you won't want to miss out on...

Marleylilly's Pineapple Flash Sale

Monogrammed Pineapple Beach Towel

Perfect for the beach, lake or pool, brighten up your sunbathing days this summer with this darling beach towel! This is a summer Marleylilly favorite! It's a such a cute conversation starter and it has your monogram on it just in case your bestie tries to snag it! 😉

Monogrammed Pineapple Jewelry Pouch & Monogrammed Pineapple Necklace

I don't know about you, but whenever I travel, I am always looking for a way to gently pack my jewelry. The Monogrammed Pineapple Jewelry Pouch is the perfect solution! Not only does it have a pineapple shape and pattern, it's also durable and will cushion all your jewelry favorites like the Monogrammed Pineapple Necklace. This stunning gold piece brings the perfect dash of cuteness to any outfit, casual or dressy.

Monogrammed Pineapple Tote Bag

Is it a beach bag, is it a purse? It's both! Don't worry about switching from bag to bag this summer because this tote is here to save you time and space! Its durable fabric makes it reliable to take on your errand runs, while also easily dusting off sand after a day on the beach. Does it get any better?!

If you aren't feeling the bright yellow pineapples, no worries. These more subtle pieces are sure to make your summer just as happy!

Monogrammed Expandable Cosmetic Bag

Never worry about running out of room for all of your beauty products again! How cute is this cosmetic bag? As if the pattern play already takes the cake, it's also expandable! Toss it in your purse by zipping it into a smaller cosmetic bag. Or pack all of your toiletries and more by unzipping, and expanding into the cosmetic bag or your dreams! 

Monogrammed High Neck Bikini Top

When I'm shopping for bathing suits, one of my highest priorities is comfort! With the Monogrammed High Neck Bikini Top, you not only feel trendy in your pineapple print but also supported and comfortable all day long. Sunbathe, swim, and play beach volleyball without worrying about adjusting your suit.

How are you planning on making your summer fun? Let us know in the comments!

- Ely

Through the process of getting to set up and decorate my apartment, I’ve come to learn of and love a few really talented artists. I tend to lean toward color (surprise) and whimsy in the artwork I pick out, and a few artists I’ve found do color SO well. I recently hung up a floating gallery wall in my bedroom and that’s when I first really noticed all of the gorgeous art pieces I’ve started to collect.

Therefore, I wanted to highlight eight of the best artists and shops I’ve found for purchasing colorful artworks for you. This may come in handy the next time you’re staring at a blank wall and wondering how or where you are going to find a gorgeous piece of artwork that will both pop and be personal to your style. Scroll through all of them below and make sure to check out their sites + social channels to see the breadth of their talent!

EVELYN HENSON 

Evelyn Henson is the definition of whimsical and personalized prints. I get asked about her Map Series all the time and her prints truly make the best gifts– especially if you know someone who’s moving or studying abroad in a new city. I have the Prague, Vero Beach, and Philadelphia maps!

KATY GARRY ART

I told Katy Garry that I’d love a “crazy banana leaf canvas in hot pink and green to go above the couch in our living room” and she just DID IT. Her custom work truly goes above and beyond and she’s a JOY to work with and know. If you are looking for a bold, powerful statement piece, look no further!

SHELBY DILLON STUDIO

Shelby Dillon is based in the Mainline, PA and her work spans across paintings, prints, makeup bags, clutches, pillows… and more. Her pillows are BEYOND gorgeous. I also have a piece from her umbrella-themed “Beach Life” collection and the colors and energy it shares are so warm and summery.

GRAY MALIN 

For my past birthday my parents gave me Gray Malin’s BEACHES book (I’ve since then also gotten his second book, ESCAPE, as well) and they told me to pick out a piece of his for my apartment. It’s been almost a year since then and I’ve been going back and forth trying to decide. Every print is just so gorgeous and they capture so many of my favorite places– St. Barths, Positano, Capri, Palm Beach… I’ve just been able to decide on the “Two Chairs, La Fontelina, Capri” print. When I visited Italy this past May for my graduation trip, I had some of my favorite days of my life. 🙂  La Fontelina was one of the most magical spots I’ve ever been to– you can just see the warmth in this photo.

INSLEE

Inslee illustrates the most detailed and gorgeous people, flowers, and chic little moments. Her work is elevated and stunning. I have her print called “Best Life” of a girl in a hot pink bathing suit and an oversized hat sipping on a coconut cocktail. Best life indeed. 😉

MEGAN CARN 

Megan Carn does the best dog portraits I’ve ever seen. It’s only a matter of TIME until I commission her to do one of Liberty. But, second best to dogs, she was kind enough to send me a flamingo print entitled “PARTY PARTY!” I couldn’t think of anything more me– or a more perfect book end piece for my floating shelf gallery wall.

ELIZABETH SABINE 

Okay, so I don’t personally own any of Elizabeth Sabine’s work (YET), but my mother has made it a habit of commissioning her to create one of two things: beach scenes and peonies (what else??). The below three paintings are all pieces that Elizabeth created for us based on my mom’s visions and the colors we were using in the room– she takes fabric and paint swatches to match and coordinate it perfectly. Her work is center-of-the-room type of art and has a calming effect when you’re in the same room as it.

KRISTEN TIRNEY ART

Kristen and I have so many similar favorite places– she has New Jersey roots, goes to John’s Island in Vero Beach, and lives on the Mainline, PA now! Her work is abstract and colorful– she does blues and whites SO well, but created this pink and green Lily piece for me (she spoiled me!!). It’s textured and the perfect size to put on my decorative acrylic shelves in the corner of my room.

Bookmark this post for the next time you’re looking for a gorgeous piece to fill a blank wall or empty shelf in your apartment or home. I hope it inspires you to brighten up your décor with some signature art from these amazingly talented people! xx

Original Content Written By Amy Believes in Pink