Bathroom Reno

It was time to bring this bathroom into 2017 ....

Projects are endless in a home, and sometimes something you think will be a quick fix, takes a LOT longer. Our downstairs bathroom leads out to our backyard, and I'm pretty sure it was meant to be a mudroom at one time. The first year and a half that we lived here, I kept the space in the back of my mind, knowing that we had more important projects to tackle first; BUT, the day finally came when I could no longer look at the multi-pastel colored mirror anymore and I thought - well, maybe I can just paint the mirror and the vanity for a quick fix. 

I already knew I wanted to paint the vanity with my favorite color from Annie Sloan --  Provence. I also knew I wanted to spray paint the mirror a hammered antique gold, so as I prepared to head to Home Depot, I decided to see how easy it would be to remove the mirror from the wall - well, it was quite easy to lift off, but I was not prepared for what I would find hiding beneath it. 

The mirror that started it all ....

I'm sure you can guess what happened next! Wellll, if there's a giant hole in the wall to repair, we might as well paint the walls, the wood trim, get new window coverings, replace the light fixture, oh and replace the vanity top, too .... pretty much update everything!! We hope to turn this bathroom into a full bath down the line, so we decided against new flooring and changing the footprint of the space for now. 

What was once a room I avoided in our home, it's now one of my favorites! Clean lines and happy colors, make for a happy space - enjoy the transformation, below!

Choosing the right shade of white can be difficult!

Go big, or go home

I'm so happy with the finished product!!!!

Peacock's Personal Pick: Saranoni!

“I think it’s beautiful, the way you sparkle, when you talk about the things you love.”

— Atticus

Ok – I’ve decided to start a little series here on the blog entitled, you guessed it, Peacock’s Personal Picks! There’s a chance that in the future this series may spiral into something bigger and better, but for now, I’ll use my gift of writing to share with you some of my favorite things, one item at a time!

We all seek out items that we hope will become tried and true products, our go-tos that we grow to love so much that we share them with friends and family alike.

I don’t know about you, but when a special friend or family member welcomes a precious new life into the world, I love to send a gift. A memento to mark the joyous occasion, something a little more personalized than one might find on a registry – enter: Saranoni.

About a year ago, my mom was searching for a unique baby gift for a co-worker and I remembered stumbling across the Saranoni Instagram during one of my browsing adventures, and suggested she give them a try. Well, the blanket came rather quickly and my mom gave it rave reviews – soft, personal, perfect!

The company offers an array of sizes from receiving blankets, mini blankets, swaddles, large throws, home throws … you get the point. My favorite gift item of the moment is the mini blanket! Not only is it great for the car seat, or a snuggle blanket for your little one, you can embroider it to give it that extra special touch, and my favorite part yet – you get a quality, personalized product that doesn’t break the bank!!!

I’ve become so obsessed with these blankets, that when my MIL asked what I wanted this past Christmas, I automatically requested a Saranoni of my own. I opted for the home throw, I unfortunately have out grown the mini blanket! My husband and I fight over it and my sister steals it when she comes to stay for the weekend - I think it’s safe to say we wouldn’t mind one in every room.

Another reason I love the company – Saranoni is a family business, run by a mother of six. And no, this blog is in no way sponsored – I genuinely L O V E the product and wanted to share them with you.

Check them out for yourself on Instagram @saranoniblanket, or here: https://www.saranoni.com/.

Featured in this blog, some of the cuties who I’ve sent these blankets to – thanks to their mamas for letting me share the pics!!

Happy Shopping, and of course, Happy Cuddling!!

All You Need is Love

" I love her, and that's the beginning and end of everything."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Valentine’s Day is here! Ever since I was a little girl, this holiday has had my heart all aflutter!

It’s a day to celebrate all the l o v e in your life, not just the love you may have for a significant other – but the love you share with your family and friends, too.

Recently, you may have noticed that we took an unnecessarily long hiatus - absence makes the heart grow fonder …. right? And what better way to mark Valentine’s Day than with sharing what I was up to all those months. For starters, we moved into our first home together, had the wedding of our dreams this past June, followed by a magical honeymoon, and have been settling into married life quite nicely for the past 8 months.

On June 11, 2016, I had the fairy tale wedding I always dreamed of! Have you ever heard the story of how my husband and I met?

Thanks to a mutual friend hosting the first half of his bachelor party on my Dad's wiffleball field (if you build it they will come...and if you're lucky enough, you can marry your oldest daughter off to one of them), I first noticed Justin as he was running around the bases with his shirt off, and his pants hanging well below his waist. Well actually, let me rewind here, my MOM, first noticed Justin and quickly pointed him out to me. Apparently Justin was alerted to me as well, but had some difficulty determining which one of the Asmar girls was the 23 yr. old. But, that didn't stop him from doing numerous back flips into the pool to "impress" me, as my sisters quickly noted.

Later that night a friend and I met the group out for drinks, and Justin quickly determined which Asmar girl was of drinking age. After hanging out that night, I made the bold decision to invite him to a Yankee game the following weekend. BUT, being ever so the gentleman (oh, how he had me fooled), he noted that I could not be the first one to initiate a date, so I agreed to let him take me to dinner the Thursday before the game. Our first date at La Campagna in Morristown, NJ opened his eyes to my love for food, and the fact that I'm not afraid to hide it ... and the rest is history!!!

After a traditional Catholic wedding mass, we celebrated our marriage with the closest of family and friends at the Basking Ridge Country Club in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The day was everything we could have dreamed of and more!

One day later, we were off to Antigua on our honeymoon! It took months of research and weighing the pros and cons of each Caribbean island before we finally settled on Antigua (no joke, the decision caused me more stress than planning our wedding)! I have traveled my whole life throughout the U.S., Italy and France, but I have never been to the Caribbean (one afternoon in Tijuana doesn’t count, right??), so I was determined to find just the perfect little retreat for us! I stumbled upon Cocos Hotel, and it turned out to be the best honeymoon we could have ever asked for! A tiny boutique hotel, with 30 huts built into the cliffs overlooking the ocean (of course we sprung for the hut with the private infinity pool)! By the end of the week the staff knew both our names, and our drink orders, we had met some great new friends and we definitely did not want to leave!!

We’re settling nicely into married life. Not much has changed since we lived together for quite some time before tying the knot, although I still forget to sign my new last name every now and then! The wedding hype is over and we spend our days working and completing small projects on our home. You may have noticed we’re in the middle of a tiny DIY bathroom renovation, and hoping to update our kitchen within the next few months.

Life is definitely an adventure and we are excited to see what’s in store for us. 2017 marks not only our one-year wedding anniversary, but my 30th birthday as well!! It will also mark a new and exciting adventure for The Social Peacock … you’ll just have to wait and see what that’s all about!!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Love the ones you’re with! xo

Jersey Girl, Southern Soul

I have one word for you – C H A R L E S T O N. After our most recent trip, I’ve come to the conclusion that I am most definitely a Jersey Girl with a Southern soul. Born in Brooklyn, raised in New Jersey, I’m not sure if I would have ever known to venture South if it weren’t for my family moving there 2.5 years ago – but thankfully, they did. And now, I nag my husband constantly about when it will be our turn. I’m giving him four or five more years, max – and then I’ll be putting my foot down! Of course, if it were up to me, I would have moved yesterday, but I digress.

After finding an incredibly inexpensive flight from Newark to Charleston (practically unheard of), I jumped on the tickets and our first trip of 2017 was booked. Stepping foot in Charleston, not only do you have the best of both worlds (the beach and the city) at your doorstep, but you are also immersed in an overwhelming amount of history and culture no matter where you turn.

I didn't have big plans for this trip – one could call it a staycation, only at my parent’s house, not our own. Saturday night my dad made reservations at a restaurant called “The Wreck”, which Travel & Leisure magazine included in their Top 200 restaurants of the world.  It was the only restaurant in South Carolina to receive the nod, which was shocking to us considering the incredible amount of critically acclaimed restaurants you can find downtown.

The Wreck is in an obscure location – picture driving through neighborhoods lined with plantation trees covered in Spanish Moss and stunning homes reminiscent of another era. Don’t let the surrounding atmosphere fool you – this isn’t the type of place you throw your special strand of pearls on for – nope! The Wreck is as bare bones as you can get – the quintessential seafood shack. Outdoor furniture and plastic patio chairs fill the screened in porch – weather proofed and fire places roaring. You have the choice of having your seafood grilled or fried – but other than that your options are limited. My family agreed that the seafood was some of the freshest we’ve ever had – but beyond that, would we think it was a restaurant that earned the title of Top 200 in the World … not so much. A cozy restaurant filled with locals and fresh seafood, most definitely! And I’m sure the views off the dock are incredible during summer sunsets.

The rest of our getaway was filled with Superbowl parties and lazy days. Unfortunately, Justin came down with the flu and was out of commission for the majority of our stay. That led me to fend for myself on Monday and Tuesday – with my sisters in school, both of my parents working, and Justin in bed. Don’t you worry – between a pedicure, massage and reading on the sun filled porch, there are no complaints here. And we did venture out to a few other great spots, including Jeni’s Ice Cream & Leon’s Oyster Shop (which Justin stated had the best oysters he’s ever had) and if you know Justin, you know that means Leon’s is the place to be for oysters! AND you have the choice to end your meal with a classic soft serve ice cream cone –of course that is something I can NEVER pass up!

On Wednesday, my mom and I went for breakfast at the Vintage Coffee Café, followed by a little shopping and a walk on the beach. The perfect end to a relaxing visit.

With the impending snowstorm, I crossed my fingers for a cancelled flight, allowing us to extend our trip to Sunday night – but alas, we made it back to New Jersey just in time for frigid temperatures and a snowstorm. Until next time Charleston ….

When Comfort Meets Style and Practicality | Freshly Picked Baby Moccasins

There is nothing more precious than the pitter patter of little feet running down the hallway. 

Although I do not have children of my own yet, I have been surrounded by them my entire life: from younger sisters to babysitting and nannying; working in a pediatrician’s office, and most currently being blessed with a beautiful godson and nephew. I am always following the latest baby trends and reporting back. I also, of course, store ideas in the back of my mind for when I am blessed to have children of my own.

Now I know that many people have different views and opinions when dressing their children, but I know that all parents look for clothing that is not only well made, but made to last. And ... if they are anything like me, they’ll want them to be fashionable as well!

Enter ... Freshly Picked moccasins. Built from the ground up by Susan Peterson, Freshly Picked has grown into a company that offers a large variety of moccasins, in multiple colors and materials (think suede, leather, metallics, prints etc.). The best part? Each pair of moccs is handmade, right here in the USA. 

I was lucky enough to receive a pair to review, and after trying them on my friend’s daughter, the verdict is in. These precious moccs are everything they’re cracked up to be!!

Not only are the moccs super versatile, (pair them with jeans, leggings, dresses) but the built-in elastic band not only makes them stretchy, easy to get on and ultra comfortable on your little ones feet, but they actually STAY on their feet! The soft and supple leather holds up on multiple surfaces -  whether cruising through the house or running around on the playground, no fear, no rips or tears here!

 A little dirt won’t hurt them either, you can easily wipe them down with a baby wipe, or the special leather cleaning and conditioning wipes that the site sells (pictured right).

The moccs come in sizes 1-10, for infants snuggled in your arms to walkers, and every mocc is stamped with the Freshly Picked logo on the soles. 

I am telling you, these moccasins are worth every bit of the $60 that they retail for. Your little ones will get so much use out of them, you'll be running to buy more. One in every color, please!

And ... if you don't have little ones of your own, keep them in mind for baby showers, grand babies, nieces and nephews, etc. Gift a pair of Freshly Picked moccasins to someone special, and they will love you forever!

And now for something super exciting …the team at “Freshly Picked” has generously offered a giveaway to my loyal Social Peacock followers!  One lucky winner will choose a pair of “Freshly Picked” moccasins in the color and size of their choice! You can enter this giveaway by following our Facebook page and commenting on the giveaway, starting at midnight tonight! The contest will be open from May 1st through May 15th, so spread the word!! This contest is only open to residents in the U.S. and Canada. Please keep in mind that you are not eligible to enter if you’ve won a pair of Freshly Picked moccasins in the last 60 days. Take a look at the site and decide which moccs will be yours if you are the lucky winner, by clicking HERE. Good Luck!!!!

* Photos courtesy of Marissa Jill Photography and Freshly Picked*