Last year, one of the parents at my daughter’s school was a librarian.
During a park play date, after talking about our favorite genres and getting advice on what to read next, I mentioned that my husband has a bit of a book addiction.
Vince is actually trying to control his book ordering compulsion and has limited his monthly spend, but there was a point in time when a book would arrive at our door several days a week.
So, naturally, with the sheer volume of books we receive, I’ve integrated them into my decor.
I line shelves with them, most obviously, but I also stack plants on them, tuck them in corners on the floor next to furniture, and lean them together on table tops.
And I’ve found that there’s always room to squeeze in one more.
I’ve actually convinced Vince to start thrifting his books — more economical, better for the planet, and in line with my lifestyle. 😉
And I’ve thrifted some super cool vintage pieces that look great on shelves.
The librarian shared a fun fact: you need 1,000 books or more to be considered a library.
I’m pretty sure we’ve crossed that threshold.
Saying we have a library feels better than admitting we hoard books, so we’re going with that.
Fave Thrifted Outfits Lately:
Dress from Goodwill in West Palm BeachNecklace from A Timeless Treasure in NorthwoodDress from Furry Friends Thrift in JupiterTop and Skirt from Goodwill in West Palm BeachTop and Pants from Goodwill in West Palm BeachKaftan from Goodwill in West Palm BeachTop and Tote from Goodwill in West Palm Beach
I launched Styled in South Florida Home Tours in June, 2026 and here we are in September with two five-episode seasons published on YouTube.
It doesn’t feel real, but at the same time building this project has been beyond real.
Like, never stop working real.
On my laptop writing script, editing reels, and recording voiceovers til midnight real.
A second full-time job kinda real.
…really real.
My life was already full before I decided to start making video content. I have a friend or two who have theories about why I don’t seem to have the ability to sit down and relax.
And I tell ’em to mind their business. (jk, love you, friends!)
I acknowledge my do-the-mostness.
But I did tell myself when I started that if the project at any point started to feel bad, or like it was taking away my joy for interiors, home design, thrifting, etc., I’d just stop.
But these late night grinds haven’t felt like a drag. They’ve felt exhilarating.
Like I’m really building something.
I’ve received emails from strangers thanking me for my hard work and encouraging me to keep going.
I never expected that!
I’m tired, for sure, but I will keep going. I want to see what happens next.
I need a short break this fall and winter (Palm Beach County friends — season is upon us! IYKYK), but I’m thrilled to share that I’ll release a few special holiday episodes (eeeee!!!) before coming back for a full five episode season in the new year.
I’m forever grateful for my South Florida neighbors who generously welcome me into their homes and share their creativity and talent with me and the internet.
People are so cool.
If you’re reading this, you’re a real one. Thank you for being here. It means a lot to me.
Hanna Marks has lived in big cities like New York, but has always been drawn to the Sunshine State, where she was born and raised.
She resides in West Palm Beach, is the founder of a nonprofit school, and is the mother of three young girls.
Back when she started having kids, she worked in construction and design, and that’s what brought her to Maison Majorelle, a gorgeous 1923 home near Antique Row in West Palm Beach.
Hanna designed a pool lined in hand painted moroccan tile and Caroline oversaw the installation of the lush, tropical landscaping.
When she came onto the project, she instantly clicked with homeowner Caroline, a successful florist based in New York who entrusted Hanna to renovate the property and steward it as a vacation rental.
Hanna designed the home to suit modern living, but both she and Caroline were intentional about preserving its original charm.
Each room is designed around Caroline and her family’s collection of vintage and heirloom pieces, collected over time and from around the world.
Styling pieces like these feels second nature to Hanna — her father was an architect, owned an interior design business on Worth Avenue, and collected antiques.
Hanna was born later in her father’s life, and he loved to teach her about all he knew. So, she gained an appreciation for home aesthetics as a child.
Hanna lost her father when she was nine, and she has carried his wisdom and her inherited talent into the spaces she now creates.
Designing Maison Majorelle made her feel close to him.
The home now has history woven into every room and has become a sanctuary for Caroline’s family and every guest who is lucky enough to stay there.
It me!
Enjoy Hanna’s tour of Maison Majorelle on YouTube:
Jamie Davis was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, the product of two 80s spring breakers who came down to party and never left — she calls herself a “spring break baby.”
Her presence lives up to that title in the best way. Jamie is energetic, laughs easily, and loves to entertain.
When traffic started getting bad in the big city, she moved to North Palm Beach.
Her then-husband found her current house, and when they visited for a walk-through, she immediately burst into tears and offered full price.
The house was built in 1952 — a concrete building that used to be a radio station (major South Florida perk: it’s hurricane-proof).
After an unpleasant divorce, Jamie remained in the home with her daughter and itched for a fresh start. Her plans were to sell.
But in the meantime, her daughter wanted to redo her bedroom, so Jamie figured she could give her that after all they’d been through.
She hired Renee Pollack of House of Zen and was blown away by the room transformation she created on a budget.
Before Renee, Jamie had no idea stunning home design could be so accessible and affordable.
Renee convinced Jamie to hold onto the house and promised they could make incremental changes — on a budget! — to transform the entire space into a safe place for her and her daughter.
Room by room, they are getting rid of the bad energy and bringing in immaculate vibes.
A major inspiration for Jamie’s home design is her summers spent as a teen with her uncle in Hawaii.
When she thinks back to those times, she remembers the lush landscaping, bright plumeria flowers, fresh fruit, sunshine, and peace.
She and Renee have brought that feel into her spaces, illustrating that home design is about much more than aesthetics. It’s about creating a feeling.
A curated and well-designed space can be the difference between holding onto the regrets and bad energy of the past and creating a home where you feel safe and able to build toward the future.
Now, Jamie and her daughter are thriving and sharing a home that feels exactly right for them.
I met Alacia at an event I attended for work. She complimented my necklace, I loved her dress, and the rest is thrift sister history.
We instantly bonded over our mutual love for secondhand treasures, and when I mentioned my home tour channel, she loved the idea and said I could come to her house.
I’ll admit that walking up to her home on filming day I didn’t expect to be as blown away as I was when she opened the door.
I hadn’t asked for any photos in advance (wild move, I know) so I truly didn’t know what to expect.
But Alacia was so stylish when I met her, and her overall aura was giving chic, so I just went with my gut.
I was confident she had great, if not fabulous, taste.
Luckily for both of us I was right — can you imagine the awkwardness of me trying to navigate the exit if not?! 😉
I walked into a home full of pure whimsy. Moody whimsy — can I coin that?
Alacia’s Boca Raton home is layered in dark woods, warm oranges, cozy patterns, and vintage collections.
When she initially remodeled her space, she thought she’d go with a modern, clean aesthetic and used light, bright paint and materials.
But as she started to collect decor she quickly realized that the place needed to be drenched in old things.
She jokes that a friend of hers comes to the house and truly doesn’t get it — it’s giving grandma.
Grandma or not, it’s her, from the layered tchotchkes to the woodland creatures depicted in paintings and perched on shelves.
When we first met, Alacia was nearing completion of her clinical social work program.
She pursued this career because she’s passionate about helping people, specifically those in recovery. She loves seeing the transformation and healing that happens in the recovery process.
Helping people thrive is her passion in life, far above her passion for thrifting and vintage collecting (she curates and sells clothing and accessories on the side, btw).
Her interest in the power of transformation, though, seems to show up in her home, too — a personal sanctuary that feels like an outward reflection of who she is.
She transformed everything about her home, from the flooring to the paint to the configuration of the rooms.
Watch Alacia’s home tour to take a journey into the moody whimsy I fell in love with.
I’ve known Cheryl, a lifelong creative and brand designer, through our professional networks over many years in Palm Beach County.
We recently reconnected through a local women’s organization, and would see each other at events and on Zoom meetings here and there.
During Zooms, I always noticed the background in Cheryl’s little onscreen box.
Over her shoulder, I could see a gallery wall of artwork set against a deep blue wall and a bamboo window shade, and I wondered — what does Cheryl’s house look like?
When I meet stylish and creative people, I always wonder what their homes look like.
Lucky for me, when I launched the channel and then asked Cheryl if she’d be interested in sharing her space, she said yes.
So, I got to see that gallery wall large and in living color. Plus a lot of other stuff.
Unsurprisingly, I found Cheryl’s home to be just as stylish as she is. What struck me most was how varied her collection of treasures is.
Nothing matches in the traditional sense — there’s no one design aesthetic she adheres to or color palette, even.
Her home is the antithesis of the beige “blandemic” that modern home design is often accused of being.
Her design philosophy is simply to grab the item that calls to her and bring it home.
This, combined with family heirlooms and artwork collected over generations, has created a space that is uniquely hers and deeply meaningful.
In the laundry room, you’ll find artwork her husband made as a child hanging near the sink.
Her daughters’ childhood self portraits are proudly displayed on a wall near the kitchen, and her father-in-law’s beautifully drawn, realistic portraits of those same girls are displayed in the living room.
A funky drawing picked up during travel hangs next to dog portraits Cheryl and her husband created themselves near the piano.
Whimsical clay vases from France on the dining room table hold paper flowers Cheryl created at a local workshop.
Cheryl’s collection of trinkets and treasures — some feeling more serious, some silly, some full of whimsy — has created a space with no regard for trends or idealized aesthetics.
Instead, the home is a collage of love passed through generations, across continents of travel, and in the everyday moments she shares with her husband and in her South Florida community.
Watch Cheryl’s home tour to catch a glimpse of her design magic — you’ll be inspired.
Carmen is married to my husband’s cousin and, though we live only about an hour apart, that distance is far enough to keep us from seeing each other often.
You know — jobs, kids, life.
We visited Carmen and her husband Scott several years ago, when our boys were elementary aged, and even though it was my first time meeting them, I felt welcomed and loved on in a way that stuck with me.
I also felt very impressed by their gorgeous home, which is naturally why I reached out to Carmen all these years later to be featured on Styled in South Florida Home Tours.
In her usual warm way, she invited me back to her home and generously allowed me to showcase every inch of her stunning space.
I loved seeing the house again, but more than that, I loved learning about Carmen.
I learned that she and her family came to this country as Cuban refugees with only the suitcases they could carry and moved into a small apartment in Massachusetts.
Her home design is inspired by her father, who was so careful in the items he selected for their tiny home.
Though they had left everything they owned behind and come to an unknown — and cold! — place, they were able to reinvent themselves and create a new space of belonging.
The apartment wasn’t much, but Carmen remembers walking into it and feeling like it was everything.
She also remembers that her father built her a swing inside, since they didn’t have any outdoor space. Carmen has carried that feeling of whimsy and joy into her own home design through art and color.
She and Scott have lived in their house for 32 years, and it has evolved as their family has grown and changed.
When their son moved out, they had to decide whether to stay put or start somewhere new. They decided to stay, and began shaping the house to suit their new, empty-nester life.
This included converting a guest bedroom into a dream closet for Carmen.
Carmen’s style is “just about happy,” as she puts it. She surrounds herself with color, artwork and photographs that bring joy, and collections from travel — all a reflection of her and her family’s life.
Just like her parents did in that tiny Massachusetts apartment, Carmen and Scott worked together to build a space of belonging, for them and anyone who walks through their doors.
I certainly felt the love during my visit.
I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Carmen as I have.
A Trader Joe’s opened up by my house and…I’m in danger.
It has actually been both a bad and good thing (but mostly good).
We’ve now reduced our Costco trips. For us, Costco shopping can often lead to overspending and food waste.
Now, instead of one massive haul every couple of weeks, we are popping into Trader Joe’s several times a week.
I would normally hate going to a grocery store that often, but it is genuinely a joy to shop there.
Elaine is obsessed with the little kid carts and the staff treat us with loving kindness — the opposite of most South Florida shopping experiences (or experiences in general), tbh.
There are also so many delightful treats.
This week, I discovered the vanilla bean mini sheet cake and, once again…I’m in danger.
I’m venturing into the body products too, and I fear I might be a Goodwill + Trader Joe’s girlie head to toe these days.
My favorite thing about having TJ’s next door though is that it greatly enhances my hosting offerings.
I had friends over last weekend and supplied quite a spread of TJ goodies in various thrifted serving plates scattered amid thrifted table decor.
We tried a couple of their flatbreads from the frozen section and, naturally, I had to throw in a few sweet treats. The cookies aren’t as good as oreos but they were still pretty delish! I’ve been waiting to use these adorable napkins I found at Bealls. The woven mats are from Goodwill, along with most of the serving dishes. I found this bucket at Goodwill.Cabbage serving tray also from Goodwill. We tried the curry chicken salad and bacon ranch chicken dip — both delish. A nosh was had.
I love that I can throw together a spread without making a huge production of it with TJ’s help.
So, yes, I might be spending too much money there, but I’m spending it on friends and vanilla bean sheet cake.
The math works for me.
Styled in South Florida Season 2 launches on Sunday, August 16th!
I can’t wait to introduce you to this season’s tour hosts and their gorgeous homes.
Keep your eyes peeled for five more home tour episodes!
Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:
Bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachT-shirt, sunnies, and bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachDress from Goodwill West Palm Beach
Last weekend, we did a little staycation in Miami and stayed in a nice hotel, ate at a Michelin-star restaurant, and saw a comedy show.
I wore Goodwill head-to-toe and the girlies were loving it.
First, I packed my overnight stuff in this straw bag I found at Goodwill a few weeks ago.
A cutie passing me by the hotel elevators shouted out, “I love your bag!”
It’s by far my favorite thrift snag of late.
Elaine gravitates to the sparkle in the Goodwill aisles and usually brings me sequin pieces to consider as I shop.
It’s almost always a swift “no,” but when she brought me this silver sequin skirt it was an immediate “hell yeah.”
I paired the skirt with an oversized GAP button-up and black strappy heels, also sourced from Goodwill.
The secondhand Prada bag was a complete steal at a nonprofit fundraising event.
I felt fab!
I visited the comedy club restroom after the show and was immediately transported back to my 20s clubbing days when a cute girl saw me emerge from the stall and said, “You look amazing, I love your outfit!”
Nobody pumps up a girl’s self-esteem like a fellow girl, two cocktails in, in a club bathroom. IYKYK.
I even swapped thrift stories with the girl selling merch at the door! There are thrift sisters around every corner if you look. 😉
I loved the juxtaposition of a full Goodwill look against the backdrop of fancy venues.
Elaine did her own partying at home.
Of course, we couldn’t leave Miami without making a stop at the local Goodwill.
Because what’s a glamorous weekend away without a little treasure hunting?
Shopping reel coming soon to Instagram and TikTok.
Last Week’s Thrifted ‘Fits:
Bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachH&M Button Up from Goodwill West Palm Beach
We just returned from two magical weeks in the South of France — a bucket list trip that was worth every drop of summer sweat.
If you want to go to France during a record busting heat wave, here’s what you do:
Pick seaside towns to explore. You’re going to be sweaty all day every day, so it’s essential to break it up with time in the water.
We visited:
Menton: ADORABLE and quaint, nice people, good food, wonderful boutique and market shopping, gorgeous beaches — couldn’t recommend more.
Saint-Tropez: upscale, lots of attractive people walking around with main character energy and beautiful clothes, yachts…what you’d expect.
Sainte-Maxime: good shopping, family friendly, not too stuffy.
Cassis: FAVE! You can take boat rides to view the calanques and swim — absolutely stunning; Great food and super walkable.
2. Maybe rent a car? We didn’t and took the train along the South of France. It was hot. It was stinky. It was a lot with a toddler and luggage.
The train honestly wouldn’t have been so bad if not for the heat. We did experience two annoying delays, but overall it was a cheap and efficient way to get around.
Renting a car would have provided more flexiblity and comfort, though.
3. Wear light dresses and skirts. I was advised by a well traveled friend to avoid athleisure, as tempting as it may be, for this trip. It makes you stick out as a tourist which could make you a target for pickpocketing in the larger cities.
I sweated my booty off in my dresses and skirts, but looked kinda chic doing it?
Many times, I was approached by a french person addressing me in french, which made me feel like I didn’t look like an obvious American.
Unfortunately, I only speak english and a few spanish vocabulary words. *le sigh*
4. Eat gelato. And drink rosé. We did these things daily and it felt GREAT.
Rosé occasionally substituted with a limoncello spritz
This was one of the best trips of my life. France lives up to the hype! I came home inspired by the architecture, tile work, landscaping, and styling in every boutique hotel, airbnb, and restaurant we visited (I’d love to do a Styled in France show, can you imagine?!).
Thinking I’ll crack open some rosé this weekend to keep the vibes alive. 😉
Thrifted Outfits Lately
T-shirt, sunglasses, and cargo pants from Goodwill West Palm BeachRL button up from The Coastal Consignment Boutique in West Palm BeachTop from Goodwill Boca Raton; Skirt from Goodwill West Palm BeachDress from Goodwill West Palm BeachDress from Goodwill West Palm Beach
