Make it Mine Series with Brookdale Senior Living

This post is sponsored by Brookdale Senior Living. All opinions are my own.

A couple of years ago, my mom had a medical emergency that required her to pretty much live with me here in Atlanta full-time, by way of Chicago. She does go back to Chicago for the Summer. Anyway, she is doing really well now, but it made me realize how real the aging process really is. I was so excited when Brookdale Senior Living reached out to me about their Make It Mine online series.

The Make it Mine Series follows the makeovers of Brookdale’s residents, as they work with Interior Designers to personalize their otherwise blank spaces to make it their home. The Designers do a great job of fusing who they were to where they are now at this stage in life.

I’ve been watching episodes together with my mom and I love to hear how each episode resonates with her.

While we’ve been loving all of the episodes, there have been a couple of episodes that have resonated with us the most. One episode, featuring Brookdale resident , Donna Van Noy, who was a Spanish teacher for 27 years and is also talented seamstress and loves making her own clothes.

Watch full episode here

Her goal was to have her makeshift spare bedroom converted into a full-functioning sewing studio. This resonated with us because one, I recently refreshed the bedding in my mom’s room to pieces that reflected more of who she is.

We infused brighter colors in the bedding, and incorporated animal print, which she loves.

Similarly to Donna, my mom used to sew beautiful pieces of clothing and still has impeccable style and has recently started talking to me about getting back in tune with her artistic side. My mom also spent her working years in corporate, but is talented in not only sewing, but painting as well.

Seeing Donna continue to focus on this gift and want a space that makes it easier for her to work and feel inspired was beautiful to watch and definitely inspired us as well!

Here is what Donna’s space looked like before:

Here is what her space looked like upon completion:

Such a gorgeous transformation.

Another episode that really stood out to us was the mini episode with Brookdale resident, Regi Arnold, who like my mom, was career oriented, very attached to her things, loves her lipstick and animal print:), raised her daughters on her own after a divorce, and recently downsized from a one bedroom apartment to a studio at Brookdale Boynton Beach.

Downsizing is a big topic of conversation with my mom and can come with challenges. Coming from a house with multiple closets, to a bedroom with one closet has caused us to think figure out ways to keep her things organized in a way that works best for her. ESPECIALLY for someone who loves clothing, shoes, and accessories so much:)

What we’ve been focusing on is keeping things that she loves, while donating items that she doesn’t to women’s shelters or other charitable organizations.

Here is what Regi’s space looked like before:

Taking into account Regi’s requests, they were able to create a space that feels light, organized and less cluttered.

We’ve really been enjoying the Make it Mine series. It’s put a lot of things into perspective, and even solidified that some of the steps we’ve been taking to help make my moms transition to staying with us the most fulfilling, while keeping the things she loves at the forefront.

You can check out all of the episodes in the series here. I’d love to know what you think!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time.