Blog

  • Bryiana

    Easter With The Dyrdeks

    Every holiday is so much more fun and so much more special with a family of my own now. Even though my kids are too young to really understand what’s going on (oldest is 18 months and youngest is 3 months) I’ll do anything to get some sort of positive reaction out of them and if that means going all out for holidays just to get a tiny smile or a cute family photo at the end of it all, then it’s all worth it.

    But Easter!

    This year was such a hit with him, my husband has decided that Easter is his new favorite holiday. I threw together a SUPER last minute gathering (because that’s pretty much how they all come to fruition) for a few of our friends and family and it was SO nice having everyone come together. Call us crazy, but my husband and I LOVE having a house filled with a ton of screaming/happy kids running around and playing with each other. (Which is why we want 5 or 7 kids.)

     

    There were only about 10 kids so I may have gone a little overboard with the amount of eggs we filled with candy and money for the Easter egg hunt (there was about 500) but it was so worth it and everyone loved it!

    For Food

    Appetizers were pastel-colored deviled eggs, chocolate covered strawberries and store bought hummus + pita, veggie + ranch tray and mini sandwich wraps.

    For the entree we had steak, mushroom and potato skewers with white rice, honey glazed carrots, cucumber salad and Hawaiian rolls.

    For dessert, I made what I always make for every party I throw and that is a Better Than Sex Cake (yes, that’s really what it’s called) but this time I added green dye to the cool whip to make “grass” and added yellow + pink bunny peeps with candy eggs on top to decorate it for the holiday.

    For Drinks

    I kept it really simple this time.

    I did a mimosa bar (like I usually do) so there were different juices for the kids. There was also wine (obviously) and we had pink lemonade in a drink dispenser for some color and that’s what most of the kids ended up drinking anyway, so it worked out perfectly.

    For Entertainment

    Easter. Egg. Hunt. DUH!

    Bubbles are also a HUGE hit with my favorite crowd of young people so we have a bubble machine that we bring out when they come over. I also had a variety of bubble toys for them to play with and slime/silly putty.

    When it started to get a little chilly, everyone ended up in Kodah’s playroom or “playing” with the VR rendering of our future home lol. (That last part wasn’t planned) lol.

    Overall: Success!

    We had a house full of happy kids, closed out the night with extremely full hearts and my husband adopted a new favorite holiday! (Mine is still the 4th of July)

    I LOVED this Easter. It was hands down my favorite one so far. Which just means that next year and all the other years have to be better than this one. No pressure though.

  • Bryiana

    My Book List

    I get asked about books all the time, so I’m excited to share some of my best ones with you! Keep in mind, all the books I read are to help me grow and better myself so I can live my best life. After all, that’s the mission I’m on and why we’re all here anyway! So if you have an interest in leveling up in life, the list below will change your life.

    My Absolute TOP FAVORITES

    Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

    This book has *honestly* singlehandedly changed my life. It’s also the reason I’m married to my husband, but I’ll save that story for another time. This book isn’t just for people who want to be rich financially – it teaches you how to be rich in love, in life, in happiness, and the wealth part is just a bonus.

    This book is also one of those books that will grow with you. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve read this book or listened to the audiobook. But every time I listen to or read it, I take something new from it. The person I am now vs. the person I was when I first read this book, is not the same. The person I was when I read the book the 3rd time vs. the person I was when I read it the 2nd time also wasn’t the same.  If you’re looking to improve your life, start with Think and Grow Rich.

    You² + The Quantum Leap Strategy by Price Pritchett

    If you’ve seen the documentary “The Secret” (on Netflix and YouTube) then you heard Bob Proctor talking about You². It’s the easiest book you’ll ever read but the most profound. If you’re sick of taking “baby steps” and want to make quantum leaps, you need these two books.

    Earth Is Hiring by Peta Kelly

    I actually just finished this book. It was a gift by one of my mentors. The title of the book through me off a little bit, but let me tell you – as a wife, mom, millennial, entrepreneur, and someone who really, truly, genuinely cares (about everything) this book really spoke to me. I know everything happens for a happen but now I know WHY. I have these perfectly clear visions of what I want my life to look and my children’s lives and everyone and everything around me but getting there (and WHY!?) didn’t make sense until this book came along.

    (I don’t have a picture of the actual book, but I did stop to take this picture while reading the book in Bora Bora)

    His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley Jr

    When I first met my husband, I told him I never wanted to get married and I didn’t want to have kids. That’s not only a true story, back then, it was a fact. Growing up, every marriage around me seemed to fail. I saw married couples constantly fighting, being disrespectful, doing sketchy shit and not caring that their actions were affecting their kids and I didn’t want to continue that cycle. My solution to that: no marriage, no kids, no problems.

    But the more I got to know Rob, the more I fell in love with him and couldn’t imagine not spending the rest of my life with him and creating small humans as the ultimate staple of our love. So I’ve been on this mission to end the toxic cycle of negativity that used to surround me and in doing so, this book was introduced to us by Rob’s friend. I could do an entire blog post on this book alone (and if you’re into, I just might!) but basically, I HIGHLY recommend this book to all married couples, to anyone in a serious relationship or to anyone who WANTS to be a committed, loving relationship.

    Some of my other favorites

    His Needs, Her Needs

    His Needs, Her Needs for Parents

    Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

    You Are A Badass

    You Are A Badass at Making Money

    The Compound Effect

    The Power of Now

    The Power of Broke

    The Go-Giver

    The Magic of Thinking Big

    Crush It!

    The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People

    The ABC’s of Success

    It’s Not Rocket Science: 7 Game Changing Traits for Uncommon Success

    Go Pro: 7 Steps To Becoming A Network Marketing Professional

    Books I’m Excited To Read

    The Power of Positive Thinking

    Three Feet From Gold

    High Performance Habits

    He Wins, She Wins

    Crushing It!

    Books Highly Recommended by Others

    As A Man Thinketh

    Money Master the Game: 7 Steps to Financial Freedom

    The One Thing

    Winning With People

    The Purpose Driven Life

    Rich Dad, Poor Dad

    Awaken the Giant Within

    The Richest Man in Babylon

    Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

    Get Your Shit Together

  • Meraiah

    Quotes + My Thoughts On Them

    We all see them every single day. On instagram captions, facebook rants and of course, subtweets. The inspirational quotes are sure to turn up in your feed at least 3 times a day so let’s have some fun and talk about what I think they mean!

    “ The more you let go, the higher you rise.”

    This one is pretty self-explanatory and 10000000% true in my opinion. I think we as human beings tend to hold on to so much, we don’t even realize it! Whether we’re hoarding actual THINGS, holding a grudge against someone, or just sticking with the same comfortable people in our lives because they’re comfortable, or its easier….we end up holding ourselves down. I think this quote is trying to inspire people to finally make a decision to declutter their minds and their lives and make room for the things that will help take them to the next level of their life.

    “Sometimes the things we can’t change, end up changing us”

    This is one of my favorites! So often we spend time trying to change someone or something that just WONT. This is the point it takes for us to sometimes take a step back and realize that all you can do, is all you can do. So when something isn’t changing or working out the way you want it to, you have to change yourself in some way. Maybe that means becoming a person who doesn’t accept what you’ve been offered. Maybe you change your perspective and try and be more positive about the situation and take every good moment you can! It’s all situational but I love this quote so much for the fact that it forces you to look at things differently, like “maybe this isn’t supposed to change for me, maybe I have to change in order to see it differently.” I don’t mean this as in you should ever change who you are for someone else, or anything like that, but  I mean maybe you have to change your attitude, or your mindset, or your process of doing things in order to get what you want.

    “Some people are so poor, all they have is money”

    Now im not one of those people who believes that money is the root of all evil, because I think there’s a lot more that creates evil than money, or greed. I think it’s when people start to see money as the most important thing, the thing that defines them, that it becomes dangerous. I honestly believe it is sad to see people who just want to increase the finances. There is SO much MORE to life than money, and while I aspire to be wealthy myself, there is so much more that I want besides money. I want health, I want true love, I want kids and the joy they will bring, I want time to spend with my family, I want to fall asleep knowing that I’m doing work that fulfills my purpose everyday, I want to help people. So for me, it is sad to see someone so destitute and ignorant in life that all they have to measure themselves by is their bank account.  I think this quote can also be inspiring in the “wake up call” kind of way that forces you to think about more than just your financial gameplay, but also your life plan and how you’re going to create happiness.

    I have a plethora of quotes I could dissect all day, so im really considering making these posts on a regular basis! please email me with your feedback on this and until next time: grind, wine and glow xoxo
  • Bryiana

    Positive Affirmations

    Wait, what even is a positive affirmation?

    Basically they’re positive phrases that you repeat to yourself to describe how you want to be. They don’t necessarily have to be true right now, but the point is that through repetition, they will sink into your subconscious mind and you really will start to believe them! Then, they’ll actually become your reality!

    If you’ve never heard of positive affirmations before, this probably doesn’t make sense to you and/or it doesn’t seem legit. But just trust me on this. Especially if you’re already not feeling good enough, or wanting more out of life, or hating your financial position, etc. I mean, if you’re already there then you have nothing to lose, right?

    You might think this is silly but I can assure you.. if you let it, this exercise and practice will change your life. Over time, your affirmations will overwrite any limiting or negative beliefs you may have about yourself and replace them with positive thoughts and beliefs which instill confidence, belief, positivity, ambition and much more.

    PS – Don’t mind the 2 broken vanity mirror lights or my silly face (haha!!)

    Okay, let’s get started

    Step 1: Make a list of at least 10 positive affirmations and keep them by your bed. Read them every night before you go to bed and read them every morning when you wake up.

    Step 2: Copy your affirmations onto sticky notes and keep them in common areas that you will see all throughout the day. (Bathroom mirror, bedroom door, in your car, on your desk, in the kitchen, at work, etc.)

    Step 3: Recite your positive affirmations all throughout the day and read them every time you see them.

    But how though?

    There are a lot of different ways you can go about coming up with your positive affirmations.

    An easy start is to search for “positive affirmations” on Pinterest or Google.

    Mine are a combination of things I’ve searched for on Pinterest, some are negative thoughts that I used to have that I flipped into positive affirmations and some came from notes that I took during seminars and other people’s “rags to riches” success stories.

    My Positive Affirmations

    These are the positive affirmations I have posted on my bathroom mirror and along my full length mirror:
    1. I am EXCITED about all that awaits me in the next 6 months.
    2. I am amazed with all I can achieve in a day.
    3. It’s okay to be at the top and I now put myself there.
    4. I am ME and I am PROUD of me.
    5. My income increases every day!
    6. Do it because your kids deserve a mother they can brag about.
    7. I now choose to take action over waiting for perfection.
    8. Today doors of opportunity are opening for me.
    9. My business allows me to have a life I love.
    10. It is safe for me to be a rich, powerful woman.
    11. I am a success magnet.
    12. I work when I want, where I want and with the people I want to work with.
    13. I am a strong and competent business woman.
    14. I now find, attract and connect with new clients easily.
    15. I deserve the best and I accept the best now.
    16. My events fill to capacity.
    17. My inner critic is transforming into my inner cheerleader.
    18. My focus is now on me being the best version of myself.
    19. My success goes beyond numbers.
    20. My positive money vision are coming true.
    21. I am smart and successful.
    22. I can afford anything I want in life.
    23. Achieving my goals is getting easier and easier.
    24. Miracles happen to me all the time.
    25. Everything in life is rigged in my favor.
    26. It is safe for me to take actions which I have never taken before.
    27. My clients are satisfied and refer others to me.
    28. I am a woman who effortlessly gets things done.
    29. I am growing more beautiful and luminous day by day.
    30. I give myself permission to be prosperous.
    31. I now choose to be confident in knowing I provide value to others.
    32. Moving to my next level is easier than I once thought.
    33. I walk into every situation expecting the best.
    34. With each step I take, I move more and more out of my own way and closer to success.
    35. I am flawlessly executing my business plan.
    36. I can achieve any goal I set for myself in my business.
    37. My vision is so clear that my fears are irrelevant.
    38. My income exceeds my expenses.
    39. I now choose to be confident in knowing that I provide value to others.
    40. My self-worth and networth are growing!
    41. I have more money coming in than out.
    42. I am thankful for the opportunities that come my way.
    43. I deserve to be well-paid for my skills and my knowledge.
    44. I am stepping out of my comfort zone and getting stuff done.
    45. I easily attract sales.
    46. I easily attract my ideal clients.
    47. I am the perfect person for the job.
    48. My business gets better and better every day.
    49. My marketing attracts my ideal client and business partners.
    50. I am thankful for what I have and I am fearlessly going after what I want.
    51. My income is constantly increasing.
    52. I now do work I love and I am well paid for it.
    53. I receive money just by thinking of luxurious things.
    54. Being successful is natural for me.
    55. I am now confident in promoting myself.
    56. I DESERVE a profitable business.
    57. My business is a huge success.
    58. I am so happy and grateful now that money comes to me in increasing quantities on a consistent basis.
    59. I am in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.
    60. I am thankful for each and every person who has contributed to the success of my business.
    61. I am headed in the right direction.
    62. All I need comes to me easily and effortlessly.
    63. I value my clients, customers and business partners.
    64. When I look in the mirror, I see success.
    65. I am worthy of the very best in life and I now lovingly allow myself to accept it.
    66. An excited new career prospect is on her way to me.
    67. Doors of opportunity now fly open for my dream.
    68. I plan. I believe in my plan. I follow my plan. My plans WORK!
    69. I love the feeling of being rich!
    70. My efforts are being supported by the universe, my dreams manifest into reality before my eyes!
    71. Something amazing is about to happen for me. Doors are opening everywhere!
    72. I am now free from self-doubt and filled with self-confidence.
    73. My courage is stronger than my fear.
    74. I replace vague wishes with clear goals.
    75. I forgive everyone in my past for all perceived wrongs. I release them with love.
    76. I am a magnet for divine abundance in the form of money, health and happiness.
    77. I am greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved.
    78. Money flows to me from multiple sources.
    79. I am in control of my life.
    80. I now choose to walk into every room and meeting with 100% confidence.
    81. I now choose to grow my business with ease and pleasure.
  • Bryiana

    About Bryiana

    Hi! I’m Bryiana Dyrdek – wife, mom, boss, best friend, mentor, model, wine lover, undiscovered Disney princess, President of Iconic Beauty and simultaneously the most BASIC and extra person you’ll probably ever come across.

    Even though I’m a mega introvert, I’ll take any excuse (or make up my own) to throw a party. I believe in raising the bar, changing lives and breaking the mold because I know I can.. I’ve done it before.

    I was once a princess who played dress up in my grandmother’s best dresses and favorite pearls, then became the little girl who glanced through magazines thinking to myself “that’s going to be me someday!” I plastered my walls with Iconic images of what I knew I was destined to become. I practiced my runway walk up and down the hallway with no shame in my game and every time I was told to smile for the camera at a family function, it instantly became a full-blown photoshoot.

    I didn’t know it then, but being an Ultimate (and obsessive) Dreamer at such a young age meant that I was manifesting who I have grown into. Now I’m a tenacious woman who will stop at nothing until all of my dreams come true.

    Oh! And I’m a sucker for a good underdog story. Maybe because I’m one too? But that’s a story for another time.

    I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m on a journey to becoming the absolute best version of myself and I’m happy you’re along for the ride.

    But be careful.. I have a tendency to make the people around me believe that they are capable of making impossible things possible too. So, don’t keep reading if you’re completely uninterested in unleashing your inner Iconic Beauty. But if that piques your interest, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the ride (from the passenger’s side because I do not condone drinking and driving)!

  • Meraiah

    About Meraiah

    • Comments Off on About Meraiah
    • by

    These “about me” things have been weird since Myspace so just pour a healthy serving of your favorite pinot bear with me on this. I’m a 23-year-old woman working my butt off every single day to get closer to life I’ve always dreamed of. I’m not married, and I have no kids so this should be like easy right? That’s all perspective, like maybe if I wasn’t an INFJ that would be true, but even though I’m not changing diapers all day and tending to my lovely husband I basically spend 90% of my brainpower trying to understand, and figure out who I actually am and what I actually want. (If you have no idea what I mean by INFJ please go to 16personalities.com and take this personality test. My personality type is INFJ)

    I’m originally from Fresno, Ca and I grew up pretty normally (like not white picket fence normal but like real life normal.) We can always go through the childhood stories later on, but the basics are that I am the oldest of my mom’s four kids, I grew up a nerd and graduated high school still a nerd but a little more out of my shell. I went to a super small high school and made some lifelong friends but my desire to get out an explore was always there. I made it to SDSU, joined a sorority and live a healthy, full college experience my freshman year. It was a lifelong dream accomplished, until it came to an end. Long story super short I no longer qualified for financial aid and I couldn’t afford to pay for school AND a place to live on my own, so I opted for the latter and have been doing so ever since.

    I moved to LA two years ago in search of a way to create the life I’ve always dreamed of. I thought I wanted to be a model and then a makeup artist then an esthetician then a singer/actress then an influencer then a blogger………and now I’m a blogger and just a little bit of everything else too. I do have a day job but it’s not even worth talking about, it already takes 40 hours of my week and that’s enough.

    When one of my best friends Bryiana came to me about starting this blog, joining a wine club, and sharing my experiences, my favorites, my fails, my wins, and basically my life, in hopes of cultivating a community of women who can relate and maybe not feel so alone, I was terrified for half of a second. Then I realized that I there is no way that I am the only person, the only blogger heck the only blogger in LA who has gone through the things that I have since living here. So hello new friends, I am so excited to begin this new journey with you.