This Kate Spade bag is so adorable. I enjoyed carrying this little number around. You may have seen this on my Instagram along with “A Dog’s Purpose.” [Kate Spade]
Category Archives: Fashion
Miu Miu Ballet Flats: Splurge vs. Steal
I am obsessed with the Miu Miu Belted Ankle-Wrap Ballerina Flats. Ever since they came out, I wanted a pair. At $675, it is a little more difficult to click on the ‘Check Out Now’ tab. I do not like spending a lot of money on everyday shoes because they deteriorate much faster with each wear, unlike handbags.
As I contemplated purchasing a pair, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking…look at Forever 21. You will not believe what I found.
I ordered a pair in almost every color. The shoes are very comfortable, and they come with both the black satin laces and the gingham print laces.
Talk about a steal!
[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive compensation.]
Focusing on the Passion and Making It the Mission
Over this past week, I’ve been pondering what I would like to do with this site. My friends assisted me with the items they would like to see, as well as identifying the items they already liked about the site.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret…keeping up appearances for this site is very time consuming. I plan on changing that. My personal goal is to start posting on a daily basis. That means planning what will go up on this site well in advance.
Planning leads to doing. I started creating the content, cooking up recipes, taking the photographs, writing the posts and then began to feel overwhelmed.
As I was slicing up the pumpkins for the October recipes, I started to feel that pang in my gut. It was that pain of feeling stressed and overwhelmed as I was trying to do something right for myself. It’s that irony of the site’s name…wanting to be perfect.
I stopped what I was doing and re-evaluated why I was doing this. What was my current mindset? I realized I was stressing myself out and not enjoying the ride. If I didn’t change my mindset then I was going to end up with a bunch of crap meals. You see, I am of the belief that how you are feeling as you prepare your food is a direct correlation with how well your food will taste.
People who love to cook tend to make food taste incredible because you can taste their emotion in the food. I used to watch one chef create meals for me on a whim. I would watch him as he poured his love for food and cooking right into the meal. A simple fried egg tastes so different when such care is taken than one created with no emotion or feeling. It’s about passion and sharing that passion with someone else.
I didn’t want all of the food I was making to taste horrible, so I changed my mindset and focused on why I love to cook. As a result, everything turned out so well, my friend was surprised at how flavorful everything tasted.
Changing my mindset was all about reminding myself what I am passionate about and why.
I met with filmmaker Edwin Walker today for lunch. He is in town from LA filming a new movie. We met last year (see link to our story). There was something about the timing when we met last year. He mentioned to me that when we met, it was like a turning point in our lives. There was something about the direction our lives would take and the people we would become after our first meeting.
We became so inspired by each other to live life fully and passionately. Since we met, I have been trying to find my passion in life again. I only find that my passion comes when I write and when I am being myself and not focusing on what other people want from me.
You see, we live in a world filled with mediocrity and false lives. We struggle every single day to be perfect in our Instagram photos, Twitter, and all forms of social media. Reality TV makes people believe that these stories we see are real lives, when it’s just an act. We become depressed when we don’t have over a thousand friends or followers. We feel like we are failing at life when people are not following us or reading our work or we’re not getting hundreds of thousands of hits on our sites or Youtube videos.
Life for most people has become about the get rich quick schemes, becoming viral, and making a ton of money in the process. It’s not about creating a passion project and putting your blood, sweat and tears into it. It’s about the instant gratification, not the eternal happiness.
We have to constantly think of how to falsely entertain people to make you think that our lives are super glamorous, even when, for many people, it is not. People become superstars for portraying a life on reality TV, even though there is nothing real about their lives on that TV show.
It is like a drug addiction. It’s about that instant high that makes you feel happy for a moment, instead of working on what will make you happy for life.
People don’t watch real artistic movies or qualitative television programming anymore. They’re flocking to the latest ‘explosive’ blockbuster where it’s very little script, and more action with everything blowing up every other minute. The shows that make you think are constantly being canceled.
Children don’t go home and watch cartoons for half an hour like I did when I was a kid. They watch four-minute Youtube videos for entertainment, because they can’t sit through a half hour cartoon anymore.
People complain about the ‘long form’ on blogs. They don’t want to read a long drawn out story. They want glamorous photos with very little text…maybe one paragraph of text and that’s it. They want to see people living these lives that are so far fetched. It’s like watching a fairy tale or a soap opera. They assume it’s real, when it is only a glamour.
It’s depressing isn’t it? It’s like comparing ourselves to the Joneses. We try to emulate these people on a daily basis, as if that is how we are supposed to act and live, even though what they are doing on that reality TV is an act. It’s not real. People assume it is real and follow suit, like this is how they are supposed to act, think, live and dress…no matter how outrageous it is.
We’re supposed to get plastic surgery to be pretty. If you’re ugly, that means you’re too poor to look perfect. As one friend said, it’s what separates the rich from the poor. That is the culture we live in.
People sweat it out and diet, not for themselves, but to look and be thin and accepted. I mean, Donald Trump talks about how horrible it is for women and girls to be fat or ugly. If you are overweight or gain weight, you are called nasty names and meant to feel less than what you are.
When you look at street style photos, they never ever photograph fashionable women that are not thin. I know because I’ve watched thin, beautiful women pulled out of line at fashion shows to be photographed for street style, while the fashionable curvy ladies are overlooked. I have yet to see a single curvy blogger be selected in the slideshows for street style photos, even if they do have more followers than that thin, pretty girl that was pulled out of line to be photographed.
It is as if to say that X is the only thing acceptable in society, which then creates the unhealthy narrative of what it means to be a human being. We see what is on the outside, the shell, and never what is on the inside that makes each and every single one of us great individuals.
The narrative in our society today is about the false perceptions of reality. It’s the quick fix drug that makes you feel something for a moment, to make you forget what is real in your life, instead of focusing on how you can make your life better.
People don’t want the stories that help them self-reflect, connect and learn something. They don’t go see movies that will inspire them to be better human beings. They don’t want to see movies that will fix what is wrong with them on the inside. They only want those things that will help them escape reality, instead of focusing on creating a better reality for themselves and the people around them.
People focus on how they need to be fit, thin, beautiful, well-dressed, rich and famous in order to be accepted in society. You have to have thousands of followers before anyone takes you seriously.
I know there are publishing houses that have said that they are not interested in talking to you unless they see you have over 1,000 followers on Twitter (and yes, they do check to see if your followers are real or if you bought a bunch of dead accounts). That puts you into the 5% of people that do. That’s the 5% they are willing to talk to and work with.
Back in the day, when I was working with bands, each record company said they were only interested in talking to bands that had a following already. The artist needed that following before they would even listen to their music. This, of course, was before blogs and social media were in the picture. It was a lot harder back then to create a following, because they didn’t have social media to help spread the word.
What I’m getting at is this…
I’m glad I started talking about re-branding with my friends. What they were asking of me was to be raw and real on this site. Even Edwin today stressed that being real is what made this site unique. I was sharing the stories of people that needed to be told. These are the people that are living their lives passionately. They are living their dreams.
Edwin wanted me to focus on my passions in life. For me, that is writing, books and movies. In my universe, all of those things are interconnected.
Last year, I discovered that my main followers and readers of this site were the entertainment and film industry. I was doing something they needed. I wasn’t putting out stories or reviews like everyone else. I was telling the narrative untouched by the big dogs of the entertainment industry. I was sharing the art and the passion…the reason why people got into acting, directing, filmmaking, writing, art, etc.
No one ever talks about that anymore.
I noticed recently that a film short that is turning into a feature film soon has been publishing their poster with a quote from me from this site. I didn’t even notice it until I started reading the film’s poster and was like, ‘Wait…that sounds like me…’ and then I saw my site’s name underneath it.
I kind of did a little leap for joy when I saw it, because that directs more people in the film industry to this site. This site, of course, is not about entertainment news. It is about living life passionately. In a way, the site’s name is about me being that perfectionist in the same way all artists strive for perfection in their art. They are just looking for people to understand that dynamic and passion that went into their art.
Unfortunately, the art is always 80% business, 20% art. I learned that a long time ago. I’ll be honest, it is that 80% I hate about writing, because that 80% is what stresses me out all of the time. It prevents me from being me and writing more.
I believe that is the real reason why I don’t post as often as I would like to do on this site, because it becomes more about business than it does about the art. I plan on changing that mindset.
The business side is going to need to be something I am passionate about so that I can create. I need to ask myself if what I am doing is a true reflection of who I am, because truthfully, I am not going to share anything that is not true to who I am. There is too little time in life to waste it sharing the things that have no meaning. I am not going to participate in the mediocrity that has consumed the lives of the world around us. This is about being raw and real about everything.
What I do not share on this site is in actuality the side of me my friends have asked that I start sharing. They want me to share my journey in life. It is the narrative I don’t share completely.
You may think, ‘oh, this is going to be a dull and drab journey,’ when in actuality, it is quite surreal. Like the irony of sharing the Russell Crowe binge on the site is that 15 years ago, would you believe he actually serenaded me in Chicago, Illinois?
Or that when I started the Russell Crowe binge, Paul Haggis (“Crash,” “The Next Three Days”) had stalked my Instagram account and liked a bunch of photos on it? I hadn’t even gotten to “The Next Three Days” yet, and here the director was on my Instagram liking a bunch of photos on it. How is that for irony?
Or how about meeting fashion designer Malan Breton and just being so enamored with our conversation that I looked at him like, if I could talk to you for the rest of my life, I would be one happy woman? He was the first person that ever looked at me and told me right off the bat what my ethnicity was. No one has ever been so spot on. I think what was even cooler was that he knew who I was before I even introduced myself.
This is the world my friends want me to talk about. One friend said that I had always told her these stories about the life I lived. She said that she never even imagined how real that world really was for me until she saw how famous people would walk right up to me and we would have these long, drawn out conversations that were so intriguing.
It amazed her even more when she realized these people knew who I was, even if we were just meeting for the first time. This is the world she wants me to share, because it is so surreal. She wants me to share the gowns I wore. Others want me to share the fashion I wear on a daily basis. They want me to talk about the events I go to, because not everyone has that kind of life. It’s a dream life.
It’s about that VIP status. It’s a status I’ve had since my days in Washington, DC, where I could hear other society women complaining that I had what they wanted…status.
When I first moved to NYC, my boss told me that he knew when I was hired that I was known in societal circles in DC. He told me that if I wanted to enter NYC society, he would help me, but he warned me that it was pretty mean.
I remember thanking him for offering to introduce me, but I would rather go at it alone, choosing who I would like to surround myself with, rather than trying to be accepted by a group of people that seeks to destroy the people around them. In NYC there are different forms of VIP. The number one thing you need is money and being constantly seen in those VIP circles. After a while, you stop paying for the VIP treatment, because it comes to you for free.
You get the invites. You stop running around trying to be accepted by the in crowd or pursuing people for interviews by going through their publisher or agent. After you’ve established yourself, they come to you. You don’t have to pursue anything in life anymore because you are ‘in.’
That is the world my friends want me to share, because not everyone is allowed into that VIP world. It’s not always about parties, getting into clubs, etc. It’s about being in a room with incredible people like yourself and learning something from them. It’s about experiencing life in a new way beyond just attending an event. It’s about learning how the event came into being (like a film), meeting the people involved with creating this art, and letting yourself become inspired by these people and inspiring them by sharing your own journey.
It’s about the human aspect beyond the celebrity. The celebrity part…that’s not real, you know that, right? Celebrity is a false illusion.
I remember there was this guy who told me years ago he was famous. I told him I didn’t believe him. He spent the next year trying to prove to me that he was. I still don’t believe that he is, but during that time, it created a friendship. I never saw the celebrity. I saw him. I saw his passion in life and I wanted him to pursue it at all cost, so I helped him wherever I could.
You see, that is the true essence of who I am and what this site is about. I am drawn to other people like me, the creative types and the people pursuing their dreams and living life passionately. Why? Because these are the people that inspire me to be the person I truly am inside.
We are always learning from each other and inspiring each other. It’s about sharing our journeys together and helping each other in our own ways. That is the life I’m talking about. There’s the glamour on the outside, but the true essence at the core is what is more important. This is the stuff that The PW is all about. It’s not about just the glitz and glamour of life. It’s about the things that make us self-reflect in order to be true to our very own being.
This is about finding the true reality that is life. What’s on the outside is always just the shell of a being. It is not the true essence of what a human being is. It’s the glamour. In other words, it is not real.
It is the drug that makes you feel something for a moment, but never truly changing who you are on the inside. It’s the drug that gives you temporary happiness, instead of focusing on healing what is inside of you and finding what true happiness is, your eternal contentment in life.
The Goal of This Site
In trying to develop content on a daily basis for this site, and remaining true to myself as a writer (i.e. to write the novel, as well), I will be incorporating a version of the KonMari practice in minimizing my life. I am setting out to learn how to make things simpler so that I can post daily.
I am going to attempt to accomplish this goal beginning today. Along the way, hopefully, I’ll discover new and easier ways to create content without feeling overwhelmed (don’t worry, I’ll share my discoveries, because I’m sure that can help many others out there looking to simplify life). It’s that overwhelmed feeling that keeps me from being passionate about this site. I seek to change that, because this is supposed to be my passion project. I just need to focus on what makes me so passionate about it.
For now, I’ll be testing the water in new ways. There will be movies, books, home, arts, fashion, This Is 40, and more on this site. It’s not about what I think people want to read. This is going to be about the passion in life.
PS Must Have: June 2016
The June 2016 Popsugar Must Have box is one of my favorites, including items I can definitely use.
What’s in the Box
All of the items are pictured on top of the Hat Attack Neutral Diamonds-Printed Sarong (Retail: $58). The sarong is definitely my favorite in this box.
The Sriracha Pressels (Retail: $1.29) are so good. They’re like eating toasted bagel chips.
Pacifica is one of my favorite cosmetic companies. I’m a big fan of their Brazilian Mango Grapefruit perfume. I’ve never tried deodorant wipes before, but I think it would be great to keep at the office for those ‘just in case’ days when I forget to put deodorant on in the morning, due to lack of coffee stimulating my brain. (Retail: $9)
The deodorant wipes come in three scents. The one pictured above is currently out of stock on their site.
The Sisters of Los Angeles have created a cute “Cheers” Gold Bottle Opener that would be great to add to your bar cart. (Retail: $12)
For your beach needs to freshen up your sunscreen/makeup, the Knock Knock compact is perfect to take to the beach with you. (Retail: $10)
I can’t wait to play Ridley’s Games Room “Who Am I?” Quiz the next time I have guests staying over. This is a perfect game for a night in from being tourists in the big city. I’m going to also order the Movie Buff and Sing it Back card games. Those games can be a lot of fun around the holidays. (Retail: $5.50 -$11.00)
This Born on the 4th NCLA Nail Lacquer is my favorite. I love all of the sparkles and glitter in the polish. I don’t normally wear polish, but I plan on wearing this. (Retail: $16)
How You Can Subscribe
Like what you saw in this box? Well, you can buy each item individually or become a Popsugar Must Have subscriber and get a box of curated items that are new to the market (and will be a conversation piece among bloggers and fashionistas everywhere) valued at over $100 for $39.95/month (+ tax). The cheaper option is definitely to become a subscriber.
I’ve been a subscriber for a few years now and Popsugar Must Have is definitely my favorite subscription box. They lead the pack in deciding which products will be the next “IT” thing on the market. I used to give away 3/4 of the box, but this past year, I found that I keep all of the items now. They have really upped their game by sending out qualitative products that I can find at a lot of the places I already shop.
Join now. I think you’ll enjoy the service.
Weekend Reading: Feel Good Stories and More
How is everyone’s summer so far? We’ve been graced with this absolutely perfect 70+ degrees weather in NYC. With Father’s Day this weekend, I’m sure there will be a lot of feasting, barbecuing and I Love You’s all across America.
Here is my weekly wrap up of some of my favorite things that caught my eye this week. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there. Kids, make sure to spoil your daddy!
Feel Good Stories to Read This Weekend
I always love reading the good stories out there. It really makes our hearts smile.
- Boy With Brain Tumor Gets His Very Own Dragon. I am so jealous of Brody.
- NFL Player Adopts a Pitbull. You have to see the look on the dog’s face on his way home from the shelter. It is priceless.
- What happened when an Orthodox Jewish Congregation went to a gay bar to mourn Orlando. This was an amazing read. This story needs to be shared a gazillion times.
Stories Worth Sharing this Weekend
1. Some Amusing Little Things in the US You have to read this just for the laughs. It’s funny to read stories of newcomers to the US and how things are so different here for them. I always find it funny discovering differences when I travel to new countries. I remember learning “Take Away” meant “To Go” in Ireland and London. I remember standing there going, “HUH?” when she asked me about take away. Then I saw there was a sign up that displayed two different prices for dining in and taking away. Then it made sense. Take away meant TO GO!
When you ask for hot sauce in some countries, they give you some weird version of sweet salsa (it’s disgusting) [Prague, Czech Republic]. When you’re in Africa, wee-fee means wifi. In Ireland, there are XXXX number of ways to use one curse word. Believe me when I say within the first 5 minutes of arriving in Dublin, I learned about 20 different ways to use one curse word. I’m sure the woman had more meanings to it, too. I was just like…welcome to Ireland.
2. Bucky Fucking Dent. Need something for your book loving Dad this Father’s Day? Does he like baseball? This book came on my radar this week when I attended an event with the author, David Duchovny (you know, Agent Fox Mulder and Hank Moody). Who knew that this actor has a serious background in literature? That’s what he went to Princeton and Yale for.
Here’s the Amazon synopsis:
Ted Fullilove, aka Mr. Peanut, is not like other Ivy League grads. He shares an apartment with Goldberg, his beloved battery-operated fish, sleeps on a bed littered with yellow legal pads penned with what he hopes will be the next great American Novel, and spends the waning days of the Carter administration at Yankee Stadium, waxing poetic while slinging peanuts to pay the rent.
When Ted hears the news that his estranged father, Marty, is dying of lung cancer, he immediately moves back into his childhood home, where a whirlwind of revelations ensues. The browbeating absentee father of Ted’s youth tries to make up for lost time, but his health dips drastically whenever his beloved Red Sox lose. And so, with help from Mariana―the Nuyorican grief counselor with whom Ted promptly falls in love―and a crew of neighborhood old-timers, Ted orchestrates the illusion of a Boston winning streak, enabling Marty and the Red Sox to reverse the Curse of the Bambino and cruise their way to World Series victory. Well, sort of.
David Duchovny’s richly drawn Bucky F*cking Dent explores the bonds between fathers and sons and the age-old rivalry between Yankee fans and the Fenway faithful, and grapples with our urgent need to persevere―and risk everything―in the name of love. Culminating in that fateful moment in October of ’78 when the mighty Bucky Dent hit his way into baseball history with the unlikeliest of home runs, this tender, insightful, and hilarious novel demonstrates how life truly belongs to the losers, and that the long shots are the ones worth betting on.
Bucky F*cking Dent is a singular tale that brims with the mirth, poignancy, and profound solitude of modern life.
I purchased a copy of the book after hearing Duchovny talk about writing. Not acting, just writing. I’ll have more on that talk this weekend.
3. About the Night. I’ve been reading this book for the past couple of weeks. It’s the current selection for next month’s PW Book Club. I had downloaded the Kindle version, but then ordered the book when it was released to the public on 6/1. This was one of those books that had so many deep, heartfelt words that I had to buy one for my personal library. I wanted to be able to highlight all of the beautiful words that touched my soul. This is a story about an Arab man falling in love with a Jewish woman and then a wall divided them in Jerusalem. It’s such an incredible story. I’m only 2/3 of the way through it.
If you’ve ever loved someone greatly and then they were ripped away from you…you will understand this suffering.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Mads Mikkelsen Wants Hannibal Back. I love this man. He loves Hannibal just as much as any Fannibal.
- Battle of the Bastards. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you know the battle between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton is coming.
- Orange is the New Black Has Dropped. Well, apparently all your plans this weekend have been cancelled for Netflix. OITB was dropped today. Let the binge-watching commence!
Food To Try This Weekend
- Pho, ramen and more slurp-worthy slow cooker Asian noodle soups. OMG. Definitely doing this over the summer now that I’ve switched to crockpot mode.
- Simple Trick that Makes Cupcakes Look Fancy. It’s the little things that bring so much joy.
- 9 Best Bacon Breakfasts for Father’s Day. Did someone say bacon?
Fashion Buys for the Weekend
1. Green Ombre Dress from Banana Republic. I am in love with this dress.
2. Neiman Marcus Sale on Sale. Neiman Marcus is having a sale on their sale. Summer whites are on my radar. Here are a few of my favorites.
3. Oscar de la Renta. If you saw my Instagram post of this beautiful necklace, you’re probably wondering why I’m wearing a necklace valued at $990 to the office. And then there are some who say, “HOW?” or “WHY would you pay that much for a necklace?”
One of my earlier posts [How to Rent Your Wardrobe] explains HOW. This is just an example of the many items available under Rent the Runway Unlimited. The dress in the photo is also from RTRU.
RTRU is a great way to add couture designers to your daily wardrobe without adding to your clutter. For those who Kon Mari’d their wardrobe, you don’t really want to add any more items to your closet. Renting is great for those who have minimized their closets, but still want something new to wear every now and again. For $139/month, you can rent couture designer items (3 out at a time).
[If you click on the Rent The Runway Unlimited link in this post, you can take $30 off your first month. You can cancel at any time.]
A Better You to Try Out This Weekend
- My Most Simple, Most Effective Productivity Technique. For those who are looking for ways to focus and get things done, take a look at this article. I’ve been practicing this technique. It is a challenge, but it will help you to focus on the task at hand so you can get more things done.
- 4 Ways to Improve Your Memory.
- 12 Habits of Highly Productive People.
Anthropologie Love
One of my favorite stores in Rockefeller Center is Anthropologie. Their catalog (as well as J Crew) is one of the most anticipated (and the most dangerous) catalogs to reach my household. The whole catalog becomes a major wish list every single season – clothing, accessories and home goods.
My friends and I go through the catalog and start marking down what we want the most. Usually at the top of our list are new duvets, tops and dresses.
With spring in full swing, it’s time to freshen up our wardrobes (plus shop the sales) with a few new picks from Anthropologie. Since this is gown season for me, I love that Anthropologie is now a source to purchase unique gowns for weddings, parties, theater, red carpet, etc.
Here are a few of my favorite picks from Anthropologie.
There are so many items I love. It’s so hard to just pick a few pieces. Every time I go into their store, I want to just wrap everything up and take it home with me.
What are some of your favorites?
On My Radar: Tulle Skirts
As the Opera season ends the Ballet season begins in New York City when the American Ballet returns to the Met Opera house. I have my tickets for both the Gala and the upcoming performance of Stravinsky’s “Firebird.”
In other words, gown season has officially begun for me.
While I was pondering what to wear to the Gala, I realized this was a perfect time to finally pull out the tulle skirts in waiting, because what goes better with ballet than tulle?
For those who are looking for tulle skirts, I highly recommend Shabby Apple. They come in a variety of sizes, colors and lengths [they do cater to plus sizes, they only list current inventory, so check back often or contact them to ask if they can let you know the moment a skirt you like becomes available in your size, they have excellent customer service].
I picked up the mint maxi tulle skirt. It’s basically a wrap skirt with tulle for miles. It’s my happy skirt. Granted, it takes up half the space in the gown closet, but it’s my happy skirt.
I’m really excited that I’ll be able to finally wear a couple of my tulle skirts next month as the ballet season opens, especially the Shabby Apple Wooster skirt.
One question I do get asked a lot on Pinterest is where someone can find a tulle maxi skirt in black. I made sure to include a few in the gallery. If you’re looking for something specific, let me know. I am always shopping for gowns, so I may know where you can find what you’re looking for.
How to Rent Your Wardrobe
The latest trend at home (and on this site) is MINIMALISM, i.e. the act of decluttering and minimizing everything you own, especially your closet…aka the KonMari Method (the Japanese Art of Decluttering). [SOURCE: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
For those who pulled everything out of their wardrobe and pared everything down, you may be in that state of not wanting to purchase anything new because you like how you have less clutter in your closet.
Then there are people like me who went through the first KonMari round with their wardrobe and still continue to KonMari the hell out of their closet to no avail. I have a lot of things I do in life: work, play, relax, attend events, opera, theater, rock concerts, red carpet events, and so on. Simply put, I have the socialite wardrobe…a versatile wardrobe that goes along with whatever event may come my way. My wardrobe is prepared for anything. That means I have a closet full of gowns for the red carpet, opera and weddings. I have coats for the snow days, rainy days, extremely cold days and the special event coats. I also have the closet for work and everyday wear.
In other words, I have the wardrobe I need to maintain the life I have. Although, that also means I need a bigger closet!
After the first round of going through my closet, I was able to get rid of 5 large bags of clothing. Now, when I wear something or go through my closet, I look for even more stuff that I can get rid of that does not bring me joy. I am constantly trying to fine tune my wardrobe to get rid of the things I don’t need anymore.
But there are times when you feel like you may need something a little different, but loathe the thought of adding yet another piece of clothing to your wardrobe or spending a lot of money on it. You’re afraid of going back to your old ways where you had more clothes than you had space.
Maybe you have a big event coming up and need a new dress. Or maybe you have a hot date coming up and want something nice to wear for the evening. Or maybe you’re a fashion blogger and need new pieces coming in on a steady basis for your blog, but don’t want the clutter or to break the bank every month. Or maybe you just want to try out a new trend without truly investing in it completely.
Whatever your fashion need, there’s a way now that you can rent your clothes without a) breaking the bank and b) without adding to the clutter.
Le Tote offers wardrobe rentals for $59/month (Maternity boxes are $69/month). You pick the items you like, a box is curated based on the items you place in your virtual closet (in your size). What you get in each box: 2 shirts, pant/skirt/dress, and 2 accessories (i.e. 5 items). Wear it as many times as you like. Return the items for something new. If you decide to keep the item(s) (or the box), you will be billed accordingly.
You can get $25 off your first box by using this LINK.
Sizes go up to XXL for Le Tote.
Rent the Runway has been known for years to rent designer gowns for special events. They have now gone UNLIMITED. What does that mean? Like Le Tote, you can rent up to 3 designer items at any time. Unlimited is slightly more expensive at $139/month (plus $29.95/year for unlimited shipping) because of the designers they use. For instance, for my first shipment, I requested a $1,690 Reed Krakoff handbag. I can keep the handbag for as long as I like and return it whenever I like.
You get a new item whenever you return an item.
Rent the Runway Unlimited is designed for fashionistas such as myself. There are designer gowns, handbags, coats, jewelry, eyewear, dresses, workwear, etc. It is ideal for me, because it saves me from running out to purchase new formal wear every single time I have an event. I can just put in a request to receive a gown (or 2 or 3) along with the handbag/accessories to match. Plus, I’m not stuck with the gown afterward. (It’s very rare I get more than one wear out of a gown.)
If you are a handbag fanatic like me, you can use the service to rent handbags all of the time. I think this option is great, because other services where you can rent handbags, the price is contingent upon the handbag you are ‘borrowing.’ For instance, at Bag Borrow or Steal, a Chanel handbag could cost you $350/month to rent. It will cost you $350/month every month until you return the bag.
While Rent the Runway Unlimited doesn’t currently carry Chanel, allowing a $1,690 handbag to be part of the rental for $139/month and you can keep the bag as long as you want, return it when you are done (plus, you get to have 2 additional items out at the same time)? That seems to be the steal.
Sizes go up to size 22 at Rent the Runway Unlimited, but keep in mind, the options grow smaller for clothing when the sizing goes up (hopefully, since this is a new service that will change soon). A huge plus is that they do carry Eloquii!
You can get $20 off your first order by clicking on this LINK.
As for me, I subscribed to both rental services. I am using Le Tote for workwear, so that I can have a few extra options to play with by mixing it in with my current wardrobe. I am using Rent the Runway Unlimited for handbags, gowns, and dresses…mainly handbags. I love handbags. Gown season will be starting soon for me, so it’s nice to know I can order 3 items at a time for $139/month. If you’re constantly returning items at RTR Unlimited, you could get up to 6-9 designer items a month out of that $139/month. That is a serious savings.
The positives to this type of service is that it creates less clutter in your home. You have a steady stream of fashion coming to your door. You’re also not paying an arm and a leg for new clothes, especially major designer clothing. For me, I could spend anywhere between $300-$1500/month on clothing and accessories. That, of course, is the old me. That kind of lifestyle was not only expensive, but it caused a major clutter issue at home.
Spending close to $200/month on rentable fashion without adding to the clutter? To me, that is a major deal and stays in line with the clutter free life at home. I can still have new fashion pieces coming in all of the time for all aspects of my life, and I don’t have to keep the items around. After all, I’m sure there are plenty of ladies out there like me that would buy something, wear it once, decide you don’t like it and it ends up getting donated. Or maybe you get 3 wears out of it and then you decide you don’t like it anymore. Well, instead of throwing it out…just return it to get something different.
The Way To Truly Take Advantage of Your Wardrobe
One thing you need to keep in mind is that these rental services should only be used to COMPLEMENT your wardrobe. Buy the basics that you need. Rent the stuff you don’t need. Use the rental for special events or because you want to try out a new look. Use it because you want to constantly have something different to wear beyond your go to basics.
The stuff you keep in your wardrobe are the items that bring you joy every single time you wear it. These are the items that fit you perfectly and make you feel good about yourself every single time you wear it (oftentimes, you wear these pieces a lot). The purpose of renting is to not add to your ‘things’ you have to take care of. It’s to prevent yourself from continuing to add clutter to your wardrobe because you like a new trend. Renting curbs your need to consume by adding more to your possessions. Instead, you can indulge in your fashion passion without having to add to your clutter.
What I really love about Rent the Runway Unlimited is that I can indulge in my designer loves, especially handbags. I could have a different bag every week without having to spend thousands of dollars on each handbag. That, to me, was the major selling point, especially when I saw which bags I could try out.
Of course, if you like the item and want to keep it, you can buy it. Because they are rentals, you can purchase the item at a discounted price. That, in itself, is worth using the service. You get to try it out for months (if you want) before truly committing to buying it.
How to Declutter Your Life Part One
As part of a new series this year, I wanted to share with you how I am decluttering my life. This is a five month series. For those who want to take the steps to begin decluttering your life, count on this being a six month life plan to commit to this year. You’ll need the extra month to truly put this plan into effect.
ESSENTIAL MATERIALS: Make sure to pick up a copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Step 1. Tackle Your Wardrobe
One of my resolutions is to be more of a minimalist. To have fewer, but better things. I started to embrace this change back in November. So where does one begin?
I decided I needed a change after realizing that the reason why I was not able to do the things I wanted to do was because I found myself so overwhelmed at home doing project after project, cleaning one room after the other with no end in sight, that I was spending most of my time cleaning rather than doing the things I wanted to do. I made excuses on why I couldn’t do X, Y and Z because I just felt so overwhelmed. I was drowning and I needed to find a way out of it.
I had heard about the Japanese art of decluttering. There were numerous bloggers posting up how they had not only minimized their closets, but were able to find a new way to organize their things. The decluttering bible they were using as their guidebook was The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
My closet was overflowing. Clothes were piled up sky high on the dresser. I was running out of space to put my clothes, so I ordered a new wardrobe unit, thinking that would get a handle on things. I ordered storage boxes, thinking I could get some sort of handle on the off-season clothing.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t get a handle on my wardrobe.
I ordered Marie Kondo’s book and absorbed it within a couple of days. I set forth and started to put her methods to work.
So it begins…
As you read through the book, make sure you have a journal.
- Ask yourself how you envision your perfect home. Is it light and airy? Is it calm and peaceful? Feminine? Modern? Clutter-free? Everything in its place?
When you answer this question, make sure you are very descriptive with your vision.
Now that you have an ideal of what you ultimately want, let’s start decluttering by going through your wardrobe. Have trash bags and boxes handy. For the items you are tossing, you’re going to need three categories: TRASH, TO DONATE, and TO SELL.
- Marie Kondo suggests that you go through each item by category. Tops are all in one pile. Pants in another pile. Coats in another pile. And so on.
- After you have separated each item into their respective categories, go through each pile by touching each item, looking at each item and deciding if this item brings you joy. If not, throw it into either one of the three toss piles. It’s easy to decipher if an item brings you joy or not. If it does not bring you joy, it goes. If it doesn’t fit well, it goes. If it’s too tight, toss it. If it’s too big, toss it. If it’s got a hole in it or it’s pilling, toss it. If you don’t feel good wearing it, toss it. Only keep the items that make you feel confident in yourself when you wear it.
- When you toss, items like underwear, seriously damaged clothing, etc. should be thrown in the trash. Items that someone can use again, but are not re-sellable, should go in the donate pile. For those that you can resell, place in the sell pile.
These are the basic rules to decluttering your wardrobe.
Does it bring you joy? Keep only the things that fit well. Keep only the things that make you feel amazing. Get rid of the stuff that doesn’t make you feel great when you wear it. Underwear that rides up, make sure you toss it. Do not downgrade items to your ‘lazy days’ pile. Nothing should be downgraded to keep.
I have been guilty of downgrading clothing to the lazy days pile. Those drawers couldn’t hold all of the downgraded tshirts, tank tops and pants anymore. One thing Marie Kondo said in her book that really stuck with me is that in our well-groomed dream homes, we should also be well-groomed to show respect to ourselves. We shouldn’t downgrade ourselves to wearing tossed clothing that wasn’t good enough to wear out. We should upgrade our lounge wear so that we still look amazing when we answer the surprise knock at the door.
That doesn’t mean sacrificing your comfort. There’s plenty of lounge wear out there that will not only look amazing on you, but you will feel completely comfortable in.
Since going through your entire wardrobe might be a little daunting at first, give yourself a week to go through each category of your wardrobe. Start with the off-season clothing first. That, in itself, can be a category.
If you are short on time, and you separate your clothing by drawers already, make it a point to go through one drawer at a time. I started off by going through my main closet first, then each night after that for a month, I went through each drawer, box, cabinet, etc. by category.
I ended up donating five large bags of clothing, two large bags went into the trash. Another 3 boxes were for resale.
If you are like most fashionistas, you may have a certain type of collection, whether they be purses, shoes, belts, sunglasses, etc. Leave going through your collection for the last category to declutter in your wardrobe. You want to start with items that you are not 100% attached to.
For me, I have a purse collection. I have 2 large bookshelves, along with another two three cubby cases filled with handbags. I saved this collection for the very last when I decluttered my wardrobe for one simple reason…it’s difficult to part with a collection you take pride in.
I went through every single bag and tried to decide whether they gave me joy or not. By the time I was done, I had pared my collection down to 75 hand bags. This may seem like a lot, but to me, it isn’t. This is a collection, after all. Kondo says that you need to keep paring down until you get to that point where you feel like what you have is exactly the amount you feel happy with. After all, the whole point in the Japanese art of decluttering is to surround yourself with the things that bring you joy. Handbags bring me joy. 75 bags were the right amount. 76 bags was too much. 75 is the right fit for me.
I ended up donating two garbage bags worth of handbags. I ended up having one trash bag of handbags that I could resell.
By the time I was done, I was happy with the amount I kept and with the ones I decided to keep. I did buy two new handbags after I decluttered. I asked myself what was missing from this collection. I was missing Chanel from the collection, so I ordered two new Chanel handbags (one for the evening, one for the day) to complete the collection. I have a few bags designed like the Celine Luggage bags. I decided that this year, I would make it a goal tied in with my resolution to read 52+ books this year, the reward would be a Celine Luggage bag. I wanted to make it a goal instead of just going out and buying it. I wanted to earn that bag this year, because I’m trying to rid myself of a bad habit of buying what I want when I want it. That mentality is what got me buried underneath so much stuff I was drowning in it. This was my first step in creating change.
After I complete my goal, I’ll buy the bag and then part with all the other bags that are similar to the Luggage. It will be an upgrade of a design I love, so there’s no reason to keep the downgraded versions. It will also help keep me under that 75 bag maximum.
The reason why I mention how I’m adding to the colleciton is because in the art of decluttering and using Marie Kondo’s method called “KonMari” (a play on her name), you are trying to minimize everything. You’re not trying to declutter and then go back to those bad habits again. I know that in the past when I decluttered my wardrobe, I’d end up looking at it and going, “Oh, I’m missing X.” So I’d go out and buy three times more stuff than what I just got rid of. It’s a dangerous cycle. KonMari has been the only thing I’ve come across that doesn’t just declutter but it stops you from falling back into those traps again.
When I decluttered my wardrobe there are a few things that happened that I didn’t expect. I had pared everything down to only those items that were perfect. They fit perfectly, looked great, and made me feel amazing when I wore them. I thought…ok, this is great. I decluttered.
What I didn’t expect is that I would finally discover my wardrobe. I now know everything that is in it. I can now play around with so many different looks based on what I kept. I actually have fun with everything knowing that no matter what I pull out of my closet, it fits perfectly. I don’t have to wear a tunic with these pants because they are too tight in the leg. I don’t have to wear a long shirt because the pants made my middle look funny. I don’t have to fix or hide the blemish in the outfit I was wearing because there were no blemishes. Every single item was perfect…and it looked perfect on me.
I found my style after sifting through so many articles of clothing. I discovered that I prefer wide leg trousers to regular trousers. I realized that I preferred to keep blouses instead of just random tops. I ended up curating a wardrobe from all of the mismatches mixed in with the rest of the wardrobe. I found my own true style.
I have a lot of things that I do that require different types of garments. From red carpet premieres to hockey games to hockey practice to the office to the opera. I need something different for each event I go to. Because of that, I know I need a wardrobe from casual wear to formal wear and everything in between. I was able to cut my wardrobe down to those items that fit perfectly every time, no matter what I had to attend. I can now find exactly what I’m looking for instead of freaking out when I have a red carpet event and need to find the perfect outfit. I own every single item I could possibly need for any life event that comes up. That’s what I was able to create…a curated wardrobe for my life and everything that happens in it.
It took Marie Kondo’s book to help me find my own style by getting rid of all the wrong things and keeping only the right things. I am not buried under my closet anymore. Everything is in its place.
I have to say that it is fun knowing what you have and trying to invent so many different looks based on the items you keep. This is the kind of wardrobe that should last a very long time. There’s no need to add anymore of the wrong things to it. Knowing what it is that you want out of your wardrobe also helps in deciding what to add and what not to add. You’re not going to want to go on a shopping spree anymore. Why? Because in this process you’ll learn that the less things you have, the less things you have to take care of. That’s the kind of life you want to live. You want to have fewer, but better things.
You’ll only keep the things that bring you joy. If it doesn’t fit right, that won’t bring you joy. If it doesn’t look good on you, it’s not going to bring you joy. If the handbag is a fake, it’s not going to bring you joy because you know the real thing would make you feel better. If the shoes hurt your feet, how is that bringing you joy? Resolve to only wear the shoes you love that actually feel good on your feet.
When you go to put things back in your closet/drawers:
- Learn to fold. When you put things away in the drawer, everything should be standing up. There are plenty of Youtube videos that can show you how to fold.
- Use all of the same kind of hangers. Upgrade and buy thin hangers all in the same color. You can get a set of 50 for $19.99 at Kohl’s all in the same color. I bought 4 boxes over the years. Since I started decluttering, I’m only using 2 boxes.
- When you put things back, the longest items should go on the left, the shortest items to the right. Also, have the darkest items to lightest items going from left (dark) to right (light). This actually makes your closet look clean and neat. (i.e. PERFECT)
For those who are new to taking care of your clothes, I learned how to do things the Martha Stewart way a long time ago. It’s 15 years later and I’ve adopted a new method. I outsource. What I mean by that is that I have a local laundromat pick up, wash, fold, hang, and deliver my clothes. This costs me about $30-$40 every two weeks, but I find that it’s worthwhile for a few reasons: 1) I get 4-6 hours back in my life to do what I want on the weekends, 2) when they return the clothes, it’s already folded exactly the way they need to be folded in the KonMari fashion, 3) they actually wash the clothes better than I ever could, and 4) they actually iron a lot of my clothes.
Sure, there are those items that are dry cleaned and mended. Those go out to the dry cleaners to take care of for me.
The reason why I don’t mind outsourcing like this is because I’m not buying clothes anymore. I’d rather professionals take care to launder, clean and iron them (I hate ironing, I’d rather wear it wrinkled) so I don’t have to. It gives me back so much precious time I was wasting on taking care of my things. Now I have someone else doing it for me. All I have to do is just put the items away when they arrive.
This is a wardrobe I’ve curated and invested in. I don’t want to throw out anymore clothes just because I don’t like them or because they don’t fit. I want to take care of the items that fit perfectly. If someone can do a better job than I can in its care, I’d rather they do it for me. Outsourcing has given me back so much of my life to do the things I want to do, instead of wasting all this time trying to take care of them.
Decluttering your wardrobe is the first step in getting out from under the life that you are drowning in. It helps you not only find and keep the things that bring you joy, but it also helps you discover your own style. Do you know how much time you save each morning knowing that every single item you pull out of your closet will fit perfectly? Do you know how much time and money you save when you know what exactly is in your closet? If you know you already have the perfect white blouse, why do you need to buy another?
The KonMari method has helped me curate the PERFECT wardrobe for myself. I find that I don’t need to buy any new clothes because I have everything I need and it is perfect. If I add anything to it, I know exactly what would complement it to make it even better. Gone are the days of buying a lot of different things only to find a few things that would bring me joy (if any). Now that I know what my style is and what I love, I know exactly what to buy when I buy. I know what the right thing is to add. I don’t need 10 different things of the same item. I know exactly what I’m looking for and will only buy that item.
If it wasn’t for the KonMari method, I never would have discovered my own style. I now have a wardrobe that brings me joy. I’ve scaled it down to a place where I’m happy with what I have. I don’t feel like I’m drowning or overwhelmed. I have exactly what I need. Sure, I still go through and question if I can make the wardrobe better. If I can reduce the wardrobe even more, I will. I want to make sure this is exactly the wardrobe I want.
I have a goal of calling the donation center once a month to do a pickup of all of the items I’m getting rid of. I make sure that each week, I throw out the things I don’t need. Recyclables are thrown out weekly instead of monthly. I make sure to always declutter one spot in the house each day.
The KonMari process isn’t a one weekend thing. It takes six months to complete this project, no matter what size home you live in. Keep that journal handy, because the one thing I never expected were the emotions you go through when you declutter. I found that when I’d take a resale item to the post office or take a bag of items in to sell, I had some emotional conflict. It’s good to write down what’s going on in your journal so that you can better understand how you got to be so bogged down with so much stuff.
Writing things down in the journal will help you work through why you are cluttering up your life. Writing it down is a way to see the monster hidden within you so that you can face it, and then make the decision you’d rather be happy. Happiness isn’t in the accumulation of things. Happiness is having fewer, but better things…the things that bring you joy. Your goal is to surround yourself in the things that bring you joy. You have to work through each and every object to discover what brings you joy. Once you discover what brings you joy, you’re only going to want to keep that joy in your life.
NEXT UP…Decluttering your entertainment.
How To Dress Like a French Woman
French women always appear so put together, classy and stylish. From the front rows of fashion week to grandmothers smoking a cigarette with their coffee and pastry outside of a French cafe, these ladies have a sense of style. While French women have that je ne sais quoi about them, there really isn’t any trick to looking classy and put together at all times. It’s all about being a smart woman. Here’s how they do it…
1. It’s All About the Base.
As in, it’s all about the basics, that part of your wardrobe that becomes the base. Pamela Lutrell from Midlife Blvd. wrote about the 7 Things Every Parisian Woman Has in Her Closet (as seen in the book Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange
The seven things are:
1. A Quality, Well Fit Blazer.
2. The Trench.
3. The Navy Sweater (in cashmere).
4. The Tank.
5. The LBD (little black dress).
6. The Perfect Jeans.
7. The Leather Jacket.
The thing about this list is that you’re not going to go out to just any retailer to purchase these items. French women buy qualitative items, which means it may cost a little bit more.
Start off with a black blazer. Over time, add a navy and white one. Save for the splurge which is the timeless classic Chanel tweed blazer. This blazer will last the rest of your lifetime. It’s a piece you can even pass on to your children or your grandchildren. That is what we mean by quality. It’s built to last.
When you shop for a trench, you should always go to the best in the business. The best just happens to be Burberry. Their coats are meant to last you an entire lifetime.
There are so many different grades of cashmere out there, it is hard to figure out which is the best quality. Real Simple put together a checklist to consider when you shop for cashmere sweaters. Simply put: look for the sweaters that say 100% cashmere.
I’m a lover of Gap tank tops. For many years, Gap put out the most qualitative tank tops on the market. These are tanks that 10 years later, I’m still wearing. You can get them on sale for $2.99 at their end of summer sale. I always stocked up on them (especially the white ones) because I layer my clothes, and I love sleeping in these tanks. Gap did have a quality setback a few years ago (which is why I don’t shop with them anymore). But after much complaint from their consumers, they brought the quality back. Places like Gap and J. Crew are excellent places to stock up on basic tanks, tees and sweaters.
The little black dress is probably the most difficult dress to find. It’s more than just owning a LBD. It’s about the fit and how it makes you feel. The perfect LBD makes you look incredible…and you know it. It makes you feel confident and sexy, yet comfortable. It can take years to find the perfect LBD. Once you find it, you will cry the day you have to retire it. This is your go to dress from the office to the Kentucky Derby to that client dinner. It’s that date night dress that makes your guy think he’s the luckiest guy in the world the second he lays eyes on you. It’s not the dress. It’s how the dress makes you feel when you wear it. You’ll know the dress when you find it.
Every woman is in search for the perfect pair of jeans. I know, I’ve bought 10 different pairs from a variety of vendors in the last couple of years. There’s that sexy jean you need. There’s that pair of boyfriend jeans you wear when you just want to chill out. There’s the every day jeans. There’s the trendy jeans. There’s even the nicer pair of jeans you wear out for date night. In all of these years of searching for that right pair of jeans, I’ve only found 2 or 3 that were the perfect fit and made me look great every single time I wore them. Don’t ask how many pairs of jeans I went through just to find them.
The leather jacket is one of the most important pieces in your wardrobe. It can go with anything, including that gown you wear to the opera. What’s great about leather jackets is that if you’re not so keen on wearing real leather, the faux leather jackets are just as nice and come in a variety of colors. Two colors you definitely need are black and white.
2. What Not to Wear
Who What Wear put out a post on the 7 Style Mistakes French Women Never Make. It’s definitely worth the read because it’s not just the basics that matter. There are do’s and don’ts to creating your own style. Basically, the first rule is not to try so hard.
My favorite of the bunch is that French women do not wear sky high heels. That’s funny because Christian Louboutin is French.
3. Create a Signature Style
This article from Stylecaster is my favorite of the bunch:12 Fashion Secrets to Steal from French Women.
No. 7 made me think of finding a signature shoe. There are so many brands out there, so many different types of shoes. Simply put, go with what you love and what you can live in.
4. What would Coco Chanel do?
All Womens Talk has a fantastic article on 13 French Fashion Habits You Should Incorporate In Your Wardrobe. It is basically the bible on what to buy, how to buy, and how to wear it.
The most important point was Coco Chanel’s take on what to do before leaving the house. Stop and look in the mirror. Remove one piece before leaving the house.
If you want your wardrobe to be versatile: stick to neutral colors.
5. How Do They Afford It?
One of the great lessons in understanding the way French women dress is understanding the dynamic on how they can afford to wear Hermés scarves and carry around Hermés Birkin bags.
Simply put, they don’t have huge closets. They don’t amass a lot of clothes (like Americans do). They buy qualitative basics and add accessories that can be mixed in to create different looks. They save for the one handbag that will last them an entire lifetime. They buy qualitative scarves that are going to look chic with their wardrobe, and last forever.
They’re not going to buy a cheap scarf that will unravel in a year or two. They’ll pay $300-$1000 for a cashmere or wool scarf that they know will last them their entire lifetime. In other words, by the time the piece of clothing is ready to be retired, they would have gotten a penny out of each wear (cost/per wear).
The French woman’s way of fashion isn’t just classy, it’s smart and economical. You may be shocked at the sticker price of what they decide to buy, but to them it is an investment piece that is meant to last the rest of their lifetime. They choose a piece of clothing that they can wear today and still wear when they are 80 years old, and know that it’s not going to fall apart (and will still be in style). They also know it won’t make them look like they are from a different age.
They’ll choose classic styles that have withstood and will continue to withstand the test of time like a DVF wrap dress, a Chanel tweed jacket, an Hermés Birkin bag, an Hermés scarf, or that little black dress. They’ll buy the Louis Vuitton luggage because LV has been around for over a hundred years and still command a high price for luggage pieces that are over a century years old.
The Hermés Birkin bag goes up in value. It’s the only handbag that goes up in value.
There’s a reason why these luxury stores are still going strong in places like Europe. It’s not because the rich are buying it up. Smart women that want a qualitative product are buying from them. They saved up the money in order to purchase that one piece. These are investment pieces that they plan on using for the rest of their lives.
The Perfect Spring Trench
It’s the first day of spring! While some parts of the United States are watching the snow falling outside of their windows, thoughts of spring flowers, bright, sunnier days, and the return of spring colors (not to mention love being in the air) starts to fill our brains. It makes us feel like it’s time to put away our winter clothes and pull out the lighter, spring wardrobe (or at least go shopping for a new one).
But wait…it’s not warm enough yet! You’re still going to need to bundle up, but at least now you don’t have to wear those dark oversized puffers. It’s time for your perfect spring coat to see the sunshine.
While shopping for a spring trench, think of one that suits your current fashion personality the best. Maybe you want something classic that you can wear every spring/fall. Go with the classic Burberry trench. Maybe your spring fashion personality this year is filled with lots of pastels. Or maybe you plan on wearing more florals or patterns this spring. Find a trench that will match well with the majority of your spring wardrobe you plan to wear this season. That is the investment you are seeking.
You can go subtle or you can go dramatic. Or if you’re like me, you buy a new coat each season to add to your coat wardrobe. That way, you have a variety of choices no matter where your fashion mood strikes year to year. When you build a coat wardrobe, you’ll always need to start with the classics and then later add a little fun into the mix. From day coats to evening coats, you’ll eventually need one for every event that may come your way. Take it one coat per season at a time. A wardrobe doesn’t happen in one shopping trip, it takes years to build, so take it slow.
The perfect spring trench is one that makes you (and everyone else that sees you) happy, because it reminds them that it’s time for spring. People think a lot of happy thoughts in the spring!
Think color. Think florals. Think patterns. Let your coat make a statement. Whether it’s a bold pattern or a light pastel, your perfect trench is the one that makes you feel happy.
Here are a few trenches that will get you thinking of what to add this spring.
On My Radar: Sequins & Sparkle
Nothing makes me happier than to be able to go into the office on a dull, dreary winter day and wear something sparkly. My latest additions to the closet contain a lot of sparkle. Here are a few of my favorite recent purchases.
From LOFT:
Jeweled Sequin Tee, $44.99 (currently 50% off) = $22.50. Also comes in black (I have the black one, too). Only sizing currently available: XS, S and M.
Sequin Stripe Sweater, NOW $15.88 (marked down from $69.50). [I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on this sweater. I purchased it in Whisper White.]
From TORRID:
For the size 12+, these leggings from Torrid ($44.50) and sequin skirt ($83.48) are divine. The skirt has been my favorite of the two. You can do so many things with it from going to a party, the opera, to going a little business casual with it. There are so many different options you can play with.
For the Home:
I absolutely love these mugs. I keep one at home and one at the office. You can pick up these Prima Donna mugs (comes as a set of two) from SaksOff5th.com. They’re $18.74 right now.
I’m currently redecorating my office (for the umpteenth time, hoping that this is finally it), so I added some gold elements by adding some pillows from West Elm.
Of course, I had to add some gold elements in the stationary department as well. Sugar Paper, (From $10-$18).
One of the places I love to peruse is The Land of Nod. It may be a decor site for children, but they have such cute, girly items there that I’ve found can even go into an adult home. To finish off adding the gold elements to my office, I found these Gold Confetti Curtains ($19-$39).
So those are some of my latest purchases in the ‘sparkle and sequins’ department. I was never going to add gold elements into my office until my friend suggested that instead of going gray and adding another color to the room, I should just work off that one gold element in my office to tie the room together. I can’t wait for all of the items to come in so I can finally finish the office. The room has become my catch-all these past few years.
With all of the decluttering and ridding myself of just about everything I don’t use, I’m hoping to see everything finally come together one weekend at a time.
Opening My Closet for Charity
As I wrote in an earlier post, I donated two bags filled with designer merchandise to Fashion Project to raise money for UNICEF. Two of the items have finally hit the site.
Christian Dior Blazer, US Size 10, $79 SOLD!!!
Fendi Satchel, $199. SOLD!!!!
There is a skirt that goes with that Dior jacket, so I’m a little surprised they didn’t list it as a complete suit or made the skirt available. Maybe they’ll list it later.
Even if these items aren’t your cup of tea, the site boasts so many designer vintage items available for sale. The original donor of the items picks the charity they want a portion of the proceeds to go to, so you’ll see many different charities listed throughout the site.
You’ll find a lot of great deals, especially if you are trying to build your own fantasy wardrobe with major designer labels. What’s also great about it is the feel good moment knowing that your purchase also goes to benefit a charity.
Even though I spent most of last month trying to declutter, there was just something about giving away a Fendi that told me I needed to replace it with a new one. So I did.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. This ombre Fendi zucca I ordered from Overstock.com. Most fashionistas do not think of Overstock when they think of purchasing their designer wares. But they offer some of the best deals. This tote ended up being $100 less than the retail price. Plus, I joined the Club O Rewards. I got credit to use towards a future purchase by purchasing this bag. Add on the 2.5% cash back from Ebates, after my little shopping spree at Overstock, I ended up with an additional $50 cash back.
All in all, besides just the savings from the purchase, I ended up with a FREE pair of Fendi sunglasses thanks to the amount of rewards credit I built up shopping at Overstock through their Club O Rewards program, and I earned $50 in cash from Ebates.
They don’t have this particular bag left, but it does come in yellow. They do have a few accessories in the ombre zucca in pink, teal, and yellow.
#ootd details: Ann Taylor coat, $198; J Crew sweater (not available online, but available at Factory), $74.50; Ann Taylor fuschia long-sleeved tee (old); Lane Bryant Bootcut Jean with Tighter Tummy Technology, $74.95; Brokedown scarf, $78.
UPDATE….
They’ve just added a few more items I donated.
Christian Dior skirt, size 12, $79.
Badgley Mischka Heels, Size 8, $99.
What I’m Carrying This Week
My friend, Winter Adams (from The Pink Puck), told me a while back that I should start sharing what bag I’m carrying. I started to do so on another site, but I didn’t like the platform of the site (it was always messing up the content). I thought I’d start to share the bag of the day/week on this site as a contribution to the fashion content {keep in mind, this site is more than just fashion}.
There’s a little story behind why I even own this Furla bag. Last year, while I was undergoing tests to determine if I did have a tumor or not, I was getting a sonogram on my neck when the technician freaked out and went running to get the doctor. I was stressed out as was, so all she was doing was confirming she saw the tumor in my neck. 1.5 cms. That’s how big it was. It was in a gland that is practically invisible, but she was able to see it.
She came back into the exam room after running out to get a doctor to ask, “Why are you here again?” I responded, “For hyperparathyroidism.” She responded, “Oh.” Then she left the room. I sat up and was getting ready to lecture her. You’re the technician, not the doctor. You have no right to be acting this way, freaking me the fuck out. Your job is to do the sonogram. You send the results to my doctor and she will talk to me about the scan.
But the damage was already done. I was freaked out at the reality that I did have a tumor. So I did what any sane person would do…I went stress shopping…at Saks Fifth Avenue. Ok, so the Saks part was probably the insane part. This shopping spree cost me $1500. To this day, I have no regrets doing what I did that day, because she really freaked me the fuck out.
I wasn’t planning on buying a bag. I usually do not buy Furla, but I was walking by and saw this bag.
I just happened to have seen this bag in black with a purple pony hair at the exact same time as this Muslim woman saw it. She came running over the same time I was reaching out for the bag. She literally grabbed it from my hands. She asked me how much it was. I started looking for the tag. It was around $800. A sales lady came over and I told her we both wanted the bag. Usually, at Saks, what’s out is the display. They have the bags for sale in the back.
The sales lady came back and said that was the last one. There was another one on a mannequin, so I removed it. The Muslim lady bought one. Me, I liked this one just as much as the purple pony hair. I kept asking myself, “What do I have to wear with the purple?” The answer was NOTHING. I went with the neutral colors because it goes with practically everything.
This bag by Furla is made exclusively for Saks. You can find them HERE. Unfortunately, the bag I have is last year’s colors. I was a little shocked to see the bag was discounted down to $318 at some point (I wish I had known, I would have bought another one in a different color).
I have also been talking a lot with friends about hi/lo outfits. The Furla is the hi-end to my outfit. Here’s another part of my wardrobe this week…
I’ve been wanting the Michael Kors Astor Buckle bangle ($95) for some time now. I actually remembered to buy it last week while I was shopping at Bloomingdale’s. I’ve been coupling it with my new favorite find from Torrid…the beaded spike stretch bracelet ($16.50). The hi-end is obviously the Gucci G watch ($790). {A birthday present to myself last year.}
As for the rest of this outfit for this day, I was trying a new look…the soft pant. I’ve been pinning the different looks out there for people wearing soft pants, but there aren’t too many and I just didn’t like the looks people were putting together, so I put something else together.
I picked up the Jennifer Lopez soft pants from Kohl’s ($15), paired them with a Calvin Klein top (in Celestial) ($55.60 after 20% off code) and a linen J Crew sweater in navy (currently $37.49 after using their 25% off code) and a pair of silver ballet flats from Just Fab. Overall look? I got a lot of compliments on it because it’s new, fresh and different.
For those in the plus size range, you can get the Calvin Klein top and soft pants in plus sizes. J Crew goes up to a size 20 these days. For the petite ladies, same goes for you…sizes go all the way to XXS at J Crew.
This month was a ‘use what you have’ month, but it also coincided with the shopping for a new fall wardrobe (which happens every August). I’m just happy I cleaned out my closets and donated items before I started shopping. The Furla was something I had around. The 2 bracelets, sweater and pants were new. I owned the watch already and the Calvin Klein top.
{For the ladies in NYC, you can get the Calvin Klein top at Bolton’s for half the price Macy’s wants for it. They also have more color options.}
The thing about hi-end/lo-end looks is that it allows you to spend more on the qualitative and classic pieces you’ll have for years to come, while mixing it with the lo-end fad pieces you’re trying out as a new look that won’t be around too long. Never spend a lot of money for fad items. Spend the money on the qualitative and classic, spend as little as you can on looks that will be out of style in a year or two.
Total cost of hi end/lo end look = $1,844.54.
Getting Rid of What You Have for a Good Cause
After my surgery last year and I struggled with regaining the majority of my memories, I noticed I had a lot of things…like a whole hell of a lot of things.
During the time leading up to the surgery (the discovery mid-August to the actual surgery late October), I had gone on a bit of a shopping spree. Apparently being stressed out prompted a lot of shopping to control the actual feeling of being freaked out.
Now, I’ve been sorting through my entire wardrobe just to get rid of the majority of it. Everything is overflowing. I have a few new rules in place right now to manage the chaos.
If it doesn’t have a home, it doesn’t stay.
If you don’t use it or you don’t love it, it goes.
Have fewer, but better things.
So now I’m going through my closet to donate as much as I can so that I can have a manageable closet. I set myself on a mission this summer. I had to wear everything in my summer wardrobe at least once this summer or it goes. By this weekend, I decided there were a few things I was just never going to wear, so it got tossed.
Because I have a lot of designer and couture items, I don’t want to be bothered with selling anything or recouping the costs (because frankly, I don’t need the money). Instead, I’m just going to donate everything and let the proceeds go to benefit UNICEF.
Fashion Project will help with that.
You pick what charity you want the proceeds of the sale of your items to go to, they’ll send you a box with informational cards and two envelopes to send your donations in.
The bags are pretty big so if you have a sizable donation, you can easily fill up both bags. All you do is drop them off at a USPS location and then Fashion Project will put the items up on their site for sale. They’ll send you a tax receipt when all is said and done.
Deciding what to get rid of wasn’t so hard for me this time, because a) I can’t wear heels anymore, and b) this isn’t like before where I needed to hold on to every single couture item I earned.
Everything can easily be replaced.
So what did I end up donating?
A lot of shoes! Many of them I didn’t even know I owned. I kept all of my Bally heels because they’re all super comfortable. I got rid of my Jimmy Choo, Stella McCartney and Badgley Mischka shoes to start.
I kept the Celine and the Valentino, got rid of the Christian Dior (except for one jacket). I got rid of a Fendi bag. I almost didn’t donate it, because I had to ask myself if I needed to replace it with another Fendi until I realized I owned another Fendi already (one that I apparently use a lot during the hockey season…oh, how we forget so easily).
I got rid of a lot of Ann Taylor and J Crew, which they seem to sell a lot of at Fashion Project.
What’s interesting about this whole sorting and getting rid of my couture items is that I discovered a lot of items hidden away that I didn’t even know I owned. I found two pairs of Prada shoes! I tried them both on because I thought maybe the reason why they were hidden away was because they hurt my feet. I tried them on…they fit like a glove. They were just forgotten, but now found.
I found a pair of Miu Miu shoes I hadn’t even worn yet and rediscovered why I loved this brand so much.
This process of going through and looking at all of my couture and designer items really helped me to focus on what I had, what I loved and wanted to keep, and the stuff that I should be wearing. If it didn’t fit into my lifestyle or if they hurt, they were donated.
A major factor that played into deciding what would go dealt with the new lifestyle. I’ve changed a lot since my surgery, all the way down to my style. Why keep the stuff that is no longer me?
For the non-couture and non-designer stuff, that is all being donated to the Veterans of America. Although, a few accessories are being shipped up to a friend in Massachusetts. She can wear those 4″ heels, because I sure can’t anymore. {The joys of getting old}
Oh, and if you notice in the picture, the green NHL Awards dress from a few years back is being donated. I wore that dress the last time Martin Brodeur was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. I think it got 2 wears total.
So if you’re looking for ways to give back, and you have a lot of designer duds, consider donating them to Fashion Project to raise money for your favorite charity.
You can even shop their site. I bought a Gucci satchel from them a few months back. A friend of mine is practically living in her Cole Haan bag she picked up from them.
Zac Posen donated a bunch of bags to the site for charity last month. Lord & Taylor has paired up with them as well. The list of retailers and designers teaming up with Fashion Project is growing. This is the place where fashionistas go to give back and to shop.
French Fashion
Last week was all about art. This week, we are making a shift into what the French are well known for besides their food and culture…their fashion.
You can thank the days of Louis XIV as the reason why luxury fashion became the “IT” thing. He started the trend in the mid-1600s and the trend never died. It’s still going stronger than it ever was. During Louis XIV’s reign, fashion seasons and fashion styles began to change on an ongoing basis.
It was the need for couture fashion and the French court’s extravagant lifestyles impoverishing the people of France that led to the demise of Marie Antoinette and the start of the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette’s very own dressmaker, Rose Bertin, was the first to open up her own dress shop before the revolution came to town.
From 1860-1960, couturier houses came into being. Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854. Vogue magazine began publication in 1892. The first fashion house to open was opened by Charles Frederick Worth. He was well known as being able to dictate to people what they would wear. Jeanne Paquin was the first woman to open a fashion house. Coco Chanel opened up her fashion house in 1925. Balenciaga opened up in 1937.
Many fashion houses closed during World War II, including Chanel. After the war, Christian Dior, Balmain and Givenchy came onto the scene. Chanel returned in 1952.
In the 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent broke onto the scene. In the following decades, Gaultier and Lacroix hit the scene.
It wasn’t just fashion that dominated the scene, the cosmetic industry in France became one of the biggest in the world. Many of the biggest name brands got their humble beginnings there.
Many of the brand names I’ve mentioned here have a rich history and continue to be one of the most expensive and cherished couture brands in the world. The name is not the only reason for its price tag. You have to add the master craftsmanship as being the best in the world, and they also choose from the finest materials in the world to create each luxury piece whether it be clothing, accessories or cosmetics.
Because of the demand for couture products, which is generally only affordable by the rich, counterfeit couture items started to hit the market. Louis Vuitton has been plagued by it since its beginnings in the mid-1800s. Counterfeiters over the years have become so good at their craft that it is hard to distinguish the real from the fake. You have to have a keen eye for detail to determine which is the real one and which is the fake.
Then again, why carry a fake? Believe it or not, when I travel internationally, if I’m carrying a designer bag, I am always stopped. The contents of my bag are removed and an officer inspects the bag itself for authenticity. Fines for carrying a fake couture bag can be anywhere close to the retail price of the real bag (or more). In other words, it’s a crime to carry a fake. If you can’t afford the real one, you’re definitely not going to be able to afford the fines.
Building a Couture Wardrobe
Since today’s post is a shopping post, the question is: How does one who is not oozing with money but loves couture fashion build a couture wardrobe?
You shop smart and you have to be okay with shopping vintage.
When Angelina Jolie started carrying the Louis Vuitton Sac Plat, I knew instantly that I wanted one. It was sold out in stores immediately. It took me several years to find one and I found it through a consignment shop in NYC called INA. It was gently used, but it was the Sac Plat I had been looking for. Now, the design is back for sale online at Louis Vuitton.
I’ve scored Celine and Givenchy at sample sale sites like Modnique and Rue La La. I’ve found the bags I really wanted but couldn’t get fast enough when they first came out (like the Valentino Rosette tote bag) at Fashionphile. Granted, it took a few years to get it, but I got it.
The good thing about these sites is that even though they may sell a few items that are gently used, they let their name stand for itself by backing up the product they are selling. They want you to know that it is 100% authentic and they’ll back it up by letting you return the item if you don’t believe them. There’s no funny business.
I takes years to build up a couture wardrobe. I’ve been working on mine for several years now. I’m a Valentino fan, so my biggest finds have been a $3,345 Valentino dress for $2 at The Outnet 2-year anniversary sale. I scored a pair of Valentino shoes from Modnique for $80. I have a whole collection of Valentino scarves I picked up from now defunct Daffy’s. They were selling them for $45 a piece. I stocked up. As one retailer in Florence, Italy told me…it’s impossible to get Valentino scarves at that price. She can’t even get them at that price! I told her…in NYC, you can.
Unfortunately, those days of massive deals in stores like Daffy’s is a thing of the past. Many stores like Loehmann’s and Daffy’s (both places sold major couture designers at affordable prices) have closed their doors forever. Century 21 still exists, and luckily, they are online. You won’t find the Jimmy Choos online though…you have to go to the store.
Sure, there are outlet malls, but you’re getting defective merchandise and sometimes items that are made specifically for the outlet store. It’s not coming directly from the main warehouse of it’s main store.
Another important element to purchasing couture is TIME. A great time to buy couture is when The Outnet and Net-a-Porter have their semi-annual sales. I’ve gotten everything from Karl Lagerfeld to Bally shoes to Valentino boots to Miu Miu clothes for a steal at these sales. Technically, I save up in between sales so I can splurge when the sales hit. At the last The Outnet sale, I picked up a $4,445 Balmain velvet-brocade skirt for $666.00. I had waited over a year for that skirt. When it hit that price, in my size, and it was the last one…I sprung. It was meant to be mine.
For men who want to wear couture, I’ve found great deals at sample sale sites like Ideeli and Gilt. Both sites also sell women’s clothing and home decor.
Another place to shop are charities. FashionProject.com is my latest daily haunt. The person donating the couture items gets to pick which charity the money goes to. So you’re not only buying a couture item, but you’re also giving to charity. I picked up a Gucci satchel recently for $100 at the site. My friend shops the site more than I do and loves everything she’s scored from these massive deals on couture items. Needless to say, she kind of hates me now because of it. 😉
The Pieces To Start With
Start your couture education by looking at magazines and seeing which styles and designs you like. If you tend to gravitate towards a certain designer again and again when you see items you love, that’s the designer you should invest in.
For me, I started off in the accessories. Usually accessories are much more affordable and easier to find on sale than their more popular items.
For Valentino, I started off with a pair of sunglasses I picked up at a sample sale site.
After that, I always checked the various sample sale sites out there, looking for what they had for sale when it came to Valentino. As time progressed, I found more and more different ways of scoring Valentino pieces until my collection became a nice sizable one from my favorite designer.
For the more voluptuous woman, if your favorite designer does not cater to your size yet, but you just love them…start with their accessories. It’s what I did when I first started. Sooner or later they’ll catch on that they have a whole base of fans that they should be catering to.
Start with one piece at a time. If you discover a massive sale (like those Valentino scarves I found at Daffy’s for $45), then stock up. You’ll never see a sale like that again. Since those sales rarely come, just start with one piece at a time.
When it comes to money, decide on one specific designer each year and work your way towards saving that year to own one item from that designer. Sometimes I find that the hurdle is buying that first piece. After you buy that first piece, it’s all smooth sailing. I usually create a savings plan after looking at the price of the item I want. I then spend the next year looking for that same item (or something similar) by that designer at a lower price, all the while, saving the money up for the purchase. If I find a great deal along the way and have the money saved already for it, that’s when I buy…not a moment before.
Another way to buy couture is to start at the makeup counter. During times when the economy is bad, the cosmetics department’s sales usually boom. You can get your Chanel on without spending 4 figures. Personally, I prefer to go to Saks, especially during their bonus events. You can get an awesome bag with lots of samples from expensive brands inside. Trust me, it’s a great way to load up on perfume for the year.
So start small…even if it’s just a key ring…start small and with what you can afford, gradually working your way up to the bigger purchases. Sometimes the immediate gratification is what we need to feel like we own something magical. I remember how it felt the first time I owned my first couture anything. I felt like I was on top of the world. I still feel that way when I buy something couture.
It’s all about having fewer, but better things.
Favorite Things Post This is An Especially Long Title
This is yet another post layout format available in Photoshop document format with the Mary Kate premade blog kit.
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Bedroom Remodel Take Two
You know how you make all these plans for what to do over the weekend and then on Friday you feel that bit of a sore throat that turns into a sleepfest weekend? Well…that was me last weekend. Hello, bronchitis! I was only awake long enough to meet with the Craigslist people who came to take the garment rack and elliptical trainer out of my apartment.
That now means I have more room to maneuver around the bedroom. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to put together the last unit with drawers or start sanding and painting the bureau with the new colors that came in from Martha Stewart’s line of paints.
So while I finish battling out this bronchial infection with soups and liquids, I can start planning for the next phase…the issues I see cropping up post-organization.
DILEMMA: SHOES!!!!
I may or may not be starting a new obsession with Bally shoes. I just got my first pair of Bally heels for $100 at The Outnet clearance. I put them on and they were more comfortable than my Adidas flip flops I wear around the house (you know…the ones swimmers wear). Imagine…heels…more comfortable than your FLIP FLOPS!
I’ve had to lock up my credit cards for fear that I might be starting a new collection of shoes. I want to get the organization under wraps first before buying another pair of Bally shoes.
A search on Pinterest today gave me a few ideas…
While this would be perfect for any fashionista’s fantasy shoe closet:
It’s so not happening. I don’t have the space for a unit like that. {I wish I did.}
While this might be more reasonable on space…
Apartments are usually smaller, so we need to work within the confines of a smaller space since the purse collection is taking up the majority of the space.
I can see this working within the confines of limited space…
This would be more ideal:
Or even this…
But honestly…I don’t like to look at my shoe collection, unless I’m displaying them like art…
I like that idea, as well as the slender, tall cabinet big enough for 5 rows of shoes (20 pairs)…the hunt would be on to find a similar cabinet. {Anyone have any ideas?}
But what about those shoes you can’t display like your tennis shoes? Or shoes that just won’t hang up like flats?
I came across an ottoman that you could store shoes in…
But that doesn’t solve my solution, because this ottoman is way too bulky and would take up space.
So I started to think…how would I like to display my shoes, even the ones not worth displaying? Here’s the solution I came up with:
I decided to go with the display cabinet (pending if I can find one) to display my couture shoes and use the matching shoe storage with shoe tags on the boxes for everything else. I can store the bigger boots under the dresser and bed, and keep the majority of the shoes neatly organized as such in the closet.
[8/8/12 update: I never told you guys/gals what my colors were. Well…before I start taking photos, I’m going to let you in on a secret color (besides white)…it’s Tiffany blue. Today, I found Tiffany blue cardstock from Paper & More to wrap around the shoeboxes I already have (instead of spending money on new boxes). I found a template for the shoe tags that I’ll be attaching the photos to and I’ll be using the white ribbon from all of my Tiffany & Co. purchases to tie the tags onto the boxes. The card stock for 50 sheets of 11×17 paper cost me about $26 after shipping. That should be more than enough to cover all of the boxes and create the tags. Tiffany blue always makes us ladies happy. That’s why it’s an accent color in the room!]As far as a place to just kick shoes off and organize them nicely?
How about this????
I always have a pile of flats lying around the floor when I get home. This would solve that dilemma by throwing them (neatly) into a basket under the console table. I already have baskets there filled with magazines. I can always move the magazines into holders and move them into the office/library.
[8/8/12 Update: If you have a lot of flats, the best way to store them is to put one shoe inside of the other and then place them in the basket. That keeps the flats together. I actually displayed my flats standing them up inside the basket. It makes it easier to find when you’re on the go. Also, keep the tennis shoes in the back of the basket. The way I displayed the shoes, the colorful flats were placed in the front. That’s all you can see. The basic flats and the tennis shoes went to the back of the basket. You can’t even see them!]DILEMMA: LAUNDRY
This is a pretty bad situation right now. I haven’t done laundry since June…which kind of surprises me that I have so many pairs of underwear. Even more shocking is that I haven’t even put a dent on my wardrobe. There’s still an overstuffed closet filled with clothing in there.
But I do see the pile of clothes piling up that need to be laundered. Once that is out of the way, here comes the next dilemma…how to store laundry between the monthly washes. Yes…I do laundry ONCE a month.
While the double hamper is ideal…
It may not fit. Also, I could run across the issue of the color not matching.
So the next best bet? This is the answer…
I can change the rectangular hamper to fit sideways or against the wall. The circular hamper, allows for a different look to the room instead of going along with all of the rectangular furniture already in the room. The circular hamper can hold the whites, while the bigger hamper can fit the darks.
I also have to instill a new rule…laundry is done when the hampers fill up.
So that’s the next phase. Now to find that cabinet! For some reason I bet Ikea has something like it.
Bedroom Remodel Part One
Since I got back from Italy, all I can think about is how things are changing…FOR THE BETTER. The focus is on me and my life and making today better than it was yesterday. That means establishing new rules to fix everything in life that I let slide that happens to be hurting me.
The focus this weekend has been on my bedroom.
Last week, I talked about the new closet organizers I purchased to organize my accessories. {See… I Did What?} I spent this weekend watching a little bit of the Olympics and Pretty Little Liars while I put these items together.
For some odd reason, I thought I ordered the organizers with doors. Silly me! I should know that I would want to be able to see my purse collection instead of hide them behind closed doors! So unlike what I wrote last week, I actually purchased two of the open shelving in the top right hand corner, and two of the drawers on the bottom right corner.
Don’t let the picture fool you. These are taller and wider than I thought they would be. But the good news is that they’re much slimmer, which allows for wider foot traffic between the furniture and the bed.
For those looking to order similar organizers, I highly recommend purchasing Martha Stewart’s organization solutions. Her instructions are the best I’ve ever come across in putting together furniture. Home Decorator’s instructions had me sitting there going…’what in the hell are you trying to tell me to do?’
If I wasn’t a little seasoned in putting together furniture, I would have probably pulled my hair out. After I deciphered what was going on, it was pretty simple to put everything together. I think what took longer was trying to decipher the foreign language, bad pictures, bad examples and trying to decipher which half of the instructions were left out. {I’m not joking when I say they didn’t put in half of the instructions.}
I was able to put together 4 out of the 5 pieces I bought from Home Decorator’s Collection over the weekend. I had to stop after that because the boxes and packaging piled up to the point that the trash had to go before opening up one more box.
Here’s how this new organization project went down…
Let the Organization Begin!
I started to organize everything neatly onto the shelves. I decided to keep one open faced cabinet with my couture designer purse collection and let the other one house my non-couture collection that I can’t give up because I love them so much.
This was also a good way to start going through the masses of bags that have recently multiplied and made babies. It was also a good way to decide what has to go and what I’m keeping.
I started off by taking one bag after another from their current hiding place and putting the designer bags onto the shelves. I separated the tote bags that can lie flat and began to lie one on top of the other, while I put the more structured bags on the top two shelves.
My first couture bag…the Burberry…was placed at the top, where I could see it, followed by my Burberry clutch in Tiffany blue that I picked up at the last NHL Awards in Las Vegas. I then put my prized Rebecca Minkoff satchel along with all of my black designer bags together on the middle shelf.
On the bottom shelf, I placed all of the bags that could lay flat next to the Fendi messenger tote I picked up for around $50 at Bonanza.com. Many of the bags I could fold over three times, so I stuffed the handles in between the folds.
After I put all of the couture bags on the shelves, I took a step back and remarked to myself that I couldn’t believe how many black bags I owned…which led to…wow…I can’t believe I own so many couture bags. {Pat on the back!}
I organized the non-couture cabinet the same way, only the snakeskin group served as the black bag organization frenzy that was on the couture side. The more structured bags hit the top shelf, while all of the flat totes went on the bottom.
What determined if I kept the bag on the non-couture side? It either had to lay flat or look pretty on the shelf. If it didn’t fit either description, it hit the DONATE bin.
A New Home
There was a Tommy Hilfiger straw bag I loved when I bought it but have to find a new use for because it was pilling. It actually started pilling after day one, which is a shame because it was such a nice bag.
I plan on upcycling the bag and using it as a storage solution in another room. Like people use baskets to store stuff away, a big tote bag can serve as storage in another room. Just make sure the colors match.
I bought a cute yellow (fake) leather tote from Forever 21 a few months back. It matched the pillows in my living room, so after I carried the bag around for a week, I put it next to the couch. It’s now the place I dump magazines into when I walk into the apartment.
I have another large octopus tote that I picked up in North Carolina (yes, the bag that the Columbus Blue Jackets have tweeted about in the past…What is it about stalkerish hockey players? They follow you around while you shop…tweet what you purchase…tweet what you talk about to your friends…). I hide books in this infamous tote bag when the shelves are overflowing with literature. Not all books have to be displayed (just make sure you keep a list of your titles…I keep mine in an Excel spreadsheet on my computer along with the location).
What to Donate When You Can’t Decide
Ah, the issues of what to part with when you have a COLLECTION. It’s probably the hardest thing to do…decide what you are willing to part with when every single piece you purchased has some sort of history to it [see Burberry bags…octopus bag…etc.]
It’s difficult parting with pieces you think you love. Then there’s making the decision of what you want to carry with you as you move forward in life. One of the first conditions on whether I kept a bag or not had more to do with if it looked pretty on the shelf or not. Guess what bags got tossed first? THE NEON BAGS! They never really look good on shelves…which should say a lot about them not looking good on a person.
What followed next were the bags that I did not feel comfortable carrying. Those bags that hurt while carrying…GOODBYE! There were even a few bags that I had to do a few triple takes to try and decide if I could use them as a storage solution or change the bag into a pillow. The design had to be my kind of ‘home decor’ worthy or it went in the DONATE pile.
The most important part of all of this decision making was divorcing my ‘feelings’ towards these items. In order to make decisive solutions regarding my clutter, I had to get rid of any emotions that I could attach to my collection. That’s the reason why ‘clutter’ continues…we become emotionally involved in it, not realizing that what we claim we actually love is hurting us by making us feel overwhelmed with ‘too much’ stuff that we love. A cluttered home = bad feelings in your own home. An organized, clutter free home = simplicity and happiness.
Another ’emotion’ trigger I used in deciding what was getting donated was how I felt about the bag…that is, as far as negative emotions were concerned. Did it hurt me when I carried it? If it did…it went bye-bye. The point of this was to surround myself in the things that made me happy. If a strong emotion of distaste occurred…it meant I really had no reason to keep it.
A Loving Look at the Inventory
After all was said and done, I took one look at my couture collection and was actually surprised at how many couture bags I actually owned. I’ll be the first to admit that I believe that I don’t own that many couture bags. I buy them and then they get mixed up in the non-couture collection. I forget I even own anything couture.
Truthfully, I was a bit shocked to see the entire collection all in one spot. It was no longer mixed in with the non-designer group, so I was able to really take a look at my couture collection.
The couture collection was almost as equally big as the non-designer group. I had to pat myself on the back because it made me realize how amazing my fantasy wardrobe collection had become.
Long gone are the days that I dreamed of owning a Fendi, a Burberry, a Valentino or any of those bags sitting on those shelves. It’s a dream I made come true…all out and in the open for me to see and stop hiding away underneath the rest of the junk.
Moving Forward Towards Phase Two
I not only separated up the bags according to couture vs. non-couture, but I also applied the same methodology to my scarf collection. One shelf had all of my designer scarves filled with Valentino, Tiffany & Co. and Salvatore Ferragamo (and one day Hermes), the other had all of my non-designer scarves that have kept me warm throughout the years.
Some of the scarves I had to force myself to give up and put in either the donate bin or the upcycle bin for the quilt I’ll be piecing together. The rule was, “Can I see myself EVER wearing this?” I had a year to wear it. If I hadn’t worn it in that time frame, it was in one of the two bins.
Some people like to apply the two year rule to clothing…accessories can go into a one year rule, because you can use them more frequently than clothing.
Jewelry sorting I’m going to save for another day.
As for the dresser that used to house the accessories, almost everything was taken out of it so it could be moved into the kitchen where it will be serving a new function…it will serve as my pantry for now until I’m ready to work on the kitchen remodel (that includes a new storage solution system and getting rid of 3 pieces of temporary furniture for 1 new upgrade piece).
Now, I have to sort through more clothes that will be donated or upcycled. So far more things are being donated than upcycled. That, of course, is a good sign that the clutter is being brought under control.
The only problem right now…I can’t get to my closet until the trash men pick up all of these boxes!
After they pick them up, I can start on the final cabinet and finish moving things around into their new homes. I also need to find a new double hamper to match this grouping.
Hopefully, the new paint, etc. from Home Depot will arrive before next weekend so I can also start and finish the dresser update.
Next week, I hope to donate all of the clutter items that made the Donate bin, and get rid of the elliptical trainer & the extra metal frame wardrobe I had to buy to give me more closet space. One thing is for sure…if it’s a workout machine and I have to put it together…chances of me ever using it is about 1 time before I think I’m going to kill myself on it. I have no qualms about handing it off to someone else to take a stab at putting it together correctly.
I also have no room for it. I’ll keep the yoga mat. 🙂 It’s easier to pack up and move to a new home.
After all of this is done, it comes down to the finishing touches of reassembling artwork and the new little things I’ve found to enhance the look of the room.
This little upgrade is a little on the expensive side, but it’s worth the way I feel about this new change in my life. It only has me thinking about how I’m preparing for my new home.
Feeling Green
I’m a little in love with the latest green in fashion. I loved it so much, I actually ordered a couple of items from ASOS last week and absolutely fell in love with them. Check out what I bought…
Ming Green Vila Linen Blend Belted Dress, $16.57.
Jade London Rebel Classic Pointed Toe Ballerina, $33.14
I also picked up a bag to go with this ensemble (that I wear with black pants). It’s a super cute tote for only $16.57.
I like the yellow and purple with the neutral tone. It goes perfectly with the ensemble so I don’t come across as wearing too much green.
I paired this look with a green lace bangle I picked up at Mango in Milan, Italy for about $5 and this bauble from Bauble Bar:
Currently only comes in turquoise, $38.
My total purchase for ASOS came to $66.28. Not bad for a dress, shoes and tote. My favorite of the buy? I love them all.