Tag Archives: Spring

Round Up: Throw Pillows

Style and Design, , , , , , , , , ,

A new season is nigh! And if you’re anything like me, new seasons have you jonesing for a home decor switcheroo.

This call toward updated interiors is especially strong for me in the transition from winter to spring. Something about the temperatures rising, the days getting longer, and hearing birds chirping outside my window every morning makes me want to throw open the curtains a la Cinderella and get to work redoing my whole home with pretty colors, lighter fabrics, and dainty decor.

Unfortunately, I only want to spend a Cinderella budget on these updates (and I don’t have any adorable mice to help me)…so I’m always on the lookout for home decor pieces that pack a big visual punch without a big price tag. One of my favorite items for this? Throw pillows! Obviously we can’t change out our sofas for spring or buy brand new bed clothes every year…but pop a few new pillows around the home and VOILA! These pieces have a brand new look.

Below, I’ve scouted a few of my favorites…

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Which would you choose?

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Spring into Style with a Fashion Refresh!

Fashion, Style and Design, , , , , , , ,

Spring is in the air, the sun is peeking out from behind the clouds and the warmth we’ve been waiting for is barreling in. Brighter and longer days means our moods are lifted. But it also means we might be considering a fashion refresh. Winter has a way of lulling us into a fashion monotony. Jeans, sweaters, boots. Rinse and repeat. Hair in a top knot or shoved in a toboggan. Black, black, maybe some brown or navy…and MORE BLACK. Sound familiar? But now Spring has SPRUNG. So what can you do to SPRING into STYLE?

Think about a capsule wardrobe

One of the first things to consider is a popular topic here on this blog — the capsule wardrobe. Capsule wardrobes simplify your wardrobe and can accommodate all aspects of your style. It may seem counter-intuitive, but by simplifying your choices, you actually become MORE adventurous in what you wear. Because of the limited options you start to combine different pieces to create new outfits and looks. Rather than repeat the same refrain over and over again.

HOW TO CREATE A WORK CAPSULE WARDROBE FOR SPRING

Add some color to your wardrobe

Another thing you can consider? Adding color! If color is normally something you shy away from you can still inject some of the trend into your wardrobe choices by choosing to get colorful with shoes or accessories. This is really on trend for Spring anyway.  So, you can get creative with your outfit additions without pushing yourself too much out of your comfort zone.

THE ROY G. BIV OF SPRING SHOES

What about the jewelry?

Jewelry is another way to really transform an outfit. For example, one statement necklace will completely change the look of a plain t-shirt. Websites like animalkingdomjewelry.com are a great place to look for some inspiration. Their animal-themed pieces are a great way to add a touch of whimsy to any outfit. But there are lots of other options out there! You could even make your own piece of jewelry! Great conversation starter. 

DIY: CHALKBOARD NECKLACE

Add some protection

One thing to remember at this time of year is to dress your skin. Not literally in clothes but with SPF protection! You are more likely to have a little bit more skin on show at this time of year, and there is nothing wrong with that, but that also means you need to add some sunscreen to keep your skin protected from harmful UV rays. Plus this will help you avoid burning and strange red tan lines — a fashion choice I’m unfortunately all too familiar with. (But not this year! I promise!!!) 

MY TOP 10 SKIN CARE STAPLES

Give your feet some love

At this time of year, you are bound to start ditching the boots and socks in favor of your favorite flats and sandals. However, are your feet ready for the exposure? The truth is, we may have neglected our feet a little during the winter months and they could need a little pampering to get ready for sandal season. Book yourself in for a pedicure (or perform one at home!). Buffing the hard skin and giving your nails a fresh coat of polish can make you feel fabulous and certainly ready to rock the sandals.

8 NECESSITIES FOR LONG HIKING TRIPS — including foot care!

Change your hairstyle

If you’re like me, you love long hair in the winter. But as soon as the weather starts to warm up you find yourself itching to chop it all off. Or you’re on the other end of the spectrum with shorter hair and want to invest in extensions for the summer season ahead. A quick look at Pinterest.com should highlight some hairstyle options you might want to consider. You might even want to try out a color change. Be daring! After all, it’s a whole new season.

IRRESISTIBLE ME HAIR EXTENSION REVIEW 

Try something different

Finally, why not use the season change as a prime time to try something different. Maybe you want to do something different with your makeup… Try out a technique like contouring or a smokey eye. There are plenty of YouTube tutorial videos out there. Admittedly, lots with more day-to-day looks than the ones in the post below, haha!

CREATING COSTUME MAKEUP MASTERPIECES!

Do you guys have any other fashion refresh tips to share? 

Work Capsule Wardrobe: Spring Trends

Fashion, Style and Design, , , , , , , , ,

I’m a big believer in the idea that finding ways to eliminate decision fatigue can increase your quality life, eliminate stress, and allow you to focus on the things that truly make you happy. One of my favorite hacks for cutting back on decision fatigue? The work capsule wardrobe. Did you know many of the most successful folk wear the same clothes over and over again. While you may not want to rock jeans and a turtleneck to the office every single day (a la Steve Jobs), reducing your wardrobe will make it a heck of a lot easier to answer “What am I gonna wear today?” every morning.

With this in mind, I thought I’d share a really simple method for putting together a seasonal capsule wardrobe for work! Since Spring is on the horizon, we’ll start there. Let’s go!

First, you want to establish your core pieces. These can change from season to season or remain the same all year long. Either way, these items create the base for your work capsule wardrobe.

Here’s an example —

You can adapt these to fit your own job (an office setting may require a blazer but a teacher may prefer a cozy cardigan instead) and your preferences (don’t like skirts? don’t include skirts!). But the equation will remain roughly the same —

2 tops +
2 bottoms +
1 dress +
1 outerwear +
2 shoes +
2 bags +
3 accessories =
Core Work Capsule

Next, you want to look for inspiration. Scour your favorite fashion mags, blogs, and Pinterest boards to get an idea of looks you might want to include in your capsule for the season. Identify about 5 trends. For Spring 2018, the fashion trends I’m loving are: FLORAL COATS, PASTEL MULES, PINK DRESSES, TIE BLOUSES, and WRAP SKIRTS.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces —

Finally, you want to gather trend items to build out your wardrobe. After you’ve found your favorite trends of the season, you’ll add wardrobe pieces to reflect them. Add 1-3 pieces for each trend (depending on how minimal you want to be). There are multiple ways to do this. Let’s use the trends listed above as an example. To incorporate your fave spring trends you might pull a wrap skirt and a tie blouse out of the “warm weather clothing” storage tucked in a bin under your bed, hit your local thrift shop to find a new-to-you pink dress, and splurge on a pair of pastel mules and a floral blazer. There’s no need to buy a ton of trendy items — find ways to incorporate the looks of the season without spending a fortune!

And there you have it! You can repeat this process each season to decrease decision fatigue while still lookin’ fly at work. 🙂

What other closet conundrums would be fun to combat with a capsule wardrobe? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll consider creating a capsule for a future post!! ❤  

P.S. If you’re more of a one and done capsule wardrobe person (or the concept sparks your interest), you can get a checklist PDF of my 50 Piece All-Season Capsule Wardrobe right this way! 

What’s in my bag?

Every day life, , , , , ,

whats in my bag spring edition

whats in my bag spring 2

I got this upcycled bag as a present from my Mom a few years back. I think the pastel colors and cheeky geese on the front make it a great bag to crack out for Spring strolls and shopping excursions. Here’s a peek at what I’ll be carrying around this season.

1. iPhone My phone is pretty much surgically attached to me, sad to say. At least it looks cute dressed up in this mandala-inspired elephant case. I got this one on Amazon, and while it took nearly a month to ship, it was only a couple dollars.

2. Travel Umbrella Not the cutest print in the world but it will keep me prepared for any Spring showers that will no doubt pop up (or the MONSOON we had last week). Full disclosure: I took this little guy out of the Lost & Found at work because I wanted something small for my tiny backpack. Sorry, not sorry.

3. Burt’s Bees This Coconut & Pear variety was a total impulse buy but well worth it. Have you seen the documentary Burt’s Buzz? I loved it and it totally could have been the reason for the impulse.

4. Lip Color For when I want to look a little more vibrant and put together, I can throw on Mineral Fusion’s lip tint in “smolder”.

5. Granola I’m completely addicted to local company, Sweetgrass Granola. The miniature size of their products is perfect for snacking on the go. Pro tip: If I’m wanting to eat breakfast out at a coffee shop, a super cheap option is to just get a yogurt with my coffee and top it with some of this secret stash.

6. Reading Material Currently I’m hauling around this hardback copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. The characters are delicious and it’s a magical escape during Spring afternoon sun worshipping and waiting room blues. My brother and his fiancee are getting married in Savannah in just a few months! I can’t wait to be in this city!

7. Notebook I love jotting down lists and blog ideas in my Baron Fig “Confidant” hardcover notebook. I opt for the dot grid pages. My boyfriend is slowly but surely turning me in to quite the notebook snob.

8. Pen Sharpie pens in fun colors are my newest kryptonite. They are certainly my favorite thing to write with and I always keep one on hand.

9. Change Purse Some adventures just don’t call for hauling around a giant billfold full of every rewards card imaginable and a checkbook. This dainty change purse does just fine holding a little bit of cash and cards. Bonus, it’s Fair Trade!

10. Keys If I could put everything I own on a carabiner I certainly would. Also, how cute is that little Radio Flyer keychain? I get tons of comments on it. The only keycards I keep on are my Good Foods Co-op owner card and my Lexington Public Library card.

11. Hair Ties You can never have too many. Especially in warmer months.

12. Allergy Tablets Allergens and I are not friends so I carry Allercetin Allergy & Sinus homeopathic tablets to help me breathe a little easier.

13. Shopping Bag This reusable bag stuffs itself into a handy little pod so it’s perfect for impromptu trips to the store or farmer’s market.

14. Tea There’s something quite spring-y to me about green tea.

15. Sunglasses The shaaaaaaade of it all! Buying prescription eye-wear on the internet was intimidating at first, but I’ve been quite happy with these white and pink sunnies from Lookmatic.