November 5th, 2012
Free People Dress, Rag + Bone Blazer, H&M Tights, Steve Madden Booties, Alexandra DeClaris Clutch, Bijules Nail Ring, Deepa Gurnani Hair Clip, Deborah Lippmann “Carefree Coral” Nail Polish
An LBD is great, but there’s something about a metallic dress that consistently works anytime you want to get dolled up. I have a couple in my closet and they work just as well for the holidays as they do for random date nights (which was the impetus for this outfit), and I love that this one is a simple shape with a light material (and under $90). I kept everything else streamlined – it was the first time I had worn tights in months! – and finished the look with two little braids wrapped into a side bun.
October 18th, 2012
A few weeks back I visited my friend Cristina’s condo that she had recently purchased and sitting outside was this worn-down credenza. The shape was great – with a clean top, ample space, and an intricately shaped underside, but she didn’t have room for it in her current place. Instead of selling it, I convinced her that we should set up a sort of sisterhood-of-the-traveling-credenza situation. So I took it home and spruced it up, full well knowing that in a few years she might take it back and re-do it in a bright yellow. But for the time being, it’s filled a much-needed void in my office (which you can see here) and now holds miscellaneous supplies that didn’t have a place. Here are the simple steps I took to repaint it and how I incorporated it into the room.
Before.
I painted it three coats of glossy bright white with dark navy trimmed drawers.
I chose gold hammered knobs, since they felt slightly nautical without being overly thematic.
A souvenir from my bridal shower: a spray painted tiger – Rachel’s classy way of not decorating for a crazy cat lady.
I added several framed photographs that my husband and I’ve taken – this one’s from the roof of our hotel on our honeymoon in Rome. Also included: miniature pumpkins, Diptqyue’s “Figuier” candle, white hydrangeas, a stack of design books, and a Doloris Petunia necklace.
Some shoes are too pretty to keep stowed away in the closet, including my sparkly heels from our wedding.
Lastly, I lined the drawers in a fun bicycle print (it’s just paper that I secured with double-sided tape) to keep odds and ends, like my (excessive) collection of colored twine.
August 29th, 2012
Last week I finally got around to reorganizing my closet, which I hadn’t done in longer than I’d care to admit. I’m a messy person by nature, so if I go too long between cleaning sessions, things inevitably end up cluttered and chaotic. This past time however, I found myself doing things differently and learned a lot in the process. Here are a few of the simple techniques I implemented and so far, everything has remained intact.
1. Showcase favorites. Your closet (no matter how big or small) should inspire you and make you feel good. I now keep a random mash-up of items on the shelf above my shoes including: a framed photograph of my husband and me, necklaces, ballet flats, a candle, and a vintage purse I wore on our wedding day.
2. Separate bags based on occasion. I used to keep all of my bags jumbled together, whether it was a casual tote or a glittery clutch (if you don’t have the room in your closet, use the top of a dresser or hang on hooks behind a closet door). Now that my evening bags have a dedicated shelf, it’s made it so much easier to grab what I need and go.
3. Organize by color. Not only is it simpler to be able to quickly find what you’re looking for, but it also helps you get an idea of what your closet has enough of (see above: black dresses) and things that you might need (see above: printed dresses).
4. Do what works for you. Everyone recommends that you should fold sweaters to avoid creases and stretching them out. This doesn’t work for me. Instead of pretty piles, my sweaters used to come cascading down on top of me anytime I reached for one. So I hung mine on wooden hangers and freed up some shelf space (for my bags) in the process.
5. Keep things accessible. I have a good collection of shoes, but realistically, I wear the same few pairs more often than not. I’ve now shifted things around so the top two shelves are dedicated to those I wear most frequently.
6. Make more space. In the past, I didn’t wear pants as often as I do now, so I had each pair folded over on regular hangers (these are my favorites). They took up more space that way, so I switched to clip hangers so they now lie flat and flush against each other.
7. Move things around. My blouses used to hang in one of the higher sections of my closet (where my sweaters are now located) and required me to stand on my tippy toes to reach them. Since they’re something I wear nearly everyday, I wanted them to be more convenient, so I switched things around so they’re now under my jackets and blazers.
August 24th, 2012
{Late afternoon pie baking}
It felt like there was a slight shift in seasons this week. It’s been unseasonably humid in L.A., but last night things finally cooled down. I’ve been trying to savor the last bits of summer with some outdoor reading, farmers’ market trips, and some quality time in the kitchen. Here are a few of the things making me happy right now. Have a great weekend.
{At-home manicure with bright polishes and my favorite drugstore nail file}
{Fruit stand sign on the way to Malibu}
{L.A. Craft Beer Crawl + buzzed photo booth shots with Rach}
{A glimpse at my much-needed closet clean-up/reorganization}
