10 Things to Add to Your Closet for Under $100
My nighttime routine
Its safe to say, my favorite part of the day is unwinding after a busy day. After all the house work is done, the dinner is made and cleaned up, and emails responded to, is the time I value most. I never considered myself a busy person and most of the time I feel like I have a pretty relaxed life. But when looking back over schedules, I realize how time seems to escape me each week. Routine for me, is a foreign concept… I am not a routine kind of girl, but one thing is routine for me and that is my night time routine. And while it is not scientifically proven to elongate life or lower blood pressure, here are some tips from my routine that will hopefully help you refocus for the day ahead.
- Hydrate: It seems silly to say, “hydrate” like your about to run a marathon, but sleeping might as well be. When you sleep is your body resets it self in a way and drinking water helps in that process. If your like me, you drink less water throughout the work day so when I get home I drink herbal tea and have a glass of ice water (with ice cubes) sitting next to me. Another tip: don’t have alcohol with dinner, drink water instead. Staying hydrated will help your skin stay bright and help you sleep better (which is overall more relaxing).
- Wash your face: I typically take my make up off right when I get home. The first step to healthy skin is always washing your face and removing your make up after a long day helps you relax. For my skin routine, I use Mary Kay TimeWise 3 in 1 facial cleanser. I love it because it gets the job done without drying your face out.
- Moisturize: Clean, hydrated skin is the best way to kickstart relaxation. For my daily moisturizer I use, Clinique Moisture Surge , but for the evening, their overnight mask is literally my favorite product. Its odorless, creamy, and gets my skin perfect for the morning. For added goodness, I also use their All About Eyes moisturizer for drying lids and baggy eyes.
- Hair: Taking care of your hair is an important step to feeling relaxed. Before you throw it up in a messy bun to end your evening (what i do). Take some time to brush it 50-100 times and get all the knots out. It seems like a waste of time, but brushing your hair helps clean you scalp and increases blood flow. Not to mention, it helps condition and strengthen your hair and ultimately prevent hair loss.
- My final tip is Reading: Find a good book. My mom has always said that reading keeps her sane. There is nothing more relaxing then escaping your world for a time to enter the world of another and experience their life. Currently, my go to reading is the January issue of Architectural Digest and James Herriot’s, All Creatures Great and Small (a must read for animal lovers). Whatever your favorite genre might be, cut out sometime to read. It will enrich your life.
Happy New Year
Hello again! Long time, no post… Let’s be honest, 2016 was a tough year. But, for many of us, the tough times are often the most informative. I’ve spent this last week reflecting over this past year-the ups, the downs, and the in between times and each year I try to summarize it by one word. Sometimes its a good word and sometimes a bad word, but either way it helps me formulate some goals for the coming year.
This year my word is: limitation
lim·i·ta·tion
-
1.a limiting rule or circumstance; a restriction.“severe limitations on water use”
-
2.LAWa legally specified period beyond which an action may be defeated or a property right is not to continue.
A weird word to pick I know, but bare with me…
2016, more than any other year, has taught me about limits. You see, most of the time our limitations are viewed as something keeping us from accomplishing a goal or stopping us from going further in a certain areas. A good example is running. Fun fact: I am SUPER slow… In Middle school my track coach made me run a 400 meter dash…and I failed….miserably…. every. single. time. No matter how hard a train I will never be a Usain Bolt and thats just something I have to live with. My running is a limitation, especially if I ever have to out run that scary person in the scenario every girl has nightmares about.
For me, limitations have always been a sore point. I’m a prideful person and admitting a limitation isn’t something I’m good at. I’ve often let the fear of failing because of my limitations keep me from trying things. Im afraid of what people will think of me if I end up not being able to perform. What if they stop liking me? What if they can do it, but I can’t? I’ve always been worried about those pesky limitations.
This year, something changed in me, almost like turning the light switch on in a dark room. What if our limitations are actually our allies. When my husband and I got married, he gave me a camera for a wedding present along with a 55 mm lens. I love it and continue to use it now. Its a great lens too, but it presents problems when I want to take wide angle shots or photograph in my tiny house. At first, this frustrated me… I can’t take photos of what I want! Why does it have to be so hard to photograph what I want?! But over time, I began to see the lens as a challenge. How good could I get at taking stills, close up shots, and details? It began to excite me, challenge me and push me to see the limitation of no zoom as an asset to my learning. And over time I learned more and more. I’ll never be a Henri Cartier-Bresson or a Dorothea Lange with the camera but with each shot I continue to learn more and continue to grow.
If I had always viewed my lens as a set back rather than a challenge I never would have kept trying. An easy lesson, but a hard one for someone as stubborn as me. Maybe you’ve already learned this or are born with an innate sense of challenging ones self, but for me limitations is a scary word. But I think for 2017, I want to challenge all of us to nail down some limitations we have and try to see how those limitations might help make us better. Maybe its a stinky job, a lack of experience or connections. Whatever it is, try to make 2017 the year you rethink your limitations and begin to use them to propel you into the next great idea or project. Don’t let another year go by where your letting your limitations be a bad word.
Ultimately, my limitations have made me put greater faith in a limitless God; trusting that He knows best in all things and has made me perfect for what He wants me to accomplish. It is for His glory we have been given everything! So, I guess that means even our limitations too… Maybe in our limitations He is challenging us to look to Him in all things and trust that He who began a good work in us will continue it to completion.
Happy 2017 and God bless!
What I’m Reading: For the Interior Designer in Everyone
I live in a small house on the Chesapeake Bay with some funky architectural features that make any designing a challenge. Although it does have its ups and downs, overall the house has turned into a little project of mine. Finding the perfect place to put furniture, how to capture the most light in one room, making each area its own cozy oasis… all these things have been part of my journey through this home. I’ve found a real passion in making a space into something more than just a living room, or a bedroom, and I’m beginning to find my style in each home decision I make. Along the way, I’ve also started a small collection of books that inspire good design and spur on creativity. Here are is my list of must haves on the interior design book shelf. Whether you have a hard design challenge ahead or just love design, these are great, pretty books to adorn your shelves or coffee tables.
Habitat: A Field Guide to Decorating | by Lauren Liess
One of my favorites. This book is so helpful when deciding those decisions that might not always be just personal taste type decisions. Ones like “Is it okay to skimp on hardware in my kitchen and bath?” or “Do I have to measure my room before I buy furniture…” taking the headache out of designing a room and giving helpful hints along the way with a encyclopedia like format. A MUST read for anyone starting out decorating a room or renovating a house.
Absolutely Beautiful Things: Decorating Inspiration For a Bright and Colorful Life | by Anna Spiro
Now take everything you just learned by Lauren Liess and throw it out! just kidding! BUT while Habitat helps create a foundation for good design fundamentals and planning, this book helps you learn to trust your gut. A snapshot into the design life of Anna Spiro, its the perfect for finding the fun in design. Lessons learned in this book- Don’t be afraid of color. Make each piece in your home have a story. Never buy everything out of a factory but mix it up with antique, custom, and DIY. Don’t be afraid to trust your tastes, as you make decisions, things will come together to express your unique style. Finally, One of the greatest lessons I learned from this book is to always take a second look at what you already have. Learning to restyle what you already own can be the most design inspiring.
A Beautiful Mess: Happy Handmade Home | by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman
The creators of the blog, A Beautiful Mess, have come together to show us how to remake and reuse stuff to make perfect DIY projects for home. A fun book, this is one of my favorites to get inspired and be thrifty. This book is filled with great ideas to make gifts for friends or create some one of a kind pieces for your own home. The pages of this book are colorful and bright and will add some joy to your home. While I love the pages of Architectural Digest and stuffy design books, I never let those direct my design choices entirely. Homes are meant to be lived in and DIY projects lend your home to being more than just a pretty snapshot, but create a space that is well lived and well loved!
The Stuff of Life | by Hilary Robertson
Over many years, we collect lots of stuff and each season of life our stuff reflects our tastes and style during that period. The Stuff of Life is the perfect book to learning how to arrange the objects you’ve accumulated over the years and make aesthetically pleasing displays of all the stuff that makes your house a home. Filled with beautiful pictures, its a 208 page book of total inspiration! One of my favorites.
The West Coast: Portland
This past month was my first time to the West Coast and although I’m a die hard Ohio girl I have to confess that the landscape of the Pacific Northwest is unbeatable. Our first stop on the map was the good ole city of Portland, OR. My preconceived vision of what portland would be was beards, hipsters, and trees, and I was pretty much right. Its both weird, depressing, and successful all in one square mile… If you are traveling to Portland be prepared to get outside your comfort zone and experience Stumptown while meeting some of the nicest people around. Don’t be afraid to try new things and
If you want to be out in the fresh air, I highly recommend the International Rose Test Garden where there are over 550 species of roses! It’s like walking through a dream and is surrounded by acres of park to hike and explore. Get a self guided tour brochure from the gift shop and explore the gardens, or attend one of the many events held at the amphitheater throughout the year.
For shopping, I spent the day going to many of the small businesses around portland. Some I highlight in this post, The Meadow, a bitters, chocolate, and spice shop on NW 23rd St. Get perfect unique gifts for friends and loved ones and try samples of their bitters and chocolates. I loved my time there and though its a small shop, I could have spent all day sampling and discovering the thousands of ways to use salt.
They also have a location in New York City, so if you’re on the East coast there is no missing out on all this store has to offer.
Another great reason to go to Portland- Coffee. Though not as famous as the city of Seattle for its coffee, it too sells delicious varieties of the much coveted beverage. My husband loves Stumptown coffee which is a local coffee shop in downtown Portland. Sample their nitro coffee or get my personal favorite, a cafe Mocha.
Some other places to try in Portland. First stop, Voodoo Doughnuts. Yes, they only accept cash and there are usually long lines but it is totally worth the wait! Try their Old Bastard which
combines chocolate and peanut butter frosting and oreo crumbs) or their Maple Bacon donut (which is self explanatory and delicious) or even something as wild as their fruit loop donut! Their menu is intense, so when in doubt ask the workers for their suggestions.
It’s the perfect way to start the day! Next, try one of the many breweries in Portland or head to Tasty and Alder for a tapas style meal to share with friends along with a good beer.
If you get the chance, try to get out to Hood Forest National Park and spend the day hiking. We took one day to go out there and I wish we could have had more time! It’s so beautiful and totally worth seeing. I’ll share about our trip to Hood National Park in my next travel blog post, but for now enjoy the pictures of the city and feel free to comment with the fun places you’ve been to in Portland! Never stop exploring!
Chive and Cheese Scones
What do you do when you have tons of cheese and your chive plants go crazy? You make savory scones! For me, the kitchen is a place to relax and when life seems a little crazy. I know I can go to the ovens and whip something up that tastes good and makes everyone feel better after a busy week. This will be the first weekend my husband and I have been home in almost a month!! So, I’m ready for a calm weekend of comfort food, good books, and relaxation. This recipe for scones is a great, fool proof recipe for when you need to get rid of extra stuff in the kitchen. You can use whatever cheese you have although cheddar is the best and any combination of herbs like rosemary or basil which also seems to be growing at a rapid pace in my garden. So whip it up, let it bake, and enjoy with a good soup for dinner or even for a breakfast sandwich with eggs and bacon.
Ingredients:
2½ cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
2 large eggs
⅔ cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk on hand mix together 1 tablespoon vinegar and ⅔ cup milk and sit for 5 min to thicken)
⅔ cup grated sharp cheddar
¼ cup chopped chives
- Sift together Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt.
- Add 2 Eggs and Buttermilk
- Lightly mix in Chives and Cheese
- The dough will be a little sticky, but don’t over mix! Spread some flour onto a clean surface and gently kneed the dough.
- Pat the dough into a round circle about 10 inches in diameter and into 8 triangles.
- Optional: egg wash the tops of the scones before baking
- Place the dough triangles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes till golden brown!
- ENJOY!
The Cake Blog: Eton Mess Cake
We recently celebrated my husbands, 24th birthday and instead of buying a cake (which is what I would usually do) I decided to make a cake. Personally, baking isn’t something I enjoy that often but the occasion called for me to pull together every ounce of baking I had in my body to make something edible.
I came across this delicious cake blog called The Cake Blog… I know behind the curve. Recognized by almost every lifestyle magazine, it’s a collaboration of bakers from around the country who share their recipe secrets with the world. I was so excited by all the delicious recipes I bookmarked about fifteen of them. My husband loves fruit and neither of us are big icing fans. It was about 100 degrees outside the week of his birthday; so whats better than cool whipped cream and refreshing fruit paired with a delicious sponge cake.
It was so fun to bake and honestly, one of the tastiest things I’ve ever made. The Cake Blog is definitely a keeper and a super helpful resource for recipes. Below is the recipe from the Cake blog! Try it out and enjoy!
Inspired by the classic dessert, this Eaton Mess Cake combines crisp meringues, sweetened cream, fresh berries – layered between a light and airy sponge cake. A refreshing dessert for spring and summer celebrations.
Source: Eton Mess Cake
11 Old Movies You Have to See
After a long series of busy weekends filled with weddings, friends, and family; my husband and I are ready for a weekend with nothing to do but relax. We live in a little house by the water and when the sun is shining you can find us outside enjoying our pier with a nice glass of lemonade or a good book but when there’s rain I usually curl up on the couch with a cup of cocoa and raid the internet for the perfect movie. I’m a sucker for oldies, preferably black and white with actors in suits and evening dresses. As I’ve grown older, my love for these timeless movies has grown deeper with a greater sentimentality.
Old movies are like a keyhole to the past, we can see ourselves in them and understand more deeply where we came from. We can see a whole different view point. We can morn the loss of times gone by and celebrate the changes that have made for a better society. If you have never seen a movie older than 1980 then something must change. The perfect place to start is with this list and then who know?! you might be hooked on oldies like me.
Casablanca
“Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.”
A timeless story about a freedom fighter exiled to the unoccupied french city of Casablanca and a young girl
who is hiding a big secret from him. This story is about true love and what a man in love will do to help the woman he loves who can never be his. If this movie doesn’t make you tear up there is something wrong with you. You’ll be saying “here’s looking at you, kid” for the next week.
Desk Set
“I don’t smoke, I only drink champagne when I’m lucky enough to get it, my hair is naturally natural, I live alone… and so do you.”
My favorite actress, Katherine Hepburn is absolute perfection in this movie. I first watched this movie when I was fifteen and was so enthralled with a world completely different than our modern world. In an age of reference departments, computers the size of rooms, and people needing to phone in to find out the words to Santa’s reindeer, this movie makes us chuckle about how different things are now. Filled with laughs, romance, and wit this movie is perfect for when you need a pick me up.
A Nun’s Story
“Dear Lord, forgive me, I cannot obey anymore. What I do from now on is between You and me alone.”
When I think of Audrey Hepburn, this isn’t the role typically associated with her. She usually plays a stylish woman winning the affections of a handsome man in a big city, but in this movie she is conflicted by her convictions of her vow to join the church. Taking us through leaving her family, her travel to foreign countries and her own battle through World War 2. If you are looking for a drama to fill the evening this is a good one.
The King and I
“Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!”
Since the age of six I have been watching this movie and my opinion has stayed the same throughout time. In this movie we
see the struggle of a king with remaining the backward traditions of his country while keeping up with the modern world. He is introduced to an English teacher who has come to teach his numerous children. Beautiful and timeless this movie is perfect for any rainy day. You can sing along with classic songs and drift away to another world.
Charade
I’m sorry I thought you were the murderer.”
One of my all time favorites, Charade is the perfect blend of romance, crime investigation, and who’s who. Cary Grant is always keeping you guessing while Audrey is caught up in who she should trust while solving her husbands riddled past. I love this movie and its a great mystery story. For a person who doesn’t enjoy horror or thrillers, Charade is as close as you can get if you are watching it with someone who wants something more thrilling.
Witness for the Prosecution
I am constantly surprised that women’s hats do not provoke more murders.
Based on the play by Agatha Christie, Witness for the Prosecution is for all the crime buffs who love a good mystery movie. Leaving you with lots of questions, and sitting on the edge of your seat. Its film noir at its finest. Thats all I have to say. I randomly found this movie when I turned
on TMC and have loved it ever since.
State Fair
Our state fair is a great state fair, don’t miss it, don’t even be late!
One of my all time favorites, State Fair makes going to a fair even more magical than you already imagine it to be. When people still dressed up to go to the fair and stayed overnight, the State Fair becomes a fairytale. This movie is filled with singing and dancing and makes you wish it was summer time.
Shop Around the Corner
Psychologically, I’m very confused… But personally, I don’t feel bad at all.
Jimmy Stewart is at his best in this movie. Taking place in a small shop in Budapest, this is the age old story of pen pal lovers who happen to be arch enemies. A story line that has been told a thousand times, but this is the first. Charming and sweet, this movie gives you all the warm fuzzies. Enjoy with a cup of cocoa and a soft blanket.
High Society
I know but George is frowning at me and I can’t dance when anyone frowns at me.
What do you get when you put Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Grace Kelly together for a movie? Answer- A classy affair. The socialites of new york tell there side of the story in High Society. All hell breaks lose when a young socialite (Grace Kelly) is getting remarried and reporters try to find out the real life of the rich and famous. Playful and comical, Grace Kelly is flawless as ever.
Roman Holiday
The best thing I know is to do exactly what you wish for a while.
Another Audrey movie because she is perfect. Young Audrey plays a princess gone rogue. She escapes from her foreign embassy to spend a day traveling as a citizen around Rome. While her companions go into chaos looking for her, she falls into the hands of a reporter who doesn’t know who she is. A fun story that will make you smile, this is a great movie for a girls night and a glass of wine.
The Trouble with Angels
I’ve got the most scathingly brilliant idea!
Mischievous is the word to describe Mary (Hayley Mills) and Rachel (June Harding) as we follow them through their journey through catholic school. They keep Mother Superior on her toes and causes trouble wherever they go. I have grown up loving Hayley Mills who always seems to play characters with vivid imaginations and this movie is no different.
The Virginian Eastern Shore
Over the weekend my husband and I took a trip to my in-law who recently moved to the Virginian Eastern Shore. Basically untouched by much of the modern world, the Eastern Shore of Virginia still holds the simple charm of days long gone. A skinny peninsula off the atlantic coast, it’s scattered with beautiful farmlands, forests, and coastline ripe with wildlife. The drive down is peaceful with the occasional traffic signal and towns consisting of a couple of run down houses and farm stands. If you get the chance and need a quick caffeine stop, head to Rise- Up Coffee in Easton, VA. Organic, small batch coffee roasters Rise-Up coffee company is way better than your Starbucks and its local! My In-laws introduced us to this place, and its delicious.
We took some time to explore the coast on a misty Saturday morning at the Savage Neck Dunes located at the southwest end of the peninsula. A nature sanctuary, the dunes are home to many of the coastal birds and the tiger beetle, an endangered species nearly wiped out by the build up of the northern coastline. Its a beautiful coastline and unlike many of the beaches today, its relatively untouched. Inland, the nature preserve is quiet and home to Custis Pond, a three acre body of water filled with many kinds frogs and turtles. With lots of trails through the thick, relatively young forest make it the perfect place to hike.
Next Stop: Chincoteague Island
Another popular stop on the Eastern Shore is the ever famous Chincoteague Island. Chincoteague has captured the imagination of Americans for generations and few places like it still exist. Now a national park, you can explore this horse inhabited coastline for an affordable eight dollar day pass, hiking or biking trails and seeing ponies along the way. A life goal of my husband and I is to visit as many National parks as possible and to commemorate each visit we started collecting patches from each park. Collecting things from trips are a good way to remember where you’ve been and to encourage you to keep going. One thing I know for sure is that the Virginian Eastern shore is quickly becoming one of our favorite places. It’s beauty is un-parralled and every time a go there its always different. It has so much history that I didn’t even know about and tons of cool wildlife. If you have a weekend and you live close the Eastern Shore, take advantage of it and travel down to hike its natural wonders and explore its rich history.
Style Rehab: How I Fixed My Closet
It’s rainy and 50 degrees here in Maryland after a week of perfect sunshine. The sunshine provided the perfect excuse to ignore the inside of my house and soak up some vitamin D ignoring the rather large list of chores to be done. But now that I’m forced inside it’s all coming back to bite me. Staring at a rather cluttered closet filled with half summer, half winter clothes, all of which, are unfolded I’m forced to deal with the age old problem of organizing one’s wardrobe. Clothes…can’t live with them DEFINITELY can live without them. Staring at a wall of clothing, I decided it was time to take on the ever brewing battle between my closet and I. To give some light on the situation… I hate closet organizing… I think there was a pile of clothes on the end of my bed for all four years of college (and probably my whole life) and to make it worse, my husband is just like me. Both incredibly nostalgic, we hang on to the weirdest clothes because somehow they still mean something to us. Never mind that I haven’t worn it for years and has yet to see the light of day, it still has value in my eyes! And we all know that the second I throw it out I will need it for something. But I had to put that all aside to begin to formulate exactly what I own and what is worth donating. I found it easiest to work in categories.
I started by working through what didn’t fit and was worn out. Sometimes, we like to hold onto jeans that are a bit too small or short in the hopes that we will lose weight or somehow cropped jeans will make a comeback but we have to be honest with ourselves. If you lose the weight you can always buy yourself a new pair of jeans and keeping them around isn’t helping you feel any better about yourself. By working through what fits and what doesn’t gives you a good start on parting with things you would otherwise like. I also went through things that were worn out. The stuff you wore all the time in college… time to part with it… the billions of sweatshirts you never wear and have letters peeling off… get rid of them.
I then moved on to what I didn’t like anymore, this was easy, because there was a lot of it. And who doesn’t like getting rid of stuff they hate? Remove the items that don’t have anything that matches them or don’t fit the type of style you want or have. Get rid of hand bags you never wear because you used it once for a particular outfit. Donate the crazy leggings you used for a college dance along with the impulse formal dress purchase.
After the easy stuff was done, I moved onto more challenging categories. So many of my t’shirts hold memories for me, track meets, volleyball games, sorority events… they’re treasures and shouldn’t be thrown away instead I put them away in a containers. All the shirts I don’t wear on a regular basis were placed in a seven dollar tub from target and places in my basement- the perfect place for them. Don’t feel like you have to dispose of memory keepsakes but you don’t need to have them filling your drawers.
Next, I participated in the hardest battle… excess clothing… Who really needs five grey v necks anyways? Go through and get rid of excess, to much of a good thing really is bad for you. Pick your favorites and let the others go to someone who needs it. After all, you probably bought it to replace the originals to begin with and I can guarantee you don’t wear all of them all the time.
Finally, I worked through my sock and underwear drawer. I got rid of mismatched socks and old stuff. It’s the easiest drawer to get out of hand, but the easiest to reorganize. Best way- get drawer dividers to help make organizing easy. Keep it from overflowing by always match socks to their co-partners.
All in all, I ended up with 4 bags of stuff to get rid of and there was probably more I could have parted with. The scariest part, I was surprised by how much I had left even after four bags. I think sometimes we are uncomfortable with having a half empty closet. As women, Its almost scary to even fathom repeating outfits or particular pieces twice in a week. By choosing to get rid of things, I was admitting to myself that I care way to much about what I look like and what people think of me. I’m not saying that clothes are bad! but holding on to things we don’t need simply so we don’t feel like we have no style is just silly. This overwhelming amount of clothes has made me think twice about buying new clothes. I’ve begun to change how I keep and shop for my wardrobe from now on. By following three simple rules I keep myself from mindless shopping and holding on to useless items for too long.
- Dress for yourself… Don’t let the influence of others impact why you style your clothes the way you do. Furthermore, don’t let the fear of not having enough clothes make you hold on to things. A bigger closet doesn’t always mean better styling options.
- If you’ll only wear it once, reconsider… I always try to cut down on the clothes I buy for a particular event. It’s fun to have something new for a party, but if you don’t wear it again it might not be the best purchase. Limit the number of ONE TIME clothes to cut back cluttered closets.
- Quality over quantity… Self explanatory but invest in good clothes that last and fit rather than cutting corners for the sake of getting more. It always pays off in the end.
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