I was watching the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and instantly became obsessed with Team Slovakia’s mittens! As my husband and kids continued to watch the Parade of Nations- betting on who had the largest delegation- I jumped online to search for those mittens! It wasn’t easy, but I found a few shots of the white graphic mittens with the fantastic red heart! The scarves and hats were pretty great too! I vote Slovakia Best Dressed. The ladies’ mittens were equally as awesome in red with a white heart {Sorry. No picture.}
Gimme those mittens!
So far no one is selling Team Slovakia’s mittens, so I was driven to do a quick round-up of heart inspired mittens. I kind of love the options. Warm weather gear that also warms the heart. Awww.
Modern girls {or women, if you prefer} are busier than ever. Our days might include a day at the office, school runs, volunteer hours, an endless number of errands, driving kids to practice, and an evening meeting. Occasionally we may sneak in coffee with girlfriends or a date night with our favorite guy. Wow! We are amazing, aren’t we?
And hey, even us girls of a certain age want to look our very best while out and about. I talked my gorgeous sister-in-law, Piper, into helping me with a post that shows by simply changing up your hair and adding accessories -you can change your look entirely. Since she wears glasses, we also took advantage of the Warby Parker free Home Try-On program. Warby Parker is an on-line eyewear boutique. Their glasses start at just $95. At that price you can have more than one pair. Change your frames. Change your frame of mind.
Five different frames. Five different looks. Look what we put together:
1. A School Run
Let’s be honest. When you are running the kids to school, you don’t want to take more than a few minutes, if that, to get yourself ready. Low maintenance is key. Throw on a cozy zip-up and a cute striped beanie- you are out the door . {Love the beanie for hiding morning, bed head!} Piper is wearing BAXTER in Catalina Blue.
2. Coffee with Girlfriends
It is such a treat to have time with girlfriends. Nothing fancy, just relaxed fun. These tortoise frames are awesome all by themselves! Wow! Add a color block sweater and big gold hoops and it’s time to catch up with your best girls. Piper is wearing MALLORY in Gimlet Tortoise.
3. Charity Board Meeting
Sometimes we need to look sharp and on point. {Those of you who work outside the home do this everyday.} The color blocking on these frames is unique but the shape keeps the look professional. I love the crisp white shirt with a geometric print tank. Completely modern. Finish the look with smooth straight hair, simple studs, and a bold necklace. You are ready to kick butt and take names. Piper is wearing ZAGG in Tennessee Whiskey
4. Date Night
Yessss. A night out! Time to loosen things up a bit. Tousle your hair and think sexy. {Isn’t she a knock out?} Dress up a silk blouse with a large, statement necklace and go with a bolder lip. Baby, you are hot to trot. Piper is wearing LINWOOD in Revolver Black.
5. Farmers’ Market
Time to be the casual hipster! A colorful {edgy} scarf and loose curls under a fedora is nothing but happy and carefree. Don’t you wish everyday was market day? Piper is wearing MILES in Revolver Black.
Now, your turn. Time to go to your closet. Choose your go-to outfit of the moment. Pull out all of your accessories. {All of them.} I bet, if you are creative, you can change up that outfit at least three ways with accessories you already own. Let me know what you come up with!
I was inspired this week by style blogger, Emily Jackson. She rocked a plaid jacket and leopard shoe boots. While I absolutely love the look, the shoes don’t quite fit my lifestyle. With some diligent searching, and Emily’s genius mixing of prints as inspiration, I was able to create a new mom uniform!
Ok. I die for these shoes. The perfect mix of leopard fab and casual cool! Everything else {plaid top, denim, crossbody bag, and a jeweled necklace} already live in my closet! With one purchase this could be my new uniform.
Back in October, I decided to give my closet a major overhaul. It was in desperate need of some TLC. You need to know that my closet is a standard sized bedroom closet with dual sliding doors. A powdered-coated, metal shelving/hanging unit was installed by a previous owner of our home. Sadly, it also has florescent lighting. This was not going to be a remodel. I had to work within the space I was given. When I set out to create a closet to love, I set my priorities for the project.
In the end, I hoped for:
*bright, open and inspiring
*a place for my accessories
*space to hang a few pieces of art
While it is quite embarrassing to show the before pictures, it is important to show its original sad, drab state. Yep, it was that bad. Crowded, cluttered, and certainly uninspiring. The closet wasn’t getting any larger and it wasn’t going to magically become a walk-in overnight. To reach my goal of creating an open space, I was going to have to be fearless in making some tough decisions. I needed to edit my wardrobe! I spent a long afternoon, pulling things from my closet. The result was a very large bag which I took to my favorite consignment shop. The rest went to a charitable thrift shop. There was space to work with!!
The work began in four main areas:
Clothing Storage: I pulled my spring/summer wardrobe off hangars and put it in storage. I certainly don’t need shorts and breezy little tops in the dead of Seattle’s winter. I also put my flip flops, wedges, and sandals in individual plastic shoe boxes.
Painting: The walls need some major help. They were actually dirty {gross that I didn’t notice that when I moved in} and the paint was drab. I chose Benjamin Moore Ribbon Pink. It took over 3 weeks to finally decide on the shade of pink. My ideal color would be a bit paler than Ribbon Pink, but once the clothes were back it wasn’t a huge issue for me. The hardest part of the painting was the shelving/hanging unit. It is barely hanging on, so if I had taken it down there is a pretty good chance it wouldn’t have gone back up. Instead, I taped around it using painter’s tape and my level. It took forever. For a fun effect I taped color blocks! The finished product makes me smile because of the awesome white borders throughout the whole closet.
Accessory Storage: I had to use some creativity for hanging and storing my accessories. A shelf liner gave me a solid surface to build on. I had been dying for a reason to buy this gorgeous gold stag! I finally had it. Using the antlers and a handful of brass nails I had plenty of storage for my necklaces. Along with jewelry trays, vintage tea cups and collected glassware I had a place for almost all of my accessories. An acrylic shelf helped give one more surface for all the treasures. All of my hats, scarves, and belts are now housed in two colorful canvas baskets I found on clearance at Target.
Art: With a little help from all of you {here and here} I chose two pieces of art. The fashion illustration by Anum Tariq is so beautiful. I wish you could see it person. A LOVE print, one of my very favorite photos, and a few Instagram snapshots finished off the space perfectly.
I apologize for such a lengthy post, but I can’t help but be overly excited about this outcome! It makes me so, so HAPPY to open my closet each day. Many of my most treasured items {like my grandmother’s gloves I wore on my wedding day} now have a place in my everyday. While not large or ornate, I now have a closet to love.
{If you see a detail that I didn’t explain or discuss, please leave a comment below. I am happy to answer any questions!}
Last weekend my girlfriend invited me over for a glass of wine and a sneak peek at all of her newest Stella and Dot baubles. Comfy in my sweats and my hair pulled into a top knot, I played dress up- trying on samples from the Spring 2014 Collection. These new arrivals make me long for warmer weather and lighter clothing!
I quickly compiled a wish list in my head. Upon review they all had a common theme: yellow + gold. It is official. I am gold crazy {more gold postings here, here and here}! The yellow is what is surprising! I don’t own anything yellow. Come to think of it, I am not really sure if I look good in yellow. All rational thinking went out the window when I laid eyes on those gorgeous chandelier earrings. I mean really! Love at first glance.
Yesterday the Internet was down at our house all day. (Winds and a very large tree proved too much for little cable lines.) I had grand plans to get ahead of the game yesterday, but instead I found myself idle.
No streaming Pandora music, no editing pictures with an online tool, no new posts, no searching Pinterest for inspiration, no access to sign up my boys for baseball, no sending email to a teacher, no searching for new recipes or airline flights. Nope.
So, after a few moments of bewilderment, I remembered there is plenty to do that doesn’t involve my computer. I listened to my own playlists, spent time reading my stack of magazines, made cookies, folded clothes, made a pot of tea, cleaned out a junk drawer, and filled a bag for donation.
It was an incredibly, enjoyable afternoon. I am certain I should do it more often. Just push away from the computer, leave my phone in my purse, and fill my time with activities that don’t involve a screen. We expect our kids to do it, don’t we? My computer is in my kitchen, so I always have access to it. Even though I am not sitting in front of it all of the time, I will just “jump on for a minute” to check this or that. Wow! That is kind of scary, isn’t it? I am adding to my list of things I would love in 2014: Less time wasted in front of my computer.
So, what activities do you LOVE to do when you aren’t “connected”? I am eager to hear. What do you do with idle {screen free} time at home?
Twenty fourteen. How did that happen? While I am not one for resolutions, a new year is the beginning of endless possibilities. To start anew. No time to worry about yesterday. No guilt, just a hope for all things new, creative, lovely, inspiring, simple, meaningful and fun.
Things I would love in 2014:
dates with my yoga mat, road trips, gelato in Italy, more flossing, brunch with girlfriends, happy boys, drinks around a campfire, challenging hikes on snowshoes, quiet moments to dream, the perfect bloody mary, playing a song on my guitar, visits to familiar places and to places I have only dreamed of seeing, homemade gnocchi,parents’ night(s) out, a day at the beach, something inspiring to read, field trips in my gorgeous city, strong arms and a toned tummy.
{The last one is hold over from 2013. If anything, I am consistent.}
Fall and Winter weather and the lack of light bums me out. Now you may laugh since I live in Seattle where it is gloom and doom from November until June. What do I expect? The picture says it all!
For me, it is a bit more than the winter doldrums. I think I may have Seasonal Affective Disorder {referred to as SAD, very appropriately}. Of course, for now, my diagnosis comes from Internet surfing and the very knowledgeable professionals at WebMD and the MayoClinic. Man, disorder sounds bad, doesn’t it?
SAD is described as a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you’re like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. For that last few years, at least, come October I hit the wall. This year I expected it and sure enough as soon as the leaves starting changing colors I started to feel down. Just kind of – blah.
Some of the listed symptoms:
Feeling sad, grumpy or moody. {Sorry to say that’s me. Just ask my kids and husband.}
Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. {The big one for me is exercise. I am barely getting in one workout in a week. Totally unlike me!}
Sleep more and feel drowsy during the daytime. {I drank a cup of coffee at 5pm today. I could barely keep my eyes open.}
Eat and crave carbohydrates. {It is ugly.}
Loss of energy. {Even with 9+ hours of sleep I feel like I am running on empty.}
Wow! Don’t you want to hang out with me? I really am fun, I swear.
Do any of you suffer from SAD or know anyone who does? How about Light Therapy and light boxes? Other treatments? I am eager for any and all information. If I could feel better this year and prevent it next year- I am all in.
Accessories are the easiest way to be creative when getting dressed. Since September I have been wearing my Mae, Somervell, Christina necklace trio constantly. All three equals a dramatic punch of glam. Wearing one or two gives some pop to a casual outfit. I can’t get enough of these gorgeous beauties. Since I know you will love them too, I have partnered with my favorite Stella & Dot stylist, Regan McCrary, to give away the Mae Necklace to one of my readers.
You can mix and match these pieces countless ways. Why not experiment a little? {Grown-ups can have fun too!} How about a casual flannel with a little bit of sparkle?
Or, add a hair tie to the double clasps of the Somerville and wear it in your hair. Yes, it’s that easy!
To enter this giveaway, visit Regan’s Stella & Dot page and leave a comment here telling me which item(s) you would put on your wish list. {There are so many to choose from.} Entries must be posted by Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 9am PST, and one winner will be chosen at random.
** The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations Randi S! I hope you love this necklace as much as I do.
{Limited to U.S. readers. $49 USD total value. The winner will be announced on the Where is June? Facebook page and by email.}
I am down to the finishing touches on my closet TLC project. I want to choose one of these prints to accompany the other items I have gathered to make my closet the girliest place in my home. Obviously, the message is the same, so it comes down to a matter of design. Help me decide. I am so close to finishing and I can’t wait to share the results with all of you.
