closet update

I had been collecting some inspirational closet photos on Pinterest for quite some time. This is what I had to work with – a 4′ by 5′ closet right off our foyer. I wish I had more to work with, but having a walk-in closet, period, is good enough for now 🙂

Peacock Blue

Source: Lonny Magazine

High Contrast Rug ~ Zebra

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com

Colored Glassware for Makeup

Source: Honey We’re Home

Hanging Scarves on a Rail

Source: Honey We’re Home

Gold-Framed Mirror

Source: Lisa Sherry Interiuers, Inc.

The downside of living with a man is that I can’t indulge in my girly side as much. Consequently, I wanted some color and girly-ness in the one area of our apartment that I can call completely mine. I loved the peacock blue paint on the shelves in the Lonny Magazine photo. I have a vanity table I got from Target in 2006 that was part of their “shabby chic” collection. It was a soft cream color originally, so I painted it Behr Caribbean Current. That’s where I store all my jewelry, makeup, and a few other miscellaneous accessories.

I got the zebra rug from Target. I’ve come to realize that I am not much of a drawer person. I always find myself being really good about hanging things up, but things that go in drawers tend to stay in the laundry basket until I am ready to use them again. As such, I decided that I’d hang as much as possible, and then emulate my laundry basket habit by storing my other clothes – jeans, work out clothes, pjs, etc., in storage boxes from the container store. I got two large linen storage boxes that are a bit sturdier, and two Baroque fabric storage boxes.

I wanted to have a mix of colors and prints. The mirror was one of my parents’ wedding presents in 1970. I love the mirror and it’s super heavy duty, and at the moment, there really isn’t anywhere in our apartment for it. I was afraid it my get broken or chipped in storage, and thought the gold frame would go just fine in the mix of decor in the closet, so I hung it there for safekeeping.

I’d like to get some acrylic shelf dividers to help keep all my bags upright, but the shelves are almost 1.25′ thick, and thus far, I’ve been unable to find any clear dividers that will fit shelves that thick.

I also revived my shoe collection a little 🙂 My navy blue Hunter boots are pretty much shot. No amount of boot shine will make them look ok. I may have to google some other ways to condition them. Since I used them so much the past 3 years, I figured it would be a good idea to replace them. I got some high-gloss black ones in the same style. I’d really like to get a yellow pair as well, but it’s been so hard to find them in stock anywhere!

I love leopard print and have been pretty indecisive about where to incorporate it into my wardrobe. I have a black and grey leopard print scarf, but that’s it. I wanted to get a couple new pairs of flats, and I found these cute leopard flats at Forever 21. They’re cheap and cute and very comfortable. I also FINALLY got a pair of Tory Burch Reva flats in Royal Tan. I have been wanting some for years, but for almost $200 bucks a pop, I wanted to choose wisely on the color. The first summer I wanted them I wanted the white leather with the gold medallion, but those were out of stock. I waited two years to find those in stock somewhere, to no avail. I also liked the black with the silver or gold medallion, but at the end of the day, I only really wear black flats to work, and these shoes wouldn’t be fore work. I FINALLY see some white Reva’s with a gold medallion in stock. FINALLY! and of course, since the summer is winding down, I couldn’t bring myself to buy white ones, which i see as more of a summer-y shoe. I loved these brown ones, though, and though they’d be pretty versatile.

weddings and Gap city flats

This weekend I attended by cousin Annie’s wedding.  In anticipation of lots of dancing, I put a pair of nude Gap city flats in my bag that match the Charles David nude pumps I wore… Have you ever tried these? They’re great.  Gone are the days that I have to call it a night based upon when my feet cannot take it anymore.  These shoes come folded in a pouch, but in instances where you have a clutch, such as I did, they can also fit into a small space laid flat.  They come in a bunch of different colors and finishes, including leather, patent leather, metallic, etc.

I really don’t know what I did before these.  I can enjoy my heels even more now, because as long as I have that backup pair of flats in my purse, I know that I don’t have to worry about that regret that you get when you realize that too-high heels are ruining an otherwise fun evening. I am all for clothing or other accessories (undergarments, for example!) that allow you to enjoy your your wardrobe even more.  I have been collecting these shoes in various colors – call me a bit too particular, but I always try to take ones that match the color of the heels I am wearing that night.

…..see what I mean?

a new favorite designer….Rachel Roy

Ok, I dont know if she is “new” necessarily, but she is new to me.  Rachel Roy has a great line of clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelry called RACHEL by Rachel Roy.  Her Fall 2011 RRR lookbook reminds me somewhat of a Free People-type style, although the clothes in general have their own unique feel.  I particularly love the shoes and bags, but I guess I am sort of a shoe and bag nut anyway!  Right now she is offering 25% off all shoes, and if you sign up to get her emails, you get another 20% off.  I ordered a pair of her Pepino heels in Nubuck.…

Cute, huh?! Since I just signed up for email AND the sale is going on, I got them for about $66 plus tax and shipping instead of $110!  I am excited to wear these with skinny jeans this fall. They’re suede, so here’s hoping that  it does not rain too much.  I seem to love suede shoes – does anyone have a suggestion for a good suede protector???  Anyway, this particular pair also comes in purple…

Source: http://www.heightmagazine.com

I love the purple, too, but this style seems like a very casual, “every day/wear with everything”-kinda style, so I am going for a more neutral tone that I can wear with everything.  I also love this Quilted Large Satchel – I am not sure, but it seems like it may be big enough for my laptop.  A highlighter leaked all over my leather bag I usually use to carry my laptop to class, so I am in the market for a new bag or two to replace it…definitely keeping thing one in mind.

How about you? DO you have any new designers you like for this Fall??

The Great Bedroom Organization of 2011….shoes, bags and IKEA Besta

I previously had a large number of shoe boxes on a sagging closet shelf. I complained about my lack of closet space here. The  shoes were hard to reach and I couldn’t fit even one more box into the space.  That’s when I decided to clear it out to make room for other things in the closet.  Consequently, the shoes sat on the dresser at the foot of our bed for about 4 months or so…..

I saw some ideas for shoe storage in Ikea Billy bookcases both over at the Purse Blog on their Purse Blog Forum, and also over at the I am Style-ish blog.  Since we also needed somewhere to store the bf’s shoes, the 11″ deep Billy bookcase just wouldn’t do.  We ended up getting the Ikea Besta bookcase instead, which, at 15.75″ deep, is deep enough to hold the bf’s shoes, some other storage containers and my bags. We got one 47.25″ wide one as well as a one 23 5/8″ one – just wide enough for the spot where they are supposed to go.  We haven’t gotten any doors yet, but we’re going to get the Besta Vara doors. They aren’t quite as nice looking as the many door options the Billy series has, but they will suffice.  We plan to get some decorative knobs to spice them up.

After lots of inventorying and planning, I determined we needed 21 total shelves.  The narrower one came with 4 and the wider with 8, so we needed to purchase 9 extra shelves.

I am still working on the bf’s side – he’s got quite a few shoes and other things that need to be sorted out.

Summer Staples

Maybe I am a creature of habit, but when I find things that work, I tend to stick to them. My wardrobe is no exception. I did some pre-planning regarding what items to get to complete my warm-weather wardrobe for the summer.  Some things are new this season, while others are part of a formula to which I have adhered for a number of years.  In addition to the shorts and belts from my previous post, here are a few other items I have stocked up on for the summer:

~ Tank Tops ~

These are a recurring theme in my wardrobe.  Every year I stock up on Old navy ribbed tank tops Express camisoles in every color. When it comes to the Old Navy tank tops, I usually order “tall” sizes online (because in my opinion, the longer the better), and I wait until I get a coupon in the mail and also order on a day where there is an online code.  Thanks to those discounts, I got these tank tops online for $6 each. Tank tops and camisoles are a great purchase. They’re flexible for the summer months, can be worn as an underneath layer in the cooler months, and for me, when they get a little too shrunken or worn for every day wear, they’re relegated to my work out wear or pajama pile. Wash and line dry, each below-$10 tank top or $15 camisole usually lasts me at least 3 years in one role or another. 

~ Lightweight Cover-Ups ~

Even though summer is hot and sticky here in Ohio, air conditioned offices and grocery stores mean that I still need a long- or three-quarter-length sleeved cardigan or pullover quite frequently. I couldn’t get by without layers.  There are a lot of gauze-y, lightweight tops out there right now. Pictured above: Old Navy Gauze Mexicali Top, Rubbish Brand pullover from Nordstrom Juniors‘, and Old Navy Open-Front Jersey Cardigan.

~ Ikat Prints ~

Ikat print is very popular right now, both in interiors and in clothing. I always have trouble with prints. When it comes to florals, I tend to shy away from most of them and prefer the larger-scale, simpler prints. Right now there are a lot of smaller floral prints on flow-y shirts and dresses – maybe they will grow on me, but right now they remind me a little too much of the late 80s, early 90s Laura Ashley fad, and I am not a fan. I like animal print but I also don’t see a lot of clothing I like in those prints – usually just accessories, if anything. I do love stripes, and have plenty of stripes already in my wardrobe. Pictured above: Old Navy Tie-Shoulder Tiered Sundress and Soprano Tank Top from Nordstrom Juniors’.

~ Accessories ~

I have been gravitating a lot to camel- and white accessories this summer. This Aldo Kowis Clutch kind of reminds me of my Rebecca Minkoff Bombe M.A.C. mentioned here – cream leather with a contrasting detail. The sandals are Dorosh and Rothrock, from Aldo as well.

RAINY DAY!!!

Don’t you LOVE freezing rain?!  Ugh.  This weather is crazy! I am off to struggle through another ballet class.  Wish me luck and have a good weekend!!

Distressed Denim by Adriano Goldschmied
Pumps by Christian Louboutin

BALLET-INSPIRED FASHION: THE BALLET FLAT

I danced from the age of 3 to the age of 23, and I miss it dearly. When I was little, “Star Search” and “Dirty Dancing” were about all the coverage the art recieved. In recent years I have been happy to see it recieve more coverage in movies like “Step it Up” and TV shows like “So You Think You Can Dance.” However, ballet still receieves far too little recognition in modern days. I learned tap, jazz, hip hop, and ballet, and ballet was always my favorite. The technique is far beyond even the most difficult hip hop or rumba or flamenco routine you might find on So You Think You Can Dance- which is why you will never find it on that show being attempted even by extremely talented professinal dancers of other styles. It can really only be done well with years of intense training specifically geared to ballet. It has been around for centuries and is so sensual and beautiful. Some may find it incredibly stuffy or boring, but I cannot get enough of the artistry, athleticism, and beauty of ballet.

I always love when fashion adopts certain ballet styles as everyday fashion. Right now I am especially thrilled because it seems like just about every element of my old ballet practice ensemble has some place in mainstream, modern style. I would like to share some of these over the next few weeks. I’ll start with an obvious one: ballet flats.

Ballet flats are so simple, practical, and commonplace right now it’s tough to imagine that just 5 years ago they were seldom worn by anyone. Here are some of my favorites that I either own or would like to get my hands on:

I love these Chloé Buckle Ballet Flats. These are more structured and fit for a polished work outfit.

Gap often comes out with styles I don’t understand, but on occasion they have some wildly genius and widely popular item that everyone wants. They definitely pulled it off with the Gap City Flat. It’s affordable and comes in 21 different colors, several textures including metallic, patent leather and velvet, and comes with a cute handy storage bag. These also have the split sole that you can find on many ballet slippers. I cannot say it does much for support, but it sure does make them comfortable!

Speaking of comfort and support, one of my favorite pairs of shoes I have is the Puma Arayla flat. Is it a gym shoe? Is it a flat? Wait! It’s both! I wouldn’t try to go jogging in these, but they are super comfortable and I get tons of compliments on them. In fact, I found them in the sneaker section of Piperlime believe it or not. I love these because some days I want to wear a tshirt and north face or other sporty-type jacket, and these are a much cuter but still “fitting” style of shoe to go with that getup.

Speaking of affordable, another of of my favorites is the “American Eagle” brand (not the junior’s store you’re thinking of!) Delilah flat from Payless. I wear a 7.5, but the 7 in these was too large, so I got the 6.5 It cut into my heel a bit the first day or so, but now they are one of my most comfortable pairs of shoes. I have them in black and the grey pair is in the mail 🙂

I cannot get enough of the Vera Wang lavender collection in general, so I had to include a pair of flats from it. This entire line has a romantic feel that reminds me of my old ballet costumes. My favorite is the Vera Wang Lavender Label “Luna” Jeweled Ballet Flat. I love the look of it (like a fish or a bird, I am a sucker for shiny objects), though I have not tried one on and I am having trouble picturing what a peep toe would look like on a ballet flat.

And finally, I have also noticed some shoes go a step further by mimicking not ballet slippers, but the box-toed shape of pointe shoes – like these Kate Spade Flash flats.