O-v-e-r-whelmed

So, my husband and I have been in our brand new home for a year and a half. Before that, we lived in an 800 sq. ft., one-bedroom apartment. And somehow, in the course of this short span of time we’ve managed to accumulate so much crap that it feels like we’re bursting at the seams in our home that is almost double the size of the apartment!

What happened?

Despite all my brilliant attempts at organization, our home is over-stuffed and overwhelming. The strong desire we had for so long to “spread out” and “fill our new home”, coupled with an addiction to amazing DIY projects on Pinterest and style dyslexia has resulted in the current state we’re in.


Today, I read the lazy gal’s survival guide : letting go of perfect, and let's just say, Ashley has miraculously pinpointed my frustrations.

"I feel like the term ‘housekeeping’ goes beyond just the organization of things. It’s a lifestyle. It’s everything from getting silly cords under control, to parenting tactics with pitching in around the home.

I think my biggest frustration is that I’m a surface cleaner. My home looks great on the outside. There is no clutter. And I have little systems that are semi-working. But as soon as I get my home looking like the photo above this one, I come crashing back down to reality.

The last time I shared my organization issues, a very well meaning friend shared their condolences. Say what? You’re sorry I’m not organized?

I’m sad to admit that it kind of made me feel bad. I let it make me feel bad. I’ve been feeling downright guilty about it. About not being ‘enough‘ in the land of having-it-togetherness.

You may as well say you’re sorry I’m not perfect. To me, organization has been the unattainable perfection.

I’m living my life. And so are all of you. I hate the word ‘busy.’ The truth of the matter is, we are what we choose to be. And I know it only gets worse. Honestly, I’ve been overwhelmed.

So why am I letting myself feel bad about that? Why should I feel bad about having a disorganized drawer? (dysfunctional pantry, closet crammed full, and crap under my bed?) Guilt. It only complicates the original problem.
And then I realized I was looking at the approach to a well-kept home, in a completely wrong way. A well-kept home is not the equivalent to perfection. Because there is no such thing as a perfect home.

Guilt is no longer driving me to an organized home. Neither is some preconceived notion or unrealistic expectations.

I want to run a smoother household. Creating a beautiful home is more than just a pretty space. It’s about the delicate systems behind it, that keep it running. And right now, our ride is a little bumpy."

 So. glad. I’m. not. alone.

Simplify. It’s so {pun intended} simple!

Project Wedding

{source}

Once upon a time, I was a bride in a blog-less, and Pinterest-less world. And my friends, it was a scary time indeed.

There were no mason jars...

There were no photo booths...

And all my bridesmaid dresses matched...

The horror.

Not really. The truth is the day I married my amazing husband was a beautiful and perfectly memorable day, as it should have been, and there are not many things I would change. But, a girl can dream, right?

Although I hardly consider myself cool, I've been asked by a few brides to assist in their wedding plans, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Dream up wedding ideas without having to pay for anything? Don't mind if I do.

You can check out my "delightful" picks and inspiration for these weddings here and here, and inspiration for a {possible} re-commitment ceremony for the hubs and me here.

xoxo,

~Rochelle

Re-Working a Wardrobe

{"Shopping" in Your Own Closet}

{Taking inspiration from Carrie Bradshaw}

This week we are discussing the organization of closets, and yesterday evening I had a fabulous time helping a dear girlfriend to "shop" in her own closet.

You might ask, "What do you mean by "shopping" in your own closet?"

Well, my friends, that is an excellent question, and I'll get to in it in a second. But first, I'd like share with you what my New Year's Resolution was for 2012.

"I resolve to not buy any new clothes in 2012, 

unless it is absolutely necessary."

Folks, I've done a pretty good job at keeping my resolution. Earlier this year I was pregnant and needed to purchase some maternity clothes to accommodate my growing belly and baby. Other than those few purchases, I did have one slip-up, where I just HAD to have a pair of pink skinny jeans {which, by the way, I wear probably once a week, so I believe it was money well spent}... but other than that, I have stuck to my goal.

{jcrew}

With this resolution, I have had to teach myself how to re-purpose items from my own closet to make new outfits, therefore avoiding the conundrum "I need new clothes, because I have NOTHING to wear!"

Truth is, I think we all go through this as women, and it can be really frustrating to feel this way. And for those of us that LOVE to shop, it's a dangerous feeling, especially when we have limited budgets with which to shop. Life, after all, is not a delightful TV drama with characters that get to blow their salary on designer-name fashions, and rack up credit card debt with no real repercussions {ahem, SATC}.

So, recently, when my dear friend asked me if I would help her figure out some new outfits to wear with her existing wardrobe, so she could stop spending money on new clothes I was eager to help ...and girlfriend has a LOT of clothes to shop from.

Self-admittedly, girlfriend keeps specific T-shirts and jeans on heavy rotation ― despite her love of shopping. “I buy clothes that I love, but I don't know what to pair them with of what I already own,” she says, so instead she opts to wear the same outfits that she is comfortable with repeatedly, and half of her clothes stay on the hanger.

Sound familiar?

Yesterday evening, together my girlfriend and I worked on pulling tops out of her closet - some she has never worn {some had the tags still on}; some that she loves and wears rarely; and others that she loves and wants to find new ways in which to wear them.

We sorted through her shorts, pants and skirts, briefly edited items she no longer wears {mostly because they were ill-fitting}, and worked on creating new pairings with these tops and accessorizing! Not every option I suggested worked for her, and that is OK. Not everyone will be comfortable pairing an ivory top with white jeans, especially when they are similar in tone. Instead of exhibiting frustration, we tried other options until we found new outfits that she was comfortable in, and made her feel beautiful. And then we took photos of the outfits so she can save them for inspiration later on.

Since I know my friend's style, I suggested new ways to style outfits for summer that she was already comfortable wearing, such as different options in tucking shirts:

So easy, right?

Something as simple as tucking a T-shirt only in the front of a cute pair of shorts, or a skirt and adding a cool belt {or not} can create that extra interest in an outfit ...And girlfriend's got some awesome belts, so we took this idea an ran with it.

Next, we worked on accessory and shoe options that could either dress up, or dress down an outfit. Fighting against being too matchy-matchy, we worked on mixing up accessory and shoe options that go... something I learned long ago from watching Stacy London and Clinton Kelly on What Not to Wear.

We also tore out images from catalogs she had just received that day in the mail that inspired her to pair together pieces from her existing wardrobe into new combinations. We literally taped these photos onto her closet wall as an inspiration board, which gave her great ideas and made her feel like she had a whole new closet of items to choose from!

Rather than looking at catalogs and magazines, and saying "I wish I had those clothes, and her style", take those great outfits, and make them your own. You don't need to have exact matches to the items. Something similar can often work even better! Plus, you've already purchased the items in your closet, so you must like them {Right? If you don't like something in your closet, PURGE IT! Pronto!}... You can take a look and make it your own, developing your own personal and signature style.

I know this concept is not a new one. There are many websites and blogs dedicated to finding inspiration from celebs and fashion mags, and finding pieces in your own wardrobe that will re-create the look.

{source}

Also, Pinterest is a great resource to find fashion inspiration. I have a board titled "Delightful Fashion" on which I pin images of outfits and fashion that I love {alright... and sometimes wish I owned}, which inspire me to experiment with new outfits. Some outfits don't work for my body type, and others I don't have similar items to match exactly, like the example above, but just having those images saved helps me remember that variety is the spice of life. My Pinterest board is a virtual version of what I helped my friend create in her own closet.

Before I left my girlfriend last night, we worked on organizing her closet a little ― it was pretty good to start with!  She had already been organizing her closet by color for years, and had dresses, skirts, and bottoms separated out from her T-shirts, blouses, and tanks.  

However, two areas we came across that we agreed could use some work were that only some of her sweaters and cardigans were hung in a separate section of the closet, and second, working in preschool, she has a separate work wardrobe that is kid-friendly, and work appropriate.

So, we quickly pulled out the rest of the cardigans and sweaters from her tops and put them all together in their own section. Super easy solution!

Secondly, girlfriends' work attire, which consists of basic T-shirts and jeans is ideal for the work she does, but educating preschoolers means that sometimes you come home with paint splatters and bleach stains on your shirts that don't come out in the wash ...And who wants to look down and spot a paint splatter on a shirt you wear to a summer bbq? I suggested creating a section in her closet for clothes she ONLY wears to work, which will free up the rest of her closet to be dedicated to clothes she can wear outside of work.  I believe taking this step will help to visually de-clutter the space, and yield only more inspiration to wear all of the beautiful clothes she already has in her closet.

All in all, it was a very productive evening, and I can't wait to do it all again come Autumn!

xoxo,

   Rochelle

Useful Labels

{What helps you to organize?}

Personally, I love creating labels. They help me {and my organizing-challenged husband} remember where certain items belong, whether it is in the pantry, closet, or in a storage bin. 

There are a couple different types of labels in my repertoire. Generally, my handy P-touch label maker is used on most projects, but recently I stumbled across these lovely chalkboard labels on Etsy!

Pretty fantastic, right? I have used these babies mostly on seasonal storage boxes in my closet, wiping the labels and rewriting the contents with either regular chalk, or better yet, a fabulous chalk marker.

When I change out my seasonal attire {such as sweaters and tank-tops} I just wipe clean with a damp cloth and rewrite! 

{By the way, I love these chalk ink markers. I first used them when I worked at Peet's Coffee & Tea, and designed their in-store chalkboard signs, and bought some for my own use shortly after first use.}

To continue my swoon: chalkboard labels are easily found on Etsy, come in a bevy of styles, and shapes, and are a super convenient way to distinguish what is hiding in my large storage boxes. Best thing is, they can be reused over and over again!

You could place them on refillable glass containers in your pantry...

Or attach them to jam jars for gifts...

And, affixed to ball or mason jars, they would be super-sweet wedding or party favors!

Photo courtesy of Austin Gros via Style Me Pretty

I have to say, I am so inspired by these useful, beautiful little labels. The options seem endless!

Who else can imagine the possibilities? Any brilliant ideas of how to use chalkboard labels?

xoxo,

~Rochelle