Downsizing: Lent Recap

I hope y'all had a blessed Easter yesterday! I spent most of the day doing homework... I've got a lot due for my senior capstone project soon, and the deadline is coming closer and closer, as is graduation! Whoo hoo!

I posted on Instagram back in February just after Lent started that I was going to be participating in this challenge that was sweeping across social media... giving up 40 items during the 40 days of Lent. So today I'mr escaping how that went!  Hint: well. :)

I actually used a box, not a trash bag. I wrote on my calendar each day what it was I gave up, so I could make sure I didn't miss a day. Some things went into the box for give away, others were listed on my Poshmark Closet, and I took a ThredUp clean out bag to the post office the other day with a group of other items. In the end, here is what all I took out of my closet...

13 Tops, 3 Sweaters, 5 Bottoms, 4 Dresses, 3 Swimsuits, 3 Tote Bags, 5 pairs of shoes, 3 Scarves, 2 Belts, and 5 Household items.

The total actually is 46, because I included Sundays. I really tried to stick to just my closet but I just wasn't 100% sure if I was ready to give up a few things, so I had to dip into some household goods. Overall, I'm so happy I did this! I think it was the perfect way to declutter.

With my final semester of college coming to a close, my fiancé and I are moving back to Colorado after I graduate! Yay! I've loved my time in sunny Florida but I'm so excited to be back home with my family. That being said, I know there is more I could get rid of so that I don't have to move it come May. I read this thing on Pinterest (I am so sorry, I cannot find it to link up to!) about doing 30 days of decluttering in a unique way. 

On day 1, you give up one item; day 2, two items; day 3, three items... and so on for the rest of the 30 days! We will see how this goes, but I'm thinking it might be easier than I think it will be. I printed out a chart to help myself keep track (really just a Word doc with numbers 1-30 and room to write) and I'm not going to kill myself trying to do it in order. Whatever I can come up with each day, I'll figure out what number it can go on. For example, if day 6 is already accounted for but I come up with 6 nail polishes I will part with, maybe I'll do "6 nail polishes + 3 headbands" for day 9. Make sense? We'll see how it goes! Since I'll be starting to pack a little before graduation, which is on April 30, I'm going to start it today. 

Anyone else crazy enough to join me?! :)

--Caroline

My January Style

Here's a look at some of my favorite outfits (and yours!) from the month of January! Shameless plug here, but I have to say that I feel like my personal style was 100% on point this month. One thing I attribute that to is starting off the month going through my closet, and then repeating about half way through the month. This gave my favorite pieces a little more breathing room, and allowed me to see what I actually wear and love!

About a year ago I wrote a post on Defining Your Personal Style. Looking back, I feel like I was certainly on my way to zeroing in on my personal style, but I still wasn't really there yet. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm really there now either! But this month I definitely came closer; I felt like I always knew what I wanted to wear, which hasn't always been the case in the past. I've been reading a lot of articles recently about capsule wardrobes, so I wonder if that has had any effect. I also participated in two Instagram-based fashion challenges in January, which kept my creative juices flowing. Who knows what it is, but either way I'm happy that I'm finally feeling as if I'm starting to figure something out. :)

A few of the capsule wardrobe / minimalist articles I've read recently that are inspiring...

A Practical Guide To Owning Fewer Clothes

Why I'm Giving Up My Capsule Wardrobe 

The Capsule Wardrobe series by blogger Kat Berries that begins with Step 0: The Big Wardrobe Purge

30 Minute Closet Overhaul Challenge

Do you know what your personal style is? Have you ever tried a capsule wardrobe? I want to know!

--Caroline

Out With The Old & In With The New

On Tuesday, my last free day before my classes started back up, I had all these grand plans for being productive and getting things done around town. And what do I do instead? Clean out my closet. Just ask my mom- this is not the first time I have cleaned/organized my closet out of boredom! 

Last semester, it became clear to me that some of my shoes just weren't cutting it anymore. I have high arches, and comfort in shoes is very important for me, especially with walking around campus during most days. I think I got so accustomed to how wonderful my super-comfy sandals were in Europe over the summer than now I expect totally comfort 24/7! I happen to have a set of custom insoles to help keep my feet happy, but they don't stay well in many of the flats in my current collection. So the search for some new replacement shoes in 2016 begins!

The first two pairs I actually replaced just after Christmas. In addition to my comfort needs in shoes, I also have tiny feet (5 or 5.5 in flats!) so when I had the chance to go to Nordstrom Rack over break I jumped on it. It's a heaven for small-footed people like me, with shoes starting at size 4! You can actually try on shoes in person!!! Normally I have to take chances and order online.

Now that it's a new year, it's time for a fresh start for a few other pairs of flats, as well as some other pieces in my wardrobe. I went through my entire closet by using myself if each item brought me joy (more on that here) and ended up with a pile to donate, a pile to sell through eBay or ThredUp, and a pile of things I'm hiding in the back of my closet to test my like for them (if I loved them, they wouldn't be back there). If I don't even look in the bag by the end of January, I will be donating/selling the contents!

In the mean time, I have a few additions/replacements I'd like to work on this year for my closet:

Neutral Flats. I have two pairs of flats, one nude & one a mixed metallic, that are neutral and go with everything. However, neither fit great, so I'm on the hunt for possibly only one pair that serves the purpose of going with everything!

Wool Coat. I have a very practical black puffer coat that stays in Colorado, and a kelly green peacoat here in Tallahassee. While I adore my green peacoat, it's starting to feel like it doesn't always match my day-to-day style. I've had it since high school, and the color just is sometimes too bold. I'd love to have a second peacoat in a more neutral color.

Black Dress. I'm looking for a dress that can be dressed down or up, and is season-less. I have a few like this in my closet, in cobalt blue and red, but I'd like a more neutral color.

I'm starting to notice a trend here... Neutrals! I definitely got more into dressing in neutrals in 2015, and it seems my personal trend will continue for 2016!

Pretty Tees. I have the basic v-necks in solid colors, and a few step-up-from-basic tees. I'd like a few more "pretty" t-shirts to add to my rotation, ones I can dress up with bold necklaces.

Professional Pieces. This is my last semester before I graduate and join the workforce, so I'm looking to add some more professional pieces to my closet. I have a few key pieces that I love, but also some that I keep around because they serve the purpose, not out of love. I'm not too worried about adding pieces in this category ASAP, but I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye open for good quality additions!

What do you have your eye on to revamp your wardrobe for 2016? 

--Caroline

{Four} Friday Favorites: Small Space Organizing

Today I'm wrapping up Apartment Tour Week here on This Styled Life with a few tips & tricks that I used when downsizing to my new, smaller, apartment. 

1. Bring pantry items out in the open. When you have limited cabinet space, you have to get creative. Because of a lack of storage, one of lower cabinets in the kitchen is being used for "utility" storage, like my toolbox, Berlioz's food, etc. I knew that once I put dishes away in the cabinets and started adding pantry items, I'd run out of room. So I selected a few things to keep on the counter, and found little jars to store oats, chia seeds, and flax seed powder. I use these things nearly everyday anyway, so keeping them out in the open & accessible is also very practical. 

2. Be smart about bathroom storage. Going from a large "master" bath in my apartment last year to this small thing was definitely a big step. I had accumulated a lot of extra products because I had the room for them, and I got used to being able to have a lot of things out on my counter. First, I went through everything and got rid of all the extra products I didn't need. Thankfully, my apartment had a built-in medicine cabinet, so that solved the problem of all the stuff on the counter. I got new under cabinet organizers (my preview ones didn't fit in these smaller cabinets) and ended up only needing one because of how much I had gotten rid of! I used command hooks to hang my hairdryer, straightener, and curler on the door to free up space & for easy access.  '

3. Think duel-purpose & space saving. Here, you can see that my makeup roll I used for traveling this summer is still in full use. I keep it rolled up in my medicine cabinet for easy access, and when I'm doing my makeup I just unroll and go. It saves space, as opposed to having everything played out on the counter, plus when I go see Kyle for a weekend it's already packed up! 

4. Track what you use. After living out of a suitcase this summer on a limited wardrobe, I realized that I don't need all the clothes I do. This closet is smaller than my last one, so I'm taking advantage of that as an excuse and a need to slim down. I went through and have donated or consigned a lot of things, but with what remains I decided tot rack what I actually wear. I spun all the hangers the opposite way, and every time I wear something the hanger gets spun back the right way. This way, after a few months, I can see what I actually wear and what I don't. 

I hope you enjoyed the This Styled Life Apartment Tour this week! If you missed it, make sure to check out Monday's Decorating From Existing Pieces Post, Tuesday's  Living Room Tour post, Wednesday's Bedroom Tour post, and yesterday's Gallery Wall How-To post. 

I've got a weekend full of homework planned, but hopefully you're doing something more exciting!

Happy Friday!

--Caroline

Welcome Home: Closet & Bathroom

I hope you all had a great weekend! I'm kicking off the week here on This Styled Life with the last installment in my Welcome Home series. Welcome to where the magic happens behind the scenes of my outfit posts: my closet and bathroom!

I'm not OCD, but I do like to keep things pretty clean, neat, and organized, something that is especially apparent in these two spaces. To keep my closet under control, everything has a place; shoes neatly in rows, all clothes on the same style hanger and organized by type, and accessories in order on the back of the door. In my bathroom, I keep my essentials on the counter, makeup in an organizer in a drawer, and items grouped in my shower by type. When either of the places get too out of sorts, I have a hard time sleeping! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the tour of where I call home when I'm in school! Be sure to check out my Outdoor Spaces, Living Room, and Bedroom for more!

--Caroline

Bookshelf Styling

So I have a story to share with you today. It's a story about a girl, a girl with interests that some might call odd. Okay, yes, this story is about me.

I got home yesterday and I had a big box waiting for me on my front porch, and I knew instantly what it was. I knew, because that morning when I woke up I thought, "My bookshelf is coming today!" I know you probably never thought you'd hear anyone get so excited about such a basic piece of furniture, but now you have! I excitedly unlocked my door, hauled in the box to my bedroom, grabbed a box cutter, and ripped open that box as fast as I could. It was a flat-pack, DIY shelf I ordered online, and it took me maybe 30 minutes to put it together. And it's perfect! I've been needing a place to store all my design textbooks that I'm supposed to keep because "you'll use this in the real world" and now I finally have that! I started putting some of my books and binders on it, but I also want it to look stylish. Enter Pinterest (what would we do without it?!). 

This morning I did a quick search and came up with some fun ways to style and organize my books...

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

1. I love the use of the baskets on the lower shelf, as well as the color coordination of books. I don't love that the darkest colors are on the bottom, adding a lot of heavy visual weight there--it makes the bookshelf look unbalanced. 

2. What I like about this styling is that the objects are all white, which adds interest but also keeps the focus on the books. I think this is especially effective because the books here appear to be older, and the stark modern white objects provide a nice contrast with the worn, vintage books.

3. I have never seen books turned like those on the left, with the pages facing out. It's hip & funky and I like it! Color coordinating is used here to, which makes for a cohesive and classic vibe.

4. Besides the beautiful pastel colors, I am drawn to the idea of using boxes like these. I have a lot of art supplies that might benefit from this type of organization. Plus it looks neat and sophisticated!

I'm looking forward to sharing my new apartment with y'all soon, once I get everything together. But for now, I hope you've been inspired to take a second look at your bookshelves--they can be so much more than just a place to store books!

--Caroline

Closet Clean Out: Minimalism Approach

Last week I shared with you a ton of articles (sorry!) about different ways people have adapted Minimalism to their life, with the focus being on the closet. (Read my post here.) Fired up by these articles, I attacked my closet with guns blazing!

Step One: Figure Out Which Clothes Are Your Favorites

To do this, I cleared off my bed so that I could lay out these favorite pieces. Then I started thinking about my favorite pieces while not in my closet looking at them! (I think this is an important piece missing from my previous clean-outs, because you are forced to really remember your closet, and therefore the most memorable pieces are the pieces you love the most.) I grouped similar styles into categories, so I could really see what I loved. In the process, I tried on each piece, and I actually came up with a couple outfits just with my favorites that I hadn't thought of before!

I ended up with 40 pieces: 3 sweaters, 3 dresses,  jackets, 13 tops, 4 basic tanks, 2 skirts, 4 shorts, 3 jeans, 1 pant, and 1 romper. 

Then, I examined what was similar about these pieces, so I could determine my "style":

     -classic shapes

     -main colors: white, black, nudes, grays, blues

     -occasional pops of color: greens, pinks, reds

     -simple patterns (stripes & dots primarily)

Now when I'm buying new things that don't necessarily fall into this category, I can really think about if they work with my favorites. (I strongly suggest this evaluation step, even if you think you know your style. That way you know what you are always working with!)

Some observations I made during this step:

     -99% of the things that made it into this category were bought in-person (or tried on a similar size and ordered correct size).

     -Many were unplanned buys that I immediately fell in love with in-store.

     -I knew I was done when I walked into my closet and didn't know what to grab next! This is so important!

Step Two: Figure Out Your "Need to Keeps"

After squishing all my clothes to one side and putting my favorites front and center, I sorted out what I needed to keep. For me this was winter coats & jackets, formal dresses for sorority rituals and functions, and anything I knew I would need for recruitment in the fall. For you, this might mean your job uniform, business suits (only if you 100% love them!), etc. 

Step 3: Attack the Rest & Get Rid of What You Don't Love

By grouping the questionable items together, and making my favorites front-and-center, I was more able to evaluate if something I decided to keep was going to work with everything else I had. For this step, it's extremely crucial to try on everything. If I tried something on and I didn't 100% love it, then out it goes! For me, the things that automatically went were items that require a bandeau or tank (I hate having to wear extra things underneath), items that didn't end up washing well, and items that attract kitty hair like a magnet. 

I also found it helpful (or at a minimum interesting) to take note of some of the things I added into my "loves" first:

     -jean jacket (I wear it a lot, guess I forgot about it in the first step!)

     -3 sleeveless blouses that can go from casual to dressy easily (filled a void in my "loves"!)

     -colorful maxidress I recently got (perfect for spring and summer!) 

I divided up the items I was getting rid of into 3 bags: donate, sell on eBay, and take to a local consignment store. (I prefer Plato's Closet--they pay cash on the spot! Find a location near you here.)

Also important to note: I did this step over two days. Sometimes you just get burnt out and take the easy way out (keep everything), which is not what you want when trying to really be minimal. So I made some decisions the first day, then I slept on it and reevaluated the next morning. 

Step 4: Purgatory

I put every item that I wasn't sure about into a "purgatory" of sorts, in the back of my closet. The pieces that made it here are not favorites, but I do really like them and wasn't ready to get rid of them. When trying to really pare down your wardrobe, you do need to be hard on yourself, but sometimes that's hard! I ended up with 15 items in purgatory, and I'm going to see if I pull anything out in the next month or so (the end of the semester). If I don't then out they go! The key here is sticking to this--don't slack!

Step 5: Deal With the Rejects

Take the time to properly deal with your rejects. Kitty Boy helped me take pictures for my eBay items, and then I loaded up my car to take the items to Plato's. (They took some stuff but not everything, so I'll be adding the rest to my donate bag!). Whatever you do, do not change your mind once you've committed to getting rid of an item. If you wanted to get rid of it for even five minute, it's obviously not worth keeping!

In the end, I went from 92 tops/dresses and 13 pants/skirts to 61 tops/dresses and 8 skirts/pants! That is hanging items only, so my jeans and shorts that are in my dresser don't count in those figures. I am planning on evaluating the remaining dresser drawers (my workout clothes, underwear, and pj's) but that is not nearly as exciting! Overall I am really really proud of myself! Since I've been getting dressed in only my loves, it's been a lot easier to get dressed in the morning, which is always nice. I'm also enjoying my closet rods being less crowded! 

Stay tuned for updates on my purgatory items, as well as updates on my fight to be as minimal as possible. On my list to really go through are my school items, and my large beauty product collection... yikes!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

It's been kind of a long week, but at the same time a very short week. In my classes, we've all been assigned our next projects, but either we can't quite start on them yet or we are just in the early stages of idea development. Because of this, we all feel a little tired, not motivated, and really just ready for another break. For me personally, it also doesn't help that I haven't quite gotten back on the working out horse, which always gives me more energy. I've just had a lot of errands to run or meetings to attend recently which has made it hard. But regardless, here are my Five Favorites things about this past week...

1. My furniture design class turned in our cardboard chairs to the local elementary school this week, and it was so much fun! (Look for a more detailed post next week!)

2. This Styled Life reached a milestone on Bloglovin'! I'm so happy with how this little idea of mine has grown since I started last June. 

3. I sported this cute ensemble on Wednesday for a little mid-week style!

4. I've made some progress on my closet clean out, check back next week for the update on this post!

5. I'm wanting to get my hair cut, thinking something along the lines of this...

Have a lovely weekend!

--Caroline

Tech Thursday: Favorite Apps

There are a couple apps on my phone that I just really really love, and I thought I'd share them with you today!

ENVELOPES 2

This is my favorite by far. If you've heard about the envelope system for financial management, this is the modern-day version! You can set up your envelopes with whatever name you'd like, and then put however much money you want in them (you can also have the app automatically set monthly budgets, but I haven't used that myself). Why this is so perfect is, if you are not a 100% cash carrier, you can take out money from your envelope after every debit card purchase. The Envelopes app has really helped me to track my spending, and know exactly what I have in my accounts (rather "envelopes") at any given time! Plus, it's secure and doesn't actually like to your checking or savings accounts because it's all manually entered. Even better? It's FREE! Check it out here, via iTunes. 

AFTERLIGHT

A great photo editing app, it's like having photoshop on your iPhone (with a little bit of Instagram thrown in there). With high-quality photo editing and lots of cool filters to choose from, I definitely recommend this app for anyone who loves having editing photos. Doesn't Berlioz look so much cuter when the lighting issue is fixed? Only 99 cents on the iTunes app store. 

RED STAMP

I heard about this app through some of my Premier Designs Jewelry ladies, who use it to make cards to either message virtually or print and send out to jewelry lovers. There are a variety of designs, occasions, and messages to choose from, all of which are customizable! You can, like I said, save it digitally to your phone to text or email out, or you can send it to Red Stamp and they will print them for you and mail them to you. How cool! I used this app to send my mom a virtual card on her birthday, and the other day played around with it to write a cheeky message to go with a photo of me crossing the finish line at a 5K (I might have been a little bored, okay?!). Free on the iTunes app store. 

WATERLOUGE

My graphics professor told me about this one... It's an app that turns your pictures into watercolor images! So cool! Makes your Instagram posts a little more French, and brings out the artist in everyone. I tested it out with the beautiful flowers Kyle gave me for Valentines Day. $2.99 on the iTunes app store. 

SIMPLY BEING--GUIDED MEDITATION FOR RELAXATION AND PRESENCE

I read about this app, I believe in a magazine (don't remember which one, honestly could be making that up even!), and decided to try it out. I usually listen while I'm going to sleep, and I've noticed the nights I use it I tend to sleep much better! Always a plus. The app has lots of customization options, and I've found it to be a soothing asset to stress-relief. Definitely worth the mere 99 cents on the iTunes app store. 

What do you think of these apps? Do you have any favorite apps to share? Share in the comments!

--Caroline 

Linking Up with: What I'm Loving Friday's

Closet Organization: Making Your Closet Pretty

Welcome back to my two-part series on closet organization! Yesterday I talked about how to clean out your closet, and now it's time to put it all back in, organize it, and make it look pretty! (AKA the fun stuff!)

Tuesday morning, when I did my clean-out, I assessed my closet after sorting everything into piles. I already had a good base, but I was missing just a couple key organizational tools, which I wrote down and went out and bought later that day. 

Here are some tips and tricks to making your closet organized, functional, and pretty!

Matching hangers. They streamline everything, and give you a cohesive look. Plus, coordinated hangers put the focus on your clothes, not the miss-match of hangers.

Keep shoes easily visible. On shelves like these, I can see & find all my shoes easily, plus they don't scuff by rubbing against each other in a huge pile. Too keep the shape in my boots, I cut pool noodles to match the height of the boot shaft and stick them inside. 

Put a little sparkle in your closet! Display your statement necklaces on a cute rack (I found mine at Target) so that you always have easy access to them while getting ready. Plus it just looks pretty! :)

Get creative, and don't be afraid to use something in a different way. This hanging shoe holder works perfectly for storing scarves and rolled t-shirts.

Put bags within reach but easily seen. I have a small basket that holds my clutches, and then I line my other purses next to that on my closet shelf. I keep the form of my purses with either a smaller purse or plastic shopping bags. 

Keep drawers clean. I fold my t-shirts and shorts/jeans so that I can see all of them at once!

So that's my closet... do y'all have any tips or tricks for organizing yours? 

--Caroline

Closet Organization: Clean Out

I like to get up early to get a nice start on my day. So, what did I do with my extensive morning time on Tuesday, you ask? Cleaned out my closet and organized it! (Bet you didn't see that one coming!)

I have always loved cleaning up my closet, just ask my mom. As a kid, she'd tell me to go clean my room and I'd run upstairs and... organize my closet. I'd hang outfits together, I'd hang my clothes in ROYGBIV order, and one time I even organized it by brand! Probably not normal kid behavior. Needless to say, I've never had a problem editing my closet. I'm constantly going through and weeding out pieces I don't love anymore, which I then sell to a consignment store, sell online, or donate. 

So in this two-day series, I'd like to share with you just what happened Tuesday morning. Today, we'll start with cleaning out the closet. 

Here are some questions I've come to ask myself when deciding what stays and goes:

Do I love this? We all want to look a feel our best right? This can only be accomplished by keep the things we love and love on ourselves in constant rotation in our closet. This is the most important question the the clearing out process. 

Does it fit? Unless you are pregnant, don't keep things in your closet that don't fit! 

Can I think of at least 5 ways to wear it? Simple: if you can't automatically come up with ways to pair something, than it's really not helping your closet function. The exception to this would obviously be those special occasion pieces, but those default back to the question, do you love it?

Can I wear at least 5 Premier necklaces with it? This is a factor for me, since I'm always marketing myself and my jewelry company. While I let a top or dress slide here or there that does't reach the count, it is important that the necklines and colors of my clothes can pair well with the current jewelry line. This question can be adapted to fit your specific work wardrobe needs. 

When was the last time I wore it? We all have those impulse shopping regrets, or the one top with love the idea of but never end up actually wearing outside the closet. If I can't remember wearing it recently, I reconsider it's place in my wardrobe. I actually love asking this question on a weekly basis, come laundry day. I look at what is still handing when my laundry bin is at full capacity, and think about what's left. Obviously one can't wear everything they love within a week or so, but assessing your left behinds now gives you a better idea of what maybe isn't loved as much. 

And here are some tips for having a great closet-clean out session:

Make piles as you go! Keep, Sell, Donate, and a Dry Clean/repair pile.

Take a picture. I do this when I'm shopping for clothes too, but taking a picture of your outfit and seeing what it looks like through a lens can be very helpful in getting a sort of outside perspective on whether or not the item should stay or go. ("That's what I look like in this?! Eeek!")

Do it in small pieces. After too long, you start to give in easier, and "likes" become "loves". This is why I try to always asses the items in my closet, because after too long I lose the harsh focus and drive necessary to get down to the "loves". (For example: I had already set aside a small pile of clothes I no longer wanted a couple days prior, although I certainly added to it Tuesday morning!) For you, this might mean taking a snack or lunch break, or checking your emails before getting back to the task at hand. 

Gain inspiration from the internet! Reading articles or posts like this give inspiration and drive to even the most seasoned closet cleaner. Pinterest can be a great source for this, which is where I found this great blog post and the following picture. 

I hope you find these tips & tricks useful! Check back tomorrow for the organization tricks I use in my closet.

--Caroline