Five Friday Favorites

Yet another wonderful week of my Christmas Break has gone by, and now we are in 2015! Crazy! I'm back in Florida and missing Colorado (even the cold!) but here is a snippet of my week...

1. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! I'm so glad it was snowy when I was home, because I certainly don't get that here in Florida! I enjoyed it so much, and it makes for beautiful pictures...

2. Another thing that makes for beautiful pictures is waking up to a full sheet on ice on your window...

3. While home, I was able to fit in a visit with all my friends, which was nice. I went to PFChangs and saw Into The Woods with my buddies Rachael and Jessica, as well as tried to not die when they drug me to a PureBarre class! (Actually, I did it to myself...) And then I was able to catch up over coffee with my friends from high school who now live in both Washington and New York, which was so nice! 

4. Just before I made the trek back to Florida, I finished Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and now I can't wait to see the movie! I started on my next book on the plane, Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. As I mentioned yesterday, one of my goals for the new year was to read 12 books, so after my day of traveling I've made a great head start. Even though I technically started the book in 2014, I'm going to count it as my first 2015 book. Haters gonna hate. 

5. So the FSU vs. Oregon game last night.... not going to talk about that. :( But we can talk about my outfit, which you might have seen on Instagram!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Most of this week was spent either laying in bed or sitting up in bed with a horrible case of sinus allergies, but with spurts of energy and allergy meds kicking in, it still managed to be a fun week!

1. While putting away clean dishes, a certain rambunctious kitty boy by the name of Berlioz discovered a "fun" new spot, much to his mom's dismay.

2. The debate about which book to start after finishing The American Heiress still continues, even after seeking out help on social media. (Help me choose! Her Fearful Symmetry or One Thousand White Women?)

3. I wore this cute outfit, accessorized by Premier Jewelry of course!

4. I dug up this candid shot from years ago in celebration of my dad's birthday... Classic Amy family antics here, circa late 1990's. Notice my headphones, choker necklace, and bandanna hairpiece. Oh so stylish!

5. I have cooked these eggplant pizzas twice this week. Recipe to come soon! They are so so yummy!

Have an awesome weekend, my stylish readers!

--Caroline

Reading Is Important

Last week, my furniture design class turned in our handmade cardboard chairs to a local elementary school! The school's teachers had selected books, which we were then given to draw inspiration from for our chair. My book was Wild About Books, a fun tale about animals at the zoo going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books!" It's truly a cute read--I highly recommend it for any children in your life!

If you've been following, you might have seen the progress my giraffe chair has made...

From sketches, to a process model, to last minute design changes, I have to say it was a fun project and also a great learning experience. Overall, I'm very pleased with how it turned out, but I did see some room for design changes after meeting with the kids. In the design world, there is always room for improvement! That is why process models and tests are so important. 

My finished chair & a look into the hallway of our furniture building...

Here's a look at some of the fun with the children upon delivery...

There are 40 of us, so the elementary school now has 40 awesome cardboard chairs, some going to classrooms and some staying in the library I think! The kids had so much fun interacting with all the different designs--it was so rewarding to see our "clients" happy!

Along the reading note, I came across this info graphic the other day which startled me.

As a kid growing up, my parents read to us every single night, and my mom was always reading for her book club (still does), so my brother and I were constantly exposed to reading. I love to read! Granted in college I haven't been able to read quite as many "fun" books as I would like (although I know I could make time), I still enjoy at least 3-4 non-school related books a year. The fact that so many people my age or older haven't read since their schooling is sad. And the notion that many families are not buying or reading books... those kids aren't experiencing the fun, the knowledge growth, the excitement of a new book that others are. Reading is so important!!

So sit down in my giraffe chair, crack open a book, and get lost for 30 minutes. Have your kids do the same! Let's not let the art of reading die!

--Caroline

Simplicity & Minimalism

The other day, I found myself sitting (unexpectedly) at Firestone Auto Care waiting for my car to be looked at. After checking emails, and fiddling around on my phone, I turned to their magazine collection and picked up the March 2014 issue of Ladies Home Journal.

That was a great decision, a fantastic decision. And let me tell you why.

While thumbing through, I came across the article "The Joys of Living Small: Three Families Share Their Tiny Houses" (read it here). Thinking it was an article about designing for small spaces, I naturally started reading, and I can tell you it wasn't about designing for small spaces. It was about so much more, and truly got me thinking.

I have always had a knack for organizing, a love for purging unused items. Yet I continue to have a lot of stuff. If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you probably have read about my many challenges I've attempted to curve my spending: my Post-Birthday Shopping Challenge, my Fit2Shop Challenge, and my most recent No Shopping In February Challenge. But this Ladies Home Journal article, and the subsequent research and blog-reading I did, has got me thinking about why these challenges haven't helped my habit. 

In the article, Dave Bruno's 100 Thing Challenge was mentioned. Curious, I typed it into google, and came across his blog and information about his book. Fired up about the negative effects of consumerism here in the United States and the ability to fight it by leading a simple life, the words on his blog by both him and his contributors lept off the page right at me. (literally, I swear! lol). I got to thinking about why I like clothes, why I like to shop. I got to thinking about how I don't want to be in debt for the rest of my life, how I don't want to pass down negative traits to my (very future) children. I thought about how I want to be able to afford travel & experiences for both myself now, and in the future. 

"Temporary and fleeting things..." is a compelling way of wording it...

(Take a look at Dave Bruno's blog here, watch his TedTalk here, and read another blogger's version of the challenge here.)

Additionally, I came across the blog INTO MIND, written skillfully about minimalistic capsule wardrobes, and finding your style. The articles that really spoke to me were "How To Build The Perfect Wardrobe: 10 Basic Principles"  and "10 Wardrobe Building Projects for Sunday Afternoons." 

Even though I wrote about how to do a closet clean out not to long ago (read here), I can still learn much from both articles "Closet Cleanout: The Only 10 Pieces of Clothing You Need" and The Order Obsessed's blog entry archive, "Category Archives: build + edit a wardrobe." They both outline some unique ideas I've never heard of that might actually push my de-cluttering skills! 

Due to my research and readings, I have decided I would like to make a change. I believe that why my previous challenges and closet-clean-outs have failed to stick is that they 

1) only affected the physical buying of clothes, not the mental thought processes or emotions involved with shopping.  

2) did not encourage me to think about my personal style or my favorite pieces and why they are my favorite pieces

3) they only acted as temporary changes, not lifestyle changes.

4) I was far too easy on myself!

Check back soon to see the results of my research! I'm excited to finally push myself like never before when dealing with my wardrobe which always seems to grow.

Do you have the same problem? How do you deal with never-ending clutter? How do you feel about the 100 Things Challenge?

--Caroline

Liebster Award

I've only been blogging since June 2013, so it was such an honor to be nominated by Hazel from Hazel Hearts for the Liebster Award the other day!

If you haven't heard about the Liebster Award before, here's the low-down...

1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.

2. You must answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you.

3. You pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.

4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.

5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.

Hazel had the following questions for me:

What is your favourite shop? This is a hard choice between Marshalls/TJMaxx and Target... Target has literally everything one could need. But Marshalls/TJMaxx are my go-to when I want to take a shopping break but am not looking for anything specific. I've found many a great find from Marshalls/TJMaxx!

If you had to choose between lipstick and mascara, which would you pick? Mascara. I don't love my lips, so I don't highlight them often.

Do you prefer to dress casually or dress up? Depends. I consider myself a chameleon of sorts... You want to go on a hike? Cool. You want to casually shop around town? Cool. You want to go to a black tie dinner? Really cool. I love dressing up, but I also like being casual and fun. So both? lol!

What is your beauty bad habit? Not flossing every day. This is something I've been struggling to do, and I go through phases where I'm good at it and then phases when I'm not so good at it. 

What is your favourite perfume? I don't wear perfume daily because I'm mildly allergic to scents, but on special occasions I love any perfume by Tocca. I got a sampler from Sephora one time and fell in love! (Similar here!)

What is your earliest beauty-related memory? Probably having my mom do my hair and makeup for dance recitals! Although I quickly picked up doing parts of it myself... I'd rather stab myself in the eye with eyeliner than have someone else accidentally do it!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I love the Southern U.S., but I also love Colorado... Ultimately I don't care as long as I am with those I love! I am of the mindset that home is the people you are with, not the place itself. 

Do you prefer winter or summer beauty and fashion? Summer! Everything is so laid-back and carefree in the summer. Plus I think summer tans make everything a little sweeter :).

Is there anything you would love to do but haven't yet? Travel! I've barely left the United States, but I can't wait for my European Cruise this summer with my family. I also would love to go to Australian and train through the interior, as well as go on a spa vacation in Tahiti. Or Fiji. Oh what the heck, let's be honest I want to go to both!

Would you prefer to go out or have a quiet night in? Quiet night in. I'm all for going out to dinner with girlfriends or on a date with my man, but staying out until the wee hours of the morning is not my thing. I'll do it every once in awhile, but on the daily I like to relax at home.

What is your favourite beauty or clothing brand? I like to shop a variety of places, so I have quite a mix but most of my closet comes from LOFT, J. Crew, and Gap/Banana Republic. 

Without further ado, I would like to nominate the following bloggers for the Liebster Award! Go check out their blogs!

Lauren from Bold & Blonde

Christina from The Quarter Life Closet 

Kate from For The Love Of Fancy

Melody from Sweet Like A Song

Dana from Pink Champagne Problems

Kristin from Crumbs & Curls

Ashley from History In High Heels

Chantel from A Glitter Affair

Bre from Baubles & Bubbly

Danielle from A Little Bit Of WoWe

Heather from The Heathered Life

My questions for these lovely ladies are...

1. Do you have a favorite outfit memory? (ex: I can remember the outfit I was wearing when I asked out my boyfriend!)

2. What has been your favorite fashion "score"?

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

4. Why did you start your blog?

5. If you had to pick your favorite clothing/accessory item, what would it be and why?

6. What is your favorite thing to cook/eat?

7. What do you like to do when you aren't blogging?

8. Is there anything you haven't done yet in life but want to?

9. Where do you find yourself shopping the most?

10. Do you prefer to dress casually or dress up?

11. Which season is your favorite for fashion & beauty purposes?

Thanks again to Hazel for the nomination, and congratulations to the ladies I've nominated! Spread the blogger love! :) 

Happy Thursday, 

--Caroline

Recent Reads: Think Like A Champion

Recently I finished Donald Trumps book, Think Like A Champion. Now, this book is not new (published in 2010) but I was just a little bit behind on the bandwagon! I picked this up to read because I've always admired Mr. Trumps success, and I thought it might give me some great advice in terms of my Premier Designs Business and my dream goals down the road. 

Boy was I right and then some! 

I can hands down say that this is now on my favorite books list. Organized into small 2-4 page "essays," Think Like A Champion was not only an easier/less dry read than I imagined, but the advice given is applicable to everyone, regardless of your position in life or at your job. He gave lots of advice for college students like me and for entrepreneurs, but plenty of life lessons too. I can definitely say that this book was one of several things that inspired me and pushed me to start this blog! Yay for Donald Trump! 

Below are some of my favorite tips/quotes. I hope you can gain from them like I have!

"Have passion for what you do and be efficient about it at the same time."

"If you see every day as an important day for your future and a special day just because you have it, you will be amazed at how productive and energetic you will be."

"Champions go the extra mile. We all know when we've done just enough and when we've really exerted ourselves. Make an effort to exert yourself-- everyday. Don't fail because you never allowed yourself to get started!Don't avoid success because think the responsibility might be too much-- just focus and get going!"

I could go on for awhile but for now I'll leave it at that. 

GO PICK UP THIS BOOK!! :)