Closet Building

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When I went on my birthday shopping spree last week, it was the first time I clothes shopped with so much intentionality! I went in with a vision and came out feeling great about the results. (I had a great time with my sister, too!) The vision came from thoughts I've had recently about what we put on our backs and the best way to invest in it.

Honestly, I've come to the conclusion that I spend more money on cheaper clothes than I would if I bought better quality things that last longer! I've decided to try building a working closet of well-made, versatile clothes to gain some control over the quality and quantity of stuff I buy. Really, all this means is that I am purposing to not buy something cheap just because it's faster. If I think I need something, I'll plan and look for a version that's well-made and that I love. When my family and a few of my friends heard about my closet building, they gifted me with a shopping trip where I picked up some basics. There were a lot of summer sales, so I really wound up paying as much for some things as I would have at a cheaper store. They just felt so much nicer. Here's what I got:

Gap Black Essential Tee

J. Crew Navy Shorts

H&M Dotted Blouse

Express White Portofino Blouse

J. Crew Ball Cap

NY & Co. Black Pencil Skirt (sold out. similar.)

J. Crew White Linen Tee

I'll probably share more about this little process with you in the future. It's nice to feel purposeful in an area of life that I deal with every single day: getting dressed. Do you have a purpose in mind for how you buy clothes?

-Song

Skincare Routine

I am talking about Skincare today. For a long time, I have flitted from product to product, buying stuff, being disappointed in its mediocre quality, forgetting about it, using whatever else is in my bathroom cabinet, forgetting about that too, basically investing in things that I abandon later. I think lots of girls do this. After a time, your supply of unused cleansers, moisturizers, toners, masks, scrubs, etc. represents money, and while it's not necessarily "money down the drain", it doesn't do you any good just sitting in a bottle, either. All the while, you still haven't found something you like using.

Recently, I decided that instead of spending small amounts of money many many times over without results, the smarter thing would be to do a bit of research, spend a little bit more money and find products that work; things that I'll want to buy, completely use up, and buy again. With that in mind, I have come up with a very simple, ultimately affordable skincare routine that actually works for me.

I get up in the morning and wash my face with the Olay Regenerist cream cleanser/exfoliant, then immediately use the Olay Regenerist micro-sculpting moisturizer. Morning's done! At night, I use the Bioderma Crealine (or Sensibio) H2O solution that cleanses and removes ALL makeup. I use the Olay micro-sculpting moisturizer again and go to bed. That's it. Just 3 things. And my skin has never looked and felt healthier.

Doing the research, I win. What have you found that works for you?

-Song

White Walls

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This summer, a project on my to-do list is repainting my bedroom...I'm going with white. My family will at least raise their eyebrows at this. When I was little and my mom asked me what color I wanted my room to be, I said "pink." When I got a little older, it was "turquoise." When I was old enough to appreciate warm colors in a basement bedroom I said, "yellow." I would never ever have said "white." I was always drawn to colors and the more color I could cram into one space, the better. In fact, I remember telling my mother that I would never have white or taupe walls in my house when I got married. I just loved color!

I have since realized that loving color is a good reason to have white walls. I love it so much that I want to make it the focal point of the room, make people's eyes dart to vibrant hues popping out in pillows, plants and artwork, and be able to easily change out old colors for new ones.

Here is a roundup of white or off-white rooms with pops of color that demonstrate what I'm talking about...

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Based on the pictures above, you can see that this technique works with a number of different styles. You can choose a multitude of colors for one room or just a pervasive shade. The possibilities are endless and fun to play with! 

-Song

Black Ballet Flats

black flats by anna-seay featuring black ballet flats

Black ballet flats are such a useful thing to own! They're always classic (thanks to Miss Hepburn) and easy. I've worn mine into the ground now and for some reason am having a very difficult time finding new ones! I've only checked the few brick-and-mortar stores I regularly frequent, though, so now I'm taking to the web. Here are a few of the cute and affordable options I've found so far...

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Fall Green

One thing I enjoy about fall is getting to wear the colors that don't really go in the summertime like all the dark shades of green! See...

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This pic has a goat!

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And I had to tack this one on at the end cause it's too darn cute not to.

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"What Do I Wear With..." + Fireflies

Necklace - Blouse - Jeans - Coral Bracelet - Black Bracelet - Sandals - Stud Earrings

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image c/o fairytalesbynature.tumblr.com


Last night, I saw the first firefly I've seen all year. To mark the occasion, I listened to...Fireflies.

Spring Wedding

You can look nice without stealing the spotlight away from the bride. :) One major thing I like about this is that there's really nothing to fidget with or adjust... no neckline pulling or shirt tucking. Who really wants that? Comfort, people..it's important!

dress; jacket; clutch; necklace; ring; earrings

Got you covered...

I believe two things about clothes: 1.You should enjoy wearing them. 2. They should cover what they are meant to cover. I know that last one is pretty relative, and I can't really explain what it means to me because there are exceptions to all rules... but, I can show you. Here's one example I put together c/o Polyvore for summertime... cute, comfy and reasonably covered. It'd be really nice to own those sandals...

T-shirt; jeans; sandals; necklace; bangles; earrings