Home Ec: Jewelry Cubby Re-Do

As many know, I live in a very small space with Dr D and Otto.  Among some, our home is fondly referred to as The Horseshoe for its resemblance to said object.  We're talking less than 400 square feet.  Yeah.  It's cozy.  That being said, everything in The Horseshoe has to have a designated spot...well most everything.  Enter my jewelry cubby.  In our closet area there are some great built in shelves, drawers and a cubby where I store my jewels, perfumes and other odds and ends.  As you can see, it's a bit of a mess. 

Eee!  What a mess!

Maybe it was the lovely weather we had this past Saturday, but I was overcome suddenly to re-org.  There was a lot of stuff in that tiny space!  Here's the shortlist:

• An evil eye from Turkey, a gift from my mom
• Buddhist prayer beads my dad brought back from Korea
• An old family photo
• 12 bottles of lotion, of varying sizes and fullness...Seriously?!
• Flowers from Dr D that I pressed and framed when I was living in the UK
• 7 different perfumes, not including a Jo Malone sampler set of 6 different fragrances
• Random key to one of my vintage suitcases, don't know which tho
• A "Sex Bomb" badge, a "Rock the Vote" pin circa '00 and an "XX" pin off a pair of Genetic Denims
• A Mister Potato Brush from my lovely friend Linds
• 2 flattened pennies- 1 from Ellis Island and 1 from the Disney World Boardwalk

The list could go on and on and doesn't even include my jewelry, a myriad of necklaces, rings and bracelets.  I honestly never realized.  Undaunted by volume, I set to work and after about an hour, small garbage bag, several clear push pins and a bit of string, I have a lovely and well organized jewelry cubby. The best part, I didn't have to buy anything to organize the cubby AND I can actually find things now.

So clean and pretty.

5 Things I Love This Week

 Madewell's Rail Straight Jeans

These are the best jeans I have found in a while.  The lower rise and slim straight cut leg are super flattering and with a hint of stretch they are super comfy.  My personal fave is the Madewell wash (shown above) but they also come in Black, a medium wash, white and a light wash.  Check them out here.

 Sula Beauty's Natural Makeup

The Canadian smarties behind Paint & Peel nail polish are at it again, this time with a new line of paraben, phthalate, and petroleum byproduct free cosmetics.  The line features cream shadows, cheek and lip tints, blushes, glosses and lipsticks in a variety of pretty shades.  My fave is the lipstick in Quick Escape.  All products are $8 each and available exclusively at Ulta.

The Naked and Famous

I only recently discovered this awesome indie rock back from New Zealand.  Their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You is chock full of fantastic music.  This is the kind of album that will get me through my super slow and quiet week ahead.

Yellow Owl Workshop

San Francisco based Yellow Owl Workshop creates lovely, hand-crafted paper goods and home stuffs.  Wife and husband team Christine and Evan have created a range of items that are fun, kitschy and eco-friendly: all paper is 100% PCW recycled and all inks are water-based and non-toxic.  From stamp kits, to correspondence sets to pendants, I've purchased things for myself and given an equal number as gifts.  Check them out here.

A Piece of Toast

This lovely lifestyle blog is co-authored by two sisters, Sally Ann and Molly Bernadette.  They post about loads of things...food, fashion, art, home stuffs, music...there is something for everyone.  They are witty and clever girls with a passion for the things that make life fun.  I would bet they'll become part of your daily reads once you check them out here.

It might be September, but...

Its that time of year again...the Spring Summer 2012 fashion shows are in full swing!  I get excited for the warm weather collections every fall, but this year, so far I have been underwhelmed. The New York shows came to a close this past Friday and I will admit to being rather underwhelmed.  Generally awful hair and makeup aside (what was going on?! did all the hair gurus go on hiatus this season?), I was still able to find some gems.  Here are my faves from New York.

 Fit to Print
There was an air of whimsy behind some of the prints on the runway this season.

From L to R:  

ADAM:  I love the mix of the polka dot and the delicate bird print.  The pleating in the top gives the appearnce of stripes, and since the it's all black and white, it works together nicely.

CAROLINA HERRERA:  Though I'm not a bird fan in real life, I do love a good bird print.  Ms Herrera had a few different colorways of this lovely sparrow print, but this one with the assymetric block of stripe was my fave.

PETER SOM:  Who doesn't love a kitchy zebra print?  I especially like the pop of color the cobalt belt creates.

VICTORIA BY VICTORIA BECKHAM:  Posh Spice's new, more youthful like of dresses featured this great retro-esque cat print.  So fun.

Rainbow Brights

Color, color, and more color!  With everything from citrus oranges to electric purples, spring will be a bright season.

From L to R:  

JASON WU: This pale coral is just plain lovely.

ALEXANDER HERCHOCOVICH: This tomato orange popped up in a number of collections, but this belted dress from AH was my fave iteration.

CAROLINA HERRERA:  Canary yellow never looked so elegant.

PETER SOM:  I LOVE hot pink.  'Nuff said.

ALICE+OLIVIA: The pairing of the bright tropical purple with the sorbet tones of the scarf are just lovely.  The belt and shoes also have the pop of tomato orange that I'm digging this season.

Pale and Pretty

Neutral relief came in all shades of white, gray and some lovely pastels.

From L to R:  

CALVIN KLEIN: Francisco Costa has a way with neutrals.  I love this peachy-nude

ALICE+OLIVIA: This white and nude ensemble feels so fresh and elegant at the same time.

VENA CAVA:  The subtle print on this gray-blue dress gives it a lil something extra, and the bauble necklace is awesome!

ERIN FEATHERSTON:  I love the pale yellow layered under the white lace and the black patent heels keep it from feeling too sweet.

ALICE+OLIVIA:  The soft peach of the cardi marries back nicely to the bubble gum pink of the pants.  I don't dig the green top, but overall the look yells spring in a very lady-like voice.

All the Pretty Dresses

Well, not ALL of them, just four of my faves.

From L to R:

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: There were so many lovely dresses in his collection, but this dove gray one was by far my favorite.

MARCHESA:  These girls have skills.  This gown is just lovely.

JENNY PACKHAM:  The shapes and pattern of beading detail on this frock makes it feel edgy and vintage at the same time.

BAND OF OUTSIDERS:  There is something vaguely beachy and extremely feminine about this nude dress from BofO.

Tee Time

I LOVE t-shirts.  They are my wardrobe staple; jeans and a t-shirt are my uniform (I’m very lucky to work in a place where this uniform is considered acceptable work wear).  Enter Madewell’s Artisan Tee.  I discovered her last month when Madewell opened it’s first San Francisco store.    This tee is great!  It’s made from a super soft blend of linen and polyester, which doesn’t shrink in the wash, comes in a HUGE range of colors and stripes and is cute in a super flattering deep v that covers just the right amount of décolletage.  They’re on promo right now on the website, and I’m seriously considering stocking up on more colors.  Check them out, you will LOVE them, I promise!