A FANCY DAY

Building A Capsule// A Tangent

2015-06-05T14:50:00.001-07:00

I know way back like 7 weeks ago I pledged to do a capsule wardrobe this summer and walk you through each step of my process and now its been weeks and nothing has happened. But if we are taking the walking you through my process part very seriously I have lived up to it. I literally have sat on the capsule since the last post because my mind has gone off in crazy directions about this whole project and taking it all way too seriously as I tend to do way too often.

I was struggling with what I really wanted this capsule to be, and the made up pressure of it needing to look perfect because how dare I put anything on the internet that is NOT perfect. (stupid internet)

After weeks of feeling conflicted about that issue I moved onto feeling conflicted about the wardrobe vs. the capsule. When I started this project two years ago my intentions were to basically build a uniform and then I ran into the idea of a capsule and it all sounded awesome and I wanted to join in. But I was trying to fit into the rules of the capsule too much instead of tailoring it to my needs.

Ughh where I am going with this...

So Mrs. Natalie Jean of Hey Natalie Jean did a whole post about this and it all just came full circle for me and she put all the thoughts in my head straight and her whole theory about a wardrobe vs. capsule is spot on to what I was thinking but I just couldn't figure it out for myself. I think too literally and can't see the bigger or better pictures sometimes and Natalie opened my eyes. Say what you want about her internet but she is a damn good thinker and writer and her words speak to my soul sometimes.

So she breaks it down and I will summarize here, she says that with a capsule you're trying to get the most use out of a certain number of pieces which sort of results in one of everything. With a wardrobe or what she calls a uniform you basically look the same every day but you switch it up with a slightly different white v neck or same shoe but in a different color.

and she freaking hits the nail on the head you guys!! A uniform is where it is at!!! This is what I have been going for and I've had the hardest time figuring it out because I let my head get filled with all the cool ideas the world wide web has to offer and I get consumed with doing something someone else has done. Am I the only one who does this? Is this making sense?

MOVING FORWARD:

So here is the plan Sam, I am going to do a capsule but it's not going to look like most capsules in fact my first capsule is going to suck, but it's going to be real. My end goal is a uniform so moving forward that is going to be my focus. I've got a plan to do this via a capsule and here are the random rules I've set for the shopping of my capsule:

-No set number of pieces just a general rule to keep it simple and clutter free.
-Any item coming into the closet MUST add to the final uniform.
-If there are items currently in the closet that don't fit into the "style" of my desired uniform BUT fill a needed gap for the season you are allowed to wear.
tanget: see the trouble I was running into was having a full wardrobe for summer that fit in this uniform. I just didn't have the money to buy it all. But with allowing myself the freedom of older clothes I can finish a wardrobe for summer.

Main point is that you don't continue to buy items that you don't want in your final wardrobe/uniform.
I still want to do a post on how I've been shopping for my capsule/uniform and how I gain inspiration, so that will be next week and the crazyness of the capsule/uniform will begin. I hope this all made sense to more people than just me and gives us all hope that we can create a wardrobe that we love and feel confident in, which is the point of this very serious topic.

Build A Capsule Wardrobe// Part 1: Closet Clean Out

2015-04-30T10:11:00.003-07:00

Here are the 5 steps I'm taking to clean my closet out for my Summer capsule.

1. Create a work space and 3 piles for donating, storage, and keeping.
2. Take everything out of your closet.
3. Sort the clothes into those 3 piles.
4. Re-Organize closet with the keep items.
5. Evaluate the holes in your wardrobe.

Lets Begin:

1. CREATE: Create a work space, I make sure my room is totally cleared of clutter before I start so I can focus on the job at hand. Then create three piles for all the items in your closet to go. A pile to donate, to store, and a pile to keep. I use paper grocery bags and line them against an empty wall in my room. The bags stand up straight and it's easier to throw the clothing in quickly.

2. REMOVE: Take everything out of your closet. EVERYTHING. I put all the clothing on my bed to sort into the piles the three piles I've created. This would also be a good time to take advantage of an empty closet and clean those dirty corners.

3. SORT: Anything that is not in season (not summer appropriate) and put in the storage pile. At this time I don't stress too much if I'm going to keep an out of season item or not. For me it's much easier to do later and saves me from getting mentally burned out. There are probably going to be a lot of items that you're not ready to donate/sale that are seasonal appropriate these will also go in storage. If you haven't done a closet purge in the past your storage pile could be very large and that's ok. To me the point is to not stress you out or cause anxiety, by storing items you're not sure about you have the option to go back and grab them. I still do this and this is the third purge I have done. If you wanted you could create two storage piles one for out of season items and one for items you're not sure what you want to do with yet.

4. RE-ORGANIZE: This step is really crucial to paint a clear picture of what your style currently is. The only items going back in your closet will be the things you wear regularly and when I say regularly I mean you've worn it in the past couple weeks. I've cheated on this step every time I do a closet clean out and trust me it doesn't help you. I actually need to go back and take things out I know I don't really want in there. From this you will be able to see clearly what your style is and a great jumping off point for your capsule.

5. EVALUATE: With your closet cleared out you can really see all the holes in your wardrobe and where you need to fill it. Take note of what is missing, do you need another pair of pants, a few skirts, or one more pair of shoes? This will be super helpful when creating your shopping list and finding inspiration for your capsule in the next step.

Best Of Luck!

Building A Wardrobe// Part 7: Lets try a Capsule

2015-04-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

The hardest part for me in this whole Building A Wardrobe project is figuring out how I would transform my closet. It all just seemed too overwhelming to completely re-transform my wardrobe to look the way I want. I was trying to change it all at once, what I needed to do was look at it on a smaller scale and transform it in baby steps. The best way I have found to do this is with a capsule wardrobe.

Basically a capsule wardrobe is a wardrobe with a set number of pieces for each season. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. You only wear what is in your capsule for that season mix and matching and making to create enough looks to last you the entire 3 months. Then when the next season comes along you switch it out.

A capsule makes it easier to build your wardrobe from the bottom up. By shopping per season you're able to focus on what your wardrobe really needs at that moment. Basically you're buying a mini wardrobe each season and within a year could have completely re vamped your entire closet. The whole idea is genius and the perfect next step to take in this building a wardrobe series/project. It also gives us the chance to really test out our new style and learn from it.

With summer coming up in just a few short months we have plenty of time to prep our summer capsules. The first day of Summer is June 23rd but I am planning to start my capsule on June 1st and go through until the first day of Fall dependent on weather. So this gives us 6 weeks to prep and I've got it all planned out for our capsules to be ready to go on June 1st.

I've seen people do capsules with all kinds of rules and regulations but I have given myself two guidelines for my capsule but you do what is best for you in your situation.

- I plan to have no more than 50 items in my summer capsule. This will include* Tops, Bottoms, Shoes and accessories.
- I will have all the items bought before the start of the capsule and then not buy anymore during the season.
- If I find that there is an item I am really needing in my capsule but didn't think about until later I will go ahead and buy it.

Once I actual start shopping I may realize that 50 pieces is too many but I didn't want to give myself too much restriction. My goal here is to not have a minimal wardrobe but one where all pieces serve a purpose and will be worm and I feel like 50 items is a good place to start and hopefully with that goal set I will naturally have less items. Also the capsule is not here to punish us, make guidelines and try to stick to them but also learn from it and change it up if you need to.

Here is a break down of the next 6 weeks: If you've been following along for the past few months you should be ready to just jump right in. If not no problem I will que you when to go back and do a step we've already done.

April 27th- Closet Clean out. It's been awhile since the last one, we probably need another.

May 4th- Create a Dream board.

May 11th- Create a shopping list and budget.

May 18th- Start shopping.

May 25th- Get organized.

June 1st - Let the capsule party begin.

Each week I will share the next step in our capsule prep and you will have that whole week to complete that step. So when June 1st comes you should be totally ready to start. I seriously am so so so excited about this you guys, I may even go as far as to to share my outfits with you...

*I'm not including swimwear in my capsule just because it's not something I wear everyday and am not considering it apart of my actual wardrobe.

How I Curl My Short Hair

2015-04-23T10:22:00.002-07:00

I cut my hair short right after Rivers was born and it took me awhile to find a way to make it look good curled. Here is a "quick" tutorial showing what has worked best for my short hair. All you need is a 1 inch curling iron a brush and some moose. Enjoy!

Building A Wardrobe// Part 6: Buy Less Choose Well

2015-04-17T16:04:00.001-07:00

Basically it all comes down to this. Buy less stuff but when you do buy stuff buy better stuff. I could leave it at this but I broke it down into 5 simple things to keep in mind when you're out shopping for the new pieces of your wardrobe.

1. Know What You Need - Notice I said need not want. At this point you should know exactly what your wardrobe needs and having a clear picture of what your wardrobe is and is not makes it easier to say yes to something you love and no to something you find cute. So shop with a purpose not just with a hope to find something cute.

2. Quality over Quantity - Going on a massive shopping trip to F21 every weekend isn't going to cut it anymore. Buying one well made shirt will go much farther for your wardrobe than 10 shirts you will inevitable throw away at the end of the season.

3. Invest - Which brings me to investing. Buying less will allow you to invest in pieces you actually want and keep them for the long haul.

4. Check Yourself - Find something you think you want to bring home? Run through a list of questions to help determine if this is a necessary purchase. Example: Does it fit me now? Does it fit into my wardrobe? Is it too high maintenance? Does it fit into my color palette?

5. Seasonal Spending -If you already have all the clothes you could possibly need that season, don't buy more. Wait for the next season to come around.

This brings me to the end of all the prep of building a wardrobe and into the next part of this series. I feel like I've been waiting for this forever because honestly I have, my whole life I've struggled with finding my style and I feel like I'm finally starting to figure it out. Next week I will be sharing more of what I have planned and I cannot wait!

and just for fun find out what kind of shopper you are here!

Building A Wardrobe// Part 5: Choose A Color Palette

2015-04-15T14:00:00.001-07:00

I found this idea over on Erin's blog and I thought it was such a good idea I had to share. I also thought it was the perfect way to wrap up all our wardrobe prep before we start the big adventure of actually buying items to go into our new wardrobe.(Which we are getting so close to I can't wait to share all the goodness I have planned!)

To pick a color palette for my wardrobe I asked myself a series of questions. What colors look good on me? What are the main colors in my current wardrobe? What are the main colors on my pin boards?(read about that step here) and lastly what are the colors I want to be wearing in my final wardrobe?

This lead me to the colors: Black, White, Gray, Blue, Brown, Navy Green. AKA Very Neutral. Maybe that's not your thing and that's ok, there is no right or wrong in a color palette. The main thing is to pick a handful of colors as your go to. You could even go as far to ask yourself what you want your accent color palette to be for jewelry and accessories.

Limiting yourself to a color palette insures that all of the items in your closet will mix and match beautifully and that you won't bring home something you never wear because it doesn't go with anything you own. Like I made the mistake of doing a couple of weeks ago.

As Erin points out in her post this doesn't mean you can't have pops of color in your wardrobe. I know for a fact that I have a gorgeous dress from Anthro that doesn't fit into my color palette that I will never get rid of and will continue to wear.

- Here is Erin's Original Post about choosing a color palette, she is a beautiful writer and has her own series on building a minimal wardrobe which I have found very helpful.

How I use my favorite Essential Oils

2015-03-18T14:25:00.002-07:00

I bought my Doterra Family Physician Kit back in October after going to a free oil class held here in Salt Lake. I bought that particularly kit because it came with a lot of the basic oils I wanted to try out. Now I'm obsessed and have had to re fill on some of favorites. I don't use all the oils in the kit just yet I am still a newbie and learning a lot daily. I have found 6 oils that I use on myself and on my family everyday though that help us more than I thought they would. Before I went to the class I was so confused with oils and how to use them. In the video I explain how I use the oils and when. Hopefully it clears up some questions you have and makes oils less scary.

Building a Wardrobe // Part 4: Mission Statement

2015-03-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here is Part One, Two & Three of Building a Wardrobe in case you missed it.

As I so promised in the last Building a Wardrobe post I have a little activity for you to do that will help determine what you want your new style to be. I broke it down into 4 mini exercises so by the end you will have a mission statement to help remind you why you started and where you want to be when you finish.

Having a mission statement when starting a big project or new adventure is huge for me. I often have a million tabs open in my brain and get distracted from my main goal easily especially when I am using a resource like Pinterest. Sometimes I worry my Pinterest board and my reality don't match up, but with a mission statement I can come back to what I need not what I think the internet whats me to have.

I explain each step I took and then afterwards I will go and show you how I did it as an example.

Here is an example of what I did for the exercise:
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Step One: 1. I feel like I dress like a 12 year old girl. 2. I never know what to buy when I go shopping. 3. I'm tired of having a closet filled with nothing to wear.

Step Two: Effortless, Comfortable Neutral, Feminine, Clean, Uniform, Mono Organized, Simple, Complete, Happy.

Step Three:
-I want a Uniform.
-I want to be able to run around with my little boy and not worry about my clothes.
-I want my closet to be clean and free of clutter.
-I want every piece to serve a purpose.
-All pieces to mix and match together.

Step Four: I took it from the context of someone asking me why I'm doing this project and then said it in the voice of a presidential candidate. Here is my Mission Statement:

To ban spontaneous purchases and over stuffed closets by discovering my true Courtney style. To create a uniform comfortable enough to chase children but still look good as an independent women.
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And there you have it a simple activity to help keep you focused. Do it over breakfast tomorrow or tonight before bed, I did the activity in a small journal I carry around with me, that way I can go back anytime and look at my mission statement anytime.

Let me know if you do the acitivity and how it goes. I would love to read your mission statement if you're willing to share or shoot me an e-mail afancydayblog@gmail.com I really do mean when I say I would love to see how you are coming along.

Building a Wardrobe// Part 3

2015-02-26T14:41:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since the last building a wardrobe post so here is a quick recap. Last thing we talked about was purging your closet. Getting rid of everything you don't wear or wouldn't want in your new wardrobe that exact post can be found here.

Now that you've gone through and purged your closet you can see the holes in your wardrobe and are probably wanting to go out for a massive shopping trip. I wish that was the next step but remember the end goal is having a closet full of pieces that go together to create a certain look and unfortunately that is going to take time.

So the next thing to do is wait and take the time to research what you want your new wardrobe to look like, not necessarily specific items but just a feel for your new wardrobe. If you did your closet purge correctly you still have quiet a bit of clothing to wear while you decide what you want your wardrobe to be. This has been the hardest part for me because I am attracted to so many different kinds of styles but that is also why this step is so important. It has prevented me from buying random pieces, I am now extremely cautious when picking out new pieces for my wardrobe.

The best way to go about researching your new wardrobe is to use Pinterest. The outfit inspiration is limitless and you're able to keep all that inspiration in one place. I have two boards where I am currently posting outfit ideas. One is called "MAMA WARDROBE" and the other is "STYLE" The mama wadrobe board is more realistic outfits for my day to day life while the style board are outfits I like but wouldn't wear on a daily basis, maybe something I would wear out on a date or a nicer event.

Having two boards helps me to understand the two different roles I need my outfits to play. You don't want the two boards to be totally separate in style and feel thought. If you took both of your boards and put them together you shouldn't be able to tell that they were ever separate.

Before starting this project I went and reviewed my only fashion board on Pinterest and realized that my fashion board was all over the place. Every outfit was different from the next and there was no consistency in style or feel. I could see how my closet had gotten where it was.

So now when pinning I ask myself if is this a look I think is cute or a look I would actually wear and purchase? If it is something I just find cute I do not pin it anywhere and just keep scrolling. For me this works and helps keep my mind clear of what I actually want verses what I just find appealing. It is natural for us to like many different styles but when creating our own personal wardrobe it is better to keep it realistic as to what we would wear in our real life. This doesn't mean you can't post outfits you think are cute. Just create a separate board for those kind of outfits if you so wish, for me it is easier to not pin them at all.

{Pinterset}

With pinterest you're basically creating a virtual wardrobe to see if this style you have picked out for yourself is something you would actually wear. It's giving you a testing ground without having to financial commit. When I started doing this wardrobe project I concentrated a lot of my thoughts on my mama wardrobe board, I really wanted to solidife my day to day look first. After a few months I noticed that everything I had pinned was very plain and almost tomboyish but when I went out shopping those weren't the items I was grabbing for. I realized that I wanted those tomboy elements of comfort in my outfits but to also feel feminine. This was a huge break through for me and by having a board full of realistic inspiration I was able to see what it was that I was really wanting

You can also see if you are pinning something similar over and over, for instance I am always pinning jeans and stripped t's in my mama wardrobe so I know this is a look I am a fan of (so original I know) and when I'm out shopping it helps keep my mind clear as well for what I know I actually want in a wardrobe and what I just find appealing.

{all from my Pinterest account}

So that is the next step I would took when building your wardrobe. I know that it can be hard to choose a specific style when starting this I had an idea already of what I wanted but I do have a little exercise you can do to help you figure that out. I will post that in my next building a wardrobe post.

I would seriously love to know if anyone is following along with this and actually doing it and how it is going. Please comment and let me know or shoot me an e-mail if you don't like commenting. afancydayblog@gmail.com

2 Minute Hair

2015-02-21T15:41:00.003-08:00

I randomly tried this hair out on a whim one day and ended up wearing it like this all last weekend, most of last week and I am currently wearing it as I type this out. It is effortless and takes no time at all, the best part is that it looks great messy so you really don't have to worry about making it look perfect. All you'll need is some dry shampoo (but really that is optional), Bobbi pins, and a hair tie. Enjoy!
D

A Treat for your Sweet

2015-02-12T19:43:00.004-08:00

Here is a last minute treat to make for your sweet before the big day on Saturday. I know sugar cookies are nothing new during Valentines Day but I promise you these are not your average run of the mill sugar cookie.

My Mother-In-Law makes the best sugar cookies in the world, and so the story goes that Starbucks themselves offered to buy the recipe from her and sale them in their stores but she declined. And all you of lucky ducks who have decided it would be a good idea to subscribe to my blog are going to get the famous recipe for Free. I checked with her before posting it to the internet and being the gracious person she is she said "what is mine is yours"

However there is something in the way she does it that will always make hers superior to others. Mine never taste as good and I even have her rolling pin and kitchen aid and still no dice. You would think some of the magic would slip out and into my cookies. No.. regardless they are still delicious and fairly easy to make.

The Recipe and tips because I had to learn the hard way what not to do.
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Ethel's Sugar Cookies

- 6 tablespoons of Butter
- 6 tablespoons of Crisco
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 /12 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In kitchen aid Cream sugar, Crisco, and butter. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add flour to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix until flour is all mixed in. I like to divide the flour mixture into three parts when mixing with the sugar.

I then chill the dough for a few minutes maybe 10-20.

Then I lay out a generous amount of flour on my counter and cover my rolling pin. I pull out small sections of dough and roll slowly. I learned the thicker the dough the better the cookie (but not too thick)

Once you've rolled and cutout that section of dough 3 times it has become too tough and is not worth making a cookie out of. I just go ahead and throw out the small scraps. This is why it is important to only take out a few small sections of dough at a time.

Bake at 400 or 380 for gas ovens for 6-8 minutes. The time really just depends on your oven and how you like your cookies. I've found that 6 to 6 1/2 minutes is the perfect amount of time.

My Everday Makeup

2015-02-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have been so excited to film this tutorial for so long, it's a look anyone can do and it's so simple you can do it in a matter of minutes. It's a narutal look that highlights your features rather covering them up. Mostly this is the look I wear on a daily basis however I don't always wear makeup everyday. It is nice to give my skin a break and not have to worry about what is on my face when I'm loving on my little boy. I also think it is great for your skin to have a break ever now and then. When I do wear this look it is for the days when I have a lot going on, we are running errands, meeting up with friends, going to a playgroup, or meeting Dad downtown for lunch. I will list all the products I use down below. As always thanks for watching!

Products used:
NARS TINTED MOISTURIZER
MAYBELLINE DREAM LUMI CONCEALER
COVERGIRL PRESS POWDER
ELF BRONZER
NAKED 2 EYESHADOW
MAYBELLINE DEFINE A BROW
LOREAL MASCARA

January Favorites

2015-02-11T14:52:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys! Sorry for taking such a long break it amazes me how time can slip away from us. I actually posted some new videos this week and last but again forgot to post on here. Here are my favorite beauty products for the month of January and a few extra fun things I thought I would add in.

2014

2015-01-05T14:29:00.005-08:00

January 5th! When did that happen?!

So many good things happened this year and for many many reasons I could say this was a great year. But then of course we will always have trials and for many reasons I could say this was a not so good year. I don't really feel like I can proclaim 2014 as either and that got me thinking...

If nothing particularly bad happened to me this year does this mean that I wasn't enjoying all the good, was I not living in the moment? What was distracting me from enjoying all that 2014 had to offer? I've come to realize there are a few things I do that take away from my happiness, I won't get into that here. But the goals I set for myself last year have really helped me to realize that if I want my situation to change I have to be the one to do it.

Towards the end of the year I had a realization that the main goal I set for myself last January had come to pass. I had put myself out there and at the very end of the year I caught myself thinking "this is how motherhood should be, THIS is what I've been waiting for." I had changed what needed to be changed and stopped waiting for someone to change it for me. Without even realizing it I had found true happiness in being a Mother, and if I'm being honest I am so proud of myself for the steps I have taken this year.

It's helped me to realize that I am stronger than I think I am and can do more than I think I can. So this year instead of making a goal with an exact number or an exact due date, I', make a goal to improve myself in a few ways I thought I never could because it would just be too hard.

Happy 2015!

Happy Holidays 2014

2014-12-23T21:06:00.001-08:00

I had more things planned for the blog and for YouTube before Christmas but time just got away from me and instead of stress about it all I'm just going to call it and unplug from the internet for a few days. I have the tendency to completely checkout while looking at my phone when Dave is home because there is someone else to watch Rivers and I really don't want to do that over the break. I also get really into taking the perfect picture for Instagram I don't want to worry about that and just be free of it all.David rarely takes off a large chunk of time and I just want to really relax and enjoy it with him. Because at the end of it all who really cares about the visually flow of your Instagram?? Perspective is what I'm all about this Holiday season and sleep and pomegranates because heaven help us if I will be fooled again into thinking those are a all year long treat!! ANYWAYS.....

So this will be my last blog post and video for the new year, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and take advantage of the time spent with the people you love!

You can check out my last vlogmas here.

How To Winterize Your Nails

2014-12-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Julep asked me to create a little tutorial on getting your nails ready for winter and it was perfect timing too because I had already been working on such a post. They have some specific products you can check out for winterizing your nails that make the process much easier. But my favorite are the actually nail polishes and they have some great color choices for winter.

Building a Wardrobe// Part 2

2014-12-17T14:42:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited to be continuing on with this series! You can read part one (here) Like I said in my previous post we are learning how to build a wardrobe together. I try something and then I share it here.

If you're wanting to build a more solid wardrobe I'm guessing you had the same problem I did. You have A LOT of clothes but nothing goes together. You've got a million different styles in your closet and you buy whatever and whenever.

The first thing I did was purge my closet. I got rid of probably 90% of all the items I never wear, I wish I could have gotten rid of more but financially I couldn't go and replace everything. I also wasn't emotionally ready to get rid of all of it either.

So after the big purge I like doing "baby purges" and this has helped a ton. By removing items from your closet and simple storing them somewhere else you're letting the items go mentally, teaching yourself you don't actually need them, and allowing yourself to see what your closet really needs.

The idea is that whatever is left hanging in your closet are all the items you actually wear on a regular basis. You cannot create a new wardrobe until you can really see what you are needing, and you cannot really see what you are in need of with a closet filled to the brim.

How to PURGE:

1. The Baby Purge: Create 3 sections to put your clothes into. One to keep, one to store, and one to donate/sale.

2. Go through your closet and divide the entire thing into those sections. I'm serious take out every single item and put it in a section.

3. Put the donate/sale pile into a bag and get it out of sight.

4. Now look again at section 1 & 2. Are you keeping too much? Should you put more in storage? The items going back into your closet should be items you wear regularly. Even if it's not an item that you want as part of the finale wardrobe, you need stuff to wear while you collect your new pieces.

5. Create a space for the items that are going to be stored for a few months. You want them out of sight, do not put these back on the hanger or in your dresser. I store mine under the bed in a slide out drawer. But you could put them in a box in your closet or hall or kitchen. Just get them out of sight.

6. Put the rest of the items in your closet. After all this you should have significantly less in your closet, unless you have an insane amount of clothing to go through. You know your closet and you know your limits. Do what you can.

7. Pick a time frame to go back and do this whole process again. I chose 3 months, but if you want more time take more. If you want to get this done faster do less. It's up to you!

8. 3 months later (or whatever time you chose) go back and look at the stored items first. Hopefully you will realize you never wear those items and you will just donate them.

9. Then go through your closet again. Do steps 1-8.

While I probably sold half of my closet on Instagram a few months back there is still a lot of work to be done with getting rid of the old, but there is even more work with bringing in the new. So really it's all a balancing act

Prepping your closet for Winter

2014-12-11T19:57:00.004-08:00

Growing up in Texas the weather didn't change too much so my wardrobe stayed pretty consistent. I would add a coat in the winter and take it out in the summer. But after having lived in the colder weather for over 6 years I know how important it is to rotate your closet during seasons.

To prep my closet for winter I first make sure I have a place to store all my summer clothing. Then I begin to take out and sort my summer clothing, I make a pile to store and a pile to donate. I then bring in all my winter items back into the closet to replace the summer items and put those summer items in storage. Pretty simple but can make a huge difference.

By only keeping the current seasons items in your closet you will have more room to store it all and this will making getting dressed much easier. Half of your closet will not be dedicated to items that aren't appropriate for that season, and you can pick and choose quickly what to wear.

Basic Series//Tinted Moisturizer

2014-12-09T20:03:00.001-08:00

I was watching a friends video the other day and came to realize that I had been using a beauty product all wrong! I couldn't believe that I had owned this item for over a year and had never learned how to use it correctly.

Then I had another experience where I was at Target with a friend and I said I was looking for a new concealer to try and she literally said she didn't even know how to use canceler or what it was used for. I was blown away!

It made me think, how often do we buy a new makeup product just because it's popular but we don't actually know how to use it. Or we are told in makeup tutorials that we should be using certain products but we don't really know why and maybe there are some of us out there that truly don't know what concealer is and we need a basic intro in something as simple as that.

So I've decided to start a basic series where I can explain the basics of beauty products, from the new and popular to the old and trusted.

I made my first video in the series about Tinted Moisturizer because I feel like it is still fairly new and everyone seems to be using Tinted Moisturizer over foundation these days.

In this video I talk about three things. 1. What is tinted moisturizer. 2. How does it compare to BB creams and foundation. and 3. How to apply it.

Beauty Favorites

2014-12-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hello!! Sorry I have been awful about posting my videos on the blog this week! I have two new videos up and they are both about my beauty favorites. First are the items I have been loving through the month of November and second is a video of my top drugstore beauty items.

Advent Calendar // Christmas 2014

2014-11-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

Every year we basically use our Advent Calendar as our Christmas Bucket List, each day is different activity we wish to do over the Holiday Season. Some are simple like getting Starbucks hot chocolate or driving around to see christmas lights while others are more time involved like sledding in Park City.

Inspired by Oh Happy Days simply advent calendar I created this with treat bags, washi tape, string, and number tags from Ikea. I used watercolor paper to write down all of our Christmas Bucket List activities and then sealed each bag shut with more washi tape. It probably took me about 30 minutes to put together and then another 20 to get it all hung up.

Here are some activities we have awaiting for us this Christmas;

Visit Temple Square to see the Lights.
Perform a random act of service.
Decorate a mini tree for Rivers room.
Write a gratitude letter to Jesus.
Make Grandmas Sugar Cookies
Craft a Christmas star and talk about first star.
Meet Dad downtown for a fancy dinner.

Mini Donuts// A last minute act of gratitude

2014-11-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a last minute treat to show your gratitude for a friend, loved one, or neighbor. A small act of service before the Thanksgiving holiday is officially over. And what could be better than saying thanks with mini donuts? Nothing. Nothing is better than mini donuts. Unless of course you I bought the container and bags at Zurchers and I have a free download for the little tags. These would even make a great little favor if you're hosting thanksgiving, or a sweet treat for the hostess who's home you're attending.

Free Download for tags here.

Recipe from Baker Bettie
For the donuts

5 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour

for the topping

¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Lightly oil mini donut pan and set aside (alternatively you can use mini muffin pans)
In a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix until just combined (mixture will look curdled).
Add in the baking powder and the salt and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the flour just until combined. You don't want to overmix this batter.
If using mini donut pan, transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or into a ziplock baggie with the tip cut off. Pipe into the pan only filling ½ of the way fill. If using the mini muffin pan, fill each well ½ full
Bake at 325ºF for 8-10 minutes. *If using a mini donut maker, bake for 4-5 minutes. Allow to cool just slightly before dipping in topping.
Melt the butter for the topping and combine the cinnamon and sugar. Dip each donut lightly in butter then roll in cinnamon and sugar.

Building a Wardrobe // Part I

2014-11-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

For over a year I have been fascinated with the idea of building a wardrobe and setting a specific style for myself. I realized that even though I had a lot of clothes none of them really worked with each other, every item was it's own thing and there were multiple different styles living in my closet.

When I went out to shop I had a hard time knowing what to buy. But with a wardrobe wouldn't I already know what my closet was lacking? Items coming into my closet would fulfill a need and they would work with the group. Every outfit would essentially have the same vibe, the same feel.

To some this may sound boring but to me it's fascinating, to me it's what a style should be.

I want my style to be more defined I want to really know my style, what are the key words and phrases that define my style. What are the colors and energy of my style. How nice would it would to have a closet filled with beautiful thought out pieces instead of a crammed closet full of pieces you don't really want and none of them really go together.

I don't really have answers as to how to go about all this. This isn't a post of step by step guidelines but more just starting the discussion of it. I think it would be more beneficial to go through it together as I am learning for myself instead of coming at you with a ton of information and discoveries.

I know this is not a project I will finish over the course of a few months, rather I feel like it will take me years. I need the time to do trial and errors on my style, I need time to purge the old and buy the new. To start over if it goes bad...

A few months back I took the first step by purging my closet so next week I will be sharing what I did and how it went. I can't wait to really start this and to share it with you all.

Family Pictures 2014

2014-11-20T10:28:00.002-08:00

As usually I tried really hard to narrow it down to just a few shots because I really could have posted them all. This shoot was put together super last minute we threw together outfits we already had and I was literally painting over my purple nails as we pulled up to the park. But oh my you would never have never known that be looking at these pictures!

Guys Stephanie is a dream to work with!! We did a mini session at Salt Lakes Liberty Park and I cannot believe how many good shots she got in such a short amount of time. She really knows her stuff especially with the posing! She wastes no time messing around and throws you right into making you look your best. Her energy is addictive and her passion for what she does spills out of her! If you haven't called this girl you need to!!

Go Check out her site! http://stephaniehitchins.squarespace.com

3 Easy Tricks for Flawless Lipstick

2014-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

Since my last video was all about my favorite drugstore lipsticks I thought I would share my simple tips for applying lipstick. I also have a bonus video coming later for those of you with bigger lips and feel weird about putting so much color on your face, also a good tip for making a glossy lipstick look matte. Thanks for watching and all the support so far it really means a lot!