Minimalist Monday: Lessons from Owning a Curated Closet

I don't often talk about style-related topics because I couldn't be further from a fashionista, but I figured there are some interesting points I've noticed about my smaller (and ever decreasing) closet that I would like to discuss with you. Just to be clear, I'm using the term 'curated closet' instead of 'capsule wardrobe' because I've never officially built a capsule wardrobe from clothes in my closet to wear for a season. However, I've been pregnant for most of last year and therefore only wore a set number of pieces that fit over my watermelon belly, and have been nursing Julian since October, which especially in the beginning required some adjustments in my working wardrobe - hence the 'curated' wardrobe.

My drawers are still organized vertically using the KonMari folding method, which I've found easy to navigate and maintain.

Personally, the biggest surprise I've had since majorly reducing the size of my closet is that I still need to shop for clothes - and keep on decluttering the no longer needed pieces. I guess I was living in this KonMari-induced bubble where I was convinced that once I paired down my clothes to just my favorites, I would be living in this happily ever after of being satisfied with my possessions and never wanting anything else ever again. The reality turned out to be quite different for me, for several reasons.

First of all, clothes wear out. Like... majorly. Yes we all know that, but once you pair down your closet and are constantly wearing and washing the same items over and over again, it becomes obvious how fast they can wear out. I've noticed pilling, holes, spots, general thinning out of fabric, hems falling out and stretching out of my favorite clothes, especially everyday t-shirts, jeans and dresses. So much so that I recently found myself in a place of thinking 'Hmm, is this top worn out to the point of "lounge wear only" or does it really need to be thrown out?'. I've also been pondering whether the wear of my clothes is actually noticeable for others or just me, or whether I was simply bored with a given piece and looking for an excuse to shop.

But then it hit me. No. Just... stop. Here's what it boils down to: when a once-favorite shirt becomes questionable because of its wear, it doesn't really matter how far it is at that point from needing to be pitched straight into the bin. I mean, it's not like there's some objective measure of damage that once reached would allow me to get rid of the thing without guilt anyway. To put it simply, I do not want to wear tired, messy, ill-fitting, frumpy clothing. I don't want to feel or present myself as a tired, messy, sloppy person, especially now that I'm a mom - maybe because it'd be all so easy, and that scares me just a bit. So I think that once I start noticing the wear on a piece of clothing (provided that it can't be easily fixed), it is indeed time to start saying goodbye, regardless of how much I loved wearing it in the past.

Secondly, circumstances change. This has hit me especially hard because my life has gone through quite a dramatic change since having Julian, but this is probably true for most of us as well - we move to a different climate, get a new job, simply grow out of our former fashion style... The reasons can be multiple. For me, not only have I become a (nursing) mom, but also haven't gone back to my pre-pregnancy size and am somewhat doubtful whether I ever will, or even if I did, whether I would still want to wear my old clothes.

My mom - who definitely isn't one to get rid of 'perfectly good' clothes - told me after Julian was born to just hang in there fashion-wise by getting just a couple interim pieces to wear while I breastfeed, but in general to wait till I wean him off, lose the weight and can go back to wearing what I already own. And I did try to do that, mostly because it appealed to the minimalist in me. I got a few button down shirts and two henley tops, quite a few nursing bras (out of which only two turned out to be comfortable and the right size in the end - because who knew, your bra size changes quite a bit throughout breastfeeding...), two pairs of jeans I could actually squeeze into. That's pretty much all I wore from October till May, when the weather turned decidedly warmer. The button-down + jeans combo got mind-numbingly boring rather fast, so after a while I also started wearing my regular t-shirts that I'd just pull up for nursing, and on days jeans were too hot, I even dug out a few skirts with an elastic waist.

Open cardigans/ flyaway sweaters and button down shirts, which is what I lived in all through the fall, winter and early spring. On top, in a blue packing cube - my maternity capsule wardrobe.

But I just can't anymore. The thing is, I don't really have a strict end date in mind for weaning Julian and then going on a diet (as if that ever works...) to fit into my old clothes. I would like to start weaning off after he turns one, but the process may take a while. And after that, I don't know when (or if) I'll go back to my previous size. In the meantime, I don't want to punish myself by wearing a boring handful of the same comfortable things, supplemented by older ill-fitting and impractical things. Because that's the other problem - my old clothes are just not suitable for my life anymore. So many of my skirts, shorts and dresses are just too short, tight or easily wrinkled to be pratical and comfortable while taking care of a baby, and that's a reality that won't change any time soon. I have to accept that, and... let go. I have to let myself adapt my wardrobe to my changing needs, so that I can feel good about my appearance too, even with a wobbly pouch around my waist and covered in drool and remnants of Julian's snacks.

So it turns out a curated closet is not a perfect static model. Closets are reflections of our lives, we grow and change and our clothes need to change with us. I'm now more aware than ever that my closet can only ever serve a given stage of my life, and those stages pass and are over faster than I would have imagined. This realization is further motivation not to overbuy, because all too soon I may not need/ want my current clothes anymore.

With that in mind, I have indeed shopped (with a critical eye! There's been quite a few returns.) for some new pieces to suit my needs right now, and gotten rid of worn, too small or too tight clothing. I still have kept some clothes in my smaller size that I believe I'd want to wear again in the future. I believe that overall - judging from the number of empty hangers - the size of my closet keeps decreasing. In the process, I enjoy wearing what I own more and more, and it serves me better than ever before. Hope this glimpse into my thought process was at least a little bit helpful - as always, thank you for reading my random ramblings :)

Minimalist Monday: KonMari Inspired Walk-in Closet Tour

I believe I've been promising to post a tour of our small walk-in closet for about a year now, and look - it's finally here! I know exactly why it has taken me so long to actually take photos and put this post together. My closet just isn't very... instagram-mable, if you will. Not that it's messy, or disorganized; but being the main closet in our apartment (the second one being a small coat closet in the entryway), it houses a lot of miscellaneous stuff. It's not just prettily color-coordinated racks of clothing - there's our luggage and various bags and backpacks, spare bed linens, shoes, sports equipment, studio lights... So while you wouldn't find photos of our closet in a home decorating magazine, it's ours, it's functional, and it's real. I hope you'll enjoy!

These two photos show views of our closet taken from slightly different angles in our bedroom. The closet itself is a rectangular shape, with clothing rods set in an L-shape along two walls and a simple shelf above that, and a simple shelving unit in the corner. There are two rows of clothing rods along the longer wall (looking straight on from the door, somewhat visible in the left photo), but we only use the upper one as we don't have that many clothes and need that space for storing larger items like suitcases and a tennis racquet bag.

Starting clockwise on the left when you enter our closet, there's space for clothes that extends all the way to the floor so that we've been able to hang our longer pieces there: winter coats, suits, my dresses and long sweaters and cardigans. On the shelf above, we keep spare bedding for our bed and some bags.

In the photo below, I've roughly shown how I try to stick to the KonMari way of hanging longer and heavier pieces on the left and shorter and lighter items on the right. I have to say though that since I wear all my clothes, it doesn't stay very neat all the time - I will often get dresses mixed in with the sweaters and so on. As you can see, the hangers are quite spaced apart, so there's plenty of room to shift things around when planning outfits. I keep my plushy bath robe on the very right so I can easily grab it when needed.

On that same side of the closet under my clothes, we keep our shoes that are currently not in use (off-season and sports shoes). I have most of mine in boxes for neater storage (yes, they're not as easy to see but in my experiences, shoes can get very dusty in storage), and the black Garnier bag is full of my beauty empties, waiting for another quaterly post :)

Moving on to the longer wall that's facing the door, I keep my clothes (well, mostly) on the left and my husband's clothes on the right. On the very back of the rod that's the most difficult to access, I keep our snowboarding pants and jackets, since we only need these a couple times a year at most. Moving to the right, I hang my skirts (off-season towards the back, current season more in the front), shorter sweaters and cardis and lastly shirts and blouses.

Mr's side follows more or less the same pattern in reverse: dress and casual shirts, sweaters and hoodies, pants on the very right. My husband doesn't actually need clothes stored in our closet all that often (we keeps his everyday clothing in a chest of drawers next to mine, shown here), but I decided to give his stuff a 'prime spot' in our closet since he has trouble finding things otherwise (and I usually get accused of 'hiding it on purpose' ;). We keep more guest bed linens and more bags on the long shelf above the clothing rod.

There's a small shelving unit in the right corner of our closet, which I use to store some random but necessary things. The wicker basket on the uppermost shelf houses my spare tights and stockings as well as sentimental items, and the shelf beneath has all of my hand bags and purses with the exception of the one that's currently being used.

The shelf below that is empty - it used to be full of the rest of my purse collection that I have since purged, then I used it to collect all of Christmas gifts I bought for our family in November/ December of last year, and now I don't have a specific need for it. I quite enjoy having that empty shelf - it's like the empty drawer in my dresser, full of exciting possibilites :D The bottom shelf has another basket, this time filled with more sports equipment (mostly rock climbing gear). I've had both baskets in this shelving unit for a long time and used to keep them in other parts of the apartment, but they fit perfectly here and I much prefer having the chaos of smaller items contained inside as opposed to just stacked on the shelf in plain view.

Lastly, on the back of the closet door, I've attached a 3M hook and hung my scarf hanger with the ones that I use the most often (I keep just a few more in my chest of drawers in the bedroom). The little fabric sachet has a scented bar of soap inside that helps to keep our closet smelling fresh and clean.

That's it! I'm not sure how helpful this actually was, but I quite enjoy watching tours of people's closets and browsing photos of closet organization. One thing I find frustrating about most of the ones that I manage to find (YouTube and/or blogs) is that most closets shown are rather large, and being just one of multiple closets within a house, are only used for storing clothes - and I find clothing storage easy enough, it's the random stuff that's difficult to keep organized. Anyway... Let me know if you have any questions, and thank you for reading!

Minimalist Monday: Updated KonMari Drawers & Tidying Up Q&A

It's been about a year since I first purged my clothing according to the KonMari method and I thought we were due for an update. You can click here to see what my dresser looked like back in May, when I decided to document it for all of posterity, and some things have changed a little since then. I just finished another round of more intensive decluttering a few days ago (as a consequence of reading Marie Kondo's newly released second book, 'Spark Joy' - would you like a separate book review?), so again I'm all fired up on the subject and full of different insights. I had this idea of doing this post as a Q&A - not that anyone has actually asked me these questions, though just for clarity's sake, this format may be easier to follow. But first things first.

The basic organization of my drawers hasn't changed all that much in a year's time - except that I now own even less clothing, so I've shifted stuff to make the drawers look fuller, but not stuffed. I'm not showing you my underwear drawer, but I have arranged all my bras the same way they stock drawers at Victoria's Secret, and I've put in a small divider for panties. I've made some room in my sock drawer so that I was able to fit in another box with my thights and stockings; I used to keep them in a separate bag deep in our closet, which made me never wear skirts or dresses in the cold season. The organization of this drawer makes a lot more sense now, and everything is easy to grab in the morning.

I also culled even more tops from my t-shirt drawer and thus decided to transfer my pjs into it as well - I keep sleeveless and short sleeve tops on the left, long sleeves in the middle, pjs and camisoles on the right. I have also recently color-coordinated them, keeping lighter colors in the front and darks in the back, and while I felt quite silly doing so, it does make the drawer look a lot prettier.

My sweater and scarf drawer has changed the least - I gave away a few more scarves and decided to store my belts in that free space (top right of the photo), but it's nearly the same.

The second drawer from the bottom, which used to house my sportswear and pajamas, now contains... some empty storage boxes and a basket. Sure, there's plenty of things other than clothing I could store in it now - back-up skincare, nail polishes, or purses - but for now, I'm happy with having that one empty drawer. I don't recall ever having an empty drawer, and it feels luxurious and full of possibilities.

Lastly, the bottom drawer contains jeans, pants, lounge leggings, and sportswear. This is my fullest drawer, and while I would like to have some more space in there, for now it's alright. I'm sure I'll find some more stuff to get rid of down the line... :) Now, for the Q&A part:

1. Have you rebounded?
If you've read 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up', you may remember that Marie boasted an absolute zero rebound rate after helping her clients tidy up their homes (although in her second book, she does admit that there is now one client - a participant in her TV show - who went back to their messy ways). I was personally extremely skeptical about that perfect score; how many times have you discarded unloved items and reorganized your drawers only to find them reverting to their cluttered selves only a couple weeks later?

However, this time I must have done something differently - I can honestly say that since my large tidying up session a year ago, I have kept probably about 90% of my possessions organized and clutter-free. I still struggle with some trouble spots; leaving dishes in the kitchen sink instead of putting them directly into the dishwasher, amassing piles of mail in the doorway, draping clothes over chairs; but all in all, my home remains quite neat and tidy.

2. Have you replaced the discarded items with new things?
Generally speaking, no, I haven't. I've decided to upgrade a few things - mostly cooking utensils, some basic layering tops - but I haven't been shopping much at all. It's been one of the things I've been very conscious of, because I really didn't want to fill all those carefully organized drawers with stuff again, and I wanted to prove to myself that all the extra things I used to own were just that - extraneous. And it worked.

3. Why did you need to do another round of decluttering? Shouldn't you have done it just once and for all, in 'one fell swoop', like in the KonMari method?
Well, yes, if I was following Marie's advice more closely, I definitely should have been able to do just one big decluttering marathon and be done with it ever since. HOWEVER. When I first purged our stuff before moving to our current apartment, I got rid of a lot of stuff, but I did not get rid of everything that didn't 'spark joy'. Things that I was hesitant about, things that I've had 'just in case', things I wasn't crazy about that I had bought or been given not too long ago - I kept all of it at that point. Why?

Bags of stuff we donated to Goodwill on Saturday: mostly clothing, books, some kitchen stuff.

Because I felt too guilty and/or scared to donate them at the time. Deep down I knew they were probably things I wouldn't be using, but I just couldn't part with them at that point. Which is why I've been decluttering in smaller increments since, and just completed a somewhat bigger declutter a few days ago - I keep getting better and better at discerning what I love and find useful and what just sits there with absolutely no purpose. I've gotten rid of a mixologist set we got as a wedding present (we love making cocktails at home but for whatever reason, this set contained tools we've never found a need for - a special knife for slicing citrus fruit, anyone?), our spare snowboarding pants (like we need spares now that we go snowboarding once a year...), a whole lot of books we were never going to reread.

Another aspect is that as time goes on, our perspective may change, and consequently our enjoyment or our decisions about the usefulness of things, may change as well. I think I will probably now always be vigilant about weeding out clutter, and I'll continue to do a larger purging session about once a year. It just sounds reasonable to me.

4. Has your husband joined you in tidying up?
Uhm, I wish. I love my husband dearly, but a) he's not naturally a tidy person, b) he has a tendency for hoarding. What saves us from drowning in clutter is that I balance him out with my OCD of having everything neatly put away and organized, and the fact that he hates shopping in actual stores - although Amazon browsing is a danger zone. He doesn't see a problem in clothing sprawled on the floor, overstuffed closets, books no longer being able to fit in our bookcase - and when I ask 'Can we get rid of this?', he usually counters by 'But why?! It's perfectly fine!'.

So yes, dealing with my husband's things is a bit of a challenge, and instead of this being his problem alone if he can't find a specific pair of socks or can't put away his laundry in a drawer, the problem is purely mine - I do all the laundry and I put it away, I strive to keep our books tidy on the shelves, I despair over a full closet where I can't see anything. The gist of the issue is that I care, and he doesn't. I wish it were different, but it's not, and it's most likely not going to change. So.

All that being said, I haven't had to resort to secretly discarding his stuff, and we've so far avoided a huge argument over keeping or throwing away a particular T-shirt. Most of the time, I let it go. If I truly think some stuff needs to go, I'll ask nicely if I can donate it, and if he doesn't want me to, I'll ask nicely again. And again, lol. I think that he has started to realize that the space in our apartment is limited, and if he wants 10 new programming books, or a new bike, or a hiking jacket, something else needs to go.

5. Has tidying up your home brought more joy to your life?
Yes!!! Two main aspects have contributed to my feeling happier at home - firstly, my level of anxiety has gone down, and secondly, I've been more motivated and able to focus on other areas of my life that are important to me.

Seeing a cluttered living room and kitchen first thing in the morning definitely makes me feel grumpier and less energetic, and consequently I do NOT look foward to the day, regardless of what I have planned. But getting up and seeing all the things I love put away where they belong, or clean and uncluttered counters in the kitchen, makes me feel more peaceful, and optimistic, and grateful for the new day. Really, the difference is night and day - you should try it!

Those tidy kitchen counters, and an organized fridge well stocked with supplies for the week, also makes me more motivated to prepare tasty meals and try new recipes. We only eat out about once every two or three weeks, and I'm responsible for all the home cooking - I'm also quite passionate about eating well (I like good food, people), and about eating right (clean, unprocessed food, lots of full grains, lean proteins and veggies). This resposibility of planning and executing our meals every day can get boring and repetitive really fast, but having a clean, well designed space that's peaceful and inviting makes it feel so much less of a chore. I may show you our kitchen some time, if you're interested - but cooking has been much more pleasant and enjoyable once I've sorted our space out. I've even started baking some quick and easy desserts again. Who would have thought?

Alright, I think I've waxed lyrical about tidying for long enough now. I AM still planning to show you our small walk-in closets, and like I said, maybe some of our kitchen cupboards and drawers if you're curious. Have any of you been inspired to declutter or change your storage after reading Marie Kondo's book? I find looking at other people's closets and storage spaces absolutely fascinating - you can see a tour of Claire's lovely closet and drawers here - they look beautiful, don't you think?

Capsule Wardrobes: Choosing Your Color Palette

Wait, Monika - so you do have a capsule wardrobe?! Uhm, yes and no. I do in the sense of now owning a smaller, curated set of mix and match pieces I love and wear regularly; well, that + around 10% of my wardrobe I keep waffling over. I don't in the sense of only having a set number of pieces, be it 37 items, a 10 Item Wardrobe, or Project 333. I guess I could count all the articles of clothing I have kept and say that it's my spin on any of the above mentioned ideas, but I don't really want or feel the need to - after all, it's just a number. At any rate, I have made great strides in achieving a more edited closet that's fun and easy to wear in my day to day activities, and I've wanted to share what helped me along the way.

One of the things that terrified me early on in my search for my perfect capsule wardrobe was the idea of editing your clothing according to a chosen color palette. I guess you could absolutely skip this step if you're one of those people who only wear monochromatic clothing (white, grey and/ or black) but if you're anything like me and love ALL the colors, limiting yourself to just a few shades can be a bit of a daunting prospect at first. It's worth it, though - I've found that sticking to one color scheme makes dressing in the morning so much quicker and easier.

Some images from my Color Palette Pinterest Board I used for inspiration during my selection process.

Deciding on a color scheme using the clothes you already own is a bit of a weird, backwards experience. I would compare it to choosing a room decor not by browsing furniture catalogs and comparing paint swatches, but by dusting off some old paint cans you've been storing in your garage instead, or going through your house and collecting pieces of furniture from all different rooms to outfit that one particular space. It's one thing to visualize a brand new collection of items you cherry pick from all the fabulous stores, and another thing entirely to work on the fly with what you already have on hand. It's a challenge - and you know me, I love a challenge ;)

Here's a rough sketch of my color scheme thought process that I arrived at more or less organically while decluttering my closet:

L-R: Free People Masquerade Cuff top (from last year), The LOFT Linen Tee (2013), Hollister Henley (crica 2011), ZARA Velvet Black Leggings (crica 2012), H&M open cardigan (2012), River Island leather jacket (2013)

1. Neutral colors - the bare bones of any capsule. They may be boring, but hell, we all need them. I chose white, various shades of grey and black, simply because that's what I already had the most of in my closet, but I don't think that's your only option. You could do ivory, beige and different shades of brown, especially if warmer shades suit you more. Or something like navy (more on that below), or khaki. You just need some colors that are versatile, and will go well with your favorite attention-grabbing shades. Another element you may want to add for more variety in your neutral staples is the actual fabric and its texture; I find it more interesting to have a mix of plain smooth cotton and jersey, slightly knobby/ rough spun linen and interwoven knits.

L-R: The Loft Linen Tee (2014), handmade sweater knit by my mom, The GAP Shrunken Boyfriend shirt (2012), Michael Kors Selma bag (2013)

2. Pop of complimentary colors. I know, I know, but you love ALL the colors. If you truly think so, take a good look at your discard pile, and maybe see if you can pinpoint some colors that are not so much your favorites anymore. For me that was all shades of pink and purple, oranges and warm coral reds, as well as greens and teals. Not that I don't find these colors beautiful - but I just never felt quite right wearing them, you know? Then, I looked at favorites pieces in my wardrobe, and the colors that immediately stood out to me - and I was sure I wanted my color scheme to include pale blue and burgundy. I know these shades suit my coloring well, and they make me feel comfortable and pretty. Together with those two main colors, I've also kept similar hues belonging to the same color family and having the same temperature/ undertone: cool reds and berry shades for the burgundy, cool-toned indigo/ ultramarine and navy for baby blue.

L-R: Steve Madden boots (2013), Urban Outfitters thermal top (2014), Urban Outfitters jersey scarf (2015), The Loft Long Knit Pencil Skirt in Royal Red (2015), gifted wrap sweater (2005, maybe?)

Alternatively, at this point you could also start researching some outfit combos, maybe centered around a basic piece in a neutral shade that you've already established as part of your color scheme (like a black mini skirt, or dark grey jeans for my color palette). Pin them all into one board first, without analyzing, and once you have about 20 to 30 images, take a look at everything you've gathered and see if there are any similarities there as far as the color scheme. You're basically trying to pinpoint exactly which shades appeal to you the most at the moment, without the internal panicking you may be getting just by looking at your cluttered closet.

Outfit inspiration taken from my Color Palette board.

3. Favorite random/ contrasting color. Now, this part is entirely optional, especially if you've picked out more shades in the previous section, but I think it's a fun addition if you like pairing contrasting colors together. While browsing different images online (not just fashion, also photos of nature or still life), I found myself drawn to the same color combination again and again: cool, light shades of grey and/or blue broken up by a warm, orangey brown/ cognac shades. I've actually had a slight obsession with cognac leather for years now, but something about pairing it with cool-toned colors makes me especially happy. If you too are left with an odd color you love but that doesn't really seem to go with the rest of your scheme, just keep it. Same goes for clothes in strange patterns you're always drawn to, be it plaid, florals or polka dots. Life's more interesting when everything isn't so matchy matchy.

L-R: Cole Haan Chukka booties (2014), The Loft Linen Tee (2013, and yes, it's my favorite), Forever21 top (2013), Target scarf (2012), leather crossbody from Italy (2015)

Now, as for the magic proportion between these shades, I do think it's easiest to own the most pieces in your basic neutral shades. By relying on your staples, you're making the whole mix and match thing a piece of cake. Taking that cake analogy to another level, your basics would be the actual layers of dough, your complimentary colors the filling, and your contrasting color the sprinkles on top. Mmm, cake... Okay, maybe I took it a little too far :)

And that's all, folks. I realize I got a bit verbose here (as I'm wont to do) and maybe made the whole thing sound waaay more complicated than it actually is, but you can make it as simple as step one, choosing neutral colors, step two, choosing your favorite pops of color. I was just trying to show that working out your perfect color palette is basically an extension of a very simple color pairing, like black and red, or brown and yellow, or cream and mauve. You could go hardcore minimalist and only work with two shades, discarding everything else in your closet, but for me personally that's a bit too extreme, and, uhm, boring. Now, tell me - have you ever thought about choosing your clothing according to a specific color palette? Or maybe you find the whole concept too limiting and unnecessary? I would love to know!

My Fall/ Winter 2015 Beauty and Fashion Wishlist

Okay, so now that I've discussed my love for shopping my stash, let's talk about actual shopping, right? I like sharing my wishlists around this time of the year (click for my 2014 wishlist) for two main reasons: Sephora VIB sale and uhm, I'm sorry but I have to say this, Christmas shopping. Don't shoot the messenger!

However, this year, I'm having a pretty difficult time finding things I actually want ON the wishlist; at this point in my purchasing habits, it's in fact more of a long-term shopping list, and since starting my beauty and fashion low-buys at the beginning of this year (oh, have I not mentioned that last bit? It wasn't really anything official, except that I think I just made it official by telling you guys...), I find myself incredibly selective with anything I want to bring into my possession. Let's overanalyze together:

1. Surratt Artistique Cheek Brush ($115 at Sephora or Barney's)
I've actually been lusting after this cute pom-pom shaped grey squirrel beauty from the moment I laid my eyes on it late last year at Barney's (read my thoughts on the Surratt brush launch here). This is the only thing I'm planning to purchase during the upcoming Sephora sale; the discount, together with a giftcard I've had squirrelled away for months, makes the high price tag a bit more palatable. I think it will be a nice investment piece for my make-up brush collection: soft, beautiful, high quality AND versatile.

2. Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Pansy Pop ($22 for 0.12 oz)
I've also been itching to try a lavender hue on my cheeks for months; I purchased the shade Pink Pop during the Sephora sale in April, but returned it upon finding out I had at least two very similar shades in my stash already. I really enjoyed the formula though and the compact size of this blush, and I'm hoping Pansy Pop will be more of a unique shade in my collection.

3. Bodetko Lash Serum (149 PLN for 3ml)
A good lash growing serum is now a staple in my beauty routine, and one of those products that I think can make the biggest difference to one's eye make-up. You guys often compliment my lashes in face shots (THANK YOU!) and want to know what mascaras I'm using, but honestly, the fullness and length of my lashes is all down to the regular use of a lash serum. My tube of discontinued LiLash (review here) is almost done, and I've been hearing great things about Bodetko Lash on Polish YouTube, so I asked Santa for this one.

4. LUSH Bubble Bars (Dorothy in the photo, $7.50 for 120g)
Yes, LUSH bath products are terribly overpriced and yes, they're not very good for your skin either. I have said before how I wasn't going to purchase from LUSH anymore and I actually haven't bought anything in about a year and a half, but here's the deal: I miss their Bubble Bars. I LIKE the completely over the top scents and fun things they do with your bath water, okay? I'm still not going to shop for them regularly, but if I can ask for them for Christmas as a little treat, then I don't see why I shouldn't. SO THERE.

5. Buxom Pout Out Loud Lip Set ($19 for 3 x 0.07 oz at Sephora)
I've been waffling over this one for weeks now, because I know I don't need it. HOWEVER. Buxom's Full On lipgloss formula is one of my absolute favorites, and I like how this set comes with one cream finish in a neutral shade (Toddy) and one shimmer finish in a deeper wine (Gabby). I've already used up one of these mini Buxom glosses completely, so I know I can do it before they fall to the back of my drawer and expire. They also included a mini of their new Bold Gel Lipstick in an everyday mauve shade, which also seems like something I would use. Sooo... yeah, I still don't know. I may get it in December with Sephora's $20 off coupon/ gift card thingy, but if it sells out before, then I guess it wasn't meant to be - I may just get a full size of a Lip Cream instead.

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in Starlight ($28 for 0.32 oz)
Now this is something I know I'm going to get plenty of use from. This year has been all about highlighters for me, a product previously ignored in my everyday make-up routine. I currently own two powder highlighters, one warmer champagne (Laura Mercier Baked Highlight, reviewed here) and one silvery pink (Makeup Revolution in Radiant Lights, here), so I think this neutral white pearl would be a good one to add to the mix, and obviously pale enough to suit my fair skintone. I've also been very curious about those powder 'gelee' formulas, which allegedly the Illuminators are as well. I'm currently just waiting to see if Anastasia will do some sort of a deal around Black Friday, but even if they don't, I'll still buy Starlight.

7. Pencil Skirt in a wine/ burgundy shade
Shopping online for a skirt in a merlot/ oxblood shade of red has reminded me why abstaining from shopping altogether is such a neat idea for me personally. Here's how this whole absurd story started: after purging my closet and assessing my fall and winter outfit combos, I decided it would be nice to have another thicker weight skirt, preferrably in a wine color to suit my color palette and go with the rest of my wardrobe. I then spent 15 minutes online looking at skirts, realized the pencil variety must be en vogue at the moment, and promptly purchased one that seemed alright and wasn't too expensive.

When it arrived a couple days later, it turned out that the size was all wrong, but more importantly, I realized that my purchase was not exactly fulfilling some clothes buying guidelines I've tried to set for myself. It was just a cheap, poor quality, fast fashion type of piece I would previously wear for a season and discard. No, this time, I wanted something classic, durable, and versatile. So I sent that one back, and went online again, spending somewhere close to two hours browsing all manners of burgundy red skirts I could find. At this point, I started feeling mad at myself for wasting so much time on that stupid skirt and for yet again trying to find that perfect unicorn item of clothing that would solve all my dressing woes and maybe also make me dinner and rub my feet, and goddammit, I didn't even want it anymore.

And then I felt ridiculous for having spent so much time on researching skirts without any outcome, so in the end, I ordered this Long Knit Pencil Skirt in Royal Red from The Loft when they were having a sale. It was just delivered yesterday, and I *think* I like it. But I'm not sure anymore, having second-guessed myself so much and dispensed all that energy and time on my burgundy skirt dilemma. The Loft skirt is a very nice thick jersey, well made and flattering on. But will the midi length still be fashionable next year, or is it just a fad? See? I really don't know anymore. Please tell me I'm not crazy.

8. Powder Blue Infinity Scarf
Pale blue is another shade in my color palette, and even though I have plenty of scarves, I thought a solid one in that hue would compliment my outifts and tie them together nicely for added interest. I much prefer circle/ infinity design because it's more comfortable to wear (no loose ends falling down or getting twisted and untucked), and just this morning I pulled the trigger on a pretty jersey number from Etsy - I love jersey scarves, so soft and easy to throw on. And by the way, speaking of wardrobe color palettes, would you guys be interested in a post discussing that in more detail? Because I'm considering doing some fashion posts. Yes, really.

And that's it! I'm still struggling with more ideas for Christmas gifts I could suggest to the family; while I do come up with things I would like to buy myself after careful research, I find it much more difficult to give pointers to my loved ones, especially that they're in Poland and thus have access to different stores and merchandise than we do here in the States. Do you guys exchange wishlists with your friends and family, or is it all a total surprise? I used to be firmly in the surprise camp, but after agonizing over things to buy for other people and having received some pressies in the past that were not the best fit, I'm definitely leaning towards wishlists these days. So... what's on your wishlist? I'd love to know... and possibly steal your idea :)

Minimalist Monday | Part 1 of My Closet Tour: KonMari Drawers

Dum DUM dum... Here it is: unedited, raw, messy Part 1 of my Closet Tour, featuring my chest of drawers organized according to the KonMari folding method (if you've never heard about it, here's my review of Marie Kondo's book, 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up'). I know you've all been waiting for it! Hmm, or maybe not. Either way, this is the state of my chest of drawers after having decluttered about 40% of my clothes. There's still a lot left, so I can't exactly call it a capsule wardrobe, but it's something - and I also wanted to write this post for myself to look back on as I continue my journey towards a more minimalist closet.

To give you some sort of visual/ spatial reference, the chest of drawers in question is from the Ikea Malm range - I have the chest on the left, and my husband has a second matching one on the right. They're set against the wall in our bedroom, facing the bed. Because they're quite tall, I can keep some decorative and sentimental items on top, as well as a wooden tray with my current perfumes and jewelry for easy access.

Well, the tour is mostly unedited: I didn't tidy up or alter the organization in any way just for the sake of this post, but I did decide to omit my underwear drawer, for two reasons: first, it's my undies we're talking about, second, it's not really organized or folded using the KonMari method. I keep my bras and underthings separate, but that's about it. Don't worry though, you're not missing much from the tour - here's my sock drawer instead! I used to fold my socks in compact balls to keep the pairs together, but Marie advises against that: so I simply folded the pairs in halves or thirds and set them up vertically. I also used an old shoe box to keep my athletic and no-show socks separate. In the back, I keep extra thick and snowboarding socks I only use occasionally, and in the very front, my most used crew socks, organized by color family.

The second drawer down houses my short and long sleeve tops, as well as tank tops. This drawer has seen quite a big transformation compared to what it looked like before I started to declutter. I used to store all my tops folded on top of each other, and I actually had to keep my summer tops separate, because they wouldn't all fit in one drawer; as a consequence, I rarely wore any of my warm weather clothes. After pairing down the tops, everything fits nicely into one drawer, with some room to spare in the back. From left to right, I have short sleeve tops, long sleeve tops, and small sushi rolls of tank tops and camis. I haven't really put any effort into color-coordinating these with the exception of tanks, but I tend to put freshly laundered tops toward the front of the drawer, in an attempt to rotate them with the stuff from the back. It only works half of the time ;)

The third drawer down contains my sweaters and some of my scarves (mostly off-season and rarely reached for scarves). The two sweaters in the middle of the drawer are stacked on top of one another because they are in fact too thick to stand up vertically. I don't reach into this drawer a whole lot right now as the weather continues to warm up, but I find it pretty functional when I do. This drawer used to stuffed to the brim with just knitwear, but after decluttering, I was able to move my scarves into it from a hanging closet organizer, which we actually don't need anymore.

The second last drawer houses my workout clothes & swimwear on the left and sleepwear on the right. If you're interested in capsule closets or challenges like Project 333 at all, you may know that those two types of clothing are considered 'extras', as they're only worn for very specific purposes - so it made sense in my mind to store them together. Again, the vertical organization works so much better than the awkard piles I had in there before.

Lastly, the bottom drawer contains my bottoms (cue Minion laugh). I have long bottoms on the left, leggings & lounge bottoms in the middle, and shorts and warm weather bottoms on the right (along with some belts I currently use). This drawer also used to be full to bursting with jeans and pants, and now I have some space left that I may use for something else, like maybe the rest of my belts, or my tights and stockings that I keep in a separate box in our closet.

And that's it! Overall, the vertical organization works so much better for me than the old piles: I can see everything I have at a glance, which makes dressing in the morning a lot easier and quicker. One thing I was worried about before making the switch was that the drawers would somehow get messy very easily, but I can honestly say that hasn't been the case at all - when I remove quite a few items and a row starts to fall down, I just push everything to one end to keep it together. By decluttering my clothes and then organizing them properly, I've also been able to see what I clearly have enough of that I used to purchase quite frequently (like socks and leggings), and to visualize my ideal wardrobe color palette - can you already guess what it is from looking at the photos? ;)

Let me know if you have any questions about my drawers at all, I'd love to hear them. Part 2, featuring our walk-in closet where I keep clothes that need to be hung, should be coming quite soon - there's still some reorganizing I'd like to do in there when I have a spare moment. I hope you enjoyed this peek at how I store my clothing, and maybe it has inspired you to tweak your organization to suit your needs in the best way possible. Thank you for reading!

Minimalist Monday: Into the Heart of Darkness

Belying this extremely dramatic post title, this is just a simple update on how I've been doing in my minimalist explorations in the past month or so. In short: we've moved, we've unpacked, we're enjoying the new apartment and neighborhood. Despite my anxiety over the size of the kitchen and closets in NYC rentals, our new place actually has a bigger kitchen than we've had previously, and a small walk-in closet in the bedroom - it's the first time I've ever had one at my disposal! Granted, it's currently mostly taken up by sports equipment of various shape and purpose, but still really, really fantastic to contain miscellaneous clutter.

So, maybe I shouldn't have panicked about all our stuff, and started getting rid of things because I was worried about being able to fit into the new space (I most definitely shouldn't have - for that specific reason). But you know what? I'm still really, really glad that I did all that decluttering; I can honestly say that I haven't missed a single thing I discarded. What's more, I've actually been decluttering after the move as well - maybe not on such a grand scale as before, but a little here and there every week, and I believe that it continues to make a big difference to our home and my stress levels.

Since that first post, I've made a concentrated effort to familiarize myself with the principles of minimalism, and most importantly, the practical application of those principles in everyday life. I've now read quite a few minimalist and simple living books and subscribed to a couple of minimalist channels on YouTube, and I feel that I'm much better informed than I was even a month ago. When I started my big pre-move purge, I was under the impression that being a minimalist entailed a very strict set of rules, like 'You can only own an X number of clothing items', 'Your skincare routine can't be more than three products', 'Your living space needs to be clean, simple and mostly bare' - and it just didn't seem to fit my lifestyle. But in truth, none of the resources I've turned to advocated any such rules at all - because minimalism isn't a set of rules to follow, it's a mindset, a shift in perspective.

The minimalist mindset is about having MORE of what you love, and none of the things that you don't - and it doesn't just encompass material possesions. Many of the books I've read, in addition to giving tips on purging your closets and streamlining your bathrooom, discussed subjects such as work planning and organization, personal commitments, goal achievement, or even healthy diets. It seems that you can apply the concepts of minimalism to just about any area of your life, to help bring into focus what matters most to you, and stop worrying about the things you don't care about.

Which brings me nicely to the reason for the dramatic title: in order to develop that minimalist point of view, one needs to decide what it is exactly that matters most to them, what they love the most. I don't know about you guys, but it's been proving quite difficult for me - I'm a bit prone to over-analyzing things anyway, but since the beginning of my minimalist experiment, it seems that I'm starting to question anything and everything.

How many pairs of socks does a person need to function comfortably? Could I get away with just one cocktail dress for all my formal occasions? How many different snacks should I keep in the cupboard before I stop remembering what's actually in there? Could I own just one pair of casual sandals, since summer season is so short here? Would it feel better not to have any back-up toiletries under the bathroom sink? What are my daily priorities? What have I been neglecting and what have I been overindulging in? Which unnecessary activities are taking precious time out of my day, which things would I like to spend more time on?

To be honest, it's been a bit exhausting trying to figure out all these things for myself; trying to find a balance between what is too much and what's not enough in each area of my life. Which is mostly why I've been feeling a bit uninspired to blog lately - well, that, and the fact that I haven't actually been trying very many new products lately. So if you have any beauty-related post requests, I'd be forever grateful if you cared to type them down below; I have lots of minimalist post ideas floating around, but I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea, so I'd prefer to space that content out a bit for you guys.

But in general, I feel that I'm moving in the right direction, and it's been good to do a bit of soul-searching and gain some introspective insight about myself, my preferences, priorities, passions. In terms of material stuff, I've found that I get overwhelmed very easily by the size of my wardrobe, and as I'm donating more and more of my clothing, I'm happier about what I have and the outfits I put together from what's left. There are some gaps in my closet, but I've also been trying not to go out and purchase a lot of new things all at once - just a couple things each month, again, so that I'm more mindful about my possesions. It's also becoming easier now to get rid of things I really don't like: a weird pink mug (I don't like pink!), an ugly glass sculpture I once got as a gift, a type of candy I never eat, an ill-fitting bra. It really does feel so much better to only surround yourself with things that are beautiful, or at least useful.

How are you guys doing with your spring cleaning or general decluttering? I was talking to Kar Yi the other day about the minimalist books I've been reading, and she remarked that minimalism has now become a trend and everyone is 'purging'. I however believe that yes, while everyone seems to be getting rid of their old unwanted stuff, that's where it ends for most people - it's not at all about changing one's point of view and habits, and few people are trying to make a lasting change in their lives. What do you guys think?

Rocaille Redes: How to Shop for Clothes

Browsing through my closet recently, I've realized that I made a lot of clothing purchases this year - firstly, I had some more money than previous years and secondly, I needed a lot more work-appropriate options. However, looking back at the clothes and accessories I acquired, I came to the conclusion that only a portion of my buys were necessities and out of these, also not all are the things I love and wear regularly. Since going through a big closet clear-out these past two days and thinking through my clothing buying habits, I've decided to establish and enforce some 'clothes shopping rules' to spend my pennies more wisely and enjoy my purchases more. This is maybe a little different for my blog but it's something that's been on my mind a lot lately, so I figured I'd share and maybe get some more tips from you guys in exchange; how does that sound?

 1. Be yourself. Take a good look at what you have and think about the things you like to wear the most - allow yourself to be you and enjoy your favorite things, no matter what other people are buying; follow only the trends that you like. For me, I've always preferred more fitted t-shirts to the larger boxy designs that are all the rage right now and also, I'm on my feet a lot so heels can only be a special occasion shoe for me, even though I love how glamorous they look on others and how much they elongate the legs.

2. Don't hesitate to buy things with a very specific purpose if you need them. I'd put off buying rain boots for 3 years even though I live in the Seattle area and I have one old battered swimming suit that doesn't fit because 'Oh, I don't really need it all that often'. This is just plain ridiculous.

3. Splurge on staples and classic wardrobe pieces. Why do I still use a $2 fraying pleather belt with my dress pants? It's alright to spend more on things you wear regularly and which don't go out of style for a long time, like a timeless white oxford shirt (that I personally still don't have), black slacks, good quality camis, opaque black tights.

4. Only settle for the best when shopping for your staples. Trendy little pieces can come and go but don't buy the basic building blocks of your closet because 'they're ok, I guess'. They need to be perfect (in your respective price range, of course!).

5. Before going out to shop, take a last good look at your closet; pay attention to colors, fits, lenghts, textures and patterns of the pieces you own. It will help you avoid buying very similar things to what you already have as well as allow you to visualize possible pairings and outfit ideas. Also, keep a running wishlist that reflects what your wardrobe might be currently lacking; try to shop more for necessities rather than immediate likes.

6. Only buy if a piece fits (almost) perfectly and feels comfortable on (that means trying things on, and occasionally returning an item, peeps). Remember how your favorite clothes and shoes are the ones that fit like a glove! This year alone I've bought two pairs of ballet flats that simply don't fit my very narrow feet, what a waste :(

7. Every once in a while, identify a group of items that you're banned from purchasing; i.e. things that you already have a lot of. It's fine to have more of the things you wear regularly, like tank tops or scarves for me, but realistically, how many do you actually need? Going through my drawers, I officially don't need any more long-sleeved tops or Victoria's Secret bras - so I'm giving up buying these items until I decide to downsize what I already have.

This is it for now - I'm sure I'm forgetting something but it's a start. I'm thinking of posting similar shopping 'rules and regulations' for make-up, as well as a separate guide on downsizing your stash and making the most of your collection; I have more deep thoughts, people! Let me know if that is something you'd be interested in reading, and don't forget to share your best shopping tips in the comments :)

In My Shopping Bag This Month...

That's what self-imposed limited make-up budget does to a beauty addict...

Cat-eye sunglasses: Nine West at TJMaxx, Sunglasses case: Corinne McCormack at TJMaxx, Elemis Tranquil Touch Exotic Stars set at Nordstrom Rack (candle, bath oil, body wash, body cream)

Elemis Tranquil Touch candle, Thierry Mugler Angel mini perfume at eBay, Clinique Gel Eyeliner in True Black at Clinique.com, feather necklace at Forever 21

O.P.I Nail Lacquers in Panda-Monium Pink, A Oui Bit of Red and The One That Got Away (all three currently being discontinued), Revlon Colorstay nail polish in Calla Lily, Color Club nail polish in Metamorphosis at RiteAid

bdellium tools brushes: Precision Kabuki Airburshed Effect Brush no. 957, Large Overall Shadow Eye Brush no. 778, Shading Blending Eye Brush no. 776, Precision Eye and Brow Brush no. 957 at bdelliumstore.com

Sam Edelman Purple Calypso Quilted Flats at Nordstrom Rack, The GAP Tri-Blend Raglan Ts in Casual Coral and Blue Iris, The LOFT mint tank top, Ann Taylor Petite Back Zip Striped 3/4 Sleeve Top

Grey and apricot skirt at Camaieu, apricot scarf, crochet lace front cardi at Mojito (all gifts from my parents back at home)

What have you been shopping for this month?

July Favorites

One reason for not posting my montly favorites every month, apart from my awful absent-mindedness, is the fact that I rarely amass enough goodies to show you. This time, however, I've got some pretty fabulous beauty and not beauty-related things to share, so here goes!

1. ZARA Black Peony EDT. Slightly less sugar sweet and definitely less expensive dupe to Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb. I do so love this flowery punch with a hint of black tea, I just wished it lasted longer on the skin! Still, Black Peony makes me feel very feminine with a vintage edge, you know, the kind of perfume that goes well with swishy skirts, statement lipstick and high heels. Rock on!

2. Bourjois Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder no.52. I've already boasted its virtues in my Warsaw haul, and it's still a strong favorite even after a mishap with a greasy sunscreen ruining the top layer. This does have some golden specks running through it, but looks completely matte on the skin. Perfect when paired with Xen-Tan Dark Weekly Self-Tan.

3. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Buffing Brush & Contour Brush from the Core Collection set. The buffing brush is possibly the most multi-purpose brush I have in my collection: I've used it to set my make-up with powder, to apply powder foundation, to apply cream foundation, to apply bronzer and to apply blush - anything face make-up related, it does the job! The contour brush is great for precise blush placement, and both brushes are high quality and a pleasure to use.


4. Wet'n'Wild Coloricon Eyeliner in Bronzed. Really, $0.99?! It's fantastic! I love it for one-product eye looks, and this particular shade subtly defines my eyes without becoming too noticeable. It kinda matches my hair color, too...

5. INGLOT Freedom System Eyeshadows in no.142 (AMC Shine) and no.349 (Matte). I was lacking a good warm medium grey for the crease, and no.349 is exactly what I was looking for. The sparkly light neutral, no.142, could be classified as a duochrome; it looks more cream in the pan, but flashes gorgeous pink sparkles when light hits it at a right angle.

6. Sleek Pout Polish SPF15 Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pink Cadillac. There's not much else to say other than it's a handbag favorite that makes me look fresh and flirty even when I'm dead tired. There are not that many shades which can do that, huh?

7. Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten in Apricot Berry. I received this in my June Birchbox and couldn't be happier; it's one of those bronzer-slash-blusher hybrids that look amazing on a slightly tanned skin. What's more, I can't ignore how beautiful this looks in the pan, and the packaging is rather neat too.

8. Allafia Shea Butter Body Milk in Vanilla Almond scent. I've ignored this body lotion for a good while, absorbed in other moisturizers, but came right back as soon as my eczema flared up again. It soothes, it conditions, it leaves my skin smelling of orange marzipan. Read more about the brand here.

9. AHAVA Deadsea Water Mineral Hand Cream. Again, a Birchbox deluxe sample, great for carrying around in your purse. I love how quickly it sinks in and how comfortable it makes my skin feel. I got my mum a set of AHAVA Dermud creams for her name day, and she loved them too.

10. BIODERMA Hydrabio H2O Cleansing Micelle Solution for Sensitive Dehydrated skin. I'm sorry to be such a tease, I got this on my trip to Poland. I grabbed it over the hyped-up Sensibio purely because this one was almost 50% off at the time, and it works just as great as the pink version. It also really does leave your skin feeling hydrated, if a bit sticky!

11. Isabel Allende 'Island Beneath the Sea', a novel. I've proclaimed my love for Isabel Allende's books before, so obviously I grabbed this when I saw it at my local library. I'm missing a bit of the magic from Eva Luna books, but 'Island Beneath the Sea' is still a wonderful read, however not really for the beach.

12. My Pandora bracelet. I was gifted three new charms on my visit in Poland by my family, and I wear it more often than any other bracelet I have in my possession. It is becoming a little heavy, but I like that each of the beads is linked to a different memory in my mind, it does remind me a lot of my family in Poland.

13. Target T-shirts. Is it just me, or does Target really have fantastic and inexpensive tees? Every time I'm at Target I pick one up, and I couldn't resist this peachy flowery number while on vacation in California. It's just so soft and comfortable...

Ufff, that was a long list, but I hope you enjoyed! Let me know in the comments below what you've been loving this month.

Favorite Trends for Fall

Yes, it's coming... Streets are getting grey, windy and slick with drizzle. However, that's not how I like to think about fall. Because it can be fun. Just look:

photos via weheartit.com

1. Chunky knits & earthy shades. Oh, how much I love thee. Soft plaits againts goosebumpy skin and those rich hues of burgundy, plum, reddish browns and dark purples.
2. Laced up ankle boots. Simple and stunning. There's something Victorian about them that makes my heart skip a beat; but will I be able to walk in these heels on slippery sidewalks? We'll see...
3. Knee high socks. Or even higher. Trendy toasty toes that make me feel a little girl again.
4. Long scarves. I love scarves full stop, no matter the season. They make more sense in fall and winter though.
5. Beehives. With an optional pretty head band. What can I say, I have a soft spot for anything sixties.
6. Berry lips. I am soo not bored with these every time they're back come September. Now, wearing a dark lip is not just my thing, it's fashion.
7. Purple nails. How cool are these?!
8. Big mugs of tea/coffee and a great read. Hand me this blanket, hun.

What are your favorite trends for fall? xxx

Nautical glamour for S/S 2010

The nautical trend has always been one of my favorites for spring and summer season. I'm not sure what it is exactly that makes me adore it so much: maybe the 60's inspirations, the fresh and universally flattering clash of white, red and navy with a touch of gold, slightly French feel, stripes, ropes and anchors, or simply memories of seaside walks on the pier? Whatever it is, I'm loving it, and lately I've been drawing my fashion inspiration from these beautiful outfits:










What do you think of the 'sailor' look? What's you favorite trend for this season? I'd love to hear your thoughts! xxx