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Unless you're one of the few New Yorkers who live in real estate heaven - odds are your apartment is smaller than what is deemed appropriate for an average adult. You stay because it's either in an awesome part of town or because somehow you scored an amazing deal. In my case, I love my location. Yes it may seem far uptown to others but I'm between 2 parks and it's quiet and clean. It is however small. Rather than see that negatively, I've actually learned that small isn't always a bad thing.
1. The anti-hoard: That sweater I wore once? Donation box. Those extra heels that hurt but I swear I'm planning on breaking in? Sayonara. I clean out my closet and dresser each season and donate everything that I don't wear or don't plan on wearing to Goodwill. My beauty cabinet is slim as well. Because honestly why do I need 6 half full bottles of lotion when I only really use one.
2. The buy-only-what-you-can-carry: I used to buy vegetables and stock up on soup in college because I figured if it was there I'd have to eat it and skip out on burgers and beers. Wrong. It sat and spoiled before it was eaten. Now I only buy what I know I'll eat that week since my cabinet and fridge space is coveted. No excess buying because 4 blocks and an avenue is too far to haul anymore than you have to. Side note: I once went to BJ's and overbought. Out of stubbornness I walked from the train to my apartment with my groceries. By the time I got to the door I was in tears with welts up my arms from my bags. I learned my lesson nonetheless.
3. Only the useful can stay: You don't need 16 coffee cups, 7 cookies pans and 4 ladles. Living in a small space makes me buy what I need only. On the flip side I spend a little more on that perfect set of gold flecked coffee cups (thanks Dani) than normal since I can only have 2 and not 6.
All-in-all I feel that living smaller brings quality over quantity. Since it's just me I can easily get by on my weekly trip to the market, 2 perfect coffee cups and a simple wardrobe. One things I refuse to skimp on are pillows - the more the merrier and with that said, time to get up and get going.
How do you note your life? Do you scrapbook, keep a journal or take tons of photos? I am a collector. I wish I had time for a scrapbook, the patience and eye for photography and while I do keep a journal, it's full of writing but lacks visuals. Open my bedside table and you will find several small boxes. These boxes contain various clips from places and moments. Rather than getting caught up in how to perfectly display vacations, weekend events and everyday treasures, these small boxes allow me to easily keep things that I love in one place. Below is an example of what you might find if you spy into these small boxes which are adornments in themselves;
Boxes - perfume, jewelry and candy. Part of being a designer is being in awe of perfect printing techniques and new and different constructions of various containers. Even these boxes were selected carefully to keep my items safe.
Tickets - movie, train, plane, social event, sporting event, museum, etc. Events that shaped moments and memories special and unforgettable to me. Looking at these make me remember those past places, events and people I shared them with.
Perfume Slips - papers, tabs, stems and ribbons. I've always been obsessed with smells which trigger memories for me so easily.
Notes - friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, family and strangers: Things to remind myself how wonderful the people in my life are, present and past.
Tags - clothing, ribbon and gift certificates. Again a design obsession with printing, packing and branding.
Mini Perfume Bottles - I don't have nearly enough of these but I do love them.
Et Cetera - Matchbooks, business cards, specialty papers, fortune cookie slips, stickers, magazine clips of wanted wardrobe items or hair and makeup how-to's and random 3D objects such as a worry doll, animals, buttons and beads.
Maybe you have one of these boxes too. Some of your might refer to this as your "junk drawer" but mine's a bit to organized and contained to be labeled as such. Ideally I'd like to transfer all of these items into a vintage trunk to be kept in my home. But without the trunk or space currently, these boxes will have to do.
In January I posted about my "blessed journal" where I was writing down 5 things at the end of each day that I was happy for. I was using a ratty small notebook that for a while was lost in the move, found again, spilled on (tea before bed), etc. For my birthday my wonderful roommate, Valerie gifted me with the Kate Spade "Spade Journal" which now has replaced the old journal. The fabric cover with gold stamped spade is the perfect addition to my bedside collection. I'm not a fan of books that aren't spiral because I feel the pages fall out too easily but because I'm not using it for more that a few minutes a day, this one will probably last the test of time. Thank you Valerie.
Do you believe in reincarnation? I think in a previous life I lived in Paris, wore gowns, drank champagne, ate macarons and lived in a gold gilded chateau. I dream of the chance to up and leave to move to Paris. Funny how this is a dream yet I've never visited. I just feel like it would be much more my pace.
Brilliant and beautiful. I currently use a silverware caddy in my drawer as a jewelry divider but this one is so much more fun. This way everything won't slide all the way to the back when pull the drawer open. Another way to organize without adding bulk to the top of my already full dresser.
Seems like the theme of the week is black and white. Every photo I am drawn too, every illustration, my own wardrobe, everything - black and white. I find this humorous because if you know me personally I'm much more of a bright pink (sassy pink as some of you know) type of person. I think it may have something to do with the snow lately. Everything looks so stark and clean. I love waking up early to see the perfectly covered rooftops and balconies out my window. Above are three pieces that I pulled today which back me up. I really want a dress like that; so simple and so beautifully cut in the back. Wishing everyone safe travels home this Wednesday evening. xx
I'm always envious when in a movie, there is a perfectly stocked bar in an apartment. Would you like a nightcap? Done. Would you prefer a gin or vodka martini? Tada. So this post is a simple list of how to easily stock your own personal bar with the essentials. The list was taken from a few blogs, additional websites and my own minimal bartending knowledge. There were a lot of hardware items I've left off, I hardly use a cocktail shaker but I figured this may be useful for others. I also didn't include any juices because none of my friends or I use them as mixers. Tonic and club soda fly fine with us but make your own amends and of course comments and tips are always welcome and encouraged! Cheers!
Hardware:
If you want to measure out your cocktails a really great set of hardware can be purchased here. I'm more accustom to free pouring which breaks down to a count per 1/4 oz.
Standard Shaker - Metal is best. The shakers with rubber for 'better grip' just stick and become more of a mess than anything.
Corkscrew - Go with an original design and nothing fancy. Odds are you're going to break up the cork with anything special and who wants cork with their wine, not me!
Spirits:
A bottle or so of each. If you drink more of one than another, double up on that and do a small bottle of the others. No need to overstock, no one (in Manhattan anyway) has extra room.
Vodka, Gin, Bourbon, Tequila, Whiskey, Scotch or Rye and Rum - light or dark, your choice of poison
Liqueurs:
Cointreau/Triple Sec - Depending on what you want to pay
Dry Vermouth/Sweet Vermouth - Depending on how you drink your martinis
Wine:
Again this depends on your personal taste. We drink more red than white but it's good to have both for company.
Other:
Simple Syrup, Grenadine - Rose's is my personal favorite, Lemon Juice, Lime Juice - Again, Rose's it's the best!, Tonic, Club Soda, Martini Olives, Maraschino cherries and Coarse Salt
So that chair from yesterday? This is its match made in heaven. I first set my eyes on the mirrored vanity in Carrie Bradshaw's apartment in sex and the city. I would like to add one to my bedroom as a vanity/desk. I think my mac and the shabby chic chair are perfect accessories to this beauty. It's going to be hell to keep clean but I'm up for the challenge. I think it'd really open up the space and to defend my purchase, it doubles as a mirror to check out my outfit about shoes to high thigh. So useful, ha!
The search for the perfect skeleton of a Louis XV chair is on. This is the first of many design goals I'm setting for the year. The top 4 photos are fabric pulls which I'd love to use as inspiration for what I will recover my chair with. The problem is, which each inspiration piece I find, the more excited I get and the less I am able to focus in on what I want the final result to be. Do I want it very bright? Do I want velvet? Do I want a pattern vs. a solid and do I illustrate my own fabric? So many decisions but I'm so excited to get started. The first step is to find the perfect skeleton. I'm open to the shape and whether or not the chair has arms or not. I'm obsessed with making my own custom design. Whether it be artwork, pillows or painting a desk, I just want it to be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I'll be hitting some flea markets while I'm in PA this holiday season, and thank goodness, able to use a car to haul myself and my finds around rather than the subway. If you know of anyone getting rid of a similar chair, PLEASE let me know!
They say you're always searching for a boyfriend, a job or an apartment in Manhattan. I'm newly single but fine with that and all set on the job front but the third… I'm not sure. Apartment shopping in the big apple is absolute hell if I may say so. Full of sketchy landlords, pushy brokers, weirdo neighbors and the fear of bedbugs make the whole experience stressful and annoying. Not to mention, I have extremely high standards when it comes to where I live. I want a place which I won't mind investing my own time and money into to make it beautiful. But I don't want to do this crammed in a 'two bedroom' (which most of the time means one bedroom which an office or mudroom) on the upper 'whatever' side. I currently reside in Hoboken, NJ which, while I know there are some judgements because it's Jersey, I really do love. The people are young professionals all hailing from college not ready to grow up yet. Sunday means 'Sunday Funday' full of football, boozy brunch and the green beach. And every ma and pop shop is full of crazy Italian men who call you 'bella' and wave hello when you walk past because they never forget your face. So do I take the plunge and move or do I stay? I dream of the day where I can just have my own little house where I am free to decorate and redecorate to my own liking without the neighbors child upstairs running rampant at 6 am or with the smoke from next door seeping into my vents. What to do, what to do.
Shopping with a purpose? Say it isn't so. Here's the real reason I'm posting this photo, I obsessively keep shopping bags with exquisite printing, fabulous design and unique paper. The problem is, they sit in my closet and collect dust. But when I came across this little ditty, my heart bloomed. I wish I had a great walk in closet to where I could frame all my goodies and set them on display. Sigh, one day!
