Pinspiration Monday: Wooden hangers

April 23, 2012 16 Comments

I have really been into fashion lately…Not sure when my focus shifted from home style to clothing and accessories, but I can’t deny my love of a great outfit any longer. Now, I wake up every morning motivated to craft a colorful, cohesive ensemble down to the bracelet. It’s fun to mix and match patterns, colors and metals to make a balanced and sophisticated look – In fact, it’s really not much different than styling a shelf or arranging fabrics in a living space. The same principles still count here, just in clothes.

Obviously, a new love and longing for style means a little shopping was in order. I’ve bought a good amount of new clothes in the last month, but to keep myself on track I kept a list of must-have essentials with me and have kept to it like it was the law. So now I am rewarded with a closet of thought out pieces – Here’s my latest (and, as promised to my bank account, my LAST) big haul, this time from Target and T.J. Maxx.

One of the most affordable ways I’ve been able to feed my new need for fashion and style in my closet (beyond sticking to a list when shopping) is to work on making the most of what I already have. In the past month I have spent long periods of time in my closet getting rid of things I no longer fit into or that no longer fit into my style. Shout out to our local consignment shop though (Salvaged), I don’t donate clothes anymore – I bag them up and take them straight to consignment. So far, I’ve made over $100 – Pretty fabulous when I think about how I was just going to take everything to Goodwill for zero profit…

Another thing I decided to do was find ways to amp up the display in my closet, right on down to the hangers…After seeing these two Pinterest images of clothing hung on natural wood hangers and how it gave it a high-end boutique look, I knew I had to upgrade.

Source: The Everygirl

 

Source: barefoot contessa

My closet as it was, came dominated by plastic hangers. Now, I do think that plastic is a big upgrade from plain wire hangers, which tend to bend…But I could envision just how much better and more cohesive the space would look with matching wooden hangers.

Have you guys seen on Pinterest or heard this tip from a friend? Essentially, to make the most of your clothing, you turn all of the hangers backwards and then, as you wear something, you turn the hanger right-ways. That way at the end of the season, you’ll know what clothes you didn’t utilize by seeing their hangers still turned backwards – Time to get rid of them. I attempted this at one point (as you can see in the photo above and below), but eventually gave up. I have a pretty good handle on what piece make me feel good and what don’t. It was just about finding the motivation to actually get rid of things that I’d been holding onto for years.

My motivation? Upgrading the hangers. I eventually found my collection on Ebay for about $50 shipped for 80 wooden hangers (with pant bar in the middle). I knew that 80 wouldn’t be enough for the amount of clothes I had, but figured it would be that motivator for purging that I was looking for – Only the best and most important pieces would get hung back up in the closet, while the rest would get consigned.

First things to get lovingly hung on their new boutique hangers? The three pieces I bought for myself at T.J. Maxx. I could already get the sense that the new wooden hangers made them feel straight out of a fancy designer clothing store – In my own home, no less! Exciting news for a girl like me…

I spent about two hours in my closet that afternoon, making sure to choose wisely as to what stayed and what would be bagged up for consignment. With each new hanger put into place on the bar, the whole feel of the wardrobe started to shift from cheap to luxurious. It really is amazing how wooden hangers can do that to your clothes. As I purged and rehung, I started a new pile of plastic hangers – They eventually made their way into the box that the wooden hangers came in. SO MANY HANGERS!! I plan on donating them to a thrift store soon.

And now to show off the new look – Again, I just love how things look more high-end after the hanger upgrade. No more light “click click” of plastic hangers when I go to pick out an outfit. I’m loving the more substantial wooden ones.

Unfortunately, despite letting go of what felt like a TON of clothes and half of my wardrobe, I still ran out of wooden hangers. I just couldn’t muster the will to get rid of the last bit of dresses to make it even. I resolved to get some more hangers later on to remedy the mismatched situation.

UPDATE:  I went out to Target over the weekend for wooden hanger supplements hoping to buy no more than 10, but left with a value pack of 24 hangers for only $14. They don’t match the Ebay hangers perfectly, but they certainly do the trick, and I doubt anyone would notice the inconsistency other than me.

So what tricks do you all have up your sleeves (pun intended) for making the most of your closet space and wardrobe? How do you “dress things up”?

Filed Under: Simple Fixes, Product Search, Product Review, Inspiring, Weekly Pinspiration, Bedroom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

“Mag Tag” with Better Homes and Gardens {March 2012}

March 30, 2012 4 Comments

It’s that time again! Time to virtually flip through a recent issue (no…not “the recent” as I just received a more current mag in the mail – They are too fast for me!) of “Better Homes and Gardens.” We are talking about the March 2012 issue, in case you want to join in the convo or want to flip along with me.

For those of you who haven’t been around for this feature before, I share some of my favorite features from the pages of this and my other personal subscription to “Do It Yourself.” I try not to give TOO much away because I always want to encourage you to pick up a copy (or a subscription) of your own. To field any thoughts of reimbursement for this shameless promotion, I must tell you that I make zilcho cash for these features. I just can’t help but gush a little, share the fun tips and (as always) do my best to help inspire you just as I have been!

So let’s get started…

“Color collision” – That just about describes my thoughts minute-to-minute. I am so in love with anything colorful. I’m that consumer product designers are catering to when they offer items in 9 different colors. There’s something so much fun about getting to choose a bright orange or red toaster in lieu of a plain white one. This page of “color collision” products caught my eye immediately. Yes please, I’ll take a bright yellow metal box fan – The retro look and design is enough to make me want to seal that deal. Or that stack of colorful potluck bakers by Crate & Barrel – The $30 pricetag for a set of three isn’t bad at all.

Moving on, I couldn’t help but spot this feature on how to throw a great “grown-up” birthday party. With my birthday in t-minus 18 days, I definitely paused for a moment to think about throwing a similarly swanky fete for myself. But then I remembered that we happen to be throwing a WEDDING 10 days later, and I had to wistfully think of next year…Or maybe one for John’s birthday in September!

If you want to throw your own bash, they offer suggestions like asking guests to contribute to a scrapbook – Provide decorative paper and tape and then let guests explore their creative sides by crafting a page with handwritten notes and well-wishes. The perfect sentimental gift for any birthday girl.

But any good scrapbook needs photos – Have a stack of empty frames and blank chalkboards for guests to use in a makeshift photobooth. Using a polaroid camera (like the one I bought myself last year) offers instant gratification.

As is the theme for this “Color made easy” issue, the magazine’s pages are full of deliciously rich, gorgeous color pallets. As it says below “nothing transforms a room – or a mood – like a shot of color.” Try out their array of four colors below in a living room, sunroom or even bathroom! If you think it’s too bold for you, give your walls a soft neutral and then choose two of the bold colors to use in accessories (think throw pillows, lamps, even a spray-painted picture frame).

Take this little seating vignette for example – Neutral wall and chair colors allow things like the patterns pillows and bright red rug to pop. Throw in some brass accents like the brass flower bowl and nesting side tables to add a little sparkle and pizzazz. (If you happen to click on those links, you probably noticed that the products used were a bit pricey – For budget finds, scour places like Ebay or your local thrift store instead)

Here’s a great spring-inspired color pallet to drool over – Misty Lilac (2071-70, Benjamin Moore), California Dreaming (B28-6, Ace Hardware), Agreeable Gray (SW 7029, Sherwin-Williams), Tin Lizzie (D42-4, Olympic) and Glazed Raspberry (120D-5, Behr).

Most of the home tours in this particular issue were a bit traditional for my mid-century mod tastes, but this one caught my eye because of the punchy color scheme. Just goes to show how you can be inspired by color no matter what the actual style of the room may be. I could easily pull some of the brass, rose and blue-gray tones of this space and use them in a more contemporary way.

Love those shimmery gold frames and the tray style coffee table. Oversized flower arrangements are another thing, like color, that can compliment any style.

The photos below are of another room feature with a spunky color pallet, this time a sunroom. It takes a brave person to paint both walls and trim in bright teal, but it works so well here. All of that saturated color is balanced out by pattern on the blinds, pillows and rug.

As if real-life rooms weren’t enough inspiration, their experts weigh in on the secrets to choosing the right color.

Here are just a few that got me thinking:

  • (#2) “Look to the largest pattern in a room for inspiration. A multi-hue rug or a piece of art can hand you an entire palette.”
  • (#10) “A client recently told me that my best color advice was to not give in to her ‘inner beige monster’ and to try soft blues, grays and taupes instead of off-white.” (Liz Levin)
  • (#16) “When you think you’ve found the right color on the strip, go a step or two lighter. Pale colors are more flexible for pairing with other colors.” (Wish someone had told me that tip before I painted my studio…)

Here’s a quick spring-time DIY project for you – Grab some new natural foliage and lay on top of cold press board cut to the size of a frame. Then choose a bold color of spray paint and spritz over the foliage, leaving a fun impression behind on the paper. Allow to dry according to can instructions and then place inside your frame as art.

I love spring fashion…Bright patterned flats, skirts and dresses, oh my! The spread below features advice from fashion blogger, Lindsey Calla (SaucyGlossie.com), who even encourages getting stylish with your umbrella - Why the heck not?!

Besides their ALWAYS incredible selection of recipes…(like avocado and asparagus egg sandwiches and potato salad with sausage and grainy mustard dressing below)

…BH&G also featured a piece on how to eat better and follow healthy nutrition, something that John and I are alllllll about right now (as you may know from this post). Again, here are a few of the tips that caught my eye:

  • To spend less at the grocery store, don’t skip the produce section. Fresh produce can often yield more servings than processed meals by weight and fill you up more efficiently. But don’t buy more than your family can eat since spoiled food is as good as throwing your money away.
  • When you crave the cupcakes at your next office party, it’s likely that you aren’t filling yourself up aquatically throughout the rest of the day. Snack on healthy things like a salad or grapes to curb your cravings in the afternoon. It’s a mental thing too. Ask yourself if you really want the treat and, if you do, try just a small sample instead.
  • Some things to watch for when going out to eat – Consider ordering a sandwich on whole wheat toast, if food is topped with sauce ask for it on the side and use sparingly, order vinaigrettes on the side like you would any other salad dressing as it’s not quite as healthy as restaurants make it out to be.

Hope you enjoyed our magazine chat. Anything you are inspired to try out? I think that I am going to give some thought to my color choices based on the info I read. I tend to go super bold on the wall color and on the accessories. For my next room redo, I’m contemplating a neutral on the walls to let bright accessories do the talking.

Hope you have a great weekend! I am actually taking the day off today to enjoy a little pampering with my make-up artist for the wedding. We are doing a trial to get a good handle on how I want to look on the big day. With my face all done up professionally, I am off to Charlottesville in the afternoon for the bachelorette party my work friends are throwing for me – Let the good times roll…

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Healthy Living, Inspiring, Mag Tag, Our Influences, Seasonal/Holiday Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Our engagement photos

December 30, 2011 12 Comments

Along with our recent blogging face lift with new background and brand spankin’ new pages (a room-by-room project gallery, Etsy store full of thrifted finds you can buy and an updated house tour), you may have also noted a few professional photos of yours truly peppered throughout. We had our much-anticipated and long-awaited (at least for me) engagement photo shoot.

You know how every bride has her “thing?” Well mine is photos. There is absolutely nothing that matters more to me than the photos from our wedding – They are the only things to last beyond the actual day, after all. So I thought long and hard about my choice of photographer. The choice came down to two INCREDIBLY talented photographers in our area, but I eventually chose Katie Stoops. She is an award-winning photographer whose work has been published in a cookbook (which you can peruse and/or purchase here) and has been featured in Southern Living Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides and many more! I love that we can go to Barnes & Noble, flip open a glossy wedding mag and see our wedding photographer published!!! Who knows? Maybe you’ll see her photos of us in there someday ;) Kidding…

This is Katie along with her husband, Dave, and two dogs:

(Photos are by Adam Barnes – yet another local photography GENIUS. He did my sister’s senior portraits several years ago and anyone who can make my broody little sister smile is miraculous. Check out his full blog post of the Stoops’ here)

As you can probably tell, we L-O-V-E her and I couldn’t be more pleased with our choice. She’s a down-to-earth gal who adores her dogs (and ours too now) – What’s not to love? The kicker was that, during our entire engagement session romping around in the grass and climbing onto brick walls, she somehow understood John’s odd humor. It was meant to be.

So when we got a package of our prints and photo DVD at our front door with her seal on it, I was ecstatic and decided to fill our house with the pictures right away (at 6:42 in the evening – sorry for the terrible nighttime, indoor lighting).

When I hung photos in our stairwell gallery last month, I had in mind to eventually replace the photos with our soon-to-be taken engagement shots. So moments after popping the seal on the envelope, I had the frames off the wall and ready to be re-filled.

Here’s what we had to work with after I laid everything out on the kitchen counter:

I popped a few of the 4×6 prints in frames I had lying around (…who am I kidding – JUST for this purpose) and then I put the 8×10′s into the big frames from the staircase. I wanted to fill the collage frames I have up in the stairwell matted for three 4×6 prints, but the orientation of the frame was meant for horizontal photos, which we didn’t get many prints of. So I just left those as is and filled the big 8×10 frames.

I didn’t get any photos of the new prints up on the wall because by this point it was after 7:00 at night and there was absolutely NO natural light to speak of. But trust me when I say that the stairwell is looking pretty schnazzy  now. I adore walking past our new portraits every day.

And since I’m nothing if not excited about this whole thing, I thought I’d leave you with several more shots and the back story behind our shoot locations.

John really wanted to wait until November (he’s a cold weather type of guy) to take our photos and I eventually relented because…Well, because I love him! Although I was dreading the chilly temperature, it turned out to be a beautiful day. The first location was at our home where we got to show off our completely redesigned living room (more on those photos to come) and of course the other main man in my life, Rocky the dog. After that, we headed over to Old City Cemetery for the rest of the session. I know you must think we are crazy to take our engagement photos at a cemetery but this historic landmark is just stunning with its antique buildings, rolling hills, metal archways and hundred-year-old trees. We couldn’t have chosen a better location and the afternoon went by way too fast…

Katie did a beautiful job capturing us that day and I canNOT wait for see what she is able to give us from our wedding day in April.

Thanks for letting me gush!! Oh and this was totally unplanned, but today is Katie’s birthday – Happy birthday, Katie!

If you have any professional photos of yourself gracing the blogisphere, please share! I love looking through crisp, clean photography…

P.S. Katie posted about our fun photo shoot over on her website too – Check that out (with a few extra photos) here.

(In case you didn’t catch on, photo credit and copyright for all images goes to Katie Stoops :) )

Filed Under: Our Wedding, Product Review, The Big Reveal Tagged With: , ,

“Thrift Store SCORE!” {12/16/11}

December 16, 2011 10 Comments

Hoot hoot! Guess what came home with me after our latest thrift store outing. Here’s a hint – It’s something that rhymes with “dowel”…

So here’s the story. John and I went to our favorite second-hand estate store and got down to business scoping out the week’s wares. We had discussed playing a little game where the two of us separate, dig through the piles and come back together with a little something in hand. The budget was $5 each and whoever had the coolest treasure won (although what we were supposed to have “won” I’m not sure). I thought seeing our two random cheapo treasures displayed in the house would be a nice memory from the trip.

However, we were diverted by something sparkly catching my eye and our collective $10 (or more like $8.40 after John haggled a bit) went to something just for me – Is my guy awesome or what?

Meet my newest owl – You may remember that I am a bit infatuated obsessed with hoots of any kind (see all about that craziness here). So this little bird was welcomed with open arms into our home.

I’ve really been drawn to metallic things lately and even a little gold, which is different for me. So this little guy with his shiny yellow border and silver belly and eyes was too lovely to ignore. Yeah, it’s a little ’80s-tastic with the disco ball look, but I don’t care. He had me at “shimmer.”

This purchase is actually all thanks for my friend, Megan (you may remember her from this post of yore) – We ended up running into her while we were wandering through the warehouse. She was so excited because she had just come from the warehouse up the street where she bought some jewelry (at a negotiated discount – Go, Megan!). Then she mentioned how she had wanted to text me because there was a beautiful owl “with my name on it” – Of course I made a beeline for the store and John pointed a shiny new toy out to me lying there on the velvet-topped counter. Not entirely sure if this is the one Megan was referring to (there was also an owl pin), but I love him and have already worn him twice.

What have you guys thrifted lately?

P.S. Did anyone happen to notice a couple of cosmetic changes made to DG-DIY? Welp, I finally got around to updating the blah solid-colored teal background to a silvery pattern (told you I’ve been into metallics lately!), and I also switched up the font so it’s not quite so bubbly – I’m hoping it’s a little easier to read. I’d love your thoughts and suggestions. What’s a blog worth if its readers aren’t happy anyway? Anything new you’d like to see? I’m also working on updating the pages – The house tour has FINALLY been updated and I am working on a room-by-room project gallery as well. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: Just published our brand new project gallery!! Check out a FULL list of all our room-by-room projects here. 

Filed Under: Product Review, Thrift Store Tell All Tagged With: , ,

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

December 2, 2011 9 Comments

Since Monday’s proclamation of the official start of Christmas Time (read up on more of that here if you missed it), it’s time to unveil DG-DIY’s first annual Holiday Gift Guide! I have scoured the internet for the last couple of weeks (and also consulted with John on men-related wish list items), looking for unique gift ideas for all genders, ages and interests. I’ve thrown in some inexpensive things and some for a bit of a splurge…But hopefully you’ll be able to find something for your picky family member, your special someone or just a good friend/acquaintance. There are even a couple of quick holiday treat recipes at the end in case you’re planning on gifting the joy of freshly baked goods to save a little $$ this year (go you!!).

Just to preface, I am not being compensated in any way for these suggestions – Most of the sellers (whether big or small) don’t even know I’m shouting out about their products! I like free advertising just as much as the next person, so here’s to them and their creativity - They deserve it!

For the ladies in your life:

  1. Pai Macadamia & Rose Organic Dry Skin Cream from Spirit Beauty Lounge – $38
  2. Glass shadow boxes from West Elm -$24 t0 $79
  3. Rodna Halter Dress from Anthropologie – $158
  4. Luxe Face Cream from Una Biologicals – $25
  5. BDG Suede Stiletto Heel from Urban Outfitters – $49
  6. Back in the Game Dress in Dutch Darling from Mod Cloth – $95
  7. Cotton full length leggings from OnlyLeggings.com – $15.00 (Come in 9 different colors!)
  8. Antique bronze filigree rose long drop earrings from oldisnewnow – $3.95
  9. Floral paisley print scarf (lilac) from My Scarf Shop – $12.72
  10. Owl charm brown leather bracelet from pinkyourlimb – $8.50

For the men in your life:

  1. Krups Beer Tender from Crate&Barrel – $99.95
  2. Retro Series Hot Air Popcorn Popper from Nostalgia Electronics – $39.99
  3. Sony Bloggie Touch 8GB HD Camcorder with 3″ LCD Touch Screen from Best Buy – $159.99
  4. “Pugs Not Drugs” tee from Urban Outfitters – $24.00 (John would love this one – He gets a kick out of anything with a pug on it)
  5. 4-in-one pocket screwdriver from Amazon – $4.97
  6. Men’s Hipster Wallet from Overstock.com – $24.49
  7. Col. Conk lime shave soap from Target – $3.49
  8. Swiss Army Classic knife from Swiss Knife Shop – $14.95 (BONUS: Can be ordered in one of eleven different free color choices)
  9. Bar III Tie (Elliot Skinny Stripe) from Macy’s – $31.99
  10. “Wilco: Ashes of American Flags Live” Concert DVD from Hot Movie Sale – $8.07 (This gift could be an inexpensive alternative to actual concert tickets)

For the home:

  1. Herringbone throw from West Elm – $59 (BONUS: can monogram with the recipient’s initial!)
  2. Burgandy and mustard wreath from The Yarn Barn – $35
  3. Lights/Darks laundry bag from Crate&Barrel – $22.95
  4. Looking Glass Decanter from Anthropologie – $48
  5. “Flying Bird” rubber stamp from BlossomStamps – $5.50 (I bought these to decorate envelopes and the stamped image is exquisite…seriously)
  6. “Battle of the Sexes” board game from Amazon – $14.97
  7. Happy Family Illustration from oohmoon.com – $99 (your family portrait, cartoon-ified!)
  8. “Mid-Century Chairs” printable calendar from bluetricycle – $5.00 (I have this and LOVE it  - she also sells a beautiful “Nature” calendar)
  9. National Geographic Magazine from National Geographic- $15.00 for 12 monthly issues
  10. “The Fashion File: Advice, Tips, and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of Mad Men” from AMC – $26.99

For the kids:

  1. Tic Tac Toe game from Pottery Barn Kids – $10
  2. Baby Octopus from thecuteoctopus – $25
  3. Barbie styling head from Mattel- $13.99 (will this ever get old? I don’t think so!)
  4. Moon Girl nursery wall decal from dezign with a z – $34
  5. Rock Star Mickey from Fisher-Price – $44.99
  6. Organic wooden rattler/teether from SmilingTreeToys – $14
  7. Nintendo 3DS from Nintendo- $169.99
  8. Kid-Tough See Yourself camera from Fisher-Price – $61.88
  9. Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes from Baby Einstein- $8.99
  10. Sassy Bathtime Pals Squirt and Float Toys from Sassy- $6.29

For the “kids” (i.e. pets):

  1. “All You Need Is Love” hemp dog collar from collarswithcolor – $17 (seller makes cat collars too!)
  2. Aluminum bar dog tag from DoglegLeftDesigns – $11.95
  3. Wood Chuck Orbee-Tuff Chew and Fetch Ball from Lands’ End – $24.50 (BONUS: Personalize with your pet’s name on the handle!)
  4. Fleece pet blanket from L.L. Bean – $29.95 to $79.95
  5. Home Again Microchip membership from HomeAgain – $16.99 per year (Ginny the cat had this when I adopted her and it gives me SUCH peace of mind…BONUS: You get emails of lost pets in your area and can possibly help reunite families!!)
  6. Zack and Zoey Brite Stripe Sweater from Zack & Zoey – $18.48
  7. Kong Wobbler from Kong – $8.99
  8. Bergan Turbo Track from Bergan – $24.99
  9. Custom pet portrait from Yellow Brick House – $44
  10. PetHoliday Rawhide Dog Treats from PetHoliday- $5.99

And as promised…Here are a few low cost recipes for delicious little Christmas treats in lieu of big store-bought gifts this season. Your friends will LOVE the taste and the special effort you put into it. Just click on the source links below the photos to get the full recipe info!

Treat: Holiday Chex Mix; Source: Living Locurto

Treat: Skillet Toffee; Source: The Kitchn

Treat: Snowman Brownie Pops; Source: Grin and Bake It

Treat: Holiday Pretzel Kisses; Source: Little Birdie Secrets

Well there you have it, folks! Hope you enjoyed this year’s gift guide and that we were able to help you pick out some fun options for your loved ones this holiday season. I LOVE Christmas shopping – I don’t think about it for a moment when dropping money on people who make my life worth living…Make it fun this year and remind yourself that this is the season of giving.

Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: Product Search, Seasonal/Holiday, Yummmm, Babies Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

A Maternity Photo Shoot

November 25, 2011 2 Comments

Happy Black Friday to everyone!!! Or, as I like to call it, happy Christmas Day!! For those of you not familiar, that’s Christmas Day with the emphasis on “Christmas” not to be confused with Christmas Day. If you’re still confused, I don’t blame you =) Instead of deeming this day “Black Friday” my sister and I celebrate “Christmas Day” as the first official day of Christmas celebration. Today’s the day that we put up our tree, gorge ourselves on Christmas cookies and blast Christmas vinyls on John’s record player. It’s going to be A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

But to occupy you as we busy around like Christmas elves at home today, I wanted to share the sweet maternity shoot that I was so honored to be a part of for my friend, Bonnie. When our other good friend, Savannah, got engaged a couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of taking their engagement photos – We had a BLAST playing around their house and dressing up. Fast forward to this year when Bonnie mentioned wanting some maternity photos…Savannah sweetly recommended my services and I was MORE than willing and happy to oblige!

So Bonnie, her husband, Todd, and I all drove down to a local elementary school play ground to soak up the sun and show off their baby bump. Enjoy their evident love for each other and their excitement over their soon-to-be-born son!

Had SO much fun playing around on the playground with you guys and canNOT wait to meet your little Bubba =)

Filed Under: Babies, The Big Reveal Tagged With: , , ,

Pinspiration Monday: Outfits

November 14, 2011 8 Comments

Okay, let’s talk clothes today, ladies! I for one love clothes shopping…My favorites are Ross/T.J. Maxx type places, probably because they have more of a selection then stores like Target and the mall – PLUS you can pick up lots of affordable and unique stuff for your home too! I can drop a pretty penny at either of those stores…I used to go once every weekend, but in the last year I have downgraded my job/paycheck (although for a career path I’m MUCH happier with) so I had to downgrade my shopping habit as well. Luckily, I came up with a way to satisfy my craving for consistent new clothes and I wanted to share my revelation with you all today!

The simple fact is that most of us have GREAT clothes but, at least for me, the thrill of the hunt alone can be a bit addicting. Now though, I’ve discovered that all I need to do is channel that excitement into the closet and wardrobe I ALREADY HAVE!

I know. Doesn’t sound very brilliant, right? Well it has seriously changed my life (and my checking account). Whenever I feel the need to shop, I do so in my closet. If you’re like me, you may find a whole bunch of pieces you didn’t realize you had!

There’s one other huge secret too. Outfits! Learning to put on a shirt and pairing it one day with jeans, boots and a drapey necklace, then with a pencil skirt, blazer and big earrings another day will breathe new life into the things you already own. It took me a while to figure out just how versatile the individual pieces in my closet are, but when I did I felt like the possibilities were endless…

And then that’s where Pinterest came in.

When I first started using Pinterest, it was almost exclusively for home project ideas. But then I noticed a few people pinning photos of celebrities in trendy ensembles. This fad has definitely taken off and now I’m seeing anything from well-dressed couples during their engagement photo shoots, to empty clothing against a white background complete with accessories and outerwear options. It’s A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Next to my “DreamGreenDIY” Pinterest board, my “Outfits” board is a close second for number of pins. And I’m being completely honest when I say that I use my “Outfits” board every single morning to pick out what  I wear.

Allow me to explain…

After I wake up, I hop on the computer to browse through my email and approve comments etc. on the blog. Then I pop on over to Pinterest. I repin a few project ideas if I see any and then, lastly, I go to my outfits pin board. There, I look through the photos waiting for something to jump out at me – If I’m feeling like jeans, I search out those pins. If I’m feeling like a skirt, I look at the dress/skirt options.

Source:  Sydney from thedaybookblog.com

No source info for this one…

Source: Polyvore (psst…Click on this source link for shopping info on ALL the pieces in this pin – SO cool!!)

Now obviously I don’t have money for the exact pieces of designer clothing in a lot of my “Outfit” pins…But here’s where the most important thing about outfit inspiration comes in: You pin outfits that you can put together using SIMILAR pieces that you already have! For example, I pinned the last image above because I already have a grey purse, a pair of grey Toms, a white t-shirt and red cardigan. I can wear this entire, put-together look for free! It’s sort of like having your own celebrity stylist but not having to pay the premium. Since I’ve been pinning outfits, I’ve realized the vast possibilities in my closet and it has probably saved me hundreds of dollars.

Now there are times when I do still go shopping, but it’s mostly for foundation pieces that I know will work with what I already have. Like a white pea coat or a new bright scarf. Oh and speaking of, you are all probably aware but accessories are our best friends when it comes to making outfits – Deciding between a sparkly pin or a heavy pink necklace could change the entire look of an ensemble.

Here’s a pin that I chose because I liked the casual look of the jeans paired with the bright teal necklace and coral blazer.

Source: ASOS Fashion Finder

I don’t have a coral blazer or a heather grey t-shirt like in the picture, but I DO have a pair of skinny jeans, a coral cardigan, a turquoise necklace and a white blouse!

The other thing I use an outfit pin for is color combos – I am NOT afraid of color, often intentionally mismatching things in an outfit just because I like a little personality. So I can hop over to my pin board and, if I see an outfit I like but don’t have all the pieces for (or if I already wore jeans to work yesterday and can’t double up on “casual” again), I just copy-cat the colors to get the same vibe.

Here’s an outfit I liked because the grey and yellow color palate appealed to me:

Source: dandelion and grey

I don’t own a yellow coat like hers, but I do have a yellow cardigan and a grey dress!

This next outfit actually inspired what I am wearing today! A white-on-white torso (white blouse, white cardigan) and a grey skirt.

Source: Bayside Bride

And now here’s MY take:

I am nowhere NEAR a professional on this, so don’t quote me – I definitely still have days where I grab the closest thing in my closet if I don’t feel like trying to be creative. But pinning ideas has helped me broaden my horizons and I am utilizing the things I’ve acquired over the years to their full potential.

Making the most of what I have has also made it easier for me to pare things down in my closet – If I STILL don’t grab for a certain dress or shirt after intentionally working to use pieces I already own, then I put it in my designated “donate” box (I just take it to Goodwill whenever it gets full). I’ve also just started utilizing the consignment clothing stores in town – That way I can at least try to make a little money off of my failed purchases or things I’ve grown out of.

But anyway, for those of you who find that picking out clothes before work/school is a chore, pinning ideas could be the way to go for you! If you don’t have a Pinterest account, (1) get one! or (2) try looking through clothing catalogs and rip out pages of ensembles that appeal to your on-hand options. I LOVE looking for inspiration in Anthropologie and J.Crew catalogues…One piece of advice though is to avoid pinning/ripping out a bunch of outfits that you need to go out and buy pieces for to make work. Don’t feed into your shopping addiction!!!

For now, here are a few of the ones I’ve been dying to try out…

Source: Off of Broadway

Source: a long (enecker) short story

Source: Polyvore

Source: SF Girl by Bay

P.S. It’s also great for tricks, makeup tips and haircut ideas too!!

Source: styleberry Blog

Source: Tumblr

No source info…

Oh and any fashionistas out there, feel free to give us more advice on how you make the most of your wardrobe. I know I could still use all the help I can get :) In fact, you may see me pinning a whole bunch of new outfits in the next few days because our long-awaited engagement shoot with our fabulous, incredible, award-winning wedding photographer, Katie Stoops, is coming up this Saturday! I may put it up for a vote when choosing the final outfits…

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Filed Under: Inspiring, Weekly Pinspiration Tagged With: , , , , ,
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