Accessories: clean and polished

I am all about accessorizing; I love finding new statement necklaces and vintage rings. But sometimes if I am going for a more simple look I just pull out my staple accessories. These are accessories that I can wear almost every day even if I want to add that statement necklace because they are classic and simple pieces.

Some pieces I've collected over the years as gifts and in turn have great significance to me and others I've simply treated myself too. So here are my classic accessories that will go with any outfit. Do you have any staple accessories?


Au Revoir!

Alexis

Thursday Dinner Date 

Fiesta Time! 

Some old girlfriends and I decided to have a dinner date last night since it is so rare that we are all back in our hometown at the same time. Generally we all want to go out to eat and not have the hassle of cooking (OR cleaning), but it was the perfect evening to spend outdoors because it was not too hot or too cold. Since I have a love for entertaining and planning get togethers I said that everyone could join me at my place. 

I thought hmm... I'll throw a fiesta! My family has the best mexican rice recipe and my guacamole was sounding more enticing the more I thought about it. 

When having an outdoor get together though you need to think of a few things. The first is the lighting. While the nighttime is beautiful, you don't want your guests searching for their food with their fork. I kept it light with adding some retro bulbs to the roof over my patio and lit some candles around the area on the ground. It was just enough and made the space feel at ease. 

The second thing is the sound. Now at first you may think.. wait a minute why on earth is that such a big deal? Well, usually I live in a small apartment in the city, so I have grown to love the simple outdoor noises in my hometown instead of having to put up with the honking and horns of the city streets. I turned on our electric fountain in the backyard to give a serene trickling water sound. I also made a fire in the bonfire pit so the girls would hear the soothing crackle of an evening fire. Finally I had a speaker hung in one of the corners of the overhang and put on some summer time country; of course it was on very low because we're girls, we would make the most noise of all with all our chit chat! The product was perfection. It felt homy and relaxing; just what we needed before the summer ends. 

Finally the food is probably the most important thing! It is nice to have some sort of theme to stick to, and when you are having a fiesta dinner party that can be pretty simple. If you'd like ask your guests to bring some sort of add on for the meals. I had a fruit plate, cookies and wine, and some tortilla chips brought to the dinner, which really completed the meal. 

Before you figure out your dinner menu make sure it is a-okay with the rest of the guests. I had already known we had a gluten allergy to take into consideration, but other than that everything panned out perfectly. The placement of where the food is can also be crucial. As I am a neat freak about floors I didn't want people going in and out with outdoor shoes getting drink refills so I set up a small bar area outdoors with ice, lemon water, glasses, and of course the wine! Then I set up all the sides and munchies on the main table that we ate at and set up the taco bar in a separate corner, so the table wasn't too crowded.  

The rest was simple: sit, eat, drink, and enjoy. Thats what is so wonderful about seeing old friends, once you are all together nothing really matters but the fact that you are with great company! 

Au Revoir!

Alexis 

Redoing Bedrooms

SO, I'm redoing my bedroom. (FINALLY!) I have officially been living on my own in my apartment for a little over a year. I wanted to share with you all how I began this room renovation. Redoing any room can be overwhelming so this is how I went through a stress free renovation. 

Some bedrooms I personally admire before we get started: 

1. DE-CLUTTER. 

My room is the size of a shoebox, and I wish I were kidding. Well maybe I am exaggerating a tiny bit, but nonetheless my room is still very petite. This does not work for me because I save everything! Every piece of clothing, birthday card, book, necklace, etc. I have been living a cluttered life for too long and have decided its time for me to grow up and live in a grown up bedroom, so the first thing I did was get rid of things I didn't need anymore. I have one box filled with sentimental things such as cards, but old notebooks, binders, etc., were gone. Ladies, if you haven't worn something in a year than you probably won't the next year either, so for goodness sakes get rid of that ripped jean skirt from middle school because we all know it is way too short for you now...

2. Find your inspiration. 

Once you find your inspiration you find what you want and don't want. This is the biggest obstacle to overcome because you don't want to overexert yourself and go for too many themes. Any one who knows me knows that I have had an obsession with two things Paris and Romance. My bookshelves are filled with romances such as Jane Austen books, and I have always dreamt of living in a gorgeous chateau in beautiful Paris. My aunt gave me this gorgeous piece of art that depicted Paris at night. I realized it was the perfect thing I needed to inspire my new room. Around this I've brought in smaller rustic details that I've always loved and soft pastels to keep the room light and seem bigger than it is. 

3. Make small goals. 

This is KEY. Don't just make one huge to do list, but create weekly goals so it doesn't become too overwhelming. I started with ordering a few new pieces of furniture to organize my clothes because that was where the majority of the space in my room went to. Then I moved on to unique ways to organize my jewelry, (wine bottles for my bracelets, cloth covered bulletin board for my necklaces, etc) This helped me stay on track and move through the process with ease. 

I can't wait till my room is officially finished and I can upload some pictures of the finished product! I'll soon have my very own small, VERY small french chateau getaway in the middle of bustling Chicago. 

Au Revoir ! 

Alexis