All posts filed under: tips and tricks

Filofax The Original A5 Planner in Patent Nude

My New Filofax Original A5 in Patent Nude

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As much as I’d love to be the kind of modern woman who can organize her entire life in her iPhone, I just can’t do it. I like my organization old-school: a classic day planner is my lifeline to my schedule, to-do lists, notes, and overall sanity. If I don’t physically write things down, they’re good as forgotten, and I like having everything in one convenient and portable place (otherwise, I’ll just scratch notes on old receipts and drink napkins and lose them forever in the detritus at the bottom of my handbag). After trying many planners over the years, I found that the best options for me are customizable binder systems with a variety of separately-purchased inserts. This way I can buy exactly what I need, skip the extras I don’t — lookin’ at you, address book pages — and create my own tabs to build an organization system that’s perfect for me. I typically purchase planners between July and August — at 31 I still miss back-to-school shopping and this time of year always feels like a fresh start — and this year I invested …

My Grown-Lady Shopping Rules

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Since the day I learned to dress myself, my style M.O. was to “look cute.” (I’m not saying it was always successful; there was a very unfortunate JNCO jeans phase in my adolescence). Now that I’m getting older, that’s shifted to “look polished/sophisticated/put-together.” A year ago, I purged my closet of all the bad shopping decisions of my twenties. It was one of many closet cleanouts; I’d spent years in a cycle of buy-wear-toss and couldn’t figure out why I was never satisfied with my stuff. During that Labor Day 2013 Purge to End All Purges, I got the moment of clarity I so desperately needed: the trick wasn’t filling a wardrobe with a whole bunch of random inexpensive stuff; it was creating a well-edited collection of great stuff. For so many years, I equated good style with having lots of options and never wearing the same outfit twice. So I bought as much as I could within my [limited] budget: I rummaged through clearance racks, shopped at outlet stores and fast fashion retailers, and gave zero damns about quality or fit. …

Quick Tip: How to Clean Brass Jewelry

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C started an Alex & Ani collection for me about a year ago, and every now and then he surprises me with a new one. I love that each bracelet comes with a special meaning; everyone’s stack tells a little story about who they are. After several months of daily wear, my brass Alex & Ani bracelets started to tarnish and leave black marks on my wrist. I was super bummed and thought they were ruined, until I learned this simple trick from a friend on Facebook. You’re going to need some ketchup. If you don’t have any in the fridge, take this opportunity to make a trip to Chik-fil-A for waffle fries and pick up a pack or two. I mean, any excuse for waffle fries is a good excuse, amiright? Cover each brass bracelet in a thin layer of ketchup, and let them sit for a minute or two on a clean cloth. Then, using another clean cloth, carefully wipe it all off. Quickly run the bracelets under warm water to remove any remaining ketchup and dry …

my super simple skincare routine

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  These days I’m really into healthy skin and minimal makeup. My face is at its best with a super simple routine; the more I experiment with products the more aggravated my combination-dry sensitive skin becomes. When it’s angry, it rebels in the worst ways: flakiness, redness, and cystic acne breakouts that leave discoloration behind for weeks. So for now, I’m skipping the harsh chemicals and anti-aging formulas in favor of gentle, natural products… with high hopes that lots of moisturizer and SPF will guarantee good skin for the long-haul. It worked for my grandmother, so fingers crossed. Keep reading for a long-winded breakdown of my current short-list routine!

My Favorite iOS Apps for Mobile Blogging

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In my early days of blogging, I relied on my DSLR and Macbook to churn out content. Publishing posts took a lot of time, planning, uploading, and work space. With the flower shop commanding more of my time and energy, it’s important for me to keep the blog fun and manageable; which means finding ways to share and stay connected as conveniently as possible. Now I can create content anytime, anywhere with my iPhone or iPad and a handful of iOS apps. Thanks, technology! Here are 11 of my favorite apps that help me keep the blog updated regularly with limited time: Instagram – (FREE) Everyone uses this photo-sharing app, but I especially love it for blogging. WordPress recently added an Instagram widget that shares my latest ‘grams in my sidebar; this helps me keep the  blog updated with fresh content, even when I’m not posting. Facebook Pages Manager– (FREE) This app helps me stay connected with my Facebook audience. I can easily share photos and updates, as well as respond to comments and private …