Lonny Magazine-Online & Clutter Free!

If you haven't heard about this new online magazine, you'll be so happy I told you! It's a visual feast and reminiscent of the dearly departed Domino Magazine. I'm so excited about the upcoming issue which will release on August 10. You can subscribe online here and it's free for now! There is going to be an "Organize Your Wardrobe" article which I always love. It's full of inspiration and really a delight to see all the beautiful photos and articles. Go now and see the latest issue to tide you over until the next one arrives.

Do Something You Always Wanted to Do!

I always wanted to dye my hair red and was afraid to do it. I actually did this about 6 weeks ago and it's faded now, but I wanted to post it so maybe it would inspire you to do something you've always wanted to do too.

Isn't it funny how we are scared to do something as silly as dying our hair, or cutting it short? What silly things are you afraid to do, but always wanted to do?

I think one brave decision leads to more. What will my red hair lead to now? Have courage and make a brave turn of your own today! Sign up for a class, start a blog, wear your red lipstick, call an old friend or throw a dinner party. What will you do?

Mad Men Inspired Style

I'm new to the Mad Men scene. I just started watching it a couple of months ago and I'm hooked. As I was perusing Talbot's new fall line, it occurred to me how much this show is influencing our fall fashion. Has anyone noticed that Talbot's is not the stodgy, conservative shop that it used to be?

I've been pondering Talbot's new look for awhile now. My first instinct when I got the summer catalog was that the layouts, the clothes and even the models look strikingly similar to J. Crew. I've always liked Talbot's and I could manage to find a few things in there, but I really thought that the clothes were much older than me. I was really excited to see the changes because Talbot's quality is impeccable so having the option to shop there for younger styles is a welcome opportunity.

These are some of their summer looks I liked, but you'll have to click the link below to see the fall lookbook.

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Now that they have obviously gone a new direction to appeal to the younger woman too, I am curious to see if they have updated their fit as well. It just figures that I would get intrigued by a line as I am brewing a long term rest from purchasing anything. The Talbot's lookbook is definitely worth seeing even if just to admire the styling though. Also, if you can get your hands on a summer catalog, you won't be sorry as it's also very chic.

Click Here to See Talbot's Fall Lookbook

I also couldn't help but note that Mad Men seems to be everywhere these days. I'm drawn to these looks and am happy to see the resurgence of this fashion era. I'm not sure how that retro look will make it's way into my mostly jeans style, but I'm happy to have the opportunity to find out. Here I was thinking after the Nordstrom anniversary sale that there were only 80's styles to shop from, but take heart because there's more out there!

Did you also know that QVC is launching a line of Mad Men inspired clothing? If you want to read about it, here is a preview article. I don't think I'll be buying any of the QVC clothing but I'm looking forward to seeing Season Four of Mad Men and the swoon-worthy fashion. The premiere of the new season is on July 25! Anyone else love Joan?

One more thing since we're on the subject of Mad Men, if you are an aspiring actor, or just want to be on the show, here is your chance. Banana Republic is hosting a contest, read about it here. It starts tomorrow!

Will anyone be hosting Mad Men Premiere dress up parties? I don't know anyone else who watches the show so I won't be. What do you think of the retro inspired fashion? How will you incorporate this into your current wardrobe? I'm definitely seeing something leopard print in my future. I think it's obvious my favorite character is Joan. Who is yours?

Joan pic from here.

Group pic from here.

Nordstrom Anniversary Preview 2010: Behind the Curtain

Maybe you've heard? The Nordstrom Anniversary sale starts tomorrow and all the buzz has been about the preview for the last week and a half. The Anniversary sale is special because it puts a certain selection of fall items on sale for a month of so, then raises the prices again. Last year we did not go because we were not a certain level of Nordstrom cardholders. If you are excluded from the preview, you will know that The Wizard of Oz imagery is not very far off. Everyone wants to get to the preview! This year, we caught a break though because our local store decided to let all Nordstrom cardholders in instead of just a certain level that would typically qualify. I think that was smart of them.

Let me take you behind the curtains to what we saw. Essentially there are two separate curtained off spaces, one for women and one for men and accessories. You have to make an appointment so that you are accompanied by a salesperson, and you get two hours to shop. At first glance, the partitioned rooms seem to be small and unimpressive. Imagine a retail yard sale with racks of clothes along the wall and metal tables full of shoes and purses. There are an impressive amount of items jammed in there though. The small rooms are deceiving because there is only one size of each item. That is why you need the salesperson to assist you, so you can get the correct size to try on your items.

Last year I went on the first day of the Anniversary Sale, which is when I had my personal shopping experience that you can read about here. The preview could potentially take this experience up one notch by not only having an appointment but by not being a part of the frenzy that occurs during the sale days. The dressing rooms are right next to the preview so they really make it all very comfortable for you to shop. I would bet that you can make an appointment with the personal shopper department to pull it all together for you. (If you are in Houston, call Scotty!)

When I went last week to the preview, I had it in my mind that I wanted to not want anything, so I looked at everything with a very critical eye. It turns out that I didn't need to worry because I really didn't like much. There were a few things that I had in mind that I was looking for, like a purse and some tall boots. They had a huge selection of purses and shoes but nothing really wowed me. I tried on a dress like one this except in pink and I liked it, but the material was a very wrinkly cotton and I try to stay away from high maintenance fabrics.

Since last year G also felt the burn of being excluded from the preview, he wanted to find out what all the fuss was about too. We journeyed back down there to see if there was something he loved. He really didn't need anything, but he did find a white shirt because who doesn't need a new white shirt? It's egyptian cotton and a blessed non-iron fabric! Now when I neglect to iron his shirts for months, he'll have something to wear besides polos. We came away with him thinking he needs a leather jacket, which is the first I had heard of it, so the power of suggestion works on men too apparently.

What struck me as I looked through the racks of clothes is that I really just don't like the fall fashion options. There is so much 80's influence right now and it's just not me. There were so many chunky, long sweaters that I suppose balance out skinny jeans. There are some years that the fashion trends just don't appeal which is when it's great to fall back on your current wardrobe and save some money.

I don't want to neglect to mention that the preview is especially great if you are looking for a hot item or hot brand because those items sell out first. There are some Tory Burch flats which always sell out fast, and certain brands of handbags will go quickly. How quickly, I don't know, but since the anniversary sale is unique because it's putting items on sale before fall gets here, I bet there is a lot of frenzy over these items because of the discount.

I'm sure that I could have found something if I really was in the buying mood, but to be honest, I had already bought a couple things for fall and needed to wait to buy anything else. It was fun to be a part of the preview and I would do it again next year. Fall is my favorite time of year because I look forward to sweaters and the cooler months. Since I'm from North Carolina, fall always meant the turning of beautiful leaves, crisp mornings, sunny days and one never forgets the importance of the back to school wardrobe. In Houston, I'll just look forward to cooler days and the energy of back to school shopping, even though I'm not in school.

What about you all? Have you been to the Nordstrom preview? Did you buy anything? Do you feel that it's just more exclusivity marketing hype, or that there is real value there?

Image here.

How I Save Money at Starbucks

OK, the obvious way you can save money is not to go. I'm on board with that most of the time, but sometimes I like to meet a friend there, or take my laptop and pretend I'm busy and important. I've had some people at Starbucks ask me what I've ordered, so I wanted to share my sneaky little strategies of how I save a little money with you.

First You Have to Register a Starbucks card If you remember my wallet post, maybe you remember all the Starbucks cards I had in there. I always wondered why they didn't have a card to punch and every 10 coffees, I get one free. I was accustomed to that feature at all my previous coffee shop hang outs and I really missed it!

All you have to do is buy a gift card, register the number online and use it. You can even have your credit card linked to it, so it automatically refills when it goes below a certain limit. I don't do that because we are phasing out credit cards in our life, but I used to do it when I was working. You can see all the rewards options at the Starbucks website.

Free Refills One of the main rewards that I enjoy are free refills while you are at Starbucks. I usually take my refill and heat it up the next day because I can't handle that much caffeine in one day. I just stick in the frig and look forward to it tomorrow!

Free Coffee Sometimes I also buy the decaf whole bean coffee for at home. I time my purchase so that I can hang out and get my free tall coffee, technically it says "any handcrafted tall beverage of your choice", but you may have to fight for that because I usually just get a plain old coffee.

Free Syrup & Milk Upgrades At first I was feeling guilty for having these extra calories in the form of syrup, but it tastes so much better that I decided to ignore that guilt. Besides, this is another great way that I save money because if you like one of the frou-frou expensive drinks, I can't tell the difference.

Order a Misto That leads me to the next way that I save money. The strangely named "Misto" is on the menu under Caffe Misto, but is often overlooked. Basically it's a Cafe au Lait, coffee with steamed milk, which is my favorite. I am extra naughty and get whole milk because it tastes so much better, and always order it extra hot, with vanilla syrup. It's costs $2.00 instead of $3.25 for a tall Caramel Macchiato.

Free Birthday Coffee Yep, you get a coffee on your birthday. Order the biggest, most expensive one they have just because you can!

Cumulative Rewards Just like any rewards program, this is the one where you have to keep yourself in check. I think it's human nature to want to complete things and get free stuff. I still try to only do Starbucks once in awhile because it is an expensive habit that can get out of control really fast. I wrote about the luxury of the poor issue a little bit here.

At first you will be at the Green Level, and then the Gold Level. They send you a cool Gold card just to make you feel super special and exclusive. Once you get to the Gold level, you get a free drink, every 15 stars. I don't know exactly what stars are the equivalent of in dollar amounts, but just know that eventually you get a free drink.

So I'm not going to go into the financial drain that IS Starbucks, but I do feel like it's a treat for me sometimes. Now they have free wi-fi for everyone who goes which is an extra incentive to stay for awhile. I divide the price that I pay for my tall Misto in half and I'm paying $1.00 per cup of coffee which is not bad for a morning out.

What's your favorite way to treat yourself on the cheap? I also like to go try on lipstick and perfume and not buy anything. It just makes me happy and no buyer's remorse either! Do you like Starbucks?

I'm a Caffe Misto Whole Milk Vanilla Syrup Extra Hot. What are you?

Just for fun I put some pictures of our wedding day. I had a major caffeine withdrawal headache and my new hubby knew just what I needed!

The first sip relieved my headache.

You also get a free Starbucks on your wedding day!

I'm not even letting go for the photo ops. These are all in downtown Greenville, SC.

I do. love coffee.

He wasn't drinking it, just holding it.

Coffee cup image from here.

What I Learned From Fashion Magazines

Spurred on by another 100 Things Challenge, I have been determined to whittle down the still imposing stacks of magazines at my house. I've been reading an impressive amount in a small amount of time. Some of them are two years old and I haven't even been interested enough to open them once, which is really saying a lot. All these magazines are the consequence of one little letter saying our airline points were about to expire, so we redeemed them in exchange for piles of magazines.

Now I've always loved magazines and have meticulously read them from cover to cover. I would be so excited about a fresh copy in the mail and would eagerly anticipate delving into it. Reading them was a science and I could only turn past the part that I was at in order to finish an article in the back. Apparently those days are over, because it's obvious to me now that they no longer hold the same appeal. I mean I will even flip past without reading an article which is shocking to you I'm sure. The type of magazines I'm talking about are Allure, Glamour, Vogue, and Lucky magazines which are all similar in genre, the fashion and makeup types.

I've been collecting in my head some thoughts that struck me during my marathon reading sessions.

1. WOW, Only $100! There are often budget friendly fashion articles that always leave the editor in awe that you can find great items for under $100. I would say that almost all my items are under $100 and I don't feel that in awe about it. Even if I buy something over $100, I know that I can easily find something under $100 too. One magazine was talking about a new line of jeans that are so economical but they were still $154. I'm sorry, but haven't these people been to the Gap? Besides, they put together all these economical items on a page, and the outfit is no longer economical. None of my outfits cost as much as my mortgage payment.

2. WHO would wear that? I would never wear anything they put together. I'm talking mostly about Lucky here because I think they try to be accessible to the "common girl" shopper. Magazines like Vogue are meant to be fantasy and art and of course most women wouldn't wear those outfits. But Lucky suggests some really strange combinations that maybe will fly in NYC, but here in Texas, you might look like you dressed in the dark. I like a lot of the single items in Lucky but would not wear outfits like they suggest, which is kind of puzzling because this is supposed to be inspiration for a gal like me.

3. SAVINGS! Those blasted coupons really work because they make me want to use them. Whether it's $2.00 off a Revlon lipstick or $10 off a $50 purchase, I actually feel motivated to go seek and buy. Most of the time I don't but the point is that I want to, which makes reading fashion magazines dangerous for the budget. Also, some of them will have deals with certain websites which makes us want to shop more. At least they don't hide their motive because Lucky is the "magazine about shopping."

4. DANG, I'm Persistent! If I see something I like, I will try to find it. Maybe this is obvious but this is also dangerous because I now want something that I didn't know existed, which leads me to the point that magazines are basically just commercials that you pay to read. I know, I know it's obvious but is it to everyone?

5. You will never catch up! Trends are not style, but they are like a buffet that you can pick and choose what you like at the moment. If you bank your whole style on trends, you will be out of style before you blink. You can't try to keep up with the magazines because it is their job to make sure that you don't. I heard somewhere that if a trend ends up at Target, that it's already out of style. That may be true according to fashion standards, but should it matter to me? I want to be chic but I don't have to be a part of the super trendy set. At some point, you can't really avoid the trends. Almost everything is a trend, but some items do endure longer.

I still think magazines can be great to update you, inspire you and even motivate you to keep your look polished and together. Reading them en masse though has made me feel as force fed as french goose. It's all about marketing and I have to be a willing participant for it to work. I still love fashion and I do spend my money on clothes and beauty products, but don't be like a sheep being led to the slaughter. Know that you are being sold and not educated when you read the magazines. (I don't know what is inspiring these graphic animal references by the way!)

How do you all feel about fashion magazines? Do you feel like you are being sold on every page, whether it's an ad, or an editorial review of a product, to a fashion layout, to a celebrity interview talking about her favorite products and designers? I'd love to hear what your take is and if you even read them.

P.S. A post coming up about some Tory Burch shoes that have left me feeling uneasy about why I wanted them, bought them, but haven't worn them. I hate giving in to peer pressure!

Image from here.

How Organized Is Your Closet?

As beautiful as the picture is above, I don't think many people's closets are this minimalist and perfect. There do seem a decent amount of clothes here, but probably not a lot of variety. My closet houses all my clothes, including workout gear and casual clothing too. Even though this is a fantasy closet, I still aspire for mine to look like a version of this.

I've been thinking about issuing another 100 Things Challenge for myself. It's so therapeutic to count how many things you are letting go, like it's an accomplishment. I'm still working on my magazines and am proud to say I'm making a dent. I took a few bags to the thrift store last week too. I didn't count all those things but I'm willing to start over. Want to join me?

The challenge will go right along with the question of how organized your closet is. How would you like your closet to look? I'm sure most people have some piles going in the closet. I usually have something not hung up. We have a laundry basket in there. Our drawers are stuffed and get messy really fast. I put away out of season clothing so I only have the relevant pieces to look through. We are fortunate to have a nice sized closet and an organizing system from the Container Store. Our drawers are exactly like the ones in the picture in fact, which really helps to maintain tidiness.

Do you follow the rule, if you haven't worn it in a year, you throw it out? I will admit that I don't. I will put things on trial before I take the final plunge. It really has to be pretty evident that it's on it's not ever going to work for me to let it go to Goodwill. I downgrade a lot of clothes. Once nice t-shirts become workout shirts, old shoes become working or painting shoes, and old sweaters are like a sweatshirt to me since I don't wear sweatshirts. The only exception is if I know someone who will wear it, and then I will happily pass it along to them.

In order to have an organized closet goal, you have to ask yourself how much you are comfortable owning, or not owning. How would you feel with ten pairs of shoes, and three pairs of jeans for example? There is a buffer of excess that most people have that makes us feel like we are not in need. One may say they want a pared down closet, but would that put her in panic mode, and result in more shopping?

I think the answer is purely personal, but the idea is that we can be intentional. Maybe your closet is making you apprehensive because you can't find anything, or the clothes aren't "you" anymore. Just ask yourself what kind of closet person you want to be. I think we can all do with some paring down.

Answering the question, who you aren't can be just as telling as who you are. My don't would be a list like this:

1. I don't work in an office.
2. I don't go to clubs.
3. I don't wear high heels.
4. I don't live in a cold area.

I have a lot of "don'ts" and I bet you do too. What you do need is easy because you are wearing that every day. Begin your 100 Things Challenge with your "don'ts" and see if that gets you started.

When you are left with what you have, see how you can make your closet look more presentable. I love to organize my like things in baskets or boxes. Ikea has great boxes that make your closet look so tidy. Home Goods usually has some canvas lined baskets that look clean and polished too. Maybe you can hang your jewelry on some pretty hooks. But before you go buy anything, clean it out first! Before you buy, know what things you need to store.

So what is your ideal closet space? Do you have a large closet or a small armoire? Do you long for a closet like the picture, or is it a little too OCD for your taste? Are you ready for another 100 Things Challenge? Anyone want to link to a picture of their closet?

Picture from here.