Category Archives: Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks: Getting Organized

Posted on by
Reply

DreamCloset

I’ve never been a messy person, but after living in the same condo for 12 (yes, 12!) years, you can imagine that I have acquired a lot of things. When Tim moved in a couple of years ago I did a huge purge, and regularly make trips to Goodwill when I realize that I never have time to iron that shirt or am not going to get around to fixing that heel that I broke outside the W in Westwood circa 2004. I also sell designer stuff on eBay on occasion.

This past weekend I attacked both our closets. Tim now has the space saving black velour hangars that my closet has (the best $9.99 you’ll spend at Costco) and we still managed to fill up another two bags for donation (mostly my stuff). Then I went to town on my filing cabinet, which was housing documents from 2001 and on. Anything I couldn’t throw away due to sensitive information I took to the UPS Store for professional shredding. It’s funny how getting rid of stuff feels as good as getting it in the first place.

Some of my secrets for staying organized include making use of the backs of closet doors (I use the Container Store’s Overdoor Shoe Organizer and clear shoe boxes to keep my pricier pairs), keeping sports/leisure items together in a hall closet and housing mementos and pictures in stylish photo boxes. When editing my closet I consider things like, “Does this make me feel and look good?” “Have I worn it in the last year?” and “Does the fit, fabric and quality work with where and who I am today?” That means no more Forever 21 or mini skirts for me.

PS. We finally saw Moonrise Kingdom last night and loved it. What a charmer.

Dream men’s closet photo via The Coveteur

Tips and Tricks: How to Make Zucchini Chips

Posted on by
1

I don’t know about you, but I really have to focus on healthy eating during the holiday season since there are so many temptations around (luckily I work at home so I don’t have to see baked goods each day.) One of my favorite fun snacks to make (Tim teases me because I call them fun) are zucchini chips, which weigh in at around 60 calories for 20 chips.

What you’ll need: One good size zucchini / 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs / 1/4 cup grated Parmesan / 1/4 tsp salt / 1/4 tsp garlic powder / 1/8 tsp pepper / 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk / cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice zucchini into thin 1/4-inch rounds and combine the first five ingredients in a bowl and mix. Then put the milk into another shallow bowl.

2. Dip the zucchini slices in milk and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.

3. Place the slices on a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and pop into the oven for 30 minutes (you can flip them halfway through.)

Tips and Tricks: DIY Snow Globe

Posted on by
2

My sister Chelsea made us the cutest Christmas tree snow globe in a Ball jar so I asked her to share the easy steps so you can make your own this holiday season!

What You’ll Need: Mason jar / Small trees (Michaels sells a whole bag for $21; download the app for a 50% off coupon) / Little ornaments or pine cones that you may want to add / Hot glue gun / Glitter or fake snow (available at any craft store) / Twine or your favorite ribbon

1. Unscrew the lid from your jar and hot glue gun your trees (and pine cones if you’re using them) to the lid. Make sure you do not glue anything around the rim of the lid, to ensure that you will be able to screw the lid back on.

2. Fill your jar with approximately 1-2 inches of “snow” or glitter.

3. Carefully screw your lid onto the jar (the trees will be upside down during this step). Make sure the lid is screwed on tight.

4. Flip your jar over and watch the “snow” fall.

5. Tie a piece of twine or your favorite ribbon around the lid for an extra festive touch.

These make an amazing and affordable holiday gift. Or if you are really not crafty, Anthropologie sells these adorable versions. Thanks Chelsea!

Tips and Tricks: DIY Cranberry Vodka

Posted on by
Reply

This is a fantastic hostess gift for the holidays that’s also great to keep on hand for any holiday-related stresses. This DIY is easy peasy — you just need a bag of fresh cranberries, one lime, sugar and some vodka.

1. Poke a hole in each cranberry and pour into your bottle, filling it up one-third of the way.

2. Using a knife, peel the rind off a lime and place into the jar. Then fill the rest up with cranberries.

3. Add 1-2 tbsp. of sugar to counteract the bitterness of the cranberries and then pour the vodka on top of the mixture, seal the jar and shake.

4. Shake the bottle every day or two and let the infused vodka sit for two to three weeks (perfect timing for the holidays.)

Photo via Fancy Napkin

Tips and Tricks: Pinhole Press Holiday Cards

Posted on by
2

Stylish and simple holiday cards from Pinhole PressEach holiday season I hear friends lamenting about mailing holiday cards late or forgetting to send them together. In this age of email, Facebook and mass text holiday greetings, a quality holiday card is a welcome arrival. I had previously used Pinhole Press for personalized note cards so when they approached me about creating holiday photo cards I had to jump.

Using some of our favorite wedding photos we created our card online in about five minutes — easy peasy. It’s only November, but knowing we have our cards offers a sense of peace since the coming weeks are going to be incredibly busy (and fun!) with my sister’s 30th birthday, a trip to Florida, my parents 40th wedding anniversary and the holiday season.

The cards recently arrived and we were blown away. The paper stock is thick and beautiful and the colorful images have never looked better. I can’t wait to share them with you closer to the holidays! Their site also offers creative holiday gifts such as hardcover photo books and a cute memory game.

This post is sponsored by PInhole Press, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Tips and Tricks: A Fashionable Halloween Part III

Posted on by
Reply

I saw a girl in Hollywood go as Margot Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums for Halloween and it was genius. It helps if you are a honey blonde with shoulder length hair, but there’s always the wig route in case you aren’t. Here’s how to get the look:

1. Get a striped dress like this one from Lacoste. You can also try eBay or tennis shops. Find a faux fur camel or brown colored coat (it will help keep you warm as a bonus) like this one from ABS Allen Schwartz.

2. Accessorize with a pair of pale pink gloves, a Hermes-style Birkin bag or oxblood colored loafers.

3. Straighten your hair with a flat iron and use a barrette on the left side. Don’t forget plenty of kohl-rimmed eyeliner on the top and bottom.

Tips and Tricks: A Fashionable Halloween Part II

Posted on by
Reply

This was one of my favorite Halloween costumes of all time. During my senior year of college I went as Mrs. Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction and I think I spent $20 total since I had the outfit in my closet already. Here’s how to get the look:

1. Get a short black wig with bangs if you don’t already have short black hair (I had long hair at the time so I went with the wig.)

2. Grab a white button down shirt like this one from Banana Republic and a pair of black pants like these from Rachel Roy. In the film, Thurman’s were a bit flared and cropped, but any black pair will do. Watch the dance scene with John Travolta for inspiration.

3. Look for a fake hypodermic needle (I picked one up at a costume shop) and don’t forget some fake blood. I taped the needle to my chest and while it’s a gruesome sight, it’s really the item that will make everyone instantly recognize who you are dressed as.

Tips and Tricks: A Fashionable Halloween Part I

Posted on by
1

Bonnie and Clyde Halloween CostumeI don’t know about you, but I think I am officially done with cheap (and way too revealing) Halloween costumes that come in a plastic bag. I’ve always preferred creating my own looks, usually with items out of my wardrobe, and film is a huge inspiration.

One of my favorite iconic fashion looks of all time is Faye Dunaway in Bonnie & Clyde. Here’s how you can get the look:

1. Start with a cream or camel beret like this one from American Apparel. If you have long hair, pin it up so that it mimics the look of a bob.

2. Wear a light colored short sleeve sweater like this one from Marni, and add a printed silk scarf around your neck. This one from DSQUARED2 is a pretty close match.

3. Don a tweed pencil skirt like this one from Nanette Lepore. Of course it doesn’t hurt if you can accessorize with a Clyde to help complete the look.

Tips and Tricks: DIY Sock Bun

Posted on by
1

I’m sure you’ve been seeing top knots and chubby hair buns all over the place. Do you ever wonder how these gals are getting their buns to look so full? You can use a product like this ASOS Large Hair Donut to make it happen or if you have an old sock lying around you can use that as well. Here’s how to get this chic look:

1. Cut the toe off of a sock (preferably in a similar tone to your hair color, but not mandatory) and then roll it from the inside out until you’ve made a round sock donut.

2. Put your hair in a high ponytail with an elastic band and then place the sock around the tips of your hair.

3. Roll the sock down the length of your ponytail, covering it with hair as you go. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you can tuck in any flyaways when you reach the base of your ponytail.

Below is a fun tutorial from Mr. Kate to give you a better idea. I just did mine in two minutes and it was super easy. Have fun!

 

Tips and Tricks: Stylish DIY Pumpkins

Posted on by
Reply

Pumpkins with styleIt’s technically fall, but we’ve been having a heat wave here in L.A. so I haven’t been that excited to see pumpkins at Trader Joe’s or Halloween decor in local stores. But I started seeing some very stylish looking pumpkins on Pinterest so I thought about some ideas for no carve pumpkins. You just need some newspapers to place under the pumpkins and a damp rag to clean off any dirt.

1. Polka dots. Paint your pumpkin one base color like red (or leave orange) and add polka dots in a different color with a paint marker or Sharpie.

2. Metallic. Take one of fall’s hottest trends and apply to large pumpkins. Simply spray paint your gourd in silver or gold (make sure you are in a well ventilated area).

3. All over paint. Simply paint your pumpkin one color (white is chic and black could make for a more Halloween-appropriate look).

4. Chevron stripes. Here is a DIY tutorial on zig zag pumpkins. This one is a bit more time consuming, but the result is pretty fab.

And you can turn any of these stylish pumpkins into a vase by carving out the inside and placing a glass jar inside. I love this one.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...