Editing Down Lifestyle

So who has read the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo? I feel like a lot of people on the YouTube beauty community have been talking about it this past year. I personally haven’t read it yet, but I still feel inspired by it.

If you know me once I get a project stuck in my head, I have to see it through.  Lately, I have been feeling like I just have so much stuff. I have to admit there are things that I have hung on to when I probably should have parted with it. After all it is just stuff.

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but I will say out with the old and in with the newly edited down lifestyle. What I’m planning on doing is creating a capsule wardrobe. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was before, but it’s basically a collection of essential pieces that you can mix and match. I have even read that some people have gotten their whole closet down to 30ish pieces! I think it makes sense because you really only wear about 20% of your clothes anyway. In any case, I pretty much only wear basics.

I am also trying to narrow down my makeup collection that is more than enough for one person. I want to keep the things I absolutely love. I have always taken back things that I really didn’t like to the store right away. There for things I have changed my mind about over time, or I find myself not really using it for one reason or another. Some recent examples of things I’ve taken back are Tarte Greatest Glitz Collector’s Set & Portable Palettes and Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons. When I return things that I don’t like it doesn’t mean the product is bad, I just didn’t like it for one reason or another.

Space is a commodity. This is going to be a massive project, and it will be a work in progress. I will update along the way. I will be selling off some of my things and will be posting all the details once I have gotten all the things that need a new home together.

This has been a long time come. I have taken steps throughout the year toward this goal, even though I didn’t quite define it then.

1)      I reorganized my makeup collection several times this year in attempt to see and use what I have. There is a box of makeup that I was not sure if I liked it or not.
2)      I have done a pan challenge. You must be wondering how that’s going. I will have a blog post about this either before or after this post. I will link it here. I do have to say that it makes me happy that I am actually using things up.
3)      My sisters and I took out a day where we went through all of our books. We cataloged every single one, and we also donated over 200 books!
4)      I’ve consigned and donated clothes to Goodwill and a battered woman’s shelter.

My advice for tackling something like this type of a project is to start small. Don’t pull out every single piece of clothes into the middle of the room. You’ll just feel overwhelmed and think: what did I get myself into? I know; I’ve been there. For example, I’m going to start with everything that is hanging up in my closet.

If you’re on the fence about something then, set it aside to decide later but set a date that a decision has to be made. When my sisters and I were going through our books, there were some that we were undecided about. We wanted to read them again to make sure it was something that we wanted to really get rid of. You can always change your mind about donating or selling it later on.
I’m excited about simplifying my life. I just feel that if I’m not using something, then it needs to find a new home where someone else will find more joy out of it. Going forward, I am really going to think about every new thing you are bringing into my space. Do I absolutely love it? If the answer is no or maybe, then I don’t need it.


Also, if I do a blog sale would anyone be interested?  

 

 

Life Update

I did not want to start updating without writing a quick note first.

I have been missing in action on the blog, and my goal is to get up posts up soon after I’ve have unpacked from a trip. Truth is sometimes that does take a while. I know what a few of the trips coming up next year will definitely require recovery time especially because one of them will have time zone differences.

Taking a minute to reflect on 2015 before moving forward to 2016.

2015 Highlights:

1)      LA: BSB The Movie, The Getty

2)      KY:  Just everything. Honestly, this was a trip I really didn’t have high expectations for, but it was surprisingly wonderful.

3)      Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

4)      Naumkeag & The Clark

5)      Walkway over Hudson

6)      Charlotte: AJ’s Skulleeroz Launch. I had only one day to really explore and wish I had a little more time.

Some of these trips I haven’t talked about yet, but they will be posted on the blog. I’m going to try and do a post a day until I’m caught up.

What were your favorite memories from 2015?

Looking to 2016:

I don’t really make resolutions. Instead, I like to set goals. I feel like that is more manageable, and I can track my progress. Resolutions are like grand plans that seem like a great idea at first, but they are not really all that defined. In the past, I have said this year I’ll lose weight. But what does that really mean? 10 pounds, 20 pounds, or 30 pounds? What kind of time frame do you have to lose that weight? That’s why I feel that it’s hard to keep these type of resolutions.

I will be having a post following this one on specific goals I have in mind.

But the things I’m looking forward to in 2016:

1)      All American Tour: 

                                                               i.       Baltimore – I haven’t been here yet, so I will have to do a little exploring.

                                                             ii.      Freehold, New Jersey – This will also be a new city for me, but I’m excited my friend for Rochester will be going to this concert as well

                                                            iii.      New York City

                                                           iv.      Boston

2)      Backstreet Boys European Cruise: This will be my first time overseas. It’s exciting, but I’m also nervous.

I’m sure there will be other exciting plans as the year goes on, but those are the things that are definitely happening.

What are you looking forward to in the new year?

Review l Angela Roi Palette Cross-body

I really love everything what Angela Roi stands for. Not only does 5% of the proceeds goes to a charity based on color, but they are animal-free, sweatshop-free, and aim to create sustainable employment. 

This is all something I'm extremely passionate about. It's important try and make this world a little better, even if I can only contribute a little at a time. 

Review l Victorinox Swiss Army Victoria Charisma Carry-All Tote

I was searching for a carry-on bag that would help me keep organized for my flight. Previously, I was using a Jansport backpack. I cannot find a link to the exact bag that I have. I believe the style I have is discontinued.

What I needed was:

1. A bag that was large enough to pack clothing in if necessary. I have had situations where my carry-on suitcase just didn't have the capacity to fit my clothes too (looking at you Kentucky trip). 
2. Easily accessible pocket to store things that I need to reach for like my ID and tickets
3. A stylish bag

Originally, I had my heart set on the the Lo & Son’s O.M.G. bag, but that one is going to cost a really pretty penny. The reason why I was really leaning toward the O.M.G. bag was because there was a separate compartment for shoes which not many other bags have. The size of this bag is: base 16”, depth 6”, and height 13.5, handle 9” drop.

The Victoria Charisma first caught my eye because it was on sale at Hautelook. It was a similar size to the OMG.

If you're unfamiliar with Hautelook, it is a flash sale website where you can buy clothing, beauty, and home items.

Fortunately, I found it for $65 with a 10% off code and shipping at 6pm. I would suggest you shop around before you commit to purchasing from anywhere. Most likely you will be able to find it for a lower price. The particular bag I purchased has sold out on 6pm, but it is still available at Nordstrom Rack.

Travel l Visiting Friends - Rochester (07.15.15 - 07.18.15)

So this year I'm attempting to try and make my way around on a non-tour year to visit with friends. However, it's been a little more difficult coordinating it than I anticipated especially as I'm trying to penny pinch for my adventures for next year.


The backstory is I met my best friend, Alecia, on the 2013 Backstreet Boys cruise. At dinner, we were sat next to each other and decided to have dinner extravaganzas. This basically means that we ordered one of everything on the menu!

Project 10 Pan l August 2015

What is "project 10 pan"?

It is what I refer to as the use this shit up project.
It originally started as hitting "pan" on 10 powder projects. This is when you see the actually the metal container that houses the product. Nowadays, people just pick as many things as they want to use up until they can purchase something new in that category. In my case, I will just move onto the next product in my "collection."

Why do this challenge?

I have more make-up than any one person can possibly use in this lifetime. I would really like to narrow down my collection significantly. This will also prevent me from buying duplicates with items.

As you can see below, I have hit pan on a few items. There are some things below that I love and know I will use up, and there are other things that I just want to use up because it's not my favorite.

Review l Joy Mangano Better Beauty Case

I believe I purchased the Joy Mangano Better Beauty Case through HSN, and I probably around $20-$30. It came with the case that I will be talking about today, a large case, a small case, and 2 loose clear pouches.

This one is sold out. The next closest deal is this one. You can also find similar deals on Amazon or Bed Bath and Beyond.