getting out of the house fast in the morning

Okay, you hit the snooze button. 5 more minutes turned into twenty and now you are jumping out of bed frantic to get out of the house. Sad to say, but this is me every morning. But I have found ways to get my morning routine done in less than 20 minutes. That is including hair, makeup, and a cute outfit that actually matches with breakfast to go.

  1. Breakfast is Important
    I stock up every week on breakfast foods that I can grab and go to get out of the house as quick as possible. My usual go to are frozen waffles that usually pop out of the toaster by the time my coffee stops brewing or bagels. I also stock up on fruit so I can eat in the car on my way to work. If you stock your kitchen with breakfast foods, you can still have breakfast even though you are running late out the door.
  2. When Beauty Sleep Doesn’t Do The Trick
    I know I am not alone when I say that when I wake up, I do not look like a movie star waking up in a movie. My hair is messed up, my eye makeup that didn’t come off the night before is around my eyes, simply put I look like a hot mess. Right now I am using Bare Minerals Liquid Foundation, Maybelline Under Eye Concealer, my Naked 3 eyeshadow palette to brighten my eyes, a swoop of eyeliner and Better Than Sex mascara to open my eyes. And of course, a little bit of Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer and Fit ME blush to brighten my face.
  3. Plan Your Outfit the Night Before
    Or just have a really organized closet. I have previously talked about my closet HERE and how I keep it organized. I have my work clothes hanging and my pants and skirts all in one place so I can easily make a work outfit.

dress for fall

September has shown us some crazy weather in Jersey lately. With the hurricanes hitting Florida and Texas, we have been getting the strong winds, rain and chilly cold front the last few weeks. Then the next day it is in the 80s and I have no clue what to wear. Early September, I packed up all of my Lilly Pulitzer, summer tanks and shorts because it was feeling like fall.

I recently purchased this dress because it is a great fall transition dress. I wore it to work last week with my brown cardigan and was able to take off the cardigan when the weather got hot again later that day. This weather has been so bipolar lately I really don’t know how to dress! I plan to wear it throughout the fall and pair it with tights so I can wear it in the winter. Last week I wore my Tory Burch Miller Sandals and plan to wear it with my brown flats later in the fall.

Right now it is on sale with another 50% off, while students and teachers get another 15% off! I have a feeling this dress is going to be worn weekly because it is so easy to throw on and wear it to work.

 

OUTFIT DETAILS
dress // bag // shoes

Coming Up This Month

Oh. Hello. It is September and I am still having a difficult time accepting that summer is over. Last week I packed up my summer wardrobe, and did a blog post about how I store my summer wardrobe making it easy to unpack for next summer. You can read alll about it here. Now that I have some free space in my bedroom and closet, I am getting inspired to start unpacking my fall wardrobe and decor.

img_2493As much as I love summer and laying on a beach or wearing a dress everyday, something about fall gets me excited. Sweaters, pumpkins, scented candles, decorating the house with pillows and throw blankets. This upcoming week, it is going to look like fall threw up in my home. I am bringing out my fall bedding, fall candles, sweaters and tons of pillows! This helps me get over that summer is over, but I can start to enjoy my favorite parts about fall. I found this pillow in the dollar bin at Target last year, so I am excited to see what goodies I will find this time.

blonde rosie coffee outdoor picture.JPGLately all I do is work work work and work. Then during my free time, I fill it up with a million things I should be doing. My goal this month is to sit. And just sit with a cup of coffee or read a magazine on my front porch and not have to worry about my to do list. These are the last few months that we can sit outside and not freeze, so I want to enjoy as many of them as I can. I need to take some time to appreciate the little things around me again. Right now I am reading the Big Little Lies book and it is SO MUCH better than the tv show. I loved the show, but you get so much more story (and sass) from the characters in the book.

img_3785It feel like we blink and all of a sudden we are wearing pants and throwing on sweaters because the weather has changed. I put together some of my favorite fall must have clothes that your wardrobe needs. But each season I get excited when I get to pull out my boxes of fall clothes because I forgot about all of the amazing clothes I have. Save your money and go through your clothes from last season. Then you can see what you already own, what you need to purchase this season, and see how you can rework outfits.

img_7300This month I want to spend a little more time catching up with friends.With my crazy work schedule, I have to plan get togethers with friends weeks in advance, but I want to get better at it. This month, I have a college alumni event and other plans with friends that I am really excited about.

 

Tips on Storing Your Summer Wardrobe

It is that time of year that we find ourselves throwing on a sweater or jeans because the chilly days are becoming more and more frequent. Now comes the daunting task of putting away your summer wardrobe to make room for fall.

Here are some of my tips on keeping your summer clothes and accessories looking like new for next summer.

  1. Shoes

    You know how much I love to purge my closet? Well before you start to put away your summer shoes, check to see what shoes you didn’t wear the last three months. If you have Old Navy flips flops sitting in your closet unworn all summer, there is no need to put them away in storage. Go through your shoes and see what you can donate or throw out. With that being said, clean all of your shoes before putting them away. Make sure to remove all of the dirt and sand that gets in the shoes during the summer months. I like to keep the original box my more pricey shoes came in like my Jack Rogers or Tory Burch sandals. The rest of my flip flops all go in a box that is properly labeled of course!

  2. Summer Bags and Straw Totes

    Be sure to shake out any sand, pennies or receipts that are left in your bag before you put them away. I cannot tell you how many lipglosses I find at the end of the summer when putting my bags away. Higher end bags usually come with a bag to store purses in, so definitely use them when you pack them away. To make sure bags keep their shape, stuff tissue paper in them and stand them upright when putting them away.

  3. Summer Clothes

    Packing up my summer wardrobe usually takes a few days to complete because I like to have it all organized and easy to unpack the next summer. I take out all of my summer clothes and try to donate as much as I can. Then everything gets washed and properly folded. An extra step I take is to pack up my summer clothes by category. It is an unnecessary step, but when I am looking for clothes next spring, I will know exactly where to look. I put all of my shorts, tops and dresses, etc in separate bins making it easy to unpack next season.

  4. Keep An Empty Box Nearby

    I guarantee you that you will forget to pack up something. A tank top, shorts that got lost in your laundry pile or a flip to your flop. I keep an empty shopping bag or a bin in my closet so I can just throw some loose items I forgot to pack up.

Friday Favorites

Hello, friends! I am bringing back my Friday Favorites, where I share some of my favorite things of the week. As much as I love to share new products to try, new home decor or pretty flowers in my yard, it also gives me a reason to sit down and reflect on my week.

This week, we said goodbye to summer and experienced some crazy weather. I worked crazy hours at J. Crew the last few weeks because of Labor Day weekend and now I desperately need a vacation! I feel like we can’t catch a break with hurricane after hurricane. Forest fires, earthquakes and flooding to name a few. When natural disasters hit, it makes me take the time to appreciate the little things in life.

So here are my favorites this week…

New Arrivals from J. Crew Factory.… someone just cut up my credit card now because the new arrivals at J. Crew Factory are so cute!

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Little Peony… is my new go to color for transitioning into fall. It survived a full week working retail without one chip. Proof that this stuff is a miracle!

Black slide on mules from Target….I have been wearing them to work lately, and customers have been asking if they are Gucci (ha!)  I am making everyone I own get them because they are only $20.

Dinner from Trader Joe’s… I went to Trader Joe’s for the first time in a while because it is a bit of a hike for me. I stocked up on some easy dinners to make during the week and now I think I am going to have to buy these in bulk! I made dinner with the oven instead of the microwave for the first time in months… and it was quick, easy and delicious!