Style Note: When to give up the sweats

I did something big, People.

I gave away two of my comfiest, coziest, sweatshirts.

*pang*

Awe, it hurts a little to think about; but I want to re-live it, for you, and maybe you can do the same.

So there I was, updating my closet from winter to spring (P.S. yay! spring!) and in the back and forth of sweater, swap-for-tank, sweater, swap-for-tank; I wound up pulling a number of items that were either outdated, or simply something I did not wear this year at all (sorry dog-print-sweater, you were so cute when I got you for Christmas 2015, but your quirkiness has faded along with the material...).

The clean out felt good and stepping back, looking at my fresh rack of colorful tanks, I couldn't help noticing a couple pieces that were standing out in all the wrong ways. So I walked to the end of the rack, plucked them up and realized "oh it's just you, old friend" comfy sweater 1 and 2 were just dangling there all "hey, can you grab me a beer? and some Cheetos, if ya got em. Thanks girl."

and I was all "Oh yeah, I got you." 

and then I paused, thinking should I get rid of these?

and one part of my mind was all are you insane?! They're so comfortable. You can't. YOU JUST CANT.

and the other part of me said but... they're hideous.

We all have clothes that we don't prefer to wear in public, but I realized today (Like, TODAY) that there's a big difference between pieces that we prefer not to wear in public, and pieces that we are HELLA EMBARRASSED to wear in public.

Example: Prefer not to wear in Public

1. Old T-Shirt with small hole in it

2. Anything soaked in sweat

3. Ill fitting jeans

4. Black belt with Brown shoes

Example: Embarrassed to wear in Public

1. Anything that makes you pray you don't run into anyone you know

2. Anything that has you apologizing to the people you know when you DO run into them (which you surely will because the Universe loves it when we dress like poo. It's like "Hahah there she goes again in those saggy bottom shorts with a hole, Where's her ex boyfriend at?... ah yes... *re routing* .... Perfect. They will meet in the cheese aisle." )

 (I've legitimately tried to hide from an ex by burying my face in my hands... More on that later, maybe)

So, I thought, it may be time to give away the comfy comfies. I will note however, that I have the luxury of owning other comfies that are actually decent enough for a public setting. If I did not own decent comfies, I would not get rid of my ugly comfies. So if you only have one set, DO NOT get rid of them until you have a new set to replace them with. Because without them, how are you supposed to enjoy a Saturday night?

Finally, I very much believe that how we dress affects how we feel about ourselves. I also believe that there is no cookie cutter formula to what makes you feel good, or your neighbor, or me, or your Mom, or co-workers, and so on... so it's up to you to decide what makes you feel good about y-o-u. 

So if you own something that makes you shudder when you walk by a mirror, do yourself a favor, and donate it. (or just go big and burn it...and don't tell the mayor I said that).

Until Next Week.

L

Inspired Movie Sets: You've Got Mail

To be a great designer, I believe that you must always be slightly bored.* Which is why, when you ask a designer, like really ask, "where do go for inspiration?" they won't say "Houzz." (and if they do, maybe consider re-hiring). Yes we go to Houzz and Pinterest, but it's more of a tool that we use rather than our source of true inspiration. In fact, the question "where do you go for inspiration?" is one that designers often talk about amongst themselves, as if they're sharing a secret recipe. Like, we're all over here baking apple pies, but how do they come out equally delicious, yet slightly varied? Is it in the flour?  the sugar? the timing?

So today I'm sharing one of my inspiration sources: Movie Sets.

Instead of diving into all the nuances about what lights my fire on a good movie set, I've decided to turn "Inspired Movie Sets" into a new series, where I will explore sets one by one, and talk through the details as they come. Today we will start that series with one of my favorite sets (and one of my all time favorite movies) You've Got Mail.

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Ah, here we are outside Kathleen Kelly's (Meg Ryan) Brownstone. It's fall, and no one is concerned with the fact that she could never afford this IRL. She runs a bookstore that grosses 300K/year (according to Joe Fox aka Tom Hanks, who later announces this at a party) and somehow, she lives in what is surely a $7-million Bachelorette pad, in the heart of NYC. Yes people, we are officially on a movie set. But HEL-LO, look at that entryway. Bay Windows, original millwork, a perfectly colored front door. Ay-yai-yai!

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Type-type-type-type-type, I love you, Tom Hanks, Marry me and my cute lamps and perfectly placed vase. I also have fantastic built-ins to my left, probably orginal too, type-type-type-type 

 

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Oh look, it's me again! Kathleen Kelly. I'm still typing, but this time you can see my sweet little antique desk more clearly, along with my perfectly curated wall art. Somehow each element on my desk is perfectly balanced and arranged. It's almost as magical as how I've come to afford this place (or did she inherit it? I think they may mention that at some point in the movie... but still, COME ON PEOPLE).

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I just... can't, even. The millwork, the matching sconces with tiny-little-shades, a perfectly selected mirror, and two (surely antique) plates on just the tinsiest sliver of wall. Shoot, even the toilet is cute.

P.S. The Pajamas. Are they horrible or do I love them because they are also antique?

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Cut to:  *antique pajamas flouncing around living room* Actress peers out of perfectly hung sheers, to confirm that boyfriend has fully exited the brownstone. She is surrounded by well curated prints; stripes, florals, and dots, as she tip-toes back to antique desk with perfect lamp, perfect vase, and the aforementioned PERFECT BUILT INS. 

This was filmed in 1998, and 20 years later, I'm pretty sure she could rent out the shelves themselves for like $700 a month. I've seen worse here.

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The kitchen is tiny, but like a good New Yorker, she doesn't do much in there anyway. Plus, it has french doors with glass windows, WHICH IS ALL IVE EVER WANTED FROM LIFE.

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Oh wait, she's doing something in there. I see veggies and a pot, maybe she's making soup. This must be from one of the scenes where she was sick and couldn't leave the house. Remember? it was like.... 

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This! There she is. Full on flu. 

And Tom Hanks Joe Fox brings her flowers and she's all "huh?" because he just put her out of business and was like a TOTAL JERK and stole all the caviar at a party WHILE putting her out of business and subsequently stealing her main source of income.

..But I digress.. look at the floral sofa! So 90's. Which is a great place to pause this article and be serious for a moment; because this sofa, inspires me. Not that I want to put traditional, floral sofas, all over Portland, but that I'm drawing ideas from it. I love how full it feels with all the pillows and blending of prints and textures. Nowadays, if I hop on the aforementioned design websites, I'm going to find mostly minimal, sleek sofas with sharp lines. 

Example:

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It's a handsome sofa, and I see it a lot. Which is why it doesn't spin my wheels like the 1998 floral throw back, coated in cushy, varied pillows and throws. 

Make Sense?

Oh heck, back to the movie:

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Great, we didn't miss much; Kathleen Kelly appears to still be typing. This time she's probably talking about that country-chic-meets-french-renaissance bed frame and headboard. THIS IS NOT SOLD IN STORES PEOPLE, not in 2018 anyway. But again, the wheels of inspiration are turning:

Soft stripes, white-gold frame, with a kiss to Paris? Um yeah, I'm on board. Where can I custom order one and DO YOU WANT ONE? Unlike the sofa, I'm not simply inspired by the bed frame, I'm ready to buy. Everything comes back around, right?

*sigh* 

Movie-Set-Perfection

Until Next Week.

L

*This is something Issac Mizrahi said years ago, regarding fashion design, and it's stuck with me ever since. 

On a Budget: Should I Just go to Ikea?

Ah, Ikea, the home of paper tables with funny names, 99 cent toilet brushes, and one giant hot dog poster that will never make you hungry. Yes, it is a place I know well, and a place that I very much enjoy! In fact, in my early twenties, I may have gone as far as to say that I loved Ikea. But as I've grown a bit in both age and taste, I've learned that there are so many other places you can go to for a deal.

Between shops like Marshalls, HomeGoods, the sale section of Target, your regular ol' thrift store(s), and online shops like Wayfair & AllModern, you can find some pretty unique stuff for around the same price (and often less). It does require some digging, but it's worth the added effort too keep your home from becoming an Ikea Cut-Out.

Something Ikea does really well is that they offer inspiring catalogs, full of fun ideas on how to piece everything together. And while it may be tempting to just buy everything as-shown (because that's easy GOSH DARNIT) You can instead, take that styled imagery and make your space come to life with products from different vendors. By doing this, you are bound to wind up with a space that is more uniquely yours, as well as ending up with products that (hopefully) won't fall apart so quickly..

Below are a couple examples to help get you started:

Reading Nook

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wayfair.com 

The Ikea Accent Chair retails for $399
$20 difference

 

wayfair.com

The Ikea Glass Cabinet retails for $249
$26 savings

Target

 The Ikea Floor Lamp retails for $49.99
$2.50 savings

Living Room

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wayfair.com
The Ikea Sectional retails for $699
$34 savings

Side Note: It's important to invest in a good sofa and most anything in this price range will not be up to par, ergonomically. With that said, sometimes the budget is tight and if that's the case for you, just know that you have options outside of Ikea.

 

wayfair.com

The Pair of Ikea Cabinets retail for $329/ea, totaling $658

This Cabinet from Wayfair retails for $274.99/ea, totaling $549.98 for the pair
$108 savings

Target 

The Ikea Coffee Table retails for $169
$34 savings

I hope this post has inspired you to spice up your thrift shopping 

and get just a teensy bit more, outside the Ikea box.

Until Next Week.

L