On Becoming Refreshed

 

It's that time of year where I joke that I never knew how popular I was until I moved to Palm Beach. Yes, it's officially peak season in Palm Beach, which means intense traffic, so many visitors, and burnout is coming in a few short weeks. I love the buzz and energy in the moment, but when I get home I just feel drained and crave the sleepiness of summer. Slow living and time spent relaxing and recharging is my nirvana and this year I'm trying to get that refreshed feeling sooner rather than later. That means starting earlier than usual. I'm already editing my closet down and picking a few cute new summer looks up. I've also started a list of projects that need to be done around the condo (hello, finally getting my curtains hung!). My goal is to emerge from summer refreshed, recharged and ready for another Palm Beach season. 

ARS xx

F O L L O W

Five Things for May

These is a lot going on for me this month! May is all about getting everything in order for the summer, so I can enjoy everything with ease. There is lots of travel, expensive, and milestones happening and it's all coming together now - exciting but also a bit overwhelming! Below are the top five things I'm figuring out this month. 

 

I'm buying a condo! I've been talking about big things happening and now that we're in the home stretch I'm ready to share that I'm moving forward with buying a condo. I'm SO excited for this next phase and can't wait to finalize everything - hopefully this month! 

I'm also upping my health and wellness game. I love living with my parents, but the scale and my waistline does not. Unfortunately, I pick up their bad habits when they are in town, but with my first of three family weddings around the corner the pressure is on to feel my best! I'm also taking the time to slow down and focus on my stress levels 

Now that I'm buying an apartment, I'm pretty much on a spending freeze. That means I'm shopping my closet, finishing all of my pending needlepoint projects, and catching up on a massive pile of books I've been meaning to read. Sadly this spending freeze is happening right before all of my trips, but I'd rather have a home than a random assortment of knickknacks! 

This month is also all about planning out my summer trips and nailing down the logistics. There are so many moving parts for the summer I'm just a tiny bit overwhelmed. Once everything is finalized and booked I know I'll feel better, but just the thought of planning everything out is giving me a headache. 

Lastly, I'm taking my interior design classes and pulling inspiration for my apartment. My vision for the apartment is coming together and once I have a plan I can start executing it all. I'm excited to decorate and make something my own, but the cost of it all is very daunting. 

Almost halfway through the month,

ARS xx

F O L L O W

Three Room Combos for Apartment or Small House Living

I've come to a point where I know I want to buy a house or apartment in the near-ish future. Given that I'll be making this purchase on my own, I don't have the room for a big house or apartment so I'll have to get creative with space and rooms. I was at my cousin's place this past weekend and was excited for him and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious of his new place. It's very close to what I see myself living in one day - a house that has great bones but needs a little bit of help, but once it's done I know it's going to be fabulous. Below are a few room combo inspirations that I've thought about for my future home and one that my cousin even plans on implementing!

I love the idea of combining a dining room with a library. To me a dining room is meant to be warm, welcoming, and filled with friends and family. This is kind of how a library should feel too (in my mind at least). I love working out of my local library on Long Island because of the massive tables and chic setting, so I would love to bring that feel to my home as well. I also have a million and one books that need a designated place.

I loathe murphy beds, but if I want a guest room for a future house (or maybe I'll get lucky and find a one bedroom with an extra room or a two bedroom) but also want office space or a workout room that isn't in the basement, it probably makes sense to have a murphy bed there for guests. I can't believe I even typed that out, but here I am.

Doing laundry at my parent's house instead of my apartment has been a dream. There's no rush to get the laundry out and folded as soon as possible and I can use specialty settings that the machines in my building don't have. I don't know if I would be able to have a dedicated laundry room in a future home so it would likely have to fit in a kitchen, bathroom, or mudroom. I think my first choice would be a mudroom / laundry room combo (and maybe even add in a coffee bar?). I've seen so many laundry room combos, but think the most natural would be one of the three I just mentioned. It all depends on what makes sense for my future space.

Happy decorating,

ARS xx
S U B S C R I B E

Update: March Goals

As I mentioned last month, I opted not to make a New Year's Resolution but instead to reach monthly goals. First on the list was amping up my Gold Gala promotion, which I did verbally, not exactly through social media. This month I'm vowing to work out 5 out of to 7 days each week in an effort to stay in shape and to get ready for Spring!

Maybe I should put up something like this in my room as a visual reminder?

To add some variety into my week and increase flexibility I should probably add in some yoga to my routine. 

Having a fitness friend will be helpful. Anyone out there want to be the Dionne to my Cher this month? Let me know on twitter (@towerhousemag)

In case no one wants to work out with me, I'll be composing an amazing playlist (or stealing a few from pandora). 

A great outfit would be an added bonus. Sorry Lululemon, but Solow (GASP, I know) might tempt me  into cheating on you. 

1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * 5 

PINTEREST * BLOGLOVIN * INSTAGRAM * TWITTER

Mission: Update Office Space

I've been perusing Etsy for some time now, mainly looking for some fun and pretty new things for my desk and bookshelf.

Undated Blank Day Designer 

This is so cute and could be a great way to plan out my blog posts.

Pencils

Although GG is over, I'll still be able to get in my daily fix!

Custom Book Plates

Even though the only people to know about these would be my fellow book lovers, it's still really fun.

Fall Checklist

Life Starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Anyone who knows me, knows I have my "brain book" on me at all times. I am constantly scribbling my To Do lists and Notes To Self in it. I often find myself making lists of things I want to do but never actually do it. Well, I finally took matters into my own hand and am seizing the Fall and checking off a bunch of things on my list. (Which is the main reason this blog has fallen of the face of the Earth!)

Already done:

 Harriman Cup to celebrate SLL's Birthday

Chicago  to visit CJB 

Shanghai adventures with DOM

GCM's Fall Visit

Currently Waiting On:
My Fall class to start

Burgers & Bubbly Planning

I LOVE birthdays (obviously) and have been planning my birthday party with the theme tailored specifically for me (as well as SLL and AMS) - Burgers & Bubbly. While I have all the details nailed down, I still need to make sure it is executed perfectly...which is really all that matters! My biggest stresses at the moment? 

Not having the bubbly in hand

The party mix
Committing to a hairstyle

Decor (or lack thereof)
Which bows I want on my toes!

Travel Bitten

Someone's caught the travel bug and is currently planning lots of fun trips for the summer! Travel essentials for the trips include: sunscreen, ballet slippers, and chap stick - my 3 travel/carry on essentials. 

Trips I am planning:

Chicago - To visit CJB & Co.

Palm Beach - To polish my tan off and get in some killer shopping sprees

Nantucket - Birthday celebrations/AEB time

Shanghai - Why wouldn't I visit DOM in China?

The Cozy Guest Room

Objects to ensure your guest is as comfortable as possible:

1. Fresh Flowers

2. Luggage Rack

3. Waste Bin

4. Scented Candle and Matches

5. Tissues

6. Alarm Clock

7. Pen and Paper

8. XL Robe

9. Good Reading Light

10. Magazines

11. Pitcher and Glass

12. Snacks

13. Wooden Hangers

Based on this list, I have a lot of work to do before I come up to snuff!

Idea From: Pinterest

Spring Has Sprung

Now that it is April, I am actually inspired to fit some quality Spring cleaning into my weekend.
First up? My closet....