Wardrobe Updates and Switches

The days are starting to get cooler and a little bit shorter, which means it's time to start thinking about switching out my wardrobe. It's honestly a long process for me, because of the multiples steps. I first edit my summer wardrobe into donations and tosses, then I either send clothes off to the cleaner to be cleaned or wash them myself before storing. Then I edit my winter wardrobe before it even makes it into the closet. There will be refreshing sprays and additional donations added to the pile, but worth the process so I can get a firm grasp on what I need to replace (if anything). This year I don't plan on too many updates as I'm pretty much on a spending freeze for the next year, but if I do buy something it will likely be something from the list below!

Ann Mashburn Funnel Neck Sweater

Molly Moorkamp Dress

Ann Mashburn Leopard Buckle Shoes

Velvet Sherpa Jacket

White Corduroy Stretch Pants

Can you tell I have a color palette in mind?

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for a Gray Day

I woke up this morning to a foggy, gray day and while I'm not complaining, I do wish I could have slept in a bit more. I don't know what it is about these kinds of mornings that make we want to stay snuggled up in bed and have a great lazy day. Obviously with 3 auctions running this week I don't have the luxury to do that, but I can't help but long for a quiet week or just relaxing. While that's not going to happen for at least a little while, I can keep dreaming about it! Below are a few pins reflecting my mood this morning. 

Have a successful week!

ARS xx

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Currently...

Going to bed extra early this past week! Work has been a bit nutty and I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I've actually found myself falling asleep on the couch before 9pm the last few nights. 

Waiting for a few books to arrive! Since discovering how fabulous Thriftbooks is (you can read a bit more about that here) I've been checking into the website to see what books I've been wanting to buy are available and at what price. It's been amazing, because I've gotten so many books I've been wanting for awhile for a steal! 

Planning to see my cousin this weekend! Oliver just flew in from California (which is thankfully now off the quarantine list) and I'm SO excited to see him. He wants to go out on a boat and I want to go for a walk in the park and antiquing, so we'll see who wins! 

Thinking of ways I can raise more money for September's philanthropy spotlight, the absolutely amazing Augusta Training Shop! This is an evolving series, so any reader suggestions would be more than welcome right now. I may have to brainstorm with my family this weekend! In the meantime, I encourage  you, if you are able to, to donate directly or buy a snowflake to support to this wonderful cause. You won't regret it! 

Meal planning for next week! It's very clear that I need to get back on a serious meal plan, as my waistline is rapidly expanding and my takeout bill is my biggest budget downfall each month. I treated myself to some adorable meal plan sheets on Etsy and so far it's been sort of working out. This weekend I'm hoping to make a solid plan that I can easily follow and prep on Sunday!

Happy Friday!

ARS xx

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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
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Pretty Pins for A Busy Week

This week I really hit the ground running. I have four auctions (as of right now I have 1 down, 3 more to go) and have my cousin flying in to visit. This will be the busiest I've been since the lockdowns, I think! I'm ready to take on this fast pace and am cherishing my downtime now more than ever. I built up a strong foundation to help me manage my upcoming schedule in a healthy way and I'm excited for all of the new challenges that lie ahead. Below are a few pins inspiring me this week and getting me ready for a busy Fall!

Ready for the week!

ARS xx
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Currently...

Reading about the #LaborDayOn movement. I'm so fortunate to have a job and honestly with 25 million people out of work, I'm fully on board with Red Wing promoting jobs, not sales. What a really great and meaningful way to celebrate Labor Day. I wish I had known about it sooner!

Unplugging from my cell phone. While I can't fully tune out my cell phone, I've really made a concerted effort the past couple of weeks to do my best to unplug. I've been feeling pretty drained and honestly, this was the best thing I could have done for myself. I always encourage my friends and family to put themselves first and I'm finally taking my own advice. I'm already feeling better and there is a noticeable difference!

Celebrating the fact that I finally bough a Sevy-Marie painting. To make it even sweeter, the proceeds went to supporting Sandal Gap Studios! I've shared my love of this artist in the past and this is the second artist I've written about that a work has fallen into my lap.

Planning for Christmas already! I'm doing my best to get organized before Christmas, so I can figure out a budget sooner rather than later. I already crossed one family member off my list and hope to get another couple done before the holidays. I can't believe I'm planning this far ahead, this is a total first for me!

Enjoying a lazy morning. I haven't had a leisurely morning in awhile and am fully relishing a morning of looking at real estate in the Adirondaks (Lake Placid preferred) and ordering a few books.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend,

ARS xx
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Pretty Pins for a Technology Break

I didn't realize I needed a break from the blog until I took a brief one last week. I didn't know what to write so opted to skip a few days rather than posting half hearted posts. After this brief hiatus I'm feeling refreshed and ready to share posts once again. Similarly I've taken an informal tech break in my life, which has left me energized and really happy. I hit a point a few weeks ago where every single text and email that came through gave me a sense of dread. I pretty much only responded to my parents so they knew I was alive and worked. Allowing myself to not respond or engage felt so right and so good that even I'm surprised. I obviously can't go through life just not responding to texts, but I learned I need to set boundaries with people. In the brief time I took for myself, I realized I've been taking on so much of someone else's energy and stress that it began to affect me. I urge you to take a one or two week (or even a day) break to check in with yourself and see how you feel.

Still taking a texting hiatus but feel free to call me.

ARS xx
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Wednesday Motivation

“Change is painful. Few people have the courage to seek out change. Most people won’t change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change.”

― Dave Ramsey

Reading this Dave Ramsey quote with my coffee this morning is reminding me that change isn't always comfortable and that I need to keep going even when I want to turn around. Back in March I said never again to being terrified of a financial crisis. At the time I had just a small emergency fund of $1,000 and when I was furloughed with no unemployment coming in I was in a really dark place and constantly crunching numbers. Luckily I was able to cover my rent and was finally brought back to work full time in June. Now I'm trying to stay motivated to build an emergency fund and I learned that the biggest part of that is sticking to my budget. 

When I made my 6 month emergency fund goal I didn't know that when you've said yes to yourself so many times in the past it's really hard to start saying no. Every time I say no to myself when I want to make an impulse purchase I feel just a little bit more adult and like I'm a step closer to reaching my 6 month emergency fund goal. My story isn't inspirational or even anything special, but I hope you might start on your own journey to reach what feels like an unattainable goal and share it with me in the comments! I've done this twice so far (my 101 in 1001 list and the emergency fund) and it's felt good both times. 

Staying gazelle intense this week,

ARS xx

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Artist Love: Mary Kirk Kelly

For awhile I've really loved lettuceware and ceramic vegetables. Dodie Thayer was the first official artist name I knew and is one of the most recognizable. This summer was when I discovered the artist Mary Kirk Kelly and pretty much immediately fell in love with her work. I don't know too much about her, as there isn't much written about her aside from small blurbs, but what little I did I learn was pretty fabulous.

Born in 1918, Mary Kirk Kelly was an Alabama artist who specialized in ceramic fruits and vegetables. Her career began later in life and it wasn't until a neighbor asked her to recreate a prized cabbage that her life as a ceramicist took off. From what I can find, she pretty much continued making her figures until her death in 2013. Because she was a southern artist and it seems like everyone cherishes their own collections, her work can be a bit hard to find up in New York (an additional challenge was that she didn't ship her work).

The piece that started my obsession was a turnip. I can't really describe the magic of her work eloquently, but trust my - it's real. I loved her work so much I included adding four pieces of her work to my collection to my 101 in 1001 list, assuming even that number would be a bit of a reach. It was a stroke of luck (and a sign) when I saw a local enough consignment store selling a few of her works on instagram. I rushed to acquire a few beloved pieces and am actually really excited that this was the first of my goals to finish. So far my collection includes a turnip, a green apple, a pea pod, a tomato, and a red potato, but I'm looking forward to grow my collection even more (pun intended). I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do and might consider sharing your own collecting stories with me!

Always on the hunt for more vegetables,

ARS xx
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Pretty Pins for Labor Day

Today is Labor Day, so I allowed myself time to sleep in and enjoy the day hence a later than usual post. I'm always grateful for Labor Day, mainly because it's a day off, but also because I love the subtle energy shift that surrounds it. When I was younger it meant I was going back to school, but as an adult Labor Day weekend is a time for to revaluate New Year resolutions and maybe get a second chance to start something new. I'm particularly feeling a major revaluation of New Year promises I made to myself because of the coronavirus and the impact it had on me and my personal goals. Starting a 101 in 1001 list rejuvenated me and I'm eager to make some serious headway on those goals and that's what I'll be focusing on this fall. Below are a few pins that are capturing the mood shift I'm feeling right now.

Ready for a wild and crazy fall season,

ARS xx
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Currently...

Trying out this olive oil cake recipe I found on my pinterest feed. It seems easy enough (famous last words) and luckily I have almost all of the ingredients in my pantry! That's a first and I'm taking it as a sign, especially because I've been craving an olive oil cake recently.

Fixing a broken Mary Kirk Kelly piece. I was disheartened to learn that a store in Alabama that sells her work doesn't ship...until I found a local consignment store that actually has a few pieces of her work! I quickly scooped up a coveted apple with a flower on it, only for the leaf to break off. I knew Mary's work was delicate, but I personally experienced how delicate (and why she refused to ship).

Enjoying another long weekend. I'm really savoring this time off, as I won't have a break until Thanksgiving. This weekend I'm going to do my best to tie up loose ends and set myself up for a successful fall.

Painting out my 101 in 1001 list for extra inspiration. While it's really great that I have a list here on the blog, I want a visual in my apartment to serve as a daily reminder of what I want to get done. I'm so excited for the day I can cross something off, but in the meantime I'm loving the act of painting the list!

Making some serious headway in my emergency fund goal! After much thought, I've decided I'm going to save up for a 6 month emergency fund instead of 3 months. The current status of our economy is too unstable and I'd rather have an additional 3 month cushion. As silly as it sounds I'm single so there is no second income to rely on, so saving up for a full six months of expenses brings me peace of mind and that's what ultimately matters. So far I have one and a half months saved up, so four and a half more months to go!

Enjoy the weekend,

ARS xx
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Thursday Night Party Planning: Girls Night In

Making plans is not as easy as it used to be. Now I have to factor in the weather, distance, and the actual availability of friends. Living just a few miles from everyone isn't a big deal in normal times, but in our current reality it puts a damper on things. Most outings now consist of us meeting halfway between our apartments or hanging out in the morning or afternoon / early evening - weather pending of course. It's working for right now because it's bright out until 7:30/8pm, but with the explosion of crime and more aggressive homeless people, I don't feel so good about walking home alone after dark anymore and cabs are still relatively hard to come by (I'm still anti-uber). That being said, as we get closer to winter and the weather starts to get much colder, I think a throwback sleepover would be so much fun to have! Below are a few ideas I think would be really fun for a girls night in.

I think it would be so nice to gift everyone pjs or cozy sweatpants. They don't need to match, but would love a little something for everyone to relax in. 

Having snacks and dessert to snack on is key. I don't think I would torture my friends with my own cooking, so it would be a treat to order in. 

Sheet face masks while watching movies or shows would be so much fun! I have a list I've been wanting to try out. 

Speaking of movies, I'm in the mood for romantic comedies (and have a feeling I'm not alone in that thought). 

In a dream world I would also love to order in flowers so we could try out making our own arrangements, but I'm not sure how much we would actually want to do!

Needing to plan a fun night STAT, 

ARS xx

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