Pretty Pins for Running Late

I had planned for a few different posts this week, but everything was a bit delayed from the get go and I found myself putting off writing. When I'm running late like this I tend to rush things and they tend to be a bit sloppy so I opted to shake things up and write when I was ready. As someone who is always on time when I do find myself running a bit late I always get in a tizzy and kind of spiral into a ball of anxiety. I'm trying to be a bit more gentle with myself so I'm promising to do better next week. In the meantime, I'm rounding up a few pins that inspired me over the weekend and earlier this week to take some time for myself and allow myself to enjoy being late for just once! 

Happy Wednesday!

ARS xx

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Currently...

Watching the Nancy Meyers' classic Under the Tuscan Sun. I never saw this movie before but my Dad and I loved it. It made me want to go on my own overseas adventure!

Dreaming of all my holiday outfits! I don't know what we're doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas yet, but I am mentally planning out my looks for each possible plan currently on the table. 

Cleaning my apartment. It's been awhile since I did a full deep clean and I can see that it needs to be done. This is the perfect weekend to do it! 

Walking around the city again! It's clear that I need the workout and this is my favorite time to walk around the city. I always think the Halloween decorations are so whimsical. 

Thinking about treating myself to a new orange sweater. I kind of love this one from Laligne but J Crew also has a really great one for slightly less.

What are you up to this weekend?

ARS xx

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Thursday Night Party Planning: Election Night!

Despite being on the opposite side of political spectrum from the majority of my friends, I loooove election night and look forward to a night of election drama with friends. This year the election feels more historic and important that any other I've participated in before. If I'm being totally honest, regardless of who wins I'm nervous about the days following. That won't stop me from celebrating another election year and hosting a small get together though! Below are a few ideas that are floating through my mind for a small get together.

The first step is always coming up with an invitation. I would probably pick a patriotic one from Paperless Post instead of mailing them out. If I was able to plan for a larger group, I would have them printed but for such a small group it doesn't make sense. 

As always, I would love to have on theme flowers. I think patriotic colored flowers would be perfect. I'll have to work with my florist or come up with an arrangement myself. 

I love little details - they always make the party feel extra special - and these Julia B cocktail napkins were made for an election night party! 

I love theme parties and while I wouldn't make this one a set theme, I would love it if everyone wore their most chic made in America outfit or political themed accessories. (Hello, Molly Moorkamp!)

I would love to do snacks instead of a full on meals. We'll be glued to the tv and I always find it easier to have small bites on hand than having a full on meal. 

What are you doing election night?

ARS xx

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Wednesday Thought

 

"Without a mission statement, you may get to the top of the ladder and then realize it was leaning against the wrong building!" - Dave Ramsey

Happy Wednesday!

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for Feeling Antsy

As we've been inching closer to the election, I've been getting more and more anxious. The riots from late May/early June still are fresh in my mind and I can't help but worry about what is to come after the election. Regardless of who wins, I think there will be protests and possible civil unrest, similar to what we saw in the summer. In theme with my 2020 mantra - control the controllables - I'm doing my best to stay calm and control how I can mentally prepare myself for another round of uncertainty. I'm praying and hopeful that it won't come to unrest, but its always best to be as prepared as possible. I think I'll be antsy and anxious until we get to the election, but I'm not going to let it get to me more than it already has. Below are a few pins reminding me that we've gotten through this once and we can do it again. 

Chin up, 

ARS xx

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Currently...

Thinking of where to put my new auction purchase! I just bought a really adorable wooden dog statue, which also closely resembles a lion. He's already home and  I can't wait to find a spot for it in my apartment! I posted about it a few days ago on instagram and am so thrilled it is coming home with me.

Planning out the holidays a bit early. Once I got serious about my budget back in March I made some serious changes. At the time I wasn't thinking about creating sinking funds, but now that I'm not in survival mode I can see the importance. While I'm still feeling a sense of urgency about growing an emergency fund, I'm going to start putting money aside for Christmas so I don't overspend. I'm going to check out Rachel Cruze's video about the holidays for some inspiration!

Restarting my Martha & Marley Spoon deliveries. I've been in the budget breaking habit or ordering takeout nonstop, but I'm going to make a concerted effort to cook as much as possible. The first time I did this meal service I cut back my food budget, so hopefully it does the same this time around too! Bonus: I'll be able to make some serious headway in one of my 101 in 1001 goals of cooking 25 new recipes.

Loving the John Derian for Target Halloween collaboration. I always love it when Target does a collaboration, especially when it's with a favorite store of mine. Halloween is a favorite time of year for me and I love that I have a place to pick up a chic and festive decoration or two. 

Searching for a winter-eque duvet! I love my Matouk bedding so much that I don't really feel a major rush to find a winter alternative. However, I do need to find one that is a bit more seasonal, if only so that I don't wear out my current bedding. 

Celebrating the weekend,

ARS xx

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Create Academy

I've been wanting to sign up for an online class in the worst way. I used to take night classes at NYU for fun (yes, for fun) and I miss them. With everyone going on in the world I'm skipping in person classes for the moment, but I've been thinking of treating myself to the Chris Voss Masterclass on negotiation. At least, that was until I started researching online classes and stumbled upon Create Academy's website and saw their offerings. The two (soon to be three) classes available are interior design and flower styling and arranging - two of my biggest interests! The third one coming out is about nutrition and cooking, which is another passion of mine. Below are the three classes available

The interior design course is with Rita Konig, a personal favorite decorator of mine whose career I've followed for year. Before the pandemic I was eager to take an in-person class she was offering at one point, but this class is a fabulous alternative! 

I've been following the florist Willow Crossley on instagram and would love to be able to take a class by her! As a bonus, additional classes will be added throughout the year to cover all of the seasons. 

I just saw on instagram that there will be a third course about nutrition and healthy eating with Amelia Freer coming next week (bonus there is a 25% discount if you sign up before the class goes live)! As I can barely fit in my jeans at the moment, maybe this is the course I should take. 

Never stop learning, 

ARSxx

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Fall Outfit Inspiration

My budget has no room for clothes this year, so I'm looking forward to the challenge of creating new outfits out of pieces I already own. I have a closet that is actually exploding with options, so this will probably easier than I think. While I have a lot of "statement" pieces, I luckily have an overwhelming amount of basics to help balance out my closet. I'm back to work full time on an A/B schedule, so I'm actually getting dresses up on a regular basis and need to pull a few new to me outfits out of my sleeve. Below are a few looks that I'm find inspiration in. 

How are you styling yourself this fall?

ARS xx

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Saving for Rainy Days

I loooove rainy days. Yesterday was a rainy day and the forecast for today is calling for rain too, which means indulging in everything my favorite rainy day activities. You may have thought this would be a post about saving up for a rainy day, which wouldn't be that far fetched given my recent financial focus. What I'm really talking about things I put aside for literal rainy days. This could mean finally watching that Netflix show in one day, reading a book, or just making a favorite recipe! I love putting aside indulgences for rainy days to brighten them up just a little bit. Yesterday was all about after work self care and today will be all about taking a break to just be. What do you like to do during rainy days?

Making the best of a blah day,

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for Nostalgia

An ongoing quarantine project of mine has been going through my old belongings - think old cards, photographs, and the like. I've hit a point where I'm feeling nostalgic for the days when I could be more free and had so much more energy. I've alluded to it before, but I've been feeling like I've lost myself a bit. Even before the lockdowns I've felt stuck in a fashion rut, I didn't see my friends as much as I used to, and I simply wasn't meeting new people or even getting out much. At the time it felt a bit more like a choice, but now it's by necessity. Regardless, I'm missing the freedom I felt in my 20s and hope to capture my old self a bit as I slowly plan out 2021 to the best of my abilities. Below are a few images reminding my to take a deep breath, relax, and to do a little less. 

Starting to enjoy myself again,

ARSxx

S U B S C R I  B E

Currently...

Jumping for joy over the Green Vase having a trunkshow on Moda Operandi! I've long admired her work (for years I've coveted a geranium plant and holly hock stem) since spotting it at John Derian and now I just may need to order something from her! 

Watching Emily in Paris on Netflix. If any long long longtime followers are still reading, you may remember I lived in Paris for a summer, where I studied fashion. This show is making me so nostalgic for that time in my life. I made lifelong friends, immersed myself in a culture, and learned more outside of the class than inside. I'm eager to get back and capture that optimistic feeling Paris brings out in so many people. 

Loving my new Lalique cabochon ring. It's a really fun statement piece I treated myself to because I've been really good about sticking to my monthly budget. I was going between two different colors (black and pink) but the salesman suggested I try on a silvery bronze and voila! Next thing I knew I was handing over my card before I could change my mind. I just might need to go back and treat myself to the black and pink when my budget opens up!

Planning to watch Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas! I'm shameless and fully admit to loving the cheesiness that the Hallmark Channel is famous for. I just may need to plan a viewing party in honor of the season.

Using my new Naturopathica Sweet Cherry Enzyme Peel. I know I vowed to only use what I have, but my skin is such a wreck that I had to go and buy a new peel mask to help. I definitely feel off the budget wagon this past week, but so far I have no regrets. 

Enjoy the weekend,

ARS xx

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Thursday Night Party Planning: Halloween

Halloween this year will certainly look very different than it did in years past. Despite all that is going on, I would love to celebrate to holiday the best I can. I'm thinking it would be so fun to have two or three friends over to catch up over wine, candy, and a spooky-ish movie or two. It's a fun way to safely celebrate Halloween. Below is a roundup of inspiration for my potential Halloween mini party! 

To set the tone I would love to paint and mail out my invitations. (Does that count towards my 50 handwritten notes goal on my 101 in 1001 list?) It may make more sense to just send out a paperless post invite, but definitely wouldn't be as fun. Above is some inspiration I found from Happy Menocal.

In addition to the standard snacking food, I would love to have bowls of different candy as a dessert treat to bring back that "trick or treat" feel. 

I love a good theme party and Halloween is the best time to get everyone on board as well. While I think it would be fun to dress up as your favorite New York movie character, I wouldn't enforce it. 

One of my favorite things to plan for each party is the decor. It really sets the mood and it's so fun to put together. For this event I'm envisioning candles, seasonal flowers, and something to add a bit of drama. 

On hand would be a few movies. Hocus Pocus would be my first choice and maybe Practical Magic? I'm also on board with Ghostbusters, Casper, The Addams Family or maybe just watching the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix. I could also get behind some festive crafts or pumpkin carving, but it would definitely depend on the crowd. 

Tis the season for being extra spooky!

ARS xx

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