Things I Love: Closet Editing

Last Saturday, I set the whole day aside to do a closet edit. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's essentially an intense version of cleaning out your closet. The whole process is pretty rough and time consuming, but here are my steps and tips for getting it done.

First, grab three garbage bags to put clothes in - one to give away, one to try to sell, and one to throw away. After this, make an initial run through of your closet. Take out anything that you already know is going into one of these three garbage bags and put it in the proper one. Clear a space, like your bed, to take out the rest of your clothes and lay them out. From here, just start trying things on. If it fits well, and you know you are actually going to wear it, hang it back in your closet. If it doesn't fit well, or if you don't think you'll ever actually wear it, put it into one of the garbage bags. Once your done with your closet, it's a good idea to also go through your dresser or anywhere else you keep clothes. 

As you can see, the process of closet editing seems simple enough. However, if you are anything like me, you have tons of clothes to go through, and it can get boring really quickly. 

My tips:

• Be dedicated. Don't start this if you aren't in the mood to do it. You have be dedicated to trying on every piece of your clothing and making a solid judgment as to what to do with each piece.
• Put on some fun music. To keep yourself entertained while trying on all of your clothes, put on fun music and dance around a bit. TV can be too distracting if you start getting too into what's on. Plus, moving around a bit in the clothes you're trying on can be good to determine how well they fit. 
• Don't keep things because you hope you'll fit in them again one day. Once you can fit in those clothes again, do you really think you'll want to? My guess is no. You've got a new body that you want to put in new clothes. 
• Hang your clothes back up in an organized manner. This may seem OCD, but I have two small closets - one for shirts & skirts and one for dresses. Plus, everything is sub-organized by color then by sleeve length. This is super useful when I'm looking for a certain piece since I know exactly where to start. 
• Be decisive. If there's something that still has tags on it because you haven't found the right accessory, occasion, etc., just let it go. It's hard, but 100% worth it when everything in your closet fits and looks great on you. 

I make a garbage bag of clothes that I hope to sell along with a bag to giveaway. Clothes that are still in good condition and recently bought, I try to sell. In the New Orleans area, stores that buy gently used clothes are Plato's Closet in Metairie, Funky Monkey and Buffulo Exchange which are both Uptown. Even if you get like $5 back, it's still more than just giving them away. I take anything that wasn't bought back and my give away bag to Goodwill or Salvation Army. 

I think closet edits are great to do seasonally. Since summer's gone, it's a good time to make some room for some fall styles. 

Let me know how it goes if you go for it!

xo,

Sara

Necessary Accessory: Green!

The color of the week that I'm totally obsessed with is green. I honestly love green all the time, but it's especially perfect right now. It's a great transitional color since the weather can't seem to make up its mind, as usual. A green bag works awesome with shorts for the hot weather and boots for the cold. I picked some bags and matching shoes to go with!

The first purse and shoe aren't exactly the same color green, but I loved them both too much to leave either of them out. The bag from Francesca's is a great size, and the color is a perfect shade of green. It might just be my first purchase with my next paycheck. The shoes have that fabulous patent toe which is perfect with the suede. The patent is easy to clean while the suede dresses them up a bit. I'm extra in love with transitional flats right now, since I just started working in an office between my class times. Shoes and outfits need to be able to look nice for work, but not overly nice once you're walking around campus, and these definitely fit the bill. 

I love this bag and shoe combination for a work day or a nice dinner date. Booties are great for fall, especially in this area. They give the appearance of a cute boot without making your legs sweat. The bag is a great daily work bag since it's big enough to fit papers or a tablet, but not overly large that it gets too heavy. I also love it for a date night since it can fit all of the necessities - make up bag, wallet, keys, umbrella, and a change of shoes. 

This bag and shoe together help make a great outfit for a night out. The purse is Michael Kors, so it's a bit pricey, but if it's in your price range I say go for it! Since it's a smaller crossbody bag, it will definitely see a lot of use. For the pumps, I love the ankle detailing that make them just that little bit more fun than an everyday pump. Both of these would be perfect with that little black dress. 

If you aren't a huge fan of green, don't worry! There are a few other colors on my fall palette that have posts lined up in the coming weeks!

xo,

Sara

NOLA Home Cooking: Gumbo

Now that it's October, it's time for a perfect fall recipe - gumbo. 

This recipe is for seafood gumbo, and it uses shrimp, crabmeat, and oysters. Feel free to use chicken or sausage if seafood isn't your thing. 

Ingredients:

1 c. flour

1 c. oil

2 onions (chopped)

1 c. celery (chopped)

1 bunch green onions (chopped)

1/2 c. parsley (chopped)

2 lbs shrimp

1 lb crabmeat

1 pt oysters

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

1 gallon water

In a large pot, mix the oil and the flour to make a roux. Add the onions and celery, and saute. Then mix in the green onions. Add the gallon of water and boil slowly for 1 hour. Add parsley and shrimp, cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Add crabmeat, oysters, and seasonings. Serve with rice. 

*If you're using chicken, add that in the same time as the shrimp. Pre-cooked sausage can be added in when the crabmeat and oysters are added. If it's not, add it in the same time as the shrimp. 

Essentials Styling: White Oxford Button Down

I love the white button down so much, I came up with three different outfits using it! More information about the pieces used can be found on Polyvore.


Who doesn't love Sunday Funday?! This outfit is the epitome of fun and girly with the metallic skirt and the glitter pumps. It's perfect for date night or day drinking with the girls.


I love this outfit for work. I chose gray pants because black pants for work can get really dull really quickly. The burgundy accessories complement the gray and give a pop of color without being too over the top for the workplace.


I am absolutely in love with this outfit. I have my own version of it that gets worn, quite possibly, too much. White shirt, jeans, riding boots - easy, comfortable, and adorable. Add a colorful scarf or a fun purse to liven up the outfit!

If I haven't sold y'all on white button downs yet, I don't think I ever will! Let me know how much y'all love them once you wear one this weekend!

xo,
Sara

New Orleans Essentials: White Button Down

If y'all haven't noticed by now, I truly am a fan of classic, simple styles. Nothing embodies this more than a white oxford button down. Perfectly classic and fabulous, white oxfords can be worn anywhere. Date night, work, even a picnic, this style covers all occasions.

This oxford from American Eagle has a great feminine cut and comes in a range of sizes from XXS to XXL. For $30 on sale right now, there's no reason not to have this piece in your closet. 

Another classic oxford comes from Ralph Lauren. I love these since they also come in a variety of colors. The look is a bit more casual than the American Eagle oxford above. These can be found online here, but I highly recommend buying them from a Ralph Lauren Polo outlet store if there is one nearby. Since the closest one to New Orleans is in Gulfport, I recommend making a day trip of it. The outlet mall out there is great, plus there's the beach! The price difference between buying online and at the outlet is about $30-$40 which is a big savings.

I'll be posting a few Polyvore sets styling the American Eagle oxford for various occasions. Come back at noon tomorrow to see them!

xo,
Sara

Things I Love: Online Shopping

Just about every girl I know loves online shopping. If you're anything like me though, you have a hard time committing to buying things online. I immensely hate paying for shipping, so I'll only buy things online if I can get free shipping, or if it's a great deal. The internet is a wonderful place though, and there are tons of deals to be had. These are some of my tips to get the best deal from your online shopping experience.

If I'm not just browsing clothing or shoe websites, and I'm actually looking for a specific product, I use Google Shopping. You can find the best price on an item and take it from there.
Once I find the website that I want to buy from or if I'm on a site already, I check to see if they offer cashback on Ebates.com. Ebates is a fabulous resource if you shop online a lot. They offer you a cashback percentage on certain websites. Go to the website to get more details (and sign up using my referral link, maybe?!)
After, hopefully, finding my website on ebates, I move on to retailmenot.com. This website is my absolute favorite for online shopping. All the coupon codes that are out there for your website are going to be on this site. I'm sure most people know about this site, but I don't know how many really utilize it. I usually won't buy something online without a coupon code I found here.
Once I've gone through all this, I checkout... Then, I anxiously check the mail and tracking information everyday until my purchase gets here!

If you're shopping on Amazon and have a college email address, sign up for Amazon Prime Student! It's well worth it, and once the trial ends, it's only $40 to get full Prime benefits. Amazon doesn't usually do coupon codes, but Amazon Prime gets free 2-day shipping (and as y'all know, I hate paying for shipping.)

There's a lot more websites that I frequent to shop online, like Sephora and Charlotte Russe. These are just some of the basics to cover general purchases.
Obviously, there are a lot more great resources out there for online shopping. What are some of y'all's favorites?

xo,
Sara

Necessary Accessory: Gold Tone Watch

It's officially Autumn on the calendar, and I couldn't be happier! Gold is definitely a fall color, and luckily, gold tones have been back in for quite a while now.

Whether you're still in school or out in the workforce, a gold tone watch is a great accessory to have. They look great with both everyday jeans and business attire. I like thicker watches with basic faces. I tend to stay away from jeweled faces or bands because they are less versatile. Here are my picks in a range of prices:

This watch from New York and Company has the busiest face of the three. That being said, the face of this watch is still simple and has settings for the day of the week. At $23, you can use the money you saved to buy some other matching accessories. 

Of the three watches I've picked, this watch by Anne Klein from Dillard's has my favorite face. I love the simple dashes and the uncluttered look. At $65, this watch is a great jumping off point if you're wanting a watch for a more professional look. 

If you're truly committed to buying a watch, this Marc by Marc Jacobs watch is my pick. My original instinct was to look at the Michael Kors watches, but the busy faces turned me off of those. I love the simplicity of the watch as a whole, and the use of the letters as number ticks. 

My personal watch is a mix of gold and silver tones, but I really wish it was all gold! If I were buying again, I'd choose the Anne Klein watch. Maybe I'll style it with this week's Essential piece on Friday!

xo,
Sara