Southern Blondie: August 2015

My Dramatic Bedroom Makeover

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Before we begin, I feel like I need to say that commitment to life-long things has been hard for me. Also, I have completely obsessive tendencies where I need things to be just right and perfect. 

No, this is not a therapy session between my blog and me. It's to help you understand why I had been living in the same non-designed space for the past 5 years. When I graduated college and moved to Atlanta I had all of my college furniture and I was OK with that for the time. When I moved back to Arkansas a few years later I started to upgrade my couch, tv stands, dining table, and small things. The one room that I hadn't touched at all was my bedroom. Besides the king-size bed my mom bought me for Christmas one year, that's the only thing I had really done. 

Needless to say ... this is what my bedroom has looked like lately: 


So. A blog is meant to be what you want it to be and well... my in always honest of what's going on in my life. This was my bedroom. No headboard, two mix-matched nightstands, and two lamps from college. 

A tv stand that most people use for their garage storage. It had a cool look to it when I was 19. Now that I'm 29 I think it's time to mature a bit. 

After living in this space for 5 years I've realized it's time to make an investment in myself. (That's the excuse I always say when I know I'm about to spend some money...) Invest in yourself! 

My budget was $1,000. 
(I had been saving around for about two years and wasn't sure what to do with the money, but knew it was going to be spent on a bedroom set or a Louis Vuitton bag. Maybe later fancy bag.)  


My new bedroom sanctuary! It's such a beautiful space (maybe artless) but I'm so happy! 

Headboard - $150 from Wayfair 
End tables - $300 from 123stores.com 
Lamps - $140 from Target 


This is the new dresser that has made watching TV much more ascetically pleasing. 

Dresser - $400 from Cost Plus Furniture in Little Rock. 

Headboard - $150 
End tables - $300 
Lamps - $140
Dresser - $400
GRAND TOTAL: $990 

I did everything under budget with $10 to spare. 

To add the cherry to the top, I even made myself a little personal jewelry vanity area! 


I feel like I am living in a completely different space that makes me so happy and grateful. I worked hard to save the money (when I could have spent it on a lot of frivolous things), and worked hard to find things that fit within budget. 

This was a fun project over the past few weeks that had a lot of hiccups but that's what makes it fun. 

Let me know, and I can do more of an detailed post about what I bought. There's still more to be done at some point, but today, I am content. 

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Ipsy: August Glam Bag Review

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It's my first Ipsy glam box! My cousin Sarah has subscribed to Ipsy for a few months now and kept sending me photos and talking about what she was getting. After giving up Birchbox a couple of years ago, I was ready to find a new subscription service that would be fun (and not break the bank). 


For $10 a month Ipsy sends you a new glam bag and five items based on your profile of beauty items you're interested in. 


Briogeo Blossom and Bloom 

LOVE trying new hair things - thickening, volumizing, you name it and I like to try it. I've used this twice now and I actually do like it. Most of them I feel make my hair fall flat but I had extra volume in the crown of my head (where I applied the product). It has a nice smell and didn't make my hair tangle like so many volumizers do. 

Will I buy it? Not sure. I'll try out this sample before I purchase. 



Skone Cosmetics Luxe Doubler Eye/Lip Pencil in Wine
This is a double eye and lip pencil? I'm not sure I could use the same pencil on my eyes that I do my lips. I'm also not sure what a wine pencil would look like on my eyes. I haven't tried this yet but I will ... on my lips of course. 

Will I buy it? I highly doubt it. I will try it once though. 



Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in Elegantly Wasted

Bleh. Purple nail polish is really not my thing. It's pretty but there are certain colors that I just don't wear and purple is one of them. 

Will I buy it? No. I will give this one away though. Who wants it?? 


noyah Natural Lipstick

Yeah! One of my new beauty goals is to wear more lipstick so I was happy to see this pretty, neutral color. I actually wore it this morning and thought it was pretty. 

Will I buy it? Possibly! Let's see if I get any compliments on it. 


La Fresh Group Good Night. Night Cream

Plumper looking skin? I'll try it! I think this is something I will save for when I'm traveling and I don't want to tote a lot of creams around. 

Will I buy it? If it plumps my skin I'll take a bath in it. 


This #AugustGlamBag from #Ipsy was fun! I will do it again next month after I change my settings a bit. I perfer to buy my own nail polish so I'll remove that next time. 

If you want to signup check it out here: Ipsy Glam Bag
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How to Organize the KonMari Way (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up)

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Nothing in this world makes me feel better than everything being clean, organized and tidy. When you wake up in the morning and have your clothes neatly in your closet, your bathroom accessories all nicely laid out for use and your purse ready for the day, it feels very grown up to me and put together. 

Sadly, that never happens to me. From the moment I wake up it feels very chaotic. Clothes are hanging up, laying in a 'clean' pile, still in the dryer, draped over a chair or just lost. When I get ready my makeup feels scattered, hair products are on the counter or in the closet and I never know where my vitamins are. Though I deeply appreciate organization, I've spent hours organizing on a weekend only for the next week for things to feel completely disrupted again. How many times can I put away tank tops on Sunday and then on Monday they seem like they are missing? 

Ironically, a friend of mine started to read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. She kept talking about the book and telling me the ideas it had about how to organize your things. So one weekend when she was out of town, I borrowed the book to read it. Here are some of the main topics that have improved my life. 

1. Organize by Category, Not Location 

This means you pick one category and do it all at one time. Don't do a room by room cleanup, instead do one category at a time. Pull out all of your shoes and put them in one central area then start the process of KonMuri. This way you can look at everything, then find it a place and that's where it will live. 

I decided to do all of my t-shirts. It was such a hassle to find shirts and I was only really a few of them over and over. I had a rotation to the ones I liked and the ones I didn't wear I kept pushing to the back. (You'll see here soon...) 

2. Ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?"

Instead of keeping things because you feel guilty about getting rid of it, focus on keeping things in your life that spark joy. This little question has changed my mindset on why and how I keep things. Why am I keeping things that I genuinely do not wear or like? Is it because I don't want to get rid of it because of how much I paid for it or if someone bought it for me? Why not let the item move on and find a new home with someone that will find happiness from it?

3. Visualize the Space You Want to Live In 

KonMari suggests to visualize the space you want to live in very specifically. Instead of, "I want to live in a clutter free home," say, "I want to live in a space that is elegant in design and brings me peace." 

So let's put this into practice ... 


My old t-shirt system. It was an absolute mess. 


 I dumped ALL of my t-shirts out into a pile. I had two categories ... keep or donate. My suggestion is to go ahead and have a bag or box to toss the donate items into so you won't be tempted to keep them. 


Does this bring me joy? This shirt is an child's large from my senior year of high school. (Over a decade ago...) Yes, it has great memories and I remember wearing it, but why am I keeping it? 

Donate. 


My old ASU shirts from college and after college (I'm a good alum). They were great when I wore them but I haven't worn them in 2-3 years. Either they've faded or they no longer fit. 

They bring me great memories, but no longer joy. 


These are the shirts I did keep. I folded them all so I could easily see them when I opened the drawer. 


When I finish each category I give a big sigh of relief because I feel like a little weight has lifted off my body. I can easily find things and know what I have. 

I'm not done yet with my KonMuri adventure, but I'm on the right path! 

xx, M
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StitchFix Review: August

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Hi! So, I'm starting this blog post like my other StitchFix review - not a fashion blogger, not even going to pretend. (BTW, 'posing' for photos is REALLY hard) I enjoyed my June StitchFix box SO much that I was ready to do it again for August. It's still really hot here in Arkansas so I'm not ready to request fall clothes yet, but transition pieces. 

Let's get started in this month's box! 



Emer Printed Straight Leg Paint by Margaret M - $98 
These pants were VERY comfortable - and flattering. I was actually surprised trying these pants on with how much I liked them. 

Serrano Lattice Detail Blouse by 41Hawthorn - $64
I love a good blue top - it's one of my favorite colors to wear. 

Status: 
Both sent back - but only because I felt like they were too summer and I'm trying to transition into the fall. I did like the pants, but the pattern wasn't really for me. 



Cam Gathered Waist Dress by Donna Morgan - $118
This dress was a ... little... um... tight. 

Status
Sent back. The pattern was too much for me and the dress was a little too snug for work purposes. 


Rebekah Contrast Detail Blazer by Kensie - $ 88
I really like the Kensie brand, and LOVED this jacket. This is nothing I would usually buy for myself but I can't imagine letting this go. 

Status
KEPT! I won't be able to wear it until it gets cooler outside - it's suppose to hit 110 degrees this week, but this fall I will wear it! 



Hilson Pleat Detail Blouse by Papermoon - $48
I loved the color of this shirt - because pink is a great color for blondes! This shirt was a little too wide for me at the bottom. I like something more fitted.

Status
Sent back. Sadly though because I do love the color. Personally I just like more fitted shirts. 



If you want to try a Stitch Fix box for yourself click this link to get started on making your personal profile! You will be charged a $20 styling fee upfront however, if you keep any item [one or more] you will be credited the $20 to the total amount that you're charged. If one top is $40 and you have a $20 styling fee, then you will only owe $20 on the total charge. 


Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I signed up for Stitch Fix and purchased the box myself. I’m sharing my opinions because I think they will help others. If you decide to signup for Stitch Fix after reading this point, please use my referral link: Stitch Fix
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