Over the past few weeks I’ve been obsessed with trying to makeover our living room. When we bought our home a few years ago, we impulsively bought a brown leather couch for the living room. It was not a very well thought out purchase, as we were under a bit of a timeline and Costco Home was closing and having a massive sale. The couch isn’t 100% what I wanted, but it was affordable and fit into our space well.
Our brown leather sectional needs some stylingWhat should we put behind the sofa?
Lately I’ve been trying to figure out what we should put on the walls and how we should style the couch. We have a brown leather couch and a brown leather storage ottoman. Both are fairly baby friendly which is a plus. We have a glass and metal side table (not pictured) and a red chair (also not pictured) off to the side of the couch.
Here were some pillow choices that I was thinking about using.
I actually found this one at my local Fred Meyer store and brought it home to try against the couch. My husband thinks it is “rustic” looking… I’m not sure I agree. I think the red in the pillows ties in nicely with the red chair that we have on the side.
I really like the way this one has several neutral tones in it and I also really like the blue. I’m not sure if it works in our living room though. Maybe if I saw it in person I’d be able to better evaluate it.
I think this one might work since it ties in the red and has a bit of texture since it is a silk weave. This one doesn’t include an insert so I’d need to get a 20″ pillow separately.
I’m also trying to decide if we want to put a large canvas behind the couch or if we should do a gallery wall here. Unfortunately, original art of this scale isn’t in our budget at the moment, so we’ve been looking at prints.
I saw this at Cost Plus World Market one night and thought it would be a great size either above our sofa or above our bed (54″ x 27″). My husband also really liked the colors in the piece so we picked it up on the weekend. It was a little bit comical trying to fit this into our car since we can no longer flip down our backseats, since we had our little one with us.
I was also considering using six of these these silver wall frames over the sofa. The silver frame coordinates well with our silver lamp. I’d put black and white photos of our family in each of them.
Have any advice for me with regards to throw pillow choices or wall decor? I’d love to hear your living room makeover tips and see before/after pictures as well!
After spending so much time, money and effort in shopping for clothing that fits, it is essential to properly care for your wardrobe so that it lasts as long as you want to wear it! It is a terrible feeling to see an unsightly hole in your favorite sweater or have your favorite t-shirt or jeans rip apart. Unfortunately for me, I’ve had all of the above happen to me!
Also, as someone who is busy and doesn’t love doing chores, making clothing presentable and quickly, is high up on my priority list.
Here are a few of my tips and tricks.
Cleaning
Here are my best tips for home washing, since I’m not a “dry clean only” kind of clothing gal!
1. Use a laundry bag for machine washing bras
I know you’re supposed to hand wash bras, but I really don’t have the time or patience! I have several of these small laundry bags to protect my bras. I use the delicate cycle on my machine and they come out in good shape. I line dry my bras on a flat surface — never hanging by the center gore or straps, and never in the dryer!
I buy my laundry bags at a local dollar store called Daiso but you can also find them on Amazon. Look for the ones that have the plastic web as seen in the photo above. I find that those provide the most protection.
2. Turn clothes inside out and line dry to prevent fading
I hate when my dark clothes start to fade and I’ve found that turning them inside out when washing helps prevent fading. Even more than that, line drying them also prevents fading and shrinking. If you use a top loading washer, I would also recommend using a laundry net. The square shaped style works great (seen here). The nets don’t seem to work very well with my front loader so I don’t use the nets anymore.
I hate ironing but for some clothes you have to iron to get a nice flat and crisp looking finish. For other clothes, a steamer is your best friend. For most of my tops, a steamer is a great way to cut down the time it takes to prepare your clothes. It used to take me 5-10 minutes to iron a top and now I can steam it in about 30-60 seconds. I actually own a different steamer that I don’t recommend, as it has lost some of its steaming ability over time (I have the “Tobi” which seems to be discontinued). This SteamFast model has gotten a TON of great reviews on Amazon.
I am so addicted to my steamer that I bought this mini one for travel since my clothes get so wrinkly. It is super tiny (fits in the palm of my hand). It’s also really affordable!
Storage
4. Stuff your handbags with acid free paper
Whenever I put a handbag away in my closet, I always make sure to stuff it with some acid free tissue paper so that it keeps its shape while it is not being used. This prevents sad wrinkle lines from developing on the bags when they bend and remain for weeks or months while they are in storage. I also put my handbags in a cloth bag, either one that came with the bag or I’ll use a reusable shopping bag (like the ones you get from the grocery store).
When its time to use the bag, I leave the acid free paper in the cloth storage bag ready to be used when its time to put the bag away!
5. Store your shoes in their boxes or in clear boxes
I like storing my lesser worn shoes (e.g. special occasion ones) in their boxes or in clear boxes to keep the dust off the shoes. I have seen some people build custom shoe closets (Tiffany @ I Am Style-ish has a great video of how she stores her shoes!) but I don’t have the space for a custom closet so my system of keeping the shoes in their boxes works for me. I put my often worn shoes in a shoe rack by the door.
6. Use cedar wood shoe trees to help with retaining shape and guarding against odors
Cedar wood shoe trees really help with maintaining the shape of a shoe (especially in longer storage) as well as removing and guarding against odor. I have a few pairs of ladies shoe trees that I pop in my regular shoes after I wear them. I also try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row so that they can properly dry and “rest”. I find that this helps keep them newer, for longer!
7. Use hangers that fit your clothing
I am a rather petite woman so that means that my clothing doesn’t fit on standard 17″ hangers very well. However, I’m not so small that my clothing fits on child sized hangers either! I didn’t know until very recently that 14″ and 15″ hangers existed. I found that I had 1-2 hangers that fit my clothing perfectly so I have used those for blazers or a sweater that was rather unforgiving in the shoulders. Jean of ExtraPetite.com recently wrote a post about petite hangers and is hosting a giveaway in conjunction with OnlyHangers.com. I am planning on updating my closet with these smaller sized ones so that I can get rid of the dreaded “shoulder nipples” on all of my clothes.
What are your best practices for taking care of your garments?
Westin Heavenly Bed on sale at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
I’ve seen the Westin Heavenly bed available on sale at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for the last few years. I’ve also slept on the Heavenly bed when I’ve stayed at in a few Westin hotels and it is really quite heavenly!
Personally, I own the W Hotels bed which is supposedly very similar and is also super, duper comfortable!
During Anniversary, Nordstrom sells the bed for 25% off which is a great price for a truly luxurious mattress. As I mentioned in a previous post, the Anniversary sale only lasts until Sunday, August 4th, so if this bed interests you… you’ve got to make a decision fairly quickly on ordering!
Twin:
Mattress and Foundation Set: $1,195 Sale: $896.25
Queen:
Mattress and Foundation Set: $1,495 Sale: $1,121.25
Mattress and Split Foundation Set: $1,595 Sale: $1,196.25
Twin XL:
Mattress and Foundation Set: $1,395 Sale: $1,046.25
King:
Mattress and Foundation Set: $1,795 Sale: $1,346.25
Full:
Mattress and Foundation Set: $1,395 Sale: $1,046.25
California King:
Mattress and Foundation Set: $1,795 Sale: $1,346.25
The annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is ending on Sunday and prices will go *up* on Monday, August 5th!
This is a great time to pick up your wardrobe staples like skinny jeans, flats, boots and undies especially if you wear a hard to find size. For me, regular end of season sales are usually hit or miss since I wear a size that they don’t stock in large quantities.
I just wanted to share a few items that I thought were of great quality and great value.
Yes, this bra is pricey, but it is so worth it. This fits really comfortably and maintains its shape through many wears and washes. The band has not gotten loose for me as most bras do over time. I love getting one in nude and one in black for wearing under everything. This bra just disappears under your clothes, as a good bra should!
Zella ‘Live-In’ Capris
Zella ‘Live-In’ Capris – Available in Regular and Plus sizing (Sale: $28.90, Regular Price: $44.00)
These are probably my favorite item from Nordstrom. They really are “live-in” for me, as I wear them ALL. THE. TIME! They are great for working out (if you do that kind of thing! :-)) and they are great for lounging around the house, going out for a playdate, chasing after a baby… everything!
I bought a pair last year and have worn it tons and it still looks great. I bought a second pair during the sale so that I would always have a clean pair! I also think these are of outstanding value. The fabric is completely opaque (here’s looking at you, Lululemon!) and really comfy. I recommend these capris to all of my friends. They also come in full legging length, though I personally prefer the capri length.
Zella ‘Booty’ Pants
Zella ‘Booty’ Pants – Available in Regular and Long length (Sale: $39.90, Regular Price: $62.00)
I think these are another gem of the Nordstrom Sale. I can’t say it’s a “hidden gem” because these pants are massively popular! Just look at the 118 reviews, of which 88 are 5 stars! These pants are extremely flattering. I love them and am waiting for them to come back from alterations for hemming as they are quite long.
I also think these are a great value at $39.90. I think the Lululemon Groove pant is quite comparable and it retails for $98.00.
I love Citizens of Humanity jeans and there is no better time to find them on sale and IN YOUR SIZE than the Anniversary Sale. I always have a hard time finding my size during the Women’s Half Yearly sale, so this is when I normally buy my jeans for the year. I love this wash and cut. So, so flattering!
A trench coat is always in season for the Fall. The Anniversary Sale is a great time to pick out a coat you can wear the whole season, rather than having to wait until next year! I love that this coat is available in Petite sizing as well. I have realized that petite coats fit me so much better… I need to stop buying regular cut ones. Nordstrom has a pretty great selection of Petite coats year round.
That’s all for my list of wardrobe basics! What items are your favorites to stock up on during the sale?
Since I own 2 relatively popular diaper bags–the Kate Spade Stevie and the StorkSak Olivia–I wanted to highlight the differences between them.
Here’s what I regularly carry in my diaper bag.
Of course, I carry the absolute necessities like diapers and wipes, but I also carry my own essentials like my wallet, phone, sunglasses, water bottle and tissues. The bulkiest thing in my diaper bag is my soft carrier–the Baby K’Tan.
Diaper Bag Contents
Purell Wipes for sanitizing surfaces like dirty high chairs or diaper changing stations
The StorkSak Olivia is pretty much bursting at the seams. The outside pockets are difficult to use at this point and I had to squish things down to zip it up. The Kate Spade Stevie is full but not bursting. No squishing necessary to zip the bag up.
The StorkSak requires the K’tan to be packed on top, so anytime I need to get anything from inside the bag, I need to remove the K’tan first before I can access anything else. This gets a little annoying! It also gets super full in the center part where Sophie the giraffe is. I frequently end up unpacking the entire bag just to look for something near the bottom.
As you can see, the Kate Spade packs up everything so much nicer. I can see everything all at a glance without having to unpack my entire bag!
One thing I will say about the StorkSak is that since there are so many more pockets, everything that has a place in a pocket is easily found. I always know where the hand sanitizer is, because I put it in one of the end pockets. Same with my phone because its always in the same exterior pocket. It’s a little trickier in the Kate Spade bag because there are fewer pockets so more things go in the center.
Overall, I really like both bags. Both of them carry a lot and I realize I may not need this much stuff with me as my baby grows into toddlerhood! Hopefully you found this post informative in helping you decide on a bag! Let me know if there are any questions I can help you answer.
