About

Standardby Cari0 Comments

I know that it may still be warm out but that hasn’t stopped the stores from pushing out their fall lines nor us from buying fall clothes! It’s so exciting to pull out those sweaters and tights that we stored forever ago, but before you do that, consider cleaning out what’s already in your closet to update your wardrobe for fall!

I know that it can be super hard to part with clothes- I mean take it from me, I’m pretty sure I still own a dress or two from early college (yikes). But the best way to actually get rid of stuff is to ask yourself 3 basic questions.

Try on the garment- how does it fit? Too tight? Too lose? Is it stretched out and in need of some repair? Or does it need hemming? Now is the best time to assess the clothes on your body. It helps you remember why you never wore it and make a decision. If for any reason you don’t like how it looks, fits, or feels on you, set it aside. When it comes down to it you know you won’t wear it if it looks bad.

If you can’t remember when you last wore it (or it’s more than 12 months) - it’s probably time to toss it out. I know that I have several pieces of clothing meant for summer that I did not touch this summer. I’ll have to pull those pieces out because chances are if I didn’t wear it this summer, I won’t wear it next summer! If you wore it recently then keep.

This question has many follow up questions. Is it still something you’d buy right now at the store? And if so, how do you feel in it? Confident and comfortable? All of these questions funnel back into style and whether or not you think it’s you. If you don’t feel like YOU in it, chances are you won’t want to wear it! No one likes a poser 😉

Once you go through your closet you now have to decide what you’ll do with the clothes.

There are really 4 ways to go:

  1. Sell it: If it is still in good condition and style, take it to a consignment store or a re-sell store like Buffalo Exchange. You can also sell it online at an online community site like Poshmark. This is a great way to buy other gently used clothing or make a little cash on the side (or to use for new clothes :D).
  2. Give it away: Donation is where most of our clothes ends up going. Giving it to your local thrift or Salvation Army is a great way to help the community and they are always accepting donations.
  3. Swap it: Lots of girls have swap parties where they bring all of their clothing they no longer wear/fit and let their friends peruse in exchange for some “new” clothing for themselves. Then what’s left over can be donated.
  4. Trash it: If it’s torn, broken or frayed- OR if it’s undergarments- your best option is to toss it! Even donation places will toss torn or unusable clothing.

So there you have it! Refresh your closet and your wardrobe before the cool air finally hits!

0
Share

Standardby Cari0 Comments

I know it feels more like summer than almost-fall, but I hope you’re still enjoying the few degrees of change we’re having in the mornings. Over the summer I spent a lot of time in the sun and now that the weather is turning a tad cooler and less humid, I am noticing my skin is in need of a little love.

Enter the simplest DIY scrub you’ll ever find. With three pretty basic ingredients you can get a great, quick and super refreshing scrub that’ll make your skin feel awesome, give you some much needed energy in the mornings and help you feel overall refreshed and ready to tackle another season full of football and fall leaves.

The secret ingredient to this scrub (which really isn’t a secret at all) is the type of oil you’ll use. Drum roll please- it’s Coconut Oil! I use coconut oil not only for cooking but also for beauty stuff (like for my hair, which will have it’s own post sometime later ). It’s super rich and is an uber-moisturizer which is why it works great in this quick scrub.

What you’ll need:

  • 1/2 cup of coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup of sugar (brown or white)
  • Essential oil of your choice (I used peppermint)
  • Optional: Mint leaves
  • jar

First off, gather your ingredients. You’ll want to make sure that the coconut oil is at room temperature, not warmed up. This way it won’t melt your sugar. I took a small portion of my coconut oil and stuck it in the blender with some mint leaves to mix the leaves into the scrub.

Next mix the oil with the sugar and add at your essential oil. I added quite a few drops since I wanted this to be strong enough to wake me up PRE- coffee, lol.

Finally you just give it a good quick mix and stick it in your fridge for a least an hour. It’ll help settle it and get it ready for use.

Then when you want to use it just scoop out about a spoonful and rub it on any part of your body that you want to feel smooth and moisturized! Rinse it off and get ready to feel extra soft skin! It’s as simple as that.

It’s a great gift and placed in cute mason jars it looks even more expensive than it really is. So there it is- no trick to it and you won’t have to pay an eye and a leg for it!

Have a great hump day and don’t forget to scrub

0
Share

Standardby Cari0 Comments

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a great weekend full of being productive and getting things done. My weekend was great until Sunday night when the reality of Monday’s arrival hit me annnnd all of my strength and motivation dried up. Does this happen to you? Actually, it happens to lots of us. We wake up on Monday morning with less motivation than a teen getting up for school and we wonder how we are going to make it through the day. Just this morning I bumped into a woman as we were entering our work building and I could have sworn it was as if I was standing between her and her morning coffee with the “get out of my way” look I got from her.

The definition of motivation is basically the desire to do things. We all have different things that need to get done, whether it’s doing actual work, getting to the gym or simply making breakfast. But no matter what it is, we need the strength and motivation to actually get those things done. I know that for myself it often takes true divine intervention for me to feel strong enough to do what I gotta do. If you’re like me then you need these verses! Read them slowly and let the Lord stir up renewed strength and motivation in you.

I hope these verses give you the strength and motivation to accomplish everything! If you have a favorite verse that helps you feel refreshed and renewed, add it below! Have a great beginning of the week!

0
Share

Standardby Cari0 Comments

Happy glorious Saturday everyone! It feels aaaaamazing outside right now! Fall is coming and today, you can definitely feel it.

Earlier this week I posted some pictures from my vacation in Merida, Mexico. As I was putting away my summer sketch book, I thought i’d share two of the watercolors I made on the trip.

At the house we rented on airb&b there was a small pool area that had a wall of green, lush plants and pretty cool looking stone carving.

Since I didn’t have a photo on hand, this is the photo from the website.

I thought it was too pretty to not watercolor- and so here is my drawing from that:

 

It was a challenge with so many small leaves and plants!

I also did a watercolor from the street below:

My version:

Not quite the same! haha, but i’m working on it!

Anyway, have a great Saturday and enjoy the weather!

 

0
Share