Refresh: Must-Haves

refresh: 2014 by fleur-d-elise featuring West Elm

January is always the month I feel most like doing a little "Spring cleaning" and life organizing. It's one of the best times to do it, since crummy weather tends to keep me trapped indoors. Out with the old and in with the new, or at least I rearrange things so they feel new and fresh. Here are a few of my favorite items for refreshing your daily routine:

1. Spots Matchboxes - $12 for a set of 6

Lighting a candle is a great way to chase away the Winter blues. Stylish, patterned matchboxes make the ritual all the more aesthetically rewarding. 

2. Elum Big Stack Note Bar - $24

This notepad may be giant, but it's far from cumbersome. It'll be the anchor of your desk and the neon pink is capable of brightening up an entire room.

3. L'Occitane Cèdre & Orange Eau de Toilette - $75

This smells almost exactly like a certain Hermès perfume I love, but costs much less. It's woodsy and warm without being sweet. Sophisticated and subtle.

4. Agate Jewelry Box - $49

A jewelry box should be treated like a piece of furniture. It should add to a room, not clutter it. This striking box is made by pressing an agate pattern into glass. I love the malachite green, as much as ever, and have made 2014 the year to add more of it to my life.

5. Speedy Stamp Kit - $13.50

It's always a great time to pick up a new hobby. I've decided to start making my own stamps and it turns out it's way easier than I thought! They don't have to be complicated or perfect, and are a fantastic way to add personal touches to stationery, tote bags, even linens! Pinterest is full of tutorials and design ideas.

6. Beyoncé - $16

If you're short on funds and/or time then maybe some new music is what you need. This CD is flawless and I may be just a little obsessed. Spend an evening watching the DVD that comes with it, then make sure to load the CD onto your iPod. Queen Bey is the perfect workout partner!

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Seattle Favorites: Phinney-Wood

Every couple of weeks, either my husband or I say something along the lines of “I never want to leave Greenwood!” We’ve been here three years now, and the Phinney Ridge-Greenwood neighborhood just keeps getting better. Here is a short list of my current favorite stops along Greenwood Avenue.

1. Flourish Collection

7406 Greenwood Avenue North

Whether you're a stationery addict like I am, or just looking for a nice greeting card, you have to pop into this little shop on the east side of Greenwood Avenue. The owner is friendly and helpful and the bright, tidy shop is a pleasant break from Greenwood’s countless coffee shops. With products in everyone’s price range, you’re sure to find something among the hand selected gifts and paper notions, all so pleasantly arranged on vintage tables

2. Ludlow Home

7315 Greenwood Avenue North

Kitty-corner from Flourish is Ludlow Home, a furnishing shop full of Seattle aesthetic. If you’ve just moved to the neighborhood, Ludlow is the perfect place to find those finishing touches for your new home. Owner Rick Rochon has created the perfect collection of mid-century furniture and vintage Americana and filled in any cracks with delicious small batch preserves and elegant house warming gifts. Even if you don’t have a big budget, Ludlow is worth a visit!

3. Greenwood TrueValue Hardware

7201 Greenwood Avenue North

A neighborhood staple since 1948, they carry everything from screws and power tools, to canning jars and potting soil. The staff is always friendly and capable of answering any home improvement questions you might have. Why waste time wandering up and down massive aisles when you can come and see your neighbors at Greenwood Hardware?

4. Bluebird Microcreamery & Brewery

7400 Greenwood Avenue North

Last summer, I was perfectly happy with my PB&J ice cream from this small-batch ice cream maker, but now that they’ve added beer to their list of treats, I may never leave! Everything, even the beer, is made in-house. If a down-to-earth staff, an unfussy menu, and local ingredients aren’t enough to get you in, then how about a beer float? Try the Caffé Vita Porter with a scoop of Theo Chocolate Chunk!

5. Yanni’s Greek Cuisine

7419 Greenwood Avenue North

For 30 years, Yanni’s has been serving up so much more than gyros. I’ve been going to this family owned and run restaurant for years and am excited about the recent menu update thanks to Gordon Ramsay! Without owner Peter Avgoustiou’s talent for cooking traditional Greek fare, this menu update wouldn’t even matter. This family-owned and run restaurant really is a neighborhood institution! Give the Chicken Krasati a try and don’t miss the Kalamari Piatela.

This article originally appeared in Renter Resources on Apartments.com

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New Shoes!

Let me just start with how happy I am. There's still little things in my life that need to be perfected, but compared to the health problems I've had over the past 2 years, those little imperfections are nothing. I've mentioned it in a few posts, but I suffer from dumb feet. More specifically, I've got something called sesamoiditis, which is a chronic inflammation in a small bone in the ball of the foot. It's amazing how much heart ache and pain can come from a bone the size of a kidney bean. Anyway, this time I really think it is finally calming down! I never thought I'd say it, but my sesamoiditis is healing!

So, I've been buying more shoes, because I can finally actually wear them! I still need to be careful, and I wear ugly tennis shoes on most days, but I'm fine with that, because I'd rather be pain-free. These Maison Martin Margiela wedges aren't the most comfortable shoes, but I can actually walk in them! I found them on eBay for a third of their original cost at H&M. Sturdy, leather-soled, and gorgeous; all you need in a shoe.

I was pretty happy to find these leather boat shoes by Dexter at Deseret Industries in Shoreline. They fit my custom orthotics, which is splendid, because they cost a lot (like as much as a pair of designer shoes) and I'm supposed to use them all the time. The shoes were made in the USA, which may not matter as much for used things, but still can mean that they're higher quality.

 

The leather is perfectly broken in, so I won't have to suffer through breaking it in myself. I feel pretty cool wearing them with my cropped black BDGs and no socks, haha. Next step: Red Wing boots... oh no, I'm turning into my husband.

Like I mentioned in this post, I bought three pairs of vintage sandals at an estate sale in West Seattle. My plan was to sell two of them, but the black version of the ones pictured above had some damage I didn't see when I bought them. These gold and beige ones are for sale in my Etsy shop, though. They look great on and are pretty comfortable. The faceted plastic jewels were what caught my eye. They're so over the top. The woman who used to own them had 5 pairs! All in different colors. I hope I can find someone who loved them as much as she did.

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Adventures in West Seattle

So after my amazing facial on Saturday, I decided to explore West Seattle a little bit. I've been out there maybe a handful of times. It seems too far away. I live in North Seattle, pretty much in the same neighborhood my dad grew up in, so family, my job, are all right here. Needless to say, the paths I travel don't vary all that often.  Up Aurora to my Dad's; down Aurora to my nanny job; up 85th to the grocery store; down 80th to my in-laws; you know what I'm talking about. Even when you live in the city, you get set in your ways. 

That makes driving out to West Seattle like driving to a foreign country. I kept having reactions kind of like the ones I have in England; "Oh look, they have Cupcake Royale, just like back home!" and starting sentences with "I'm not from here..." 

One of my all-time favorite past times is exploring cities, so I was completely content wandering up and down California Ave. I was feeling pretty confident, too, so I introduced myself, as a blogger, to Linda, the owner of Clementine's Shoes. She was very friendly, and unlike another shop owner I encountered, totally open to me taking a couple shots for the blog. If I hadn't bought like 5 pairs of shoes this week (all used), I would have totally bought these adorable persimmon flatforms by FS/NY. Luckily, they're new in for Spring, so they might be there for a little while.

Bakery Nouveau came highly recommended by both Djaouida, my esthetician, and Linda at Clementine's, so I had to stop in for lunch. I had a veggie sandwich, and, like always, fell victim to the siren scent of the Pain au Chocolat. It was pretty good. Maybe a little on the sweet side, and not as good as Le Panier's, but still delicious. Maybe I should start a blog where I just review Pains au Chocolat. I would probably have to stop fashion blogging, though, due to the inevitable weight gain.

Turns out they have estate sales over in West Seattle, too, so I made the trek down the hill a few blocks from California Ave. to peruse the goods. Surprisingly, I had my third day in a row of thrifting luck and found some great things, all for under $20! I bought 3 pairs of vintage sandals, some neat old red bordered labels, assorted vintage papers, a hat, a cardigan, and a silk Dior blouse with a Peter Pan collar. Quite the haul! I should also mention that the person the things originally belonged to had more kitten-heeled sandals than anyone should ever have. She had 5 different version of one pair... which I bought 2 of. I'm planning on selling them, though!

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So far so good

I haven't bought any clothes in June! I know it's only June 6th, but that is still a good start! I almost bought a sweater at an estate sale, but it was too much and didn't fit in the arms. I've been thinking I might make an exception for really cheap things at estate sales, since that is my favorite hobby that I rarely get to do, but honestly, I would just be cheating.

Instead, I've been working a lot more lately. I'm not working full time, but it feels like it with all the driving. I might even pick up a little more work at a fifth job! It would just be temp work for a small high-end consignment shop on Queen Anne, but that's if it works with my cafe schedule and if the nice lady will have me.

In these pictures I am wearing a wool sweater. Yes, wool in June. The very next day, the temperature soared above 70 for the first time in 2011. Such a sad city made ridiculously cheerful by a little heat. People waved, actually waved, at me as I drove by in my car. It's amazing what an impact some sun can have.

In these photos:
Forever21 sunglasses
Forever21 skirt
Vintage wool sweater
J.Crew denim shirt
Aldo bag & shoes
H&M scarf

Hobby/Addiction

I don't have any pictures of outfits today or even Polyvore compositions. All I have is this lovely portrait of my Corgi-Chihuahua. Her name is Frida and she is much older than she looks.

Anyway, I've been thinking lately: Do I buy clothes too often? How frequently do other bloggers go shopping? Maybe my habits are normal, but I do worry. Part of me is like "This is your hobby! You are being creative! You're writing!" But then there is another side that just worries about the money and the risk of over-consuming. For instance, this week I bought clothes on 3 different occasions. I went thrifting on Tuesday, shopping downtown yesterday, and then ended up at the mall today. I think I've spent roughly $80 on clothes and $30 on make-up. Doesn't sound like a whole lot, but I'm pretty sure I bought clothes last week, and the week before that, and probably the week before that. I should probably take a break for a while, because I really don't need anything!

So do you consider your closet a constantly growing collection or do you focus on building a seasonal wardrobe and then calling it quits until next season? Do you shop for key pieces or are you a treasure hunter? Personally, it's mostly about the hunt for me! I love finding new things, but I love the hunt the most!