M stands for Mudroom

I know... I'm a terrible blogger! I've left you out of nearly two years of my oh-so-fascinating life and let me tell you - a lot has happened. New job, new car, obviously new clothes, shoes and handbags, but who's counting those? My fellow fashionistas, of course! Don't worry - photos of my favorites to come in future posts. (I can't wait to introduce you to some new delicious friends named Gucci, Fendi and Prada...) I will point out I do have the same husband, and we have recently worked on his wardrobe as well, so that's a win-win for everybody (alleluia that he is not so chummy with my friends mentioned above, or else we would really be in trouble).

But I'm back (for now) and am going to try harder to "commit" this time. If you're still here, thanks for reading and thanks for waiting for me. Sometimes sticking to something is hard to do... Like when remodeling the smallest room in your house turns into something much bigger. Bigger project, bigger budget, bigger marital dispute, or just all of the above!  Mini Mudroom definitely turned into major endeavor.

Yes, this near-clinical type A person recently allowed a DIY home improvement project to take place in her home. Actually, "DIY" is the wrong term; the husband is a general contractor, so this was hardly a little craft project from the Real Simple magazine I pretend to read each month. We took the tiny room off our kitchen door and frankly, made it a (teensy) masterpiece! But not without a pretty price (from both my checkbook and my sanity). I'll share my findings during this super special time in our marriage.

Here's what I learned:

• deadlines are my obsession. They are not, however, a friend of the husband's. Actually, I think until he married me, he maybe did had never heard the word.
• one more difference between us: I always thought "1 weekend" meant 2-3 days; he apparently interprets it as 4+ weeks. Is this kind of like a fortnight where no one really knows what that means?
• painting is way harder than it looks and makes my arms tired.
• if you paint while drinking wine, it just gets harder and looks worse. Dang.
• men should never select paint alone. This creates a mean(er) wife and multiple trips to home depot.
• I am always right. (Funny how this seems to be a recurring lesson in our marriage.) What color did we paint the tiniest room in the world? Creme brûlée. EXACTLY what I said from the beginning. Spotted it amongst a million little paint samples and it matched the kitchen perfectly.
• just because the room is literally 3x3 does not mean the mess can't spread across multiple floors and multiple rooms. This is simply torture for someone who can't sleep unless the house is dusted almost daily.

Take all of the above plus 5 weeks of my gentle "reminders" (aka psychotic ranting and nagging), and wa-lah! There is a darling little room that I come and go through every day. Yesterday, I learned how much the whole thing cost, and if there is such thing as "designer" mudrooms, I've got one! It's functional, and of course it's fashionable...

This handy set of hooks holds my my aprons (that I have never worn, but they look adorable, don't they?). They're  both from Anthropologie - check out the darling new ones here . (I must say - they are great gifts for brides-to-be who have aspirations to be great housewives - like I once did!)

The white hooks (steal of a deal at Target) also house my reusable totes. Yep, I am "green" now! (Don't even get me started on the annoying bag ban in Seattle though.) This is my favorite shopping bag, so I keep it on display and stuff the others inside. I found this one and a few others with fun prints at TJ Maxx - only $3 each and they hold a ton! (Just remember to tell your bag boy at Safeway not to FILL the bag - holy smokes - you could throw your back out when the bozo packs it full of bottled water.) It is so much more fun to be green when you can look good doing it (obvi). 

Last but not least - here is a great shot of the Creme Brûlée shade of paint! Isn't sweet? My vintage milk sign and bottles are from Cost Plus World Market (LOVE that place!), but I feel like they definitely look like an antique store find. I'm sharing my secret with you though, so you too can have cute accent pieces without spending your weekends trolling dusty, overpriced antique warehouses (that can be fun, but who has the time? Especially when World Market is right by the mall).

Welcome home, Fashionistas

I think you will be happy to hear that your favorite fashionista is now a homeowner! Yep, the husband and I officially bought a happy little house in September, and I have been working on beautifying it ever since! So I am sorry for the many moons without writing… but I think my battles with household appliances will simply remind you of how much you missed me!

Let’s just say that buying a home and all that comes with it has introduced us to many “firsts…”

-first time husband trims apple tree = husband goes crazy with chain saw and apple tree looks like a bald stump

-first time Erin attempts window treatments = 8 trips to Target in 2 days, rods falling on heads, 3 extra holes in the wall, and a tearful phone call to dad asking for help

-third time erin uses the drill = husband hides drill and says I can’t use it anymore

-first time using washer and dryer (in the house! Not in the apartment basement with 12 other tenants!) I pull knob off and think dryer is broken for life. I later realize (via Andy, the laundry king) that you don’t pull the knob to start the dryer, you PUSH a completely different button. Duh.

-first time with Christmas tree taller than Erin = rearranging living room 3 times, 2 broken light strands, 1 tiny tantrum until husband goes to buy more lights. Bigger tree also needs more ornaments than the child sized one from last year, so that makes 1 more trip to Target – our home away from home.

I think Target does some pretty fabulous advertising without me, but I will give them a little plug for their home décor and also their holiday supplies. I don’t think you can outfit 3 rooms worth of windows for better than these prices… and how cute are these white curtains (featured in my little kitchen nook below)?

And, if you are like me and what a matchy-match designer-inspired metallic themed tree on a budget (and I mean, who wouldn’t?!), there is this bundle of balls - for very reasonably priced, and surprisingly resilient - they are actually called "shatter proof, and I believe it! (Husband dropping them from 8 feet up? No problem!)

The good news is – we have survived all of the above. We are still married (barely!), but the even better news is when we are in a fight about the size of Andy’s extra extra large new TV or his special super duper beer fridge for his “man cave,” we can go to separate rooms! Actually, we can even be on separate floors! What is the saying – more living space makes the heart grow fonder? Exactly.

Happy holidays, Fashionistas!

Not only have we recently launched the fall sale season (watch for Chanel and Gucci to markdown the beginning of next month), but another season is also upon us – the HOLIDAYS. Which, to true fashionistas, equals HEAVEN. What could be better than excuse after excuse to shop? For yourself (please oh please let the Christmas party invitations keep coming so I can keep filling my closet with darling dresses to wear to them) AND – ok, more importantly, for others! I am a firm believer that a fab fashionista is also a generous gift giver. Obviously, because it goes back to the fact that we LOVE to shop – for anything! I honestly receive just as much joy finding someone the most perfect gift as I do finding myself the most perfect… pair of boots. Red lipstick. Wear-it-with-everything necklace. WHATEVER. Gift giving is a favorite form of shopping, and a guilt free one too! Spending money is a totally different story when it’s for someone else.

Case in point:

“Honey, I bought myself a $200 dress today – but it’s really cute and I’ll wear it forever!”

or

“Honey, I spent $200 on your mother’s Christmas gift but I know she’ll really love it.”

What do you think induces a better reaction in this household?

But, besides buying presents for others and decking yourself out for all those delicious parties I know you’ll be invited too – there is another fashionista festivity of note: THE TREE!

Now, the you must “outfit” your Christmas tree just as you would dress yourself; this is absolutely a fashion project, and the complete look is so important. The tree is essentially your staple piece for the holidays! This thing has the potential to see all your friends and family, appear in countless photographs, etc. etc. Just like your special occasion outfits, I feel your tree should definitely have a theme, or at least a color story. Because I have been looking forward to getting my tree since September, I have been planning (or plotting!) my décor scheme for awhile. Last month, I asked the husband what he thought our theme should be for the tree. The creative genius responded: “Christmas.” Soooo orginal. For those of us who have a little more… how do you say… STYLE…, we might gravitate toward some of the following ideas:

Metallic (silver and gold ornaments with white lights)

Winter Wonderland (white lights with light blue and white, bright ornaments)

Fashion Friendly (themed ornaments like little shopping bags, purses, shoes, and sunglasses in fun colors – available at Nordstrom NOW!)

Chanel (a little extreme, but could be super cute! check out the dream tree featured above - AMAZING!)

Fortunately for me, the husband was lenient about his lame theme ideas, and instead of “Christmas” we (and by WE I mean I, because he was plugging away at the computer doing his normal Sunday regimen – fantasy football) decorated our tree in gold, silver and chocolate brown, with these amazing white LED lights that will supposedly last like longer than we will! (Pick those babies up at Target for as low as $9.99 a box.) I also found a ton of great ornaments at Target for some recessionista prices - check out the tubs full of ornaments ready to make your theme come to life.

So, since I’m so modest, I can admit that my tree is gorgeous. However, the path to get it here was not. Four hours, five tree farms, and a mini-tour of Hobart, Washington (have you ever heard of that place? Neither had I.), we were completely tree-less. WHO KNEW that it is essentially IMPOSSIBLE to buy a tree before Thanksgiving? That is, unless you go to good old, reliable Fred Meyer. Oh, Freddy’s. Thanks to your lovely parking lot with your pre-cut trees that probably left the forest in October, I had my very own Noble Fir, on November 22nd! The husband says I have problems with "delayed gratification." When I asked what that meant, he said that buying a Christmas tree the week before Thanksgiving was a prime example. I don't care though - me, my tree, and he are all living happily ever after together until Christmas. Or, more likely, until the thing dies... next week?

I hereby dedicate this blog post to the Issaquah Fred Meyer - for honoring those of us who struggle with "delayed gratification," or to put it more nicely, those fashionistas who bought their ornaments early and were just a little too excited to "dress up" their tree.

Summer Book Club, here I come!

My normal reading material consists of US Weekly (I am loyal subscriber and therefore read it religiously every Thursday night), Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar (again, I wait for the monthly glossies to arrive in my mailbox), and catalogs (the husband hates that when we moved I was thrilled to get us on a mailing list for all home stores in the nation!). However, in the summer, I get serious about my reading. I try to plan my days off in accordance with the weather if at all possible, and lay out (on my front porch, someone else’s roof, my parents’ patio, wherever) for several hours per day and devour approximately a book or two per week. When I say devour, I mean it. I get completely obsessive about my books, the plots, the characters, etc. After my day tanning, I proceed to read at night, when I’m sweating in our sweltering third floor apartment. I get lost in the story to the point where (thank goodness) I forget about the heat and stay up for hours past the fi-fo-fum husband, who like clockwork, peacefully falls asleep before 10pm.

This summer, I decided to get really serious about my reading. After a lunch break spent pouring through the shelves at Barnes and Noble, and another few hours reading the backs of all the books at Target, I created my own personal summer reading list. Feeling quite pleased with myself, I took it one step further and invented MY OWN SUMMER BOOK CLUB. The husband (again, he is so ridiculous) says that you cannot have a real “club” if you are the only person in it, but as usual, I beg to differ. I am THRILLED about my club, however independent it may be! And, for being so negative, he actually turned out to be quite supportive, because he even bought me three books from Amazon! (By bought, I mean I clicked “Yes, use credit card on file” while I was ordering, and then asked him afterward. I LOVE stored account numbers like that!)

Since I (someday) want to write my own book, my reading list is rather memoir-focused. (See, this is why I can be the only person in my club, because the titles are all for my own personal benefit.) Here is what I have tackled so far:

“the best of friends” by Sara James and Ginger Mauney (an excellent read – two best friends wind and twist their individual tales and the span of their friendship through three decades)

“someday my prince will come” by Jerramy Fine (the true story of a girl searching for her prince, literally; incredibly candid and hilarious, it’s an easy and upbeat read that brought much joy to the few days it took me to read it!)

still to come…

“change of heart” by Jodi Picoult (not a memoir, but I love this author, and I’m sure this book – one of her earlier novels – will not disappoint; she is responsible for this summer's blockbuster, "my sister's keeper" as well)

“pretty in plaid” by Jen Lancaster (another memoir, by the same funny girl who wrote “Bitter is the New Black;” her writing style is supposedly quite “bloggy” so I think I will like it!)

Sweet, sweet season of weddings

Well fashionistas, we’re in the midst of sale season, which we all know keeps us busy enough, but now we are in the dead heat of my other favorite season – nope, you know me better than to think it would be something as trivial as “summer.” Wedding season is officially in full swing! I kicked it off on Saturday, when one of my nearest and dearest friends (you may remember her as the sparkly Vegas bachelorette) wed her high school sweetheart on the 4th of July. Fortunately for me, she chose a darling sunshine yellow dress, and the nicest-bride-ever let us pick our own shoes! Of course, I went with the sky-high Charles by Charles David camel colored heels with gold accents. Perfect for looks, not so perfect for my walk down the bumpy grass aisle… never mind that. (However, if in the market for something that will take you from 5'1 to 5'6, visit his website.)

However, most times we attend weddings, we are not part of the privy bridal party, and must get dressed on our own. Here is where I come to the rescue…

A few helpful hints to help you look almost as cute as these people from Martha Stewart Weddings magazine (see pic above - they are adorable):

1. Select your outfit sometime other than the DAY OF the wedding. Picking something out an hour before is an obvious recipe for disaster. I've been there, and ended up frantically buying duct tape at a gas station to hold my dress to my chest... try waking up with that situation in the morning!

2. While you’re behaving as a good fashionista, creating the perfect ensemble a few days prior to the big event, do your research! Most of the vital stats can be learned from the invitation – so make sure your husband/lover/roommate/mother/dog/whoever does not throw that precious piece of paper away! The time of the ceremony is a major hint; afternoon = more casual, after 5 = more dressy, probably cocktail-ish. The location of the reception is another giveaway; outside = more casual, downtown hotel or venue = more dressy. And, since you are a few days out, if you are super confused, you have time to call someone who would know the answer, but would probably be too VIP on the day of the wedding to talk to you.

3. Please dress your mate appropriately. Whoever is the “true” fashionista in the relationship (and I know there are many men who fill this important role), make sure your outfits coordinate. For example, when you go with the girl in the sunshine dress, you don’t wear a dark, dreary winter suit. (I am proud to report that this was not us! The husband showed up dressed to IMPRESS this time, and I have pictures to prove it! I just can't figure out how to get them off the camera.) You can take a cue from my best-dressed hubby; summer, outdoor wedding, accompanying a date in bright cotton dress… boy’s outfit translates to: cute khaki-ish pants (not straight, old fashioned khakis, but ones with a slight pattern or texture – I love any of the chino styles from j.crew), light-colored striped button-shirt, brown leather slip on shoes, and brown belt. Effortless.

4. Yes, wedding season can be stressful, chaotic, busy – like I said, it can overtake your summer, just like our treasured sales! However, under NO circumstances should you attend a wedding with overlapping guests in the EXACT. SAME. OUTFIT. That, my fashionistas, is a faux-pa we just cannot forgive. So make a note on the calendar, take a Polaroid, do what you must, but when you are celebrating this summer, you better be doing so in something different each time around. (With resources like your friend’s, sister’s, mom’s closets, Target, H and M, Forever 21… trust me, you can make it happen.)

And this, my fashionable friends, is how it's done. Instead of struggling with style, you will SAIL right through the beloved wedding season, making me proud along the way.