Cultivating Your Personal Style | Gathering Inspiration

Today I’m excited to walk you through how I’m working on cultivating my own personal style for the upcoming seasons. If you’re anything like me, you’ll fall into a style rut once in a while. Adjusting to being a new mom (or in my case - a mom of two!) pushed me into a routine of tee shirts and shorts, days without washing my hair and generally - not caring much about how I look. And that’s ok. We all will have times in our lives when what we wear takes a backseat. That said, I also know myself well enough to know when I feel good about the way I look it can carry over into the rest of my day. Simply said - I’m ready for that feeling again!! 

---

Whenever I approach a new season, I like to work with fresh inspiration to organize my shopping list and highlight what’s already in my closet. For today’s post, I’ll be sharing how I gather ideas and get my creative wheels spinning. Guys - it’s a lot of fun! I really encourage you to spend an hour or two playing around with ideas like this before you run out and hit the mall (slash Target/thrift store/whatever!)

I went out to you guys on instagram and asked if you had any personas you used for your closets and there were some great ones - Yoga teacher applies for a loan, Midcentury librarian, Old Lady Artist at craft fair (in all black with stunning statement necklace), and Sante Fe Gallery Owner. I’d love to hear more on my Instagram comments if you have one! 

Part I Gathering Inspiration

The first thing I like to do is search for images that can take my initial ideas and branch them out further. This fall I’m playing with ‘70s Art Teacher’ as my early theme. Other search terms I’m using are bohemian, 70s style, 1970s fashion, Charlie’s Angels, High Waisted Jeans, and High Waisted Flares. I do this all on Pinterest and hello! rabbit hole! 

As you scan through your results, save anything you’re initially drawn to - you can go back and edit it out later if you want. Another feature I use a lot is the “more like this” whenever I find something I really like. It can take you further in creating your mood boards!

For my theme, I started pinning pictures like you see above - a palette of navy, rust, oxblood and orange. But I also felt drawn to weekend styling like retro style tees paired with high waisted jeans! There’s room in my life for both so I saved them all! And don’t feel like you need to copy anything head to toe (unless you want to!) I know that blue tights aren’t going to work for me, but I like the sweater, shirt and skirt combo, so on to the board it goes. And if you find photos that embrace the general mood - add those too!

If you’d like to scan some other mood board ideas, I have an entire category of them here (like French Casual, Choppy Bobs with Bangs (should I get bangs again is my ever present question en route to the salon!) How to Style a Houndstooth Blazer, Ways to Wear Bandanas)

Later this week I’ll be posting Part II of how I cultivate my personal style - Shopping Your Closet. I’ll take my mood boards here into my own closet to see how I can use what I already have (like the faux shearling coat I made last year pictured above!) before I make a wishlist for this season’s buying! Until then, here are some more of the images that have me ready to embrace my inner artsy fartsy, flare leg loving, high rise (mom) jean self!

How to Master Secondhand Shopping

One of my favorite things to do is shop second hand. I brake for yard sales and I haunt Goodwill. This summer I’ve had some great luck so I’m going to pass on some of my top tips to make the most out of your digging.

---

Have a Rough List

In my mind, I have a short list of items that will work for my home or my closet. My current rundown is something like this: wooden vessels, oil paintings, cake stands, midcentury furniture, globes, lamps, quilts, vintage sheets and vintage home goods. For clothing I quickly scan the skirt and dress isles for quality fabrics or interesting prints - I don’t go hanger by hanger. Leather, wool and denim are top of mind, but if I see something that’s definitely vintage, I take a closer look. I know exactly where these items are located in my local thrift stores so I hit those areas up first. 

But Don’t be Too Specific

If you go in with a set picture of something you saw online or on TV, it can be really hard to find the same thing. Be open minded to your categories.

Set a Price Before You Look at the Tag or Brand

I always give myself a mental maximum price before I check out the actual tag. This can be a helpful tactic when shopping off price places like Marshall’s or TJMaxx too. Sometimes a brand name tricks you into thinking you’re getting a good deal, but if you don’t need/want it in the first place, who cares if it’s Kate Spade at 70% off. 

Check for Quality

Do a once over on all clothing to look for holes, tears or stains. Some things may wash out, but some will not. Ditto for furniture. 

Manage Your Time

You can quickly get an idea if you’re going to find something at a good price by checking out a few items. Some people want the moon for their junk and that’s fine! It’ll be a treasure to someone, but not me. When this happens, I say thanks and keep moving.

Negotiate…

This really only works at yard/garage sales, but if you buy multiple pieces sometimes you can just round down to your nearest bill. “Can I make it $10 for these few things?” You can also say “I was thinking a little less on this… what’s your best price?” You can also ask for a little better price if something is damaged. Deals get better at the end of the day/weekend.

But Don’t Be Rude

If you love something but have a budget, it’s ok to let the seller know. Just don’t be insulting with the discount - no more than 30%. Also don’t take it personally if the seller isn’t willing to make a deal. Some junk sellers are just crabby. 

Cross Compare Online

If you think you’re on to something good and it’s a little pricey, do a quick search on ebay or etsy to find out what the going rate is.

Put on a Poker Face

My all time best buy was a full set of china for… $3.50. I asked if it was for each place setting and the woman running it said “Nope, the whole box!” I took a pause and pulled out a fiver. Then speed walked to my car with my haul! Lesson - don’t get too excited when you find something amazing - and don’t set it down until you’re sure you don’t want it! 

Bribe/Entertain Your Children

I take both of my kids shopping with me and usually get an hour or so per day we go out. Felix knows he will get a quarter to buy candy and sits in the cart to slowly eat it. Our other rule is “no touching - keep your hands in the cart.” With Beatrix, I just make faces at her or wear her in a baby wrap. I also plan my trips when we’re not too cranky/whiny/hungry/tired. If I have to leave because they’re crying or screaming - I just do it!! Although - that doesn’t happen very often!

---

Finally - follow your gut.  If you love it and it feels right - buy it! At the very worst you can re-sell it at your own garage sale down the road! 

Whole 30 Preparation

Take one spin around the farmer’s market and you’ll see that we are in the peak of delicious fruits and veggies, which has inspired my husband and I to take on another Whole 30 Challenge. We did it for the first time way back in 2013 and we’re excited for a clean slate with our eating habits.  We will be participating for the month of August and I’ll be creating a food journal to document meal ideas and a grocery list each week.

If you’re interested in joining us, please read on to a guide I created back in the day! I’ve added in some notes in italics as updates!

---

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing how I prep my kitchen and create my grocery list to start the Whole 30 off on the right foot.

Let’s start with the basics.  A paleo/primal diet is based off what our paleolithic ancestors ate - whatever they could hunt or gather.  A modern approach includes more than just meat, fish, berries and nuts to include veggies, fruits, eggs and some fats.

A Simple Primer

There’s a bit of fine print to go along with it, so I suggest you read the full rundown of what you can and cannot eat from the experts. (Things like soy, peanuts, honey and white potatoes are not included as approved foods during the Whole 30).

You probably also want to check out It Starts with Food - a great book that explains why the list is created and the health detriments and benefits that each of these foods these foods have.  Trust me, I never thought I could give up a bagel and cream cheese breakfast until I read this book (and haven’t had one in over a year!)

Cleaning Your Kitchen

First things first - you’ve gotta clear out the no-nos from your refrigerator and pantry. If there was ever a time to read labels - now is it!  Any condiment with added sugar (hello ketchup!) will have to either get tossed or be hidden for the next month. Speaking of hiding things - we don’t throw everything away (although this is also a good time to check your expiration dates). For things like craft beer or condiments we want to keep, we store those on the bottom shelf of our fridge, but covered up. Outta Sight, outta mind!

We won’t be including our children in our Whole 30, so I’ve divided the fridge into sections that have things like cheese sticks, milk and yogurt that my son likes. These are low in the fridge so he can help himself and not in my sightline so I avoid them!

---

Planning Your Meals

You’ll be spending a lot more time in the kitchen and the more prep work you do, the easier your 30 days will be.  I start my planning by writing down what I want to eat for each dinner and starting my grocery list from there. A few paleo cookbooks will show you there’s no shortage of delicious ideas! Well Fed and Primal Cravings (read ingredient lists to make sure they are Whole 30 compliant!) are two good ones!

Here’s what our first week’s dinners will look like:

• Turkey Meatballs with Steamed Broccoli and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Cuban Burgers with Plantain ‘Buns’ and Garlic Spinach
• Coconut Chicken Breast with Green Beans and Roasted Carrots
• Ground Beef Chili with Sweet Potato Chips
• Kale, Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry
• Bacon Lattice BLT
• Nutty Shrimp and ‘Noodles’

Here’s another post of some of my favorites from the past! I can’t wait to make more of these meals!

Without even looking at this post, I planned many of these meals for our first few days too! Once you get into a groove with what you like to both cook and eat, meal planning will become easier. It’s also prime grilling season, so I like to have frozen chicken breast ready to thaw and toss on the charcoal!

I’ve also found that having a good breakfast menu makes starting the day off full and satisfied much easier. Here’s a week’s worth of breakfast ideas I enjoy! This time I am also going to be doing a chia seed pudding as a base for breakfast bowls of fruits and nuts! Yum!

---

Grocery

If you’re looking for places to splurge and save on your grocery list, spend more on quality meats (like grass fed beef and free range chicken). We love our local butcher and trust me, you will taste the difference! Take your list as a guideline. If something else is fresh and looks tasty (and falls within the parameters of the Whole 30, go for it!)

We’ll probably pop back into the grocery mid week to restock any fresh produce that’s running low as well!

I’ll also pick up little extras that come in handy when you’re winging it or are good substitutions for what you normally cook with - things like almond flour, coconut oil, coconut aminos (a soy sauce alternative), almond butter (great for sauces or spread of apple slices). Spices go a long way in paleo cooking as well!

---

Prep Work

A little prep goes a long when you’re learning a new style of eating. Adam and I like to spend a little time on Sunday (or in this case, New Year’s Day) prepping foods in advance. Here are some of the shortcuts we take:

• Hard Boil eggs
• Grill and chop chicken
• Chop Veggies (for omelettes and stir fries)
• Make condiments (like fresh Mayo)

---

Treats

The main concept of the Whole30 is to clean up not only the food you’re eating, but your habits, including mindless eating. You’ll want to avoid making paleo versions of junk food during your 30 days, but I also think it’s important to have some treats (not cheats!) to keep your sanity. I also reach for these if I’m super starving before a workout.  I enjoy:

• Bananas or apple slices with almond butter, raisins and unsweetened coconut flakes
• Carrots with Homemade Guacamole
• Muffin Tin of Homemade Trail Mix (nuts, coconut flakes, raisins)

---

Final Notes

This time around, I’m not aiming to lose any weight, instead to tone up a bit, get my complexion under control, sleep better and generally feel more awesome! Skip the scale for the entire 30 days and measure your progress by how you look and feel versus the number on the scale. You can follow my meals on Instagram!

This time, I actually do want to lose weight! And I want a reset on my eating habits!

You’re going to see amazing changes after completing this diet (see my first before and after, holy shit!) , but I’m not a physician. Please consult with your doctor before starting any health or fitness regimen!  

And… You can do it!

Top 10 Macrame Tutorials for Hanging Plants

Ever since posting my budget friendly master bedroom makeover, I’ve had quite a few requests for a DIY on how I did my macrame plant hanger (shown above!) Truth be told, there are already loads of great step-by-step guides out there, so I’ve picked the best and linked to them below! And as an aside, I feel like there used to be so much link love in the blog world back in the day and I want to support other creative people! 

• Simple Design (but very descriptive!) Persia Lou 
  

• Straight Forward and Simple Fab DIY
  

• Excellent Visual Reference for Beginners Likely By Sea
  

• Beautiful and Simple (I used these photos for my inspiration!) Hey Lila Hey
  

• A Cute Mini Version Hallmark Blog
  

• Incredibly Easy Plant Hanger Farm House on Boone
  

• Colorful and Different! (and in Spanish!) Dr. Livinghome
  

• Using Jersey Knit (it’s gorgeous!) The Slowpoke
  

• The Absolute Easiest Macrame What’s Up Moms
  

• Recycle that Old Tee Shirt!!! ModCloth blog
  

If you’re looking for something ready made, I suggest searching etsy! I’ve also rounded up some of my top picks below! Here’s to indoor hanging plants! May your home be full of them! 

CLICK TO SHOP BELOW