Pretty, pretty pages

Just got the new Anthropologie catalog in the mail today. And let me just say that I am blown away by the styling, set design, props, clothes (of course!), models, everything. The train story setting is very romantic and alluring, and each photo seems to be better than the previous. I get so excited when I see a new Anthropologie catalog arrive in my mailbox that I sit down with it and read it cover to cover. And not just for the clothes or home goods it offers to me, the intoxicated viewer, but for the sheer artistry of it all.

Shall we sit back and browse its many pretty pages of loveliness?











Oh, and the home section isn't anything to sneeze at, either.





Drop by Anthropologie for a visit here.

(Photos courtesy of Anthropologie)

Closet overhaul: Before and after

Pictures can speak a thousand words...

Closet, before


Izzy among the mess


Closet, after


View of left side, after


View of right side, after


View of shoes, after (organized by color)


View of clothes on hangers, after



I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to have a clean, organized closet. Izzy and I worked our butts off this weekend fixing it up. Although I still have some clothes to hang/organize that are in other areas of the house, I would say things are 90% done. Pete's clothes are hanging on the right side on a rack near my clothes, and his dress shoes are underneath the rack. His work clothes are on shelves elsewhere in the bedroom, and his boots are in the closet downstairs.

I'm so happy, I almost skip to pick my clothes and shoes out now. Shoe racks would be nice, but I'm holding off on that until we figure out what house we'll end up in during the next year (we plan on moving at some point). But this is a thousand times better than how it was before, with mounds of clothes on the floors and shoes everywhere. It's so great to be organized...ahhhhhh...

Closet overhaul

Today I'm working on overhauling my closet. I plan on hanging and organizing all of my clothes first. Then I'm going to reorganize my shoe collection by color, instead of by type (heels, flats, boots, etc.). I think I might also get some sort of hanging wardrobe rack for Pete's clothes, so he can keep his suits and other dress clothes upstairs. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with his work clothes, though. Maybe they can be kept in the basement for now. A shoe rack would be nice, but I don't have one at the moment.

I'd also like to have some sort of system set up in my closet so that my shoes are easily identifiable, and also so that I'm able to select the pair I want without difficulty. I notice that I tend to choose clothes according to the cut or type (either pants or dress/skirts; either loose fitting or fitted; either lightweight or heavyweight, etc.). But I tend to choose shoes according to color, and not necessarily type. So I thought it'd be a good idea to take a photo of each pair of shoes and tape it to the end of each shoe box, so I can quickly find what I'm looking for. It's too bad I no longer have a Polaroid camera, and too bad that they're also being discontinued. I thought I could take a digital photo of each pair, and then just print the pictures out on my laser printer.

Any better ideas? I'll post pictures once I'm done with this project, but I'm not promising it'll be any time super soon.

(Photo courtesy of homedesignersoftware.com)

Thursday's shoes

Here I am wearing those lovely teal peep toe pumps and my charcoal pants. Toldja the website picture didn't do them justice! I must admit my feet are a bit pissed off at me, so I'm going to lay off the heels for a few days. I think they're in shock from being forced into such unnatural positions and heights, after having spent a whole summer spreading out in easygoing flip flops.

I just came back from Kohl's and Target. I went to Kohl's right after work to see if I could score some more good buys, but I left empty handed. I was really disappointed by Kohl's shoe selection. The ones I did like weren't stocked in my size, although I might order a cute pair I saw online (if I do, I'll post an update or something). Some of the clothes were okay, but I didn't feel crazy about any of them, and I didn't have much time to look since I had to go pick up Pete.

Then I went to Target after I dropped Pete off at home, and I found a few good things (okay, more than a few). I got a cute striped skirt for $4.98 and a pretty ivory shirt for $11.98. I didn't see too much else there that I liked, so I was sorta bummed. But then I headed over to the shoe department and I DID find lots there! I scored three pairs (oops!), but in my defense I used a gift card Jen gave me, and they weren't horribly expensive. And they were all so darn cute, I couldn't turn any of them away. While I was in the shoe department trying on shoes, Pete called. The first thing he asked me was if I was in the shoe aisle at Target, and I laughed. He knows me too well!

Anyhow, I didn't score as much as I would have liked, especially looking through the clearance racks. It seems to me like all the fabrics are very cheap and flimsy, yet they are priced rather high. I almost went to Old Navy, but it was going to be a bit of a drive, I was tired, and sometimes I don't find anything there at all, so I called it a night. I might try again tomorrow, perhaps at a local Dress Barn, or Marshall's, or—gasp!—DSW. I sure wish it were as easy to find good clothes as it is to find good shoes.