My jewelry organization

Let’s talk organization again shall we? The past 6 months I have been reorganizing and cleaning up different parts of my room. The last part I reorganized (i.e. I just got rid of a ton of stuff), was my jewelry rack. It is featured in my room tour but also in this post which I wrote over a year ago featuring general organization tips. The rack is actually a kitchen utility rack from IKEA. It was called the Kroken series which sadly is now discontinued. However, any old kitchen rack would suffice or whichever way you prefer to organize your jewelry. Let’s have a look at how I organize mine.

Overview

As I was saying, this rack is originally meant to hold kitchen utensils. The tiered rack that hangs from the bar is in fact a spice rack, my bangles are organized on paper towel holders and my necklaces hang from hook that should hold ladles, spoons and other kitchen gear. Apart from that I hang my earrings from the bar and the spice rack, my long necklaces from nails I hammered into the wall and my rings and floppy bracelets are on the trays of the spice rack. Time for close ups!

Short necklaces & some long ones (on the left)

This looks incredibly messy but that’s mainly because some necklaces have such an odd shape. There is a system behind this though. There are some bracelets (with clasps) all the way on the right, followed by short necklaces with a sturdy, chunky chain. Then we get all necklaces with a leather cord and short necklaces that hang down. Collared neckalces are next followed by three hooks which hold my most worn long necklaces. Those are also organized: smaller pendants to the right, medium pendants in the middle, big pendants on the left.

Long necklaces

I also have some longer necklaces mounted on nails on my wall. These are organized by type as well. I have two nails which hold beads. The other three feature the chunkiest chains and pendants I have. I usually wear the very chunky ones underneath scarves in winter only so for the summer I decided they could be tucked away in the back. There are also some other necklaces which I don’t wear often and which I only take out for certain outfits.

Bangles

This way of storing bangles is simply the best one ever. You can easily see what you have and it is definitely less cluttered. I keep my silver & black bangles on the right holder. The left one holds all other colors.

Hoop earrings & dangling earrings with studs

As you can see I just hang these ones from the bar that holds everything together. Again, I put similar ones together.

Short dangling earrings & odd shaped bracelets/ wristlets

This is pretty self explanatory I think. These are simply my shorter dangling earrings. Again I’ve tried putting similar styles together to keep it organized. The bracelets that are in the tray are odd sized ones that don’t fit with the bangles or my other bracelets.

Rings, studs, long dangling earrings

Again this is very straightforward. Here you can see my longer style dangling earrings hanging from the bottom tier of the spice rack. On the tray I keep my rings, stud earrings and my every day silver jewelry to which I have an emotional attachment (i.e. passed down jewelry from my grandma, a bracelet I received as a graduation gift etc.).

Now you’re probably wondering where this all came from. Very simple: H&M, Sixx, Pieces, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Primark and some from Claire’s. I have been keeping my jewelry like this for over a year now and I’ve been loving it. It’s easy to have and keep an overview of the things I have. Before I kept everything in drawers (like the pinks ones which you can glimpse in the picture with the bangles) but those wouldn’t fit bangles and necklaces would get tangled up. I found this solution when I was looking for a cheap and easy way of organizing my jewelry. It cost me less than 5 euros which is much less compared to actual jewelry organizers.

How do you organize your jewelry?

My favorite stores for shopping clothes

If you hadn’t noticed already I love to shop. I’m not an expensive shopper, which is one of the reason why I can buy quite a lot of things. If I spend more than 50 euros on a single item of clothing it’s a lot and then it better be good too. I will only spend 50 euros or more on items that I deem special enough to be worth the money. This means that it’s usually limited to dresses, the occasional blazer or cardigan and a pair of jeans. I make exceptions for shoes though, as a good pair of shoes is usually a bit more expensive. Which is why I usually end up going to the same stores and why I like getting a good deal (on sale or just in general). Over the years I have thus developed a few favorites and that is why I thought it would be fun to give you a list of my favorite places to shop for fashion. Here are my 5 favorites.

Source: weheartit.com

H&M

This blog has featured plenty of hauls from H&M. It’s easily accessible and not expensive. I have to say that H&M can be a bit hit or miss at times, especially when you order something online, but my experiences overall have been good so far. I think that most of my clothing comes from the Swedish mega company. I just love how they have good basics in the colors that are trendy that season, as well as some more trendy items that seem to be taken straight from the catwalk. You can get dressed from head to toe under 50 euros using only H&M as they also have great accessories, shoes, bags, underwear etc. And not in the least bit important: I exactly know my size so I usually know right off the bat which size I need. Biggest disadvantage: everyone and their mother wears it.

Asos

This website I usually only use for window shopping. Just to get inspiration. I don’t always find the price/ quality combination worthwhile on Asos, but they do have some great, more different items that not everyone in your town will be wearing. It is also huge. I think that if I were to spend an entire week on that website I would still not have been able to see everything that is on there. Another thing I love is how they actually have a catwalk video for all the items so you can see how the clothing moves: whether it’s stiff or flowy etc. You usually cannot see that in a picture.

ZARA

What I love about ZARA is how they are usually very quickly with translating trends from the runway into consumer fashion. If you read about a trend today, chances are ZARA is selling it tomorrow. I also like how they have a lot of more business casual clothing at affordable prices. I know that if I ever need to buy smarter clothes for a future job, all I have to do is hit up ZARA and I’ll be set and ready to go within minutes. They usually have a great selection of blazers and dressy shirts but the TRF/ Trafaluc line is definitely edgier, with more trendy pieces. The main downside with ZARA for me is that the sizes can run a bit small and sometimes a large won’t even fit.

Topshop

Topshop is not yet available in Holland, nor anywhere near it, but every time I go to London I have to have a peek. You don’t go to Topshop for basics, but for the more trendy items they sell. Especially because that is where you can get the best deals. A t-shirt at Topshop can easily cost you 25 punds, which for a t-shirt is quite expensive if you ask me. However, I bought two knits in February and both cost around 30 – 35 pounds each, which for a thick knit sweater that not everyone and their mother will wear is definitely not bad. Out of all the stores in this post I think Topshop is also the most trendy one. They seem to sell the trends before they become trends, if you know what I mean. It is not only great for clothes, but also for shoes, accessories, make up and everything else you need to put together a complete look.

Urban Outfitters

Last but not least is Urban Outfitters. This US store (which is also located in Antwerp by the way) is not for basics. It’s trendy, but slightly more edgy and rough and tough looking than Topshop. If there is one thing for sure it’s that you will not find a standard item in the store. The cuts are always slightly different, so are the colors, the textures, well everything. That is probably why it is expensive. A knit cardigan can set you back 75 euros in one go and basic looking t-shirts can cost as much as 30 – 40 euros. However, some of my most loved items (little black dress, comfiest cardigan and one of my favorite t-shirts) all come from this store. So if you’re willing to make an investment and you like slightly quirky clothing items this is the place for you. And even if you think the clothes are too expensive: have a look at their accessories, books, and quirky pop culture items that are also being sold there.

Fave items in my room

Today I would like to do something a little different. Today’s post is not about beauty, nor is it about music or fashion. No today I would like to show you some of my favorite items that I keep on display in my house. Just a few items that I hold near and dear for whatever reason. I thought it would be fun to show and by telling you a bit more about them, I would be able to tell a bit more about myself in the process. Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite items which you keep around!

Chinese Lucky Fish

I received these fish as a gift from a Chinese exchange student as a thank you for helping him out with his thesis. During one of my final years as a student of English I volunteered to help a group of Chinese students to feel at home during their stay in The Netherlands. We took them to The Hague and had pancakes. We celebrated Sinterklaas and had a potluck dinner. I learned a lot about Chinese culture that year and also about cultural differences in general. The guy who gifted me the fish had his wife send this all the way from China. A lot of thought and effort went into these little guys and I have kept them around ever since as it always reminds me of the time I spent with these amazing people.

English street signs – Beatles memorabilia

These English street signs used to hand at my parents’ house. We brought them back from Liverpool during a family vacation in England and Wales when I was 14 or 15 years old. The street signs obviously refer to Beatles songs (we got them at the Beatles’ museum) and I have another one up on my wall which says Abbey Road (not pictured). These street signs do not only remind me of family vacations to England during my teens, but also to my crazy Backstreet Boys tours. In 2008, I visited the same spot in Liverpool again, only this time it wasn’t to view the Beatles’ museum, but to see Backstreet Boys play Echo Arena. Good memories! (Shout out to my NLY girlies!)

Poster: Quoting Shakespeare from The Globe in London

Another souvenir. Only this time it’s not from a family vacation, but from one of my many trips to London. Since 2009, I’ve been to London every year and the plan is to not stop doing that in the short term. I grabbed this poster from the kiosk at The Globe, the 16th century replica theater still hosting Elizabethan and Jacobean plays. Shakespeare was of course an important figure in English Renaissance drama, but he is also noted for his contributions to the English language. Many, by now often cliche, metaphors came from Shakespeare’s work. How many of these expressions do you use?

Crucifix with rosary

I don’t write much on religion on here, mainly because I am not a religious person, but I was raised Catholic. I have had a crucifix hanging near my door for as long as I can remember and so I still have one hanging about. This particular one came from my parents’ house. They had it hanging over a door since forever but I got it after my parents started using the one that used to hang at my grandparents’ house. I got the rosary on a trip to Paris around 6 – 7 years ago when I used to go there frequently as I had a friend who lived there. One time we went to visit Sacre Coeur where I picked this up.

Double sided tea glass (Spiegelau)

One thing that you will always be able to find in my room, even though it’s not fixed, nor has it much sentimental value, is a glass to have some tea. This one in particular came in just this weekend. My mom is saving up for good quality glasses via her supermarket and when I saw these I just had to have a few. I received the first two this weekend and I have been loving them ever since. Anyone who knows me, will tell you that I love tea (it’s my favorite drink by far) and so I always keep a glass around just in case I feel like having a cuppa. Because it’s got this double layer going on it’s super easy as you can’t burn your hands on the glass. Love it!

What are your favorite items around your place? Leave a comment and let me know!

Fashion Wish List

So many cool trends have been happening lately and that is why my fashion wishlist has been growing quite a bit. Because of my London trip I’ve refrained from buying too many new things as I want to see what is available at stores that I cannot get to on a regular basis. I hope to find items that are just a tad different from what I would be able to find in my local shopping street. This goes mainly for clothes and accessories and here’s what I hope to find.

Source: weheartit.com

1. Basic colored shirts

Number one on the list are basic colored t-shirts/ tops. I have a ton of plain nude colored shirts, but no brights or pastel colored ones. I have plenty of colored shirts with prints on them, but NOTHING that is just a shirt without too much going on. Since colors are a must have this spring I’m hoping there will be enough to go around and find them.

2. Dark colored bulky sweater

I’m totally digging the trend of wearing tight (riding) pants with a bulky sweater on top. You know, the ones that look like your boyfriend might have lived in it for a while. I have light colored ones, but no dark one. I tend found this sweater by American Apparel and fell in love. It is pricey though so I will go check it out and if it really is as good as it looks on the picture I will just splurge on it.

3. Skater or shift dress

I would really like a skater or shift dress. I bought a skater dress the other day, but that one is a mustard yellow with dark blue polka dots. What I’m really missing in my wardrobe is a plain gray dress. What I am hoping is that I will find a gray skater dress or possible one in that great sea foam green color that I’ve been spotting everywhere lately.

4. Short necklaces

Short necklaces are making a huge comeback. I still have a few from way back in the day, but there are new styles out right now that I’m loving. Most of them are very plain and simple and look great paired with a button down shirt. I will definitely try to hit up Primark and Forever 21 and I think I will find something that suits me there.

5. Colored pants

Another thing I’d love to find are green or bright blue pants. I bought a pair of pink ones in January, but I remember owning a pair of green pants a few years ago and loving them to pieces. I had to throw them out because they were too big, so finding a new pair would be nice. So far, I haven’t found a pair of pants that has the right color, though I spotted a nice green colored pair of treggings at pieces the other day. I may just have to go with that if I can’t find it in London.

6. A red blazer

I love blazers but I’m very picky when it comes to them. I’ve been trying to find a red blazer for over a year now, but have yet to find the perfect one. There is always something that wrong: wrong cut, wrong shade, or it’s too tight around my shoulders. I know it’s a long shot but I hope to finally find a comfy red blazer that doesn’t make me look pasty.

7. Some items for DIY projects

I’ve found so many great DIY clothing tutorials on Youtube and I’m dying to try my hand at a few. However, I don’t want to risk ruining a perfectly fine brand new shirt. That is why I really want to go to Primark. As their stuff is cheap it won’t have cost me tons when things go bad. It totally depends on what I’ll find what I’ll be able to do with it and I will let you know if it all worked out and make some posts on the DIY stuff when I get to it.

What’s on your fashion wishlist?

Shoplog: Asos, H&M & Forever21

Last week I posted a shoplog which existed of mostly of beauty related items. This time I’m showing you items I bought which are fashion related. I got most of these things online and on sale as it’s the last bits of sale that are going on right now. The places I shopped at are Asos.com, H&M (also in store) and Forever 21. Let’s start with accessories first.

Short necklace with spokes (H&M), chandelier earrings & earrings with spikes (Forever21)

I’m totally loving these earrings and the necklace. I think the short necklace trend is a keeper: I still have tons of short necklaces from way back in the day. So this will come in handy. As for the earrings: I’m totally digging long and big earrings now and I love Forever21 accessories. They are edgy and cheap and I think that is also something I can say of these earrings. Especially the ones with the spikes. I think these just stand out and are super funky.

Cream ruched button down shirt with bell sleeves (Asos)

I already told you about my Asos order in a previous post, but I thought it would still be fun to show you what the clothes actually looked like when I got them in. The thing with ordering online is that things can look different than you could tell from the pictures. This shirt is a perfect match to the original picture. This is a size 42 though (UK size 14, US size 12), which is why it looks much bigger: it is. I buy button downs 2 sizes too big on purpose. It’s more comfortable and they’ll actually be able to close around my chest. It looks perfect on. It’s cute with the collar and the ruffles, but it’s not overly cute. That would not bit my style at all. However I think this shirt has just the right amount of boho chic to it for it to be manageable.

Nude colored pussybow dress (Asos)

This is exactly what I meant by: you never know what it actually looks like. The way this dress was folded and send over made it all crumpled and frumpy looking. It is still a great dress though. It’s sheer, so I definitely have to wear something underneath other that just underwear, but the color and the cut are perfect. It hits me just above the knee and accentuates my waist ever so slightly. I can live with the wrinkles as I won’t be able to wear this for a while anyway and by that time gravity and if need be an iron will be able to do the trick.

Black & cream geometrical pussybow playsuit (Asos)

When I first put this on I was like: oh no! It doesn’t fit! Can you see the waistband somewhere in the middle? That’s to singe your waist, but what if the garment doesn’t hit you in the waist but much lower? Yup. I ended with a nice peeping view of my belly button. No fun. But then I realized that I could easily hoist it up, as the body part of the playsuit is too long for my short upper body. So I pulled it up to fit into my waistline and voila it’s a perfect fit! I can add a belt if I feel the waistband won’t stay put but after a bit of practice I think I can make it stay put without adding anything. If anything I’ll just pin it. Here’s a murky pic of me wearing it when I was trying it on the other night:

Tribal print dress (H&M)

I saw this dress ages ago in an H&M in Amsterdam. However, at 30 euros for a cotton summer dress I thought it was too pricy. I was hoping it would go on sale and lo and behold: it did! I got this at half the original price and I love it. It has a pretty wide skirt with pleats, exactly like I used to wear them when I was a little girl. At that time I already preferred dresses that would flare out when you spin around. My mom spent hours making me dresses that did just that and now I finally have one that does exactly that.

Black bralette/ bustier (H&M) (Sorry mom )

I’ve been wanting something like this for ages (years really), but I couldn’t find one that fits. I’m the proud owner of a good sized D cup and these things are usually made for breasts at least half that size. So when I found this at my local H&M sale I was skeptical. Yet, I wanted to try it and it actually fit perfectly! And guess what it cost me? 4 euros! Not kidding. Original price is 29.95, it was on sale for 5 euros and I got an extra 20% off as it was one of the final days of sale.

Acid wash skinny jeans (H&M)

I actually don’t have many light wash jeans. They’re all medium or dark washes as I find that the most flattering on me. I saw these on the website, where they were unavailable, so when I saw it in store I decided to give it a shot. They fit nicely, are super comfortable and they look great on! They’re also not too long which is a plus for me. Oh and they are stretchy which is why they are so comfy in the first place.

Have you done any last minute sale shopping? If so, what did you get?

Primark Haul + some nail polish

Since it’s vacation and I still had some money left from my birthday, I decided it was time for some shopping. It had been a while since I last visited Primark, so I decided to go there. I got up early because shopping at Primark means you need a strategy in order to battle the crowds. My strategy is to get there first thing in the morning when the store opens at 9 AM. By the time most people arrive I was already at the counter paying for my stuff and I could browse the store to my heart’s content without being bothered by others. Here’s what I got:

Brogues

Of course I can’t go to Primark without buying a pair of shoes! And when I saw these I fell in love instantly. I wanted a pair of grey brogues and I love how these also have some brown, making them much more versatile.

Bags

Small creme bag and a larger school bag type bag. Both bags have cross body straps.

Accessories

Bracelets, a necklace, sunglasses and a belt

Racer back top with cherry print

How cute is that?

Light grey/ beige t-shirt with lady bug print

Not too many clothes as you can see, but then again, I’m not a fan of Primark clothing. Their accessories, bags and shoes are what draws me there. But that is not all I got. On my way back home I stopped by a local drugstore because I knew they had a discount on some of my favorite nail polishes. I picked up two colors:

Catrice nail polishes in Purpelized and Iron Mermaiden

As you can see, not the biggest of hauls, but a fair amount of stuff nonetheless. I don’t want to buy too much right now, as I’ll be going to Dublin in 1,5 weeks time and I want to do my major shopping over there.

Q: What your last purchased item?