Using Travel Pictures Wisely

(From our beach camping trip over the Summer)

We've all heard this saying, haven't we? In this day and age, it seems that everything is about commemorating snapshots of our lives using our cameras, in particular, our cellphone's camera. When we went on our trip a couple weeks ago, we used our phones to take pictures instead of our more professional DSLR. Using our phones was more convenient than pulling out a bigger, heavier camera that could prove to be cumbersome.

I've been bitten by the travel bug lately too. In just a few short weeks, my best friend and I are going to a destination wedding in Hawaii. I've never been to the island of Oahu, so I am extremely excited to explore the city, offset by beautiful ocean. And next Spring Godwilling, Nate and I are going to try our very hardest to make a European vacation happen. I think we are realizing that starting a family is within reach, and we want to see and do as much as possible before babies come into the picture.

In thinking about all of this travel and wanderlust, I stopped and pondered why we haven't yet made good use of these pictures. Even from our wedding and honeymoon last year, our phones and SD cards are filled with undeveloped photos that we could print and use as thank-you cards, Christmas presents, birthday gifts, and for decorating our barren condo walls. I really want our travel to be documented and looked at in a meaningful way, so I've come up with some solutions that I plan on using in the coming months. I hope these tips can help many of you as well!

1. Unload your phone's camera and PRINT them! Easy enough right? Most stores have kiosk stations where you can touch up blurry photos, make them more vibrant in color, or forgo color altogether for that beautiful vintage black and white look.

2. Turn your travel photos into a book. Artifact Uprising is probably my favorite company to use and recommend. Photo books are great because you can set them on your coffee table and they are great conversation starters for your party guests. The best part is reliving those special moments with others. Printing your Instagram photos and using them as prints in your home is also great for guests to look at.

3. Now that the Holidays are upon us, why not use your travel photos as gifts to friends and family? My grandmother loves to travel, and each year when we would gather for Christmas, she would bring her photos for us all to ooh and ah over. Take it a step further and actually use these photos as gifts and thank-you cards. Treat by Shutterfly is what I'll be using within the next few months. Personalized cards are so much more thoughtful than store bought cards, and they are always good to keep around for last minute gifts.

I hope this is helpful ladies! It's time to stop stockpiling these beautiful memories and start putting them to use! Let me know if you enjoy this type of post, I may do more in the future that are different from my normal fashion and beauty blurbs.

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Things I'm Loving: Decor, Jewelry, & Choosing Wisely

These "current favorites" posts are always the most enjoyable for me to write. I'm constantly obsessing over certain things, and I love sharing them with you. This month has so far been all about sticking to my resolutions and getting back on track after a lazy December, but I'm also still loving decor and, of course, jewelry!

New mirror, purchased from HomeGoods with a gift card from Christmas. I love the bronze/brown tile frame. Our living room wall is quite large, and this is the perfect piece to fill it. 

The crystal sconce is also a HomeGoods find. It hangs next to our kitchen. The swirl design is a lovely accent to our neutral palette. Lately, my mom has been bringing me fresh flowers from her garden, and I love decorating with them to add more color and vibrancy to our little space.

This tray from Target sits on the ledge between the kitchen and living room, and it's great for candles, pictures, and other pretty treasures I want to display. The great thing about having a large decorative tray is that you can switch out the decor frequently to add a different look. Before the wedding picture, I had a glittery tree for Christmas. 

While browsing Instagram the other night, I came across this jewelry line found on Etsy: Amarilo specializes in dainty, handmade pieces. I especially love her rings! I want to order this lovely oversized heart.


Lastly, I stumbled upon this quote and it's my style resolution for the year:

It's so easy to get caught up in the trends these days. One of the most unsatisfying feelings is having a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear. How many boyfriends and husbands have heard us say that?! I think I do pretty well to make sure I don't buy impulsively, but once in awhile, it happens. I'd like to curtail this altogether, and simply focus on buying pieces I know I will love and wear to death. Even if something costs a bit more than I'd like to spend, as long as it's classic and well made, I think it'll be worth it in the long-run.

What are you loving this month? Have you made any style resolutions for the year?

Happy Weekend!

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Perfect Pairing {And Some New Decor}

Wearing: H&M sweater/blouse (old), Loft jeans, J Crew pumps (similar for less), Banana Republic clutch (obsessed), Stella & Dot pendant and bracelet, Fossil watch (in rose gold)

Bright cobalt and leopard are becoming my go-to combination this season. I think I initially saw them together on Instagram, and the pairing caught my eye right away. I can't put my finger on what it is that I love so much, but they just look so sharp against dark denim, navy, and black. Any dark neutral outfit becomes the backdrop for these bold accessories (my favorite way to get dressed). Speaking of getting dressed, I was looking through my closet the other day and shoved way in the back was this H&M cult favorite sweater from two years ago. Remember it? I swear we all had one!

Before I go, I wanted to show you girls some new decor details I've been slowly adding to our condo. We have lived here for almost a full year, and yet I never got it to look the way I wanted because of our wedding. Now that it's over, I have more time to devote to decorating, and trying to make our little space a home that reflects more of who we are. I'll show it to you once it's all complete, but here are a few pictures of the progress.

I love our master bathroom - clean and simple

Mirrored box that sits on my nightstand :)

Our new king bed that undoubtedly makes getting out of the door every morning such a task!

Both the bed and the headboard are from Costco (online). The bedding isn't complete just yet, as we want to actually buy new pillows as well. But the down comforter and sheets are from Target (online). 

Just purchased these over the weekend and can't wait until they arrive! Both are for our bedroom.{Throw pillow for bed, print for wall} {SSprintshop, Anthropologie}

Thank you so much for reading!

♥ Noelle

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Updates: Wedding Dresses & Bathroom Decor

The title of this post made me laugh out loud a little bit. Wedding dresses AND bathroom decor! Look at me, I'm all grown up aren't I?

Things have been busy busy around here. All centered around wedding planning and trying to get our condo in order. I try to remind myself on a daily basis to simply enjoy the process of it all, and not focus so much on the eventual outcome. This is proving to be a difficult task.

I finally ordered my wedding dress though, and I couldn't be more relieved! And happy! I can't say (or show) much on here because so many people I know now read my blog. I will say this: It met all of my criteria. Strapless, sweetheart neckline, and very romantic for our day on the beach.

"The dress" is somewhere amongst the swaths of chiffon and lace. You can't actually see it in this picture though, so no need to guess! Aren't they beautiful? Like delicate swans :)


My next task has been finding a little white dress to wear to my joint bachelorette party. Yup, I said joint because my best friend and I are both getting married, almost exactly one month apart! Crazy? Yes. Crazy fun.
I ordered this dress from Zara yesterday, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it actually fits. If not, I will return and keep looking. But I'll keep you guys posted. I love the jacquard fabric, and of course, the color is right.

I love the overall feminine shape. It also has little cut-outs on the sides, which vamp up the dress.

As far as home decor, I am choosing to focus on one room at a time. I decided to tackle our two bathrooms first because I figured they were the easiest!

Our guest bathroom has a beach or Hawaiian look to it.

The turquoise vase is from Target, and I can't wait to put some beautiful white flowers in it. The piece of coral is from TJ-Maxx.

Our master bathroom has shades of champagne and cream.

I love our shower curtain and soft, soft rug. Both from Target.

I loved the turquoise vase so much that I went back for the pretty champagne/blush color and it's perfect in our bathroom. Again, it screams for some gorgeous flowers! Maybe I'll get some today since it is Valentine's :)

Everything is a work in progress so if you have any suggestions feel free to comment. I'm a novice at home decor.

♥ Noelle

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Shabby Chic

I must confess: You would think that a girl that loves cosmetics and fashion would undoubtedly love decorating and home furnishings. They all resemble each other and go hand in hand right? Unfortunately, when it comes to decorating I am sort of clueless. Not that I don't know what colors and fabrics look good together, but I think my problem lies in the fact that I am indifferent about it all. I would rather adorn my own body than adorn my bedroom. My boyfriend and I are saving to buy our own condo, and I am hoping (almost certain) that when the time comes, I will be more willing and more interested in making our little house a home.

There is one thing that I do look for when buying little treasures for my house, and that's price and originality. I like things that look vintage, one of a kind, and that don't cost very much money. Because let's face it, I'd rather buy a lamp that costs less then twenty dollars and put the rest of my money away for a fabulous bag ;)

I bought these vintage looking shoe boxes at TJ-Maxx for two dollars! I was just browsing, looking for a pretty jewelry box but stumbled upon these pretties instead. I already put two pairs of shoes in them and they look so great in my closet. I wouldn't recommend using these for all shoes. I like shoe racks or clear containers to keep them orderly and neat. But a couple of these to house my special pairs = perfect! The other box was also found at TJ-Maxx. I put my favorite scarves in it.

  These little trinkets were on a sale cart at Pier One Imports. I liked the little box that resembles an old book. I am still on the hunt for the perfect looking jewelry box to store my nicer peices in, but this will do for now. I used it for my Chanel earrings and my giant YSL Arty. The baby pink eiffel tower figurine is actually a piggy bank! I am keeping it on my vanity, just as a reminder that I must visit Paris one day ;)

How do you like to store your jewelry, shoes...anything really? I would appreciate any tips! Any jewelry box ideas or places I should look? Remember, I want something vintage inspired and also one that isn't too large! Thank you girls.

♥ Noelle

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