An organized purse

I am still in love with my New Year's new purse. For a while now I've been thinking about telling you about how I've organized it, but I've been waiting to decide if my organizational plan works. Two and a half months into using the purse, I can say that the organizational system I decided upon on the first day I used the bag has stuck!

The secret weapon of my purse -- and probably any well-organized purse -- is the system I like to think of as a purse-within-a-purse. Ladies, you know that if you aren't careful, your everyday purse can become a bottomless pit for all kinds of small items. When you carry around a big enough purse like I do, it's necessary to corral all these items in a small container. (This system also makes it easier for you to switch out purses by grabbing the essentials.)

For my purse-within-a-purse, I use a simple plastic make-up bag. Today I took stock of its contents.

 

My purse-within-a-purse stores my:

• Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing sheets
• Tide To Go stick (you knew I had that one, right?)
• Nail file
• Work ID badge with two flash drives attached
• Orbit gum
• A small pill box
• A toothpick packet (my dentist tells me I have really deep pits in my teeth, and whenever I go out to eat I feel like I have food stuck in my back teeth)
• Kleenex packet
• Two gel pens
• Nivea lip balm
• Two types of lip gloss (Nars Orgasm and Loreal Coral Sands)
• Three extra hair ties
• A small mirror
• A bottle-opened key chain my friend bought me for my 21st birthday that has become a holder for all those key fobs from stores

If you don't have a system like this already for your purse, I highly suggest it. I started using this system a couple years ago, and it has made searching for small items so much easier.

The rest of my purse organization is pretty basic, but I thought I'd take a moment to show off my purse's awesome storage capabilities.

Over here on the left you can see my two sets of keys (work and everything else), phone, purse-within-a-purse and my sunglasses.

On the other side of the purse I store my coupon file and my umbrella. (Like an insurance salesman, I always have my umbrella with me.)

The middle zippered section is where I keep my wallet, checkbook, a small notebook and (as of yesterday) my gloves. I figure if someone wants to pick my pocket this is one more hoop he'd have to jump through.

There are two small zippered pockets -- one on the outside and one inside the right side --  that contain absolutely nothing at this moment. I love the way this purse offers so many compartments, yet it all closes up so compactly.

I am still so in love.

How about you? Do you have any amazing purse-organization secrets?

Jeans victory, clock defeat

First, the bad news. 
A year ago I blogged about a wonderful new alarm clock I ordered from Hong Kong. This little green gadget is nearly perfect. But there's one small engineering defect that has officially made me groan at least five times in the past year and most recently on Friday morning.

The problem rests in the back of the clock.

If you look closely, (besides seeing dust) you'll notice that the on/off button is right next to the reset button. Every morning after I finally make my way out of bed I turn off the clock. If I didn't turn off the clock, it would defeat its entire purpose as a green product. But about once every two months or so I lose my edge and accidentally press the wrong button, which is inevitably the reset button. This is especially annoying because once I press the reset button there's no going back, and this clock takes a solid five minutes to program because it contains so many pieces of data. Definitely flawed engineering!

Now, on a happier note...
As we were packing for Mexico a week and a half ago I noticed that my beloved Citizens of Humanity Dita Petite Bootcut jeans had a massive hole in the crotch/butt region. Not only did I blog about these jeans days after I bought them, but I also saved the receipt in my long-term receipt file so I knew I bought them in mid-March 2010. I bought the jeans at Nordstrom, so I had a good feeling this would work out well in the end (pun intended).

Today I experienced the joys of Nordstrom customer service. I simply brought my jeans and receipt to the check out counter, explained that I bought the jeans less than a year ago and expected them to withstand less than a year of wear and tear. The girl said she would gladly take them back if I had my receipt. While she was issuing my refund, she said that sometimes the jeans simply don't hold up if they're washed and dried too often. Looking back, I only washed those jeans a handful of times because I really only wore them once a week max and basically never wore them over the summer, my prime time for casual dresses, skirts and shorts.

Overall, I appreciated the no-questions-asked approach to taking back my expensive purchase that in my mind was obviously defective (I may have a big butt, but it is not that big). I did try on a slightly different pair of Citizens petite jeans and they fit perfectly, so today I basically broke even. Bottom line (pun intended again): I love Citizens jeans because they fit me perfectly, and I hope this pair will out last the previous one.

Two more feel-good Sunday thoughts:
1) In today's 60-degree weather I was thrilled to see buds prominently visible on trees. That just makes me happy.

2) A-la my friend Lindsay's experience, I also planted an amaryllis bulb this winter (my first one ever thanks to a gift from my friend Zoe) and it is in full double-flowering bloom. Such a nice treat after about six weeks of TLC.

Hope everyone's gearing up for a good week!

The rug debate is settled

After much deliberation (and several blog comments and email responses from you, dear readers, thanks!) we've reached a decision. It came down to option #3-- the Zinnia Rug in Grass/Cream by Thomas Paul on CSN -- and option #6 -- the Surya Mystique Collection M317 Green Rug from RugsUSA. Even though I was initially searching for a more aqua-colored rug -- which is why this Plain Jane from Crate and Barrel was promising -- the greens kept calling my name.

And, I kept coming back to the fact that I wanted a patterned rug. After all, our entryway is about as neutral as it can get.

So, I can't wait until this baby arrives later this week!

Go bold or go home, right?!

Without my influence, Matt also chose this as his favorite of the top two choices. This was, of course, before he knew that this rug costs twice as much as the runner-up. He asked me if I like this rug twice as much. I think I do.

But at least I got it at 25 percent off. And free shipping?!

OK, I'll just go ahead and label this one as "splurge."

Another reason to love our dishwasher

I love sparkling wine. If we're ever at a bar together, this is the drink you can buy me. I do not, however, like to clean champagne flutes. These are those items that, after they get used, have been known to sit on the counter behind our sink for -- no joke -- a solid week before I feel like dealing with them. They're so delicate, and so narrow, and so generally annoying.

I thought of investing in a baby bottle cleaner, but then realized that wouldn't change the fact that I'd still have to carefully clean the outer edges of the flutes. I've tried soaking the flutes, thinking that might help, but that just left a yucky residue.

So, the other day, I had a revelation: see if they fit upright in the bottom of our new dishwasher. And they do. Happy day.

The top of our old dishwasher was just low enough that the flutes couldn't stand upright, and I've learned from experience (of Matt loading the dishwasher) that there's absolutely no point in putting flutes or wine glasses in horizontally as all the dish gunk gets stuck in them. In our new dishwasher, propped up against our dishwasher-safe cutting board and lodged in prongs that perfectly fit the width of the flutes, they've come out sparkling.

Ahhh, simple pleasures. This dishwasher has been worth the investment.

New year. New attitude. New bag.

We just returned from our annual trip to the beach with friends for New Year's. This year we celebrated with three of my best friends from high school and their fabulous husbands. Along with ringing in the new year in the hot tub after a rousing game of Taboo, we also did some outlet shopping. As we were walking by the Coach outlet, my friend asked me if I had considered buying an expensive purse. I said I am always considering it, but it's impractical, and it's something I would have to devote lots of time to before making a purchase.

Fifteen minutes later, I made the purchase. I found the purse. I knew. I'm a decisive person.

Also, if my best buddies hadn't been with me, I probably wouldn't have bought it. The conversation went something like this:

Friend 1: "Stephanie, that purse is totally your style."

Me: "I know, I have really obvious style. I think I'm really easy to shop for. And that bag is adorable."

Friend 2: "I know this will blow your monthly clothing budget, but you can just buy less clothing to make up for it."

Me: "It's such a splurge."

Friend 3: "Uh, this is not a splurge; this is a deal."

With that, I walked up to the coupon lady standing at the store entrance and asked for the 20 percent off everything in the store coupon I rejected when I walked in.

And I walked out with this.

I love white bags, and the toffee (that's according to the tag) and white combo really did it for me. The top of the bag is cutely ruffled...just a little for visual interest. And the inside is perfect for organizational purposes. My friends also commented on the inside of the bag particularly suiting me. Again, my style is pretty obvious.

At originally $398, I thought the $152 I paid was a good deal. Matt said he can now justify getting an iPad this spring. We'll see. He did just get a new gadget I'll share more about soon. I'll also share my new plan for organizing my new purse soon.

In addition to having a new bag, I've decided that my resolution this year is going to be more all-encompassing than last year's highly practical and specific resolutions of flossing daily (check), Furminating the dogs daily (not so successful there) and starting a blog (here we go year two!). This year's resolution is unoriginal, inspired by the Serenity Prayer: I need to do a better job accepting the things I cannot change. Hopefully learning to follow this advice will help me personally and professionally, though it won't be easy. I know you must be shocked -- Stephanie has problems letting things go? Inconceivable.

One thing that remained the same this year in the midst of all this crazy bag/mantra change is the New Year's celebratory cake. We like to decorate a cake New Year's Eve that highlights the accomplishments of our friends celebrating with us at the beach. I'll let you guess which accomplishment below was ours. Here's a hint.

 

Here's to new beginnings and new bags in 2011!

Taking the plunge: Custom framing

Although the subject of today's post is by no means a last-minute gift idea, it is about a splurge I finally made for Matt and me that's been a great gift for us the last couple weeks.

Over the summer in Florence I stumbled upon the world's most adorable stationery store steps away from the Duomo. In addition to vintage-Italian-inspired greeting cards and gift wrap, the store also carries replica old-fashioned Italian prints. I fell in love with an awesome map of Italy, knowing it would be a great reminder of our trip. It's one of the few souvenirs I brought back from Italy -- the map, along with my red leather gloves from Venice, have been nice to break out this winter.

Of course, as luck would have it, the map is totally odd dimensions -- at 15" wide and 12" high, it doesn't exactly fit any pre-made frames.

So, after letting the map sit in our office closet for five months, I finally bit the bullet and took it to Michael's in late November when the store was in the midst of its 60 percent off custom framing sale. I know they have custom framing orders on sale year-round, but this was legitimately the best sale of the year (and the only remaining sale for anyone who wanted their orders back in time for Christmas).

Even with the fantastic discounts and my tendency to still select the "cheapest" variety of everything -- mat, glass, wooden frame -- I still managed to spend $72 for the finished product, but the reminder of our most amazing trip of our lifetimes hanging on our bedroom wall is a priceless way to warm up the dead of winter.

Walking into Michael's, I didn't have a serious vision of what I wanted the finished product to look like. I only knew I wanted a brown wooden frame to match all the other frames in our bedroom. So, I let the sales rep guide me through the process, and together we got to this. I'm satisfied with the quality of work and the speed at which it was completed, though it was done about four days past its due date. I cut Micahel's some slack, though, knowing this is the busiest retail time of year. I would go back for future custom framing needs, though I might splurge for the glare-free glass in the future (as you can see, it was very difficult for me to photograph this piece of art!).

And, when we have children, I will totally be that mom who gives her children standard 11" x 14" paper for them to draw their masterpieces so as to reduce the need for any future custom framing orders. Because, any way you slice it, this stuff is expensive.

Now off to do some serious bathroom cleaning. Today was dog washing day, and dog washing day = messy bathroom day.

Exciting news!

It is with hearts filled with joy that Matt and I announce the latest addition to our family. Delivered Saturday, October 16 at 5:25 p.m., weighing in at several hundred pounds, with a volume of 26 cubic feet: Mr. Samsung A. Fridge entered our world, and we were never the same.

Although he is absolutely perfect in our eyes, once the plastic coating came off and the delivery men had left, we discovered two major scratches on his right door and one less-significant scratch on his left door. We made a call about two minutes after the delivery men left, and next Saturday, when the dishwasher gets delivered and installed, we'll also be expecting replacement doors.

Matt and I love all the space inside the fridge, the fact that everything is at eye-level (yes, the freezer is on the ground, but we are not big freezer people), and we love the speed with which the water comes out of the exterior door dispenser!

We are simply in love.

Making the most of Energy Star tax-free holiday

Appliances! New! Stainless steel! Energy Star! Not yet delivered or installed!

Over the weekend, while Virginia was having its Energy Star appliances tax-free holiday and Sears had its Energy Star appliances on sale for an additional 20 percent off, Matt and I made two major purchases: a dishwasher and a fridge.

"But Stephanie," you, loyal blog reader, say. "I thought you did not need new appliances. I thought you said 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'" Yes, this is all true. This was an uncharacteristic move. This, my friends, is what happens when your husband decides he would like to make a purchase. Matt, he-who-is-way-more-frugal-than-me, wanted to make a purchase, and I did not want to stand in the way of his joy, and I was not sure when this moment would repeat itself. He did thorough research, and he chose the dishwasher and fridge that came most highly rated for our target price range.

Truth be told, I really wanted a new dishwasher, and Matt was all excited for a new fridge. Our dishwasher is loud, so loud that I cannot be upstairs in our bedroom and not hear it banging around. It works perfectly well doing its job of cleaning, but because we plan to upgrade our kitchen over time to all stainless steel appliances, we figured now was the time to start. The fridge, on the other hand, was not as necessary of a purchase. The ice maker is a bit of a pain in that it gets clogged weekly, but otherwise it's good. Of course, as the largest appliance in our kitchen, no doubt replacing the fridge will have a major impact on kitchen aesthetics.

Here's our kitchen as it stands today with the white appliances:

The old GE Profile dishwasher...

And the new Bosch dishwasher. I am really excited about the hidden controls and sleek design!

The old GE fridge...

And the new Samsung French-door fridge (26 cubic feet)

The appliances are scheduled for delivery and installation on Saturday. Personally, I am not holding my breath for that, and I'll be pleased if they are set up within the next two weeks. Either way, I am thrilled to have these babies on order.

We did not take Sears up on its $10 haul away of old appliances offer. We plan to try to sell both the old dishwasher and the old fridge on Craigslist. We've had several friends manage to do this recently, so we figure that with two appliances in good working condition, we probably have a decent shot. Our buddy Bob gave us this piece of advice for selling old appliances: take photos of the appliances operating for potential buyers to see. So, next time I run the dishwasher, I'll be sure to snap a photo (and hold up the day's newspaper to show the date in time??? Still working on that one...).

Was this a bit of a splurge? A luxury purchase? Sure. But, all things considered, it was also a good enough deal. More importantly, though, by upgrading our house little by little, we won't have to spend a ton of money at once when we're ready to move. Perhaps most importantly, we get to enjoy some of the fruits of our labors while we live here rather than simply passing our upgrades on to the next owners.

Inside my closet day 4: Buying expensive jeans

In the fall I bit the bullet and bought really, really expensive jeans. I know in the world of fashionable people this is normal, but for me this was an amazingly huge step. I went to Nordstrom and fell in love, and I never turned back.

Favorite clothing item #4: Citizens of Humanity jeans

Investment jean #1: Citizens of Humanity Ingrid Low-Rise Flare Leg in Pacific Ocean color. I bought these at Nordstrom in the fall for a whopping in $149. I know, I nearly had a heart attack too, but these jeans are honestly two to three times better than any jean I've ever owned, so I suppose there is a lot of value there (or so I tell myself).

My friend Lindsay recommended these jeans because they have a tiny bit of spandex in them which makes them a little more forgiving than other jeans, such as Sevens, that I had tried on in the past. If, like me up until a few months ago, you have never tried on designer jeans, be prepared for them to be comically long when you first slip them on. I got them tailored for free at Nordstrom to fit me perfectly when I'm wearing heels, my usual shoe of choice in the winter thanks to my boots.

Tip: The girl at Nordstrom who was helping me with my first purchase suggested that I take my jeans home, wash and dry them before bringing them back in to get tailored. I'm glad I did this, because the tailoring worked out perfectly.

Investment jean #2: Citizens of Humanity Dita Petite Bootcut in Angel color, that I purchased last weekend at Nordstrom for way too much money than I care to admit...OK, $172. That's right -- really expensive, and petite. And they are pretty great. They are a slightly lighter weight material than my longer jeans, and they have more variation in color throughout the jean.

You may have noticed from other posts that I am not a huge fan of tailoring. I hate waiting and paying extra, even though I am aware the pay off can be worth it. I love buying petite lengths if they actually fit me appropriately. So far I have decided that these jeans do not need tailoring. I specifically bought these to wear with flats, my spring and summer shoes of choice. When I wear them with flats with any small amount of lift off the floor they are perfect, because I really do not want them to touch the ground and fray. The jury is out on whether I can wear them with flip flops, but even if I cannot I think I will probably stick with my no-tailoring plan.

Before these jeans all my jeans came from Old Navy, Gap, JCrew outlet or one pair of skinny jeans I got at Ann Taylor Loft (that I exclusively wear with flat boots that I affectionately call my "Peter Pan boots"). I still have three other jeans in rotation: a pair from Gap that I wear for really casual events; the skinny jeans from Loft, that are suited for winter; and a pair of really old Gap jeans that are good for yard work. I used to love the Hipslung short jeans from JCrew that I bought at an outlet, but they got a giant hole in them after only about two years of wear (and I like to wear my jeans for years). I patched those jeans on four separate occasions, and then I finally got the message.

Other favorite jean items that are really inexpensive (and old!):

My jean jacket from Old Navy that I bought in at least 2003. Here are Matt and I in May 2005, two years after college graduation back in Charlottesville enjoying an amazing brunch at the Boar's Head.

My short jean skirt, also from Old Navy, that I bought in at least 2005. Here I am enjoying the last sunset of our honeymoon in Maui in August 2006 (I cropped Matt out because he was topless and I don't want you to get too excited).

So whether they are splurges or more thrifty purchases, my jeans are some of my most favorite items that withstand constant wear.

Next up....inside my closet week continues after a brief stop back in the kitchen to learn about the backsplash project progress.

Inside my closet day 1: Slippers!

Because this is apparently my full-circle blog week, it seems appropriate to let you into my closet today by talking to you about my slippers. My very first blog post was aptly titled "Launch party in my slippers" because, with a few exceptions, I have been wearing those very slippers every time I write.

What are these magical slippers? Sadly, they are one of the most expensive items in my closet.

By now you've probably discovered that I am a pretty frugal lady. After all, I cut up pieces of cardboard to make desk accessories, clip coupons weekly and frequently turn to Craigslist. But sometimes I splurge, and I splurge big time. This was one of those times.

Favorite clothing item #1: My Ugg Dakota slippers in tobacco color

 Last New Year's Eve as we ushered in 2009, as tradition would have it, we had a group of friends at Matt's parents' beach house in the Outer Banks. My friend Emily broke out these adorable (important) and warm-looking (more important) slippers that I coveted for an entire year, literally -- and you know I use that word correctly. Then this past New Year's Eve when I saw Emily again I realized that I had wanted these slippers so badly for so long and I still wanted them. It was love, and I needed to get these slippers into a life-long relationship.

I am all about commitment, so I used this as a means to justify this ridiculous purchase. One hundred dollars for a pair of slippers? Yes, I did that. Most of my shoes, including leather winter boots, cost less than $50 that I buy at the end of the season at DSW after significant mark downs. This slipper purchase was virgin territory.

So of course I did some decent research. I scoured the Internet for deals, but as you may have guessed Ugg doesn't hand out too many deals. I did, however, discover that REI carried this product (albeit seasonally), and we're REI members, so I bought my slippers there because the 10 percent member reward benefit is better than nothing. I look at my slippers as really costing $90. Reasonable, right? I know, still pathetic.

In my Internet searching I also looked into size advice from current slipper owners. These slippers only come in whole sizes, and I am a consistent 7.5 shoe size (isn't everyone???). Someone suggested I buy big. Someone suggested I buy small.  I went with 7 and I found perfection. It's true, they do stretch out, so it's OK if they're a little tight at first.

Before slippers I always had cold feet. Before slippers I had dirty socks. Before slippers I silently made fun of people my age who owned Uggs. Before slippers I fell down our stairs several times (including once this autumn when I was holding a glass broke as I fell and cut my finger so badly that I probably should have gotten stitches but toughed it out instead). Now my feet are warm, my socks clean, and my fingers free from gaping flesh wounds. And I understand the appeal of Uggs.

I do not believe I have ever been so happy about a clothing purchase as I have been about these slippers. I have one rule, though, to preserve them: I never wear them outside. These are solely house shoes, so they have stayed quite clean after these three months of constant wear. I've even been known to put them in my purse and take them to other people's houses. My only complaint is that these cute little suede bows are tricky to keep tied, but sometimes I double-knot them, which is probably pretty nerdy.

These are the kind of slippers that make me wish I was a stay-at-home mom just so I could wear these slippers all day. But I don't have a baby. And my husband is also a teacher, so I don't think I'll be a stay-at-home mom even when I have a baby.

But I will always have these slippers.