Self Organization » XOXOrganizing

What to Wear to Holiday Parties

November 16, 2015 by XOXOblog in General Organizing, Self Organization, Tips

I love getting invited to holiday parties, but the fear of the dress code kills me! I’m always second-guessing myself. I want to wear the exact right thing, so I use Real Simple as my guide on dress-code etiquette:

Black Tie= Old Hollywood glamour
Cocktail= An elegant party dress and a killer pair of heels
Festive= Razzle-dazzle
Business= Office appropriate
Casual Chic= Dress-up/dress-down hybrid
Come as You Are= Not really-LOL-you better step it up a bit more than how you really are

To read the entire fabulous article at Real Simple, click here.

How to Respond to a Party Invitation

November 9, 2015 by XOXOblog in Self Organization, Tips

Here’s what to do if you receive a party invitation via:

TEXT MESSAGE: RSVP within 1-24 hours. A text message invite is so casual that the party is probably only days away. This type of invite may not even require an RSVP, but it’s always polite to let your host/hostess know so they can be more prepared. B.Y.O.B.!

EMAIL: It would be polite to RSVP within 1-3 days. Alcohol will be the perfect party gift.

PHONE CALL: A phone call invite might make you feel obligated to say, “YES” on the spot. It’s better to check your calendar first so you don’t double-book yourself. Respond via phone call or give an in-person response no later than 24-72 hours. Offer to cook or bake something you’re stellar at making.

SNAIL MAIL: (I love snail mail! It’s my favorite.) Make sure to RSVP no later than the RSVP date. If they have included a response card- BE SURE not to lose it! Sometimes sending it back to the sender right away is the best way not to lose that tiny little card. Take your host/hostess something they would use in their home. A bottle of nice wine is best if you don’t know them that well.

5 Steps to Closet Organization

September 14, 2015 by XOXOblog in Closets, General Organizing, Self Organization

STEP 1: Sort through your closet and decide what you’ll never wear again. These items include the pieces that are outdated, torn, stained and those pieces that haven’t fit properly in quite some time (and you don’t plan on tailoring them to fit). Take these items out of your closet immediately. Decide if you’re going to donate the pieces you don’t want. Choosing a charity close to your heart helps you be fearless about your decision to donate.

STEP 2: Have a few pieces that need to be tailored? Take them to your tailor this week. Don’t delay-these are the pieces that haven’t been worn in a while. It’s time to make use of them again! if you wait much longer, you might lose interest in wearing them altogether.

STEP 3: Keep like-items together. (This is the step that will transform your closet) Move things around so they’re with their friends. Accessories together, sweaters together, shorts together, belts together, etc.

STEP 4: Use a drawer organizer to separate socks, underwear and other delicates.

STEP 5: This is extra credit- If your hangers aren’t the same type, switch them out for ones that are. Once you do, make sure all your hangers are facing the same direction.

Want to keep your closet looking sexy all year long? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Only put clothes away if they’re ready-to-wear. A wrinkly shirt in your closet isn’t a real option when you’re getting dressed in the morning.

2. Make sure to donate things along the way. Once you know something’s out,it should be out. Try to do this once each year.

3. Don’t allow “non-closet” things to enter your closet- ever. Pet toys, old birthday cards, extra office supplies- they live elsewhere.

4. Do a load of laundry the minute your hamper is full.

5. Pinky swear that you’ll hang up your clothes when you get home from work.

Organizing a Capsule Wardrobe

September 7, 2015 by XOXOblog in Closets, Self Organization, Taking Care of YOU

If you haven’t heard of a capsule wardrobe, don’t fret. I only heard about it about a month ago and now I’m in love.

My friend introduced me to the capsule wardrobe via Unfancy- a super cute blog which describes a capsule as… “…a mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear.” I asked her and another friend to help me since they had capsuled their wardrobes before and I trusted them to tell me what was what. We all got together, drank wine, played fashion show and laughed- a ton. Hahaha!

As organized as my closet was before I capsuled- my wardrobe was kind of a mess. I had a closet full of clothes, but felt like I had nothing to wear. I kept wearing the same pieces over and over (my husband even complained about it)! I felt the need to go shopping often to hopefully breathe a little life into my wardrobe. I figured the clothes I was buying were boring- and dare I wonder- was I boring? I panicked at the thought of being boring and tried to buy more interesting pieces-printed tops, wild colored pants and embellished hats. I thought my wardrobe needed to be more interesting. What I found interesting was that I hardly ever wore the new clothes either. My new clothes were too crazy and it was difficult to find an outfit to piece together since a lot of the pieces were printed or colorful-hahaha. In fact, I kinda didn’t even feel comfortable in the new clothes I was buying. I didn’t feel like myself.

After a 4-hour capsule wardrobe session with the girls- we went through EVERY piece of clothing and accessory I owned, we came up with a selection of pieces I LOVED to wear and felt comfortable in. We made a list of things that I needed to add to my wardrobe and I was surprised at how helpful it was to shop with a list. I don’t have a hard time getting ready in the mornings now. I have less clothes and more options. I didn’t realize how stressful it was getting ready with my old wardrobe until I created my capsule wardrobe!

Here are 3 samples of pictures I took to show my friends that I could get ready in 5 minutes or less:

If you want to try a capsule wardrobe- you have my full support! Find all the information you need here: http://www.un-fancy.com/capsule-wardrobe-101/how-to-build-a-capsule-wardrobe/

How to Find What You’re Looking for… in 10 Seconds

August 31, 2015 by XOXOblog in Self Organization, Taking Care of YOU, Tips

The number one client complaint is, “I can’t always find what I’m looking for.”

I have a suggestion on how to find anything and everything in 10 seconds (or less)!

STEP 1: Before you buy something and bring it home, think of where it will live once you get it there. A good way to find a place for everything is to think of other like-items you might have that are already stored in your home. For example, you might want to store your extra shampoos and conditioners with loofas and extra soaps.

STEP 2: When you buy the item and bring it into your home, put it away immediately. Don’t let things pile up or you’ll be overwhelmed later.

STEP 3: Be sure you have a mental inventory of your cabinets, drawers and closets by actively making it a priority to open doors and drawers so you always know what you have. This will keep you from buying multiples of things.