#Blogmas Day 14: Holiday Candles from Bath & Body Works

Happy Monday, y'all! Hope you had a great weekend and are ready for more #Blogmas action here on the blog! I've said it before, but the holidays are not the holidays without a 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works burning in the background. And one of my favorite things to do is pop into the store near Grand Central Station and just stick my face into each and every one of them until I decide which are THE BEST. It's a very scientific process, and part of my own personal catalogue of Christmas traditions. Anyone else? No? Well, that's okay... I've done the embarrassing legwork for you then! Below are my personal top 4 Holiday 3-wick candles. And, as always, pay attention to sales because you can get an amazing deal on these. In fact, as of now (for a limited time only) they are $15.00 marked down from $22.50, so get to shopping!

1  Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Basically a christmas cookie/dessert in the form of a candle. Yum!

2  Mahogany Teakwood This is a totally masculine, woodsy scent that (not gonna lie to you) kind of smells like a sexy man! I told another lady who was sniffing it, and she bought two! Heyyy girl.

3  Vanilla Bean Noel This is a classic. It's just so sweet, creamy, and totally just  warm, and I love burning it in the kitchen.

4  Frosted Cranberry This is also totally an annual classic, and really reminds me of home. It's fresh and fruity, and totally festive.

No Takeout November | Skinnytaste Meal Planner

Hello, November! I can not believe how quickly time is passing these days. Sunrise/sunset... Okay, moving on. I have a friend who's doing a No Spend November and she is basically my hero. If any of you have done something like this successfully, and saved a quick and easy thousand dollars in the process, my hat's off to you! Truly, I think I would die. But the idea inspired me to take an honest look at where most of my money goes each month (cough, cough, takeout/restaurants/bars) and I've isolated something I can SAVE BIG on without going berserk.

No Takeout November, for a New Yorker, is definitely still a sacrifice in order to save big. I typically buy breakfast, lunch, and usually dinner from various restaurants ranging from Dunkin Donuts (coffee + breakfast at work), to my favorite local Mexican restaurant (a dinnertime favorite), to Domino's Pizza (yes, I am the worst New Yorker ever...my boyfriend will be the first to point this out). Hear me: It is ridiculous to eat 3 meals out every. single. day. And, trust me, it adds up fast. Also, when left to my own devices and spur-of-the-moment decisions, I am just NOT a healthy eater. So cooking healthy for myself is a secondary benefit!

My go-to website (and cookbook) for healthy, easy, delicious recipes is skinnytaste.com and so imagine my surprise when I found that she recently released a companion to her amazing cookbook that was a tool specifically for meal-planning and calorie/activity tracking. Enter The Skinnytaste Meal Planner. It seemed like perfect considering my No Takeout pledge.

Image from Kittsona

It's got a spread at the beginning of each week to plan your meals, which I'm using to establish which nights of the week will be "cooking nights." Since I am still as busy as I ever was, and life doesn't take a back seat to my No Takeout plans, I will try to keep these to 2-3 a week, maximum and try to knock out the bulk of my planning and shopping on Sundays.

Then for each day of the week, there's space to track everything you eat (amazing if you're trying to be cognizant of that) as well as a cute space for activity tracking! Sure hope I manage to do more of that as well, but I also know the importance of focusing on one goal before conquering another.

I'm very excited about this No Takeout November project, and will definitely let you all know how it goes! Wish me luck!

Meal Planning 101

A recent obsession of mine is weekly meal planning. I've known people, mostly married couples and young families, who were able to save a ton of money by planning and cooking each breakfast, lunch, and dinner for their week. But as a young professional, a New Yorker, and unfortunately a certified takeout queen, could I ever pull this off? The answer is a resounding yes!

I'm more than 3 weeks in now, and have already saved hundreds of dollars, since I was used to buying breakfast ($5+), lunch ($10+), and dinner ($15+) out every single day. Believe me when I tell you that ANYONE can do this, and the savings alone makes it worthwhile. But there are plenty of additional benefits like added nutritional value (this is amazing for dieters), less urge to snack since you know what and when your next meal is coming, and the satisfaction of both learning new recipes and taking pride in everything you put into your body. I am a meal planning believer!

I've been scouting Etsy for some cute printables that will help me in my meal planning endeavors, and I've displayed a few of my faves below. I may eventually DIY something of my own, but wanted to share for those of you who aren't graphic designers!

This week's meals included:
Sweet Cucumber, Red Onion & Dill Salad (Eat Yourself Skinny)
Clean Egg & Zucchini Muffins (Eat Yourself Skinny)
Spinach Lasagna Rolls (Skinnytaste)
Easy Crust-less Spinach & Feta Pie (Skinnytaste)
Squash-tastic Shepherd's Pie (Hungry Girl)

Customizable PDF from AtomicaPress - $6.00

Handmade Item from askingfortrouble - $8.62

Instant Download from SweetPaperTrail - $3.00

Instant Download from LauraDraytonCreative - $10.00

Instant Download from TinyStripes - $5.00

Home Sweet Home

I just realized that I've lived in the city for 9 months now and still haven't shown you my apartment! Part of that is because I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me until about 3 weeks ago to finally finish it....but hey, hours are crazy and city life is a blur. And it's finally finished now, so I wanted to give you a little Instagram shot of my blogging headquarters, aka bedroom. The theme here is mixed patterns and textures, vintage flair, and tons of pillows. In my opinion, that's the secret to a perfect living space. What do you think goes into your dream bedroom?

Wonderful + Whimsical

I think I happened upon quite possibly the most amazing Pinterest account I've ever encountered! Will you get a load of these bright, cheerful, colorful interiors? I can't imagine better eye candy on a Monday... Thank you Pinterest, and double thank you to Live from IKEA FAMILY for a major dose of inspiration. Check these beauties out!

Originally pinned from Camille Styles

Original pin here

Originally pinned from Bungalow 5

Originally pinned from Éénig Wonen

Originally pinned from by.bak

Originally pinned from House to Home

Originally pinned from Coco+Kelley

New City, New Mood

I've been thinking about redecorating my bedroom all year long, but never really got around to it. I primarily focused on my living/dining area instead since, for the past year and few months, I've lived in my own place and had no immediate plans of doing anything crazy like moving to New York City... But now that life has changed, and plans have changed, I'm happily planning on investing some time really decorating my NYC bedroom. My goal is to keep it bright, but calm, and a little eclectic. Totally me. Of course, I needed to find a way to combine my living room pieces with my bedroom items, because now that I'm moving in with people who've already lived together for a year, a lot of their furniture and decor is mostly figured out. That makes this an ideal time to really overhaul my boudoir. So for your viewing pleasure, and with the hope that you'll give me some budget-friendly ideas, I've created a little mood board.

1  Mix and Match Lamps from World Market. Base: Martina Aged Mirror Table Lamp Base Shade: White Mulberry Paper Table Lamp Shade.
2 This ultra-cheap Room Essentials Leaf Comforter from Target is reversible, and super soft to the touch.
3  I have a ton of painted gold frames that I've picked up at Goodwill and garage sales. And a vanity mirror to match!
4  The hardwood floors in my new bedroom (the first one shown in this video tour) are just about this color. I think? Maybe just a bit more red.
5  I fell hard for this Silver Recycled Bangle Jewelry Box from Urban Outfitters.Very art deco.
6  This Room Essentials Bright Exploded Flower Rug from Target currently lives in my living room, but will be making the switch to my bedroom in NYC.
7  I'm planning on jazzing up my room with a good old-fashioned frame wall!
8  I'll never forget my old stompin' grounds with my Columbus Neighborhoods Map from These Are Things. Maybe I'll get a matching NYC map once the city really feels like home?
9  Concealed storage is the only way to go. Classic white boxes from Ikea will have a home in any place I ever live...
10  Not my exact dresser, but the same finish, Birch Veneer, from Ikea. I'll replace it eventually, I'm sure, but for now, it works just fine.
11  Just an idea, but I'm thinking about painting a subtle, thick stripe on my walls, or maybe even a chevron wall behind my bed...depending on how much smaller it may make the room look. We'll see when I get there!

So this is the direction I'm headed when it comes to nesting in my New York bedroom. What do you think? I wanted to go with something a little more adult for my actual bedding, but then use the bright colors in the rug to really make the space cheery and fun. We shall see how it all turns out, once I move into my permanent apartment in February! In the meantime, I'm sure I'll just keep compiling more ideas. Or be so busy exploring my new turf that I won't think of it at all!

Pack That Thang Up...

Packing. I'm doing a lot of it lately...as you may have heard, here! And instead of feeling extremely bogged down, like one might expect, I'm actually becoming quite an expert at it. In the past 8 years, I have lived in 2 different houses, 3 different apartments, and a dorm room. So you'd think I would be able to live out of a suitcase (or a few) at this point, but believe me, I have had plenty of chances to accumulate junk...

Image via Pinterest

I am what I like to call an organized hoarder. I have LOTS of things, mostly clothing related items (does any twenty-something really need 15 different coats?) but they are all hung up, grouped by item (i.e. skirts, shirts, dresses), and organized by color. I also collect those $5 DVDs on sale at Target like it's going out of style, but they are all alphabetized and live in white boxes like this one from IKEA. I also archive back-issues of Martha Stewart Living by year in these white boxes. You never do know when you're going to want to revisit a really great craft idea, I always say. But thanks to blogs and Pinterest, perfectly lovely daily inspiration, these mags are getting tucked away in storage until I own a sprawling country home like Martha...

Obviously staying organized is still a challenge when I have so much stuff crammed into a 1-bedroom apartment in Columbus. But it's about to get even crazier now that I'll be trying to fit everything I own into one bedroom in a 4-bedroom Manhattan apartment with minimal closet space. I had to downsize. And it felt good! So good, in fact, that I decided to share my downsizing and packing strategies with all of you. Check them out, after the jump!

A Green Cleaning Machine

I spent today sick in bed, for the most part...but I have a type of strange, nervous energy that always has to be doing some sort of work, so I also took the opportunity to deep-clean my apartment while watching Regis and Kelly  and Dr. Phil , and play stay-at-home-not-mom.

This seemed the perfect chance to test out some of the new Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products I stocked up on last time I took a trip to World Market. I've been a Meyer's-fan for quite some time, mostly because of the packaging (I mean, hello? The basil scent matches my blog rather perfectly...) but today I realized that not only do they look and smell terrific, but they get the job done! A personal favorite would have to be the Surface Scrub. As my Comet -obsessed best friend knows, I have been looking for a product that works just as well, but isn't full of chlorine bleach and a whole other cocktail of strange, scary chemicals. Mrs. Meyers, you've made a lifetime customer out of me!

Next up on my list of products to try? 
Countertop Spray
Surface Wipes
and Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Mad Style

I don't know how I never knew about it until now, but bloggers Tom & Lorenzo give fashion breakdowns of each character on Mad Men, paying special attention to Betty, Joan and Peggy from seasons 1-3, and then a breakdown of each episode in Season 4. I have been simply salivating over a closer look at Betty Draper's clothing... If you are a Mad Men fan, you need to check this out post haste.

In my opinion, Betty never looked better than in this moment.

Could any woman look more amazing at the Super Market?

This dress is childish and fabulous all at the same time.

Always playing the part of the perfect wife & hostess.

I especially die for Betty's equestrian looks.

Also, can I take a moment to say that Janie Bryant, costume designer for the show, published a lovely book on style, The Fashion File, that Eric got me for my birthday. I loved it, and the illustrations are adorable! Check it out on Amazon.

Swab the Decks

How adorable are these preppy cleaning supplies by Alice Supply Co.? They actually make me want to do housework! They would make great gifts, and I am tempted to start buying bits and pieces of this little collection whenever I've set an extra twenty or thirty dollars aside...but then who knows? They could discontinue them before I've collected them all. These are like the Graphic Designer/Donna-Reed-Wannabe's version of Pokemon cards...And I'm still bitter about the Martha Stewart KitchenAid discontinuation, aka "shot heard 'round Jenna's world." The scourge of being obsessed with having a complete set. Please, Alice Supply Co., I beg you to keep these products until I have managed to purchase them all, but especially the garden hose!

{Photos via Alice Supply Co. & Assembled by Jenna Sais Quois}

Fun, Feminine Interiors

I am twenty-four, a recent graduate, and a designer. This basically means that I have been waiting to get out of dorm or crumby-collegiate-apartment life for as long as I can remember, so I can live alone and have a fantastically decorated pad to come home to! I am looking to do something feminine with my new space, since it's just me. And I can only assume that my mid-twenties are the only time I will be able to get away with a fresh, femme décor...So here are some of the living spaces that have been inspiring me lately. I love how comfortable they feel, in addition to being well designed. I think it all boils down to the fabric and textile choices in the room.

{Images from here, here, here, here and here}

Am I dreaming?

I have many fantasies about where I will live and what my life will be like. And in my deepest, and unfortunately most neglected of them, I imagine living in a cottage in the woods.

I really do.

And I think it would be in a cozy little cottage by a creek, where the sunlight only peeks through the thousands of leaves and branches intricately criss-crossed above my roof. In fact, it would look almost exactly like this...all white, filled with books and pretty flourishes, and flower boxes at the windows. So basically, it would be this house featured in the New York Times Home & Garden section.

{Photos from here}

I want to live here. I want to die here. I want to wade the creek in those red galoshes, and drink pink lemonade on the front porch in the evenings. I just wish it had a kitchen and a bathroom...But you know, those things aren't necessary to human existence or anything...

What's Cookin?

As I may have posted, it's been a busy year. I have completed a thesis, graduated, and am now job searching and moving! My last day in my apartment will be September 9th...the only hitch is that I do not know where I will actually be moving! But a girl can dream, and I have been giving a lot of thought to what my kitchen will look like when I get there. Thanks to a lot of Martha by Macy's products, some of which I have managed to buy before they were discontinued, I have a pretty clear direction.

Anthropologie magnetic kitchen timer

6-piece Multicolored prep bowl set {Mixer discontinued}

Cuisinart Classic Toaster

Yellow kitchen towels Red 5 quart collander

Utensil Print pot mit

6-piece Melamine mixing bowl set {blender discontinued}

{recipe card holder discontinued}

Thank goodness I have managed to collect all of the discontinued items. The rest are on my wish list at this point...My mother and I managed to find the blender in the right color at 3:00 in the morning during an existential kitchen crisis. Whew!

Custom Calligraphy Stamp

In the world of e-mailing and texting, a handwritten letter definitely seems delightfully out of place and appreciated. Bloggers have been featuring Primele's etsy shop lately because of her fantastic return address stamps featuring custom calligraphy. Priced at only 40 dollars, this would amazing to have for yourself. It would also be a fantastic wedding or anniversary gift for a couple that is much too cool for return address labels. Enjoy!

{Images from Primele on Etsy}

Quest for the Perfect Closet

I, like every other woman lucky enough to have HBO in the early 2000's, quickly became obsessed with the Carrie Bradshaw closet. I just loved the aqua-gray color of it, and that everything seemed to have it's own perfect place. The fact that it was filled with hundreds of thousands of dollars of designer shoes and clothes was another high point. Simply sublime.

I have to complain for a bit that I can not believe she lives in Manhattan and has this kind of closet space, when my own apartment is likely twice as large, and I have 1/8th this kind of glamorous storage. However, a girl can dream, right? Check out this collection of divine closets I've assembled and we can all pretend together!

{Photos: Momoy.com, Charlotte Magazine, Canadian House & Home}