Office Decor Essentials

Office Decor Essentials by preppy-lizzy featuring Kate Spade

Pottery Barn black chalk board / Modern office accessory / Office accessory / Kate Spade office accessory / Modern office accessory / Multicolor pen / Small item storage / Office accessory

Whether you have a desk at work or at home or both, making it an organized space where you can get the most of your job is essential. But being organized does not mean that your décor cannot be exciting and beautiful. Adding a little whimsy to your office décor can make your day go by much quicker for sure.

I love having colorful pens and cheeky pencils to make me smile during the day. A beautiful chalkboard or white board is essential for keeping track of what you have left to do. A beautiful pillow can brighten up the room and give your back a rest. File folders are a great way to display your personality.

It is important to take an organized look at your space and job needs, but nothing says you can't inject your personality into the space.

Essential Organization Tips to Master by 30

Organization Tips to Master by 30 by preppy-lizzy on Polyvore

 

1. An closet organization system that works for you. By 30 you should no longer be living out of a pile of clothes on the floor. Organize your wardrobe by color, clothing type, pattern, whatever works best for your eye and stick with it. It has taken me a few years to find what works best for me, but know I know that I separate by type and then color, regardless of pattern and I've found getting ready so much easier. All my shoes are in clear boxes so that I have easy visibility to each pair and I can easily step through my wardrobe grabbing each piece.

 

2. Don't forget about your accessories. If you just focus on the clothes and not your bags, jewelry, makeup, etc., getting ready will still be a chore. Also once things have designated places and you stick to that, the routine will help you stay organized.

 

3. Learn to make a list and stick to it. I live by my to-do lists. Even if lists aren't your thing, writing things down helps to ensure you don't forget something and get frustrated later.

 

4. Keep like things together. Find a place to keep all your DVDs, your games, your cooking utensils and stick to it. Don't mix your batteries with your tissues. You'll never find them! Keeping like items together in drawers, etc. will keep you far more organized in the long run.

 

5. Keep reducing the size of your junk drawer. I'm down to one tiny drawer. I also tackle it every few months to clear it out!

 

6. Important papers should be in their place, in files in storage bins. Or if you prefer, create a digital filing cabinet. My husband used to just throw all his papers in to a plastic drawer. I finally cleaned it out years later. Amazing the stuff he kept tossed in there and essentially was lost to him.

 

7. Do a purge at least annually. I try to purge my bookcase, closets, storage bin and kitchen annually. I also go through my linen closet every two years to see if its time to purge any towels or sheets that have seen better days. It's cathartic and reminds you of what you have and what you don't really need anymore.

 

8. Routine is key. Keeping up with your organization is essential. The more you do it, the more you will always remember where you keep everything.

Time Management Tips

Time Management Tips by preppy-lizzy featuring a battery powered alarm clock

We are all short on time. Our lives are so busy that many days we feel like we cannot get it all done. But there are definitely some tips I have picked up over the years to help with time management and I felt it was worthwhile sharing them with you all.

1. Don't underestimate the all powerful list.

Keeping a running list of my to dos has always helped to remind me of things I don't want to forget. But in general I love a good list. I keep a list on my fridge for groceries so that as I run out of things I can make a note. I also keep a to do list a work everyday of tasks that I need to get accomplished each week. Lists keep me sane and focused without making me feel overwhelmed. I just keep a goal on my mind, that if I can get a task done that day, why not?

2. Knock a few things out every night.

This particularly applies to cleaning, but tiding up each night can help keep you from ever having to spend hours cleaning. Taking a minute or two to clean the vanity counter after brushing your teeth, or putting your clothes away before getting into bed, or wiping down the stove after cooking, can really save you time in the long run. I also love to get a quick vacuum in during commercial breaks. You don't miss anything that way.

3. Multitask while watching TV.

TV is one of those times that you can veg out to the point of being comatose, so instead I try to keep my mind focused by doing another task like knitting or blogging. It keeps me awake and focused. Multitasking can be great but a lot of times it can also work against you. It's really up to you to figure out what tasks you can multitask at and what ones need 100% of your focus.

4. Get a routine.

Routine honestly helps keep you focused better than anything else I have seen. A schedule that you stick to, like hitting the gym or making your lunch nightly, helps to keep you from feeling like you have wasted the day. I find myself wasting time on those days when I feel like I have nothing else to do. On those days I end up putting off my tasks because I feel like I have all the time in the world. But on days where I have my schedule and routine to keep, I am much more productive because I know I only have so much time to get it done.

5. Don't worry about what's left on your list.

You are not superman or superwoman. There will be things left on your list. Just roll them over and deal with them the next day. The world won't end!

Maintaining Your Inbox

How To: Maintaining Your Inbox by preppy-lizzy featuring tech accessories

We all live in a digital age where we are inundated with email throughout the day everyday. To top it off we are all subscribed to more email list serves than we probably want to be. I pride myself on being prompt to respond to emails but sometimes, things fall through the cracks when we are overwhelmed. As a result, I find that I try to live by a few rules to maintain my inbox.

1. Important emails and those needing a response get flagged or stared. If you have an email that has important information or one that you still need to respond to, flag it or in your Gmail box, star it. Flagging tools allow you to mark your emails with different color flags to differentiate.

2. Use folders. I move emails to their respective folders as soon as I reply to them to keep the numbers of emails in my inbox to the minimum. When you get a reply it will jump back to your inbox and be coded to the appropriate folder, making it easy to keep on top of it.

3. Use tags. Mark your emails to the appropriate folder even if you don't move them there immediately. The colored tabs will make it easy to immediately know what that email relates to.

4. Use an unenroll program. There are number of programs available that will help you unsubscribe to email lists in bulk. Stay subscribed to only those you care about.

5. Use delete. Every morning I scan my inbox for whatever email I received over the night and do a mass delete for any emails that I don't need that day but don't want to unsubscribe from. Then I can easily tend to the emails I still have as unread.

What are your inbox management tips?

Keeping A To Do List

Keeping a To Do List by preppy-lizzy featuring office accessories

I am one of those people that could not get by without a to do list. It helps keep myself accountable and on track for what I need to accomplish day to day. At work I keep a to do list mouse pad that has each day listed as well as areas for phone calls, emails and notes that I need to be reminded of.

For day to day reminders as well as long term monthly reminders, I use the Reminders App on my iPhone. I can keep a monthly reminder to pay the rent as well as rolling reminders for stuff to do around the house.

Finally, I like to keep a list for the blog. I typically use the Notes app on my iPhone as well as my handy to do list pad on my desk.

How do you keep your actions at the forefront of your mind?

Keeping Track of Your Closet

Organizing one's closet can be an overwhelming task but one that most of us tackle every spring with the season change, hence the term Spring cleaning. While I strive to keep my closet organized and update any new changes with each season, I find myself most active and excited for organization in the spring. I recently tackled updating my closet organization to better find everything after The Container Store was having a closet organization sale and I have to say, getting ready in the morning is already so much easier now.

I organize each category in the following order: Black, Brown, Purple, Blue,
Yellow, Green, Red/Orange, Pink, White.

First thing I did was perform a closet purge that included everything from formal wear to workout gear to accessories, like scarves, belts and sunglasses. I gave myself the firm directive that everything that didn't fit anymore was out (with the exception of a few family heirlooms) as I was going to stop keeping closet space for clothes that no longer fit. Wearing your actual size goes a long way in looking put together and slimmer than squeezing into a size or two too small for you.

I also gave myself the instruction to get rid of anything I hadn't worn in over a year. If it has been longer than 365 days do I really think I'm wearing it anytime soon? I created three piles: Keep, Donate, Sell. Higher end brands or items that had never been worn went into the sell pile, where I promptly posted to both my Poshmark and eBay accounts, as I have found different things sell on each site. Anything in good condition that was from a more inexpensive store went into donate, and then I had my keeps, things I really loved and looked great on me. After two days of a lot of photo taking and posting, everything was moved into bags and set aside. Anything in the donate bags went off to Goodwill the next morning. Some advice when posting items for sale, be completely honest. Higher end pieces that have a little damage or a minor repair needed, still sell really well, it just needs to be marked as such. With my keep pile left over tackled re organizing my closet, drawers and armoire.

In the closet, I decided to finally give in and organize by color. I still keep each item of clothing separated by type: dresses, skirts, pants, blazers, tops. But now they are all grouped by color in their individual categories. I have to say, I don't know why I fought this for so long. It has made the world of difference in the morning knowing what color I want to pair something with and going right for it. It also helps you see what colors you have a plethora of and those that are seriously lacking. For example blue dominates my closet, followed closely by pink and black. Yellow on the other hand is almost non-existent. I have one yellow top. That's it.

Skirts and Pants. 

In my armoire, I shifted some things around to create better use of my space and make it easy to grab and go in the morning. All my workout gear is organized within three drawers, leaving my shelves for jeans, shorts, tanks and tees and sweaters. All my oversized sweaters and jeans are now on one shelf together, followed by tees and tanks, then shorts and camisoles and finally at the top, sweaters. It is so much easier to just grab and go.

My super organized armoire from Ikea. The doors are mirrors which is a great double use.

Finally in my drawers I realized I wasn't rotating accessories because I couldn't see them. Here is where the 365 day rule really came into place. I sold over 10 scarves and 10 belts that I wasn't wearing because I had forgotten I had them. Just like in cooking where your pan should be big enough to let food breathe, the same goes for accessories. If they are buried at the bottom you will never see them.

So some rules I now live by:
1. Be brutally honest with yourself when purging. Ask yourself does this look good on me? Would I buy this again today? What is the price per wear I have gotten out of this? If the answer is no to any of these questions, sell or donate immediately.
2. Anything you haven't worn in over a year gets sold or donated immediately.
3. Anything that doesn't fit (too small or big) gets sold or donated immediately.
4. Be honest in any postings for sale. eBay and Poshmark will protect sellers as long as they are honest in their listings.
5. Constantly make decisions about pieces in your closet so that you don't have to do one major purge a year.
6. Organize by clothing type and color (where you can). It makes getting ready 1000x easier.
7. Give your clothes breathing room. Too many clothes often results in the same "I have nothing to wear response" that too small of a closet does. Being able to see what you have goes a long way.
8. Closet purges are great because you often rediscover long lost loves.
9. Brands that resell really well online are: Lululemon, J.Crew, Lilly Pulitzer, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Kate Spade, Zara, Coach. Things that are hit and miss: Gap, Old Navy, Forever 21, H&M.
10. Your closet should evolve with you as your style evolves.

Tuesday #Shoesday: Shoe Storage

Tuesday #Shoesday by preppy-lizzy featuring a shoe box

While I currently do not have the master walk in closet of my dreams, I do have a pretty great full wall closet that has an upper shelf where I can stack all my shoes in clear shoe boxes from the Container Store. I love that they keep all my shoes clean while still allowing me to see what is in each box. The boxes are just around $1 a box and have been absolutely worth the investment. I also use them under the sinks in my bathrooms for storage and keeping everything organized by need. Still a girl could dream about closets like these. How do you store and highlight your amazing shoes?

Organized Desk Equals Efficient Worker

I love my desk at home. We took an unused corner in our living room and put a Crate and Barrel leaning desk caddy corner to one of their leaning bookcases. It is the perfect little office corner and I feel like I get so much accomplished sitting there. It truly has become my sanctuary at home, but I have to admit that when my desk gets messy, my productivity drops drastically.

I love the acrylic line of desk organizers from container store because they hold everything without looking heavy and I can easily find what I am looking for. I also use a mail sorter as a note card holder because as you may have read a few months ago, I am a huge fan of the handwritten note and a number of my friends also act as pen pals with each other, sending snail mail once and a while instead of the standard email.

Here are my favorite items to keep your desk streamlined and work efficient (no matter how small the space!)

Staying Organized by preppy-lizzy featuring book-shelves

Small item storage / Crate and barrel furniture / Crate and Barrel book shelve / Office Star Products Mid Back White Eco Leather Chair / The Container Store > Gold Mini Three-Ring Binder / The Container Store > Information Central Mousepad / The Container Store > Pencil Cup / The Container Store > Memo Block / The Container Store > Letter Sorter

A Little Poshmark Trial

via HGTV

So I've been reading all over the place that Poshmark is the way to go to sell your clothing, shoes and accessories that no longer have a place in your closet so I decided to give it a spin. I have always used eBay to sell my nicer pieces in the past and had good success but after reading up on Poshmark, I have to say it seems to be overall easier to use. I already had a bag of clothes ready to go from before Christmas break that I was planning on posting to eBay in the new year and so I used this opportunity to try out a few postings.

While I think the concept of Poshmark is great, I have to say I am currently not yet convinced. I find the feed a bit overwhelming and while I find I get a lot of likes, I haven't come across any potential buyers yet. Maybe I just need to start following some more closets in the hopes of broadening my follower base. I also added a Poshmark button to the blog, so if you are interested check it out. I am planning to give myself a month and see if anything comes of my listings. If not, no worries, I can always go back to my tried and true eBay.

Wardrobe Essentials

Tim Gunn's Guide to Style was a very similar show to one of my all time favorites, What Not To Wear. To honor them both as they are now both no longer creating new shows, I wanted to share what my wardrobe essentials are via Tim Gunn with a few other ideas of my own.

Wardrobe Essentials by preppy-lizzy featuring blue jeans

Banana Republic kohl dress / Cap sleeve v neck dress / J Crew white tuxedo / Rebecca Taylor block sweater / J Crew coat / Trouvé purple blazer / Kate Spade dot skirt / Ann Taylor black shorts / Joe's Jeans blue jeans / J.Crew j. crew pants / Frye leather boots / Zara black pumps / J.Crew ballet shoes

Tim Gunn outlined his 10 Essential Items every woman's wardrobe needs as the following:
• Basic black dress
• Trench coat
• Classic dress pants
• Classic white shirt
• Skirt
• Blazer
• Day dress
• Cashmere sweater
• Jeans
• A comfortable alternative to a sweatsuit (a great pair of black walking shorts are my go to)

In addition I feel that every woman needs these three pair of shoes:
• Black Pumps
• Neutral Flats
• Riding Boots

What's in My Bag?

Girls are curious beings and we love to see what people tote around in their bags all day. Recently I have reverted back to using my Michael Kors Hamilton Pearl Grey Tote as my daily go to bag. I bought this bag last fall with my sister-in-law after I had been lusting after it for months. I love the classic shape and grey leather because it is such a soft neutral that I can pair with any look.

What's in my bag? by preppy-lizzy featuring lips makeup

I love having a big checkbook style wallet that zips all the way round. I like my money not folded up and it has a nice big change pocket for me to collect quarters to do laundry or pay parking meters. I also am able to carry all my essentials with me without every worrying that I left one at home.

I love that this purse has a key strap for my keys so I can always locate them. With big structured  bags like this it is easy for things to get lost but this bag has a great design. Not only does it have a key strap, but it also has 4 open pockets and one zipper pocket to hold onto all my small stuff.

My headphones and charger are a necessity that go with both my iPhone and Blackberry. Yes, I have two phones. Unfortunately I can't have my work phone and personal cell be the same phone, so I am one of those people, always tied to the office. I love to listen to music at the office though and so my headphones and charger are key for keeping this sucker ready to go if I ever want to shoot out a tweet or Facebook post for the blog. I also drive a lot, and the apple headphones are great because they have the built in mic so they double has my hands-free headset at well. I like to carry my headphones and charger in a cute personalized change purse my friend Rori gave me for Christmas last year. It is small, but keeps things in their proper place. I hate when cords get all tangled in bags.

I always have a mini notebook and pen along with my Russell + Hazel Binder which I use to jot notes or a new contact's information. I also keep my business card carrier (not pictured) in my purse because you never know who you may meet.

I also always have my Kindle Paperwhite with me. I love to read, as I am sure you have seen from our most recent book club post here, and its so small and lightweight you barely notice you have it. Also since it gets weeks of battery life I only have to charge it every few weeks and as a result I am always ready to read, even if it is just a few pages.

I always have my glasses since the biggest reason I have them is to help with eye strain from starring at a computer screen all day, along with my Michael Kors Sunglasses that I love. Mine are this style but in a teal tortoiseshell that I bought 4 years ago and they are still my favorites day in and out.

Finally I have my go to lipstick right now, which is the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine in #12 Corail Incandescent. I have this great pink color that is really flattering. I love how rich and moisturizing this lipstick is, although I like to rotate it around, so this is usually changing daily.

What's in your bag?

Organized Can Still be Cute!

I adore daily planners. I know many of us carry smartphones that can do almost everything for us these days, but there is something special about pulling out your planner and it being something you love that is so you. I carry mine in my purse daily and have space not only for meetings, but pages for doodling and taking notes on upcoming blog posts. I personally am addicted to my Russell + Hazel planners but all of these planners are awesome options and at a number of price points are great for every budget.

Love Love Loving by preppy-lizzy on Polyvore

1. Russell + Hazel Mini Three Ring Binder ($15 for binder, $24 Daily Calendar, $9 Filler Paper, $10 Grid Paper, $14 Tabs)
I have to thank Carly of The College Prepster for her post on Russell + Hazel planners because they have totally changed my day-to-day life. I absolutely adore my Russell + Hazel mini binders and I use my gold binder with zebra rubber band (just like Carly) for my day to day planner and blog post planning and my purple binder with green chevron rubber band at work for meeting minutes and notes during my work day. I love that they are reusable and completely customizable to your life. In my gold binder I have my calendar for 2013 and both filer and grid paper. My purple binder is filled with mostly filer paper, but some grid paper for doodles always finds it way in. The great thing is that you can get this system at The Container Store. Thanks Carly for the great idea!

2. Lilly Pulitzer 2013 Monthly Planner ($16)
This was one of the standard planners I used to rely on back in college. It has plenty of room to get important dates down and the patterns are always bright and colorful ever season. And when you get to look forward to another great Lilly print each month, how could you not love it. It's also a bigger size making it easy to find in a backpack.

3. Today is the Day Pocket Planner ($15)
I love the message that comes with this planner. It would only keep me inspired to get my To Do List done as quickly as possible. Ruche has only 5 left in stock so get on this one ASAP. The front cover says Today is the Day and the back cover; Make it Happen, as seen above. It has room to make notes for each day, which is great.

4. Kate Spade New York Tudor City Large Debra ($198)
I love that this is another reusable planner and in the large size you can really use this running from meeting to meeting, taking notes and keeping your calendar in check. I also love that this color is called Ringwald Pink. How could you not be "Pretty in Pink" with this kind of planner? The planner comes with the 2013 Calendar inserts, but you can repurchase new inserts each year from Kate Spade.

5. Graphic Image Personalized 2013 Notebook Planner ($70)
This planner is great because it can be personalized with your initials so for the monogram lovers out there like me, this is a great choice. It also comes in the pink color above as well as bright orange and mocha. I love the pink and the orange; it was hard to pick which one to feature!

6. 2013 Rugby Weekly Planner ($20)
This is a great planner. It has both monthly and weekly areas to get your information and plans down right. It is made just for you via Etsy and there are multiple prints for you to choose from. I was immediately drawn to this style because the colors are my favorite (they were my wedding colors exactly) and who doesn't love a preppy rugby stripe. Also for $20 how can you go wrong? The College Prepster also featured this planner recently as a great option for a daily journal.

Do you still use a hand written planner, or are you all digital these days? What's your planner like?

January Closet Cleaning - Use eBay!

I have to say eBay was one of my great rediscoveries of 2012. I had created a seller account a few years ago when I wanted to sell a pair of split fins that I was no longer using for diving, but then I let my account fall by the wayside.

Last year, my sister in law Laura informed me that instead of taking bags of clothes to Goodwill every year, I should try my hand at selling the good quality stuff on eBay first. I have to say, she was right. I have been able to recoup some costs from clothes and accessories I no longer fit into or wear and as a result, have given myself a little shopping income on the side, which my husband appreciates. I will say higher priced brands seem to resell the best, especially Lululemon, J.Crew, Kate Spade, Anthropologie, etc.

Another added bonus is discovering all the great stuff that is in my closet that I just didn't realize was there before. Because I had too many pieces jamming my closet, I couldn't see all the potential my wardrobe had. As I result I feel like I have rediscovered some old favorites and put together some great new outfits I never would have anticipated before.

Now this is not to say that I still don't have items to take to Goodwill. I usually will relist items a few times on eBay, but if they are still not selling, I will ultimately take them to in for donations. Now is a great time to test out the eBay waters. From January 13 to January 19th, eBay is offering unlimited free auction style listings, so what's to lose! I may do another pass through my closet myself.

What do you do with all your unwanted clothing and accessories?