CLOSET DETOX

Summer is less than a month away! I'm currently working on creating my Summer Capsule Wardrobe and will share it here once I have it completed. But first, I have to finish cleaning out my closet.. I know, sounds fun right??

I used these four steps/categories to help me with my "Closet Detox".

The first thing I did was donate 5+ bags of clothes to Goodwill. This is was the stuff that I hadn't worn in years, clothes from college, clothes I had put into storage and forgot about, etc. A little voice inside my head was screaming nooooo… but I had to remind myself that they were going to a good cause and someone else would enjoy them much more than me.

What about sentimental clothes that you never wear? I laid each item out, took detailed pictures and donated them as well. 

This is the clothes you still like and will wear but are not currently right for the season. It's best to pull all of these off your hangers so they won't create noise and cover up the clothes you can wear.

Unfortunately I don't have a ton of storage space in my urban one bedroom apartment. Thank goodness for under the bed storage. After a quick stop at Target I brought home a storage container that fits perfectly underneath my bed and stuffed all of my winter/fall clothes in it. I may get another since two will fit under there and I need all the storage I can get!

This pile included clothing that I wear on a less-than-a-monthly-basis but are hard to let go of because of one or both of the following reasons:

1. I spent a fair amount of money on it.
2. I still love it, but it's uncomfortable/not practical/does not fit properly.

Selling them makes it easier to let go of since you can make a little extra cash to fund that upcoming trip, a future capsule wardrobe, or to simply put into savings.

I sell my clothes on Poshmark but there are a lot of different sites you can do it through. Once I have the item posted I put it into a separate container and store it until it is sold. If it doesn't sell quickly, I will usually just donate it.

Take a peep at my closet. :)

This is your capsule wardrobe; the clothes that you absolutely love, fit you like a glove, and will wear all the time! My closet is not quite finished yet; there is actually still a lot of work to do. But I already feel that much better when I walk into my closet to find something to wear.

Weird Fun fact: I have this neurotic thing about matching hangers.. like they have to all be the same or I will throw them out! I love these cream colored velvet hangers because they lighten up my closet and my clothes don't slip off of them.

#TBT

Throwback to when I had crazy long hair! Ok it's not THAT long, but it's long for me. These photos were taken last year in Puerto Vallarta. I like this outfit because I still own and wear every article of clothing in this photo. I can't say that about most of of my outfit posts from last year.. Which is why I am only investing in timeless pieces now for my capsule wardrobe.

It was one of our last nights there and we decided to splurge on a big fancy meal on the beach. Seriously one of the best meals and views ever! If you're in Puerto Vallarta, you've GOT to go to La Palapa. It won't disappoint. 

Top - Zara

Skort - Express

Sandals - Nordstrom Rack

Sunnies - Nordstrom (Ray-Ban)

WEEKEND BASICS

This outfit is EVERYTHING for weekend activities. I can wear it while running errands, grabbing lunch/drinks/HH, to the movies or just lounging around at home. 

Leggings + Loose Tank + Bralette = My Daytime PJs

Throwing a chic jacket on top pulls it all together and makes it brunch worthy. 

Everyone seriously needs a pair of birks.

I had been contemplating buying some for years, but was afraid they would look too chunky on my tiny feet. I finally decided to jump the gun since we're going to Europe this summer and there will be a lot of walking involved no doubt.

No regrets at all! I bought the model that has a narrower sole which fit perfectly. And don't they look so sporty chic??

What totally makes this outfit the ultimate comfort ensemble is this cute black bralette. It is the next best thing to walking around with no bra at all.

Jacket - Zara

Top - Joah Brown

Bralette - Urban Outfitters

Leggings - American Apparel

Shoes - Nordstrom

OIL PULLING | THE TREND TO TRY!

What is oil pulling??

It is an ancient Ayuredic Medicine for oral care that involves swishing oil in your mouth for 20 mins, then spitting it out.

I don't remember how I came across oil pulling, just that the first time I tried it I couldn't commit. It was probably during one of my late night internet surfs searching for hippie home remedies.

Directions:

1. Put a tsp of coconut oil in your mouth (since coconut oil comes in a solid state, you'll have to wait a bit for it to melt in your mouth)

2. Swish it around (you can do so slowly.. 20 mins is no joke!)

3. Spit it out (not in the sink though)

My Routine:

I like to do the deed in the morning while I'm getting ready for the day. I get out of bed, tie my hair in a bun (if it's not in one already) and put a teaspoon of coconut oil in my mouth. After that I'll wash my face, do my makeup, pick out my clothes and by that time the 20  mins is usually up and I can spit it out. Then I rinse my mouth and brush my teeth to make sure all those nasty germ-ies are gone. Finally I take my hair down, spray some dry shampoo in it, get dressed and I'm on my way!

I'm not going to lie, it is a weird feeling to swish oil around in your mouth for 20 mins. But you DO get use to it after a couple days. The first day of round 2 doing oil pulling I had to spit some of the oil out half way through. I also only lasted for about 10 minutes. The second day I did the whole 20 mins and it just got easier from there. Now it doesn't bother me anymore! 

Benefits?

I remember reading somewhere that it could potentially help reduce allergies and I might be completely full of crap but I HAVE observed a difference! My allergies have been horrible this year - like blowing my nose every 10 minutes bad. After trying oil pulling for a few days, they've been reduced to sniffles here and there. 

I've been doing oiling pulling consistently every day for a week now and I've also noticed that my gums are healthier. I haven't seen a noticeable difference with teeth whitening yet, but let me know if you guys would like an update on this!

WHAT HAPPENED TO PRETTY OBSESSED?

I wanted to write a short post explaining why I decided to revamp Pretty Obsessed (the predecessor of Simple Chic). 

I created Pretty Obsessed after college while working my first 9 to 5 job. At the time I needed a creative outlet to express myself outside of work. It was primarily a fashion blog which I really enjoyed because I've always loved fashion. I kept up with all the fads and frequented stores like forever 21. Let's just say a lot of impulse purchases were made. When I ran out of space to store my clothes my solution was "I need a bigger closet!". 

My seasonal clothes went into storage to save space, but by the time the next year rolled around I had completely forgotten about them. So off to the mall I went, buying more clothes. Well recently I moved and I came to the realization that I had accumulated too much stuff! 

I started getting rid of all my excess belongings and along the way discovered the concept of minimal living. See this post for more detail. :)

However, I want to be a minimalist in my own way and on my own terms. Just like working out and eating clean, living a minimal lifestyle has to be approached in a way that will be sustainable for you. Also have I mentioned how much more relaxing my apartment is without all that stuff taking up physical and mental space??

Simple Chic is more than just about fashion. The name encompasses my goal to live a minimal/clutter free lifestyle, while staying true to my love of style and decor.

Interested in finding out more about this "strange" concept? These are articles are a great place to start:

http://www.theminimalists.com/radical/

http://bemorewithless.com/begin/

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/minimalism-benefits/

Would love to hear your thoughts! 

CHIC MINIMALIST

Hi Everyone! Wow it as been a WHILE since the last post on Pretty Obsessed. So much has happened in the interim; I started a new job, moved in to new apartment and have begun to adopt a completely new lifestyle... Ok it's not that dramatic. It is still a work in progress and I hope you guys will join me on this new journey.

The Back Story

Like many households in the US, my parent's had a lot of THINGS in our house growing up. There was just stuff... everywhere. I remember we even had an extra shed built just for more storage space. I thought that was  normal. And the scary part is it is normal for a lot of people. After I started living on my own, I realized that it did not have to be that way. Maybe that is why I am somewhat of a neat freak now. However, there was still that closet or that area in my apartment where randoms things would get shoved into - like Christmas decor, extra throw pillows (I went through a throw pillow frenzy), purses that I hadn't used in years, etc.

The Capsule Wardrobe

Fast forward to about a month ago, when I was prepping my apartment for the move. It was definitely eye opening to see how much  stuff I had accumulated over the past two and a half years. I donated some of it, but it didn't seem to be enough. There were still so many random unnecessary knick-knacks; decor that I had bought because it was on sale, vases that have never been used but I thought was cute at time, more candle holders than one could use.

I had been thinking about downsizing my wardrobe for some time now, but didn't know where to begin. I wanted my closet to contain pieces that I love and would feel comfortable wearing everyday. After all, I probably only wear 30% of my wardrobe most of the time anyway. That is when I discovered this new (well new to me) concept of capsule wardrobes.

What is it??

Caroline, the creator of un-fancy, describes it perfectly in her blog post here.

I have not figured out the magic number for my capsule wardrobe yet. And maybe there won't be a number. Everyone has a different definition of what "living minimal" means. I'm excited to embark on this journey of discovering my own definition with all of you.