hello beautiful

really now, that was a fast weekend.

i'm going to pretend it's not over.

  

i really love this spring weather, i know the summer heat is coming so i really enjoy this time in the garden.

on saturday i went to an estate sale and left empty-handed.  rare for me to do.

it hit me this weekend that i'm grateful that i no longer have little ones to raise.  that is a hard job and has so many responsibilities.  i really loved it when i was in it - but i'm glad it's over.

one of the pleasures of having this rose garden is being able to give them away.

i wish you could scratch the screen and get a hint of the fragrance.

i'm sharing this bouquet with you and jane at small but charming.


i hope this monday is good to you.


xo
janet

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random things - friday edition

pruning my roses is by far one of the best garden chores ever.

it's like quiet meditation in motion.

they are so beautiful - even in this faded state.

in other news, my dear friend steve from an urban cottage sent me this photo and said it reminded him of something i would wear.

he's right, i would wear this.

so i did.

thanks steve.

and in other good news...
 in two weeks the new wes anderson movie, moonlight kingdom will be released.
you can watch the trailer here.


that's pretty much it.
i survived a week with the new blogger format and didn't kill anyone.
hopefully next week will be better.

have a brilliant spring weekend

xo
janet

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29

a simple tip for getting a white shirt - white

i don't know about you, but for me, the hardest thing to do laundry-wise
is getting dingy whites - white again.
this rrl shirt of mine is a good example, it gets worn a lot and was looking pretty dull.

i learned this simple trick from a friend and it works so well that i just had to share it with you.

fill a sink or basin with hot water and
thoroughly mix in
1/4 cup baking soda and the juice of one lemon
place your item in, swish around and

let soak for about 30 minutes, rinse and smile because your shirt is now going to be bright white again.

i've tried lots of different methods before but none has worked this well.

do you have a great laundry tip?
please share!


xo
janet

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thrifting tips and the little black dress part 2

i showed you this dress here last fall.

today i styled it differently for warmer weather.

vintage dress - $4

j. crew belt - free from karen

bass loafers - $1

a lot of you have been asking about how i find such great deals while out second-hand shopping.

there really isn't much to it, it's actually a lot like shopping in regular department stores.

the first thing i do is make a list, it's hard to believe you can approach second hand shopping this way but you can.  our goodwill has a huge inventory and it's all organized by color.  so if i'm looking for a green sweater, it's very easy to find lots and lots of green sweaters to choose from.

most of them will be crap but occasionally you get lucky and you'll find a real gem.

so with list in hand i go to the appropriate section, let's say blouses and i scan the rows and rows of blouses by color and touch.  nice fabric really stands out in a sea of awful.  if i don't see it then maybe i'll feel it.  so as i'm walking along the rows i'm lightly touching the fabrics feeling for fabrics that stand out.  

when i find something, i first check it thoroughly for flaws.  i stretch the garment every which way and hold it up to the light to see if there are any tiny holes.  i check the stitching and lining and look for stains or holes that cannot be fixed.  

if it's made it this far then it will go in the dressing room with me and if it fits well i'll buy it.

or if it would fit with minor alterations then i'll buy it too.

all that being said, lists and all, the real thrill is finding something totally unexpected and unplanned for like this.  that is the really fun part of second-hand shopping, it's such an adventure.

a lot of people don't have the time or inclination to shop like this but i have to say it's now my favorite way to shop.  it's fun, challenging and so rewarding.

i know for a fact that if you are patient, there isn't anything you can't find second-hand.

i hope this helps or encourages you to give it a try.

have a beautiful day today!

xo

janet

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roses, roses, roses

the rose garden is in full production.

the first bloom of the year is always huge.



have a wonderful weekend!

xo

janet

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52

rain and shine

this past saturday it was rainy.



skinny old navy black pants
white rrl shirt
j. crew trenchcoat
sperry leopard flats (thrift)



and sunday the sun shined.



j. peterman linen skirt (thrift)
white rrl shirt
j. crew yellow cardigan
kate spade navy blue flats (thrift)
julie lorusso bracelet



both were lovely spring days.
and this is what i wore.


xo
janet

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33

easy

one Big advantage of a small wardrobe is the ease in picking out what to wear.
i mean this outfit is just so easy - and perfect for my lifestyle.



i'm going to do my best to post my outfits more often so you can see my list in action.

have a lovely day.

xo

janet

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cannellini bean and artichoke spread*

i swiped another recipe from

the alkaline sisters

and it's a good one.

we've been eating it every afternoon for lunch.

oh my is it delicious.

and nutrious.

i'm totally addicted to their website.
i want to eat everything they make.
so i kinda am.

they have me drinking alkaline water and eating raw.
i've switched my normal wheat flour to spelt (which i'm loving) and have me questioning everything i eat.
i love it when i find a blog like this.
it is so refreshing.

*no animals were harmed making this recipe.


have a splendid day.

xo
janet

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it's only rock and roll

i don't know which olsen twin this is or when this photo was taken,

but i do know this t shirt.

it's 1975

my very first rolling stones concert.

i kept this t shirt all these years.  every move i've made since i was 17 it went with me.
this t shirt brings back so many memories.
imagine my surprise when one of the olsens was wearing my t.


there is a lesson here somewhere.
something like be careful when decluttering.



i have a handful of things that i thank God i did not toss.
there was something special about each piece that i kept.
maybe it was sentimental or maybe it was a perfect fit or a classic style.


it makes me happy to share this t shirt with you on this friday.

yay, it's friday!


xo
janet

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53

raw soup

last week i came across this beautifully styled and photographed food blog called

the alkaline sisters

i love the way each recipe is described in depth and they also share the styling ideas of the photo shoot.  i thought i was doing good with my vegan diet until i saw these ladies diet.

omg, it is so beautiful and so healthy.
what an inspiration they are. 

so yesterday i made this raw green veggie soup from their recipe file.

it is absolutley delicious and i just had to share it with you.

i followed the recipe exactly.  the only change i made was the garnish.

i used cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes and sunflower seeds.

it was even better the next day.
the flavors of all the veggies are just so fresh and it feels like you are sipping a spring day with each spoonful.

i'm going to be trying a lot of their other recipes too.
they all look so amazing.


now go on and have a simply beautiful day today.


xo
janet

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29

how to cleanse your face like a professional

i've read that the average person cleans their face in under 10 seconds.  10 seconds!  that is fast.

since people pay me to clean their faces, i thought i'd share how i do it.

first off, i'd say that if you have a clairsonic then of course you don't have to read further.
i love my clairsonic and use one at work too.
but most of my clients want me to cleanse them the old fashioned way when they come to see me.

this is the old fashioned way.

after i have set my intentions, the first thing i do is remove all the makeup before the real cleaning begins, i do this whether i'm using the clairsonic or not.  i pre-cleanse my clients faces with a product that is really just jojoba oil and some warm water.  i remove their eye make-up first with cotton pads and then dampen their face and apply the oil in small circular movements, breaking down the make-up.  i wipe it clean with a warm wet towel and now i'm ready to start.

while the face is damp, i put about 4 pumps of the correct cleanser for their skin type into my palm and emusify it by gently rubbing the cleanser between my palms.  now i'm ready to apply it to their skin.  i start and the neck and in long sweeping upwards motions move to the chin and continue to work my way up, applying the cleanser to the entire face and neck.  once the cleanser is all applied i start back at the neck  and begin cleansing.  i slowly work my way up using small circular movements making sure to cover the entire face.  i spend extra time around the nose area and especially around the hairline.  while i'm cleansing this is when i'm doing my first appraisal of their skin.  this is when i'm feeling any bumps, blackheads or dry patches.  i actually learn a lot about your skin while i'm cleaning it.  i spend on average 3 to 5 minutes cleansing.  this may seem like a long time but it is very relaxing and it is like getting a facial massage.  facial massage is super relaxing and so good for circulation and skintone.  so when i'm finished cleansing, i remove the cleanser with a warm wet towel and proceed to my next step which is applying a toner.  some people don't use toners in between steps but i do b/c toners can catch any residual cleanser plus it helps return the skin back to its proper ph level.  you would be done now and so while your skin is damp this is when you want to put your serums, eye cream and moisturizer on.  unless your skin is extremely dry, i would avoid moisturizing your nose.  and please don't forget to moisturize your neck.  so now your skin is clean, massaged and moisturized and ready for a good nights sleep.


xo
janet

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99

good friday

whenever i put this blouse on it reminds me of my first real job.

it was 1976 and i was a secretary.  i worked for a large company and had two close girlfriends that worked there too.  fridays were the best because it meant one thing...the weekend.
those were the days.

 

alex bought this vintage blouse for me last mother's day.

i love it paired with these wide legged jeans.  i think they are the most comfortable pair of jeans i've ever owned and seem to be made for this blouse.

today of course is good friday.  i gave up complaining for lent and i lasted about 4 days. 

have a lovely weekend and happy easter too.

xo

janet  

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33

a small wardrobe

good morning!
  today i thought i'd talk a bit about my pared down wardrobe.
  if it wasn't for participating in project 333 for a year i don't think i would have come this far simplicity-wise.  the project gave me the discipline to do what needed to be done to control my closet. namely, take a hard look at why my closet was full but i often felt like i had nothing to wear, or didn't like what i was wearing.  my ultimate goal was to have a small, wearable and pretty wardrobe.  i think i'm there!  i understand that this is not for everyone but it's what i was looking for.  to be completely honest with you, in real life i don't need fancy clothes and i don't need many clothes.  this is a huge revelation for me because one of my downfalls was always buying clothes that didn't match my real life.  but on the other hand, i also love clothes!  i like having fun with them, getting dressed up for the occasional nice event, reading about them and just thinking about them.  fashion is a pleasant escape for me. 

that being said, i only have so much room and i hate clutter and cramped closets so i have chosen to try to build a simple yet versatile wardrobe that fits my life perfectly.

another goal i had in mind was to have the whole wardrobe fit in my closet and drawers all year round.  in other words i did not want to have to rotate clothes in or out.  i wanted to be able to see my entire wardrobe in one space - all the time.  

my uber-ultimate goal is to have just the right amount of everything.   

right now it looks kinda like this...

bottoms...

black skinny jean old navy

skinny light blue jean old navy

seven wide legged jean

theory black pant

rl houndstooth maxi skirt

banana republic camel pencil skirt

vintage kilt

j. peterman linen skirt
chambray skirt
navy and white stripe skirt

dresses...

navy vintage silk dress

vintage little black sleeveless dress

kayce hughes red dress

2 vintage maxi dresses

tops...

red/orange/black sleeveless silk top - vintage dana buchman

black 3/4 sleeve t shirt

anthropologie navy floral blouse

j. crew red and white striped t shirt

rrl white shirt

red and white vintage silk blouse

j. crew chambray

old navy chambray

american apparel sailor top

rrl plaid shirt

j. crew leopard cardigan

j. crew yellow cardigan

j. crew fisherman sweater

vintage black cardigan w/rhinestone buttons
vintage beige cardigan

other notes...

there are clothes on this list that i'm actually thinking of getting rid, i'm finding that i just don't need that many.  the desire for less, keeps growing in me and i can't explain it.  i hope to have less of everything by this time next year.  i also have 2 dresses and 2 skirts to take to the tailor to see if they can be altered to fit me, if not i will sell them on ebay. 

i also have a drawer for my sportswear.  it basically consists of 2 pr of yoga pants, 1 hiking pant, 2 shorts, some assorted t shirts from target, 3 or 4 tank tops, a vintage gray sweatshirt, a zip up hoodie and a bathing suit.  some of these clothes occasionally make their way into my non athletic wardrobe.

i also have 3 items of clothing that i purchased new a long time ago that would now be considered vintage.
one is the lillie rubin sequined dress, an ann taylor black halter dress and an old t shirt that i will share with you soon.  these 3 pieces are special to me and i'll keep them forever.

so there is some room for growth and if i get tired of something or my needs change i can change too.

i don't feel locked into any particular number and i'm sure clothing will flow in and out of my life, there is always that freedom.  but if your brain is wired like mine then having this structure feels good too.
every new purchase is now considered thoughtfully, as i don't want to wind up where i was a year ago.  it is a new and fresh way for me to think about my clothes and shopping habits that's for sure and the best part is, it seems to be working. 

so if you have any questions about anything just ask away.

i will answer them as soon as i can.

xo janet



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101

april garden

did you all have a nice weekend?  good.
we spent saturday in the garden.

winter kinda passed us up this year and i've been a bit worried about the garden.  we don't have a sprinkler system, so i have come to rely on winter's heavy rain to deeply water my garden to prepare it for the long hot summer.  so i was pleasantly surprised to find things growing.

like everything else i always worry about, things have a way of working themselves out.

so here are some pictures of what is growing now.

enjoy your day!

 

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