Tuesday, October 30

Instagramming It

Retiring this lovely coin purse as my wallet. It's still pretty so I think I'll just keep it in my purse.

Out with the old, in with the new. From Target.

Why are these so delicious?

Purposefully awful manicure is purposeful. And awful.

Good Deal: 50% off Halloween Candy at World Market


Saw this in my inbox today for 50% off Halloween candy and snacks at World Market. Today only. Looks like I may have to make a trip out there to pick some up. We've been very good about not buying any Halloween candy so far this year actually. Last year was our first Halloween here in Bakersfield and despite the fact that there are quite a few children who live in the complex, none of them were out trick-or-treating. Maybe they go somewhere else? Somewhere nicer? No reason we can't have candy just for us. I've never purchased candy from World Market before. I'm hoping it's good! Judging by this picture their selection looks promising.



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Daily Inspiration, October 30, 2012

Monday, October 29

Haul: Zara, Ulta & B&BW

I had quite a bit of fun shopping around online last night and picked up a few things for a great price. For a long time now I've been searching for the perfect handbag. The last one I bought is having some issues with stitching, and while it's been hanging up in the closet waiting to be repaired I've been using one of my nicer stand-bys, a BSBGeneration red leather clutch that unzips to almost double in size. But it's not a practical bag for every day use and I wanted something nice for winter.

One of my favorite celebrities, Olivia Palermo, frequently rocks a purse from Zara, and until last night I thought for sure a Zara bag would be out of my price range. I was wrong, and that's when I found the Zara City Bag with Chains. For just under $50! (And. Free. Shipping.)

$49.90 at Zara.com 
But before purchasing I made sure to check out some images online and even watched a couple videos from YouTube beauty gurus to make sure the purse was as fabulous as it looked. I'm really looking forward to getting this in the mail. And free shipping!!!

One of the beauty gurus on YouTube with the Zara bag also had a video where she used the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, which at $50 is a little out of my price range. I found a great alternative from NYX in the Nude on Nude Palette for half the price.

$24.99 at Ulta.com
Also recommended by the same beauty guru was the Real Techniques makeup brushes, and I found a sort of starter kit at Ulta for just $17.99. Best of all I was able to use a 20% off code and got $5 off the price of the palette.

Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set from Ulta.com
Finally, I checked out Bath and Body Works to see if any sales were happening, and was delightfully happy to see mini candles were just 2 for $5. So I picked up a few.  Well, actually nine.

Fireside, Eucalyptus Mint, Chestnut and Clove,  Marshmallow Fireside, Tis the Season, Leaves, Frosted Cranberry, Autumn Day, and Winter
 I also picked up some bath gels that were on sale. I love me some watermelon scented beauty products!




I used a coupon code to receive 20% off my entire order and receive a free candle. So all nine candles and the two bath gels came out to just over $27 after tax and shipping. At the end of the online shopping day I spent just under $130. For everything. Pretty good (if I do say so myself)!!

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Daily Inspiration, October 29, 2012

Sunday, October 28

A Few Changes

Since starting Apartment 54 almost a year ago I've absolutely fallen in love with blogging about home and home life. It is difficult to commit to the blog on a daily basis because of my academic pursuits, but I am as committed to this blog as I was on day one and I want to expand the scope of the blog to include more content that I can easily write about and include.

Having a lovely home isn't just about having the right couch or the perfect curtains, it's also about  creating a space that expresses your taste and style and makes you feel comfortable and yes, even beautiful. With beauty in mind, I'm going to be incorporating some more of it in Apartment 54, as well as a few other elements that are a bit tangential, but still very important to home.

And of course, Daily Inspiration will continue every day, with special weekly inspiration posts highlighting my favorite DIY projects and beauty guru videos from YouTube.

I'm looking forward to branching about  a bit and making Apartment 54 reflective of not just my home, but me.

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Tuesday, October 9

DIY To Try: Crayon Art

The first time I saw this on Tumblr I wanted to know how it was done. It's amazing how easy and versatile this project can be!





Take a look at the video to see how it's gone (it's really easy). Hmm, I wonder if they make neon crayons? It's been forever since I've purchased crayons.



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DIY To Try: Fabric Stool

Another one of Lauren Conrad's "Crafty Creations" here. I've seen these plain wooden stools at Target and Wal Mart but I've always disliked them. They look uncomfortable, and no matter how much I wish I had stools for the one area of my counter that they would work at, I just can't use these... until now. And it seems relatively easy! Granted I don't have an industrial strength stapler, but I'm certain I could convince Jeff to get one... maybe his dad already has one? Men have things like industrial strength staplers, don't they?



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Daily Inspiration: October 9, 2012

DIY to Try: Nail Polish Box

Credit & Source: The Beauty Department. Read full instructions here

I love this idea! I don't know that I have enough nail polishes to fill a whole shoe box, but I assume any hard cardboard box would do. If you have the time and patience, this could even be a fantastic way to present a gift to someone. Isn't it wonderful when you receive a gift that looks so pretty you don't want to open it?

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DIY To Try: Cake Stand

Last Christmas I found the perfect cake stand at a shop in Solvang. It was the most perfect shade of green (like a mint jade) and so, so beautiful. But at $75 it was not affordable, and we ended up not getting it. We still think of that cake stand nearly a year later.

Since then I've been on the lookout for an equally perfect cake stand, and nothing so far has matched the level of love and adoration that that green cake stand in Solvang did. So imagine how excited I was when one of my favorite people ever, Lauren Conrad, posted a video in her "Crafty Creations" show for a DIY cake stand. Not only is this a potentially inexpensive project, but it can be super customizable.

I can't wait to give this one a try!



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A Few of My Favorite Things

Today I will be posting DIY videos, tutorials, and all kinds of goodies I've found on the Internet lately that have inspired me. Basically there are going to be a lot of YouTube videos and Lauren Conrad/The Beauty Department tutorials.

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