Icing

One of my favorite things to add to any outfit is... jewelry!  I do not really own any diamond jewels to "frost" myself with (remember this theme from How To Lose A Guy in 10 days?), but adding necklaces, earrings, bracelets, or any combination thereof makes me feel totally put together.  The perfect accessories make a great outfit so much better!  Many of my earrings have stayed with me since high school years, and a large quantity of my jewelry cache was acquired when I worked at Banana Republic.  Needless to say, I love to keep everything organized, and my accessories are no exception.  Craft stores and the organization aisles at Target have been entirely useful for many things in my life, but as you will see in today's post, items from these stores have saved me from fumbling for for a specific piece of jewelry right when I want to find it.  Know that these containers and trays do not always look so well organized as they do in these photos (I had a little OCD organization session the other night), but in general I do like to keep like items organized by color for simple access.  Hope these pictures might help to give you some ideas for storing your jewels!

Tell me, do you have any hints for jewelry storage?

 < Earrings and rings are arranged by color in a crafter's box >

 < Finding a specific set of earrings to go with an outfit is so easy because of this storage method! >

 < Another craft box holds stretchy bracelets and hair accessories  >

< A shallow tray with dividers serves as a catch-all for watches, bangles, and other bracelets > 

 < Sunnies fit perfectly in this silver tray and are very easy to grab on my way out the door >

 < This holder is only about a foot tall, but has so many hooks on it that is serves as the best necklace storage system ever! >

We're having a heat wave

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave, the temperature's rising it isn't surprising... okay, not really- only if there were an ocean nearby and way more humidity would I totally be able to convince myself that life is currently like living in a tropical paradise.  As I grew up in an area where triple-digit, dry heat summers were the total norm, I have my own methods for coping with rather warm weather: wear light fabrics in light colors, commit your outside time to early morning hours as much as possible, park in the shade, enjoy sherbet and popsicles, and play in the pool.  If I were actually enjoying a summer vacation (like the good ol' days in elementary school- remember?) right now I would totally embrace all of the aforementioned methods.  However, for now I am thoroughly thankful for air conditioning, fans, and iced teas.  For this midday post I am happy to share with you yet another awesome list from Real Simple, which contains 23 fabulous Ways to Beat the Heat.  In addition to the ideas I mentioned above, here are a few of my favorites from Real Simple's list for keeping your cool in the hot summer weather.

< Keep blinds closed to ward off hot sun beaming through your windows.  Curtains, shutters, and blinds in white help to deflect the sunshine. >

< Refrigerate a spray bottle filled with water to use to cool yourself down.  I also suggest running your wrists under some cold water for a few seconds, and drinking ice cold water. >

< Leave your oven off!  Turn on the barbecue, fire up the grill, and employ the wattage of your microwave- any of these options will help to keep you cooler, and will make you a "cooler" chef. >

What do you do to keep cool in hot weather?

*All images via Real Simple

Weekly Wear

The past few days have breezed by, but with very little actual breeze because summer weather has totally arrived (and the first official day of summer was yesterday).  It will be hitting triple digits today, and I am so thankful that I switched out my winter clothing from my closet when it was still rainy and cool just a few weeks ago.  Thank goodness for air conditioning, shade, and iced drinks!  I am happy to share a few outfit ideas with you, and know that these are the easiest kinds of outfits to throw on because there is no layering involved!

Tell me, what kind of outfits have you enjoyed wearing since summer started?

- Photo on left -

Occasion: work

Shirt: Tahari

Skirt: H&M

Belt: ON

Shoes: Nine West

Jewelry: Citizen (watch), BR, F21

- Photo on right -

Occasion: casual work day

Shirt: J.Crew

Skirt: BR

Shoes: Guess

Jewelry: Citizen (watch), TIffany, ON, The Limited

- Photo on left -

Occasion: work

Dress: Target

Belt: The Limited

Shoes: Nine West

Jewelry: Citizen (watch), TIffany, ON, WHBM, The Limited

- Photo on right -

Occasion: work

Shirt: Reaction

Skirt: Anthropologie

Shoes: Kristen Davis

Jewelry: Ross (ring and earrings)

- Photo on left -

Occasion: afternoon graduation ceremony

Dress: Loft

Shoes: BR

Jewelry: Ross (earrings), The Limited, BR and F21 (bracelets)

- Photo on right -

Occasion: Saturday errands

Shirt: F21

Skirt: ON

Wedges: Nine West

Jewelry: Target (ring and earrings), ON and thrifted (bracelets)

-Photo on left -

Occasion: church and brunch

Dress: Loft

Belt: ON

Shoes and Purse: Nine West

Jewelry: ON, Ross, TJMaxx

- Photo on right -

Occasion: Father's Day bbq dinner

Shirt: BR

Vest: TJMaxx

Cropped Jeans: AE

Shoes: BR

Jewelry: F21, BR, thrifted

100th Post!

< A collage of all of the pictures posted so far on this blog! >

Wow!!  Since starting the Particularly Practically Pretty blog back in March, I have been so happy to share everything on this site and hear so awesome feedback from those of you who enjoy reading this!  I can hardly believe that I have already shared 100 posts.  Thanks to those of you who are kind enough to share your style/organization/design questions with me, and for those of you who provide endless ideas for fodder for this blog.  Much love to you all!  Here are a few of my favorite posts from the first 100.  Enjoy!

< The very first post, In The Beginning >

< Sharing guest bedroom decor in Paris is always a good idea >

< Creating a collection of shoes I love and would suggest to buy each one if you could! The ABC's of Nude Shoes >

< Instigating some Earth Day excitement in Obsessed: Green (without envy) >

< So very, very happy to organize my freezer and share the makeover in Freeze Tag >

< My first time ever sharing pictures of my own outfits in Daily Dressing >

Thank you so much to all of you who read this blog and are so supportive of me!  Tell me, which posts have been your favorites?  Also, if you have not already clicked on "Follow" on the right hand side of this page, would you be willing to do that today as a celebration for the 100th post?  Thanks!

Help Me Help You

For today's midday post, I have a few trivia questions for you.  Easy questions for sure, so no matter how your Monday is going have some fun answering these, and I will be so happy to use the results in future posts!  For any of the questions on this post, leave a comment and let me know, friend this blog on Facebook and write on my Facebook Page, or email me at ParticularlyPracticallyPretty@gmail.com.  Thanks so much!

Do you have any outfit questions for special or everyday wear?

 

Would you rather see more dessert recipes?

Or more main dish and side dish recipes?

Or both?

Are you looking for a staple shoe, handbag, jewelry item, or other accessory?

Red... or White?

:-)