As promised, I’m going to log my quest of organizing my apartment! I’m going by area, so you all really will get a glimpse of my apartment from every nook and cranny… Here are some obstacles I have to overcome:

• My budget. I don’t have a lot of money to buy things to organize. I’m hoping to score most of my stuff at thrift stores or on eBay. For everything else, I always have coupons.
• I rent. This means I can’t tear things down or heavily modify without wanting to kill myself whenever we move out and have to put it back the way it was. On the plus side, my style would be portable.
• Studio space. I live in a studio apartment with my fiancé Josh and our animals. It’s a small space that’s well shared, so that will play a huge role in organization.
• I live with a Boy. I live with Josh, so I can’t go around putting flowers everywhere and hanging pearl necklaces or else I’ll never hear the end of it. Luckily, pushing my girly instincts aside, we tend to share some androgynous sense of style and I try to stick with that.

Source: Pinterest.com

I like to organize and have less things. I’m okay with how I’m living right now but there are so many improvements I can make every time I look around. It gets very overwhelming! Especially when I spend all day visiting blogs and websites that have some really great ideas.

While I’d still like to do an apartment tour, I figure why not do this… I’m going to hit each area separately and log my progress of trying to get it the way I’d like it to be. This keeps me from being overwhelmed and I still feel like I’m sharing my space with you. The first place I’m going to hit up is my bathroom, which needs some serious TLC. A post on that is coming at the end of this week.

In the mean time, I’d like to share some places that inspire me on the topic organization and interior design. I know a few of you would be interested!

Places that inspire me to organize

• Chez Larsson – Benita is amazing and completely awe inspiring. So is her house! Her blog covers her DIY projects and what inspires her. She’s currently fixing up her vintage, humble home into something beautiful and functional. I very much enjoy following her on the progress. She also has so many great ideas on how to store your things beautifully. For even more overwhelming inspiration, check out her Pinterest page and spend a few hours hopping around that.
• Arianna Belle – Cute ideas on how to keep organized and stylish. She’s just opened up her own online store, which I find gorgeous if not a bit pricey for my lifestyle.
• Bryn Alexandra – Bryn is actually an interior decorator, so she knows her stuff. She shares a lot of inspirational pictures and some DIY projects. She is also trying to style her home and log her progress. It’s fun to keep up with! Check out that section here.
• Coco Pearl – I like looking through this blog because it’s like glancing through an interior decor magazine, but for free. There are some more personal entries every once in a while, but nothing that takes away from the blog’s purpose.
• Pink Wallpaper – Very cute ideas here. Think outside of the box! This blog is all about organized, classic elegance with some fun mixed in. I love Shannon’s style!

Fall is officially here! I’m incredibly excited, because fall has always been my favorite season. I was also born in the fall. Coincidence?

Everyone who has a favorite season can also agree that one of the best parts of your season arriving is the scents that come with it. Spring has floral scents, winter has candy and pine, summer has ocean, and fall has earthy scents along with some sweets. When I went on the Bath and Body Works website last week and saw they were having a two for $20 candle sale, I was over there in the blink of an eye. So many amazing new fall scents to fill my place with! And the price can’t be beat. It’s usually $19.99 for one of those huge candles. I ended up buying three, because each additional candle was only $10. If I had more money I probably would’ve gotten a large amount and saved them. Unfortunately I don’t have much to spend, and I totally blew it all on these candles. Worth it.

Here is one of my favorites, Marshmallow Fireside:

Josh actually doesn’t care for this scent, but he hates anything that smells sweet. (It’s hard for me to buy candles and/or perfumes!) Marshmallow Fireside reminds me of when I was in elementary school and my girl scout troop had our monthly camping opportunity. We would all gather around a huge open fire roasting marshmallows, making smores, and telling stories. The scent of it smells like burning oak with a hint of that sweet toasty marshmallow. It smells delicious.

I have a weird relationship with this candle because I’m a vegetarian and haven’t eaten marshmallows since I was a kid. (They contain animal parts/gelatin.) So I told Josh, maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with the smell of this candle. It’s like my guilt-free indulgence into marshmallows. You can already tell it’s been well used over the past week when Josh is at work. I’ll probably buy more for decoration as the weeks go by.

I also got excited when I went to my local grocery and saw squash everywhere. I bought a few for decoration (which I’ll probably eat somehow) and a few to stuff my face with.

Those candles are fake. Don't judge me.

My favorite at the moment is acorn squash, which I had for the first time with coconut curry in a New Orleans cafe and it blew me away. Delicious!

My oven is probably the world's smallest.

Slice in half, take the seeds out, and lather it in cinnamon sugar. Bake it 25 minutes at 375. So simple. It tastes like apple pie, but you’re actually eating a big vegetable. Score! (I also bake the seeds in oil and salt, I love them.) I find these are best cooked and eaten fresh. And of course I love my pumpkin, but there’s no way I’m attempting to cut a big one on my own. I’ll stick to pre-made pumpkin dishes and my favorite Starbucks treat, the infamous (seasonal) Pumpkin Spice Latte.

And finally, fall wouldn’t be here without the fashion either. My favorite nail polishes are finally in season! Dark reds, white, and browns are all in right now and I’m going to celebrate by picking some up when I can. It’s also time for dark or red lipsticks, which are showing up all over the runway. I personally stick to neutral eyes during the time. I’m actually still on my blushing eyes palette!

Marshmallow by Essie, Linkin Park After Dark by OPI, Los Angeles Latte by OPI

I learned from many beauty gurus on Youtube that white eyeliner on your waterline “opens the eye and makes you look rested and fresh!” While white does generally match the color of your eyeball and does make your eyes look bigger, I find that there are more effective ways to look well rested and fresh.

It’s easy to notice that the girls below are all wearing white eyeliner. It’s still a strong look. Just like wearing black is a statement, wearing white is a bold look on the opposite spectrum. Personally, I’ve learned that I can’t pull off white eyeliner on my lower lash line without looking like my eyelashes have dandruff.

If you do want to open your eyes and look well rested, I think you should either go for a nude colored eye liner or use the white liner very sparingly as illustrated below. For specific products, Tarte has a really great nude inner rim pencil, but I softly use a white liner from NYX as a cheaper alternative to get the job done when needed. Both are creamy but solid enough to stay on the waterline. If all else fails, I think a good concealer paired with a natural blush can make you look naturally radiant any time.

Image source: doedeereblogazine.com

Of course, the best way to look well rested will always be to get plenty of sleep and make sure you’re hydrated! What’s your experience with white and nude eyeliner?