Chic, Clean and Fit for a Princess: When fashion meets home decorating Part Deux

As mentioned in a previous post, I am currently in the process of adding some updates to my room in order to achieve that princess-y, shabby chic look that Rachel Ashwell does so well. So far I have invested in a lace trim 400-thread count sheet set courtesy of Century 21 in Manhattan, a crystal post lamp and some lovely air spray from Calypso. In the process of adding these pieces to my room (and unpacking all of my luggage from NYC) I have realized the importance of tidy, clean organization. What's the point of putting all these beautiful pieces into my bedroom, if it is not clean to show it all off? With that in mind, I have neatly organized different parts of my room and I hope you find my tips as helpful as I did!

To the left we have the contents of my jewellery box. As you can see, I have a lot of pieces that I have accumulated over the years. Many are vintage pieces, flea market finds, passed on from family members or freebies!

Each piece has a special place in my heart from my Juicy Couture tiger charm necklace that is a tribute to my late cat, Spike and my cocktail rings that make me feel like a glamour-puss! I have an intense love for costume jewellery and let me tell you, there is nothing worse than having a jewellery box filled with tangled, cluttered jewellery. Not only does it increase the chance of your jewellery chains and jewels breaking (this has happened to me) but it distracts you from all the wonderful pieces you have. So read on my friend and discover a few easy tips to making that jewellery box look fabulous!

1) Find a jewellery box with compartments


This will make your organizing so much easier especially when you are running out the door and want to get that perfect necklace in a hurry! Try lower end departments or craft stores to find affordable and practical jewellery boxes. I got mine from Zellers.

2) Sort your by end use


This means the necklaces go with the necklaces, rings with rings, bracelets with bracelets. You get my drift? This way it will minimize the chances of your dainty charm necklace getting caught in the middle of your favourite chunky bracelet and cocktail ring.

3) Keep your prized possessions neat and tidy


Don't just throw those sparkly things in your jewellery box. This includes after a late night or stressful day. You took the time and money to invest in the piece, take care of it! By doing this you will increase the longevity and wearability of all of your jewellery, including the dollar store finds.

4) Clean those baubles


Just like your clothes, jewellery gets dirty, so make sure to clean it every so often. If you wear silver jewellery, you can often clean your pieces with some tooth paste and a tooth brush. It's that easy! You can also refer to an article here for some more tips on how to keep your jewellery looking its shiniest.

5) Always remember you get what you give


The more time you invest in taking care of your jewellery, the longer it will look absolutely fabulous. Just think one day your pieces will be considered vintage and you can show your grandchildren what old grandma or grandpa used to wear in their yesteryears!

Enjoy!

Amanda
amandasfashionspot@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/AFSpot

Chic, Clean and Fit for a Princess: When fashion meets home decorating

I have always had a creative mind and loved to beautify the world in every way that I could. From a young age, I loved wearing crazy outfits that expressed myself and often wore an array of kilts in every colour with thick knit tights and neon green with purple stripes. My love for creative expression went past my wardrobe and I also thoroughly enjoyed interior decorating. My mother always had tons of decorating magazines around the house and was a frequent viewer of Cityline and Martha Stewart Living, so the apple did not fall far from the tree. When I was younger, I always wanted a room fit for a princess, the ultimate girly room (In fact, I remember wanting to paint my walls pink and purple stripes!) and since then not much has changed.

A couple years ago I painted my room a bright coral pink and because this is the year of taking risks, I have decided that I would like to make a few more changes to my boudoir. I would like something that is a little shabby chic meets clean, modern and of course fit for a princess! The pieces that I am looking for are:

A vintage-looking nightstand
A chic lamp
Chic, feminine frames
Chic feminine chairs
A new white embroidered bed set
Throw pillows
Pretty feminine drawer linings

After a recent shopping in Manhattan's SoHO area I stumbled upon the Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic boutique, which served as the perfect source of inspiration. As soon as I walked in I absolutely loved it! Filled with cozy large couches, plush large beds with iron bed frames and vintage wooden room furniture I felt like I was in interior design heaven! I just love the warm cozy, clean, feminine vibe and that's exactly what I would like to recreate in my room. Rachel Ashwell actual designs an affordable collection at Target including affordable lampshades, nightstands and bed sets that have the same chic, cozy vibe in her SoHo boutique. One of my favourite pieces include the crystal candlestick lamp and a vintage-y nightstand. Perfect for adding that shabby chic vibe to my room.

When decorating or doing something creative I always was love to find different sources of inspiration and I found a few sites to do just that. Perfect Bound is a fellow blogspot site that features beautiful images of wedding gowns and haute couture, that remind of the perfect sunset in an English garden. I also found this great site called Fabulous Doodles, created by FIT graduate Brooke Hagel who updates her site with gorgeous fashion illustrations which help inspire the element of fashion that I want in my soon to be new and improved room.

For a more visual look at my inspirations look below and tell me, what are some of your interior design inspirations?

Enjoy!

Amanda
amandasfashionspot@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/AFSpot

Amanda's Fashion Picks.......My Favourite Fashion Pieces

My favourite fashion collections are always couture and resort. Couture always thinks outside the box and resort always gives me the warm, fuzzy feeling that you get when the snow starts to melt and the sun starts to shine. With the constant snow fall that has been going on lately this is the perfect pick-me-up to the cold grey weather.

Elie Saab

Mighty Aphrodite! This couture collection is beyond beautiful. The soft colours mixed with shots of yellow and sparkles create a soft, floaty collection that makes me want to be a part of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Ahhh! What a nice breath of fresh, couture air!

Chanel Couture

This show is just pastels, creamy white and delicious all over! It reminds me of cupcakes and confections with the styling conjuring up memories of Sofia Coppolla's Marie Antoinette. The big hair, bows, layers and ruffles are fit for a lady who wears her femininity on her sleeve.

3.1 Philip Lim

This resort collection is fresh, clean and modern, just the way I like it. The large eyelet fabric combined with the whites, greys and blacks adds a sophisticated sexiness that is perfect for day and good for night.

Amanda

The Always Inspiring Annie Leibovitz

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Vanity Fair Portraits exhibition that was held at the ROM a couple months ago. Luckily however, through my daily Internet browsing, I was able to stumble upon these inspiring and beautiful shots by who else but, Annie Leibovitz.

The legendary photographer took some of these photos a couple of years ago and took inspiration from classic Disney films. My favourite Disney movie, The Little Mermaid is recaptured by the amazing Julianne Moore and the visually stimulating film, Marie Antoinette is captured in still life. Bon appetite!

Amanda