How to Get Neat...ish: Tips for De-Cluttering

I've never, ever been anything remotely close to a minimalist. I'm not a pack rat either, but I definitely do love my stuff, and I'm not a type-A personality when it comes to organization. Of course, many people have taken to following Marie Kondo's method to get organized, but to be honest, I just don't think I'm capable of that high level of organization (and ruthfulness when it comes to getting rid of stuff).

But I still did want to do some cleaning and decluttering! So what can a girl do? When I heard Value Village was sending a package full of tips for being neat-ish, that sounded exactly what I needed. Neat-ish. That seemed like something I could attain. And let me tell you - it definitely worked! No, my closet didn't look empty after I was done with it, but it was lighter. I'm pretty proud of the multiple piles of stuff I was able to say goodbye to.

For all of you folks out there that just aspire to be neat-ish too, don't worry I'm sharing all of Value Village's Neatish Tips (as well as some of my own tips) below, so just keep on scrolling!

Put the U in Declutter

I don't do well with strict 'rules' for decluttering. Sometimes I just can't let go of an item...yet. And there's no need to feel guilty about that. Usually it takes me a season or two to be able to finally part with something that had more sentimental or emotional value. But that's ok!

You also don't need to blindly follow the rules of a decluttering system that just doesn't feel like you. For instance, if you're not a minimalist, trying to follow the rules of maintaining a minimalist closet just may not work. I love how minimalist closets look, but I know it's just not my style.

That being said, that's why just trying to be a little neat-ish appeals to me so much. My closet does get to the point where there's just no more room, and I do need to declutter, but I want to do it in a way that my closet still feels like it's my closet. Just some food for thought!

Space Save the Sentimental

One of the best tips I've ever heard for decluttering the really hard-to-part-with items is...to take photos! If you're holding onto a clothing item that you'll never wear again but have trouble giving it up for sentimental reasons, an easy way to keep the memory without the stuff is to take a photo! I've got a Fujifilm Instax 8 that I can use to snap a photo of myself in the item of clothing - then I've got a cute photo memory to remember that item by! It takes up a whole lot less space than the actual clothing. I have a tendency to want to keep items of clothing that I wore for special events, but let's be honest, a lot of them don't fit anymore, so this is a smart way to keep the memory without the 'stuff'.

Have Fun Decluttering

Decluttering shouldn't have to feel stressful and overwhelming. It can actually be a lot of fun (not to mention eco-friendly)! Here's a few ways to keep the energy up while you're parsing through your old things:

• Turn your bedroom into a "Keep or Donate" runway! Make A pile for donation, a pile to keep, and a pile for 'need to try on because I'm not sure'. When you're done making the piles, do a little try-on runway show with the items you're not sure about, to help you make a final decision.
• Pop on your favourite playlist...hell, why not grab a glass of wine! It's all about enjoying the process.
• If you need someone to help you make the hard decisions to "Keep or Donate" certain items, invite a friend over!

Make Reuse a Ritual

This decluttering experience took me a while...probably because it had been a bit too long since I'd done it. One thing I've resolved to do now is to make organizing a repeatable ritual. Every few months, I plan to take a quick look through my stuff and see what can be donated. Here are a few different ways you can make decluttering a ritual:

• You can use the 'one in, one out' rule to keep clutter to a minimum. For every new item that comes into your home, try to let another item go (responsibly, of course)!
• Choose a length of time that works for you, and stick to it (like every two months). Personally, I do a big declutter twice a year when I change over my closet from spring to summer, and summer to winter. It's an easy time to assess what I did and didn't end up wearing during the previous season, as well as look at what I had in store and am either excited to wear again, or had totally forgotten about. I also try to do some smaller decluttering every few months (it doesn't always happen).
• If you need a little extra nudge, set a reminder on your phone - this is what I'll be doing in future!

Always Declutter Responsibly

Once you're done piling up all the items you're OK with saying goodbye to, it's time to get rid of them...responsibly! I always make sure to pack everything up and donate them to Value Village. That way, rather than going to a landfill, your items can go to a new home that will love them! Here's a couple tips to help make your things ready for donating:

• If you're donating fragile items, wrap them up in old newspapers or towels so they make it to Value Village in one piece!
• For pairs of things, use old rubber bands or string to keep shoes, gloves and earrings as a set.
• The best way to donate your things is in good condition - if you can, pre-wash items and dry them before you donate.
• And of course, when you're ready to take your bags of clothes for donation to Value Village, definitely bring along a friend to shop with after you drop off your old clothes.
• Don't forget to reap the awesome benefits of donating your old clothes! I always make sure to get one of Value Village's punchcards so I can get a discount when I shop after dropping off my clothes.

Here's a few fun things I found at Value Village after dropping off my big garbage bag full of items for donation! These cute linen pants and colourful BCBG Max Azria top both came home with me. (Notice how I'm bringing home less clothing than I donated - that's key!!).

I wish you all the best on your decluttering adventures! Got any helpful tips I missed? I'd love to hear what they are!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Versace Sample Sale Comes to Vancouver

The Sample Sale Guys have come to Vancouver with a new sample sale! June 5th-9th, they're hosting a giant Versace sample sale at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel. The sale promises up to 80% off clothing, hand bags, luggage, backpacks, bedding, scarves, belts, boots, jackets, watches and more. I'm not necessarily a label-obsessed, but I do enjoy a great deal, and in case you do too...I wanted to give you a quick peek inside the sale! I attended the sale the night before it opened to the public and snapped lots of photos (and snagged a list of prices!) so you'll know exactly what to expect if you're thinking of checking it out.

When: June 5th-9th, 2019

• Wednesday June 5th: 11am - 11pm
• Thursday June 6th: 11am - 11pm
• Friday June 7th: 11am - 10pm
• Saturday June 8th: 11am - 9pm
• Sunday June 9th: 11am to 6pm

Where: Sheraton Airport Hotel, 7551 Westminster Hwy, Richmond

Of course, I'm sure the thing you're most keen to know is what the prices are like. You can check out the pricing chart below for a sneak peek. I wish that there was a bit more of a breakdown in the pricing, to be honest. For instance, mini purses and big purses were all the same price - it would have been nice to see a slightly cheaper price on the mini purses. That being said, $300 for the VERSUS Versace purses were still a pretty good deal. 

The shoe selection wasn't massive (I do believe there was better selection in the men's shoes), but they did appear to have a wide selection of styles, and they were all really neatly organized on tables by shoe size. I did fall in love with a certain pair of cobalt blue platform heels...they were truly stunning, but a bit outside my budget. If you've got the cash though, there were some sweet pairs of kicks worth picking up.

There was also a good selection of belts, scarves and even bathing suits and sportswear. The one other thing I was drawn to was the leather gloves. For $99, they were a beautiful buttery leather and had small gold Versace symbol at the wrist (sorry I didn't get a photo!). I didn't see any size small though, so, unfortunately, I had to pass on those. But definitely grab a pair if you're a medium, large or x-large glove size!

Purses are usually my go-to at sample sales like this. My favourite was the little white VERSUS Versace purse on the left. It was $299, so not bad. As I mentioned above though, I do wish that the smaller bags were priced accordingly, compared to the larger bags you'll see below. I'd say the bag selection was quite good - there was a giant long table stacked with all kinds of sizes and designs that ran a good part of the length of the ballroom where the sale was held.

The backpack in the middle below was also one of my favourite finds - the leather was so buttery soft!

If you're looking to pick up just a little designer accessory, the sale did also have a small table dedicated to everything from wallets and keychains to rings and other jewellery. 

Most of the space was dedicated to clothing of course, and the racks were jam-packed! Sizing was clearly indicated on signs above the racks, and there seemed to be a good selection of all sizes. With the amount of people shopping, I wouldn't assume you'll be able to try everything on (I think I saw one corner with some makeshift changerooms?). So just keep that in mind. There were also other clothing items like bath robes, 

A couple other things to keep in mind:

• You can only pay with credit card or debit at the sale
• There's no strollers, jackets, or hoodies allowed inside
• Bags will be checked by security on your way out

While it's always best to hit these kinds of sales in the first couple of days to get the best selection, if you wait it out 'til the end of the sale, you may find yourself able to snag some items that have been further reduced in price!

Happy shopping! xo

~ Britta

Snakeskin Trend 4 Ways

If you pop your head in any store lately, or take a peruse online, you're sure to see a ton of snakeskin print right now. It's ramping up to be one of the hottest trends of the year, and while your first thought might be 'ew, that's such a cheesy print', don't write it off just yet. There are lots of ways to wear this rather bold print, and they're not all necessarily that bold. But they're all stylish, that's for sure! Keep reading below to see 4 different ways to wear the snakeskin print trend.

Snakeskin the 1st way: small accessories

   

One of the easiest and least scary ways to wear snakeskin is in a small accessory like a belt! This belt used to be my mom's and unfortunately is starting to see some wear, but there are tons of snakeskin belts out there so I'll be looking for a replacement now. I've linked up some affordable ones at the bottom of the outfit photos here too! Other snakeskin accessories might include purses, choker necklaces, scarves, and sunglasses - I've liked up some affordable ones below. But the key here is to only style one small accessory in the trendy print. It's a relatively busy pattern, too, so I like to pair it with solids (like this awesome and affordable white one-shoulder jumpsuit from Femme Luxe!)

Snakeskin the 2nd way: shoe details

  

Now, I've still been on the hunt for a super bold pair of snakeskin boots or heels, but I realized I already had this pair of heels in my closet that have just a small piece of snakeskin pattern on the back! I actually thrifted these years ago (they're originally from Zara), and they're still one of my favourite black pumps. I've linked up some shoes here with just a hint of snakeskin...as well as some that are full on bold snakeskin shoes! Either way, pairing them with something like this classy black bodycon midi dress from Femme Luxe - it's just $69.66 and it looks like a million bucks - is a perfect combo.

Snakeskin the 3rd way: full-on bodycon

Now if you're ready to go bold, bold, bold...you've got to get yourself a snakeskin bodycon, like this Femme Luxe snake print strappy midi dress! It's it fabulous?? And it's just $31.26! Again, like with the other outfits you've seen above, I've styled it with solids only - no other busy patterns. Black and white are definitely the easiest 'colours' to style with snakeskin, so you can definitely start there. A pop of classic red works too!

Snakeskin the 4th way: the statement jacket

So needless to say, I found a whole bunch of awesome snakeskin items from Femme Luxe (so many good affordable finds!!)...including this snake print biker jacket! If most of your outerwear is feeling kind of blah, a fun statement jacket like this is the perfect way to spice things up. I paired it here with a simple strappy tank top and jeans. For a casual outfit, you could swap out the heels for a pair of bright white sneakers!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Sneak Peek: Vancouver's First Ever Ted Baker Warehouse Sale

I'm not really obsessed with labels and brand names - at least not enough to usually shell out the cash for them...but I do love a good deal...so when an awesome warehouse sale comes to town, you can definitely count me in!

A couple of years ago, it was the Nordstrom Warehouse Sale, and now the Ted Baker Warehouse Sale has come to Vancouver for the first time, in partnership with Style Democracy! Two days before the doors open to the public, I stepped inside the giant warehouse space at Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre to shop the sale, and get some insider info on what designer goodies would be available when the sale went public. Thinking about checking out the sale? Here's everything you need to know:

What: The Ted Baker Warehouse Sale

When: April 11-14, 2019
            April 11 & 12: 11am-9pm
            April 13 & 14: 10am-6pm

Where: Queensborough Landing Shopping Centre

              Unit 58, 805 Boyd Street, Queensborough Landing

              New Westminster, BC

Why: Up to 80% off Ted Baker clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories for men & women

Gotta dress for the shopping spree! No jumpsuits or dresses today - I wanted something that would be easy to change in and out of. Comfortable shoes too. The 'change rooms' are essentially a large squared off area - one for men, one for women - with fabric walls all the way around. So just be ready for a group changing situation. 

Here's a sneak peek at the price lists. There are some serious steals here!! Ted Baker skirts are only $29.99. The cute little Ted Baker purses are $49.99. Daytime dresses are $69.99. Not bad, right??

The dress selection is killer! I had to remind myself of the Ted Baker sizing (which is very different from your standard sizing) - luckily there are handy charts on the wall. I'm generally a Ted Baker size 2 (the equivalent of about a regular size 4-6) and the selection was quite decent - size 3 had even more selection I noticed! The quality of Ted Baker dresses really is something else. So thick and luxe feeling. I can see why people would normally pay full price for these items. But hey, an 80% discount definitely seals the deal!

I ended up bringing home the skirt on the left. It's going to be so perfect for afternoon tea! Sadly, the dress on the left was just a tad too tight in the shoulders and bust. I couldn't find a bigger size at the time. IF SOMEONE SEES IT IN A SIZE 3 PLEASE BUY IT FOR ME AND I WILL PAY YOU BACK!!! That dress is absolutely stunning.

Here's a peek at the purse selection. Some adorable small purses with cute little Ted Baker bows, and some beautiful roller bags that would be so awesome for someone's work or travel needs. I ended up bringing home the two bags on the left.

The women's shoe section was a little small, but still some treasures to be bad. I love that Ted Baker signature style that you'll see in the navy heel below. In fact, I actually bought a similar pair in a floral print from the Nordstrom Warehouse Sale, and I just love the design. Those pointed floral sneakers were pretty fantastic too.

I was pretty tempted by all the adorable other accessories and 'extras' they had for sale - everything from Ted Baker fragrances and jewellery to tea cups and phone cases. I was so close to bringing home that tea cup set. It was only $5.99!!! Broke my heart to not buy it, but let's be honest, I have zero space for more tea stuff. But what a deal!

All in all, the deals at the Ted Baker Warehouse Sale are definitely worth checking out. I anticipate the lines to be long, so go with lots of patience, and I think you'll find some fancy new goodies to love!

Happy Shopping! xo

~ Britta