TBMD

Last fall, our house sustained water damage in multiple places due to contractors' negligence. As a result, we went through the lengthy process of dealing with insurance, repairs, and living like guests in our own home. In the midst of all this, I suddenly had the AHA! moment of all aha moments. Since our closet was already cleared out and waiting to be painted, we just need to remove the existing wire shelves then we'd have a blank slate for a closet makeover. If there was a time for such a project, this.was.it.

In our household, DH gives me free rein on design decisions, but says he has veto power, lol. I was fully prepared to present my case, but surprisingly he didn't think a closet makeover was a harebrained idea at all. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.


I was pretty much set on the IKEA Pax wardrobe system for a few reasons: 1) Best value for a semi-custom look (we spent $1,000 whereas a complete custom closet will have cost us $3,000+), 2) Rave reviews from a friend about her Pax closet, 3) Had everything on my wishlist (doorless, deep enough wardrobes to cover hanging clothes, jewelry pull-out tray).

Ultimately the final decision came down to whether I could customize the Pax to fit our wants in the limited physical space. Our closet is long and narrow, measuring at 160" x 61.5" (about 13' x 5'). Using the PAX Planner (one of their many 3D planning tools), all I had to do was input the closet dimensions then start dragging in options. Quite a lot of time was spent on this step -- all fun though because I seriously enjoyed every second (perhaps IT was the wrong career path?)


I was this close to pulling the trigger on the top closet design... until I realized I forgot to take into account the attic opening in the ceiling! The opening was off-center, so there was no way to keep the symmetry with 4 large wardrobes. I cried a little inside as I went back to the drawing board. I played around with more configurations before deciding on the bottom closet design that was basically a rearrangement of the first without compromising too much on interior organization space.

IKEA makes it easy to purchase the finished closet online via a one-click button. Shipping is a flat fee of $40 (best.deal.ever). There is also an option during checkout where you can pay an additional fee for people to come and assemble the closet (I believe a few hundred dollars).

We spent a good part of a long weekend building our 6 wardrobes and their interior compartments. It definitely helps to have more than one set of tools (especially hammers). I'm a weakling so could only build the smallest wardrobe frame myself before needing DH's help to move it upright and into place. The first wardrobe frame took the longest to build; each of the rest took less than half the time. We actually bought a couple extra rods and interior shelves because I wasn't 100% sold on the configurations until I saw them in-person.

The finished closet in its empty glory (personally I think the closet looked the best in this state):

First, the J.Crew Café capri in wool in camel, size 00 (sold here). I didn't like the pants on me for many reasons: hem hits at an odd spot (petite versions are 2" shorter according to the SA), my butt looks huge (the rise would be shorter in petite versions), and the faux-pockets. The waist fit decently though and I really like the fabric.

Next, the American Eagle Herringbone Blazer in brown, size XS (sold here). The jacket looked better online than it did in person. It's much too short on me and kind of shapeless. On a true petite, the waist area should hit where it's supposed to and flare out properly. The shoulder fit me pretty well and may even be a bit on the tight side.

AE and aerie are both having a 40% off everything in-stores and online with code 28678011 for the holiday weekend.

Next, the Forever 21 Woven Menswear Top in orange, size S (sold here), which I saw on The Look 4 Less that is a great dupe for the Equipment Signature blouse. The top fit me well everywhere, and I would have sized up for the looser menswear look if the store had any of the royal blue color left.

There's an extra 30% off all sale items both in-stores and online.

Lastly, I couldn't walk out of the store without stopping by the accessories section. My only purchase of the day and I bought three bracelets. I don't see them online, so I've included the product code if you're interested in tracking them down in stores. From left to right:
(1) Forever 21 rope/cable bangle (product code: 78967286021) in silver is a great dupe for David Yurman's famous cable bracelet without the jewel tip. I also saw a gold version in stores.

(2) Forever 21 rhinestone snake chain bracelet in silver/clear (sold here). These bracelets vary in size and I went through the entire bowl to find the smallest one (probably one that nobody has tried on). Edit: Thanks to Elissa for pointing out this bracelet's weave being a great dupe for John Hardy's.

(3) Forever 21 chain link bracelet (product code: 00019692011) in gold (similar; similar). Compared to the previous two, this one is a bit harder to put on, but the bracelet was loose enough that I didn't have too much trouble with the toggle clasp.

How many blue shirts does a girl need? Apparently, I need three. A blue v-neck dress shirt, blue oxford shirt, and now a blue chambray shirt. This J.Crew Boy Shirt in Indian Voile in indigo, size 0 is lightweight, a bit sheer, and oh-so-comfortable. The fabric reminds me of linen. It's big and loose on me, but I plan on wearing it casually, so it'll do the job. Note: this top is not meant to be worn on hot, humid, and sweaty days. Yuck. Boy, did I learn my lesson.

The necklace I have on is from SewPetiteGal's guessing-the-baby-gender giveaway (congrats SPG on your girl bundle of joy!) I'm a huge fan of pearls, and like blue shirts, I can't seem to get enough of them :) The necklace closely resembles the Merona gray on black necklace I already own, but is longer, so it definitley has more accessorizing potential. When worn, I like how the ends of the ribbon hang down the back. I can also see it worn draped across the front.

Remember how I couldn't figure out how to tie a tie? No problemo when tied as a belt. I rather like this look myself, so raiding bf's closet may become the norm. Tie: 1, Cee: 1. HA!

A couple closeups of my recent jewelry acquisitions from the last few months. It's funny because I wasn't ever a rings girl... until recently. Thank you to all the bloggers I read that inspire me to purchase a couple statement rings of my own :)

1) J.Crew Layered pearl necklace in pearl (might still be in stores; similar) - The necklace is multi-layered and pretty hefty in weight. I like to wear them underneath shirt collars, otherwise on a bare neck, I feel like I'm about to be guillotined (gruesome image, sorry!) See it worn here and here.

2) Amrita Singh Sag Harbor Necklace in turquoise (currently sold here) - I bought this necklace during one of Hautelook's recently sales at a pretty good discount. I love how big it is -- such a statement maker! The turquoise color is absolutely gorgeous. I already own one of her Nello necklaces, and the richness of the color gets me every time. See it worn here.

3) H&M filigree ring in gold, size S (might still be in stores) - I had a hard time figuring out my size in this ring. The packaging didn't allow you to try them on, so I had to try on ones that others had already opened, and then eyeball the size against a new one. Turns out this method was a big fail. I really should have sized up because this only fits on my ring finger. I'd estimate size S to be a 6; size M is probably a 7. No complaints other than buying the wrong size, which is entirely my fault. See it worn here, here, here, and here.

4) Spotted Moth Busy Bee Ring via Kendi's giveaway (product info) - After the H&M debacle, I'm glad that this ring had adjustable sizing. It has a whimsical quality that I love and would be great paired with other plain rings.

5) Amrita Singh Deauville Ring in green turquoise/light coral, size 7 (currently sold here) - This was another purchase from the recent Hautelook sale. From what I remember of the product image, I thought I would receive a ring with two light turquoise stones? The two-colored stones turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I can now wear it with both my coral and turquoise jewelry. There are no complaints about sizing here; the 7 fits my middle finger perfectly. See it worn here.

It seems like I'm always late to the party because I've been wanting a turquoise or coral necklace for awhile now -- and summer's over! When I saw this Amrita Singh Nello necklace in coral haze (currently sold here) at an ok price on eBay, I decided to go for it. The stones aren't overwhelming, but still adds wonderful color to any outfit. While I would have preferred a lobster clasp, this necklace uses a toggle clasp for closure. It seems sturdy enough and I had no problems throughout the day. One annoyance I have is the bottom 3 stones would sometimes flip inside out. It's no biggie to adjust (when I realize this is happening), but may have been caused by the necklace getting caught at the top of my shirt. All in all, I'm happy to have bought this necklace and can see myself wearing it year-round. What piece of jewelry is on your wishlist this holiday season?

I decided to keep my LOFT black pants. Yay, the search for black pants is finally over! I folded and tucked about 1.5" of the hem inwards. I think it looks ok, not overly noticeable that there isn't a "real" hem. I like the casual look of the untucked shirt more, even though a tucked-in shirt looks more polished. Which do you prefer, tucked, untucked, both, neither?

With this outfit, I also wore my Cara Accessories pearl & crystal statement necklace (currently sold here) for the first time. It's my most blinged-out piece of jewelry yet. The combination of sparkles plus pearls = gotta have it! I was hesitant about wearing it to work, but to my relief, I didn't get a whole lot of comments. I'm glad I'll be able to wear this normally, and not just for special occasions. One issue I have with this necklace is the itchiness! I think the edges of the rhinestones poke through. It's not too horrible... and for the prettiness, I can put up with it =P

I've been looking for a decently-priced, machine washable, black pencil skirt for the longest time (whew that's a mouthful!) So when Gap had a code a couple of weeks ago (with free shipping nonetheless), I ordered this Gap Classic pencil skirt in true black, size 00. I actually also ordered the same skirt in 0P but it's on back order, so I won't be receiving that until the end of the month. Unfortunately 00 is a bit too big at the waist and longer than I'd like, so this will be going back. Now I'm regretting not also ordering it in 00P... because I have a feeling 0P will fit great length-wise but maybe still big at the waist. Other sizes are still being sold online, but not the ones I'm looking for.

I'm a sucker for draping :D This Gap Knit tulip skirt in cast iron, size XS is made of really soft and thick jersey-like material. I just want to snuggle up with this skirt and take a nap haha. It does make my hips look bigger, but I'm leaning towards keeping it and just pairing it with voluminous tops to balance things out. It's definitely worth checking out if you have a straight shape.

I also picked up this LOVE 21 Knotted Shift Dress in grey, size XS. Their site says this line "offers a more sophisticated, modest fit than Forever 21" but I could not resist the neckline draping. It's absolutely gorgeous on the model. Imagine my surprise when the dress end up fitting me pretty well. The neckline dips a bit too low, so I may fix this with a tank top underneath or double-sided tape. No biggie. The armhole also wasn't an issue (thank goodness). Overall, I'm very happy with this buy and can't wait to wear it :) It's still up for sale on their site.

Finally, the last item :) I thought this Forever 21 Beaded Bib Necklace in brown/grey looked great online, but when I received it, it was so much smaller than I imagined! D'oh! It's completely my fault though... should've consulted the online measurements. I was expecting it to be a statement necklace, but it turned out to be quite a bit smaller. Too bad it's final sale, or I'm definitely returning it.
The lighting is a bit off in this picture, but even in person the "grey" part looked too much like the "brown" and nothing like their stock image. Boooo. It's okay though. It's still currently being sold on their site.

My apologies ahead of time for another pearl necklace post :) I couldn't help myself when I saw these J.Crew Pearl and silk wrapped necklace (it's on sale now for $19.99! down from $38). I actually thought about buying these to wear with my bridesmaid's dress for a friend's wedding, but I would have to get it in the natural color when urban grey was the color that captured my heart (grey would have clashed w/the dress). But... I decided against wearing it and did not know this necklace actually went on sale until I was at the local J.Crew recently. Ahhh! Imagine my excitement! I was kind of sad to notice that the edges of the silk portion was a bit frayed. I guess that's the look they were going for. Nevertheless, it was on sale and I really wanted it, so I got it :)

On a side note though, I thought I would get an additional 15% off by showing my student ID. But apparently it doesn't work on sale items! C'mon J.Crew!

For necklaces, I like my pearls. For bracelets, I like the rope effect (as seen previously by my disney couture bracelet) :P I actually hadn't intended on buying this bracelet, but needed a few more dollars to get free shipping from American Eagle haha. I was debating between this bracelet I eventually bought and this Sailor Knot Bracelet.

I eventually decided on this one because I think it would complement my disney couture bracelet well. A bit more rugged and colorful paired with a cleaner and (for lack of better word) prissy one. I have tried this one, and the clasp is easy to get on and off -- one of the reasons I decided to keep it. It's no longer sold on their website anymore, but it might just pop up in your local brick-and-mortar shop.

Edit: After only wearing it for a few hours, the clasp at one end that holds the chain and rope together broke. Wahh!!! I tried braiding it, but it just doesn't look right. Sadly, I'm going to have to return it to the store.

I don't have a stock photo of this necklace :( I can't believe it sold out so quickly from the website!! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised because it's simply divine, and not to mention it was on sale :P A matching set of earrings though is still for sale on Kohl's website.

Remember how I was a bit disappointed that my Etsy necklace looked more spread out in pictures compared to when it's actually worn? Well, this Simply Vera Vera Wang necklace sure didn't disappoint. It is a bit heavy (after all, look at the size of those pearls! and how many there are). When worn, it didn't have the "pendant" effect as the pearl clusters are definitely spread out. I love my new statement necklace :)

Modeling pics with the necklace coming soon!

I fell in love with this pearl cluster necklace from Merona (sold by Target), which coincidentally is a lookalike for a more expensive J.Crew version.

But as usual, I'm months (maybe years) behind on trends :P So after searching high and low for anything similar, I finally stumbled across MarlaJDesign's Etsy shop where she was selling this gorgeous necklace (bottom left). Looks pretty similar, right? I was so excited to order it, but when I received it, I was a bit disappointed in how it looked on me.
Notice how it sort of all hangs together near the bottom? I was hoping it would be more spread out like her Etsy photo or J.Crew or Merona's version. Nonetheless, it's still a gorgeous piece of jewelry and I love how all the pearls make this tinkling sound when I walk :)

Kidada designed a series of wrap leather bracelets for Disney Couture. Each contained different charms for different princesses. The one I loved and finally bought was the general princess one, with charms of feathers, bows, roses, glass slippers, etc. Soo cute!!

The leather isn't white as I initially thought -- more like there's a hint of blue. The gold charms were a nice contrast. I haven't had a chance to wear it out and about yet, but it looks easy enough to wear (unlike the Gara Danielle Heart Rope Bracelet :P). Simply tie the ends into a knot, no need to worry about closing lobster clasps. This is espeically nice because I have small wrists, so I can adjust to fit my needs.
I bought it on sale at ideeli about a month ago for $49, but it's still being sold elsewhere on the web! Boutique to You, 80's Purple, Regencies.com just to name a few.

*disney couture images courtesy of ideeli

I loved the twin hearts on the charm hanging from this Gara Danielle heart rope bracelet (left image). I thought the red threading with gold was a nice touch as well. And we can't forget the gold tassels (I don't need to say again how much I love tassels :P) Off I went to do my research on this bracelet, trying to see if any stores were selling it for cheaper. Lo and behold, I saw that this is a copy of Carolina Bucci's friendship bracelet (right image)! Of the two, I liked the charm on Gara Danielle's better but Carolina Bucci's just looks so much more... bendable (for lack of a better word). Doesn't Gara Danielle's look a bit stiff?

And boy was I right when Gara Danielle's finally went on sale and I was able to snatch it up for < $30. The bracelet is as stiff as a board! That makes it so hard to put on by myself. I have to use one hand to wrap it around my wrist and somehow manage to hook the bracelet together!? I once spent 15 minutes trying to put it on by myself, and finally just put it back on my dresser out of frustration. Sad to say, I haven't been wearing this bracelet a whole lot. Thank goodness I didn't buy it at full retail! But it photographs so well, don't you think? ;)

*Gara Danielle image courtesy of shopbop
*Carolina Bucci image courtesy of London Evening Standard

Bear with me, here goes another pearls post :) This time, imagine pearls stranded together with a ribbon. Doesn't that just seem ultra feminine to you? Behold Sarah Michelle Prinze (nee Geller) in Lanvin's ribbon necklace *swoons*

For a couple hundred dollars, that necklace could be yours. But... for under $20, Target's Merona's necklace is shorter, black in color, but also multiple times cheaper!
I promptly went to my local Target and picked up this necklace as soon I laid my eyes on it. It's not long like Lanvin's, but long enough so it doesn't look like you're wearing a choker. It's pretty heavy and everytime I wear it, I have to make sure that the knot in the back is tied nice and secure. Definitely one of my best buys!

*Sarah Michelle Gellar images courtesy of FabSugar
*Merona image courtesy of Target

It's probably the "old lady" in me, but I've always loved pearls. To me, they are ultimate classic piece -- something every girl should have, whether it be a necklace, bracelet, earring, anything really! I fell in love with this Brian Nagourney piece because it has just enough of a casual vibe to be worn everyday without having to look polised. It's difficult for me to wear bracelets to work because I sit in front of a computer all day. Definitely do not want to drive my coworkers crazy with all the clanging of jewels against my desk, and absolutely do not want to damage my bracelets either. I compromise by trying to wear them as often as I can on weekends :)

The bracelet is actually quite easy to take on and off and I never have to worry about pulling the knot too hard. Big plus! Still being sold on couture candy right now!