Monthly Archives: June 2020

Cheers to Our New Home

new home | champagne toast | home design | Houston Lifestyle Blog Lady in Violet

champagne toast | waterford glasses | veuve clicquot | Texas Lifestyle Blog Lady in Violet

moving boxes | new house | workout clothes | Houston LIfestyle Blog Lady in Violet

What a couple weeks it has been!  I figured since I kind of disappeared last week on the blog, I would give ya’ll a mini life update. It’s an exciting one too!  My boyfriend Steve and I officially closed on our house 2 weeks ago!!  Last week, we officially moved in and started the process of turning our house into a home.

Honestly, we were not 100% looking to buy right now.  We had talked about buying later in the year and decided to start looking after our big summer trip to Panama.  We did decide to start looking at open houses to get an idea of what exactly we wanted and what neighborhoods we really liked. Well that trip was cancelled and so were open houses.  One weekend, we decided to drive around some of the neighborhoods that we were interested in and randomly stumbled upon a home that fit our lifestyle perfectly!  The timing was nowhere near what we had planned, and we spent several days going back and forth.  In the end, we knew if we passed on this house that we might regret it 3 months later when our planned house hunting timeline started.  So we called our real estate agent and bought a house!

The past couple weeks have been filled with packing, setting up utilities and other house odds and ends, moving in, unpacking, getting our dogs settled with the new living situation, changing our address in a million places, and slowly settling in to our new home.  Hence the lack of blog posts.

Two months after we originally spotted this house, it still sometimes hard to believe we live here!  We still have lots to unpack, buy, and decorate.  And YES, I’m going to take ya’ll on the new home journey with us!  Stay tuned because later in the week, I’m going to share a look at our home decorating mood board.  Can’t wait to take you on this adventure with us!

OUTFIT DETAILS

TOP PACKING SUPPLIES

Summer Outdoor Wedding Outfit

summer wedding outfit | black sleeveless top with floral maxi skirt | Affordable Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

summer luncheon outfit | black knit top with yellow tassel earrings | Texas Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

spring wedding guest outfit | floral maxi skirt | black python clutch purse | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

wedding guest outfit | floral print maxi skirt with black knit turtleneck top | Houston Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

With many summer weddings being moved outdoors, I wanted to share an outdoor wedding outfit idea that would work for an evening wedding or daytime if you live somewhere cooler.  This long flowy floral maxi skirt is lightweight and breathable in the heat.  It also moves beautifully when you get a little breeze. It’s lined to about mid-calf which helps it not feel so heavy.  It comes in a bunch of colors and prints.  I chose a lighter print to work in the Texas heat.

To offset the lighter skirt, I paired it with my black high neck top.  This top is a knit, but it’s not super heavy and pretty high quality for the price.  The high neck ruffle detail gives a look of elegance and helps dress up the skirt.

For accessories, I pulled out my yellow statement earrings to help pull out the yellow in the skirt.  You could also use red, white or gold earrings. Wear your hair up in a top knot or low bun with a pair of stud earrings to help beat the heat even more.

No weddings on your calendar?  This chic outfit would also work for date night or dinner with a girlfriend or two.

summer wedding guest outfit | black high neck top with big flower printed long skirt | Southern Style Blog Lady in Violet

spring outfit | high neck sleeveless top | yellow statement earrings | Affordable Fashion Blog Lady in violet

summer gala outfit | white floral print maxi skirt | Everyday Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

wedding guest attire | black sleeveless top with floral print maxi skirt | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

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How to Make a Small Apartment Look BIGGER

how to make a small apartment look bigger | home decor | Houston Lifestyle Blogger Lady in Violet

When I moved into my 650 square foot apartment a couple years ago, my main decorating goal was to make it feel bigger than it actual was and to maximize the space to hold all my of my many things.  I started my living room from scratch and purchased everything after I moved in.  My bedroom set was fairly new when I moved, so I kept that and decorated around it to make the space feel bigger.  Today, I’m breaking down a few of my top tips on how to make a small apartment look bigger.  These tips will not only work for small apartments but also small homes and individual rooms.

how to decorate a small apartment living room | gray white colors | Lifestyle Blog Lady in Violet

USE LIGHT NEUTRAL COLORS FOR BIG ITEMS LIKE FURNITURE AND RUGS

By choosing lighter colors for your bigger items, you can give an appearance of a bigger space by keeping the room light and bright.  I also think white furniture blends into the wall to make the room appear more open.

When planning my living room, I thought about what the biggest items are in the room – the couch, the rug, and the tv stand.  I knew my color scheme was going to be gray and white.  I started by picking out a gray couch that would fit the space but not overwhelm it.  A couch with a chaise lounge is great for a small space to add seating when you can’t have big chairs.  I chose a lighter gray that wouldn’t show wear and tear or dirt and staining, but was light enough to keep my bigger space illusion alive.

I chose white wood furniture for my tv stand and end table along with a few other items in this room.   Because this color is similar to the wall color it makes the room feel more open.  To bring the white and gray together, I went with a white and gray rug to bring both colors together and still have my light and bright feel.

 

small apartment living room | grey neutral with pops of color | small coffee table | home decor tips blog Lady in Violet

ADD CONTRAST AND POPS OF COLOR WITH SMALL FURNITURE AND DECOR

Once I had my base down, I looked at where I could add color.  My apartment does not have a kitchen, so I knew I would be eating and drinking my coffee and red wine at my coffee table which meant I was not buying a white one.  Instead I opted for a small round table in dark wood color.  The round shape does not feel as big and bulky as a square or rectangle table, and the dark color is a nice contrast and accent to all the white without making the room feel small.

For color selection, I decided to add in a few pops of purple to my living room and teal to my kitchen.  Since I have an open layout floorplan, these are both the same room.  I found artwork that included both colors to help tie the rooms together.

FIND MULTI USE FURNITURE

Many of my furniture pieces serve mulitple purposes.  My purple ottoman works as an extra seat and opens up with storage inside that I use for extra blankets.  The decorative box on my end table is both decorative and opens up to store remotes.  My bookcase helps store my file boxes, and I use the top of it for my catchall tray and to place mail. Even my dog’s kennel is being given extra use as both a kennel and end table.  I added a small tray on top and a faux wood canvas to make the top a little prettier.

how to organize small apartment spaces | organized filing system | Texas Lifestyle Blog Lady in Violet

UTILIZE ALL CORNERS

My dog loves to sleep in her kennel when I’m not home even though she has free reign of the apartment, so I knew I wanted to find a place for it.  The best place also left me with an unused corner next to my kitchen counter.  I also needed some were to store files and books, so I picked up this white bookcase.  The white helps make it less noticeable in the room and makes this space usable for storage.

small apartment kitchen counter organization | best coffeemaker for one | Home Decor Blogger Lady in Violet

MAXIMIZE KITCHEN COUNTER SPACE

I love to cook and that requires a good size of counter space.  Small apartments are not always super friendly in this area.  I knew this small corner would not be used for any cooking due to the position of it, so I used it to place all my counter items like my knife block, coffee maker, and cooking utensils.  With many of my bulk counter items here, I was able to keep the other side empty and have more space for cooking.

how to make bedroom look bigger | king size bed white comforter | Home decorating blog Lady in Violet

OFFSET LARGE DARK FURNITURE WITH LIGHTER PIECES AND WHITE ACCENTS

I mentioned that I kept my original bedroom furniture which was all dark brown.  To add contrast and keep the room feeling open and bright, I added in lighter items like a white duvet cover for my down comforter, white decorative pillows, and mirrored nightstands.   Also because I love multi-use furniture, my bed also has built in storage drawers on each side giving more places to store clothes.  Luckily, both of my dressers fit in this space, but the extra storage is nice would I have had to give up a dresser.

All of my six tips combined really helps make my space feel much bigger than it really is.  I have a friend with the same apartment layout as me, but with a dark couch and dark wood furniture.  I always thought their apartment felt smaller than mine, turns out it was actually 100 square feet bigger!  When I found this out, I knew the small things I did in my apartment were definitely helping it feel way more spacious and bright.

SHOP THE HOME

Yellow Floral Top + White Shorts

summer outfit | yellow floral top with white cotton shorts | Affordable Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

summer outfit | yellow flowy top with white dress shorts | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

casual summer outfit | white cotton shorts | tory burch miller sandal | Texas Fashion Blog Lady in Violets

casual outfit | yellow floral print blouse with white shorts | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

Hello Texas Heat! We are slowly inching closer and closer to the 100 degree mark here which means short season is officially here.  When I did my survey a few months ago, shorts outfits were a request.  This summer I’m planning to share a few more outfits with shorts.  Shorts are one thing I like to buy in-store vs. online.  Sometimes I like to size up, and I also like to be sure they do not ride up between the legs when I walk.  While I have not yet ventured into a store yet, I do have a few pairs on my try on list that have good reviews.  If you have a pair of shorts you love, drop it in the comments!

These white shorts are still one of my favorite pairs.  I wish Express would bring them back so I can buy in more colors!  The fit is both structured and stretchy making them look chic and feel comfy.  I also have this pair from Old Navy.  That pair is more full cotton so not as stretchy and wrinkles a little easier than the Express pair.

Flowy colorful blouses are the perfect pairing with white shorts.  I love how the white in the print stand out more when paired with a white bottom.  The longer sleeve and flowy fit helps give a dressier look to the shorts outfit.  It’s also a good option if you want to create a more modest shorts outfit.  This yellow top has a banded bottom which gives the look of being tucked in.  I love this style top on a hot day.  You don’t have to worry about tucking in a shirt while possibly also sweating.  The loose and flowy fit also give lots of breathability and air flow.

summer outfit | yellow long sleeve top with white shorts | Everyday Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

casual daytime outfit | yellow floral print top with white dress shorts | Affordable Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

summer outfit | straw circle crossbody purse | sand patent miller sandals | Casual Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

summer outfit | yellow banded waist top with white cuffed shorts | Houston Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

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