Spring Refresh: Your Beauty Routine!

Spring is the time to renew and reestablish beauty routines and regimens that may have been forgotten during the bleak "winter blahs."

Just like a spring cleaning routine refreshes your home, warmer weather is a sign that it might be time to refresh your physical appearance, as well. The upcoming promise of warm weather fashion, bikinis, family vacations, and travel destinations are all added incentives to glamorize yourself, but the best reason for kick-starting your beauty regimen is because of how awesome it will make you feel. Below is a list of beauty ideas and habits to dust off to get you and your body out of a winter funk, and on your way to your most chic, warm-weather self.

Hosting Tips for Preparing a Holiday Dinner or Party

With a little planning and preparation, you'll feel ready to welcome your guests with open arms. Here's a sample to-do list that I used when hosting Christmas dinner.

Making one's guests feel comfortable and welcomed is the goal of every good host or hostess. If the host is feeling frazzled, disorganized, or even looks disheveled, guests can feel awkward and unwelcome, like they are intruding on your time. To help make everyone feel comfortable and ready for a good time, a host or hostess should be prepared. In my experience, most of the work for hosting a party or gathering is done in the days leading up to the actual event! Keep reading to see how I managed to cook for and host 18 people for Christmas dinner.

Sample Holiday Menu for a Family Gathering

Planning and cooking Christmas Dinner is a memorable and gratifying way to share the love with your family. Here is my sample menu, with links to the recipes that I followed.

I mentioned in my last post that my husband and I were honored to host Christmas Day at our house this past year. Like most writers, I am an introspective person-- so although the holidays are behind us, I like to reflect back on how things went and what I learned from hosting 18 people (14 adults!) for a holiday gathering in our home. It was a Christmas miracle! The day went very well, and my guests seemed to really enjoy the holiday menu that I had prepared.

The key to the day's success (aside from being a Christmas miracle!) is that I spent a lot of time planning and preparing. I once mentioned that I had a former music teacher who was fond of saying, "You're only nervous if you're unprepared," and it's true-- careful planning and preparation really are the key. In a future post, I plan to provide a detailed schedule and timeline of the to-do list that helped make this holiday dinner a success.

Celebrating 2016 as Classy Local turns 3!

The Classy Local blog turns three as we enter a brand new year.

Hello again to my few but fabulous readers! I hope that the winter holidays were a time of happiness, memory-making, and joy. December was a busy month for us, as my husband and I spent nearly every available moment visiting with friends and family. This naturally leads to another decrease in blogging, but I am so thrilled to be able to share in future posts all of the lessons and ideas that I've appreciated during this time. My husband and I were honored to have the opportunity of hosting family at our home Christmas Day (14 adults and 4 kids!), and despite our cozy (read: tiny) living space, I am really thrilled and happy with how wonderful everything was. In a future post, I plan to break down my newly learned tips on how to host and cook for a major holiday gathering.

Inspiration to Be Chic and Positive

There is always something new to learn and discover, and there are always new ways to find inspiration.

After a busy summer, I've spent most of the early fall trying to catch up and get myself sorted out and back to good routines. Although I'm still not quite where I'd like to be in terms of routines, organization, and workload, I've been trying to stay calm and remain optimistic. Of course, this can be challenging even on normal days: stress and anxiety are unfortunately a normal part of life. However, I've made an effort to actively seek positivity and inspiration because, even if I'm struggling in my own routines, it is nice to read or listen to sources that are encouraging and that serve as reminders of what I want to cultivate in my own life. Here are three of my current sources of inspiration, including two brand new (to me), out-of-the-box genres: chic podcasts!

Staying Chic When You're between Sizes: Part 3

"Fat pants" are not for the chic, but fortunately there are alternatives for dressing well between sizes.

Hello again! Welcome to the third and final installment of my long-delayed series on how to dress well at any size. More than two whole years ago (!) I wrote the second installment on what I hoped would become a mini-series on "Staying Chic When You're between Sizes." This series is intended to address those of us who sometimes struggle to maintain appearances and dress well when we are in a period of physical transition, whether from weight gain, weight loss, exercise (or lack of), and/or maternity.

The first post (linked here) discussed the importance of fit: it is never chic to squeeze into something that one has clearly outgrown, or perhaps had never fit in to, to begin with! The second post discussed how important it is to be acquainted with a good tailor or seamstress. (Really, it's unfortunate that the only time most people use alternation services is when they're being fitted for wedding attire!)

Although the two-year time lapse between this series is really inexcusable, I have finally decided to share some observations on clothing pieces that I find are universally flattering. Regardless of one's size or shape, some style staples really do look good on anyone. Here are four pieces that seem to not only flatter all body types, but even better, these are versatile fashion pieces that never go out of style.

Simplifying the Handbag Collection

Handbags and purses should be reviewed and pared down periodically, just like any material items that accumulate in everyday life.

My personal style, maintenance habits, and income are in very different categories than they were 10 years ago, so it's time for me to gradually edit through my belongings to reflect that change. Today I took some time to go through my assortment of handbags. I've been keeping a storage tote on a shelf in my closet where I toss all of my handbags and purses*. Every few months, I will rotate through my collection and select a new bag to use for daily wear. (It's like going shopping in my own closet!) I've noticed that I seem to alternate between the same two or three handbags, depending on the season, but I also saw that, paradoxically, the storage tote was overflowing as it tottered on my closet shelf. Clearly, I had forgotten just how much stuff I had.

I made it my mission of the day to sort through this tote and immediately eliminate any unnecessary purses and/or bags. Decluttering and editing unnecessary stuff from my life is important to me; I like for things to be simpler and more streamlined in my home and in my life. It cuts down on so much wasted space, time, and energy. I wouldn't yet consider myself a minimalist, by any means, but I am gradually attempting to adopt a minimalist attitude as I try to simplify where (and what) I can. Although I must have had 20 different bags in my storage tote, I decided right away that I wasn't going to agonize or second-guess any decisions, but I would just get rid of what I could quickly and easily eliminate.

Some of the choices were obvious: two small totes that were actually part of the gift packaging for a set of lotions or bath products; a mint-colored handbag that I bought at a boutique near my old job nearly 10 years ago, the exterior and interior fabrics of which have since start to rip and peel; an ugly cream-colored clutch that I mistakenly bought for one-time use to bring to a family member's wedding reception. Only one choice made me hesitate, where I thought, Oh, this is cute, but I did eventually realize that I had really outgrown the $15 hounds-tooth hobo bag that I bought from from Payless a few years ago. What made that choice easier was only the fact that I had recently been given a similarly colored and structured handbag that was of a much better quality and of a more fashionable pattern.

It had been more than three or four years since I last used any of these bags, and some of them I had never used. So why had I kept them for so long? The two reasons why I kept these particular bags were: 1.) At one time, I did like some of these handbags very much; and 2.) Some were hardly (or never) used, so they were "still good" and to get rid of them would be wasteful. Here's how I processed those feelings.

Stain Removal to Save Your Favorite Clothes

Save money, time, and stress by learning how to remove stains from your favorite wardrobe pieces.

The thought of scrubbing away at stains and memorizing a long list of rescue products (club soda for this, baking soda for that) always seemed very daunting to me. Before I became more conscious of investing in quality pieces, if a stain couldn't be removed by a regular washing machine, then that piece of clothing went in the trash or the back of a drawer, never to be seen again. Doing laundry is time-consuming enough, so complicated stain removal methods simply did not seem worth the trouble.

That is, until I got paint on my favorite summer pants last week.

Organizing the Dresser

 I finally solved my dresser dilemma and improved my daily regimen after struggling to keep my makeup and jewelry organized.

Just like how a nice robe can be the start and end of one's daily ensemble, the dressing table is the piece of furniture that is faced daily with the task of getting its owner ready for the day and ready for bed at night. Perhaps the hardest-working piece of furniture in the bedroom (second only to the bed), a dresser is where people without the luxury of a vanity or walk-in closet begin to get dressed in the morning, then undressed at night. For a long time my dresser showed signs of struggle with this burden: it was messy, cluttered, chaotic, and disorganized. Just looking at it made me feel overwhelmed. See?

Before: The cluttered dresser. (After photo to follow! I'm saving the best for last.)

So how did I finally get this situation under control? Believe it or not, it was easier than I thought!

Reading List for the New Year

Though I haven't been writing much, I am thrilled that I've been reading a bit this winter.

Bonjour!

More than two years since its creation, my little blog is still here. I like to think of it as a testament to the "slow and steady" motto. I may not update frequently (though I would like to), but this is a little project of mine that has become too dear to abandon. So, here we are, with a monthly update.

Fortunately, things have calmed down quite a bit since before and during the holiday season. I like to think that February is really when life starts getting back to normal, and the stress and pressure of the holidays and the new year's resolutions have either taken firm hold, or have been forgotten entirely. My own resolution to maintain balance has thus far been working. One of the things I've been making "me time" for is to read. I have a broad range of interests, so I tend to be reading several things at one time. Here is a list of what I've been reading this winter.

Happy New Year! (2015 Edition!)

Catfish makes time to enjoy the Christmas spirit.

After a long and busy hiatus from blogging, I am ready to start 2015 with renewed focus and balance.

When I began this blog two (!) years ago, it started as a little hobby that gave me a chance to flex my writing muscles while occupying my time during the day when I was working evenings/nights. Over the past two years, my life has become progressively busier since I began a career in teaching. Unlike my former desk jobs, teaching requires a lot of hours working from home: grading papers, planning lessons, and responding to students' emails! I've always felt that I've done a good job managing stress and general busyness, but the past semester has been exceptionally challenging since my teaching schedule had suddenly doubled. Although working so much gave me valuable experience and new opportunities, it also took a toll on my personal life and passions-- as evidenced by the sharp drop-off in my blog posts!

I once read somewhere that, "It's only in America that people go around bragging about how busy they are." Wouldn't it be nice if instead, people went around bragging about how happy they are? Or how much time they enjoyed spending with their family? Or about the delicious meal that they prepared from scratch? Or the great book that they finished? Any and all of the pursuits sound much more enjoyable than discussing how many emails one answered, or how late somebody stayed at the office, or how someone worked through her lunch break. I now realize that "keeping up with the Joneses" is not only limited to material possessions, but also to our general attitudes and feelings about working and home life. People are expected to prioritize work and sacrifice their home life for reasons that often have little or nothing to do with financial stability-- it again goes back to our competitive nature to "keep up with the Joneses." After several months of working in this fashion, I've definitely decided that this is not how I want to live my life.

Like the recovery from a holiday's hangover, my recovery from 2014 has been slow, but not without reflection and the accompanying regret. Looking back at my resolution from last year, I realized that I didn't really make a lot of time for myself, as I had promised myself that I would. I was just too busy! However, I've learned something about myself over the years: I am a person who strives to be busy, whether it's from working too much, volunteering too much, or finding multiple projects for me to occupy my time (alas, like blogging). Whatever it is, for whatever reason, I just have a tendency to overextend myself to the point where I no longer take joy from whatever it is that I am doing at the moment. This is so absurd! Unfortunately, this is also a reflection of my exact thoughts at this time last year; apparently, I didn't progress as much as I had hoped in 2014. Although I know that I am someone who likes to stay occupied, I think the past year has been a wake-up call for me to strive to achieve balance between being busy and not. Although being busy has its benefits. we all know that too much of a good thing is certainly bad.

Although my resolution from 2014 failed, it's never too late to try, try again. Here's to another chance at finding balance and joy during 2015. Wishing my readers a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year! How was 2014 for you? What are you looking forward to in 2015?

A New Page! For Links!

Hello! I am excited to announce that I have figured out how to add pages to the navigation bar at the top of the page! Notice the new tab called Chic Blogs. (Thank you, thank you; you may stop applauding now.) I realize I could have figured this out much sooner with a bit more effort and diligence on my part, but as this blog is just a little hobby of mine, I have not made it much of a priority.

(New post coming "soon"-- why we must do more of what makes us happy.)

However, after letting good, chic habits slide while I've been feeling stressed and out of sorts, I thought that motivating myself through (re-)reading some of my favorite inspiring blogs might help me to get back into the swing of things. I especially related to Fiona's own struggle "Getting back into Sorts," and I decided it might benefit me to collect links to my favorite inspirations. And, for the benefit of my reader(s), I decided to annotate these links explaining why certain blogs were my favorite, as many other blogs in this genre are nothing more than collections of advertisements and photos of the newest products that are designed to drain our wallets and make us feel guilty and unsatisfied with what we currently have-- in fact, the total opposite of what a happy, simple yet stylish lifestyle intends to do!

In the future I intend to add other pages to organize my content, perhaps by book or movie reviews, or recipes, or health and fitness related content, or whatnot, but for now, I hope you will enjoy my budding collection of  Chic Blogs. So, relax and save yourself the disappointment and frustration of looking for good lifestyle blogs to read that don't consist entirely of someone wearing something new in front of a fancy building. You can enjoy my collection of tried, trusted, and recommended links, instead!

The above photo was taken by me on the Spree River in Berlin in 2011.

New habit (1 of 1): Waking up early

 

Starting my day with an early walk is my newest habit for staying calm and chic during busy mornings.

Something that I've always struggled with is waking up early. I'm not (usually) a complete grouch in the morning, but I do love sleeping and sleeping in. Usually my high point for alertness and productivity hits somewhere between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Any time before that just doesn't work. I prefer to ease into my day, rather than jumping up and just going. I was definitely thrown for a loop this fall, when my teaching schedule unexpectedly doubled from three classes to six! What was supposed to be a relatively calm semester with classes starting no earlier than 11 a.m. suddenly changed when I was assigned three more classes beginning at 9 a.m. three days a week. (Not that I am complaining-- I am grateful for the opportunity!) Aside from having to be in to work earlier than usual, the added class preparation and assignment grading  is really time-consuming. There's just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I need to! Rather than completely stressing out (although it happens anyway), I've taken it upon myself to make more time in my day by waking up early: a brand new habit for me.

They key for me to wake up and feel energized is to get up and get moving. Rather than easing in to the morning with a cup of coffee, I  now wake up, throw on some sweats (hopefully one day I'll be able to look more polished, but for now, sweats will suffice), and take my dog for a short walk outside. If I were to stay inside lounging in my pajamas, I would risk falling back asleep or just pottering around until I end up being late-- totally unacceptable when a class of 25 is waiting on me! Instead, the fresh air and morning chill help me to wake up more quickly and begin feeling alert.

I would love to be one of those people who is able to wake up and immediately go exercise--a nice morning jog does sound kind of glamorous to me, although that may be largely because I am a runner. However, to my fragile morning psyche, rigorous exercise immediately upon waking is just too intense. Going for a short but gentle walk with Monty, my beagle mix, is a much better compromise. I still enjoy some of the health benefits of early morning exercise, which is important because with my schedule as busy as it is, I don't know when I'd fit it in otherwise! Also, what's even more special is that my dog and I love our early morning time together! This is especially important as I'm gone for longer portions of the day, so it helps Monty to feel a little more relaxed when I'm not at home.

Before working as a night-side journalist or college professor (both jobs with semi-nontraditional hours), I held two different 9-5 jobs working as an editor. Back then, I'd usually arrive at work still half-asleep and would ease into my day by catching up on the news and enjoying a cup of coffee (or two) while I settled in at my desk. My work  today, though, just doesn't allow that. At 9 a.m. sharp, I need to be awake, energetic, and on so that I can get my students alert and engaged before class ends. My morning routine definitely needed some shaking up this season! For me, a gentle walk outside has been a useful strategy in feeling alert and productive in the early morning hours, and it's been an added health perk for both me and my dog!

My goals for the future are to develop other useful, productive habits. I've been waking up and taking walks for nearly a month, and I do feel that it makes a noticeable improvement in how I start my day. (I also think that I may have lost a pound or two!) Other possible new habits include: waking up and running (! maybe one day I'll get there), limiting caffeine and trying other natural remedies for staying alert and productive, and trying to figure out a way to get out of the early-afternoon slump that I fall into once I leave work. Habits, like life, are a work in progress! What positive habits are you trying to establish?

The above photo shows my dog, Monty, enjoying an outdoor romp this summer (2014).

The Woman Crush: Seven reasons why I admire Courtney Lapresi

MasterChef contestant Courtney Lapresi demonstrates many admirable (and rare) qualities for a reality-TV star.

Chic role models can be found everywhere. I've noticed a new trend among ladies: to cite their contemporary female role models as their "woman crush." How cute! I actually love this idea because it is really empowering for women. Rather than finding flaws or criticizing one another, let's take the time to point out what's right about someone-- those qualities that we like, admire, and perhaps ourselves wish to emulate.

A "Negative Nancy" has no mystery. She is someone who finds fault with others, usually based on the very things of which she herself may feel insecure (such as appearance, ability, weight, relationships, etc.). Discussing flaws and drawing attention to our own negative aspects is very un-chic. Rather, amplifying one's best assets and representing one's self (and others) with pride and respect is a much more classy approach to life. Wouldn't you agree? My very own woman-crush, for whom this post is written, is a living example of this attitude.
 

Facing Challenges

 

Challenges are opportunities for growth, which makes it important to step outside of one's comfort zone every now and then.

Recently I overcame a tremendous personal challenge: I ran my first marathon last month! (Hence the lack of blogging in May.) For those of you who are unfamiliar, a marathon is 26.2 miles (or 42.19 kilometers). I finished in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 47 seconds.

Although exercise and fitness (particularly running), are some of my hobbies, I was unsure if I should blog about this accomplishment on Classy Local. As this is more of a lifestyle blog, I wasn't sure how this connects to my focus on living a chic and refined life. Anyone who's ever run or witnessed a marathon knows that refined, chic, and classy are not the best ways to describe distance runners, particularly those in the middle of a grueling endurance event.

But, living a chic or refined life does not necessarily mean living a life of perpetual ease or harmony. Rather, it reflects the attitude with which you approach all aspects of ordinary life— especially the challenging moments.

Spring Clean Your Beauty Kit

How to spring clean your essential beauty tools, along with a tutorial on cleaning makeup brushes.

I really love Marc Jacobs' Daisy perfume (more on signature scents later), but recently my supply has been running low. So, I was especially surprised and delighted when my husband got me the new, limited-edition Daisy for an Easter gift!

The new fragrance is light and breezy, like the classic Daisy that I love, but a little lighter, a little more spring! This got me to thinking how refreshing it is to live seasonally. Just as we give our home or wardrobe a spring cleaning, or perhaps try to eat cleaner as warm weather approaches, one's beauty regimen can also use a spring cleaning and seasonal update.

Refresh Your Home with a Springtime Cleaning

A traditional spring cleaning can be a great way to rejuvenate your home for the season.

Despite what the weather has already told us over the past two weeks, spring has officially arrived.

Time to banish the winter blah with a good old fashioned spring cleaning. Experienced homemakers know this is no small feat. As a relatively new homeowner myself, I’m not quite sure if I’m up to the challenge. I may have never washed a window in my life, but I do know how to vacuum. Or, to be honest, I do know that I at least HAVE a vacuum. Somewhere. Maybe.

So I looked up some tips to help me get started.

A change in attitude, if not weather.

I realize that it’s time to stop hibernating and get on with my life, in spite of what Punxsutawney Phil had to say this year.

 

It’s been two months since the New Year! For those of us living in the northeast, the holiday season has faded into a cold and seemingly endless winter, without the benefit of being able to look forward to additional holiday festivities. As a result, I've been in kind of a funk lately as I muddle through this extended winter season.

 

In addition to battling cabin fever, mountains of winter snow have made me feel lethargic and unmotivated during the past several weeks. Hibernacting, though at times a great comfort, is not the best strategy for cultivating inner poise or refinement. I have a tendency to look like (and sometimes become) a bit of a bum when I'm stuck at home for too long, mainly because if I'm home for a while I’m not expecting to see anyone, or I’m doing some messy housework and don't want to sweat or spill on my nice clothes. And although a snow day can be a wonderful break in routine, we've had enough of them this year that they're not quite so exciting or comfortable anymore. Rather, the winter weather has been enabling my lazier habits and everything feels cramped, stuffy, and tiresome.

 

As much as I’d love a vacation, that’s simply not an option right now because of work and other obligations. But, even more pressing, I realize that my favorite destinations—in Europe—are known for having even worse winters! So, I realize that it’s time for me to take a cue from those stiff-upper-lipped Europeans, and simply get on with my life, regardless of the weather.

 

It's up to me to rearrange my winter attitude and environment to become a productive and supporting scene. If I can’t change the weather, I can at least make some improvements to my home space that will hopefully reflect a more positive outlook. Below is my list of my ideas for re-energizing this winter.

Happy New Year!

 

A new year is a great time to plan and reflect on personal growth, but it doesn't have to be an "all or nothing" endeavor.

I'm a bit relieved to see that some of my favorite blogs have also been relaxed about writing a post for the new year. As someone who's worked in journalism, part of my thoughts toward writing about a new year include a nagging voice that screams, Timeliness! Immediacy! Content generation! and I feel guilty for not writing more or sooner, especially in regard to a fresh start or a new year. However, as someone who also strives to live a calm and gentle (tres chic!) life, I tell myself to relax, smile, and enjoy doing something that I love and on my own terms.

Which brings me back to my own resolutions, the first of which is to: Do more of what makes me happy! This, I realize, is a very unspecific resolution, but I completely intend it to be that way. If I put too much demand or focus on one aspect of my life, I'm afraid it will make it all the less pleasing to me.

Too often, we become trapped in our own good intentions until they become no longer enjoyable to us. For example, to exercise more is a common resolution. Exercise is really an adult form of playing (think of all the running, jumping, and climbing you did as a child!). With all of the great community sports, fitness machines, gadgets, and exercise classes available, exercising should really be something fun for adults to do. But, we tend to develop an "all or nothing" mindset when we grow up, and this sucks the joy out of a lot of things. So rather than trying to find happiness by focusing on one small aspect of my life, I'm looking at my life in a big-picture, nonspecific way.

Happy birthday, Classy Local!

Classy Local turns one!

Before beginning the celebrations of a new year, I would like to recognize the past year as the Classy Local blog celebrates its first year of existence!

For anyone who has ever kept or followed a blog, we know that many tend to peter out after several weeks or months, so one year is quite a milestone for a blog-- especially for this busy blogger!

I started Classy Local after spending quite a bit of time reading my two favorite blogs: How to Be Chic and The Daily Connoisseur. I enjoy these blogs so much because they are inspiring and remind me of my time spent overseas. Whether it is simply because I had been enjoying a leisurely vacation, or because those Europeans really do have things figured out, my time abroad has been a wonderful and powerful experience for me-- not just from the magnificent sights and sounds of Europe, but because of its everyday culture and lifestyle. Reading and writing about these little aspects of everyday living serves as my reminder to live well every day (or as much as I possibly can)!

Most importantly, both of my favorite blogs are very well-written! As someone who teaches writing, I strongly believe that teachers must practice what they preach-- namely, for me, I must be a writer myself if I wish to teach writing successfully. I am glad that for the past year, I have been able to do this in a small but consistent way through my blogging.

Hopefully, I can continue writing and simultaneously cultivating my inner bon vivant for another year or more. Here's to another year of style, celebration, and creativity.

The above photo was taken by me of a room in Dublin Castle in Dublin, Ireland in 2009. It was originally posted on the first Classy Local blog post (ever!), here.