That's the beautiful thing about capsule wardrobes, EVERYTHING gets worn, used, and loved.

If you have a true and honest capsule wardrobe, your entire closet should almost fit inside a medium to large suitcase. With that said, this means your closet will only be about 37 to 45 pieces. Yes, this includes shirts, jackets, coats, skirts, pants, jeans, and shoes.

If you want to be REALLY thrifty, it could also include your belts, hats, purses, and other accessories too. Why hold on to a ton of bags that you never use? Again, it just ends up a useless pile taking up space!

When the season starts changing, this is when you know it's time to change up the wardrobe and put some out of season things away. If the leaves on the trees are changing colors, sorry hon, but that means it's time for those pretty chiffon tanks and blouses to hibernate for the next little while.

Relax, you don't need to throw them out, just tuck them away in a storage bin or box for now.

You still want to keep it capsule-size, so don't go crazy on the shopping. For as many items as you put away, replace them with a season-appropriate piece. Or maybe you've been wearing that same argyle sweater for too many years and it's time for an update all together. That's fine too, but don't. Go. Overboard.

Funny thing with us humans, we feel the more choices we have, the more freedom we have. That's not always true. Personally, I find the more clothes in my closet, the longer my morning staring-at-the-closet-with-no-idea-what-to-wear session is. Keeping it simple means keeping it short.

You really have more options than you'd think! Three jackets, two jeans, four pairs of shoes, five shirts and blouses, three skirts, three pants, two coats, and three purses means you've got 6,480 different combinations! And that's only 25 articles of clothing!

Still holding that armful of clothes? Well? You going to let it just take up space or what?

Ta!

Jess

My last piece of wisdom from Audrey today is to just be HAPPY. If you give it your honest effort, you can find at least ONE thing everyday to be happy about. Whether that simply be that the sun came out, that you had food to eat for breakfast, or that you got to work on time. You can find that ONE thing. The more you strive for gratitude, the happier you with be. 

You know how you hate working with stupid people? Well, I hate talking with stupid people. Now, hold on a second, hear me out on this one.

One of my biggest pet peeves in the entire world is talking to stupid people...or at least people that sound like they're stupid. Sure maybe they can name all fifty state capitals, or recite the entirety of Pi from memory; maybe they really do have a higher than fifth-grade reading level. They just don't sound like it!

Seriously, think about it. You can know all this cool stuff, but if you can't communicate it to people like you actually know what you're talking about, who cares? I might add, you may look really amazing in your ensemble of choice for the day, but if your language doesn't match? You kind of look like you're trying too hard to be something you're not.

Talking to people like that almost physically makes me uncomfortable as my perception of their intelligence takes a nose-dive train wreck to the bottom of the ocean. I quite literally, cannot take them seriously.

One of my FAVORITE poems of all time is a free-verse piece by Taylor Mali appropriately named, "Totally, Like, Whatever." I'll let him do the talking for me.



We all did it. We talked a certain way, because it's how the "cool" kids talked. Or at least how the kids who THOUGHT they were "cool" talked. Don't get me wrong, I used to have this same problem all the time. In fact, all the way through middle school I inserted all these unnecessary, empty comparatives and filler words into my speech, which did nothing except fill the space in which I had nothing meaningful to say.
The tragedy? For many of us now, it's an unconscious habit!
I eventually came to a spot in my adolescence when I asked myself, "Why do I talk like this? What do I sound like? Does this even help me?"
It took awhile, and a lot of conscious effort, but I eventually climbed out of the funk I'd discovered myself in. It's quite freeing, really. When you realize that the only words coming out of your mouth are the ones that help carry the message you want to communicate, you feel empowered! Say what you believe and mean it! That my friend, IS cool.
Imagine, feeling strong and almost invincible simply by the way you talk! I might add, imagine how smart, and even, elegant you will sound to those around you.
So, in the words of Taylor Mali: I implore you, I entreat you, and I challenge you to speak with conviction!
Ta!
Jess

It is every woman's desire (or at least it should be) to find the perfect shade of red lipstick. That soulmate-matching hue that makes their pout look as though it's flowing with luscious passion.

Okay, the search doesn't need to be that deep. Still for many of us females our curiosity does dwell on whether or not there may even exist a man-made color of red that doesn't make us look like we belong under the Big Top. Don't even get me started on the endless wonder on where the heck my natural lip line is.

The quest for this ruby wonder doesn't have to cause so much anxiety. It can be as easy as the color of the blood veins in your wrist. Yes, I said blood veins. Are they blue or green?

No, I am not about to tell you that the reason you haven't found your match is because your blood is to your utter dismay and horror an emerald shade of green or sapphire blue (surprise!) I AM however saying that depending on the hue your blood veins tint through your skin depends on whether or not you have warm or cool undertones in your skin. Relax. It's an easy interpretation.

Blue means you're more of a cool or pinkish undertone and you should lean to the more cool red shades, or blue-reds. I know you think I said that backwards, but trust me, it's blue-reds. If you slap on a red and it gives you a healthy glow, keep it! You've enhanced the morsel of blue in your skin and it's beautiful! You found you a blue-red. If you slap one on and it makes you appear sallow and washed out, put it back and run clear in the other direction. This is not a shade you want to be associated with. You have enough yellow or red in your skin-tone and you don't need anymore.



Green means you're more of a warm undertone, and as such, should stray far from the blue-reds as they will make your complexion appear more dull and grey (and we don't want that now, do we?) Warm undertones will want to turn towards orange-reds, or reds with warmer, brighter hues. Shocked? I know.



If you haven't already looked down at your arm at least once since you started reading this, you are foolish as you should have already done so, it takes you less than three seconds.

If you just glanced at your arm and are having a panic attack because you don't know what color it is, it looks neither blue nor green then congratulations! You are part of the handful of people in the world that have a neutral undertone to their skin. You lucky ducks may wear both blue-reds and orange-reds.

What are you waiting for? Go find your precious and rock it!

Ta!

-Jess

Wait...you didn't think I was going to write a blog without talking about FOOD, did you? Heavens sakes, that's madness! So, onward to one of the best breakfasts that I've adapted to over the past few years: Oatmeal.

That's right. This simple, quick, and easy meal is packed with water-soluble fiber that will actually fill you up and keep you satisfied to the next meal (hopefully for most of you, this means LUNCH.)

It's okay if you're not sold right away. I took my own sweet little while...okay, years. It took me years.

Oatmeal used to repel me like North and South Korea to each other. The texture was all wrong, felt really weird in my mouth; it was just gross. I think there was one time in history when I, as a child, tried to give it another go. I took one bite of the stuff and I was done. I'd sworn it off forever...until now.

Now as a student in college, I have those mornings where I don't have a lot of time to make a three-course breakfast, or just flat out don't have a lot of energy to even THINK of my breakfast menu. On these mornings oatmeal is a fantastic choice to fall back on.

The easiest and quickest way to fashion your oats is in the microwave:

Hot-served Oatmeal:

1/2 c oats

1 c milk or water (I prefer milk)

a pinch of salt

1 1/2 T honey

fruit of your choice

Instructions:
1. Mix oats, milk, and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Put it in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until the milk begins to boil. Your oats should be puffy and bit thick.

2. Add in honey and a handful of fruit of your choice. I personally love raspberries and blueberries.

Ta-da! The most filling breakfast you could ask for!

You can even prepare your oats the night before and eat them cold!

Overnight Oats:

1/2 c oats

1 t chia seeds (this helps thicken the oats)

3/4 c milk

a pinch of salt

1 1/2 T of honey

fruit of your choice (add in the morning)

jar with matching lid

Instructions:
1. Mix everything except the fruit together in a jar and seal tight with matching lid.

2. Leave in fridge to set overnight (or least 2 hours)

3. Come morning add your fruit in and ENJOY!

This breakfast will save you time and time again. You won't regret it!

Bon Appetit!

-Jess

Believe it or not, my wardrobe consists of only about 42 pieces of clothing; be it a pair of shoes, shirt, blouse, skirt, pair of pants or a jacket. I'm one of those "weird" college students (if not the only one) that has room to spare in his or her dresser drawers and extra hanging space in the closet.

Do I hate shopping? That's a dumb question, of course not! Do I neglect updating my clothes to fit the appropriate season? Maybe. I just have never felt the need to have this excess of clothes that I don't know what to do with, or own a bulging closet of items, half of which I NEVER wear. Where's the wisdom in that?

How do I do this, you may ask? Simple. I stock my closet with the classic staples that go with anything (literally anything) and only buy a accent or statement piece if I absolutely LOVE it.

Admit it. We've all been there. You went shopping, bought an item you were more or less certain about, brought it home only to find to your ultimate disappointment you never actually wear it. Or worse, you consciously AVOID wearing it, even when it ends up being the last clean think in your closet for the week. Why? Because that item just didn't really say "you" when you took more than an impulse moment to think about, did it? Hmmm...shame.

So then, what are those staples?

Of course we're going to start with something we already know:

The nude shoe

Next up:

Black dress pants (personal favorite, more comfortable than jeans...there. I said it.)

white button down blouse - this can be both casual and dressy. Depending on how you wear it.

denim jacket - easy way to put an outfit together and dress it down a bit.

black blazer - an easy way to dress UP your ensemble.

tan khakis - when you're looking for that contrast between light and dark.

black dress shoes - classic shoe everyone needs in their closet

black skirt - need to give the dress pants a little slack? Trade it up!

white t-shirt - Just an honest basic that should always be there, whether for layering or contrast.

black t-shirt - Same thing. Great for layering or contrast.

jeans - Yes! Even I have jeans in my closet! Nothing beats a nice fitting pair of jeans on Casual Friday.

black dress - This should be an obvious one. Stand out at the party in this little black classic.

If these babies are in your closet you'll have an outfit for any occasion and something to match any piece you put on, because it all goes together!

Ta!

-Jess

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You've got it. You've just finished your daily therapeutic session staring at your closet and FINALLY picked out the perfect outfit. Don't mind the scattered outcasts lying all over your floor, because you just realized...YOU STILL NEED SHOES!!!

Can't leave port without those gems. Nope.

So now you move on to your next appointment, and you almost missed it. With a heaving sigh of despair you begin staring at the pairs of shoes in your closet (or maybe, heaven forbid, it's a pile in the closet corner.) What ever is a woman to do??

Relax. You needn't worry about doing laps back and forth between the closet and the mirror looking at each possible combination of shoe and ensemble as long as you have this one shoe pair in your wardrobe (seriously, it's saved me dozens of times when I'm in a pinch): The nude pump.

Or ballerina flat. Or boot. Or sandal. Whatever your preference of shoe happens to be, save the sloppy flip-flop. Those things never saved anyone outside of Newport Beach, California.

These are Merona that I bought off of Thredup.com (my favorite place to shop).  Hurrah for stylish second-hand!

Notice the color and how it basically refuses to choose a side? It's neither cool nor warm. Simply neutral.

These will be one of your staple and most versatile items in your closet! You can wear them with anything! Can't figure out what matches? Nude shoes. Dressing for a date? Nude shoes. Could care less about what's on your feet? Nude shoes. Running late? Nude shoes!!

Seriously the best default button in the HISTORY of fashion. I promise this pair of shoes will solve half your fashion crises.

If you haven't already, you better be writing this down on your shopping list!