I grew up the oldest of six children, with three brothers and two sisters.  I always shared spaces with sisters and the sharing continued as I went off to college and had roommates.  It continues as a married woman (and that is the sharing I love), however, my beautiful vanity is a space of my very own!  Today I’ve partnered with Pottery Barn to share tips with you to organize and style an elegant vanity.

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I love those old Hollywood movies where the movie stars are sitting at their vanities and using their talc poufs, applying lipstick, and putting on their diamonds.  Don’t you want that to be you?  Instead, the reality is sometimes having your vanity turn into a “hot spot” or landing area for junk and clutter.  It becomes a place to to set your things at the end of the day.  It may even be a place where you think you need to store every single piece of makeup or every pair of earrings you own.

WRONG!

If you’re like me right now (and the rest of the world), you’re probably loving the Tidying Up “movement” going on and you’re organizing every inch of your home.  Besides the the closets and the drawers that are getting attention to organization, it’s important to organize and beautifully style the spaces that you look at every day also…..like your vanity!

Here are my simple tips.  Follow these and you can easily create an elegant vanity also!

GET RID OF THE CLUTTER & DON’T DISPLAY EVERY PIECE

First off, make things easier and sort through the good and bad.  Go through all of your perfumes and through out what you don’t use or what’s expired.  Go through your cosmetics and do the same.  Through out your hair and cosmetic brushes that are no longer useful.

I love perfumes but, while I have my signature perfume that I’m known for wearing, I always change it up depending on my mood or the weather or seasons or the event.  However, I don’t need to display every single bottle that I own.  It would look so cluttered.  Right now it is spring and so I’ll keep a couple of spring/summer scents displayed and put away my heavier scents or scents that I might tend to wear more in fall/winter in my closet or in a special drawer.  Make the few things you have out feel “special”…ha!

If you’re displaying some jewelry, choose the few pieces beautifully that also coordinate with your room.  Think of them like a piece of decor as well.  Don’t display all your compacts of brushes or lipsticks…again, choose just a couple or a few that coordinate with and compliment the space.

Less is more in this case. You also want enough space to bring out and set down your makeup case or hair tools while you’re getting ready.  A vanity shouldn’t be over-crowded before you even sit down to use it.  It needs to be functional!

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN STORING/DISPLAYING YOUR PERFUME & COSMETICS

I’ve had this darling vintage-style cake stand with crystals and have displayed my perfumes on it for several years now but I’ve also thought that I wanted to find a pretty way to hold my favorite Scentbird perfume vials (the others are in the vanity drawers below or I’ve given them as gifts) on it also.  I also have a ton of makeup brushes and I like keeping my newest ones displayed as well as some of my prettiest lipsticks.  I’d repurposed old candle jars before and that was darling BUT when I thought of really taking it a step up and giving my vanity an even more elegant look, I knew exactly what I needed from Pottery Barn!

I already own one set of these around my home but I grabbed another set of these White Eclectic Mercury Votive Holders to use for storage on my vanity.  The largest votive was absolutely perfect for my perfume vials/rollers that I pick from on a daily basis.

The other tall votive holder with the fleur de lis medallion was so darling with the new set of brushes that I just received.

ONLY CHOOSE A FEW SPECIAL PIECES OF JEWELRY TO DISPLAY

I have drawers and boxes of jewelry.  I’ve owned a boutique for over 11 years so I’m always getting in new, pretty pieces.  I keep them organized in my dresser and in my closet, depending on what they are.  However, for my vanity, I wanted to bring out some treasured pieces that I adore and wear often.  So look at what you wear most and what you love most and then ask yourself…
Would it look beautiful if it was displayed on my vanity?
Would it go with the look I’m trying to achieve?

HOW TO DISPLAY SPECIAL JEWELRY ON VANITY

These are bracelets I wear often but also are reflective of my style.  I chose Pottery Barn’s stunning Glass Cloche Jewelry Storage pieces and this watch/bracelet cloche is just precious!  The few pieces you choose to display under each cloche feel even that much more special when displayed like this.

The ring cloche is really neat because it holds a few of my favorite rings and then it also has some extra space along the bottom so I decided to just grab a few of my special pairs of earrings that I wear more often and put them there also, including my grandmother’s pearl earrings.  Doesn’t that look so pretty?!  There’s also something else of my grandmother’s that I have displayed in another cloche below.

Isn’t this necklace cloche the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen?!  I’m telling you…this set just takes your vanity to the next level.
I chose some meaningful pieces and some that I wear a little more often than others, like my monogram or initial necklaces.  The most special piece to me is the Young Woman medallion (hanging on the right) that my grandmother received for accomplishing some goals that she’d set for herself in church in the Young Women’s Program.  I have the same one that I earned so it’s really neat to have them both hanging in this cloche.

With your jewelry displayed like this in these glass cloches, there are a few things I really love about it:

First, they also double as decor for your room and look so elegant and luxurious. Second, you don’t have to dig for those intricate pieces and they don’t get tarnished or tangled as they normally would.  Third, those sentimental pieces, like my grandmother’s necklace and earrings, bring so much joy when you get to see them every day and think of the person that they belonged to.

I can’t believe what a difference these pieces have made!  I’m so in-love with the storage and organization of my vanity and the elegance and added glamour that they’ve brought to my bedroom.

To choose a vanity, mirror, or stool….see THIS POST for so many beautiful ideas and links of beautiful finds.

I’m linking the items I used below as well as other gorgeous jewelry storage and organization pieces from Pottery Barn for your shopping convenience.  Please click on the arrows to scroll right and left and click on the picture of the item to shop.

A huge thank you to my friends at Pottery Barn for collaborating with me today so that I could share this pretty space with you!  They have so many other solutions for storage and organization so make sure to browse their site as you thoughtfully plan out each space that you need to tackle next!

I hope you’re feeling inspired to reorganize and style your vanity and make it a luxurious and elegant space of your very own!  On a silly note…one of my sisters is coming to visit next week with her kiddos and I may even share my vanity with her for a few days {like the good ‘ole days} and let her sit there and feel like a queen while she gets ready (wink).   I think she’ll love it!

I’m so glad you could stop by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

Want to shop my Instagram posts?  Click on any square below! 

The post Tips To Organize & Style An Elegant Vanity appeared first on Summer Adams.

It’s that time of year!  Yes, one of my favorite {shopping} days ever!
It’s the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2017 and it begins TODAY with Early Access exclusively for Nordstrom Cardholders. Grab something to drink, grab your laptop, and let’s shop!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2017 – Early Access

This is when I splurge save on booties, sweaters, scarves, beauty must-haves, home accents and more!  If you’re a Nordstrom Cardholder, you get this early access privilege.  If not, no worries!  The sale is open to the public on July 21 – August 6.  To apply for a Nordstrom Card, click HERE and start enjoying all the benefits like rewards notes and early access shopping.

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts, hear about digital printables & freebies, and also hear about sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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I totally missed November’s Favorite Things….EEK!!!!! So, let’s not waste any time and get right to December’s!

I was looking for some fun, new, warm, flannel pj’s last week while in Nordstrom Rack and “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!” (that is the sound of angels singing haha)  There they were!  An adorable set of grey flannel pajamas with hot pink lips and piping and buttons by PJ Salvage!  Oh, and they were the last ones AND in my size!  Meant to be?  I think so!  They are hard to find online but definitely try your local Nordstrom Rack.  There are these on eBay and elsewhere also if you’re looking for these exact ones.  They run true to size and I wear the size small.  Love love love them!!

While at the Sprint Store and upgrading my iPhone a while ago, I found this adorable Kate Spade Bow iPhone lightning charger!!  Pink, bow, Kate Spade, purposeful…..enough said.  It’s the perfect gift.

Bath & Body Works is always a great go-to for fun creams and scents.  I loved this Twisted Peppermint Ultra Shea Buttercream right away NOT ONLY because it is pink, but because it has a nice mixture of peppermint, vanilla, balsam and light musk.  And I don’t normally like anything musky.  But I LOVE this!!

Every girl needs a great makeup bag!!!  I bought this extra large one (pictured above) at Home Goods one day in the checkout aisle and don’t see it online anywhere.  But there are some other really cute ones I love HERE, HERE and HERE!  Soooooo fun!!!  I love changing out my makeup bags like I do my purses!

This might seem silly to some, but this photography backdrop (below) that comes with a stand is just AWESOME for taking product pics and own a small business. Or, maybe you just want to take some fun pics for your instagram or other social media outlets. It even fits on a tabletop. Brilliant!

And lastly….all this sun-in-my-eyes before I want to wake up is NOT going over well with me!  Not at all.  Especially now that soccer season has ended and I just wanna sleep in a little on a Saturday morning!  I love my Victoria Secret soft pink sleep mask (pictured above) but you can find really cute ones HERE or at Victoria Secret!

So there are just a FEW fun ideas for you!  I have several different gift collections I’m going to be sharing over the next week or two!  Stay tuned!!

xoxo, Summer

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I love August!  My skin is tanner and while I don’t bake out in the sun with baby oil (stupid stupid stupid) like my teenage years, my skin looks sun-kissed and I feel like putting on bold and bright colors.  I love this fun “Barbie Pink” color, as I call it.  I put this shirt on and headed to San Francisco for a couple of days with my kiddos to show them the city that I loved to play in as a kid.  Soooo many great memories!  Wearing a few of my new favorite things so I thought I’d share!

I purchased the shirt from Old Navy and it’s the perfect light-weight cotton button-up shirt so that I could keep cool.  The lipstick is one of my all-time faves by MAC called “St. Germain”.  I only wear it in the summer when I have some color  My earrings were gifted to me by Heather, my very best friend, and are the Kate Spade Multi-color Irradescant Faceted Square Stud Earrings.  Ummm…can I tell you how obsessed I am with them?!!!  They are soooo sparkly, which you don’t see in the picture, and look fabulous with so many of my bright shirts.    Of course, I still love my Juicy Couture Crown Gold Chain Necklace from my friends as a going away gift when we left Texas.  I have the matching bracelet and they are such a fun staple in my wardrobe.  This Dutch Braid across my forehead was the perfect way to keep my hair out of my face in that windy city, while riding bikes cable cars up and down the steep roads.

As for the rest of my makeup…I have found some new favorites that have been life-changing!! I’m not exaggerating.  While the summer allows me the chance to be more bronzed, my white spots on my face come out of hibernation and are noticable.  Sun damage.  It’s an ugly thing. And turning 37 this summer has introduced some new fine lines.  Fun stuff {insert sarcasm}.  But my sister convinced me, after working for Shiseido many years, that the Japanese know skin care better than anyone and I needed to try their products.  So I finally I purchased their water-resistant foundation and WOW!  I was already sold after that.  But it gets better…. Then I applied the pressed powder and I looked almost flawless. Make sure to use the wedges to apply the powder because it s you the best coverage when applied.  Dab it on. Their new concealer is like a magic wand!  I dab it on the white spots on my face where I’ve lost  The melanin in my skin where I have lost my melanin.   I follow it up with dad being the foundation sponge just over those spots again, as to not caking on too much powder.   I’m telling you… It’s like magic!  The best coverage I’ve had in a long time!

Now,  their skin care is out of this world and worth every penny so I highly recommending starting with that. They also introduced a new ice year and just recently that has made all the difference for me. Between my age and moving to Las Vegas last year where it is very dry, I feel like my eyes  are full of fine lines that I have not seen before and need the moisture so badly. I have not found an eye serum or cream that I have loved until now.  There eye serum feels like velvet and just hydrates and feels heavenly.   Their facial serum is also to die for.   Again, worth every penny!   Even if you love what you are using now, it’s probably not that great for your skin. Just because it has good coverage doesn’t mean it’s good for your skin. But Shiseido is a product that will give you both good skin and good coverage.  (NOTE:   Shiseido is not sponsoring or paying me to write this article. It is totally written from heart and because of my own experience with it.)

My all-time favorite eyebrow kit is the Anastasia Dip Brow (blonde) with the brow powder.  Love it!!  Especially since my eyebrows no longer grow and I have to fill them in and create the shape each day.

What are your favorite things you’ve found lately? I wanna hear them!   We usually don’t find our favorite things on accident… It’s because someone has told them  about their new obsession. I want to know what I’m missing out on! Share, share, share!  

Xoxo,

Summer

The post August Fashion Faves appeared first on Summer Adams.

I have teamed up with a fabulous teenage blogger Whytli from @HairByWhyt (Instagram).   I helped her with an easy make up tutorial to give her that perfect fresh summer look that is appropriate or just her age! Check out her fabulous blog www.Whytli.com and check out her YouTube channel for tutorial.  Here’s the link below!   If you like it, pin it and share or post to Facebook!

http://youtu.be/DtqpjgR5F-g

The post Summer Makeup for Teens appeared first on Summer Adams.

On Sundays I get dressed up and ready for church.  I also get dressed up for date nights.  And maybe another day during the week if I have lunch with friends or something planned. Otherwise…I’m in some kind of tshirt and denim, for the most part.  That being said, I try to make a casual or comfy or plain outfit less “drab” and more “fab” by doing the following:

1 – Fun lipstick!  Nude lipsticks are my most favorite and shades that I typically feel most comfortable in.  However, putting on some bright red or bright pink or coral lipstick can make you feel like a million bucks in 2 seconds.  If it is scary for you at first and if you feel like it’s too much, try going easy on your eye makeup so that it doesn’t look over-done.  Click HERE for great looks on how to balance eye makeup with bold lipstick.  My faves are “St. Germain” by MAC and the one I’m wearing in the first pic above called “Razzle” Butter Liptstick by NYX.

2 – Fabulous jewelry!  Of course, my favorite jewelry is from Tres Chic Boutique.  I love throwing on a bold statement necklace and bracelet with a white tshirt and jeans.  It’s amazing how different you feel about yourself when you put on fabulous accessories.  I love the pieces shown above.  You can find them HERE and HERE.  I wore them to the park with my kids one day during Spring Break.  Simple, comfy, easy BUT fabulous!

So put your hair in a messy chignon (fancy for “bun”) or a side braid or loose beach-wave curls….it doesn’t matter.  But you don’t have to look like a tired mom just because you might feel like one!  And again, how you feel determines how you treat other people (on the inside AND on the outside) and you might even flirt a little more with your husband if you feel sexy!

Go get ’em, ladies!

Bold lipstick kisses, Summer

The post From Drab to Fab! appeared first on Summer Adams.