Large Family Management

Reality Based Structure and Systems (for the win!)

Build a Wardrobe that Coordinates

Build an easy, stylish wardrobe that you love and that coordinates with your entire life.

Over the past year, I have been refining my wardrobe and creating my own personal signature style. My wardrobe has become my trademark, it’s as much a part of me now as my eye and hair color.

Everything that is in my closet coordinates with everything else and all of it has been carefully and thoughtfully chosen.

My wardrobe isn’t jam-packed, it’s actually meager compared to many, even compared to my husband’s side of the closet!

I drew a lot of inspiration from Jennifer Scott from the Daily Connoisseur who advocates a 10-Item Wardrobe. The 10-Item Wardrobe focuses on quality, rather than quantity.

Now that I have successfully curated my own signature wardrobe that completely coordinates with my style ideas and my personality, I’m hooked!

Here’s what I own and wear regularly:
2 pair of slacks–1 black, 1 red
3 blouses–1 red, 1 black pattern, 1 black and white pattern
2 patterned t-shirts–both black and white
1 pair of jeans
4 cardigans–1 red, 1 black with white polka dots, 1 white with black polka dots, and 1 mustard
1 fitted dark denim jacket
3 dresses–1 red sheath, 1 navy with white polka dots sheath, 1 emerald green wrap

I have several scarves that I use to accessorize that are either black and white, red, mustard, or leopard print.

I have three pairs of shoes, one pair of brown leather knee-high boots, one pair of leopard print Tieks, and one pair of ruby red patent leather Tieks.

Every single item in my wardrobe coordinates and it is so simple to get up in the morning, get dressed, and know that I look put together!

What’s Your Favorite Color?

If you read through the items in my wardrobe, I bet it isn’t difficult for you to guess my favorite color. You may have already guessed before you even opened this post because I carried the theme through to my blog.

I absolutely adore the color red. It lights me up like nothing else. My nails are painted red 90% of the time, I wear red lipstick 90% of the time. My purse is red, a pair of my shoes are red.

So it makes sense that my wardrobe reflects my passion for the color red. Even the items in my wardrobe that are not red, coordinate well with red. When I wear my emerald green dress, my red lips and red fingernails set it off perfectly.

Leopard print goes well with red, polka dots (navy or black) go well with red. Mustard yellow goes well with red (my winter coat is this color).

So, what’s your favorite color? What color gives you goosebumps? What color do you feel the best in?

I have a friend who looks amazing in a soft shade of pink. It does beautiful things to her skin tone, and it suits her personality so well too. If she were to wear red the way that I wear red, she wouldn’t look like herself.

In the same way, if I were to wear pink in the way that she wears pink, I would look awful, and I probably wouldn’t act like myself either.

So what’s your favorite color? And what are the colors that coordinate well with it?

What’s Your Favorite Pattern?

I have two favorite patterns, and fortunately for me, they both look fantastic with my signature color. Polka dots and leopard print are my two go-to patterns, although black and white paisleys and black and white horizontal stripes make an appearance as well.

My signature patterns have become so much a part of my personality that an acquaintance from church came up to me the other day and told me, “You would love the chair I just bought…it’s polka dots!”.

This person and I are not super close, she has just noticed the frequency with which I wear polka dots. She knew, based on what I wear, that I would love her chair, and she was right! I saw it, and fell in love with it!

Are there patterns that you really love? Paisleys, stripes, polka dots, hearts, houndstooth, leopard print, stars, chevron…I’m sure I am missing some…

Choose one or two signature patterns that will make a frequent appearance in your wardrobe, and choose them in colors that will coordinate well with your signature color.

What Style Type are You?

Think about your style. Do you prefer an athletic look, a classic look, a vintage look, a trendy look, an artsy look, an outdoorsy look, a casual look, a formal look?

My own style is more classic and formal, with a slight vintage vibe. I only own one pair of jeans and I prefer not to wear them. I like to look like I am dressed up and ready to go somewhere.

I’m just as comfortable in a dress as in pants.

What about you? What style or styles are your own? You don’t have to stick to just one, but if you have a mix of different styles, try to figure out ways to combine them in a cohesive way.

So if you like vintage clothes and casual, sporty clothes, then perhaps buy a few pair of jeans and pants that are high-waisted and pair them with cute vintage t-shirts, and cute sneakers.

When you are buying clothing unless it is for a special purpose, and just won’t work any other way, try to buy items that will still coordinate with your style.

For example, I wouldn’t buy a pair of cargo pants. They would just look odd with everything else in my closet, and they would probably look odd on me too. If I were going on a hike, I could wear my jeans and one of my patterned t-shirts that I already own. I believe I own a pair of hiking boots, but only the good Lord knows where they may be…

Pulling It All Together

When all of your clothes and accessories coordinate in color, pattern, and style, you have a ton of different options for outfits.

A lot more possibilities than a gal with three times as many clothing, but with no cohesive theme. Because I can wear the same pair of pants and the same top with four different scarves, four different cardigans or jackets, and three different pairs of shoes, my wardrobe gives me way more mileage.

It makes getting dressed in the morning simple, but fun! It makes me feel like a million bucks to be in clothing that I adore. It also makes shopping so much easier. I can scan an entire store in less than thirty seconds and know if there is anything for me, or not!

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes…

Ashley - Post Signature

Create Your Own 10 Minute Beauty Routine

How I keep myself looking presentable when I just have a small amount of time.

 

If you’ve read anything about me, you know that I wear makeup just about every day. I’m not talking full beauty queen makeup, but my everyday face generally falls somewhere between the “No Makeup” look and “Casual Date Night” makeup.

For several months I stuck to the “No Makeup” makeup look, using just BB Cream, blush, mascara, eyebrow powder, and lip balm. But honestly, this look wasn’t me.

While lovely on a lot of women, I feel more like myself with some eyeshadow, eyeliner, a matte foundation and powder (although I do switch to a BB Cream cushion in the summer, it’s too humid to pull off a matte look where I live), and a strong lip.

Now, if you don’t already know, I’ve got a lot on my plate! I have nine children, I homeschool, I keep the house reasonably tidy, and I have my own business. So how on earth do I have time for a beauty routine every day?

Queue the Ten Minute Beauty Routine!

Why You Need A 10 Minute Beauty Routine

Every woman, no matter what her makeup preferences, really needs a 10 Minute Beauty Routine that becomes a daily habit, no matter where she is going, no matter what she is doing.

I’m not just talking about makeup here, I’m talking about skincare too. If you prefer no makeup or minimal makeup, that’s totally fine! But having a daily ritual where you groom yourself is a must. Being intentional about what you include or exclude in your own routine turns a reactionary haphazard effort into a proactive, calming, rejuvenating morning kick-off.

Decide What Your Signature Everyday Look Will Be

The first step you will need to complete before putting together your 10 minute beauty routine is to decide on your signature, everyday look. Pick a look that makes you feel happy and energized when you look in the mirror.

As I mentioned earlier, my signature look is matte foundation and powder, blush, the slightest bit of cheek contour, eyebrow powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and a strong lip.

Face—My absolute favorite type of face makeup is the powder foundation. It’s the speediest way to an even skin tone. I need to find an inexpensive alternative to the MAC Studio Fix powder foundation that I have used and love. I’ve tried the foundation powder by Maybelline, but the color wasn’t a good match, and the staying power was awful.

Another good option for the speediest face is the BB Cream cushions. I’ve only ever tried a Korean brand called IOPE. It’s fantastic, and I can whole-heartedly recommend it. It’s what I use in the summer, and gives a really lovely, dewy look that is perfect for summer humidity.

What I currently use is L’Oreal’s matte foundation in the palest shade, applied with a damp beauty blender, paired with Rimmel’s matte powder. It’s a cheap combo that stays nice all day.

Think about the look you prefer for your face, and then choose the best product. If you like matte, you’re probably going to do best with a matte foundation and powder. If you like light coverage, try a BB Cream, and know that the BB Cream cushions will give you the quickest application.

Cheeks–Blush is a must! Even for the minimalist, use some blush to give yourself a rosy glow. Contour if you like to, but go really light and easy. My contouring takes me less than 15 seconds, and I blend, blend, blend.

Eyes–Decide how natural you want to go. If you have long, dark lashes, you may forego mascara, same goes for eyebrows. I use both eyebrow powder and mascara because my hair is lighter.

If you want to brighten your eyes, use a simple eyeshadow palette. I use Kat Von D’s plum palette but I only use two colors from it for daily wear. I use a light hand applying, and blend, blend, blend. I finish it off with some eyeliner, make sure you opt for a smudge resistant eyeliner so you don’t end up with raccoon eyes half-way through the day!

Lips– Again, you are going to need to decide how natural you want to go. Many, many women opt for lip balm or gloss and look amazing! I go this way too, probably half the time.

For everyday lip-color, I really enjoy a long-wear, transfer-resistant liquid lip color. I’ve used Cover Girl Outlast, and the L’Oreal one too. Unfortunately, neither of those brands make a good red that doesn’t end up looking worn. However, both brands have great colors in the lighter and mid-range that wear really well and stay on all day. I’m going to give Mac’s liquid lipstick a try though.

I have recently bought Mac’s liquid lipstick in a shade of red, and it is a great formula! The color stays perfect all day long, even through eating and drinking. It does, however, kiss off on my children’s cheeks just a little. Not nearly as badly as regular lipstick, but it is not entirely transfer-proof.

I already wear Mac’s Ruby Woo almost exclusively when I leave the house, and I absolutely adore it. But for wearing around the house….my children end up with kissy marks all over their faces. So for me, long-wear, transfer-resistant is important at home.

Your everyday look will probably look different from mine, and that’s great! Choose what makes you feel like a million bucks.

Create Your Own 10 Minute Beauty Routine

Now that you know what makeup you want to put on, it’s time to create your own 10 minute beauty routine.

Your routine needs to begin with your skin care.

Cleanse, tone, moisturize, serum, you know the deal.

Complete this step as soon as you are out of the shower so that while you are dressing, your moisturizer has time to settle into your skin.

Then go right into makeup. For daily makeup, don’t bother with primer, unless you will be going out later in the day for a date, or a meeting. Adding additional products will make everything take longer.  I use a long-wear foundation that most likely has some primer in it, and it has excellent staying power. I can powder my nose half way through the day if I feel the need and look fresh as a daisy!

Another tip for doing your face quickly, is not to sit down in front of a make-up mirror. Just do it standing, and get it on quickly. I will sit down in front of my mirror once or twice a week to tweeze and take a closer look at my skin, or if I am doing heavier make-up for evening. But for everyday, I prefer to be quick.

After everything is in place on your face, move onto your hair. I only wash my hair every third day, so I really don’t have to spend an extraordinary amount of time getting my hair ready. I use a mega-hold hairspray, so I may just need a quick touch-up with the curling iron or straightening iron, and I’m set.

Find a way to get your hair styled quickly. The important part is that it makes you feel cute. Whether it’s a tousled bob, sleek ponytail, a quick chignon, or a messy bun, how does it make you feel? If you love it, then it’s perfect!

Treat your daily 10 Minute Beauty Routine as a time to get yourself into the right mindset for your day. It’s not just about looking great, it’s about feeling great about yourself, being prepared for whatever the day throws your way, and treating yourself like you matter. Because you do!

Ashley - Post Signature

Five Reasons Why I Wear MakeUp Every Single Day

Putting on makeup hasn’t always been one of my core daily habits. In fact, four or five years ago, if you stopped by my house without calling, I would look a fright.

So what has changed? Priorities. Realizations. My location. My mindset.

There was never one huge event that triggered my shift, it was done gradually over the course of a year, but here I stand today. And I have on my makeup. Even though I won’t be leaving my house today.

Why I started wearing makeup every day, and how it changed my life.

1. When I Feel Amazing, I Get Amazing Things Done

Four or five years ago, I had six children and I was pushing the constraints of time to the very limits by homeschooling my children and running an online business, putting in at least forty hours a week.

If you have children, you know how exhausting just caring for a family can be. But that wasn’t enough chaos for me, so I started a business as well!

Self-care become the very lowest priority on the totem pole. I was lucky if my face got washed and moisturized, much less powdered.

As I continued to work like a crazy lady, my health started to deteriorate. I was sick for months on end and just couldn’t get well. It finally all came to a head on Christmas day when I had to drive myself to the emergency room.

I was twenty-five weeks pregnant with my seventh baby, had had a chronic upper respiratory infection and sinus infection for months, and I was having trouble taking a decent breath.

I was sitting there in the ER doing a breathing treatment, nervous for my unborn baby, and I realized… Something has got to give.

The change wasn’t immediate. I started small with making sure my hair was neat, then going to the salon and getting a cut and color for a boost.

But slowly, ever so slowly, I started to realize that when I took a small chunk of time in the morning to pamper myself and “put on my face”, I was able to accomplish so much more throughout the day.

Every time I would go into the bathroom, I would look and the mirror and get a small mental boost because I looked put together and ready to tackle my day.

I finally realized that when I have on my makeup and my hair is done, it makes me feel amazing. When I feel amazing, I can accomplish amazing things.

2.  For My Children

When I was first starting to make changes in how I presented myself daily, it started off really small. I made sure I was neat and tidy, but then stopped.

However! I started to notice a trend. Anytime I needed to leave the house, I spent extra time on my appearance. I’d pull out the curling iron, put on the makeup, change out of my yoga pants, and put on earrings.

I started to realize that I was putting in all of this extra effort for people that I either didn’t know or people that I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with. People at the grocery store, people at the post office, people at church, etc.

I spent all day, every day with my children, but they weren’t worth the extra effort? I claimed that they were the most important people in my life, but they got the colorless, style-less version of me?

This point really hit home when I started putting a little bit of makeup on each day, and without fail, my children would ask “Where are we going, Mom?”

They had gotten the signal, loud and clear, that Mom only fixed herself up if we were going somewhere! Oops!

Somehow this just didn’t seem right! If I was going to put in an extra 15-20 minutes to make myself look cute for people I didn’t even know, should I not be spending 15-20 minutes to look cute for my children and husband, my favorite people in the world?

 3. For Myself

I LOVE makeup! I’m a girly-girl, always have been. I love makeup, hair product, nail polish, and LIPSTICK!

It’s fun, relaxing, and most importantly, it feels like something that I do for myself (even though I just said that I put it on for my children and husband too!)

I’ve already discussed how it gives me a mental boost which translates into a productivity boost. But it’s more than just productivity. It contributes to my feeling of well-being.

Makeup makes me feel like I am not being pulled in too many directions, not being stretched too thin. If I am taking the time in the morning to take care of myself, then it feels like I am putting on my oxygen mask first.

You can’t help others if you aren’t helping yourself. And I am helping others all.day.long. With nine children, it’s almost constant.

But if I have my lipstick on, I can conquer the world!

 4. Murphy’s Law

I didn’t have this problem so much when we lived way out in the country, but after we moved, four years ago, it started happening almost without fail.

If I didn’t have on makeup, that’s the day someone would just drop by unexpectedly. This has always felt a bit mortifying.

And honestly, this type of thing still happens today.

A month ago, I was rushing around, trying to take care of some Christmas preparations, and I didn’t take the time to get dressed beyond yoga pants, a high ponytail, and some moisturizer.

And almost as if on cue, a man from church stopped by to drop off papers for my husband.

Honestly, he probably didn’t even notice. He certainly didn’t say anything (smart man!). But I was still a little irritated that the one day I hadn’t taken the time to look presentable was the day that someone stopped by.

 5. Be Presentable Always

I read a book a few years ago called Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott.

In this book, Jennifer talks about the style lessons she learned from her host Mom while she was an exchange student in Paris. One of the foundational principles that Jennifer discusses is to “Be Presentable Always”.

This principle has really resonated over the years as I’ve tried to find the balance between looking chic and presentable, to being over-the-top with my daily beauty routine.

Being presentable isn’t the same as being in full makeup with your hair sprayed within an inch of its life with volume that only Dolly Parton could hope to attain. And even though I am a HUGE fan of a good hairspray, I really don’t need or want that look when I am at home.

Being presentable for me means having on light make-up (enough to give me confidence, but not so much that I look like I’m going out for the night, or getting ready to take some Instagram selfies). Being presentable always means having neat hair, and putting on pretty clothes, and even a pair of earrings.

The definition of presentable is different for every woman, and you will have to figure out what that balance is for yourself.

And to be honest, some days, I NEED more makeup, and I pull out my can of hairspray. I need it because I have a HUGE day planned with a to-do list a mile long and I know that if I look fierce, then that to-do list is toast.

So on a crazy day, presentable turns into glam, and it’s a winged eyeliner, double-mascara, red lipstick, hairspray’ed day, and I end up loving every single minute of it and feeling like I conquered the unconquerable!

Putting on makeup every day isn’t for everyone. If makeup has never been your thing, or if it doesn’t give you a boost, then I’m not trying to convince you to take it up.

But if it is something that you enjoy, but you just don’t feel like you have the time for it, then let me just encourage you to make the time.

You won’t even notice by the end of the day that you lost those minutes because I bet that you will have made up for them with the extra pep in your step.

Ashley - Post Signature