Spring Cleaning Out Your Closet

It is that time of the year when you need to clean out closets & wardrobes. You know, take out all of the old clothes that either: don't fit, are worn out, or you just don't like anymore -- making room for fun new clothes.

I'm going to be sharing with y'all my tips on how I like to clean out my closet EVERY season. Yep, I said every season. You need to clean your closet out after every new season comes around, but when you love shopping as much as I do, I think it is a great tip. Otherwise, you will start drowning in clothes and won't know what you own anymore. Also, I'll be sharing tips on how to organize your clothes.

DIY Tutorial | Make Your Own Graphic Tees

I don't know about you, but I love graphic tees that feature adorable fonts. Only problem is, I typically don't like what the shirts say & would never wear the shirts in public [let alone out of my bedroom or bathroom]. Of course, there are some cute graphic tees out there where I love both the font & the words, but they usually cost a lot or are sold out of my size. Hence this tutorial on how to make your own.

What I Wore | Perrie Edwards Inspired [Polka-dots + Floral]

Today's outfit is a fun one that came about by accident, as this polka-dot tee & floral palazzo pants were laying side-by-side on top of my laundry basket [the clothes are clean, I just haven't put them away yet]. I really wanted to wear my new palazzo pants today, but wasn't sure how to wear them when it was still chilly outside [I have a ton of summer pairing ideas], so I thought that this pairing was perfect for the winter. Since you are layering up with a long-sleeved tee & denim jacket. 

What I Wore | All-American Girl

Hello everyone!

I'm going to be doing things a little different for Sunday's outfit post. I'm going to share both my Church outfit [which is the first one] & my after-Church outfit. Now, I don't always change after Church -- it usually depends on what I wore in the morning & what I'm going to be doing in the afternoon. Oh yeah, also the weather is a huge factor. *smile*

What I Wore | Madewell Style for Spring + Thrift Store Haul

What I'm Wearing

Silk Sundress -- Madewell [$20]

Jean Jacket -- Express via Thrift Store [$8]

Leggings -- Old Navy [$5]

Lace Socks -- Forever 21 [$2.80]

Combat Boots -- JCPenny [gift]

Bow Ring -- Madewell [gift]

Necklace -- Forever 21 [$5.80]

Nail Polish -- Rimmel London 60 seconds in I Lilac You [gift] 

Hello everyone! 

This morning I ran some errands to pickup my allergy medicine [since I was all out], supplies for some fun craft & sewing projects that will be featured in upcoming tutorials, and some fun spring stuff at Forever 21 & Meijer. This evening I'm hoping to show my sister, Hanne-col the movie, The Help -- since it is one of my favorites. Who knows? Perhaps Gabrielle will join us too.

Today's outfit is very fun & hipster-like. I wore my favorite Madewell tunic/dress over a pair of leggings this time. Typically I stay away from wearing leggings, mostly because my ankles are freakishly skinny and I don't like how they look in leggings. But, since I wore my combat boots & I layered some lace socks over the leggings, you can't see my freaky skinny ankles. *smile* Anyhow...since it was in the 30s today, I paired my jean jacket for my dress & a long necklace from Forever 21 that I just picked up today. I'm kinda in love with today's outfit. As it is comfy, yet looks stylish. My favorite kind of outfit. 

   

This past weekend our favorite local thrift shop had the clearance area marked down for 80% off, and I was able to pick a number of things for $20 total. Whoopee!

~Ashley

What I Wore | Winter Whites

What I'm Wearing

White Crop Matchstick Jeans -- J.Crew via Thrift Store [$2.40]

Grey Graphic Tee -- Old Navy [$6]

Tweed Jacket -- Parallel via Thrift Store [$2]

Neutral Flats -- Old Navy [$4]

Bow Ring -- Madewell [gift]
Faux-Pearl Post Earrings -- Forever 21 [gift]

Today's outfit was inspired by some of the street fashion I've been seeing at both London & New York Fashion Week -- where I've been seeing a number of more neutral colored & winter white type outfits. I don't know about you, but I've been finding outfits that are made up of all neutral colours very classy & chic lately. Yes, I still love my bright colours, but I'm starting to really love & appreciate neutral colours more.

Linking Up: Winter White.

~Ashley

DIY Tutorial | How to Clean Out Your Old Candles

Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be sharing with y'all how to clean out your old candles [I'll be using the Bath & Body Works ones] and using them for storage in your house. I like using them to store beauty/makeup supplies, as the glass shows off the designs & colors -- making them a decorative focal point in any room.

1. My favorite candles are the Bath & Body Works ones, so they will be the ones I'm using for this DIY. So, I don't have tips for non-Bath & Body Works candles. Also, if you wondering how you will know when your candles are used up, well...they will longer burn, that's when you know it is time to clean them out & used them for storage.

2. Taking either a plastic fork or knife, make a bunch of holes in the wax. This will help loosen the wax, and make it easier for it to melt once we pour in the hot water.

3. Your candles should look something like this, perhaps not so extreme. I kinda went overboard, but it worked.

4. Fill up the candle with boiling hot water, leave about an inch of space at the top. Let it sit for about 15-30 minutes. Doing this will help melt down the wax.

5. Once all the wax has melted & floated to the top. Scoop out the wick holders with a plastic fork or spoon. Then dump out the wax-water outside, as you don't want the wax-water to clog up your sink drain.

6. Once you have the wax-water dumped out, add some dish soap & more boiling hot water. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. After it has sat for awhile, take a paper towel & clean out the sides of the candle -- removing all of the wax residue and black soot. Once you have cleaned it out mostly, dump the water down the sink [unless there is a bit wax leftover, then dump it outside].

7. Rinse out the candle with soap & water in your kitchen sink. Remove any of the labels [just remove them under warm running water, they should come right off]. Once the labels are off & your candle is clean, you are finished.

One of the ways you can use your old candle for storage is for nail polish. If you have a rather large collection, this can be the perfect way to highlight what your favorite current nail polish colours are.

Perhaps you would like to have your cotton balls/pads in a pretty jar, instead of the plastic bag they come in. You can then place this jar on your bathroom counter.

Perhaps you are more of a lipgloss girl? Then throw all of your favorite in the jar for easy access to your lipglosses when ever you are running out the door.

This is also a fun way to store your lipsticks, as you can see what brands & colours that you have right away [if you put your lipsticks in upside-down].

Then there is the classic option of using it for your makeup brushes. These keeps them upright and all in one place [ making it easy for you to find your brushes when you do your makeup].

If you do this tutorial, I would love to see how you used your old candles for storage! Just post pictures on our Facebook page, or tag me on Twitter [@BramblewoodF] or Instagram [@Bramblewoodfashion].

~Ashley

What I Wore | Stripes + Leopard Print

What I'm Wearing

Jeggings -- Jessica Simpson via Thrift Store [$2.40]

Striped Tee w/ Peter Pan Collar -- T.J. Maxx [$10]

Belt -- Forever 21 [$3.80]

Leopard Heels -- Thrift Store [$10]

Faux-Pearl Post Earrings -- Forever 21 [Free]

Lipstick -- Milani HD Advanced Lip Color in Candy Apple [$1]

Hello everyone!

Did y'all have a good weekend? I did. On Saturday my Mom, Gabrielle, and I visited our favorite thrift-store that only sells higher-end brands + designer clothing, as they were having the clearance marked down to 80% off. I came away with a bag filled with clothes & I spent only a little over $20, where if I paid full price for everything it would have costed me about $97. Huge savings to say the least. Later this week I will be sharing a haul video of everything that I bought at the sale. Yay!

One of the things that I picked up at the sale are the jeggings I'm wearing today from the brand, Jessica Simpson for only $2.40. They are super comfy [feel like PJ pants], and strangely aren't as tight as my skinny jeans. Today I paired them with one of my favorite striped tees that features a peter pan collar; a mustard cardigan [that I practically live in, come spring], and for a punch of fun: a pair of leopard print heels.    

Also, you can still fill out the Bramblewood Fashion survey.

~Ashley

Haul | Library Book Sale

This past Friday we had attended our favorite library book sale's half-price day, and some of us found some real treasures at the sale. Today me & my sister, Hanne-col, will be sharing with y'all what we found in our book sale haul video. For those who can't watch the video, I'll have highlighted below some of our favorites from what we found at the book sale. Okay?

::Some of Hanne-col's Favorite Finds::

• Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie -- $1
• Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling -- 50 cents
• Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott illustrated by: Jessie Wilcox Smith [1915] -- $2
• My Sister Eileen [1955] DVD -- $1.50

::Some of My Favorite Finds::

• Men of Iron by Howard Pyle [1891] -- $2
• With Lee in Virginia by G. A. Henty -- $1
• Elephants Do Remember by Agatha Christie [1972] -- $1
• Random Harvest by James Hilton [1941] -- $1
• A Girl to Come Home To by Grace Livingston Hill [1945] -- 50 cents 

What is your favorite thing[s] that we found at the book sale?

~Ashley

What I Wore | Valentines Edition [Love Story] + Makeup Tutorial

What I'm Wearing

Chambray Skirt -- French Connection via Thrift Store [$12]

Lace Blouse -- Forever 21 [$?]

Red Cardigan -- Old Navy [$6]

Boots -- JustFab [$34]

Faux-Pearl Earrings -- Forever 21 [Free]

Happy Valentine's day everyone!
How are y'all going to be spending your Valentines? I'm going to be spending my Valentines going to a book sale at lunch time, and then in the evening I'll be doing a babysitting job. Kinda low-key for me. But, I'm hoping to find some nice goodies at the books sale, like: the books from the Call the Midwife series, The Help by: Kathryn Stockett, Gone with the Wind by: Margaret Mitchell, and various other things. I'll be sure to do a haul video + pictures if I find anything, because there has been times when I found nothing good. *smile*

Also, don't forget to fill out the Bramblewood Fashion survey.

~Ashley

Valentine's Day Fashion Lookbook Video

This year for our Valentines outfit ideas post, we decided to do a lookbook video instead of our normal collages. Be sure to let us know what you think of our lookbook & if you would like to see them again. *smile*

::Outfit One::

Sequin Jumper -- H&M [$5]

Pencil Skirt -- J.Crew Factory

Necklace -- Thrift Store [$10]

Booties -- Old Navy [$17]

::Outfit Two::

Strapless Dress worn as a Skirt -- Charlotte Russe [won in a giveaway]

Tee Shirt -- J.Crew Factory [$4]

Lace Vest -- c/o OASAP

Tights -- JCPenny [$5]

Necklace & Earrings -- Forever 21 [$6]

::Outfit Three::

Cardigan -- LC for Kohl's

Lace Top -- Coldwater Creek [hand-me-down]

Jeans -- J.Crew via Goodwill 

Boots -- ShoeMint

Necklace -- Thrift Store [$10]

::Outfit Four::

Lace Dress -- ASOS [$25]

Cardigan -- J.Crew via Thrift Store 

Belt -- Forever 21 [$4]

Tights -- JCPenny [$5]

Combat Boots -- JCPenny [gift]

Earrings -- Forever 21 [Free]

Which outfit is your favorite?

Also, don't forget to fill out the Bramblewood Fashion survey.

~Ashley & Gabrielle

Room + Closet Tour

My room & closet tour post is finally here! Yay! I'm going to be sharing both pictures & a video, also, I share a bedroom and closet with my sister, Hanne-col [17]. So you will be seeing both of our stuff, but I'll be focusing mostly on my things. *smile* The above picture is of our inspiration board, that we just put up last week. We dearly love it already. 

Just a small sampling of my record collection. What can I say? I rarely pay over 50 cents for them, and sometimes, our book sale just gives them away for FREE, so naturally I collect them like books.  

Talking about books, I love collecting and reading old books. I collect books on history, biographies, fiction published from the 1970s & earlier, classics, poetry, cookbooks, hair & beauty, interior-decorating, on the making of movies/TV shows, etiquette, children's books that I loved growing up, and of course, fashion & sewing. I also have within my collection: a first edition copy of On the Banks of Plum Creek, a copy of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens from 1867; German Psalter from the early 1800s, chemistry book from 1810's, I also own one of the first tour guide books for Paris ever published. So, you can say, that I like having a bit of history within my collection, kinda like a museum.   

I also love having my walls covered in art work of some kind. My walls aren't finished yet, so I have *some* room for growth. In the above pictures I have the following on my corner of the walls [from Left to Right]: The cover album of Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night album [the frame is from IKEA]; a trio-of printed paintings of an Edwardian girl growing up [from childhood to motherhood]; Claude Monet's Japanese Bridge that I bought at Michaels years ago; 1950s vintage coral dress that no longer fits me; oil painting of a sunflower that I did in a art class; Paris wall art that I won in a giveaway; and a picture of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's that I picked out in a blog sale swap.  

My bed & nightstand area are beneath the art wall. My bed, "nightstand", bedside lamp, and sheets are all from IKEA. I sewed the green decorative pillows back in 2004 [I was 14 guys! Gosh, time flies]; the floral shams are from IKEA; the white one...hmm... no clue, we have had it for years, Union Flag pillow was a Christmas gift from my best friend, Achaia; and I won the quilt in a giveaway from Marie-Madeline Studio. If you are curious as to what books/magazines are on my nightstand, let me relieve your mind: Southern Living 1001 Ways to Cook Southern, InStyle magazine for February 2014, TeenVogue magazine for March 2014, Taste of Home magazine for February/March 2014, J.Crew Holiday Gift Guide winter of 2013, and Boden's 2014 spring catalog. 

Here are me & Hanne-col's bed's side-by-side. Her bed stuff is all from IKEA. 

 This is Hanne-col's desk area, yes, sometimes I will use her desk, which by the way, is from IKEA [so is the chair & bookshelves]. You can also see my dress-form, which sometimes I use to create outfits from my closet, hence Lizzy is in my room right now [instead of in my sewing area downstairs].

Here is the top of my Hanne's & I dresser [the dresser was donation to our Dad's ministry way back in the 90s], which I was able decorate with my things [since she has her desk]. This is where I put my record player [right now I'm loving this Paris record which has the sounds of the city, along with Parisian type music.], candle collection, beret, vintage hand-mirror, nick-nacs, and some souvenirs from my trip to London back in 2009 [tube passes].

   From this angle you can see more of my nick-nacs: Belle from Beauty & the Beast, Norwegian girl that was made in Norway [we are part Norwegian, hence the Norwegian girl], picture frame [with one of my favorite pictures from my early blogging days], and a vase.  As you can see on the wall, we have a mirror [via Marshalls in 2003], and a bunch of black & white pictures of Audrey Hepburn and some other actresses from Old Hollywood. 

Right next to our dresser we have our IKEA Alex 9 drawers, which holds [inside]: some of our jewelry, nail polish, makeup, small bags, hair-bows/headbands/hair flowers, and other random stuff. On top of the drawer set I have my owl tree with holds all of my dangly earrings [by style & metal], perfume collection [mostly samples and Bath & Body Works], box of push-pins, and a little pot that holds my candy & gum [the pot is from IKEA]. 

Alright-y, from the above video you should now have a good idea on how my room & closet look. I'm going to do a separate post focusing mainly on our closet at a later date, otherwise this post is going to be super long and filled with a ridiculous amount of photos. 

~Ashley