5 Things...

I'm feeling very simple and basic today, so I figured it'd be kind of fun to spotlight five simple things that made me happy today.

This antique-y lamp is one that I actually found sitting outside by the "to-be-thrown-aways" at my apartment complex. Before any of you assume I'm a crazy hoarder, I can assure you I'm not! But I loved the color and the old-school feel about it. Its lampshade was pretty beat up, so I chunked it and found a brand new one at Target that looked almost identical. The lamp has such a cozy, grandma-feel to it while still being pretty and adding something different to the room. I think it makes a great addition to my living area, at least for the time being!

These little suckers are awesome. They're called Spin Pins and they're made by Goody. They're meant to hold your hair in place when wearing bun-styles.

Anybody who knows me knows that I've been trying to grow my hair out for months and months now, and it's finally long enough to style several different ways. I bought the Spin Pins a while back, but my hair was still never long enough for a bun. Today, however, I finally got to try them out. I was a little skeptical at first thinking they wouldn't secure my hair well enough, but after wearing them in my hair for the entire afternoon, I'm officially sold. They were only $7 and they come in different shades to match the lightness/darkness of your hair. I chose the dark brown, obviously. 

The best thing about them is that it literally took me fifteen seconds to style my hair today. I gathered my hair into a low ponytail and twisted the hair into a bun close to the nape of my neck. I then grabbed one pin and twisted it into the bun vertically from the top, like you would a screw, and then twisted the second pin into the bun vertically from the bottom... and voila! Bun achieved!

The third thing on my list today is super-simple and very minor compared to the others, but I love this for summer: forgoing eyeliner when putting on my makeup in the morning. I am usually the type of person who has to have on eyeliner every day in order to feel like my look is "finished", but lately I've been skipping out on the eyeliner, and I'm actually loving the results. It looks fresher, more awake, and unlined eyes look even bigger, which is never a bad thing when it comes to playing up your features. Plus it's nice to have one less step to mess with when going through my everyday beauty routine. Just a few sweeps of mascara and some brightening cream under the eyes and you're set.

Every house/apartment needs flowers somewhere. 

My mother always kept plants and flowers around the house, and it brightened up the look of our home. These orchids are gorgeous in my living room, thanks to my amazing boyfriend for bringing them home to me a few days ago. I love that they aren't a typical type of flower that you'd see in someone's home, but they're oddly fitting for my apartment!

Last, but not least, I am definitely in love with my new hot pink and white Kate Spade Seersucker Patent Vionette. It's the perfect size to carry my essentials, and although I've been wearing it mostly as a cross-body, its chain can easily be tucked inside (without taking up much space) to carry the purse as a clutch instead. I spotted it a couple weeks ago during a day-trip to the Galleria and when I saw that it was on sale, I felt it calling my name even more. 

Hope everyone's having a happy Monday! I'm excited to make breakfast for dinner tonight. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and mimosas. Nothing wrong with a little backwardness to quirk the day up.

Natalie Delaine