SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

Life is hectic. There's no way around it. However, there are ways to majorly simplify and streamline your life. Did you know that this week (August 1-7) is National Simplify Your Life Week? Well, it is! Why not use this as an opportunity to do just that? In classic style, I turned to Pinterest to find some simplifying life hacks that I'd like to share with you. 

• Pare down your wardrobe using the helpful 4 pile strategy and get in the habit of picking out tomorrow's outfit before you go to bed each night. This DIY copper pipe clothing rack is the perfect place to set aside your options for the day! 
• Give this article a read and choose a few new things to try. I've found #22 to be super helpful for work related tasks. 
• Take advantage of these kitchen shortcuts and timesavers. 
• Set aside some time this weekend to tackle one of these DIY organization projects! Your efforts will pay off in the long run. 
• Have kids? Implement a new chore chart system to get some help with those daily bothersome tasks. Not only will things start getting done around the house, but it's also a great way to teach responsibility. And you'll also have time to try these mom hacks while you're at it. 
• Pick up a few of these handy kitchen gadgets to make cooking a breeze. 
• Hang this laundry cheat sheet next to your washer and dryer so you never have to question what the little symbols on your tags mean or how you're supposed to get wine out of that blouse. 

THRIFT LIKE A PRO

Savings aside, there’s just something so exhilarating about thrift shopping. Finding that “fits like a glove” vintage dress which no one else at the party will have, or the exact blouse that sold out months ago at the mall, thrift shops hold countless opportunities to save money and score major style. Lately I've been finding really current pieces hiding amongst the racks of Savers. See the sweater in the pic above? This practically brand new Topshop sweater was only $6!

Finding the Right Place:

Since thrifting is about 80% luck of the draw, finding the right location is vital. A quick Google search can help you uncover some local spots, but don’t stop there. Savers and Goodwill can be great places to start but consider some smaller off-the-radar shops like nonprofit thrift shops run by churches or different charities. 

If you can, find a thrift shop that functions as a buy/sell clothing exchange. Buffalo Exchange is a great one. Since these stores aren’t donation-based their merchandise is typically of an overall better quality. It may be a little pricier but it’s still cheap and you can bring a load of clothes to sell for store credit to get the price down.

Most importantly, don’t judge a thrift shop too quickly. None of them look like much at first glance but some of the most rundown thrift shops house the greatest treasures. You just have to search. (Did I mention? Patience is KEY.) 

What to Look For:

The whole fun of thrifting is the fact that you can stumble across just about anything. However there are some particular items that thrift shopping is especially great for. Take denim, for instance. Denim seems to be one of those magical fabrics that only gets better with time. You really can’t replicate the cozy worn in vibe of a Levi’s denim jacket or the perfect naturally distressed pair of boyfriend jeans, although brands nowadays sure do try. Also, if you buy your jeans at the thrift shop you never have to wonder how they’ll fit once you take them home and wash them. What you see is what you get.

Leathers are also great pieces to thrift for. Most thrift shops are filled with vintage leather skirts, moto jackets, and purses galore. They won’t cost you a fortune and nice leathers should also wear well with time. Even if the leather you find isn’t in the greatest condition, a quick leather conditioner or shine will usually bring it right back to life in no time.

Expert Tips:

Do some research. Brush up on your knowledge of fabrics and begin to pay attention to the construction of certain garments. Not only can this help you to date vintage pieces back to a certain era, but it will also help you steer clear of knockoffs when buying designer goods secondhand. Here are some tell-tale signs of quality:

-Metal (usually YKK) zipper

-Clean but intricate stitching and straight seams

-Fabric (Is it 100%? What does it feel like to the touch? Is it thick?)

-Patterns aligned at seams

-Silk lining

-Details, details, details!

What's your favorite thrift shop find? Comment below or tweet me @avestyles! Photos by Rennai Hoefer

How to Visually Brand Your Pinterest Profile

As a Pinterest influencer with almost one million followers and being a Pinterest ambassador, I've had the chance to teach a lot of classes about how to use Pinterest as an effective marketing tool. I've also done quite a bit of account management for brands, and one problem that I immediately identify with most of my clients is that their Pinterest profile doesn't embody the feeling and essence of the brand itself. So, I thought I share some key things that can remedy that. Before you even open your browser do these things:

1. Identify your brand colors (ex: pastel blue, pastel pink and pastel green)

2. State your brand's purpose (ex: to provide a beautiful, fun and enjoyable bath time experience for kids and parents)

3. Identify the overall feeling and emotion tied to your brand's image (ex: clean, warm, playful)

Now, open up Pinterest on your desktop computer, and follow these steps:

1. Ask yourself, what cover images currently embody the feeling, brand message and palette of your business?

2. If you identify some that don't, open up each board, click "edit," click change "cover image", and then scroll through until you find a cover image that resonates with those three things.

3.  If you're not finding an image that you feel satisfied with start searching within Pinterest for your criteria within your board category (fashion, home decor, food, etc.). For example, when working with Be Good, a kid's bath and body line, I had a hard time finding content within their boards that was clean, soft, pastel and warm - all of the qualities they want to be know for. So, for the women's fashion board I searched within Pinterest to find "pastel fashion," and then found some images that met the brand requirements and pinned them to the board. I then went back and set the cover image.

Example:

Screen Shot 2015-07-28 at 10.06.13 AM

BEFORE

Screen Shot 2015-07-28 at 11.14.12 AM

Screen Shot 2015-07-28 at 10.59.34 AM

AFTER

Extra things to double check:

1.  Do all of your titles fit or are they cut off? You want them to fit within the board pixel width and be 23 characters or less

2. Do you have too many or too few boards? The magic range I try to tell brands to aim for is between 15 and 30 boards.

3. Do your boards reflect the lifestyle of your brand? Share what the persona of your brand would eat, what spaces they would live in, where they would travel to, what they would wear, etc.

For more Pinterest tips and advice, click here. If you're in need of help setting up your Pinterest profile or strategizing your company's voice on Pinterest, you can always email me for consulting pricing. alexandra@avestyles.com.