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Minimalist Maintenance: Nail Polish

Published on June 19, 2017October 1, 2017 by Eve CrabappleLeave a comment

For some people minimalism comes naturally. They easily remember to remove what is not needed, used or loved and their space is always organized in a way that thoughtfully showcases only their most precious possessions. They also don’t keep bringing clutter into the house.

*Le sigh*

I wish I was like that!

Last December I did a clean sweep of my entire house, room by room, and posted about it on my blog here. But here I am six months later and I’m beginning to feel that I may need some “Minimalist Maintenance”!

I’ll be posting weekly the different areas that I am pruning down, and this week is a small project: Nail Polish.

To be fair, I think a large part of the reason why I feel I could use some maintenance is not because I’ve brought in a whole bunch of things, but because what I realized when I spent the large part of this Saturday cleaning out my room was that I was ready to part with things that I wasn’t ready to part with six months ago. Suddenly I was ready to throw away, donate or sell jewelry, clothes, makeup and other cosmetics. I had absolutely no plans on doing this; I started with my nail polish and from there it kept going.

FullSizeRender — Twenty-two nail polishes total to start with

I didn’t have a ton of nail polish but the way they were thrown into a big makeup bag made it a pain to see the colors clearly and quickly. Plus, it was obvious that I needed to organize them because I found this:

Two clear polishes from the same company. I remember buying the second one a couple of months ago because I couldn’t find the other one even though I was sure that I still had some left.

After some humming and hawing, I separated what I was going to keep and what I was giving away. All of the ones that didn’t suit me, never used, or didn’t like the formula got the boot:

And now I am left with a small variety of polishes that all fit snugly inside of a small makeup bag that was previously not being used:

FullSizeRender(1) — In the end there were thirteen, including 2 clear polishes 🙂

Now I can see exactly what I have so that I don’t have a repeat of purchasing anything twice and I’m excited to use some colors that I haven’t in a while. I also was able to use the bigger makeup bag for my actual makeup storage, which really needed it more than my nail polish did.

This small project was a great way to motivate me to tackle other areas that would require more thought and care like my clothes and jewelry. Next week, I’ll post my jewelry maintenance. I’m very proud and excited about the new way I’ve organized it all!

Minimalism Challenge: 1st Update

Published on October 21, 2016December 31, 2016 by Eve CrabappleLeave a comment

If you didn’t see my previous post, I’m doing a massive sweep of my home to get back to that happy, organized balance that I was inhabiting a few months ago.

This past weekend was the first of many areas that need examination and I focused on my office. This is where I do my makeup, much of my writing and study, and is really “my space” in the house.

I started with my makeup collection as a little warm up. I have a large makeup bag in which I keep all of my daily essentials that I need to get ready in the morning. Lately, that makeup bag has gotten filled with extra things that prevent me from getting ready as quickly as possible. Next to that I have some stackable containers in which I keep lipsticks, lip gloss, blushes, extra foundation, and eyeshadow. I also have a large grey faux fur box that houses larger eyeshadow palettes, moisturizer, false lashes, and makeup setting spray.

I went through all of my makeup and threw away a L’Oreal cushion foundation that I used twice but will not use again (the lightest shade is still too dark!), some lip glitter that I have no event to wear to, random lipsticks that just weren’t the right color for me, brushes that were old or not ever being used, dried up eyelash glue, and more. I streamlined my morning makeup bag into a smaller one that I had around and threw away the old, big one. It was $1 from daiso and the ivory white exterior and inside had smudges and stains all over from the makeup. Now, all of my daily makeup fits in a black bag that is less than half the size, which makes it so easy to find what I need quickly.

Using the thought process: Do I value this? Do I use this? Do I love this? I purged quite a bit from my collection. Now, I still have enough eyeshadow, lipstick and blush to probably last me a lifetime, but it’s been years since I purchased any that so I’m alright with that fact. Really, the only makeup I’ve purchased for the last couple of years is foundation, powder and mascara.

I’m feeling better already. My morning routine just got a little more efficient and I’m loving it. Next week, I’m still staying in my office, but tackling a bunch of things at once. I’ve got nail polish, notebooks, and office supplies to work through and I’m a paper and office supply junkie!

5 Self-Care Tips for Fall

Published on September 10, 2016October 2, 2016 by Eve CrabappleLeave a comment

Hello Ladies,

Fall is upon us! I can’t express how excited I am for fall this year. There have been a lot of great changes that happened in summer that I will be able to finally settle into and I can’t think of a more perfect season to be experiencing right now than fall. It was uncharacteristically hot this summer for Seattle and I do not do well in hot weather! That coupled with a lot of traveling and moving has left me in an exhausted daze which is why it is an absolute necessity that I give myself some TLC as the temperature starts to cool down into my favorite season.
One of the top things I hear women talk about is wanting more self-care. The next comment that inevitably follows is that they are too busy and don’t have the time or the money. I’ve definitely fallen into this type of thinking before, but it doesn’t last too long because I know that this is not just a want, but a need for me and no matter what you tell yourselves, I know you need it too!
When we don’t take care of ourselves, not only do we feel it, but our family, friends and colleagues feel it too. I know that I am better at home, work, and life when I give myself time to honor and love myself.
On that note, here are my 5 self-care tips that will leave you feeling energized, relaxed and ready to live your beautiful life!

1. Schedule a ‘Self-Care Sunday’

Sundays are my days that I dedicate to self-care. This does not mean that I neglect myself the rest of the week, but setting aside one day helps me to schedule it and not let other things get in the way. I like to schedule a massage and something fun like shopping to treat myself.

2. Move in the morning

Even before I leave the bed I love to stretch my body for 3-5 minutes and wake up my muscles. Now that the weather is getting cold, our bodies may need an extra nudge to wake us up from those last layers of sleep and stretching is such a simple and easy way to give ourselves that extra boost.

3. Lay in the sun

Yes, even in fall and winter our bodies need sunlight! Just because it isn’t beach weather doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from the laying down in the sunshine. I lay down on my deck in the mid-afternoon for a few minutes to feel healthier, lower depression and maybe even slip into a cat nap!

4. Bring out the nail polish

Now is the perfect time to enjoy your warm brown and deep red nail polishes. The process of cleaning and painting my nails leaves me feeling so chic and put together. Whenever I see a woman with clean and polished nails, I see a woman who takes time to honor and care for herself, so take 20 minutes and do the same for yourself!

5. Candlelight dinner at home

I’ve already written about my ritual of preparing a candlelight dinner, but I encourage you to try it for yourself as well. Take time to think of something delicious to prepare, enjoy shopping for the ingredients and finally cook up a gorgeous meal to share (or not!) by candlelight. I guarantee you’ll feel so pampered and relaxed that you won’t want to dine any other way!
I encourage you to choose one or two of these and include these in your week. You don’t have to do all of them or even any of them! Maybe you don’t care about your nails but you like sleeping in and staying in bed. Self-care is not a chore or assignment and is going to be something different for all of us. The important thing to know is that when we take care of ourselves, we bring out the best version of ourselves to us and others – and that’s worth taking time for. What does self-care mean for you?