Fall Fashion Haul

During my fashion pop up shop on eBay, I sold a few items. Naturally, I turned right around and restocked my closet with some basics and layering pieces for the fall/winter.

This summer, I really tried to incorporate more color in the my wardrobe -

#NailedIt

So, I am now ready for some black, whites and neutrals to infiltrate my repertoire. Luckily for me, during my shopping trip I managed to snag not one, but two buy one get one free deals. One at Forever 21 and one at Charlotte Russe. 

I found an amazing pair of corduroy, houndstooth slacks that I can not wait to pair with a blazer and some oxfords or loafs. My "free" item was this adorable sweater. Is anything anything better than a big comfy sweater to wear once the weather gets cool? I also got a $7(!) "leather" pencil skirt that is not pictured but I can't even imagine how many outfits I am going to be able to create with that beauty.  

I always tend to gravitate towards basics and jewelry at Charlotte Russe. So I picked up two (BOGO) pairs of ankle length black leggings (a must have for any winter wardrobe IMO) and a long sleeve white bodysuit that I can't wait to layer with some sort of fluffy winter wear. I always gravitate towards white in the fall/winter more so than in the summer (opposite of the out of date Labor Day "rule") as summer white tends to always look bridal to me. 

I blogged about my winter wardrobe essentials earlier in the year. Take a look there for more fall/winter wardrobe inspo. 

Happy (fall fashion) hunting!

Fall Organization/Decidedly Delightful Headquarters

Every year as the end of August approaches I always get this urge to start redecorating/rearranging/cleaning for the upcoming holiday season. Here at the C household, we celebrate (and are decorated for) holidays from Labor Day(when the Halloween decor comes up) to New Years Day. Which of course means that every year, before and after said holiday season, I like to overhaul our tiny, yet cozy digs.

What's even better about this year is that we are selling a lot of stuff. I am figuring out eBay more everyday and will be getting a lot of our decor (related) things out of here for a fresh start. Since we don't have a ton of storage here (and due to my lack of emotional attachment to things) I like to have a high turnover rate of "things" around the house...this includes everything from clothes to toys & decor. So stay tuned for that!

In the mean time, this place has been on an organizational overhaul. I was starting to find corners of my house looking like this....

My (very black and white) brain could not handle such a colorful mess any longer. And since we just had Cy's birthday party it was the perfect time to go through toys/clothes and see what we were keeping and what was headed towards storage/Salvation Army.

Without further ado, this is what our floor to ceiling shelves looked like before - 

And after my organizational overhaul, this is what they look like now - 

I wanted to clear a few shelves for the upcoming decorations bomb that is going to hit this apartment. I also created more storage for toys (as those cardboard boxes pictured in the first picture were toast a few months after the picture was taken). We are trying to teach Cy to put away one activity before starting the next and I think the separate bins will help with that.

During my organizational overhaul, I decided I wanted to (yet again) redo my craft room and really turn it into a blogging/eBay headquarters. Also, I know I am going to need the space for the holidays and I was feeling rather uninspired in my work space so I knew a change was in order. This is what the Decidedly Delightful headquarters looked like before -

And here is what is looks like now --

#DecorDepot

#GlitterPumpkinLife

I think it is so much more open now and really offers a space that I can work in. I was also determined to devote a shelf to housing all of my decor that I am keeping but isn't in rotation at the moment. I added a small section for beauty prep too. In a tiny apartment I have to be smart with my space and if that means devoting a small corner and storage to getting ready in my craft room/blogging headquarters, then so be it. After all, a girl needs her space in a house full of boys.

Deets - Floor to ceiling shelves - Ikea | Clear bins - Ikea (Samla) | White Shelves - Home Depot | Desk & Chair - Ikea | Pumpkins - Dollar Tree

The Science of Twitter

I have been a member of Twitter since 2009. I originally joined during a Facebook boycott (aka I deleted my FB) and needed a change of social media scenery. At that time Twitter just started (#TwitterHipstah) and seemed so much simpler as you only could use 140 characters to express yourself as opposed to the countless things on Facebook you can do to exploit your life. As time went on, I grew to love Twitter for it's instant access to news/pop culture/reality TV stars. You see, reality TV shows film with a 6-8 month lead time...by the time everything airs, it's usually old news. What Twitter allowed was for me to really see what was happening behind the scenes when reality stars (usually of the housewife variety) found out with the rest of the world what their co-stars said about them 6 months ago on camera.

Once I was bitten by the Twitter bug, I could not get enough. Especially when I started to get celebrities to retweet/favorite my tweets. Nothing beats live tweeting during any Bravo show and having one of their stars notice you! I have been retweeted/favorited by everyone from Ramona Singer to Giuliana Rancic. It's definitely an (social media) ego boost. As of right now, I at least have someone of some sort of fame retweeting/favoriting me about once a week...it's a good streak to be on!

#SouthernCharm

Sometimes I wonder what gets me noticed as opposed to other people, and I think it has to do with - A - How long I have been on Twitter and how many tweets I have and - B- How many people I follow/how active I am. Not to mention that live tweeting a show/event with the respective #hashtag is always a good way to get noticed too.

#ShahsOfSunset

It also helps to tweet after the fact. Sometimes I will be catching up on shows during nap time and will tweet about them and get noticed because there isn't an influx of show related tweets going to that person at 2 pm on a Thursday (#StayAtHomeMomPerks).

#Perez

Twitter is definitely still my favorite social media network. I think that you can cast a bigger line on a larger group of people than you can on FB. Not to mention that Twitter can be public whereas FB tends to be a little more private. So as someone that is looking to expand their image in the social media world, Twitter is a great tool for me (or anyone) to use.

#SouthernCharm

@jboons34 - Tweet me y'all!

#GameOfCrowns

#BelowDeck

Retweeted and followed by a NJ Housewife!

#RHONY

Dos.

Celebrating my sweet boy's 2nd birthday yesterday was bittersweet. Although I love to watch him grow older, it still feels like yesterday that we just took him home from the hospital.

For Cy's second birthday, we celebrated at the imPOSSIBLE Dream Playground in Warwick, RI. This particular playground is amazing because A. it is huge and B. it was created for every type of developmental age and physicality. And, most of the playground is wheelchair accessible. So it was nice to know that our payment to have the party there was going towards a place geared towards every type of child.

Because we had the party somewhere other than at home I didn't go crazy with the decor this year. I also scrapped the photo booth idea as we simply don't have a place to store it after we were done with it. (It's on the back burner for future parties though). And although I didn't go crazy with decor, the party still had some of my signature special touches.

I always like to include a invitation on the buffet table and my mini chalk board celebrating the Birthday Boy.

The blue polka dot napkins were my inspiration in running with the blue theme. All food and the cake came from my family bakery - Buono's Bakery located in Providence, RI.

One of Cy's favorite activities is stacking so I decided to make a table full of wooden blocks, favors, silly glasses and bubbles for some indoor fun!

I also used all of Cy's wooden toys on the tables as centerpieces...as you can see, they were pretty popular among the younger set!

All in all it was a wonderful party with wonderful memories. I can't believe my little boy is already two. Happy Birthday, Cy! 

#Dos.

Top Ten Extraneous Walt Disney World Vacation Items

I haven't done a Disney post in a while and whenever I talk to people about their upcoming Walt Disney World vacation, I am always naming off these extraneous (aka items that are not included in other WDW planning blogs) items for them not to forget. With that being said, I thought I would make a top ten list of items that mustn't be forgotten on your next Walt Disney World vacation.

1. Ear Planes - If you are anything like me, the plane is the biggest obstacle that stands in between you and any vacation that is not drive-able. I not only have an extreme plane phobia (hello, Xanex) but I also have inner ear issues that cause my head to be clogged up for days after a plane trip. Enter the best little things ever invented - Ear Planes! Ear Planes are little ear plugs that regulate the inner ear pressure being 50,000 feet above the ground causes. In my case, I always need the children's size because my ears are so small (the bigger ones don't work for me so keep that in mind when you are purchasing) so I always have to order them on Amazon. You can also find them at your local CVS. I will never fly without my Ear Planes ever again. As a matter of fact, my usual pre-flight nightmares are riddled with forgetting my Ear Planes and Xanex...that's how important those things are to my vacation experience!

2. Heavy Duty Straps - This one will be most popular among the "parents of kids under 5" set. When we went to WDW last October we knew we needed Cy's car seat and stroller. Both of these things were going to be gate checked which meant The Mister and I had a whole lot to carry to the airplane that would be shipping us off to vacation paradise. This is where having an Engineer as a husband comes in handy as The Mister had the amazing idea to purchase heavy duty straps with a handle. This made it so the car seat and stroller weren't so awkward to carry and also made it so the air plane staff that were gate checking our stuff were *extra* careful as they weren't moving around awkward to carry items. 

3. Garbage Bags - I think this applies to any and all vacations that you are staying in a hotel. IMO those tiny garbage bags that they give you never supply enough room (especially if you still have a little one in diapers). So bringing along a few extra regular sized garbage bags is always a good idea.

4. Child Proofing - Since WDW has yet to provide already child proofed rooms (you heard it here first) bringing your own child proofing is the way to go. Luckily I already have a blog devoted to child proofing in hotel rooms. Take a lookie, cookie. 

5. An in-depth food shopping list/meal plan - Everyone knows that most of what you are spending your money on with a WDW vacation (if you plan properly) is your meals. Knowing this, The Mister and I always plan to have breakfast and lunch in our hotel room when we are visiting 'The World in order to save money for nicer, sit down meals. Now, that doesn't mean that the meals you have in your room should be boring. Even though you aren't necessarily "cooking" anything, you can still make your meals fun and exciting. That will also entice you to WANT to go back to your room to eat. So, with a little planning before your trip you can have great meals in your room for half the price of a Quick Service hot dog. Not to mention that going shopping in the beginning of the week greatly reduces your food budget and allows for nicer dining experiences a few times during your trip.

6. Decorations For Your Hotel Room - If you are planning to visit 'The World around any major holiday, I encourage you to bring decorations to theme out your room. It will just make it so you are constantly surrounded by theming. Not to mention, it makes your room way more inviting and fun! 

7. A Folder - Whether it be an accordion folder or a regular cardboard two fold, you are going to be collecting so many "paper-type" items on your trip. Having a folder with you allows everything to be in one place and organized for when you get home and want to throw a scrap book together!

8. Detachable Stroller Organizer/Cup Holder (preferable soft sided) - Although we had a stroller with a cup holder already built into it, our detachable cup holder/organizer came in such handy while traipsing around 'The World. Not only did it offer a larger cup holder but it also offered a place to put things such as a PhotoPass, or some cash. The reason why I say you should probably get a soft sided one is because it's easier to transport. Since you will most likely be gate checking your stroller, you will want to make sure any removable pieces of the stroller are easy to store and lay flat in your suitcase. 

9. Gum - This is a pretty well known one but I thought I would add it any way - In order to keep the ground of WDW sparkling, you can not buy gum anywhere on the WDW resort so be sure to BYOG (bring your own gum) if you are used to smacking your day away. 

10. Christmas Ornaments - One of the best ideas I have ever seen in regards to a character autograph "book" is bringing a pack of cheap glass bulb shaped Christmas ornaments and a colored marker that will show up on the ornament. Instead of having the characters sign an expensive autograph book, have them each sign an ornament. It's perfect if you are looking to have a Disney themed Christmas tree in the future (cough cough, me) or if you just want to add a little spark to your existing Christmas tree flair. 

Musings

Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor - 

After my "fashion pop-up shop" on eBay ended, I decided to take any clothes and shoes that didn't sell to Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor. As luck would have it, The Mister and I visited his family in the Capital Region last weekend where they have both of those stores.

For those that are unfamiliar with what Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor are...they are basically a consignment shop that gives you money upfront for your gently worn clothes/shoes/accessories. They usually don't take everything you bring, and they don't give you an exorbitant amount, but it's nice to walk out with cash for clothes that you are ready to part with. Plato's Closet is more of a Forever 21-ish/Wet Seal/targeted at a younger crowd type of store..whereas Clothes Mentor is more for the "business casual" crowd. Luckily I had items for both stores and made out with $40 all together. I usually just donate my clothes, so being able to walk out with a little bit of money was a bonus.

LA Fitness Show Up -

A few weeks back I had to brave the monstrosity (#Dramatic) known as LA Fitness. My trainer took a much needed vacation but I still wanted to get my three days of spin in...so I printed myself a three day guest pass and went to workout at a place that has steroid warnings in the bathroom. Long story short, while I am using the last day of my guest pass, I see someone doing push ups in the yoga position known as "crow." I, of course, see this as some sort of challenge that the universe has now placed on me and proceed over the next few weeks to learn how to do it. I posted the video on Insta/FB (#Duh) yesterday and thought I would share it here today as I am pretty proud about learning it. My next short term goal is to be able to get myself up into a handstand...for Instagram, of course...

Fall 2014 -

It's only August, you say? Well, for a Fall lover like me (my birthday is the day after Halloween, I was literally born into it) once August hits it's time for me to start thinking of blazers, skulls and some Football food (oh my!)..And let's face it - blogging is just better around the holidays. So, while I am enjoying these last few days of warm weather, I am having visions of (glittery) Halloween decorations in my head.

July Favorites

Since it's still (somewhat) the beginning of August, I thought I would do a July favorites wrap up -

Sunnies -

I got two new pairs of sunnies in the month of July that I am absolutely obsessed with. They were (of course) a Forever 21 purchase...

#CatEye (#RBF)

#Aviators 

Products - 

I had been a Jergens Natural Glow fan for a very long time...until I realized it had parabens in it. (#Yuck!) After that realization, I was on the hunt for a new self tanning lotion. I am more of a gradual self tanner type of person as opposed to a straight (orange) self tanner. With all of that being said, I found this lovely product...the smell is great, it does not make you orange, it is absolutely a gradual tan and there is no yucky ingredients in it! #Win

Amazon.com

The other product I am obsessed with this month is a body spray from Bath and Body Works...every so often (and especially in the summer) I will use a body spray instead of a full blown perfume. This smells amazing and is very light...perfect for the warmer months!

Favorite #OOTD - 

My favorite #OOTD/N of the month is my dress from Rent the Runway...

The mint shoes...the dress..... #ToDieFor

Favorite blog post -

My favorite blog posts this month were my wedding recaps....it was so nice to reminisce and go through all of our pictures...

Getting Glam/Send Off

Ceremony

Formal Photos

Costume Change & Cocktails

Reception 

Wrap Up/Vendor List

Least favorite blog post -

I hated this blog post probably about a week after I wrote it. I feel like I ranted way too much. Alas, you live and learn and I am sure this won't be my last "least favorite post."

http://ddelightful.blogspot.com/2014/07/food-fitness.html

#LakeLife

I had the pleasure of visiting one of my nearest and dearest friend Dawn's hometown this past weekend. Her parents have a lake house so we spent the weekend date nighting, watching movies that we've seen a million times, taking selfies, paddle boarding and relaxing by the water. The weather was not great, but the gorgeousness of the lake made up for the cloudy sky.

#ItalianFoodDateNight

#SoManySelfies

#TheLimitDoesNotExist as to how many times you can watch Mean Girls (Or Cruel Intentions for that matter)

Waking up to this for two mornings was something I could definitely get used to!

#LakeYoga

#SoakingUpTheSightsWhileFlexingMyCalves

Paddle boarding was definitely tougher than I thought it would be! It's of course a core workout but even more so it's an arm workout. I was proud to even be able to get on the paddle board...I am not very adventurous so being in the middle of the lake with only a board and an oar was definitely out of my comfort zone. #CityGal

On Saturday night we got all dolled up and went out on the town. While her home town is not as big or as bustling as Providence, it definitely has its own charm and it was so nice to see where my bestie grew up! I miss #LakeLife and my biffle (&sleeping in) already!