After a lot of time spent moving things around, I found a way to make my closet work. It would've been a lot easier if my closet held a closer resemblance to the Teen Vogue fashion closet (to die for), but I think I made the most of my space.
The hardest part was deciding what I really had to have in my room at all times, and what I was willing to store in my brother's closet (he is in college, and when he comes home he doesn't use the closet). Eventually I decided on my swimsuits, sweatshirts, old bedding (stuff that didn't match when I redid my room), shoes I have worn only once or twice, and clothes I couldn't bear to get rid of even though I never wear them, as the things I didn't really need in my own room.
I did have to move some stuff around in my dresser. I folded my jeans a little tighter in my bottom drawer and made room for my tank tops (they used to be in a sterilite drawer in the closet, which took up a lot of space). I also moved my winter pajamas (a lot of big fleece pants and other puffy jammies that take up room) into my brothers closet for the time being. I'm not sure where I'll keep them come winter, but until then it freed up a lot of room.
The thing that inspired all the closet fixing was
this shoe rack from Target. I used to have a shoe holder on the back of my room door. It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. I also had a hanging shoe rack inside my closet, which is what inspired the purchase of the new shoe rack in the first place. The old one hung on the bar in my closet and because it took up so much room, I had to really crowd all my clothing. (Hangers were pretty much on top of each other.)
Anyway, once I moved everything around I placed the new shoe rack front and center on the floor of my closet. It worked pretty well and holds a good portion of my shoes, the only issue I had was that perhaps it could hold twenty pairs of baby shoes, but it could only hold sixteen pairs of my shoes. It is advertised as holding twenty pairs, but it wasn't a big deal. I put my boots (which don't fit on the rack) on one side. On the other side is a bag full of flip flops. I don't wear them much for anything other than going to the beach or walking the dogs, so I figured they didn't need to be taking up room on the shoe rack.
There were a few things I kept in my closet but moved around. I cleared off the top shelf and got all my purses out from the milk crate they used to be in. They had been overflowing from that crate for quite a while, and I was worried about them losing their shape. I put all my little clutches and small bags into the purses I don't use very often, and the rest I stuffed with newspaper so that they would keep their shape. Then I lined them up on the top shelf. The shelf didn't come out far enough for a few of the bags, but it offered enough support that they shouldn't fall off.
The only purse I had a problem with was my fringe bag. It's very slouchy, and doesn't stand up on it's own. I was also worried about the fringe getting bent beneath the bag and being messed up forever. After a while I decided to hang it from the little hook within my closet.
Before putting the bag there, the hook was home to my summer scarves (winter ones are stored in my coat closet downstairs). I took them down and placed them in a cute little box.
The only thing which stayed untouched were my belts, which are still on the other hook in my closet (opposite where the fringed bag now hangs).
My clothes got a little more room to breathe, but for the most part they are also the same. I like looking at color coded closets, but I've found that what works the best for me is to organize by type. From left to right my closet is organized like so; cover-ups (beach cover-ups and bath robes), formal dresses, casual dresses, things that used to be dresses but have become too short (I have a surprising number of dresses that fit into this category), skirts, jackets, sweaters, cardigans, long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, short sleeves, and sleeveless.
**I'm sorry that this post couldn't include pictures at the moment, but I'm having a bit of a camera dilemma. I'm hoping that once it is solved I'll be able to update with lots of photos.**
PS: For being such a tiny closet, there sure is a lot I can say about it!
Project Runway's new season premieres on Lifetime tonight at 10. Are you excited? I'll be watching, and this will be the first year that I won't have to wait til the next day and watch the episodes online. 
Today marks a week until school starts, and I've started to consider what fierce outfit I'd like to start the year off with. I like to start school off on a good note, and the best way to do that is to feel absolutely fabulous in what you're wearing.
I was planning on doing a post about inspiration today, but there was something else I wanted to talk about while it was fresh in my mind.
The start of school is fast approaching, and the first thing on my list of preparations was a back to school haircut. I woke up late today and rushed to get ready to make it to my hair appointment. It could probably use to be straightened, but I think it turned out pretty cute. I took a picture of Nicole Richie circa The Simple Life season 4 as my inspiration for my bangs. The cut is a little similar too, but it looks a lot different on me.
Afterwards I practiced driving a little (still getting a hang of it), and went to a little mall. I got a striped cardigan in navy (above), a grey tank top, and a cute orange card holder/wallet to store my permit, school ID, and maybe a few dollars in. I have a lot of bulky wallets, but this is nice and small and will be perfect for my school bag.
This morning I woke up to see that Perez Hilton, famed gossip blogger, had launched his own fashion blog. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely addicted to his website and celebrity gossip in general. But, he isn't exactly someone whose commentary on fashion I was dying to know. 
I mostly just lazed around today, but in the afternoon I went for a manicure with my mom. I didn't have a color in mind when I went in, but I quickly found and decided on My Chihuahua Bites! The color is a shimmer free, glossy shade that is extremely bright and fun. None of the images I found through google truly resembled the shade. When I tried to take a photo of my nails in the photobooth program on my computer, my nails ended up looking more orange. In reality the color is a great gross between reddish pink and coral. It's definitely one of those things you've just got to see in real life, on your nails. Anyway, I'm really happy with the color. There isn't any place nearby where I live that sells OPI polishes, but I might have to make a point to buy this one.
I try not to talk about celebrity style too often because it has been done so often, and I know I already did it a little yesterday, but that isn't exactly what this post is. Kristen Bell is in fact styled by the same woman responsible for Rachel Bilson's red carpet looks, so its obvious I'd like her style. But besides that, Kristen is one of my favorite celebrities. I first caught on to her when I became an avid fan of her series Veronica Mars, and I've followed her since them. (I even sat through many unbearable episodes of Heroes.) She comes off as very down to earth, and always comes off as being very funny, which is why if I had the chance to be friends with any celebrity, I'd choose her. Who would you choose, and why?
The Teen Choice Awards air tonight, but the results have already been released. Selena Gomez won for her red carpet style, immediately leading to me googling 'Selena Gomez red carpet'. Do you think this was a deserved award? I think there are clearly people more deserving of the award, but based on all the tweens voting, the results make sense. And to give her some credit, she is a lot better dressed than some other teen sensations. Her style doesn't exactly push the boundaries, but this green dress is pretty cute, right?
And I think I actually am quite fond of this polka-dotted creation.
I had an obligation today so most of my Saturday was wasted. Now, I am just watching Speak (it has been quite a while since I first saw the movie) on Lifetime and relaxing the rest of my day away. Anyway, the point is, my dull day didn't quite inspire a brilliant post about fashion.
After a lot of time spent moving things around, I found a way to make my closet work. It would've been a lot easier if my closet held a closer resemblance to the Teen Vogue fashion closet (to die for), but I think I made the most of my space.
The thing that inspired all the closet fixing was this shoe rack from Target. I used to have a shoe holder on the back of my room door. It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. I also had a hanging shoe rack inside my closet, which is what inspired the purchase of the new shoe rack in the first place. The old one hung on the bar in my closet and because it took up so much room, I had to really crowd all my clothing. (Hangers were pretty much on top of each other.)
I'm attempting to rearrange my closet in order to accommodate my new shoe rack. Thus far it isn't going so well. The shoe rack is bigger than I thought it would be, so I took everything out of the bottom of my closet and have been trying to find a way to make it work. Currently my room is full of all the stuff I took out of the closet, which made quite a mess.
Just a few months ago I had my makeup done at the MAC counter in Nordstrom, the makeup artist introduced me to MAC's lustreglasses. Since then they've become my go-to lip gloss. My favorite thing about them is that instead of having a little sponge tip to apply the gloss with, they have a tiny lip brush. The selection of colors is also great, and I think that the glosses are the perfect consistency (not too sticky). My favorite color is Flusterose, and second to that would be Morning Glory.
Hot pink tends to not be the most wearable color when it comes to makeup, but this 'jelly balm' from HIP makes the bright color totally wearable. It adds just enough pink to your lips, in the most subtle way. The jelly balm also has a nice, sweet smell. It reminds me a bit of cotton candy.
I've mentioned my love for this one before! Rosebud Salve is still among my favorites. If your lips ever feel dry or chapped, this product will get the job done. And of course, the cute packaging doesn't hurt.
I've tried tons and tons of chapsticks in my time. The reason Burt's Bees has become my favorite is because it doesn't contain petroleum. Petroleum can irritate your lips, and if it does, you'll only find yourself needing to apply chapstick more often. Another plus about Burt's Bees is that it a bit minty so that your lips tingle. It is definitely the best of all the ones I've tried, and you won't ever catch me without it in either my pocket, hand, or purse. 
Lip Smackers seems to bring up childhood memories for most people, but I'm still in love with their sweet liquid glosses. As far as colorless glosses go, they're definitely my favorite. If I just want a little bit of sheen, I tend to reach for this. The pink lemonade one (my favorite) has a great scent. Besides not being sticky, the scent is really what pushes this gloss to the top for me. The fruity smell makes everything just a bit more fun.
