The Tiny Closet

5.02.2024

It Started with a Rollercoaster...

Earlier this week, I had the honor of witnessing my oldest niece experience a theme park for the first time. Not just any theme park, but Disneyland... Not surprisingly, I don't find myself at many theme parks these days, and I might've even been around her age the last time I went to Disneyland, myself. But taking her hand as she journeyed through new lands, new sounds, and all new experiences, it forced to the surface a striking core memory in me that has shaped the woman I am today.

No, the memory wasn't my first ride, or my first cotton candy, or even my first time at a theme park. It was a memory formed during my last time at one. A pinnacle memory of the moment I realized I didn't like thrill rides and I was ok with that. From that moment, a conscious journey into self-care was blazed. A trail I still walk, making new discoveries to this day.

I spent the majority of my life hiding my discomforts and fears from others. Not just hiding them, but actively hating them, gulping down my scaredy-cat, holding back tears to look strong. Hoping that would make me strong. This is sadly common. But, growing up, I was already braver than most girls. A tomboy who played in trees, wanted to race all the boys, jumped off cliffs and generally got my self into situations that kept my mother anxious, my clothes dirty and my hair a mess. So when things did scare me, I felt it was off brand. Like if I showed fear, the mask would be lifted and they'd realize I was just a helpless little girl. I had to maintain my toughness, or I'd lose my edge. More importantly, I'd lose the respect of my friends. This way of thinking lasted well into adulthood, manifesting into girl-bossing and shit talking through my entire 20s...

Until one day, on my birthday, I went to a theme park. For the hundredth time. But this time, it was a simple quiet date with my husband, Theo. I planned to eat ice cream, walk around, maybe take a carousal ride, and end the day on the swings. All activities I'd never been able to do before in such a thrill-less itinerary. My friends would've never allowed it: "Come on Natalie, you'll love the Tower of Terror! We'll be here with you!! It's not that scary!! You're coming!". My dad wouldn't have accepted it: "What are you gonna do, stand there by yourself and watch your dad ride a rollercoaster?? Come on, be brave, take a ride with your dad!". And my boyfriends always seemed to have the most compelling, guilt-riddling case: "You gotta come with me! Face your fear! Don't be controlled by it.". Fine.

This theme park date with my husband had planned to be different. Still as the day progressed, I felt pulled to go on a rollercoaster, of all things, and when I mentioned finding one, he lit up and wanted to ride one together. Here I was with the perfect day all for me, but I was so used to the pressure of going along and being traumatized for the sake of others that this time, I'd constructed the pressure all by myself. At the time, I had no idea why. Rollercoasters are not just 'uncomfortable', they are horrific. An ax murderer coming through my window and chasing me throughout my home would likely have my vital signs giving the same numbers as taking a ride on Harry Potter's Flight of The Hippogriff. But no, I had this acidic idea that I was going to conquer a silly fear, and be the better for it.

Following the ~~disturbing~~ thrilling sounds of screams and roaring metal, we found a line and thus began my cool-girl performance of being excited to ride a rollercoaster. It didn't feel the same this time though. Instead of disguising my fight or flight response with giddiness, I was erupting internally with questions for the first time: Why do I have to do this? Is it really going to make me a better person? Why can't I be allowed to just be scared of rollercoasters?

As we locked into our seats and started off, the unceasing thoughts turned angry: Why does everyone have to indoctrinate me into liking this so much?? I've ridden these things all my life and it's only made me hate them more. How the hell does riding a rollercoaster confirm I'm a brave, strong woman? I've done braver things countless times, but I guess that's just not good enough for anyone!

We whipped around, going through dark tunnels, not knowing when drops would come. As we reached our ascent, the clicking sound stopped. My body went cold, and I was mad as we plummeted down to the exit. As expected, the ride was awful. But I got out of my seat, stunned. I wasn't a victim, defeated by fear like all the other times before. No, I'd had an entire courtroom hearing up there in the twists and turns, putting on trial everyone that ever made me ride those damn things. Hating everyone I felt I would disappoint if I dared to stay back and hold everyone's coats and bags while they went on the ride. Hating myself for being fine with holding everyone's coats and bags while they went on the ride, and maybe having myself a cinnamon pretzel as I wait for them to come back. Hating how boring and soft I was, longing to just go on the swings or the carousal (not the Ferris Wheel, are they nuts, that's way too high for a wheel). Hating myself for caring so much all those years, not about a trivial ride that's optional by the way, but about being different and vulnerable. And that's when the moment hit me, and the core memory was formed. It was just me at that hearing. It was just me on trial. And I didn't actually care anymore. In fact, I was incredibly ok with being different. And vulnerable.

It tends to be the smallest aha moments that bring along the biggest change. The internal, quiet instances in a bathroom or kitchen, or a theme park that suddenly unshackle you, leaving you standing there, a freer person than the moment just before. We walked out and my perfect day at the theme park began. The anger in me vanished with the realization that it had only been myself I'd been fighting with all those years. I practically skipped to the churro stand. We took a long stroll, passing by all the rides. We sat on a bench, and finished off with Theo taking pictures of me on the swing ride. Bliss.

That day opened a lot of doors. Suddenly I was ok saying no to things that used to cause fretting and overthinking. I was more honest with my opinions and thoughts, and boundaries. It even gave me clarity to see when my boundaries were being disrespected. I'd taken a huge step closer to being friends with myself.

As I followed that 6 year old around Disneyland, the memory of that day I got off my last rollercoaster burdened by one less thing stayed with me through the whole day, and reminded me how much I actually enjoy the person I've become. Funny enough, while my niece's parents absolutely love rollercoasters, my niece learned that day, she can't stand them. I gave her a high five and we all got on the It's a Small World boat ride. Would've rode it twice but she wanted to take a trolley tour of the grounds after. Maybe I'm not so different after all.

THE TINY CLOSET LINE: Things I'd do differently if I started today...

For weeks, I’ve been trying to squeeze in any moment I can find to write. After years of being so consumed with creating Content! Marketing! and Sales!, It’s only now become obvious to me that I’m needing more than a moment to switch my focus toward a more contemplative, long-form style of sharing. Your girl is rusty.

Going back over old archive posts from 2012, during the first few years I was blogging about style, it got me wondering what I’d do differently if I opened my shop today... This week, I was able to carve out a little time to write up a fun list of things I would do if I started The Tiny Closet shop today, knowing what I know now. 1. GET AN ACCOUNTANT - end of list. Ha, just kidding.

5 Things I'd Do If I Started The Tiny Closet Shop in 2024

1. I'D KNOW HOW I WANT TO SPEND MY TIME

When I was first starting out, I received a lot of questions from people who admired what I was building. A fashion designer, retailer, blogger! It seemed to them (and to me as well) that all I'd be doing everyday was exactly that: designing clothing, keeping my pretty shop site updated, blogging about fashion and selling clothes... In actuality, my days were spent sourcing fabric in dark, dusty, male-dominated warehouses, emailing customers and contractors constantly, making hand-wringing decisions on how much money to spend on any one thing, balancing cash flow on a tight rope, trying to come up with worthy content for my newsletter and social media, and trying to keep up with new season trends, driven by fast fashion. Yes, there was blogging, and designing and keeping my shop site pretty and on-brand, but ironically, I spent very, very little time on those things.

Aside from sourcing fabric, which I grew to absolutely love, I was beyond disappointed with my day to day duties. Not only were they not how I wanted to spend my time and life, but they also weren't jobs where I naturally excelled. I didn't shine in bookkeeping, or cut throat budgeting. And sadly, I couldn't stand social media. I should have hired someone as soon as I possibly could to take over those integral tasks so that I could focus on the jobs no one could do like me.

Many careers look quite glamorous on the outside. Particularly jobs in fashion. But when careers are whittled down to the day to day, make sure all those jobs within the job are things you want to do, and more importantly, things you're actually good at doing.

2. I'D SEPARATE & ORGANIZE MY BUSINESS FINANCES

Believe it or not, The Tiny Closet Shop's revenue was dumped into my personal checking account for a couple years [she shakes her head as she types] before my personal and business finances were finally separated. Back in 2016, I started my business with $50, on a Made to Order business modal. The Tiny Closet was a side project and I was happy if I could make a little extra cash for travel or just fun things. Business picked up however, very fast and within several months of opening, my side hustle grew too busy for me to even go to work. Thousands of dollars were being dumped from my retail business straight into my little free entry level personal checking account. I didn't know what to do with it all, how much to pay myself, or how much to put back into the business. I was paying shipping fees, my apartment rent, fabric, groceries and Netflix all on the same debit card and it was chaos.

Starting a business today, as soon as the website is live, as soon as the first item is published and visible, as soon as you're registered with the state for a business license or permit, get you a business checking account. Even if it's a separate Venmo or CashApp account. And even if I didn't do any of that, I'd follow a simpler method: as soon as you start making a minimum of $500 per month in gross revenue, get a separate account dedicated to at least, hold all the money together in one place, for goodness sake.

3. I'D MAP OUT A 1-YR WORK SCHEDULE

I had no idea how popular or busy I'd be as a new business owner. Orders came in and it was all I could do to just keep my head down, work hard, and get through it. Afterall, being too busy was what I kept being told, was "a good problem to have". Except that I was way too busy and it was a problem that should've been dealt with. But all I could see clearly at the time was, at least I was making more money than bussing tables at a restaurant, so I couldn't complain. What I learned over the years however, was with an online, global shop that never closed, there would always be work, so there was no way to "get through it". Orders were coming 24 hours a day, 7 days a weeks, and it would never stop unless I stopped it. It took me a long time to realize I couldn't relax when the job was done. The job, especially as the owner, would never be done. I had to take breaks throughout the work. I had to learn how to shut off work and go home.

If I started my business today, I'd immediately skip over the years of heart and backaches and immediately create a calendar and schedule that allowed for: store closure, seasonal breaks, lunch breaks, weekends, monthly revenue and income goals, and personal days. No guilt trips allowed.

4. I'D STACK CASH FOR RAINY DAYS

I was lucky to have such good years with my shop, right off the bat. My first rainy day wasn't until last year: 7 years into my business!!! Long enough for me to naively believe that The Tiny Closet was immune to low sales. I roll my eyes and slightly cringe writing this. Oh the excessive confidence! I'd grown very used to a high cash flow, careless last minute spending on flashy, quick projects, and overspending on contractor work. My experience had always been: whatever cash I lost, I gained it back almost immediately. Until one day, I didn't. And that day turned into a year. What's worse, I was equally cavalier with the IRS... when I finally decided to put my big girl boss pants on, and pay up, the revenue wasn't there, I had no business savings and the incredible and consistent earnings I'd made for years prior, had been spent.

Starting a business in 2024, you better believe the majority of earnings would be saved for a rainy day. Even the Mojave Desert gets flooded. No one is immune to slow business.

5. I'D ALIGN MY JOB WITH MY PERSONAL GOALS

Back in 2016, all I wanted was to make more money. I knew I possessed the skills to run something on my own. I wasn't afraid of hard work and I wanted to be of service. I also knew I didn't like the politics of a 9-5 or the disrespect I received working in hospitality services, like a restaurant. Other than that, I had no clue what I wanted in life. I had no experience answering to myself. Only to others.

So when I started my own business and began working for myself, I didn't really know what I was working for, other than the money. Money and work was all I knew. You work, you make money, you work harder, you make more money. So of course work/life balance got wildly out of control almost immediately. And the money part was also incredibly vague and arbitrary. No matter how much I made, I never knew if it was enough, to that point that even big sales months always felt a bit empty.

If I started a business today, I'd make sure my job worked for me. I'd make sure I wrote my personal goals first. When a business is your own, who else is calling the shots but you? What is your business doing.for.you. Besides the customers, who does it benefit, if not you?? By writing down my personal goals first, and then strategizing how my business goals would assist me in achieving those personal goals, imagine how much more personal and fulfilling that business would be. It would also be incredibly more robust to the those it serves. Because it doesn't work the other way around. In fact, leading ones life by business goals, with personal goals as secondary or worse, irrelevant, will only make those business ventures harder, empty, with far less potency when finally achieved.

So there you have it. If you're thinking of starting something new on your own, I hope this can be of help. These spooky stories, I tell with amusement and a chuckle, certainly never to discourage. Of course, hindsight will forever be 20/20, but as I set out on a new chapter with The Tiny Closet, I've found so long as you move with heart, believe in what you do, and have a great accountant, no matter the outcome,

you'll have very few regrets, if any.

This is (almost) 41?

Since I turned 40, it’s been a year of incredible change. I would say nothing went to plan but I’ve never really been a planner.

I’ve always been much more of a… “pantser”. Instead of following a carefully laid out path, I fly by the seat of my pants and see where it lands me. I mean, it landed me a business that I started with $50 and an email list. A husband who proposed to me on our second date. It also landed me in L.A., after one night of consideration. Throughout my 20s and 30s, flying seemed great. I trusted the seat of my pants to get me where I needed to go. And when I didn’t know where that was, I trusted it would at least be a fun ride. I was out for adventure and new horizons. I was a doer and didn’t care how exactly things got done. Plans just put a damper on all that.

It wasn’t until about 5 years ago that I started getting very well acquainted with what happens when one doesn’t plan. Like for instance, when I didn’t have any plaaans to pay the IRS for the business I started. Long story short, being a one-note ‘pantser’ at 20, at 30, finally left me exhausted and anxious at 40.

Earlier this year, even with every motivation I had to dedicate more time and thought to setting a plan of action and following through, I was drained to my core imagining putting new dreams to actual pen and paper. Figuring out all that how and what and when - an anxiety-inducing toe-dipping method to adventure, better experienced by just jumping right in. I mean, the laborious analysis you trudge through with dipping your toe. What if it’s too cold? What if you get spooked looking too far beneath the water? Will you end up even going on the adventure at all? Thinking too long about a new endeavor can turn it into a drag…I suppose it’s no mystery why I’ve employed a strictly pantser method my whole life. But at the same time, I’ve become all too familiar with ‘jumping right in’ into unknown waters and missing the faint outline of a shark. A little bit of planning can save your life. Or in my case, my 30s.

Going through the archives of the original Tiny Closet blog, I looked at posts I’d written on my 30th and 31st birthdays. So happy I was, just to be out of my 20s. Entering a new decade with an emerging new passion, and tired of waiting for the things that hadn’t yet come to me in my 20s, it’s clear I was yearning. And from memory, my ambition was fierce. The years leading to 40 were an exponential ascent to chaos. It’s like all those careless, exhilarating pants flights had racked up some kind of compound interest of consequences, to be paid in full - now. Turning 40 has been brutally humbling. Not because of my age but because of the events that unfolded with it so serendipitously. Humbled, weary, fed up, with 41 fast approaching, I might now finally be ready to consider a well thought out future. Where I keep my seat on the ground and take one step at a time.

While I’m still reinflating myself from the events of the year, I’ve actually been dying to share my life behind-the-scenes of The Tiny Closet after being shrouded in operations the past 8 years. I’ve felt a strong pull for a while to share my experiences to those who may benefit from it. My experiences, triumphs and hilarious failures of just being a 30-something, now 40-something year old woman entrepreneur could’ve been a great help to me, starting out (like how terribly you can run a business and still miraculously make money…or like when I scheduled a month off to get a hysterectomy, and went back to work a week later).

Anyway, so where did I leave off? Talking about self care in 2018… funny. I’m just a resilient gal, living her life one day at a time and taking copious field notes. Hope it helps.

Self Care For Dummies

That's how I feel about it.

I think because it's always been very hard for me. Self care, that is. Before I met my husband, I was eating probably once a day. With extra storage in the oven for my shoes and nothing but takeout in the fridge. Eating was a distraction from my work and something I used to forget to do.

I also rarely took downtime. Or vacations. I was extremely strict with myself in establishing a career and believed the longer I worked in a day, the further I'd get. I spent lavishly at bars and restaurants, worked tirelessly on my hair and makeup but those things certainly weren't self care.

Now, nearly 10 years later, I just recently figured out the depths of caring for myself.

And almost none of it you have to buy. But of course that's the first thing I wanted to do! When you buy a yoga membership or an expensive face mask or a trip to a tropical resort, you feel like

"there, I did something! It's right there and proof that I am now taking control of my self care!"

But... if you're still eyeing your disappointment-of-a-waistline in the mirror during mountain pose, or cramming that $200 revitalizing mask in the back of your cabinet after one use, or drafting a work email in your head while laying out under palm trees then...

...that's not caring for yourself.

I'm sure we've all done something like this before. I mean I did all the above. But the stuff that really makes a difference (and part of the reason I suppose I can call myself a minimalist) is the real self care. The hard stuff.

Congratulating, forgiving, listening, letting go, feeling - that's the real stuff. They're not events or things to own. They're everyday life-changers. I mean a face mask and a trip to a day spa can only take you so far.

As a student of self love/care, I only now realize it's the meat-and-potatos of life! You're feeding yourself and it miraculously makes you full. I think because it attracts other wonderful gifts, like self awareness and self possession. And because it's so filling, I find I have very little room for other "stuff" actually. Even though I have a looooong way to go, after much practice, I enjoy that it has an awesome side effect of streamlining ones life, yielding only what serves and blocking out the mess.

I chose these photos for this particular post because mornings are when I feel most open to self care. It is a time when I feel the softest and yet the most determined to kick butt. Mornings are nature's makeover!

What's your favorite time of day?

Another Daily

I've been focusing more on my capsule than ever. My wish list for seasonal treats, has been minimized to accessories only. Special things to go with my everyday style.

Goodness, there is so much fashion all around us! It's incredibly inspiring. And then crippling in a way, from overwhelm.

And especially after big sales like this past Memorial Day weekend, it's tempting for even a seasoned minimalist like myself to buy things just because they're fun and financially within my grasp.

But I must stay true... to what is true and meaningful. And I truly love having only what I absolutely love and need. For everyday!

This kind of lifestyle often means rarely springing for sales, as well as watching the daily plethora of promotions I get hit with every morning come and go. And I enjoy it. I've grown well-accustomed to browsing and feasting on eye-candy. And then being done with it. My Tiny gem of a closet is a product of that. And for the record, I never considered it a "capsule" until the word became popular and I found that it best described my wardrobe. But really, it's just...my closet.

Anyway, I've grown an allegiance to what you could call a minimalist lifestyle partly due to the type of person I am, and also because of my daily routine.

These photos show me on one of the shoots I directed during the week for my clothing line. Since I do roughly the same things every single day - and many times, I do the same things at even the same time everyday, I am a creature of habit, so my collection of clothing definitely reflects that.

Everything in my life, from my closet to my head to my heart has a place, and I get better everyday at cutting out the rest. I want to make as little decisions as possible on the daily stuff and have more room for making the big juicy interesting decisions that take more time and energy so...

I guess this has made me a minimalist.

This piece, a fabulous deep-v tunic is part of my daily look. Like all the time, ha. It's also part of The Capsule line where all of the items are available year-round... Because I wear them year-round.

We all have items in our closet that are go-tos all year long. I think a closet is better if it has that quality.

Because maybe you have a pretty routine day-to-day yourself and isn't it so nice to be able to grab a fabulous outfit everyday that always works for you, and always makes you feel fabulous? I think it is anyway. So here's another daily look for ya. I don't change them much but I do love indulging in making them look even better.

Do you love your daily wear?

Thank you for visiting and reading! See you next week for another capsule look :)

Daily

It has been so dark and gray in L.A. lately. A perfect backdrop to my routine reflection and contemplation. Blah.

Right about now in the year, I'm pausing. It'll be my birthday in a couple days and like clockwork, I am turning contemplative and yearning for change. Or just a bright sunny day, as it's the time of Gray May. But being from sunny Southern Cal, I have my pick of the sunny days so I'll stop complaining.

I'm needing new vibes is all. New surroundings to engage myself!

It's odd because I don't really crave that in my wardrobe. Different outfits everyday. New colors, new looks - Nah, you can keep it. I guess that's why a 28-piece capsule works so well for me. This ensemble is part of that of course. And I get a kick out of wearing each piece daily because I know I'll always look and feel great in them. I am confident in my wardrobe and enthusiastic in evolving it.

But around this time of year, I don't feel so confident.

My birthday always finds me assessing my journey so far in life, trying to congratulate myself on my work without glaring too hard at the many things I procrastinated on. But mostly, every birthday, I find myself still waiting for something.

Does this happen to you? Do you ever feel like you're waiting?

Maybe I'm waiting on that mythical moment where I can put up my feet and relax because I'm finally here! Hey there, adulthood! Hey there, life, I'm here and I'm crushing it! I really want to say that.

Or maybe I'm waiting for that adventure of a lifetime. The kind of epic adventure where I'm so in the moment, I forget time exists and I'm so hysterically caught up in life that I'm not worried about paying rent or if I fed the dog.

Or maybe I'm waiting for the big game-changing break in my career where I feel like my hard work has truly paid off and I'm really making a difference.

But those things have already happened in my life. A few times actually. Yet, I'm still waiting.

I really am happy to be turning 35. Ok I just wrote that and realized I'm definitely not. Fine, so I'm not that happy to be turning 35!

But I'm not pursing my lips at the vanity of age. It's the fact that I don't really know what I want out of life.

Clearly, I'm waiting for something to come along though.

My clothing, my mastery of my personal style has helped me see who I am over the years. I've focused so hard on the art of getting dressed, building and mastering a closet I love. I think I need to focus on how to build and curate a life that I love.

I read somewhere, "What would your 86 year old self tell you now?" I think she'd tell me to take more breaks, spend more time with friends and be easier on myself. I'll start with that.

Hope you enjoy the Memorial weekend and join me next Thursday for a new post!

Style After Style: A Little Yellow Dress

Remember this little yellow knit dress? I wore it at the crisp beginning of Spring - probably the first yellow dress I've ever worn. Designed for The Tiny Closet Shop, this midi dress was meant to be quite versatile and go with any foundational wardrobe.

Anyway, instead of a trench and white woven block heels, I decided to spice it up for the sake of restyling inspiration: a fun fresh white mud cloth open coat and black simple strap heeled sandals.

This particular ensemble isn't something I'd wear - it's not quite me but I couldn't help but take photos of it when I thought up the pairings. It reminds me of something fun to wear on a girls trip or out to lunch. And I do this a lot actually, these types of out-of-my-zone stylings. The habit keeps my brain and ideas fresh and ready to experiment with anything. Why is that helpful?

Well, for me personally, since I design clothing for other women, it keeps me thinking about all the different possibilities of styling and designing and not just sticking to my own comforts, which is limiting over time. Experimentation, dress up sessions, are also helpful for finding one's own personal style. Or igniting a spark of new ideas with an old wardrobe.

Take your clothes and just try on everything with everything else!

You'd be surprised at all the fantastic outfits that can be put together when you come at styling from a different, unfamiliar angle. That's what my Style After Style series is all about.

This is the last one (for now) of my Style After Style series. I will probably start up a new one again in Fall or Winter. I love taking seasonal pieces and crossing them over to other seasons. So I hope you enjoyed these posts dedicated to restyling one's own wardrobe!

You can get this midi dress (The Hostess) in "limoncello" at The Tiny Closet Shop!

And you can also join me again next Thursday for an all new look as I push willingly into... new Summer styles!

Style After Style: Rugged Femininity

Obviously I've worn these rugged jeans a million and one times but I wanted to highlight these two instances, these two above ensembles to show the range of my favorite denims!

I never wear a cropped top with harem pants of any kind, especially with these drop-crotch jeans. I always thought it looked terribly unflattering. Buuuuut, I recently designed (what I think to be) a gorgeous top and, in its newest color: femme-y lavender, I decided to pair this cropped top with the most rugged, worn denim I could think of.

And whadya know, I quite liked how it turned out.

Definitely not an outfit I would wear daily (I do not typically show tummy skin - not even at the beach, humph!) but for a party, or a couple drinks with friends in a crowded bar, this outfit will do nicely. I feel like a lady, but rugged enough to not feel frou frou... Because lavender is most certainly frou frou to me. Pretty much any pastel is, in my opinion. But shame on me because with styling and intuition, you can make anything look the way you want it to look, no matter how solidified its pre-existing reputation.

Anyway, this was another fun "Style After Style" feature. And actually, this series is the nuts and bolts of The Tiny Closet! This is what my lifestyle is all about. Taking the clothing you have, honoring what you buy and really utilizing it for your daily style as artfully and thoughtfully as possible.

Hope you enjoyed this round and come visit me again next Thursday for an all new post!

Aaaaand if you're curious, this top above is available to shop in The Tiny Closet! It's a new fave and limited in the fabulous lavender hue you see. So... shop it now while you can!

Fresh Spring Tones

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to squeeze in a new blog post for you today. My full time job has taken me completely away from the blog for a moment and I plan to return with a fresh new restyled look next Thursday.

I've been doing a few features for other brands recently and I thought I'd share one with you!

As you may already know, I absolutely love 2Rivers leather bags. Their dedication to quality is definitely something to be admired, especially in the world of fashion accessories. Their very simple, streamlined designs become beautiful statements, as they leave ample room to showcase the quality of the leather and how nicely the piece is put together.

When I was gifted a full size open tote, I knew I'd be carrying it everywhere!

From groceries to random errands picking up crafts and sewing notions, I've been taking this bag along as it carries everything - aaaaand the straps are long enough that it can still be worn on my shoulder. I can't stand my hands being occupied.

I also love how neutral all of their bags can be. While this Mombasa Tote does come in different colors, I love sticking with the natural leather. The way it ages is gorgeous and it goes with my entire wardrobe.

Anyway, I really liked the outfit I put together with this bag. The cocoa midi pants are actually available to shop now! Simple and comfortable, this is the style I will be rocking all season long.

Check out The Mombasa Tote! Great for weekend getaways, groceries and camping.

...and get 15% off your purchase when you shop there using code: FR15.

You can also shop my other favorite 2Rivers bag, The Kampala Purse, a smaller, more purse-like version of the Mombasa. I love them both!

Thank you for visiting and as I try to catch up with my work, I'll be excited to get back into shooting another feature outfit for ya next week!

Style After Style: The Patent Mule

These amazingly fabulous, stunning patent sky high mules aren't that well travelled yet but I've already managed to add them to all kinds of ensembles over the past year.

I'm not sure which look is my favorite so far - I love all the pairings I've done. But I guess that's the product of a Tiny Closet you truly love. Every look, every item tends to be your favorite! Let me tell you, it is so wonderful always having something fabulous to wear. And it has nothing to do with money. Actually, now that I think about it, it may narrow down to two things:

Know what you like to see on yourself.

Buy only what you love.

But speaking of a dream closet that doesn't have anything to do with money...

These new chinos (yeesh, I never thought I'd say that word: chinos. Bleh. I guess I have a dated association of that word with my high school days when Old Navy reigned supreme in suburbia) from J.Crew were a TOTAL SPONTANEOUS BUY. Sorry for the obnoxious caps buuuut if you know The Tiny Closet "way", you know building a closet you love rarely relies on impulsive consumption.

But there's a slight difference between impulsive and spontaneous. Impulsiveness is driven by emotion, which is probably why "impulse shopping" feels naughty.

I'd been looking for a pair of fun pants that I couldn't sew myself. Preferably of the polka-dot nature and baggy. In pops a timely email from J. Crew announcing a ludicrous sale. 40% off sale items, double promotions, combining discount codes, yaddah, yaddah yah. Amazing right?

I had no plans on buying anything that day or even browsing online. I had actually sat down at my computer to check on a shipment number and 30 mins later, I'm pressing Buy Now on two items in my cart. Impulsive? Nah. Spontaneous? Yes.

And it was all according to plan.

Well, some type of plan...

But that's the thing, when you know exactly what you want, when you randomly see it, a random purchase is not so out of the blue. You'd been wanting it and simply waiting for it to come into your radar.

So these awesome pants were deeply discounted and now dearly loved by me. Olive khakis, a Tiny Closet A/W17 top and a glossy heel. I bought the pants 3 sizes too big for a slouchy, baggy S/S casual Friday feel.

Simple, city stylings for a darker Spring look.

Black may not be the it-color for the season but the jumbo dots and the loose cropped top are a version of Spring I tend to play with better.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Style After Style and I'll be featuring anther next Thursday, same time, same place. And if you haven't yet - check out my new Spring Capsule now on the blog!

Also, there's something very exciting going on in The Tiny Closet Shop right now.... but if you're subscribed, you already know.

The Tiny Closet

Pages

5.02.2024

It Started with a Rollercoaster...

4.24.2024

THE TINY CLOSET LINE: Things I'd do differently if I started today...

5 Things I'd Do If I Started The Tiny Closet Shop in 2024

1. I'D KNOW HOW I WANT TO SPEND MY TIME

2. I'D SEPARATE & ORGANIZE MY BUSINESS FINANCES

3. I'D MAP OUT A 1-YR WORK SCHEDULE

4. I'D STACK CASH FOR RAINY DAYS

5. I'D ALIGN MY JOB WITH MY PERSONAL GOALS

3.21.2024

This is (almost) 41?

6.14.2018

Self Care For Dummies

5.30.2018

Another Daily

5.24.2018

Daily

5.10.2018

Style After Style: A Little Yellow Dress

5.03.2018

Style After Style: Rugged Femininity

4.26.2018

Fresh Spring Tones

4.19.2018

Style After Style: The Patent Mule

Search

Archive: