Quick Snap: Vol. I

Welcome to Quick Snaps! I’ve been thinking about fun, simple ways I can show you guys little bits of my life behind the scenes, and decided it would be cool to share occasional still life-type snapshots of my life at home (which also doubles as my studio office!). Working from home has forced me to develop certain routines, schedules and life hacks that are indispensable to me, and since I always love the little peeks into how other people live (it’s like a universal rule of the Internet that it’s fun to spy on people’s lives!), I figured you guys might enjoy. I was also inspired to do this because of how quick, simple and uncurated Snapchat is (a blessing in this super-styled social media world), so my goal is to take pics of life as it really is at home and work.

My morning routine and bathroom counter seemed like a good place to start, mostly because I just spring cleaned and organized everything this past weekend (ha!). So here it is, my first Quick Snap, along with a behind the scenes look at my morning routine:
 

Waking Up:

Believe it or not, I don’t set an alarm — but this is mostly because I have a natural alarm clock named Lucy who will wake me up between 6:30 and 7am everyday for her breakfast. After I feed her and let her out, we get back in bed and I might doze for a minute or two before grabbing my phone. I break all the rules of productivity here, but every single morning, I’ll grab my phone and check email. After taking a cursory glance and making sure there are no work disasters to deal with, I read the news. So begins probably a half hour to an hour of laying in bed, glasses on, and seeing what’s going on in the world. I like to check New York magazine, People, CNN, and my News feed app — often, this not only sates my pop culture craving, but I can see the day’s headlines and also gather up interesting articles for Links Loved.

Getting Ready:

I’ve learned over the years that if I don’t “get ready” for the day, I feel oddly gross and unproductive. So even if I have no plans to leave the apartment that day, I always get up, brush my teeth, wash my face, and put on very minimal makeup. This includes eyebrow grooming, a coat or two of mascara, and little blush/bronzer (my fave, which always makes me look alive and glowing, is Jane Iredale’s Sunbeam Bronzer). I’ve found that having even a tiny bit of makeup on makes me feel more confident, and in the event I have a client call, it helps me feel more on top of things and like a boss lady. Hey, whatever works.

The Bathroom Sitch (pictured above!):

I have the worst eyesight ever — no really, my prescription is hilariously, crazy high! My glasses always end on my bathroom counter because of my morning reading habit. I’ve also had a clock in my bathroom for years, because I’ve found it gives me a framework to determine things like, “Do I have time to straighten my hair?” or whether it’s a “You’ll be lucky to get mascara on, you’re so late,” kind of prep session. I’m notoriously bad at gauging how much time has gone by when I’m getting ready, so having the visual right in front of me is a must. A phone won’t work, it has to be an actual clock. Mine is from Pottery Barn. I also have a small jewelry organizer that catches rings and necklaces, and I pile perfume samples on it, too. They’re the one sample I really can’t bear to throw out, because I think if you want to change your mood or who you feel like being that day, a spritz of a different scent than your norm is the quickest way to do so. My usual scent is Diptyque’s Do Son (in the little black solid compact you see), or a tiny spritz of Jardins d’Écrivains La Dame Aux Cameélias (I talked about it here).

Wardrobe!:

I do try to wear real clothes (not yoga pants!) everyday, but to be honest, a lot of times I would need to change again were I to leave the house. I don’t like to spend much creative energy thinking about what to wear everyday, so I tend to throw on really simple things: jeans and a long sleeve tee or an oversized sweater in the winter; rompers, sundresses in the warmer months when it’s hot. It might surprise you to learn that deciding what to wear everyday doesn’t bring me pleasure, it tends to just stress me out, so I’ve really tried to streamline my wardrobe with all neutrals and lots of mix and match pieces that don’t require much thought. It’s totally common that I’ll wear the same outfit a couple days in a row! I think it’s because after doing my morning reading and getting ready, I’m anxious to get to my desk and focus on work, so I hate standing in front of my closet pondering what to wear.

And that’s my entire morning routine. Really! I go straight from closet to my office (a second bedroom in our apartment), with an occasional detour to the kitchen along the way for a cup of coffee or tea. I’ll be sharing Quick Snaps in the future of my office and behind the scenes looks at my workflows, so stay tuned… I hope you enjoyed this first little peek! Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see…