Weekly Wrap Up: Week 20

Happy Friday! It felt like a very long week yet short at the same time; I'm very happy for the weekend though, as I always am!

I'm off from work today, a summer Friday; I laid in bed until 1 PM and then went to the gym. I was feeling very lazy and unmotivated but once I got to the gym, I felt awesome. That's two weeks in a row that the gym made me feel good! We may be onto something here...

Tomorrow I was supposed to go to a conference held by Cosmopolitan Magazine but I'm kind of feeling like I want to pass. I've been going, going, going and I just feel like I want this weekend to rest. Also, the idea of going into Manhattan on a day when I don't have to truly exhausts me.

That being said, I'll probably go shopping, go to the cemetery, gym, and run a few errands. I was an anxious mess all week long so I feel like I just need to take some time for myself.

Do I say that every weekend? I feel like I do, but it's true! Self-care is very important to me and my body responds very well to it.

Anyways... below are my links of the week!

• I loved this office tour/interview
• The best natural beauty products at Sephora right now  
• Even though it doesn't happen too often, I LOVE getting to work super early
• How to create a brand, based on ban.do strategy
• The Internet's best concealers -- yes please! 

What you missed on Royally Pink:

• Handbag Review: Kate Spade Cameron Street Blakely
• The Best Way to Reduce Stress
• My Favorite Office Supplies

Also, watch my latest Youtube video! 

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo

B

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Handbag Review: Kate Spade Cameron Street Blakely

I'm back with another handbag review and we're doing a Kate Spade one! I have (had) a lot of Kate Spade bags in my collection and they are by far my favorite. 

This is a bag that I've had my eye on for so long and finally pulled the plug when it was on sale at the beginning of May. I did 2-day shipping so I could get it to bring on my work trip to Florida and it turned out to be a great asset. 

The Cameron Street Blakely is a typical Kate Spade bag with a bit of an edge; it's on the smaller side of medium, has great structure, sturdy handles, a comfortable shoulder strap, and a front pocket that is so good I need it on all my bags.

I first saw this bag last year (!!) when it was debuted and fell in love immediately. There were a lot of different colors (some which you can find on eBay -- I saw the blue one yesterday and fell in love all over again) and the color I got was not my first choice. I really wanted the porcini/black combination which was a light pink and black color block but that was obviously more expensive. I decided on the purple because I felt it was different and a little outside my comfort zone. 

You may think it doesn't match everything but I wear mostly neutral colors so I find that it goes with most if not all of my outfits.

What I fell in love with was the structure and size of the bag. It's very square, obviously, but the way the sides expand a bit create a more dimensional feeling and I really loved that. I also LOVE the front pocket -- this was super handy on my trip because I kept my important documents and my cell phone in there for easy access. 

As I said before, the bag comes with a shoulder strap and I love that Kate Spade allows you to personalize them now so I may have to scoop a new strap up that matches this little lady. Sometimes the shoulder strap can get annoying and in the way so I like having the option to remove it, which I did over the weekend and LOVED. 

It's nothing special inside, just has two smaller pockets on one side and a larger zip pocket on the other; very standard for any handbag. 

This is the small Cameron Street Blakely but you would be very surprised at what could fit inside. I wish I would've taken a picture of it on my trip because this baby was jam packed full of stuff; makeup bags, water bottles, chargers, agendas, wallets .. the whole nine yards! It didn't lose its shape nor feel too heavy with everything inside. I think that if you bring a normal amount of stuff to work (I do not) this would be a great work bag. The structure keeps it professional while the color makes it fun.

*The color is called crisp linen/lilac petal/mahogany

Honestly, I don't even have any cons to this bag. It's very lightweight, high quality, and just a stunning bag in general. I find it to be super versatile and I have yet to be bored with it. 

Right now, Kate Spade is having 30% off their sale styles and this exact bag is still available so I highly recommend scooping it up! I don't think you'll regret it at all! 

xoxo

B

The Best Ways to Reduce Stress

Since I was little I've been a natural worrier. After 9/11 my parents had to get me a dog to keep me occupied and my mind off of the terrorist attack -- that's how big of a worrier I was and still am.

That worry has since translated into stress and anxiety; in high school and college I was stressed about everything and in between, the anxiety struck. I've discussed my anxiety before but don't think I ever really wrote an entire post dedicated to how I deal with it. Stress and anxiety go hand in hand for me now because if I'm stressed out, it creates anxiety and if I have anxiety, it causes stress.

I also want to make sure I write this more generally so that even if you're a college student dealing with the stress of exams or student activities, you can find an answer in this too.

Whether you're feeling like you can't breathe because of an anxiety attack or because you're drowning in stress, I hope something in this post can help you!

• Nerve Tonic: I am NOT A DOCTOR but I need to mention this. I wrote an entire post about this pill two years ago but felt like I needed to mention it again. I've gone through so many bottles since discovering it after I graduated but it's worth it. Whenever I feel an anxiety attack coming on, or just so much anxiety that I can't focus, I'll take two pills and I feel the cloud lift. I don't know what it is, but I promise it helps. Hylands creates a lot of pills for babies and children I really trust them. ALSO, I'm not addicted and haven't had any side effects and like I've said, I've been taking them for years.

• Essentials Oils: Since discovering essentials oils I've fallen in love. I have a diffuser and bought these off of Amazon and diffuse constantly. Whenever I feel very stressed out, I close my bedroom door, turn the lights out, and lay in bed while lavender oils diffuse. I also carry around this calming roller ball that I apply to my pulse points whenever I'm a little too high strung

• Water: I just bought this swell bottle so I am always equipped with a good amount of water, no matter where I am. I already drink a lot of water (besides coffee and tea, it's the only thing I drink) but I found that drinking water helps ease my anxiety and stress. It could be in my head but I feel like I read that somewhere...

• Candles: This is probably my favorite thing on the list -- I'm addicted to candles. Whenever I need a pick me up I turn on my string lights and light a few candles and it immediately calms me down. I cannot stop buying Evil Queen candles so they're currently my favorite to burn. The smell and vibe of a good candle is enough to ease any trouble! 
• Movies, TV, books: Whenever I'm really in a funk, I try to occupy my mind so a good book or television show (or a Youtube binge) is just what the doctor ordered.

When stress is getting the best of you, it's important to just remember that it will pass. You can get through any trouble you're experiencing and to just take a minute, take a deep breath, and restart your mind. Take a few minutes for yourself, take a walk, or lock yourself in your room -- tell your roommates or parents that you need to just be alone for an hour or so to recharge. Taking that time for yourself is very important for your mental health.

If you're in college and you had a really rough week and the last thing you want to do is go out drinking all night, that's ok. Tell your friends you'll see them tomorrow and get some pizza, a good movie, and turn the lights out early. The bar will still be there on Saturday -- take your Friday to rest and recharge, you'll be happy you did! 

Here are a few other posts about anxiety and stress:

• Tuesday Inspiration: Anxiety
• How to Have a Good Day
• Favorite Ways to Relax and De-Stress (a similar post to this one, just 3 years ago!)

What are your suggestions for de-stressing?

xoxo

B

My Favorite Office Supplies

 I'm someone who loves paper; books, magazines, planners, notebooks, cards, etc. I love holding an actual paper in my hands, I'm constantly printing out things I could read online or writing down lists in one of my 50 notebooks.

I've been that way forever and I've documented that many times before. School supply shopping was always my favorite and when I graduated college, I knew that shopping trip in August would be the one thing I missed most. However, I've found my way around that and I'm always adding to my ever growing collection of stationery.

I don't discriminate either; I love all kinds of paper goods from things in the dollar section at Target to my Henri Bendel planner. I actually have to stop myself from buying more notebooks on the daily because I have too many and not enough uses.

I figured it'd been a minute since I wrote about stationery and with the start of planner season around the corner, what better time than the present!

I'm going to break down my current favorites as well as some items I have my eye on!

1. Louis Vuitton Agendas: This was a big win of 2017 and I think it'll continue to be my favorite for years to come. I use two of these (I got them pre-loved for like $50 each which is a STEAL), one for my blog planner and one for miscellaneous lists. I keep them with me at all times and they are so handy because you can truly customize it.

2. Small, Hardcover Notebooks: I have so many random notebooks sitting in my drawer and they all have something in common; they have random lists in them from over the past year or so and they're all small, hardcover notebooks with adorable sayings and such. I literally had to stop myself from buying this cute marble notebook because I have about 6 of a similar size not getting enough love.

3. Whitney English: Years ago I did a post on Whitney English & The Day Designer for Target; I haven't picked one up since then but am always tempted each year. Last week while I was in Target, I bit the bullet and bought an adorable leopard planner. I don't know what I'll do with it but I have it and I love it! (The planners are not online yet so check your local Target!)

4. May Designs: Can I really do a stationery post without mentioning my beloved May Designs? I don't know how many I have in my collection but I stop myself weekly from buying more. However, they just released an appointment layout that I have my eye on! Also, don't even get me started on the folios -- they are too cute for words.

5. Notepads: As much as I love notebooks and agendas, I love a good old fashioned notepad just as much. Making a single to-do list on a nice piece of paper, whether it's adorned with something cute in the corner or just a regular paper, I'm addicted.

Honorary mention: Post-its are God's gift to the Type A and I just got these ADORABLE coffee & donut ones from Target. I've had these marble ones in my collection for a while too and I love them. They make any note feel that much fancier. Also, I've started an obsession with these awesome diamond pens.

PS: I just discovered this Etsy shop and I need everything from there immediately. She has the cutest notebook designs!

PPS: Evelyn Henson also has some wonderful notebook prints that I've been dying to get my hands on for years but never pulled the plug!

Below are some items that are currently on my wishlist:

Weekly Wrap Up: Week 19

This week's wrap-up is a bit late because Thursday I was at work late, and Friday I was at events in Long Island all day for work.

Right now, it's raining outside and I have candles lit and my string lights on. I woke up this morning in a fit of rage (don't ask me why), went to the gym, made myself a nice breakfast of waffles and eggs and feel so much better. Honestly, I never feel better after the gym but my goodness, I felt awesome afterward.

Tomorrow is Father's Day, something that is super hard for me, but I'll be going to New Jersey to celebrate with my grandpa and also my uncle's birthday. It'll be a good day, I'm looking forward to some family time.

It's the season for new agendas and I bought TWO new ones (I don't need two but I was in Target yesterday and saw the new Day Designers and needed it) so expect a post on them very soon.

I'm also looking to spruce up my bedroom a bit. It's been almost a year that we've been living in this apartment and I just feel like my room needs something new. Stay tuned for that!

On that note, here are my favorite links of the week:

• A very interesting article about working from home
• This article makes me want a Ringly
• Estee Lauder is getting rid of the Estee Edit but investing more into Victoria Beckham
• Jobs that bookworms would love... can I have all these jobs?
• One of my favorite websites celebrated a birthday this week and I loved this article showcasing it
• I need this new skincare product
• A wonderful profile on a young, woman beauty brand creator!

Here's what you missed on Royally Pink this week: 

• Book Review Wednesday: The Glitter Plan
• Fashion Files: Graphic Tees
• My Morning Routine

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo

B