When life gives you lemons...

Make lemonade. Duh.

But sometimes you can get stuck with a whole bunch of lemons and feel uninspired... so here are some of our recent lemons-to-lemonade stories that will hopefully inspire you! 

1. Our lovely plant, Harrison, got knocked over. Insert sad face. We put him in a temporary bowl for the night, and bought a bigger & better home for him the next day! Now Harrison's new home will help him grow into the beautiful, strong tree he's meant to be :)

2. We've been super busy. Like my iCal is a color coordinated mess that keeps overlapping and making pretty new colors busy. Finding a couple hours to have roommate hangout time has been hard... so we set up a chessboard on our counter and have post-its to let the other person know when it's their turn (and check/checkmate!). Corinne won the last game!

3. It was my ONE free night. I was going to do something, something awesome! Then it started raining. And I'm not one of those people that posts on social media "OMG, I love when it rains". No, rain in the city is my least favorite weather- ever. But we decided to make the most of the night and go for an evening jog in the rain! (If you wear contacts I recommend wearing a baseball cap to keep the rain out of your eyes!)

Life is what you choose! So choose to make lemonade. Choose to be inspired! Choose to LIVE LIGHT!

AND to our fellow Northeastern-ers stay warm! It's FREEZING out there :)

Live Light,

Grace & Corinne 

Small Space?! Clutter?! This will help...

Our home is tiny- like, there is a shower in the kitchen, tiny.

Sometimes living in a small space can be... well, complicated.  So we use different containers from places like The Container Store, Ikea and Bed Bath & Beyond (BB&B is also known as Dumbledore's in our home) to help remove clutter and make living light in the city a little more beautiful & easy!

After the holidays, I realized I had more stuff! Shocking, huh? New stuff is great, but in a tiny apartment you have to be careful- because too much stuff can make your space look cluttered, and normally that makes you FEEL cluttered.

So I kept shoving new "stuff without a spot" onto my bookshelf, and then put my chair in front of the bookshelf to distract from the eyesore.  I KNOW. I know. This is my confession. I am ashamed, but I was busy! Last night, I finally had some time open up- so what did I do with my free Friday night? What every normal person would do- go to The Container Store. (I did see Zero Dark Thirty with some friends too...)

Here is the before and after of my book shelf:

Containers are amazing! We use them all over our apartment! (Think One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...)

Striped ones:

 Elegant ones:

 Floral ones:

 Green ones:

 Woven ones:

 Plastic ones:

Basket ones:

Containers can help make your space look tidy and comfortable! Make it your own! And you know what, sometimes your "stuff" can make your apartment feel like home! Our neighbor threw a holiday party for the building, and while it may not be our style of decor- it couldn't feel more like home :) 

Make your home feel like YOURS- whatever that looks like! And don't forget to smile today :)

Live Light,

Grace and Corinne 

Winter Wardrobe Clean-Out for a CAUSE!

The fiscal cliff may be just around the corner, but a wardrobe avalanche CAN be avoided. (See what I did there?)  Say farewell to the old coats/sweaters/pants, and give them to someone who truly needs them this season. 

Here's my rule of thumb when cleaning house:   (Thumb------>)

Ask yourself 2 questions.  Have I worn this in the past year?  Will I wear this in the next 3 months?

  

If the answer is 'no' to both, it may be time to part with that item.  

BUT WAIT! Ask yourself one more question- Is there any sentimental attachment?  (i.e. 'This is my mothers shirt from the '60's', 'My Grandma knitted this for me when I was a child in hopes that it would fit me my entire life.') Obvi's if there is something important about the article of clothing, DO NOT say goodbye yet.  Save it for the next generation.  

Where to take your STUFF? Here are a few suggestions:

Goodwill (Goodwill is giving away gift cards to Sandy victims!)

Salvation Army

NYCares Coat Drive 

Bowery Mission

If you find yourself with an ungodly amount of clothing, no fear, there are plenty of organizations that will pick-up at your door.  Like these guys. Or these.  (<--they will pick-up ANY donations. Toys, shoes, cosmetics, you name it.)

            

Parting with anything can be a sad experience and that is OKAY!  Shed a tear of sadness for your old possessions because someone in need will shed a tear of joy for them. 

Voila! Wardrobe managed. Hope ensues.  Job Well Done.

Live Light and Have a Happy New Year's Eve, 

Grace and Corinne  

Let's go fishing! Fishtail Braid!

Howdy from Texas! I am visiting family for Christmas, and though I am not in the city right now... Fishtail braids are just as shwanky here in the suburbs as they are in the city! Here are some pictures to hopefully make your fishing experience an easier one!

Start out with some hair!

Separate hair into 2 sections.  Take a small piece from the outside of one of those sections and cross it over to the other side.

Now take another small piece from the side you just added a piece to and cross this piece to the other side. You now have two sections with equal amounts of hair!  

Continue to take a small piece from alternating sides and cross it over. (TIP- use smaller pieces to make it look more like a fishtail, use bigger pieces to make it look more like a traditional braid.) 

Keep going, and when you've reached the bottom- add a ponytail holder.

Wahoo!! Corinne and I are also partial to the handmade scrunchy right now!

Hope those tips helped! And don't give up- even if it isn't perfect, messy fishtails are super cute! 

Ready, set, let's go fishing!

ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!! 

Happy Holidays from us to you :)

Live Light,

Grace (currently visiting Texas!) and Corinne (still in NY!)

SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE by SCOUT:

(he's a little camera shy sometimes...)

Bad Hair Day?!

No problem. Cover that shizz! Give the eye something else to focus on.

Grace opted for a hat a la DAVY CROCKETT and bold-hippie scarf. 

Corinne went the hipster-floppy-beanie and PSYCHIC route.

OR TOP-KNOT-IT! (we are so into that sexy librarian look.)

If your accessory or hair-do of choice makes you look like any of the following, you are on the right track:
Pirate
Fronteirsman
Native American
Hippie
Lumberjack
Psychic
Yoga instructor
Soldier
.....heck, just go for it.  Stick a pot on your head and call yourself Johnny Appleseed.

Bad hair day averted :)

Live Light, 

Grace and Corinne

1 Minute Cake in a Cup

Craving sweets?! Our go-to dessert is perfect for anyone looking for a quick, portion controlled, inexpensive, yummy dessert! (*special thanks to my mom for introducing me to this easy recipe*) Simple steps for your 1 Minute Cake in a Cup:

1. Get a microwavable Cup

2. Add a couple spoonfuls of Cake or Brownie Mix (depending on your preference)

3. Walk over to the sink and add a little Water (If you think you added too much water and it's not looking like cake/brownie batter, just add some more mix- more cake for you!!) 

4.  Microwave for 60 seconds

6. Optional- add a Topping (we added some chocolate frosting... guilty!)

7. Bon Appetit! 

Live Light,

Grace and Corinne

Rainy Day Pick-Me-Up's

It's a rainy Sunday in NYC.  We tend to lag on days like these.  Get out of that funk! Slump your slumpy self down to the corner coffee shop, pick-up a pick-me-up and brighten your outlook.  We suggest:

Invite some friends over!

Make yourself (and your friends) a hearty lunch.  Why go to the Italian restaurant across the street and spend a fortune?  Ask your friends to contribute (crackers, sauce, whatever they have at their disposal) and voila!  Instant lunch party.  

Turn on some tunes and DANCE PARTY!  Added Bonus: You burn off those lunch calories AND have fun.

Feeling crafty?  Make your own greeting cards.  Get creative!  Involve your friends.  Use what you've got lying around.

Enjoy Today! "Be passionate.  Passion needs to be behind WHY you do it, not WHAT you do."

Live Light, 

Grace and Corinne