my top five closet storage solutions

I just realized that I never got around to sharing my closet/dressing room here! I've taken some photos where you can spot some of it in the background, but I never did a full-out tour post like I intended. Anyway, it occurred to me that some of my organization methods might be somewhat useful so I thought I'd share some storage tips first, then do the whole closet tour shebang next week! :)



1. Use household items to organize. You don't need a fancy jewelry box to house your collections -- you can display your accessories using containers you already have laying around the house! I used a plastic french fry basket from the dollar store, a mason jar and an old melamine chips-and-dip tray to house my brooches and bracelets! And to keep my lipsticks organized I used nail polish remover caps and a jar lid (DIY post here!) It's amazing how instantly a run-of-the-mill item can be transformed into a useful storage container with the help of a little spray paint! ;)





2. At-a-glance storage. Whenever possible, try to store things so that you can see everything at a glance. If you stack your sweaters on top of each other, you'll constantly be rifling through your drawer and messing things up whenever you get dressed. Storing my cardigans side-by-side (and in rainbow order!) helps things stay neat and tidy. It's also a huge time saver!

For smaller items like tights, using a drawer organizer really comes in handy. I use a soft organizer from IKEA so that none of my tights will snag, and I roll them up side by side so I can see all of the colors at a glance.



3. Roll up pajamas in a shoe organizer. I have a weakness for flannel pajama sets (especially if they have cute animals on them) but I never really knew where to put them. I like keeping sweaters, jeans and unmentionables in my dressers so that leaves little room for big bulky pj's! I came up with this solution and it works SO well! I roll up the pajama set and stuff it into a shoe organizer slot. This makes it so easy to grab a top+bottom set in a pinch, and it doesn't take up much room!





1. Closet dividers to store belts and sunglasses. Earlier this year I purchased two closet dividers (or doublers) hoping to use them to hang up shirts and skirts, but they just didn't work out for me. Luckily, they were absolutely *perfect* for another purpose! I needed somewhere to store my (embarrassingly large) belt collection, and this totally fit the bill. I hung the divider from the ceiling using cup hooks, and then used S hooks to hang the belts. Since the dividers that I purchased came in three separate pieces (the two sides and the one middle rung) I was able to take the middle rung from the 2nd set and add another row for my sunglasses! (These are the dividers that I purchased)



5. Stagger your shoes. Finally, keeping shoes staggered (one shoe with the front facing forward and one with the heel facing forward) saves a lot of room! It isn't quite as pretty as having them all facing you, but you can fit a lot more shoes in a small space this way! :)

fashions of 1965

I was flipping through a 'Teen magazine from 1965 that I got recently and came across an article called "Swing into the '65 Discotheque Look." I absolutely fell in love with the photos and the style that falls somewhere between early 60's prim and late 60's psychedelic. For instance, I love how the dress in the next photo has a real groovy print, but the figure-flattering cut and peter-pan collar still evoke a clean-cut pre-mod era. It's seriously the best of both worlds. Also can we all heave one large collective sigh over the fact that the article cites the prices for all of these pretty frocks as being no more more than $25 a piece. *sigh*







ps. If you want to download larger versions of these photos, I uploaded them to flickr here!

how one dress changed my life

This dress was sent to me from Le Bomb Shop on ebay. I am *so* excited to be collaborating with them, you have no idea. A little backstory:

When I was 13 I started watching classic films religiously, and I wished so badly I could dress like the glamorous ladies in the movies. Despite the fact that my dad owned a small mail-order business and had already set up an online shop by that time, I didn't realize internet shopping was an option yet. I still felt confined to the stores at the mall, so I made do with what was accessible to me. I begrudgingly wore jeans and polyester shirts from Rainbow, all the while wishing someday maybe I could dress like Elizabeth Taylor or Lauren Bacall. Occasionally my grandmom would take me to the thrift store with her, but I could never find anything older than me. I wanted 50's glamor but the selection seemed to consist mostly of 90's pantsuits.

Then when I was in high school my dad set up a shop on ebay, and occasionally let me use his account to look at Frank Sinatra memorabilia (have I mentioned that I'm a Sinatra superfan?) Anyway, one day my search shifted to clothing and somehow I stumbled upon Le Bomb Shop (at the time it was called "Bombshell Vintage"). I had NO IDEA that vintage reproduction was even a thing until that moment. I was in heaven! I begged my dad to let me get one of the dresses. It was a black v-neck dress that reminded me of this dress from Suddenly, Last Summer. He relented and I made my first ever vintage-inspired purchase. I wore that dress constantly! I saved up and bought the same dress in green and black and white stripes. In 2007 I wore the black one to my first art show in New York --and I won an award that day, so not only was it my first vintage-style dress but it was a lucky one to boot! :D

Le Bomb Shop opened up a whole new world for me, one of vintage fashion (I got my first ever vintage dress from them, too!) retro styles and individuality. I didn't have to limit myself to what was readily available in my area, I could dress to the beat of my own drum! Perhaps even more importantly, I realized that if they were selling these clothes then there must be other girls out there buying them as well. After feeling for years like I was drowning in a sea of sweatpants and t-shirts, I finally discovered that I wasn't alone. There were other girls who liked to dress up, too. There were other girls my age who liked classic movies! I was bullied in school for liking old stuff (having crushes on dead actors isn't exactly something that makes you super popular, apparently) and the whole time I felt like an outcast. It may seem silly or corny, but just finding this one dress, this one ebay store, was the start of finally feeling like I fit in somewhere.

Ok, that ended up being a lot more sappy than I intended! Long story short -- Le Bomb Shop is absolutely awesome. I love them a bunch and you should too! :)

Dress - c/o Le Bomb Shop | Headband - Sunshine & Carousels

Sweater and belt - forever 21 | Shoes - from my grandmom

autumn wishlist

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

It's been a while since I did a wishlist wednesday (I don't seem to have as much time for online-shopping nowadays, which I guess is a good thing for my wallet!) so I thought I'd put together a little list of things I'm coveting from Modcloth for fall! As much as I adore my normal pastel palette, I'm just as much of a sucker for autumn hues as anybody else :)

By the way, if you've never purchased from modcloth before, now is the perfect time to start... they're offering $20 off your first order of $50 or more if you follow this link. But the offer expires October 2nd so hop to it! ;D

serendipity

Last week Susannah posted some items from her closet to sell on instagram and I was SO excited when I saw this dress! It was one of the first Modcloth items I ever fell in love with, about three years ago, but I missed out and always regretted not buying it when I had the chance. It's just as pretty in person as I thought it would be. I'm so happy I was on instagram at the right time so nobody managed to snag it before me lol ;D

To totally change the subject... *cue awkwardness* I have some sponsor spots open for October if anyone is interested. You can check out rates/traffic/statistics, etc. on my sponsor page here. *end awkwardness*

Dress & shoes - modcloth | Cardigan - c/o romwe | Belt - dorothy perkins

a scathingly brilliant idea

I had an idea the other day that I wish so much could become reality, but unfortunately it involves time travel (most of my ideas do, actually.) I was looking through some old family photos and, as I'm sure most girls do, started wondering "whatever happened to that dress/shirt/vest/skirt/bag??" I likely donated it, threw it out, or my mom gave it to a friend's daughter as a hand-me-down. In any case, it's no longer in my house and I wish it was.
So here is where my idea comes in: we should be able to go back in time and buy clothes from our past self. I'm sure 13 year old me would be completely delighted to not only get rid of something she no longer wanted, but get some spending money in the process. And being fully aware of 13 year old me's obsession with drug store makeup, I could probably repossess most of my old wardrobe favorites for the cost of one tube of Maybelline mascara.

By the by... if anyone ever happens across a white Roxy shoulder bag with strawberries on it, circa 1999, please let me know...

Update from 2017 Kate - I FOUND THE BAG!! I wrote a post about it here. YAY!!

sweater, dress and shoes - all h&m

Giveaway: Shoes from BAIT Footwear [closed]

BAIT Footwear is offering one lucky lady a pair of their pink Nana shoes! Aren't they absolutely darling?! They remind me of something Jean Shrimpton would be wearing in a sixties photoshoot with opaque tights and a little mini dress :)



What you'll win: One pair of Nana shoes from BAIT Footwear

How to enter: To enter simply like Bait on facebook and follow them on twitter (if you're not on twitter or facebook, just leave a comment letting me know your favorite pair of shoes from the store!) And I need some way to contact you (twitter, e-mail, your blog.. whatever floats your boat!) Also, you must be a follower of this blog to enter! This is mandatory, too! (And, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1. Tweet this "I just entered to win a pair of @baitfootwear shoes on @kategabrielle's blog http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use that exact tweet.)
2. Pin the giveaway on pinterest

This giveaway ends on October 1st at 12:01AM EST. Giveaway has ended.

Winner: Comment #102

studio sunday

I did an interview and showed off my little studio on Chickiedee today! You can take a peek here! :)

ballet memories

When I first put on this beautiful silk miniskirt, sweet memories of ballet class started coming back to me. I started ballet (and tap) when I was three, and kept going through high school. I think I loved the practice outfits even more than the fancy recital costumes. I used to wear my leotards and twirly ballet skirts whether I was frolicking around the house or laying on the floor doing homework.

This skirt has the same sort of feel.. it's perfect for lounging about but it also inspires spontaneous leaps and twirls as well! :) It's from She & Reverie, and their new fall/winter line is full of ballet-inspired goodness (take a peek at these scalloped bralettes. Sweetest thing ever, right?!) And they're offering 20% off with code BRILLIANT! Hurry, because the code expires in one week!

Skirt- c/o she & reverie | Top- topshop | Cardigan - f21 | Shoes - h&m | Tights - asos

The Birds

Last night my family and I went to see The Birds on the big screen! Naturally I dressed for the occasion ;) I wore a bird print dress, a bird necklace and a black bird in my hair!

The Birds is one of my favorite Hitchcock films, and (in my opinion) his scariest. It's always creeped me out when I watched it at home but it really scared me at the movies! I didn't expect to get so caught up in it! I actually cried during one scene. And towards the end when the birds were attacking the house, I accidentally spilled my popcorn in my lap and it startled me so much that I literally jumped in my seat! My mom and brother made fun of me all night after that ;p

I don't go to the movies very often since I prefer classic films to newer ones (and then there's also the whole issue of the outrageously expensive ticket fare... yikes!) but the few times I've gone in the last few years I've been pretty disappointed. The audience always seems to laugh at things that aren't supposed to be funny, and in general they're just a lot louder than I expect movie audiences to be. But last night was perfect! During most of the scenes you could probably hear a pin drop, everyone was so quiet. It really allowed me to enjoy the movie and get swept up in the story as opposed to being super conscious of everyone around me.

Overall it was just an exceptional experience! Did anyone else go? They're re-releasing ET, Lawrence of Arabia, Frankenstein and To Kill a Mockingbird for one night showings this fall, as well. If I can swing it, I'd love to see Lawrence of Arabia.... Peter O'Toole on the big screen? yum.

ps. I just realized looking at these pictures that the wind blew some of my hair straight up like Alfalfa. lol!

 

Dress - modcloth | Shoes - asos | Tights - c/o romwe

Necklace - modcloth | Bird - craft store

Flapper Doodle shop update (including the 2013 calendar!)

The 2013 Flapper Doodle calendar is finally complete! yay!! In addition to the calendar, I also added prints of all of the new illustrations to my shop, in 4x6 and 8x10. I also added the new drawings to my society6 shop as well, so they're available in much larger sizes as well as on note cards, iphone cases and laptop skins!

If anything catches your eye in my etsy store, you can take 10% off with the code "Brilliant" or 15% off if you use paypal at checkout with code "Paypal" :)

Well I'm off to go get ready now! I'm going to see The Birds at the movies & I'm super excited! Is anyone else going? It's being re-released nationwide today only. I bought my tickets ahead of time but if you don't have any plans for the night and want to see if it's playing near you, you can check here!