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Like most of you, I've been holed up at home for the past several weeks in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus. As a social girl who actually enjoys going to work, socializing with coworkers, and of course going out to restaurants and bars with friends, this has been a period of adjustment.
However, with two weeks of work-from-home officially in the books, I've found ways to perfect my routine and my setup, including adding a few things to make my desk the ideal working space (before social distancing entered our lexicon, my desk was largely overflow storage for sunglasses, purses, lipsticks, and other assorted Fashion Barbie faves).
If you are still trying to get into the swing of things and finding your work-from-home groove, I figured it might be helpful to show my home office setup and some of my tips to make home life productive!
Here's what I did to perfect my home office setup:
Define your work from home space:
For me, leaving my apartment and driving to the office makes it pretty clear to my brain that it's time to get work done. When you work from home, you can simply wake up, grab your laptop, and begin your day without ever getting dressed. For me, this is a recipe for disaster (Netflix is just a click away), so instead I knew that I had to create a defined work space within my room. Just the act of sitting at a desk mentally gets me into that working mode, so I cleared off my desk (it's this one, to be precise) of all the lipsticks and purses and other miscellaneous items and created the setup you can see today in these pictures!Find a cute desk chair:
Yeah, I didn't even have a chair to go with my desk, that's how little I used it for anything other than storage space. Luckily Amazon had this super chic chair (they came in a set of 2 so I gave the other one to my roommate) to complete my desk. I'll admit it's not as good for your posture as a fancy ergonomic office chair would be, but it's cute and it beats sitting slumped over in my bed all day.
Set up a monitor display:
When my company gave us the go-ahead to work from home, they let us take home our computers, both desktops and laptops. I typically work off of a laptop that is hooked up to a monitor display, so I brought the whole setup home—monitor, mouse, keyboard, laptop—so that I had a big screen to work off of. Working from my laptop on weekends occasionally is fine, but I knew when we went home that we were going to be home for a while, so having the large monitor screen is wonderful. I might even order one to keep at my apartment full time!Stay organized with calendars:
With not much to do besides hang out inside, get work done, and binge watch TV shows (who else has been simultaneously fascinated with and disturbed by Tiger King?) I have found the days blending together. I'll often ask myself, "Um, what day is it again?" A desk or wall calendar helps alleviate some confusion! Lucky for me, my grandmother gifted me a cute kittens wall calendar for Christmas, so I hung that up beside my computer to keep track of dates. I also use a Ban.do planner to write down tasks and to-do lists.Surround yourself with favorite scents:
I freakin' love candles. A good scent can change my whole mood, so just lighting a few fragrant candles can lift my spirits with all the general craziness happening all around us. I've been on a rose kick for a while, so I took advantage of Nordstrom's recent sale and bought a duo of Voluspa rose scented candles. I also keep a rose facial spray that I'll spritz on myself and around the room to freshen things up, and L'Occitane hand cream to keep my hands moisturized after washing my hands so often.
Add personal touches:
Work from home offers the freedom for you to design your work space however you see fit, so take advantage of it and add in little touches that bring you joy! I keep my markers in sight so whenever inspiration to draw strikes, I'm ready to go. I also have a photo album of polaroids to remind me of fun memories with friends (can't wait to see them again) and an Eiffel Tower sculpture and matryoshka doll that my mom gave me; just little things that remind me of friends, family, and world travels while I'm stuck inside. I also keep my favorite books in the desk shelves, as well as storage containers for sunglasses and jewelry.
Shop My Desk Essentials:
What tips do you have for the perfect work from home setup?
Your favorite Gossip Girl trend is back.
Headbands are back in a big way, so much so that Constance Billard's resident Queen B would weep with pride! I've been wearing them a lot lately (the evidence is above and below) so I thought I'd round up a few of my favorite headband types to inspire your spring accessory shopping. Enjoy!
Embellished Headbands
Pearl Headbands
Thick Headbands
Wrap Headbands
New Orleans had been on my travel wish list for a long time, and I can finally cross it off my list! Truly, I am in awe of this remarkably unique city and its beautiful mix of cultures. As a history buff, New Orleans is a wealth of rich history and myth, from the French and Spanish influences and voodoo to Mardi Gras and beyond. I absolutely fell in love with the city during my time there and know that I'll be back to learn more about its storied past...and also eat a lot more good southern cookin'!
I went with a group of friends, and we packed quite a lot into our long weekend in the Big Easy! We didn't get to do it all, but we managed a fair amount, so here are my picks on what to do—and more importantly, where to eat!—in the city.
Where To Eat
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| Me and my friends outside of voodoo queen Marie Laveau's house |
Acme Oyster House:
We went here twice and would have gone here a third time if it weren’t for all the other restaurants we wanted to try over the weekend! Friends, I have never been a big fan of oysters (in fact, the first time I tried them, I scrunched up my nose in disgust and proclaimed that they “tasted like Sea World”). But wow, did New Orleans make me a believer! The oysters here were giant and delish. You can get them raw, but the real move here is the chargrilled oysters. Don’t forget to dip your bread in the extra oil and garlic!Peche:
Another great spot for oysters and other raw bar classics. I’d steer clear of non-seafood items here though, as my friends weren’t impressed with their selections.Napoleon House:
Imagine a sandwich that’s as big as your face. Now imagine someone telling you that’s the HALF portion! The famed muffuletta at Napoleon House is a monster of a sandwich, but boy is it delish! My friend Steph and I split a half sandwich and I still couldn’t eat the whole thing, so go in hungry! Napoleon House is also the birthplace of the Pimm’s Cup, a refreshing and sweet cocktail perfect for the South. Pro tip: order the “Englishmen’s Pimm's” for an extra kick of alcohol, since the OG drink is pretty weak.Parkway Tavern:
Despite this spot being right by our Airbnb, we never had the chance to stop here, but considering every single Uber driver said they had the best po' boys in town, I feel confident that you should try it!Ruby Slipper:
Such a fun brunch spot! I got the shrimp and grits, which was delicious. The eggs Benedict also looked amazing! Also, they serve biscuits that are the size of a softball. Truly a beautiful thing.Cafe Du Monde:
Yeah yeah, you’ve heard it in probably every NOLA recommendation, but it’s on all the lists for a reason! The line looks intimidating but moves fast, and the yummy, doughy beignets topped with a pound of powdered sugar are worth it! Another great spot to check out is Cafe Beignet, which has a few locations throughout the city.What To Do
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| In front of St. Louis Cathedral |
Cemetery Tour:
I know it sounds macabre, but New Orleans is a place that celebrates both life and the afterlife, so a cemetery tour is actually a great way to learn about the history and traditions of this unique city. Our tour was a great primer on the French Quarter as a whole, and we gained a lot of insight into how the city has evolved throughout the centuries.Swamp Tour:
Just 30 minutes outside downtown, you can find yourself on the edge of the fascinating ecosystem that is the Louisiana Bayou. Skip the zoo and get ready to see wildlife in action; we saw raccoons, turtles, herons, and of course, alligators. We actually visited the swamp in the midst of hibernation season, so gator sightings were few and far between, but we did get lucky and spot a beautiful 10 foot alligator out for a swim. Worth it! |
| A new friend! |
Find A Parade:
New Orleans does it up real big for Mardi Gras, but did you know that there are parades for three weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday? We visited a few weeks before the big day, but still managed to see 2 big parades.We downloaded the WDSU Parade Tracker App so we could check the status and route or each parade, which helped us know exactly where to find a viewing spot—and when we could stop into a bar and grab a to-go cocktail before the parade got to us! Just a heads up if you’re traveling with kids: some of the parades skew on the adult side (as in, the parade we saw on Saturday contained at minimum 100 visual penis references) so ask around if you’re unsure!
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| Boas and masks are essential for a parade! |
Hit Up Bourbon and Frenchman Streets:
Look, you have to go out when in New Orleans. You just gotta! And their lax open-carry drink laws make it very easy to have a fun time hitting the town.Bourbon Street is as rowdy as everyone has told you, and there are a lot of questionable puddles you probably don't want to step in, but if you are looking for places to go dancing, drink a lot, and have a wild night out, this is the spot.
For a more sophisticated evening, head up to Frenchman Street were there are a solid 2 or 3 blocks of blues and jazz bands playing in bars. Go early if you want to avoid standing in line, and prepare to pay a cover for the live music, but this is also a fun destination for a night out on the town.
Have you been to New Orleans? What's your favorite spot in the city?
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| Modcloth coat | & Other Stories sweater | Madewell jeans | Sam Edelman boots |
With all that being said, while I admire a good coat I don't have much use for them in Los Angeles, but on occasion the temperature does actually dip below 60 degrees, sometimes even below 50! I know, I know, absolutely shocking, but sometimes even we could use a quality coat. I bought this Modcloth coat during Black Friday because it was just $60 and you don't say no to a deal like that! Besides, because I only wear coats a few times a year, all mine are boring, black, basic coats, so this felt like the perfect opportunity to mix things up without breaking the bank.
Anyway, whether you have a weird coat obsession despite living in a warm climate like I do or genuinely need a new outerwear piece but don't want to spend a fortune on a new style, here are some chic under-$100 coats that will do the trick!
Shop Under-$100 Coats:
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