What's in my Bag?

Welcome to my very first "What's in my Bag?" post! I've been wanting to do this for a while. I'll try to do them often, because just like every girl, the contents of my purse change quite often. And actually, not just the contents - I change my purse a lot too! I have some good purses, and I have to treat them all equally and wear them the same amount. This one is my favourite though, and the funny thing is I bought it on clearance so long ago (last one there for very very cheap.)And yet ladies stop me on the street wherever I go asking about it and saying how cute it is. Obviously I made the right choice in buying it...

 What do I have in my bag here? 

Well I'll tell you!

*my cute little purple purse
*business card holder packed full with my new cards
*oil blotting papers by Paul&Joe cosmetics
*adorable Bath&Body Works nail file
*RayBan sunglasses
*cute pearl collar necklace from H&M
*Carmex
*Marc Jacobs Daisy rollerball
*Paul&Joe Lipstick

Yes this purse looks tiny, but I can actually fit a lot in there! That's why I like it so much. It's compact, but it holds everything I need, just like magic. These are a few of my favourite things to keep on hand (personal items not included - keys, wallet - you get the idea.)

I keep my business cards on hand to give out to anyone when I need to - a business-lady must. I'm still getting the hang of this, because I'm not to good a self-promoting like other people are. I like to keep my nail file with me. I work with my hands a lot, so my nails tend to break on me at the worst times - usually out in public. Yuck. So if I can quickly fix that up as soon as possible, that makes my life easier. I like to have a necklace in my purse too, just in case I need a subtle wardrobe change. Like maybe suddenly I have to go out for dinner. Just having a sparkly necklace with me makes all the difference between a plain day look and a shimmering night look. Marc Jacobs Daisy is such a pretty spring scent. I fell in love with it last summer after a long battle with myself trying to figure out if I liked it or not. Tastes change, and I was dying for spring to come back around to wear it again!

And Paul&Joe, well that's self-explanatory! Look at how cute their stuff is. I've been collecting their adorable cosmetics for a while now, and I can't get enough of the pastels and vintage inspired look.

 Look! There are my new business cards, fresh from the Printers! Hooray! If you follow me on Instagram (@marissahowes), I posted a picture after receiving them yesterday. I'm so happy with how they turned out. I couldn't ask for a cuter looking card!

That's all for today, my dears. 

Have a good rest of your Sunday. 

Relax. Go for a walk. Enjoy.

Marissa xo

CharmingShop

Displaying Your Balloon Girls - Vanity Table

Hey there!

Today I want to show you how cute my little Balloon Girls look sitting on your vanity table/makeup table or dresser. I styled them with some of my absolute favourite items from my own bedroom. Pairing these ladies with your personal items on your own dresser gives them a very special look.

Don't they look lovely just floating there amongst my Stella Nude perfume bottle, cute rose hair clip and my antique trinket box? Yes! I have to admit there are a few of these ladies scattered around my house, like little guardian angels.

You can find some of these darling dolls in my Etsy shop, CharmingShop. 

You should check out my Marie Antoinette Girls in blue and pink too! They're just heavenly.

How would you style my pretty Balloon Girls on your vanity table?

Marissa xo

CharmingShop

Retro Fabrics - Rethinking Your Bedroom

So this weekend I was tidying up our bedroom, which has somehow taken on the function of the dumping grounds for things we don't know what to do with. Right now I don't feel a sense of calmness in there or even a real connection to it. In fact, I suddenly realized that it doesn't reflect our style at all. We sort of neglected our own personal space. It's the only room in the house that I really didn't make plans for. Each of our rooms have a slight theme or a direction it's going in. Not our bedroom.

I love our tiny room and it's corner windows. I love the coziness of it. Yes, we will outgrow it eventually, but right now, It's our room and I think it should showcase who we are. And not who we were in the past. I have put a lot of things in there that were in our bedroom in our apartment, but they simply don't suit me or my style anymore. It's very glam. And right now I'm into function and simple decor. I like to pair feminine styes to gender neutral items. Right now it looks like it's full of dark, bulky, stuffy items. How did I accumulate all this stuff? 

In the day, the light comes through the window in such a gorgeous way. We have a big tree just outside our window and it's so close it always reminds me of camping as a young girl. I loved being out in the country and the way the air made you feel different out there. Sometimes I feel that way in our bedroom, but it's hard to get past all our stuff. I feel like that needs to come through somehow. Maybe a lean to more of a natural feel. What's a girl to do... Can you say complete overhaul?

I've been thinking about my fabric choices especially. I'm ashamed to say I have some pretty weird pillows on my bed right now - grey satin and black faux fur. Oh dear. They're really not our personality at all. I'm usually pretty good at style and decor choices. Clearly these things slipped through my fingers here, and I'm admitting this now so I can fix this mistake and have a lovely, peaceful room I want to go to at the end of the day.

Here are a few lovely fabrics I wouldn't mind in my room. And best of all, they suit our style!

Top (left to right): here, here, last photo source unknown.

Bottom (left to right): here, here, and here.
(Sorry if you're interested in these particular ones, I know a couple have sold... Just using them as examples.) 

These fabrics are so amazing, I want to make them into sweet little retro pillows and curtains right now!

I should be doing punches of colour in our room, because it's a dark beige, latte colour. We've got our neutrals down, so it's time to mix it up and have some fun. 

I am painting our kitchen this week (Yay!), so right after that, it will be bedroom overhaul time. Good thing we're having a garage sale in the coming months! 

Have a great rest of your weekend everyone! 

I'll be working on some special artwork for you!

Marissa xo

CharmingShop