Tag Archives: new orleans blogger

4 Tips For Organizing Your Closet

Hey everyone, Blake and I officially finished putting away our Christmas decorations this morning so our house is finally starting to look normal again. I even purged my closet and organized the guest bedroom too. Speaking of closet organization, today I’m sharing a few tips on how to organize your closet. However, please know that I didn’t do everything all on my own. I had the help of my assistant and friend Rachel from The Elizabeth Chronicles who is a closet organizer mastermind. Rachel has a way of making everything she touches look beautiful and perfectly placed.

Shop My Barrington Gifts Captains bag here!

Find my large Kendra Scott Jewelry box here!

4 Tips For Organizing Your Closet:

1) First, assess your closet and decide on what you want to keep, donate and throw out. I know that it can be hard to let some things go, but if you haven’t worn it two years, that probably means you don’t need it. Let someone else enjoy it instead. Also, condense your doubles. I’m famous for having the same item in multiple different colors or slightly different styles. For example, when I was purging my closet I noticed that I had five different green utility jackets in my closet, which is totally unnecessary so I narrowed it down to one and sold the others.

Find my gold shelf here!

Outfit: Beaded Skirt | Gold Mule Sandals | Cropped Sweater (I love this ivory cropped sweater too)

2) Next, organize the remainder of your shoes, bags and accessories by color and occasion. That mean display all of your fancy shoes & accessories together up high on a shelf since you don’t use them that often and put all of your everyday shoes lower to the ground where you easily throw them on. As for your jewelry and beaded accessories, think of them as decorative pieces for your closet. Not only can they dress up your outfit, but they can also elevate your room.

You can find my lucite clutch organizer here—> The Glam Divide

My exact gold and white shelf is old and sold out, but you can find a similar one here.

3) Once you’ve purged and decorated your closet, put outfits together with all of the remaining pieces to see what your wardrobe lacks. Then compile a list of what your closet need to help you complete your outfits so that you don’t end up buying more things you don’t actually need.

You can find my gold beaded floor mirror here and my cream rug here.

4) Last but not least, drop off your clothing donations to a place you trust to give to a person in need or pass it down to a friend who doesn’t currently have extra shopping money in their budget. When it comes to your nicer pieces, create a Poshmark account or drop them off at a second hand store that sells gently used clothing so you can get back a little money to purchase items your wardrobe still needs.

Find my tall gold shelf on sale here and here!

I lined my drawers with marble printed contact paper for a clean and chic look.

| Shop This Look |

Outfit: Candy Dress in Silver | Lindsay Sandal | Disco Ball

Closet Built-ins:

For those of you who asked how I installed my closet and shoe shelf built-ins, I had our house contractor install them the week we moved in. Prior to installing the built-ins, I sent him photos from Pinterest of exactly what I wanted. Then he built shelves in his shop and brought them to my house to install them. The whole closet system is removable so I can take them with me when I move. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, you can order the closet system from IKEA and put it together yourself. You can also purchase clothing racks with top and bottom shelves to create your own makeshift closet like I did in my second closet room. I could only put builtins in one room because one day, we’ll need the other two rooms for kids.

See more on my Zebra rug here.

My exact clothing racks are old and sold out, but you can shop similar clothing racks here! This rolling rack is very similar.

See more on my monogram luggage here!

Find a similar desk here!

Find my jewelry organizers here!

| Shop Kendra Scott Jewelry Organizers |

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I also made my own vanity with old white desk I had and beautiful vintage looking mirror.

Activewear & Loungewear:

I keep all of my activewear and loungewear clothing in the closet in my bedroom. I like to hang everything on hangers instead of keeping them in drawers so I can find everything more easily and quickly in the morning.

Who remembers my closet post from my old house a couple years ago? I love reading my goals from 2017 and seeing what I actually accomplished. You can check it out here—> Haute Off The Rack Office Closet Tour

What to Expect from Haute Off The Rack in 2019

January 7, 2019

Hey everyone, I was supposed to get this blog post up last week, but I learn more and more every day that I can’t always expect myself to finish everything when I set unrealistic goals for myself. I feel liked I’ve failed when I don’t check everything off of my daily lists. I’ve been writing daily lists for myself since I was just a kid. It helps me feel organized and on track. So one of my goals this year is to do a better job of creating more attainable lists of daily tasks instead thinking I can do everything and spreading myself thin. Do not mistake this for me saying that I’m not going to dream big or work even harder than last year. I’m just going to focus on doing my best on fewer things instead of giving half of myself to more things.

| Shop This Look |

Outfit: Candy Dress in Silver | Lindsay Sandal | Disco Ball

As far as what you can you can expect to see on Haute Off The Rack in 2019, I actually polled all of my followers on Instagram to learn more about what you want to see. After gathering everyone’s feedback, I have decided to continue sharing travel reviews, but with an equal amount of home decor posts too. Also, I will be sharing more try-on sessions on Instagram stories along with my goofy side with Blake that you asked for. I will of course continue to share my everyday looks and special occasion outfits, but I’ve also gotten quite a few requests for workwear outfits. I’ve never technically worked in an office before, but I’ll find a way to incorporate more work appropriate looks here and there.

| Shop This Look |

Bellamy Turtleneck Sweater Dress | Philips 90ct Christmas LED Dewdrop Fairy String Lights – Warm White | Mar Vista Matelassé Duvet Cover | Lantern Candle Holder – Gold

For those of you who are newly engaged, you’ll be glad to know that I plan to incorporate wedding content back into my weekly posts since I still get so many questions about details and decor. You can expect to see them on Wedding Wednesdays. I will also make sure to post all of my DIY projects for parties and showers that I throw.

Most importantly, you can expect to feel confident, empowered and inspired to live your best life after visiting my blog or any of my social media platforms in 2019 because that is my #1 goal with Haute Off The Rack this year. I want the photos and stories I share to help women feel beautiful and encouraged to be their absolute best self. I am not perfect by all means and I’m not striving for perfection in 2019 either. Instead, I am striving for happiness and happiness comes with doing and feeling your best. It also comes with doing more of what you love and achieving your dreams and goals. So please feel free to stop by Haute Off The Rack anytime you need some inspiration and encouragement. And never hesitate so shoot me an email for more insight on a specific subject that I’ve covered on my blog. You can even email me with blog post requests. I am happy to answer your questions.

| Shop This Look |

Outfit: Express One Eleven Fleece Quarter-zip Sweatshirt | Nike Air Max 270 Metallic Women’s Shoe | Alo Airbrush Tech Lift High Waist Capris | MZ Wallace Quilted Rose Gold Metallic Metro Backpack |adidas Originals Relaxed Debossed Cap

Okay, now who wants to know where I’m traveling to this year? So far, I have Cuba booked with a group of friends in just a couple weeks. We also have Hawaii booked for May with my whole family, which we’re super excited for. I have Positano on my list for spring, but I haven’t booked it just yet. Blake really wants to visit Turks and Caicos Islands, which I am all for, but I know nothing about! Have you been before? I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Where are you traveling to in 2019?

| Shop My Dining Room |

Furniture: Wood Leona Farmhouse Extension Dining Table | Neutral Linen Paige Dining Bench | Natural Linen Paige Round Back Dining Chairs | 3 Tier Rolling Bar Cart | Flatware & China c/o Simplee Gourmet |

Last, but not least, Blake and I are highly considering renting an apartment in New York for a month this fall. We’ve never lived anywhere else together and we thought it would be fun to try and live in a completely different city for a month. Blake would of course have to take his work with him, and work would actually be even easier for me in New York because that’s where most of the brands I work with are based. We have no intention of actually moving there. We have all of our friends and family here in Louisiana that we could never leave so we thought this would be the perfect way to just get a taste of living somewhere else. I think it would be a great experience for us. Have you ever done something like this before?

My 5 Personal Goals For 2019:

Try harder to be on time!
Make healthier choices and stay active because I always feel happier when my body is healthy.
Put more in my savings account and less in my closet. Don’t worry! I will still be adding to my closet, but I will be a little less frivolous
This should be my lifetime goal, but I want to work on being a better wife and friend.
Do more adventurous activities. I’m such a scaredy cat, but I want to face my fears if it means having a little more fun.

What are some of your goals for 2019?

My Top 18 Moments of 2018

January 1, 2019

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone. I can’t believe today is the last day of 2018! Each year I like to take New Year’s Eve to reflect back on the year we’ve had and this one definitely takes the cake! 2018 was filled with so many incredible moments and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you following along with my journey! To celebrate the amazing year I’ve had, I’m sharing my top 18 moments of 2018 in today’s post! It was hard to narrow them down to an order so I just put them in chronological order!

We kicked off 2018 in Cabo San Lucas at The Cape Hotel to finalize all of our wedding details. Check out the full post here—>Top 5 Destination Wedding Planning Tips

2) I celebrated my two different bachelorette parties with all my best gals! See more on my bachelorette party here—>5 Essentials You Need For The Perfect Bachelorette Party

3) I hosted the most delicious bridal party luncheon/cooking class at Simplee Gourmet in New Orleans. See the full post here—> New Orleans Bridesmaids Luncheon Cooking Class

4) Blake and I got married with just our family present in New Orleans! For anyone who missed the blog post explanation…I had two weddings: one small family ceremony in New Orleans and then one in Cabo with all of our friends in March! I realize that it’s a bit of a unique situation, but we had always wanted to get married in Cabo! We talked about it for years, but when my dad was diagnosed with MS last year, our plans shifted.

I wanted my dad to feel included and be able to walk me down the aisle without me having to give up my dream of getting married in cabo. So I decided that the best decision for us was to just have two ceremonies, which would also allow us to include all the family members who are unable to travel to Cabo! Sounds like a lot of extra work, right? It was, but it was 100% worth it! I will be sharing more wedding details this year in 2019!

5) In March we set out on one of the biggest adventures of our lives…marriage and a big Cabo reception with all of our friends! I also launched my Wedding Collection with GiGi New York. See here—> GiGi New York x #HauteOffTheMarket Wedding Collection

Check out this post for our travel style outfits—>My Top Sofft Shoes For Summer

6) We took photos on the most beautiful cliffside in Cabo just before we welcomed all of our friends to the resort! See more on the post here—> 3 Reasons to Take Day After Wedding Photos

7) We hosted our rehearsal dinner on a sailboat in Cabo to take all of our friends to see the famous El Arco! I will be sharing more on that in 2019!

8) We celebrated wedding ceremony #2 at The Cape hotel in Cabo with all of our friends. The whole week was even more incredible than I could have dreamed.

9) We enjoyed a relaxing girl’s beach trip at the Hilton San Destin after all of the wedding festivities. See the travel review here—>Hilton San Destin Travel Recap + Swimsuit Round Up

See full post here—> Where to find top bridal looks for less!

See the full outfit post here—> Palm Print Maxi Dress

10) We started having Cabo withdrawals so we headed back to the Pueblo Bonito to visit again! See my travel review here —> The Towers at Pacifica Cabo Recap

11) I got to explore Nantucket Island with some of my fellow bloggers and the Lilly Pulitzer team. The whole trip was a dream. See the full travel recap here—> Nantucket Travel Review

12) I finally got to shoot some photos at a fully bloomed sunflower field here in Louisiana and it was so beautiful. The sunflowers towered over me!

13) The first time I ever visited Palm Beach, I fell in love with it and I promised myself I would return one day and I was so glad that the opportunity presented itself sooner than later. See my most recent Palm Beach travel review here—> Palm Beach Travel Guide

14) Bermuda is another destination that I promised myself I would return to and I still need to take Blake back there because it’s an island unlike any other. See my full post here—> Top 5 Instagram Worthy Spots in Bermuda

15) I turned 28 this past September! Learn 28 things about me that you might not know here—>28 Fun Facts About Me

16) I made some new friends at NYFW and got my blog story published in the LiketoKnow.it book available here—> LIKEtoKNOW.it: Stories from the Influencer Next Door

17) I woke up to the most magical trip through Paris with my love. Full travel review coming soon!

Check out the the travel review on our cruise through France here—>Uniworld Paris to Paris River Cruise Recap

This was everyone’s favorite photo from Paris on Instagram.

18) I launched my 4th design collaboration with GiGi New York this past October. I specifically designed the mini Genevieve Bucket Bag with Gigi New York to use during my trip through France this fall. See more here—>The Mini Genevieve Bucket Bag

3 Other Important Milestones:

1) We hosted our first Friendsgiving in our new home! See the full post here—> 3 Tips on how to host your first Friendsgiving

2) We finally finished decorating and furnishing our home. Check out my holiday home tour here—>Holiday Home Tour

See the full post here—>Velvet & Sequined Holiday Party Outfits

3) Despite the busy holiday season, Blake and I made time for our 4th annual NYC Christmas trip!

Great Gatsby Party Costumes

December 27, 2018

Hey everyone, I’m sure you saw that I recently posted a blog on my New Year’s holiday card idea and today I’m sharing all of the outfit details (aka our Great Gatsby Costumes).

Blake, my husband is a new year’s day baby and he turns 30 this January so I am throwing him a Great Gatsby themed birthday party to help him say farewell to his 20s and hello to 30! So naturally we’re partying 1920s style!

| Shop Our Great Gatsby Party Costumes |

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Jenn’s Outfit: Sequin Mini dress (also available here & here) | Sam Edelman Yaro Ankle Strap Sandal | 1920s Gatsby Flapper Feather Headband 20s Accessories Crystal Beaded Wedding Headpiece | Similar Faux Fur Stole | Gatsby Pearl Necklace | Plastic Cigarette Holder | Loren Hope bracelets

Blake’s Outfit: Vintage Suit | Hat | Wingtip Boots | White Dress Shirt

Since we planned on sending out the invitation during the holidays, I thought it would be fun to turn the invitation into a holiday card. So we dressed up in our roaring 20s outfits and shot some photos in New Orleans for the holiday/invitation to get all of our guests excited for Great Gatsby costumes. Plus we figured it would be the perfect way to give them an idea of what to wear. Oh and don’t worry, I will be sure to document the whole party so I can share all of my party decor ideas with you here on the blog.

Blake found his vintage suit at a local thrift store and we ordered his manhattan fedora hat from Amazon for under $20 along with some other 1920s accessories.