#coffeetalk
1. Do you feel the pressure to constantly buy new clothes and keep up with trends? Also, is there any trends you hate and want to see die?
Brooke: Hmm…not really. I don’t feel pressure, but I definitely think if I wasn’t blogging I would buy less…but that’s just part (perk?) of the job. However, I’ve always loved fashion (and shopping lol). I’m kind of over cold shoulders, thick chokers (still like thin ones), and lace up tops. I will say, I still wear my lace up tops though, so maybe I’m not completely over that one!
Meggan: I don’t really feel pressure to constantly buy new clothes or buy things just because they are trendy – but I will say having a blog makes me probably shop more then I should. I shopped a lot before I was blogging too though 😉 I’m with Brooke, so over cold shoulder tops even though I still wear them around the house.
2. How do you keep your sweaters looking new and without pilling?
Meggan: I always turn my sweaters inside out and wash on delicate or get them dry cleaned. Not going to lie though, a lot of my cheaper sweaters pill easily. I actually just saw this fabric shaver at Target and it has pretty good reviews – I want to order!
Brooke: I usually dry clean my sweaters and this keeps them looking brand new! Whenever I wash them, I end up regretting it. I also think I need that fabric shaver! I remember those things from the 90s lol, I thought they were so cool.
3. I know you both have great collections of sunglasses, and I was wondering if you had a way that you organized them? I feel like my sunglasses are just in a big pile of cases and I can never find the pair that I want/or am forgetting I have certain pairs!
Meggan: Right now mine are all shoved in a drawer (ughhh) and I forget about certain pairs too! I really want an acrylic organizer that hangs on the wall but all the ones I’m finding seem kind of cheap. I saw one I liked a long time ago and wish I would of bought it because now I can’t find it! This and this are similar to what I have in mind.
Brooke: Oh gosh, mine are stuffed inside different purses, some in my closet, some in my car. I definitely need some sort of organizer as well. This one looks really good and is only $30!
4. Any suggestion on a great white/cream wall color ? I’m not great at picking paint. Think West Elm vibe!
Brooke: We painted our entire house Benjamin Moore China White and I love it – it’s not too blue, pink, or yellow. It’s a great white and sometimes looks a tiny bit gray in certain lighting.
Meggan: I painted our house Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. It’s a light grey with warm undertones but looks more tan/creamy in certain lighting. It’s a good neutral and goes with all my West Elm decor 😉
5. What apps do you use to edit your photos? Is there a specific filter you use to keep your Instagram pics cohesive?
Yes! We use and love VSCO – we switch up the filters we use because the same filter does not look the same on every photo and we try to keep our feed as cohesive as possible! We usually use the A and J series.
6. Brooke – what toner did you use in your hair?
I used this toner from Color Brilliance in 9NA with a 10 developer. I said this on insta stories, but I don’t recommend doing it yourself! I would have totally gone to the salon (it’s not super expensive), but they weren’t able to get me in before I left for my trip. Definitely do research, and make sure you know what you’re doing if you’re going to do it yourself! You could honestly ruin your hair and/or turn it green! I only used the toner (mixed with the developer) on the blonde pieces of my hair b/c I didn’t want the darker parts to lighten up, and I used it on damp hair for 5-10 min max. Tone at your own risk!
7. I’m in the market for a small handbag that would be perfect & versatile for a date night and going out with girls. Any suggestions? Preferably one that matches a broad range of outfits too since outfits for those occasions are usually last minute.
Not sure what price range you’re looking at so we rounded up our faves at all price points: this one (kind of obsessed), this one, this one (love the quilted velvet!), this one, this one, and this one (want!)!
8. I’m obsessed with SoCal so Brooke I’d love to know about your life in the OC! Where’d you go, what did you do, etc! How was your style then too?
We were only there for two years, but I loved it while we were there! I was working full-time for a Chicago-based company, but from home so it was really hard to meet people. Plus I was pregnant/had a newborn, so I wasn’t really in the nightlife scene that much. I did a lot of DIY’s…I was kind of obsessed lol, but we were on that newlywed budget so I made it work ;). I actually upcycled a few things (bought cheap stuff on craigslist, redid it, then sold it again). But we loved exploring the area – we would go to LA or San Diego on the weekends to just walk around and go to restaurants, we loved going to the beach, Fashion Island (outdoor mall), or just walking around CDM. I feel like I was very confused with my style lol, or I hadn’t really found “my style” yet, so I would play around with different looks, but it was pretty casual and I wore a lot of dresses since it’s always warm! I hardly ever wear dresses in NY – really, only if we’re going to an event. SoCal is such a fun (and beautiful) place to live or visit!
9. I was wondering if you could give your recipe for the pho you make? It looks so good!
We’ve never made it and both get takeout! We should probably learn though since we eat it so much LOL! This recipe sounds yummy and easy to make!
10. I’m so excited! We just got word that we got a house! It’s a bit of a fixer upper and we’re really excited about that, but I’m a little overwhelmed. We’re going to redo 2 bathrooms and the kitchen. The first thing we’re going to do is add a shower in the second floor bathroom. Brooke – I know you’ve redone some things in your homes, and I’m wondering how you come up with the overall feel. Like where do you start? Floors? Paint? Cabinets? I want the house to feel like it all goes together, but I don’t know what to think about first!
Ahhhh congratulations! That’s so exciting! It was super hard for me to come up with an overall feel for the house (I had only ever decorated small apartments/townhome before this), and it was definitely a learning process, so I’ll give you my tips…I finally figured it out after buying and returning so much furniture lol! My problem was that I love interior design, and also love a lot of different styles. I wasn’t really thinking about the house as a whole, and ordered different styles for different rooms. For example – classic/contemporary for our formal living room, and mid-century modern for our TV room. It did NOT work lol – honestly it looked so bad. I realized that the house needed to have an overall style that was cohesive – and this was determined based on the style of our home. We have a ton of wood beams throughout our house, so mid-century modern was just not working here. Once we figured that out, we started with colors – choose colors (floors, cabinets, paint, furniture) that all goes well together. I would try to keep the bathrooms similar – so don’t do one bathroom with cherry wood cabinets and black granite and the next with white cabinets and marble, know what I mean? You should be able to put all of the materials for your home on a mood board, and feel like everything goes well together (here is a great example). This is also important for resale if you’re not going to be in this house forever. I’ve mentioned before, I really wanted gray cabinets in our kitchen, but our real estate agent said white is what everybody wants now, and gray would really limit our buyer pool when we went to sell, so we went with white. Sorry, I feel like I’m going off on a major tangent lol, but I want to share everything I’ve learned while I was busy making mistakes! I would make a pinterest board with all of your inspiration, see what you’re drawn to (floors, cabinet colors, etc), and go from there! I hope that helps! Congrats again! xx
Ahhhh congratulations! That’s so exciting! It was super hard for me to come up with an overall feel for the house (I had only ever decorated small apartments/townhome before this), and it was definitely a learning process, so I’ll give you my tips…I finally figured it out after buying and returning so much furniture lol! My problem was that I love interior design, and also love a lot of different styles. I wasn’t really thinking about the house as a whole, and ordered different styles for different rooms. For example – classic/contemporary for our formal living room, and mid-century modern for our TV room. It did NOT work lol – honestly it looked so bad. I realized that the house needed to have an overall style that was cohesive – and this was determined based on the style of our home. We have a ton of wood beams throughout our house, so mid-century modern was just not working here. Once we figured that out, we started with colors – choose colors (floors, cabinets, paint, furniture) that all goes well together. I would try to keep the bathrooms similar – so don’t do one bathroom with cherry wood cabinets and black granite and the next with white cabinets and marble, know what I mean? You should be able to put all of the materials for your home on a mood board, and feel like everything goes well together (here is a great example). This is also important for resale if you’re not going to be in this house forever. I’ve mentioned before, I really wanted gray cabinets in our kitchen, but our real estate agent said white is what everybody wants now, and gray would really limit our buyer pool when we went to sell, so we went with white. Sorry, I feel like I’m going off on a major tangent lol, but I want to share everything I’ve learned while I was busy making mistakes! I would make a pinterest board with all of your inspiration, see what you’re drawn to (floors, cabinet colors, etc), and go from there! I hope that helps! Congrats again! xx
11. I just bought the Free People Retro Midi Dress in red/orange and I need help styling it. Shoes? Accessories? Help please!
It’s such a pretty dress and could definitely be worn dressed up or down! For nighttime you could do black heels and drape a moto jacket over your shoulders to make it a little edgier. For casual/daytime booties like these would look super cute with it!
12. I’m going to be visiting my friend in Minnesota who just go done building her dream house. I was wanting to bring her a house warming gift, nothing to pricey just a little something. Any ideas?
These coasters are so pretty, love these marble candles, this bottle stopper with her favorite bottle of wine would be easy/cute, obsessed with this cheeseboard, or you could get a succulent and put it in a cool planter (lots of cute options here).
13. Since, the holidays are coming up, can you share any outfit ideas for parties or the holiday day of?
This post is perfect for holiday dressing – obsessed with so many of the dresses! Some other pieces we’re loving – this faux fur vest (could dress it up or down), this velvet mini, and this lace dress – I ordered the green! *Update: It was just delivered and it’s seriously amazing – love it! I’ll be doing a full outfit post with it w/in a couple weeks.
14. I have a first birthday I have to attend in a couple weeks for a little boy. Do you have any 1st birthday gift suggestions? He has so much clothing and toys already that it makes it difficult!
Meggan: I know you said he has a lot of toys buy anything that makes bubbles or music were Cam’s favorite at that age. He also got this Rody Toy (adults can bounce on it too lol) last year and is still obsessed with it! If you want to get something special I love books that you can personalize with the child’s name – Wonderbly and Etsy have cute options.
Brooke: This wheelybug (they have all different animals) has been a favorite toy in our house forever! These blocks are also great, and I love giving books! I know you said he has a lot of toys, but the two I mentioned are ones we’ve had since my daughter’s 1st bday (4 years ago) will never get rid of, so they’re great gifts!
15. I’m going to a 2-day work conference next week. Do you have any suggestions for cute/comfortable/modest works clothes & shoes that would be appropriate to wear to a “trade show” type event?
We have been loving Loft lately – they have so many cute clothes and always have amazing sales (like 40-50% off!). A few favorites are: these pants (especially with the top the model is wearing), this dress, this sweater, this skirt, this blouse, and this blazer.
16. We recently bought a house in Chicago and the kitchen is a mix of white and dark navy/grey cabinetry with white quartz counter tops. Brooke – I love the aesthetic and brass hardware you chose for your kitchen remodel and am wondering if you ladies have any current cabinetry and drawer hardware suggestions? Also Brooke, where did you find the pulls that are on your bathroom drawers?
Congratulations, it sounds beautiful! These are the knobs and these are the pulls (these also come in 3″ if 6″ is too big) I used in our kitchen, and I’ve been really happy with both. I would highly recommend them! These are the pulls we used in our bathroom! I feel like the ones from Pottery barn are a little heavier, and they have tons of other beautiful options as well if you’re not sure what metal you want to go with! CB2 also has some amazing knobs & pulls right now – so many that I love!
17. Have either of you tried the new, popular workout leggings that look kind of shiny or like faux leather? What’s brand is best and are they sweat proof?
Brooke: No I’ve never worked out in faux leather leggings, but I have to say I love the look! This pair has great reviews!
Meggan: I have this pair from Carbon38 but have never worked out in them! It says you can but I feel like I’d get sooo hot and feel restricted! This pair is shiny and says can be worn to the gym. Super cute look for sure!
18. I am looking for an outfit for my office holiday party. I was thinking about dressy wide leg pants with a cool top (black preferably). Any suggestions?
We would wear a fitted top with wide leg pants – a few we’re loving are here, here (simple but could do a cool pair of statement earrings or necklace), and here. These two jumpsuits (here & here) are super cute too!
19. I saw on an insta that Brooke was thinking about going dark and would love to see that. Have either of you had different hair colors? Any pics? Do you change your makeup according to your hair color?
Meggan: OMG I’ve gone dark once and hated it! It wasn’t even that dark, just mousey brown, and it completely washed me out. My high school boyfriend dumped me so my best friend bought a box of color and did it for me in her bathtub. Revenge makeover totally gone wrong lol! We had family pictures the following week and my family and I still laugh at the picture…I seriously look like a ghost. I will probably always stay blonde, it looks best with my skin tone!
Brooke: Yes! I’ve had so many different hair colors lol! I need dark hair around my face, or I’m completely washed out – weird how that works right? I just keep going back and forth b/c I feel like it’s taken a long time to get my hair to where it is now, and I really like it, but I also love a change. I had super dark hair for my wedding, and kind of love that look too, but I just can’t decide if I want to do it or not! Thoughts? I think when I polled on IG, 65% or so said I should go dark.
20. I just bought this top and think it’s super cute, but I don’t really know how to style it. What would you guys do? If with light jeans, like the model, can you recommend a cute pair under $100?
Light jeans look really cute with it (you could def do dark too) – we like this pair and this pair (want these!). Tucked in with a belt would look good!
21. Any chance you could feature a #coffeetalk or how to style feature around white booties for the fall? I have a great pair but no idea how to style them. Help!
We can for sure do a dedicated post for white booties (Brooke has this amazing pair) but here are some looks we’re loving: paired with raw hem jeans (here), casual jeans and a graphic top (here), a sweater and coat – good everyday look (here), and all black (here).
22. I was wondering if you girls save your kids clothes? As a mom of one 12 month old boy, I’m hesitant to get rid of his baby clothes or clothes that don’t fit him anymore because I’m unsure whether or not we will have more kids. It would seem like a waste to get rid of them if we had another! I just feel like everything is starting to pile up. I don’t know what to do with it all! Do you have any tips for staying practical and organized?
Brooke: I saved the things I really loved and donated the rest & that has worked out well for us! I saved a couple things I was iffy about, and ended up not using them the second time around. So unless they’re super useful or something you absolutely love, I would donate!
Meggan: I want more kids so I keep most of Cam’s clothes and recycle the ones that get a little grody! I try to keep them organized in bins and label them with the sizes. He has an extra drawer in his dresser so when things start to get too small I throw them in there and then do a big clean out every few months or so. If we still lived in an apartment I have no idea where we would of stored all the bins but now I keep them in the attic.
23. I’m totally Type A and I’m already planning out what to wear for this holiday season. I’m thinking of doing a straight-across or pinafore dress over a thin black turtleneck – any cute pinafore dresses you can recommend?
This one is so cute, also love this one and this one! So fun and different!
24. I’m pregnant and have three wonderful women throwing baby showers for me. I wanted to get each of them a hostess gift. Any ideas in the $50-$75 range?
Some things we would love to get as gifts – a nice candle, a pretty serving board, serving bowl (gorg!), a glass cloche (you could give this with a candle), or this serving tray – so beautiful!
25. What do you gals wear under your boots and booties? I’m all about removing shoes when in somebody’s home but hate the look of socks especially the more dressed up you are.
Meggan: Okay, I have this weird phobia of socks (they just creep/gross me out) so if I have to take my shoes off, I take my socks off too and shove them in my shoe lol. One time for April Fools Day my friend in college went upstairs to our guy friends dorms and got all their socks and spread them all over my room and on my bed. I about died.
Brooke: Lol, Meggan! I’m the opposite, I hate being barefoot and if someone is barefoot in my house it’s actually kind of gross to me lol! I usually just wear black socks b/c I think they look the best if you have to remove your shoes.
26. I’m already thinking about Christmas gifts and need some ideas for what to get my three coworkers. I usually spend around $20-$30 on each. In the past, I’ve done face masks, trinket dishes, succulents, and throw blankets.
Those are all cute ideas! You could do a mug (love Anthro’s selection) with a gift card to their favorite coffee shop inside, items to spice up their desk (how cute is this stapler, this pencil cup, and this paper sorter), planners, coasters, or stationary (on of my fav gifts to get!).
27. We are headed to the Iowa game on Saturday in Iowa City! (Go Hawks!) and want to know the best bars & restaurants. Also, best places to shop?
OMG I am beyond jealous. This is the first football season I haven’t been to IC in forever and I’m so sad! I am going to the Iowa/Neb game in Lincoln in a few weeks but still not the same. Anyway, best bars are Martinis, Union (I lived here in college, not sure if it’s still cool lol!), DC’s, and Pints. Best restaurants are Atlas (get the buff chicken burrito, you will not be disappointed), Wig & Pen, Quintons, Formosa, and Marco’s (it’s a grilled cheese stand but it’s a IC must). The only boutique I can remember is Catherine’s but everything is in the Pedmall so it’s easy to bounce around and find new places! Have fun!
Leave your questions for next week below or email us at brookeandmeggan@somewherelately.com with #coffeetalk in the subject! XO
M&B
