“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! “

- Henry V, Act I, Prologue

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With a busy internship/class/commute schedule, flagging inspiration, and a general overwhelming sense of exhaustion, I have not recently had the chance to do what I love most: write. Thankfully, however, a series of events have pushed me back towards my normally-creative self. Specifically, my recently invested-in iPhone has been my most useful muse.

This one gadget, small enough to slip into even the tiniest of stylish clutches, has propelled my productivity to an entirely new level. Once seemingly complicated programs – extensive multi-category to do lists, in-depth calendars synced to my computer, instant gratification email, weather updates, etcetera, etcetera, you name it – are now all part of my everyday life.

On the other end of the spectrum, my recent room redesign and update has given me a breath of fresh inspiration to inject new creativity into my life – be it in my everyday fashion or in my writing. Plus, as you can see in the photo below, I now have the option of channeling Carrie Bradshaw while gazing out an open window as I finesse away my next piece (or just waste hours perusing style.com). Sadly, my computer overlooks a not-so-great street in West Philly and not East 72nd but, hey, a girl can always dream, right?

Also, as the picture shows, I have come up with the ultimate solution to showcase my jewelry, allowing me to have the best selections in plain view when I piece together the day’s outfit. The jewelry-presentation idea stemmed from a conversation between the editors of the magazine where I am currently interning. As we were all hiding in the magazine’s library, eating frozen yogurt to celebrate one editor’s birthday, someone commented that the head editor was wearing a particularly stylish, yet interesting, fashion combination. As a result, the topic of getting dressed in the morning came up. Almost everyone in the room pointed to the lamentable problem of not being able to see everything they owned, particularly jewelry, while getting ready. This was my solution.

While I am sure that my current jewelry collection is incomparable to their fabulous wardrobe and jewelry stashes, I came up with this artsy – yet practical – answer. My bulletin board has (thankfully!) evolved from showcasing the random nostalgic photo or to do list: it now features around two dozen necklaces carefully strung to give the impression of a haphazard montage of gold chains, pearls, and random costume jewelry.

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly?), this one piece led to a major theme that I continued throughout the revamping of my room. In my opinion, this one presentation seemed to embody organized chaos – which, coincidently, best describes myself – and I sought to recreate that at points throughout the room. I have all of my rings stored in two clear champagne glasses on a chest next to my bed, my purses are displayed on hooks hanging on the wall usually hidden behind my door, and my bracelets and bangles are seemingly chucked into the scale I use when making jewelry. Next to my desk, I have a three tiered basket piece, in which my pens, headbands, and straightener/hair dryer have their own respective baskets.

Ultimately, I guess you could say I have created my own stylish, inspiration haven. It really represents who I am and I can’t help but feel at home and at ease… and ready to jump back into what I love most.

My grandmother is in the process of moving out of her old house into a smaller cottage in a nice retirement community. As my mom has been helping her move, she keeps unearthing piles and piles of very nice (and expensive) shoes. Seems like she had more of a problem than Carrie in the footwear department.

However, a lot of these shoes no longer fit my grandmother – she had foot surgery a few years back that increased her feet by a full size. Since I share her pre-surgery shoe size, I have been the lucky recipient of this treasure trove of shoes. In flats alone, she must have ten pairs of Salvatore Ferragamos – in every shade imaginable. Including pink! You cannot even imagine how delighted I am.

Here’s a sampler of the shoe stash, starting off with three shades of the Ferragamo, followed by a very classic (and classy) brown pump – very professional looking – and finally, my favorite pair. The last pair of heels have so many colors in them, they almost evoke the look of some of the more recent peacock-themed items.

Carrie Bradshaw may be the resident queen of Manolos but my grandmother was – and now I am – the queen of Ferragamos.