Fashion Week in the Home

Being out of the country for Fashion Week meant that I totally OD'd on trend reports and streetstyle pics. I was forced to mourn, from afar, the fact that crop tops are here to stay. Being so far removed from the spectacle and fuss made it was hard to get into the spirit of things. Besides that, something about being surrounded by uber German Gingerbread houses just made me really giggly. And nervous. Giggly and nervous.

All of the houses looked the same!

Rastede, Germany: where everyone knows your name. And Social Security Number.

How do they all keep their lawns so neat? And when did they all get together and decide on red flowers?! Every house had red flowers. It was weird.

At any rate, since my head is in apartment mode, I thought I'd translate all the fashion bullshit into decorating....bullshit. So here are some items and collages that represent the various trends of NYFW:

Neon
The neon trend is here to stay, sort of. I noticed at the first show I went to, the Kaelen presentation, that the neon yellow was a watered down version of what I've seen in seasons past and that held true for many other shows. It's a subtler, more grownup neon. But when you're working with an entire room instead of a size 2 model, there's room to splash out a little more. I love that ampersand print from Etsy, and I like the idea of spray painting a chair neon pink. Or, if you value your brain cells and aren't into the idea of accidentally huffing paint, you could buy that one.

Home Decor- Neon by travellinglightly on Polyvore

Black and White
Stripes, mixed patterns, sleek suits- black and white was everywhere this season. Dolce and Gabbana had some very ladylike striped suits that I loved. When it comes to home decor, part of me wishes that I was one of those minimalist people who could pare down everything I owned and stick to 3 black frames with spare prints, and a huge white couch in an otherwise bare room. But, to be honest, I'm really more of a more is more type of person when it comes to decorating. Still, a girl can dream.

Home Decor: Black and White Pattern Mixing by travellinglightly on Polyvore

Leather
I am all about the leather trend. I've held on to my three (totally different and therefore justifiable) leather skirts just because I know that they will always be in style. Also, my favorite piece of furniture is an enormous leather chair I inherited from my grandfather.

Home Decor: Leather by travellinglightly on Polyvore

Green (and a little purple)
Green is apparently the It color for this season/the new black/yadda yadda yadda. I don't really care, since whenever I wear green I look nauseous. But Kermit was onto something, since green is shown to promote relaxation and creativity. Too much of it, though, can promote laziness, so it's more a bedroom than a study color (the human brain is amazing). For more info on the effects of color on the brain, click here.

Home Decor: Green by travellinglightly on Polyvore

This has inspired some DIY ideas that may be appearing shortly on the blog. Until then, what are some of your favorite decorating trends? Did I miss anything? Is there some way to translate a crop top into home decor? And how do I avoid it at all costs?

Some Unwanted Advice for Your Wednesday

Pre-entry FYI: some exciting things coming up on the blog, including a giveaway so tell all your friends about the weird blog by the girl who falls down a lot. 

How to Stay Sane on an Airplane

I've already done some travel-type advice entries, I know, but I am super good at making flights fly by so I thought I'd share. The Boy can fall asleep instantly on an airplane and stay asleep for as long as 12 hours. I know, I flew to New Zealand with him. But I can't, so here are some ways that I make flying as optimal as possible, so as to avoid this feeling:

1) Sound reducing headphones.

They are expensive, but worth it. The second I put them on I knew I never wanted to fly without them again. I put earplugs under them when I want to sleep and it gets reeeallly quiet.

2) Travel slippers.

I never would have bought these for myself, but I got them as a Christmas present and they changed everything. Taking off my shoes and putting these on has become part of my takeoff ritual, and it instantly calms me down and gets me ready for the flight.

3) Takeoff Ritual.

Rituals are soothing, so get one. Here's mine: before I put my bag in the overhead and my purse under the seat, I take out everything I will possibly need. I put my water, phone, Kindle and iPad all within reach, I put my eye mask on my head, my earphones on my ears and my slippers on my feet, and get settled under the blanket. I also keep a little bag next to me with my earplugs, Visine, chapstick, gum, hand moisturizer and melatonin for the long flights.  Then I pester the person next to me for real sleeping pills. It's fun for everyone.

4) Eye mask.

I don't understand men's aversion to these. You're asleep, what do you care what people think of you? They make everything better.

5) Enormous water bottle.

Drink it all before security. Refill it once you're through. Rinse, repeat. This not only keeps you hydrated enough to drink wine on the plane, it also ensures that you'll get up to pee during the flight so you don't have a leg stroke. That's right, I'm a blogger who cares.

6) The right music and books.

This sounds basic, but I've been next to people who wiggle and tap their feet the whole flight and I had to murder them, so you want to avoid anything that will inspire that kind of behavior. You know, for your own safety. Get something that you love and know really well, so if you get tired you can fall asleep. I've listened to certain Billy Holiday songs so much that I get sleepy whenever they come on no matter where I am. And the Disney soundtrack is excellent for early morning arrivals in foreign lands. German, by the way, is hilarious when set to the Little Mermaid soundtrack.