Love Notes // Vol. 5

lovenotes_vol5

Today's little round-up ended up on the light and airy side, and though I don't necessarily set out to do this intentionally, it does seem as though every Love Notes post ends up with its own colour theme. Today's soft pastels could be a reflection of where my head is at these days and a need for all things calming, or maybe I was more inspired by the light and pretty ivory wedding post palette from earlier this week than I thought. Regardless, it just feels right.

I've been reading tons recently,  which is also where the special attention to organizational tips and tricks this weeks comes in.

01 //Current mood. I've been especially conscious of finding work/life balance as of late, and the importance of setting aside time to do what feeds you. This week, that's meant a lot of reading, as I seem to be on a bit of a learning kick and consuming articles, blog posts, podcasts and books like it's nobodies business. Anything business, design, creative-oriented, I'm interested, and I've been brainstorming ideas for the Working Girl column as a result of that, which I'm really excited to start sharing.

02 // But first, coffee. Anyone else loving that it's iced coffee season again? Since I've been cutting back on the small luxuries recently, I'm even more appreciative when I do treat myself, looking forward to coffee shop dates or work sessions to indulge. I'm thinking it might be time to master making iced coffee at home too, and this macadamia iced coffee with vanilla syrup seems like a pretty good place to start.

03 // Head in the clouds. I came across this article on Inc.com, How Daydreaming Can Help You Be More Productiveand was instantly interested, being a little bit of a daydreamer myself. Definitely worth a read!

04 // Pom poms are always a good idea. There's something about these pom pom beauties that I just really love, even though I'm pretty sure they're the type of shoe that would sit pretty on my shelf or be used for girly photoshoots rather than actually been worn on a regular basis. What can I say, I have a weakness for pink!

05 // Kitchen creativity. I tend to eat the same thing for breakfast almost every day, and recently I've been thinking it might be time to switch it up a little and try something new. Toasted almond honey overnight oats sound pretty delicious to me, and would probably fit the bill as a snack or dessert as well, so I'm sold.

06 // Satisfying my inner organizational nerd. I'm always on the hunt for new tips and tricks to streamline my workflow and increase productivity, which often includes tools with which to do so. Whether that's a to-do list app, a calendar template or a fancy little notebook, I'm a firm believer in finding the right tools that work for you and developing a foolproof system to work smarter. Meg Biram's blog is always a huge source of inspiration when it comes to organizational systems and secrets for creative entrepreneurs (as is her other venture, The B Bar), and I especially loved this post about how she keeps her projects organized, and the binder notebook system she uses.