Keychain Redo

      Sometimes those little details in daily life really get forgotten about. It might not be super important, but it can be nice to take a moment to address them. In this case it was my keys. Though they have been added too throughout the past few years, I was never taking anything away, and what I was left with was a cluttered mess of old rings with no purpose, and a bunch of old rewards cards I never used. So I deciced to start fresh.

      You can see how bulky it really is here as well. Can you believe I was having a hard time getting my apartment keys out? And this time of the year, I want to get in my apartment as fast as possible, and not fumble in the cold for what feels like forever. 

      Basically I took everything off that was not needed.I kept the keyring of rewards cards in a pocket in my purse, just in case. These are the only things I use every single day. (aside from the spare car key to my boyfriend's car, but that is also important). 

      But of course you need some sort of keyring to hold them altogether. I've been on the lookout since having this idea in mind, and I found this keychain on a trip to NYC. It's cute and fun, but also simple and stylish so it worked perfectly. 

      Much lighter! I noticed the difference in weight right away. Also less noisy, and much easier to grab the key I need with no hassle.

      Again, it's not a huge change or accomplishment, but it's a nice way to freshen up something you use everyday. It's almost like cleaning up a room, just on a much smaller scale. :)

Quick & Easy Halloween Decor Tips

      Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. So why did it take me half the month to finally decorate? I think with the colder weather my hibernation habits are kicking in. Sleeping in is my vice and I cannot kick it. Anyways, I didn't buy anything new this year, other than a hanging paper bat. So I tried being creative and walked around the apartment to try and come up with something. Here's the before of my stairway mantel. 

And here is the after. 

      Though I do have a box of Halloween goodies I can dig out every year, there are a bunch of things I added that weren't strictly  'Halloween items'.

      I scanned my bookshelf's for creepy looking covers and titles, found a good selection, and then stacked them according to size. If you're not like me, and don't have the beginnings of a personal library to work with, you can easily run to a thrift store and pick up some books on the cheap. 

      The David Bowie skull is a DIY I did just for fun earlier in the year, and decided he could share in the holiday spirt. DIY from A Beautiful Mess here.  

     The 5-headed dragon is an incense holder that was living on a bookshelf. After grabbing him, I also scattered some rubber dragons I had gotten for a photo project around the area. If you have some old melted candles, they can add a spooky mood to the setting, so don't chuck them, save them in your Halloween stash. The goblin mask was from a Halloween costume a few years ago. 

      That extra large pumpkin bucket is one of my favorite finds. He was at Target last year, but I didn't see them bring him back for this season. The sneaky mouse in the corner was also a bookshelf find. 

As for the rest of the stairwell/hallway, I filled it with the extra decorations in my stash, as well as some baby pumpkins. Those are a great, cheap way to fill in space and create a great autumn vibe. 

      If you have any great photos that fit the theme in anyway, nows the time to show them off. If you can, choose a frame that compliments a certain color found in the photo. 

      And don't forget the dollar store is a great place to score things. The vase and the black rose both came from there. And another Nightmare before Christmas character joins the other side of the windows. 

      That's what I managed to throw together this year. With more time and effort, I'd really go the extra mile and make my entire space feel spooky and festive. I'm sure we all feel that way. I hope this inspires any last minute decorations for those who need a little push! Happy Hauntings!