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When I am really on top of my organizational game, I like to lay out my clothes the night before. I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I like to daydream about what outfits I want to wear when I get stuck on the subway without a book or I’m waiting for a meeting to start or while I’m brushing my teeth, for example. So if during any of these scenarios I come up with an outfit I think I will want to wear the next day, I search through my clothing rack, then through the piles of clothes that may or may not have accumulated in my apartment, then in the dirty clothes to make sure it isn’t lost completely, then decide on a new outfit because that one was dirty, then find what I will wear and lay it out like so:

(I know what you’re thinking: Rae, how do you stay so glamorous and organized? The answer is, you either got it or you don’t, kids)

I used to make sure I could find both shoes for said outfit, but my awesome shoe rack has made locating matching pairs a thousand million times easier, so that’s not an issue anymore. I do iron anything that might need ironing as I’m getting it ready. If I know I want certain accessories, I include them on the hangers.

Ta da! An outfit is born before the morning rush, and, most importantly for me, all the parts to it are located. Hopefully this one will go over without a hitch, and later on I’ll show you how I take it from day to night.

What’s your system? I’d really love to know. Tell me at raesdays@gmail.com, @rclnudson, on Facebook, or in the comments!

When I’m going somewhere right after work, I like to travel light. And you know I like to rock a daytime clutch. There’s only so much you can fit! So when my bag is small but my plans are not, these are my necessities:

As far as make up goes, I take just enough to touch up: mascara, my fave chapstick (Burt’s Bees with pomegranate, it has a lovely pink tint), and Laura Mercier’s mattifying serum. If you have room and want to go glam, I’d throw in some lipstick.

I am also in love with tiny rollerball perfumes. This one (the long red tube) I got when I was working at Victoria’s Secret, but a ton of perfumes come in their own tiny rollerball containers these days. So great for taking with you to freshen up, or for when you hit the gym in the morning before work, or for traveling, or for just cheaply trying all different kinds of perfume. Love.

I also pack a tiny moleskine and pen, for jotting notes, and my headphones, for awesome music, duh. My keys are attached to a zipper pouch, which is the best investment I could have ever made in this city. It holds my keys, gym pass, subway pass, work ID and in a pinch can hold your cash, credit cards and ID too. The other pouch you see is what I use for a wallet when I take a smaller bag and can’t fit a normal-sized one.

In a real pinch, and with a very tiny bag, I’d lose the notebook, consolidate my zipper pouches, and only bring the chapstick. You know, if you must.

Not pictured: my iPhone, which also doubles as my kindle when my bag is too small to fit them both.

Am I missing anything? What are your essentials?

In the words of some character on 30 Rock, I have some weird sinus stuff. Although I’m not planning on taking a sick day, I think it’s time I give in and call the doctor. In the meantime, I’ll just treat tonight like a sick day, pop some NyQuil and online shop but not actually buy anything until I fall asleep.

I have this habit of filling my online shopping bag to the brim, and then just leaving it there in shopping purgatory forever, without actually checking out. I love it. I can be the richest person in the world, and buy anything I want, without actually spending any money or trying anything on. Maybe you’ve noticed I live in a fantasy when it comes to clothes sometimes, mostly with Polyvore. But sometimes browsing is nice—It allows you to explore your style, feel things out, and maybe look at something differently the next time you put your outfit together. So here is my pitch for online window shopping, catalog browsing, and all forms of looking around. Give it a try next time you want to kill some time, or are stuck in bed, or just because it’s Wednesday.

Let me know how it goes at raesdays@gmail.com, @rclnudson and on Facebook!

Since I did not go to homecoming at what I’m sure was the best homecoming ever (big tears), I started some handwarmers.

It was pretty awesome.

The weather has gotten a little cooler, and I can’t take my eyes off The Purl Bee. The result is a deep desire for all things knitted—there are so many projects I want to try!

I’ve been talking about handwarmers forever, and still haven’t made myself a pair. But this inspiration for some killer gloves…

plus this tutorial for colorblocked handwarmers, it has me maybe thinking I can do it? Maybe? I have the yarn, but need the right needles and probably some serious help. But think of the warmth! And the layering! Plus they’re just cute, right?

Right? Tell me at raesdays@gmail.com, @rclnudson, or on Facebook.

This picture from The Cut blog perfectly demonstrates my like/dislike for the Miu Miu booties. The shape is gorgeous, the design…well, not my fave. And when done wrong, it’s so wrong.

I don’t have work off today, but I hope you do. I also hope you can take advantage of the crazy Columbus day sales.

These are some things I bought this weekend! I’m pretty excited, and think that all of these pieces (ok, not the dinosaur sweatshirt) could be great for work and for fun. I’ll show you the outfits I come up with this week. In the meantime, have a great Columbus day!

Want to show me what you bought? Hit me up at raesdays@gmail.com, @rclnudson, or on Facebook.

To me, nothing says “I have my life together” like having perfectly manicured nails.

I have perfectly manicured nails about 5% of the time. But, I think that pretty, put-together detail can be really nice, and really professional.

For the office, I’d stay away from sparkles and anything too bright. These are vacation nails, they are for your vacation.

But I do think you can wear bright and nontraditional shades at work. My advice is to keep your nails short, so a burst of color isn’t overwhelming. (Also, long nails bother me when I type.) And keep them looking good—chips are never classy. You might also think to stay away from extremes. Instead of neon pink, how about bubblegum? Instead of black, why not gray or navy blue? If you want a yellow in the office, make it muted instead of highlighter.

Some of my favorite colors for fall that I own:

From left to right: Essie Vermillionaire, OPI Siberian Nights, OPI No Spain No Gain, Essie Chinchilly, OPI Russian Navy, OPI Pamplona Purple.

Some colors I want to try this fall that I don’t own: Forest green and beige. Once I try these, I will, of course, report back.

Oh also, pro tip: you know that moment of dread when you get the first chip in that manicure you just paid for? Avoid that by taking your own polish to the salon. That way, if it chips, you can touch it up and move on with your day. (my mom taught me that, thanks mom!)

***EDIT: Another pro tip, from my friend Anna! Paint a topcoat of clear coat of polish on each day. That way, when your nails start to chip, it chips the clear instead of the color. Thanks Anna!***

My nails right now? A dark purple, the OPI Siberian Nights (and yeah, they’re chipped). Got a color you love? Tell me at raesdays@gmail.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter!

I tried to reblog this, but couldn’t work it out for some reason. But this is from one of my favorite people to follow on Tumblr and Twitter, Teen Vogue beauty editor Eva (follow her!)

hmmm, let’s put it this way. when I was renovating my apartment, I sent some revisions to my architect who called me, somewhat alarmed, to ask, “Eva, there must be a mistake. you’ve indicated that you want the closet to be bigger than your kitchen & bathroom?” that would be correct. so, long story short, my closet is quite large (for New York, at least). it’s a walk-in. and I may or may not have a separate storage unit so that I can rotate clothing based on seasons ^.^

One day, I hope to have that exact same answer when someone asks me about my closet. But for now, I am merely human. A human that lives in Brooklyn, in a studio, with small amounts of money.

I don’t even have a closet. Not one. Not for coats or brooms or towels or anything. So over time I have accumulated some furniture and organization tactics, and came up with something I am finally satisfied with to hold my clothes and many many accessories.

One thing that took me a long time to learn is the way you keep your things can really improve your quality of life, and the quality of the the things. (I’m sure there’s a more concise and clever way to say that. I’ll work on a slogan later). It really sunk in one day when I was running late for work and searching through a bin of shoes to find a matching pair. Any matching pair. And when I realized my purse looked a little bit squashed since I used it last season. So I splurged on the bookcase I had been pining after for months, filled it with purses, scarves, and boots and finally put together that shoe rack for under my clothes, and things improved immensely.

These are just some ideas, and a way that works for me in my tiny space. It will be different for you. Bag Snob Tina stores all her bags in boxes, with pictures on the outside. What do you do? Tell me on Twitter or Facebook! Or email me at raesdays@gmail.com. I’m in the process of cleaning out some of my closet, so more on that to come as well. Happy organizing!