Spring Cleaning: Desk{top} Edition

  

Spring means crisp air, a fresh wardrobe, and a clean home - starting with your workspace. As the weather gets hotter, our minds tend to wander while we work, {dreaming of patio happy hours and lake walks}, so we think it's time to de-clutter our desk{top}s with these tech tips to help us stay organized and focused. Who's with us!?

Workflow

Shave seconds off your mobile procedures with Workflow, an app that streamlines your phone processes by connecting apps and actions together. For example, you can create a “Workflow” that allows you to take a photo and send it to your social streams in one click- perfect for sharing social/content inspiration with your team!

The Skimm

No time for the traditional morning newspaper read over a cup of coffee? Welcome to our world. We love The Skimm's “We read, you skim” mentality. This time-saving app recaps top stories and need-to-know information to start your workday off with a boost of info sure to impress your coworkers.

Scanner Pro

Scanner Pro is an app that uses your iPhone or iPad’s iOS camera to take pictures of paper documents. The app’s technology then edits the scanned image to adjust for visual defects. You can then save, upload, email, and fax the doc. Bye bye clunky scanner {after all, it’s 2015, why do we still use those things?}

Evernote

A digital binder for your brain. Clip web pages, markup images, scan handwritten documents and more with Evernote. From to-do lists to pages of research, all of your thoughts have a place to call home.

 

Mint

Give your wallet a reality check {“wait, those shoes were how much?”}. Mint is an app that acts as a central location for all of your finances, allowing you to see the whole picture of your investments, spending, balances, and more! It even tracks spending patterns in real time. Cha-ching.

Keeper

So many online accounts, so little time. Keep your stuff safe with Keeper, a digital vault for passwords. 

  

Ready, Set, Picnic!

National Picnic Day // SA

picnic {noun; pik-nik}:

1. a dining excursion with close friends

2. a midday escape from the office

3. a lovely way to enjoy Minneapolis

4. {see “soaking up the sun”}

It seems like there's a holiday for every little thing nowadays, but this is one we're definitely embracing. April 23rd is National Picnic Day and Minneapolis is full of sweet spots to embrace the crisp, spring temps. Plus, this 'gram-worthy holiday falls on a Thursday! Need we say more? Celebrate this Friday-eve and throw on your sunnies + light layers, grab some bubbly {darewesay "rosé?"} and get your snack on with your girls. Psst...but don't forget your camera. This city is pretty dreamy this time of year, don't you think?

1. Pendleton Blanket 2. Shinola Watch 3. Dolce Vita Sandals 4. Askov Finlayson Bag and Hat 5. Target Sunglasses 

Featured Work: Red Stamp Dinner Party Vibes

Red Stamp // Style-Architects

Spring entertaining is in the forecast and we’ve got just the inspiration for your next dinner party. Get those creative entertaining juices flowing with some images pulled from our past collaboration with the {#fabulouslysocial} Red Stamp team.

red stamp
red stamp

From custom invites and napkins to the little details such as cheeky coasters and playful cake toppers + treat bags, Red Stamp has everything you need to "wow" your dinner dates! And don’t forget; your dinner decorations go beyond just the scope of the table. Add a whimsical banner to the wall to really set the scene. 

red stamp
Red Stamp

Warm weather, bright drinks, and a cheery place setting? We'll clink our glasses to that! Create a custom RS order for your next dinner party and check out their recent lookbooks {styled and art directed by yours truly!} for some added inspiration! Psst...the team even spills some of their go-to favorite recipes on the RS blog. Need we say more? 

{Insta} Inspired: Spring Street Style

From the runway to the street to the web, this spring's trends have us feeling {insta} inspired. Here's a collage of some of our favorite trends, as featured by eight stylish individuals. So far, 2015 feels like one big #ThrowbackThursday. No worries, though: these fashions don't include embarrassing polaroids pulled from your parents' photo albums. Accessories like circle sunglasses nod to a 1960's Janis Joplin, while tangerine frames and nails channel the same decade's mod color movement. Airy ponchos and wide-legged culottes keep you cool {or groovy, as the 70's would say}, and thank goodness we have an excuse in the name of fashion and function to rock sneakers and 90's overalls. White jeans, of course, have always been a staple, and now that the weather is {finally} warm in Minnesota, we think it's okay to stomp the streets in them well before Memorial Day.

Check out more from these style gurus + tell us what you think about this season's trends.

culottes: @lookmachine // new balances: @michaela_lee // beach: @amy.paine // sunglasses: @madewell1937 // watch: @annajepson // white denim: @gap // fringe: @thewhimsysoul // overalls: @tumblemetimber

Monthly Musing: Athenian Blue

Style-Architects Monthly Musing: Athenian Blue

Look our Marsala...the {SA} votes have been tallied, and with overwhelming agreement, the 2015 craving for cool blues has ensued. Whether you are spicing up your interior space {like the 2015 definitive color of the year} or looking to add this perfect marriage between grecian goddess and sexy peacock to your wardrobe, now is the time to beat your bests to it! Color is how we express ourselves, from our kitchen walls to our favorite handbag, it speaks in ways in which words can't. We've picked some of our favorite representations of this undeniably chill hue. How will you be incorporating it into your life this spring/summer?