BriAlys

Favorite Planner Shops

Published on August 2019August 2019 by BriAlys

If you’re a #plannergirl like me, this post is just for you! I’ve shared my planner setup before (see Louis Vuitton GM/Large Agenda Setup); but, today I thought I would share my new favorite (shops). All shops notes below are ran by women and made in the U.S.A. 🇺🇸

Preferred: My first love was SessaVee (instagram). I ABSOLUTELY LOVE her clean design, font selection, spacing and how she uses variable line width to make certain sections of her inserts pop. Unfortunately, product availability is SUPER sketchy so I no longer use this shop’s selection as the anchor in my planner. She now has printables on Etsy but I’m SSSOOO not into doing that. PS…. I wish she would bring back the originals!!!!

I am signed up for Sessa Vee’s product launch announcement and am hoping for the best! 🤞🏽Actual Inserts (New): 8Lotus (instagram) is a new shop for me. The designs are classic, chic and minimalist. The packaging is great, flexible layouts and the line spacing is phenomenal.

Other Goodies: Cloth & Paper hands down for stickers and sticky notes – they are gorgeous. I also LOVE her yearly calendars and dividers!!!! I can’t use her planner inserts or note paper because the lines are TOO WIDE! They are beautiful but when I used them I feel like hooked on phonics, like I have to write super big to fill the space. Valuable room is being wasted here! Also, the time on the dailies only go until 10 pm. #bummer (if you’re listening, please offer college rule, thanks!!!)

I also like Minted Sugar (instagram) for their pink (textured) line paper. I use this for specialty things… planning a vacation, packing list, special occasions, etc.

So those are my fav’s. I also have a new favorite #plannergirl that I follow on YouTube. Check out her video below.

Psst… I’m thinking to do a planner setup video on YouTube so, so stay tuned to my channel!

the social media inspired world of luxury

Published on July 2019July 2019 by BriAlys

This post is mostly about Louis Vuitton … and how super easy it is to get sucked ALL THE WAY in. Instagram and YouTube are mostly the culprits that reel me in. One day I stumbled upon videos on YouTube of people showing off their collections (a cool way to refer to someone’s stash of designer pieces), what’s in my bag videos (what they carry on a daily basis), un-boxings (new product reveals), reviews (what they like and don’t like ) and finally wear & tear videos (how a handbag is holding up after 1 year, etc.) Oh … you didn’t know? This is entirely a thing! I even made a couple of videos of my own (#WIMB Gucci Soho Disco, #Bag Swap … peep the actual view count from my videos… 👀).

There are hundreds of channels on YouTube (like tv stations) devoted to luxury goods. There’s one particular YouTuber, Minks4All, who produces a weekly Q&A answering all kinds of questions from users… It’s a coordinated production! She talks about price increases, bag trends, compares bags across designers, all kinds of stuff (I watch it EVERY WEEK… she was 880k subscribers). BTW, one other term I learned watching YouTube is Small Leather Goods (SLG’s) – those are all the designer items that are not handbags (wallets, coin purses, makeup bags, key holders, etc.). And at Holiday time, you can almost always find shopping guides, like from the YouTuber Tracy Hensel. She will do about 3 videos in varying price points. JUST BEWARE OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS… IF YOU LEARN SOMEONE OVER TIME AND THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN START RECOMMENDING RANDOM PRODUCTS, YOU’LL KNOW ITS PAID AND TO #IGNORE IT.

Top luxury designers are Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Dior.

Then there’s Instagram… where one hashtag can change your life! Thinking about getting a certain bag? You can search for it and see how others are styling or wearing it, like the hashtag #lvneverfullmm for Louis Vuitton’s most popular popular tote, the Neverfull. This is how I ended up with my diaper bag, using the hashtag #totesavvy. Using social media platforms to RESEARCH before you BUY is a MUST! Long gone are they days of solely using stock photos from corporate websites to make purchasing decisions.

I must admit that I used to watch those videos and wonder how in the world they ended up with such large collections (so many pieces)! … until I realized that I had quite a large collection myself. The answer is either you’re rich … or it was developed over TIME (6 months to a couple of years). I’m actually thinking of posting a collection video myself 💁🏽‍♀️ 👛 (stay tuned to my YouTube Channel just in case something pops up). #pursequeen

Before I end this post, here is the complete list of YouTubers I follow: JerushaCouture (the OG), HappyStylishMommy, 408california408, Kristina Braly, LuxMommy, LuxPurseLove, Just Jennifer, HaveLouisWillTravel You can find them all on Instagram as well.

Long Commutes

Published on June 2019 by BriAlys

During the month of July I expect to have long commutes one day a week. Of course my OCD-like behavior (as well the well-known dreadful Atlanta traffic conditions) has me researching how to best maximize my travel time to/from work. There are lots of services available out there that seek to capture and keep your attention, so how do you pick which services/features to pay attention to? How do you know where to start? Keep reading below for my recommendations!

Since the obvious goal during a long to commute is to get home as quickly and safely as possible, we MUST start with a travel app. There are many available including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Mapquest (yes… that still exists 😳) and Waze. I’ll just jump ahead and tell you right now that Waze wins and will be at the center of my long commutes. Not because it’s such a great app (it is! users report crashes, cop sightings, slowdowns, etc.); but, more so because Waze plays nice with others.

Let me explain. Yes, I will be commuting; but, I also want to do other things to help the time go by faster and ease the pain. I want to do things like listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts. When I say Waze plays nice with others I mean it seamlessly integrates with other apps or services. For music, it’s Spotify. For Podcasts, Stitcher and for books, Audiobooks. These tight integrations or hook ins allow you to select songs/playlists/books right from within the Waze app itself. There’s no need to leave the Waze app itself to start listening to another service.

(By the way, this post is a great synopsis of what I do for a living… software and process integration. I spend my days focusing on optimizing user experience for the software we use to run our business for things like taking orders, billing customers, etc. and automating those processes. I identify opportunities for integration/automation, lead projects to implement them and also streamline (or lean) complex processes to make them simpler #techie 💁🏽‍♀️)

WHAT IS LEAN SIX SIGMA

Now, you may prefer Apple Music over Spotify; but, for me the days of tech giants producing great isolated products/services are over. Partnerships (or tightly integrating with others) will always prevail and Apple is not so good at that part yet. Waze, on the other hand, makes integrating easy. Because Waze will be at the center of my long commutes and I value integration, I choose the following:

Spotify for music (as opposed to Apple Music or Pandora)
AudioBooks.com for reading/listening instead of Apple Books or Audible.com
Stitcher for Podcasts instead of Overcast or Apple Podcasts

Now, don’t get me wrong. All of these services are great and honestly, any one in isolation will do the trick; but, if you want MORE, go with services that tightly integrate with other services/features you also value. Your life will be easier because of it!

5 reasons you’ll use Waze over Google Maps

Homecoming

Published on April 2019 by BriAlys

Beyonce’s documentary, Homecoming, on Netflix is amazing! If you haven’t watched it, do so HERE (Netflix account required or if not, maybe the TRAILER is enough for you … 😩). Homecoming pays homage to black excellence, women, culture and traditional key highlights from HBCU bands, sororities and that classic New Orleans feel. Solange, Jay Z and Destiny’s child all made surprise performances.From the Guardian, “Since it debuted on the platform last week, the internet has been thick with analysis and awed gushing over the 137-minute celebration of the R&B titan’s landmark 2018 Coachella set: not just from Twitter minions, but the likes of Michelle Obama and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Last week, it was reported thatHomecoming is the first of three specials Beyoncé will deliver to Netflix in a $60m (£46m) deal, the company having trounced the offer of her previous television partner, HBO.”

Listen below to a review of the documentary by NPR.

#thatisall 🙌🏽

Sorrelli @ Nordstrom

Published on April 2019 by BriAlys

I like to think of myself as a simple girl who likes simple things. Granted, those simple things may be more expensive; but, I do navigate towards classic pieces/things.

A few years ago I bought a bracelet from Sorrelli. Sorrelli jewelry is handcrafted from genuine semi-precious stones and high-quality Austrian crystals. My bracelet is gorgeous and sturdy. In fact, it was the first picture I ever posted on Instagram. I highly recommend the brand (just in time for mother’s day… 🤔❌💐).