I can’t believe it’s been a month since we moved into our new apartment in Jersey City! The last few weeks have flown by and despite how much Nick and I have had going on with work, wedding planning and life in general, we’ve made a lot of progress on getting organized.

One of my favorite aspects of our new home is the closet and storage space. We have four closets: three double door-sized and one big walk-in that we are utilizing for storing clothing, shoes, luggage, toiletries, cleaning supplies and the like! Nick and I each have our bathrooms too with ample storage space under the sink and in wall-mounted cabinets. DREAMS DO COME TRUE.

While all the extra room we have is amazing and all, there’s only so many ways you can organize an empty closet with only a single clothing rod. Right away we realized that in order to maximize our storage space we’d need to get a few organizational accessories and tools. So where do you find garment bins, shoe boxes, drawer organizers and hangers? The Container Store of course. It was the first place that came to mind and conveniently enough the 25% off Closet Essentials Sale had just kicked off (and is still on-going!)

If you’re organization-obsessed like us or want to get your closet looking Pinterest-worthy, then you definitely want to check out this sale! Here are a few things we picked up.

ITEMS PICTURED // Space-Saving Hangers | Mens’ Drop Front Shoe Boxes | 5 Hook Over The Door Hook Rack

Guys, Nick is sooooo proud of his closet. He had it organized and looking like this within A DAY. Can you tell he was excited not to have to share one with me anymore?

While the goal is to eventually install built-in closet storage on one of the walls in our second bedroom, in the meantime I’ll be utilizing the double closet you see here. Last month the amazingggg Summer of Star Organizers, came over for the day to help me and as you can see she got my closet looking in tip top shape. We swapped out all my old clunky mismatched hangers for the space-saving ones you see here and stored away all my winter sweaters in these chic linen drop front boxes.

ITEMS PICTURED // Beige Space-Saving Hangers | Woven White Rectangular Bins | Linen Drop-Front Sweater Box | 2-Step Folding Step Stool

I honestly don’t know what I’d do without a step stool. It was one of the first things I bought when I moved to New York and over the last seven years it’s something I’ve used every single day! The ceilings in our new place are so high that many of the cabinets and shelves in the kitchen and closets are unreachable for me. Solution? This heavy duty double step stool. It folds up really nicely and I love how it has two steps!

ITEM PICTURED // Over The Door Jewelry Organizer

One of my favorite Container Store finds is this hanging jewelry organizer! I can see everything I have all in one place and it’s really easy to grab a piece and put it away when I take it off. No having to deal with individual bags and boxes. It comes with a lock and key too so if you have a lot of guests over or a cleaning service, you can have peace of mind knowing the organizer can’t be opened.

ITEMS PICTURED // Linen Drawer Organizers | Clear Expandable Drawer Dividers

My underwear/sock/bra drawer in our last apartment was something out of a horror film. I could never find anything I needed, socks would go missing and everything was just mixed up together. It was an absolute D I S A S T E R. If you suffer from messy drawer syndrome like me than you NEED to check out the drawer organizer solutions on ContainerStore.com. I had no idea there was so many different accessories and tools you could utilize to keep drawers neat and tidy! Thanks to these adjustable drawer dividers and organizers, my bras, underwear and socks all have their own place.

ITEM PICTURED // Umbra Grey Flex Shower Caddy

Now for a confession… I struggle at keeping my bathroom organized.

In our last apartment I kept all my makeup beautifully displayed on my vanity. Did I ever sit there to do my makeup? Nope. When we moved into our new place I decided to ditch the unnecessary vanity and cosmetic storage drawers in favor of this free-standing cart. I know it’s not the most “blog-worthy” storage solution, but honestly I just wanted something that’s functional. This cart is perfect because it has three spacious shelves and can easily be rolled around!

ITEMS PICTURED // White 3-Tier Rolling Cart | Acrylic Cosmetics Organizer | Cosmetics Canister

Need more storage? Just hang one of these Elfa organizers on the back of a door or empty wall! I love how these are so customizable. You can add all different-sized bins, shelves and hooks.

ITEM PICTURED // White Elfa Door Rack

These little acrylic storage cubes have been a lifesaver. I tend to go into tornado-mode when I’m getting ready that by the time I’m done with my skincare routine, hair and makeup every product is mixed up and stashed away in a new place. These bins have helped me keep all my smaller products together– tanning drops in one bin, lip balms in another. I also picked up this 3-section acrylic organizer for my serums, oils and eye creams.

ITEMS PICTURED // Small Acrylic Organizer Bins | 3-Section Acrylic Bin

 It’s funny– we’re still lacking a lot of furniture, but organizational supplies? We’re set for LIFE.

The post Apartment Update | Closet & Bathroom Cabinet Organization appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

Visiting the Amalfi Coast was like stepping into a storybook. The colorful and charming small towns nestled along the winding coastal cliffside were beyond beautiful. If you follow a lot of bloggers on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve seen more than one person recently travel to Positano (the most recognizable town of the Amalfi Coast.) Similar to Tulum or Cartagena, I feel like the Amalfi Coast is having a moment as a travel “hot spot” especially with those of us who are #allaboutthegram.

If you’re skeptical of the dreamy photos and rave reviews from folks like myself– please don’t be! Believe it or not the Amalfi Coast is even more breathtaking in person. Each morning stepping out on our balcony and seeing the water and views of Positano, I felt like I had to pinch myself because it didn’t seem real. Everything from the food, to the kind local people and beautiful scenery contributed to this being our favorite trip to date.

I went back and forth debating how to best reveal our 7 day Amalfi Coast itinerary. Originally I thought I would chronicle our trip by day in separate posts since we did so much and I have so many photos. While I do plan on sharing some more in-depth reviews about our hotel, every restaurant and bar where we dined and the activities we did, I thought it would be helpful to first share our overall itinerary so you can see everything in one place. Can I go back now?

7 DAY AMALFI COAST ITINERARY & TRAVEL GUIDE

Days 1-4 // POSITANO (& MORE!)

Positano is the perfect home base for any Amalfi Coast getaway. It’s where the action is– beautiful beaches, shopping, tons of restaurants, lots of tour options and easy ferry or water taxi service to many coastal destinations. Using Positano as a starting point you can easily spend an entire week or more exploring neighboring towns like Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello and Praiano + the islands of Capri, Procida and Ischia.

Originally when we started planning we had wanted stay in Positano, but since we booked just two months in advance many hotels were completely full or the only rooms still available were either subpar or insanely expensive. That’s when I discovered the neighboring little town of Praiano, located just 10 minutes from Positano via car or water taxi. I’ll discuss this more when I post a review of our hotel, but I’ll say now that I’m so happy we stayed in Praiano. The views were incredible, it was much quieter and getting back and forth to Positano was a breeze thanks to our hotel’s complimentary shuttle service. It was also much easier visiting neighboring towns from Praiano vs Positano where traffic and crowds can get a little crazy.

STAY
Hotel Review | Casa Angelina in Praiano (4-night stay)

DO

Explore & shop the towns of Positano, Praiano, Amalfi & Ravello
Visit private beach clubs like Da Adolfo and One Fire Beach Club in Positano and Praiano
Day trip to Amalfi & Ravello with private tour guide (wine tasting, garden tour & authentic home-cooked lunch)
Hit the water on a sunset boat tour, Capri day trip or travel to & from towns via water taxi
(separate blog posts on these topics linked above!)

EAT & DRINK

Restaurant recommendations in Positano & Praiano
Positano hotel bar crawl + best drink spots with a view
Indulge in sweet treats like gelato and granita di limone (lemon ice)
(separate blog posts on these topics linked above!)

Days 5-7 // ISLAND OF ISCHIA

Most Amalfi Coast travel guides mention the island of Capri, but we decided to spend the final three days of our trip on lesser-known Ischia. Never heard of it? Well that’s because little Capri gets all the attention thanks to it being a celeb hotspot and the luxury shopping and famous grottos found on the island.

Ischia caught our attention for a few reasons: much smaller crowds, sleepy colorful towns and beach clubs, authentic food not tailored to the tastes of American tourists, mineral-rich thermal waters (Ischia is a volcanic island!) and the easy ability to explore on your own with a car or scooter rental. Oh and prices in Ischia are significantly less expensive than Capri or anywhere else on the Amalfi Coast.

STAY
Albergo Della Regina Isabella in Lacco Ameno (3-night stay)

DO:

Explore towns of Lacco Ameno, Forio, Casamicciola Terme, Ischia & Sant’Angelo via scooter rental
Tour Aragonese Castle
Visit one of Ischia’s famous volcanic thermal spas (we went to Negombo Thermal Park & Spa)
CLICK HERE TO READ MY ISCHIA TRAVEL GUIDE

EAT:

Lots of traditional & authentic local dining (much cheaper than mainland Amalfi Coast towns)

Getting To The Amalfi Coast

There were multiple legs involved in our journey to and from the Amalfi Coast. Naples is the nearest major airport to the area (about a 1.5 hour drive from Positano) however direct options from NYC to Naples were just too expensive for us to justify so we booked roundtrip tickets to and from Rome (about a 3+ hour drive to Positano.)  This worked out perfectly because we were able to spend the first two days of our trip in Rome doing the typical tourist grind and adjusting to the time change.

If flying to Naples isn’t an option for you, don’t be intimidated about flying in to Rome. Taking a direct high speed train from Roma Termini station to the Amalfi Coast town of Salerno (you could also take a direct train to Sorrento too– I’d Google map where you’re staying & choose what makes most sense location-wise!) was incredibly simple. We bought our tickets online ahead of time, but it seemed like purchasing day-of at a kiosk in the train station was an easy option too.

The train to Salerno took only 1.5 hours and from there we had a taxi pick us up (we used SeaHorse Car Service) to take us to our hotel in Praiano. We paid 125 Euro for the 1.5 hour one way drive and had no complaints!

Things To Know

You don’t need to speak Italian. Positano and the coastal towns are very American-friendly. I would say the majority of fellow tourists that we noticed were American, British or Asian. Lots of American honeymooners too! The concierge at our hotel, the waitstaff at every restaurant and our tour guide from our day trip to Amalfi and Ravello all spoke fluent English. Ischia was a different story. I wouldn’t say fluent English was the norm, but we never had a moment where communication was a major issue.

Get ready to walk. I don’t know why I even bothered to pack heels to wear to dinner. By the end of everyday my feet were beat even when wearing sneakers. Positano and the surrounding towns are built into cliffs and very hilly. Anywhere you go is going to involve somewhat of a hike– either to or from. Our hotel shuttle would always drop us off in the middle of town in Positano and from there it was either a 10+ min walk uphill or downhill to whatever restaurant or place we were headed. When choosing a hotel or Air BnB I’d make sure to check if it’s accessible via car– some aren’t which then means you’re lugging suitcases uphill by foot.

The Amalfi Coast is expensive. The price of eating and drinking in Positano and the coastal towns was similar to dining in New York, if not more expensive. This wasn’t too shocking to us because we’re used to Manhattan prices, but just prepare yourself to see cocktails for 20 Euros and a dinner bill for two to be 150+ Euros. Our hotel in Praiano was also the most expensive hotel we’ve ever stayed at. Even a 10 min car or water taxi ride can cost upwards of 30 Euros, which is why a hotel with shuttle service is key if you’re not staying directly in Positano. Of course there are ways you can pinch your pennies by utilizing the public bus (only 2 Euros) and purchasing your own food & wine for a beach picnic (something I would’ve liked to do if we had more time) but since this was a vacation we went in knowing we’d be splurging. It was also comforting spending our last three days in Ischia because everything there was a fraction of the price (all our dinner bills were under 100 Euros) compared to the insane cost of Positano.

Andddd I think that’s it for now! Please let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll make sure to answer them in my blog posts to come

The post 7 Day Amalfi Coast Itinerary & Travel Guide appeared first on Katie's Bliss.

One of the things I love most about this time of year is how seamlessly you can mix and match pieces in your closet. Neutrals, earthy and jewel tones all pair so nicely together— it’s hard to go wrong! I didn’t even plan this look in advance. I just knew everything I packed for New Hampshire matched and rolled with it. Once you’ve decided on say, a plaid shirt, you can easily choose the other components of your look pulling inspo from all the colors in your top. Kinda like I did here.

Barbour Wray Quilted Vest | Similar Plaid Shirt | Skinny Jeans | Tall Hunter Boots | Leather Tote Bag | Leg Warmers | Sunglasses | Kate Spade New York Watch | David Yurman Bracelets

So I’ll admit I was little worried this outfit was going to look like a walking fall cliché. Red Hunter boots. Barbour quilted vest. Plaid Shirt. It’s like I went to Pinterest and threw on every preppy trend I could find. But hey, when you’re in New England during the fall at the cutest bed and breakfast there’s no reason why you can’t dress the part.

Let’s talk about Barbour ! Here I’m wearing the Wray Quilted Gilet (aka vest.) I’ve really fallen in love with the brand over the last few years. The quality of the fabric and craftsmanship of the outerwear absolutely justifies the higher price point. You have to keep in mind: these are pieces that you’ll wear forever.

Barbour Wray Quilted Vest | Similar Plaid Shirt | Skinny Jeans | Tall Hunter Boots | Leather Tote Bag | Leg Warmers | Sunglasses | Kate Spade New York Watch | David Yurman Bracelets

If you’re new to Barbour and are confused by the UK sizing here’s the scoop. Barbour runs small so for a true to size fit I’d suggest going up one from what you normally wear. If you wear a lot of chunky sweaters and like your coats/vests to have a little extra room, then size up twice. For reference I’m typically a 2, however in Barbour I wear a size 4. I promise you won’t regret any Barbour purchase (I recommend one of the waxed jackets) BUT if the price is too much to swallow now I have a feeling there will be some holiday sales coming up soon– I’ll keep you guys posted!

The post Barbour Quilted Vest & Hunter Boots appeared first on Katie's Bliss.