Thursday, April 30, 2015

Warm Weather Essentials: Recap

The Crop + The Cutoffs // See original post here for details

The Maxi Dress // See original post here for details

The Wedge // See original post here for details

The Hat + The Clog // See original post here for details

Hello there. I'm currently on a train to Boston from NYC right now so I've got some time to kill. More on my trip soon! I wanted to do a quick recap post of all my warm weather essentials recommendations in case you are just now joining in. I've linked back to all 4 original posts above. Go take a look! What are some warm weather items you'll be investing in for this spring and summer? Also, did you enjoy this series? Would you want to see more posts like this on the blog? I wanna know! Talk soon.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Tribal

Forever 21 Top (similar), H&M Jeans, Lotta from Stockholm Clogs, Coach Backpack via Charm School Vintage, Ray-Ban Sunnies

About this tribal necklace- I bought it years ago in college from a now closed clothing boutique. The lady who owned the shop told me she found it at a market on a trip she took to Africa which, at age 20, I thought was soooo cool... and I still do! I've definitely gone through spurts where I've worn it a lot, then not worn it for months or even years. Right now I'm in a "wear it with everything" phase. It's such an interesting piece and it actually goes really well with a lot of my clothing even though it's very busy. But I like busy. Definitely something I'll keep forever.

Anyway, just a little update on me- Right now I'm writing from my home in Austin but once you read this I'll be on vacation in New York with my cousins and we're also taking a train to Boston for a few days after that. I've been to New York several times but I've never been to Boston. Very excited. We're going to a Red Sox vs. Yankees baseball game! Holy shit. That's pretty amazing/epic. I'll give you an update on all the sites we see and the things we do once I'm back home. Talk soon!

Photos by Whitney Devin

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Life lately: Trying new things


I've really been trying to focus on becoming a better me this year so I'm taking myself out of my "comfort zone" a lot more these days. Although it can be stressful it's also been pretty fun and made me feel a lot happier with myself... I'm proud of me! So hurray for that! Here are some new things I've been trying out lately.

Embracing my curly hair. 
I've had curly hair all my life and it's always had a mind of its own. The type of curl has changed a lot too. It's been wavy, then riglety, then frizzy, then a combo of all those things, etc, etc, etc. I've just never really liked it much. But in the last year I haven't put any color (or bleach) in my hair and I think it loves that. Shocker... I know. So I've gotten more comfortable with the way it looks and I've just been letting it go. You won't be seeing any outfit posts with it in it's natural state any time soon. I'm still not THAT confident in it. But I've got lots of shots of my curly locks on my Instagram if you're interested.

Prepared meals.
I've only tried this once but I plan on doing it again. I have a friend who started a food delivery service in Austin called Motormouth Foods and in an effort to support it + satisfy the fact that I haven't been to the grocery in probably a month I ordered five meals last week. They were really yummy. I'll let you check out the site yourself if you live in Austin to get the full details. It's definitely great for those days you don't feel like cooking or just want to try something different than your usual noms. 

Drinking tea.
I'm always going to be a coffee drinker. That will never change. But I'm trying to branch out a little bit into the world of tea. I tried this once before a few years ago and it didn't stick so we will see how it goes this time around. Any good tea recs for someone who doesn't really like the taste?

Blog scheduling by month. 
Okay, so I really want to do a full post about this but I'll summarize for now. I started a blog schedule for the month of April and it's helped TREMENDOUSLY. I've tried doing blog schedules in the past and failed pretty much every time. This time I did a few things differently:
1. Planned and scheduled the whole month of April at the end of March in a real planner I'm using as my blog calendar. Writing things down always helps me. 
2. In the schedule I set dates for publishing each post which puts a kind of deadline on them. Now I'm more motivated to set aside time to write my posts because I want to stay on schedule. 
3. Scheduling appointments with my photog friends in advance to shoot outfit photos. 
4. Any time I have an idea for a post I write it down. 
More to come on this subject!! 

Connecting with other local bloggers. 
 I've been wanting to do this since I moved to Austin. I've connected with a few people on Instagram and I even went to TxSC a couple years ago but I never really kept up with any of the relationships. In the past month I've connected with a few local bloggers via email to set up real, in person meet ups. This is far, far out of my comfort zone. I get very nervous meeting new people but I've realized I'm much better with one-on-one's than I am meeting people in a group. Grabbing coffee with just one person is a lot more manageable for me. Plus it's fun to meet people that have similar interests as I do. I don't get to talk to my friends about blogging that much because they don't really get it like my fellow bloggers do!

What have you been up to lately? Anything new you're trying? Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Warm Weather Essentials: The Hat + The Clog

Urban Outfitters Tunic, H&M Jeans, Lotta from Stockholm Clogs, Brixton Hat, Vintage Coach Backpack via Charm School Vintage

The final installment of my warm weather essentials is here and I saved my favorite for last. Chelsea and I were driving around trying to find a good spot to shoot and we stumbled upon this baseball field and these bleachers. I mean... we had to. It was such a different location for me and I loved it. I even did some climbing in my heels. Safe? Maybe not. Fun and totally worth it? Um, yes. Anyway, here are my final two essentials I think all you fashion lovers out there should have for this spring and summer.

The hat.
I love my Brixton hat. I wear it quite a bit. I think the key to finding a hat that you'll actually wear is searching until you find one that fits your head and face well. If you wanna get super fancy about it you can get a custom hat made from your local hat shop. They'll measure your head and everything. I didn't get that fancy with mine but I did get a hat that came in sizes. My head is super small so I got an XS and it helped so much. Hats are great for all the outdoor activities you'll do when it's warmer out too. I love wearing mine at festivals to shield my face from the sun. This hat is felt which I love but I'm currently on the hunt for a good straw one for summer. I had one last year but I didn't really take very good care of it so it's all squished up now. Oops. 

The clog.
 Oh, the clog. My new favorite shoe. You saw them in my first essentials post here. I didn't mention them then but I thought about it some more and decided I had to include them. I even wore another pair in my maxi dress essentials post. I love clogs! For some reason they make me feel super cultured or European or something like that. I just think they are super stylish and a wooden sole just goes with so much. Get some!

So, I hope you've enjoyed my warm weather essentials. I had a lot of fun putting this little series together. I'm planning on doing a recap post at the end of the month so stay tuned for that. Also, I wanna know what you think. What are some of your favorite essentials you'll be sporting in the upcoming months?


Shop similar hats and clogs here:

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Warm Weather Essentials: The Wedge

Zara Top, Topshop Skirt (similar), Kork-Ease Wedges, Urban Outfitters Belt & Bag, Ray-Ban Sunnies

Happy Thursday a.k.a. the day before the weekend! Hope you've been having a great week so far. I'm looking forward to a chill weekend before lots of traveling I have coming up in the next couple weeks. But, before that begins I want to share Part 3 of my warm weather essentials...

The wedge.
A good wedge sandal is my best friend when it starts to get warm out. I don't know about you but I like to go out to concerts, have drinks with friends, brunch, lunch, dinner date, all that fun stuff. Wedges not only give you some extra height and make you feel a little fancier for all these fun activities, they're also much more comfortable and easy to walk in than heels. Some of my favorite pieces to wear with wedges are skirts and other staples I've mentioned in my previous two essentials posts - crop tops and maxi dresses.

I mean, I'm kinda giving you guys a full outfit here with all these essentials. You're welcome. And I'm not even done! Stay tuned because I have one more post coming up next week with two more essentials for ya. Until then, happy weekend.

Photos by Chelsea Laine Francis

Shop similar wedges here:

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Warm Weather Essentials: The Maxi Dress

Maxi Dress via Buffalo Exchange, Nasty Gal Clogs (similar), Urban Outfitters Bag (similar), Vanessa Mooney Necklace and Ring, Ray-Ban Sunnies

Hi! Here I give you Part 2 of my warm weather essentials and it's one of my top picks for sure...

The maxi dress.
Every women should own at least one maxi dress. Seriously. Even I love maxi dresses and I'm super short. I think it's all about finding the right dress to fit your body type. For me, I try to stick with more fitted maxi's so they don't swallow my small frame. If you're taller you can go for something a bit more flowy. Even in the dead heat of summer maxi dresses are a good option. They are super airy and comfortable for laying around in the grass at the park and are versatile enough to transition right into brunch dates with friends. Also, maxi's are easily dressed up or down depending on accessories and shoes. I like to pair mine with a cute clog or wedge, but you can go even more casual with a strappy sandal.

What do you think of the maxi dress? Is it a go-to staple for you like it is for me?


Shop similar maxi dresses here:

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Warm Weather Essentials: The Crop + The Cutoffs

 Free People Crop Top, Levi's Cutoff Shorts via Urban Outfitters, Vintage Coach Backpack via Charm School Vintage, Lotta From Stockholm Clogs, Anthropologie Necklace

Hey there! So I know I've been pretty heavy my past couple posts so let's get back to the simple stuff today. Like pretty clothes and fun tips. Yes, I like that. Let's do it.

Spring is here and Summer is almost just around the corner. So, in honor of this change in climate I've decided to do a four part series. The idea kinda came about the other day when my roommate asked me what essentials she needs in her wardrobe for the upcoming months. I have to admit I was a little stomped at first. It feels like it's been winter for so long that I forgot what to wear when it's not below 50! After some careful thought I think I have the answers, or at least my answers, for her and for you I hope. In the next few weeks I'll be sharing my warm weather essentials I believe every flower loving, music festival going, adventure seeking fashion girl should have in their closet for the warm months ahead of us.

The crop top.
I know a crop top might be a little much for some people and I totally get that. Honestly, I don't wear them all that often, but every now and then they really do come in handy. Say if you're just wearing some high-waist shorts. A crop top wouldn't be super revealing and you are able to show off more of your bottom than you would with a longer shirt. Plus they're great for beach vacations and festivals. So don't be shy, you can rock it I promise.

The cutoff jean shorts.
Which happen to go really well with a crop top... Let me tell you about these shorts. I've had them for at least 4 years and was searching for a pair probably even a year or two before that. They're just so necessary and never go out of style IMO. I mean look back to the hippie kids of the 60s and 70s and the grunge scene in the 90s. They were there. I wear them at least once a week every year from April to September. Mine are slightly more high-waisted but I just love the look of a ripped up pair of cutoffs. They go with EVERYTHING.

Let me know what some of your warm weather essentials are. We'll see if we pick any of the same ones once I'm done with the series in a few weeks! I think I have five or six more items to share. I'm excited and I hope you are, too.

P.S. Can we talk for a second about how beautiful these photos turned out. My friend Chelsea is a genius. We took these at the Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin and it was so much fun. Anything with flowers makes me happy. It was lightly raining outside and everything was just... magical.


Monday, April 6, 2015

Birthday Weekend Recap


Before I recap the weekend I just wanted to say thank you for all the kind words I received about my post on Friday. It means a lot to me. I've always been afraid of sharing too much here, but I also want to be honest so I'm trying to accept and embrace vulnerability which is something I've never been good at doing. Have you seen Brené Brown's TED Talk about it? If not, I highly recommend it. Then watch this one about shame. These talks have helped me so much this year. I've watched them over and over and over.

So, what did I do this weekend for my birthday? A lot actually and I loved every bit of it. Here are some of the highlights:

- Friday: I got a Hey Cupcake delivery and then a flower delivery and then a cake pop delivery while I was working. So many treats. It made my heart so happy. I have some really sweet people in my life. After work I went to dinner at Hudson's on the Bend with my boyfriend. The food was delicious and of course there was lots of wine. Then we went to the Alamo Drafthouse to see Fast & Furious 7 which was so good as usual and such a tearjerker at the end... OK, maybe not a tearjerker for me. I was straight up crying. I've always been a big Paul Walker fan.

- Saturday: Me and all my wonderful friends went out to Jester King Brewery for beers and pizzas and chats. One of my friends even drew me a cake on my pizza box (see above photo). It was so great spending time with all my favorite people. I love my friends. Then, the bf and I went to see Dave Chappelle at ACL Live. That man is such a great comedian. Bravo. Afterward, we went out to East Side Showroom for a nightcap with more frands. I feel like I can say nightcap with such confidence now that I'm an old 27 year old lady ;) Side note- If you're ever in Austin and enjoy specialty cocktails East Side Showroom is where it's at. Order a Gilmore, it's my favorite drink. Ever.

- Sunday: I got up early and headed out to the Botanical Gardens to shoot some outfits with my girl Chelsea. It was pretty rainy but Chelsea was such a sport and powered through with me. The gardens were actually super whimsical in the rain. Yay for outfit posts coming soon. Then I topped off the weekend by watching the premiere of the second half of Season 7 of Mad Men. I love that show. Anyone a fan? What did you think of the episode? How sad are you that it's ending?? :(

Pretty stellar weekend. I'm so grateful for everyone that made it such a special birthday. Thank you! How was your weekend? Also, here's a little happy dance tune for ya to start off your week- The Heat by Jungle. I'll be seeing them this Thursday. Ready to boogie. Happy Monday!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Birthdays + Cupcakes + Thoughts


It's my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Yes, I love birthday's. Even though they symbolize getting older, for me, they also symbolize becoming wiser. Personally, I think I've gotten much wiser with every year that passes and that in itself is something to celebrate. Yesterday I bought myself some cupcakes and got a mani/pedi as a little early present to myself, because why not?! 26 was a hard year. I WILL indulge and pamper myself at little. I deserve it.

When I look back on my 26th year on this earth I have to say- I've learned A LOT. When I think about my birthday last year I remember being really happy. I'd just met a new group of friends that I really liked, I was going to lots of shows and other music events, I was dating again. I felt very carefree and was just having fun. But somewhere along the way of what should have been a spectacular year I lost my wanderlust. I lost my sparkle and glitter and bubbles and I lost my joy. Things that were once fun to me now made me feel extremely overwhelmed with anxiety. I got really depressed which made me scared. I dreaded going to do the very things I used to love to do not too long before. What happened? Why was I feeling this way? What could I do? I wanted the sadness to end but I didn't know how to make it stop. Even though I'm terrified to write this for all to read, I started going to a therapist and when I did I was at my very lowest point.

Although therapy is wonderful and so good for your mind it is also really fucking hard. You don't just go and automatically get better. You have to keep going, keep learning, keep trying. And that is exactly what I'm doing. I'm starting to enjoy the things I used to again, I'm learning how to better manage my anxiety and am teaching myself how to quiet those bad voices in my head. It's so hard, but I know that I just have to keep working on making myself better. Pushing out those negative, irrational thoughts and letting the positive, loving ones seep into my mind. I'm getting there but it'll always be hard for me and learning to accept that this is who I am is a huge step in the right direction. Loving yourself and accepting yourself is so important and I'm working on it... I'm working on it. So, here's to 27. Whatcha got for me?

P.S. I know I'm not alone in this. What are some of the things you do to help manage your anxiety and depressed thoughts? I wanna know. I plan on writing a post soon about some of the things I do that really help me.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April Fancy Tunes 2015


Happy April! This is my favorite month for several reasons but mainly because well, it's my name and also it's my birthday month. So, to start off this glorious month I put together a little playlist with some of the artists I discovered/got to see during SXSW a couple weeks ago since I didn't feature the event on the blog because I am a terrible blogger. Sorry friends. But I do have to say I actually have a whole month of posts lined up. I've started a blog calendar and I'm going to try to stick to it! Also, I'll be working with a new friend on some outfit posts that I can't wait to share with you. Stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the music.


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