Hello and Happy Monday! 

So today, I'm sharing a really fun outfit with you that is perfect for the holiday season! 

Okay, if you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know my love for prints! Leopard print in particular! Well this coat has my heart! It is SO soft, very warm, and overall it is just lovely! Paired with the bright red scarf -it is a killer combination! 

Actually half of this look was gifted to me. I think I mentioned that my Aunt and cousin came for Thanksgiving and my Aunt is one of the most generous people I know, she gave me the coat. She thought I would like it and I could find fun ways to style it, and my mind automatically thought of this pairing -minus the scarf. But the coat against an all black outfit would look stunning! 

And it did! But it did need a little something extra to really make it pop. I tried it at first with a necklace, which was okay. But then this scarf caught my eye. And actually, this scarf is something my parents had picked out for me for Christmas maybe two years ago? 

Good job Mom and Dad! 

This is such a beautiful scarf on its own! But paired with this coat it really stands out! The whole look becomes so classy and full of life! 

This is a look that would be perfect for Christmas or even New Years parties. Shoot, I may even wear it -or a version of this- to Christmas services! 

Thank you for reading and a special thank you to my Aunt and parents for these beautiful pieces! 

XOXO

Scarf: Nine West
Shorts: K LA Boutique
Shirt: LOFT
Bag: Versona
​Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses

Hello all and Happy Friday!

So today I'm sharing a fun winter look with you. It is the third time I have styled these Target cargo pants and I tell you what, they just never seem to fail me! They have formed a real place in my heart -and closet! This is actually the third time I have restyled them, so they're a keeper! 

For today's look, I really just experimented. Personally I really love the results I love the bright orange against the khaki color and the beige. Even without the coat, it is a nice color contrast. 

My only wish is that instead of my leopard heels I wish I had a pair of bright baby blue heels! Don't get me wrong, I love my leopard print heels, but baby blue would be such an additional fun pop of color! 

I'm on the look out for a pair! If you know of where I could find some, let me know! ;)

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Pants: Target
Coat: Shein.com
Heels: Target
Bag: Versona
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses

Hello and Happy Monday! 

I took a little break over the holiday because my Aunt and cousin were in town. It was so great having them here! I hadn't seen my cousin in several years, and when he walked in I was thinking 'who is this!?' But we had a great time! He came with me to the gym -and unintentionally let me know I need to step my game up lol! We also went and saw the movie Knives Out -which I would highly recommend! Its a murder mystery that will make you laugh mostly but also keep you guessing! 

Okay onto the post! This outfit is the continuation of my outfit evolution. I mentioned in the previous post that I played around with the scarf with the sweater-over-dress combo. But once the sweater came off, just for fun, I continued playing with the scarf. The thing is I really like how the colors mesh together. The colors in the dress are neutral enough to not compete with the scarf, but allow it to pop. 

I played with it over the shoulders, then ended up just tying it in the center. I think it acts as its own focal point. 

Everything else I kept as neutral as possible. 

It may surprise you to hear this, but this outfit is pretty warm! The material the scarf is made of is very thick. So you will be happy to know, I'm sure, that I did not freeze in the taking of these pictures! XD

Anyway, it is another fun way to play with scarves! And this concludes my outfit evolution..... FOR NOW! ;)

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week! 

Dress:: Wild Fable (Target)
Scarf: Forever 21
Bag: Shein.com
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses
Shoes: Rackroom Shoes

Hello and Happy Monday!

We are four days away from Thanksgiving! I hope you all are excited! I know I am. Truth be told I used to not be much of a holiday person. Don't get me wrong, I liked the holidays but also it always felt like as soon as Halloween was over it was pushed hard. The overly cherry Christmas carols playing on repeat in every store you entered drove me nuts, the SUPER corny Christmas movies -yes Hallmark and Lifetime Channel I'm looking at you in particular!- made me cringe. Also there was some personal stuff I seemed to go through around this time that made me develop a knot in my stomach. I won't really get into it but it had to do with a prior relationship. I honestly used to dread this time of year.

BUT! Good news, I ended that chapter in my life and now I really love this time of year. The lights are beautiful, I enjoy the cold weather. The Christmas carols can still wear on me sometimes, and the movies are just as corny and I still will probably only enjoy ELF and The Santa Clause, but I have really come to embrace this time of year and enjoy it. This particular Thanksgiving will be particularly special because my Aunt and cousin are coming in tomorrow to spend it with us! I can't wait!

On to today's look. I call this an outfit evolution because of the ​process it took in creating it. It started with the sweater layered over a completely different dress and paired with a different scarf and booties. Initially I liked it. But when I paired it all together for the shoot, I felt like something wasn't right. Well, something COULD be better, to put it more exact. So, as I have done many times before, I played around with different pairings. The dress I finally chose was not at all in my mind because it is more summery and sleeveless. Then my eyes fell on it and I thought 'I wish is wasn't so summery, those colors would be perfect together....'

A moment passes.

"...I AM putting a sweater over it.. no one will know its' sleeveless..."' 

*Sees over sized, burnt orange scarf.*

"Screw it, we are going to try this!"

And thus I found I REALLY liked this pairing! Once again, I played with the scarf, styling it two different ways. I like both, I'll let you decide which you like better. But the colors are very warm and compliment each other perfectly! I'm so happy with how it turned out! 

What makes it an evolution outfit as well is because after I took the pictures, I continued to play with the scarf and found another way to style it with the dress. THAT will be for my next post, so you will see some of these same pieces again soon! 

Stay tuned! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 



XOXO

Scarf: Forever21
Dress: Target (Wild Fable)
Sweater: Gap
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses
Shoes: Rack Room

What a weird and wild week it has been! 

The week started out stressful as I had to have an MRI. This was a first for me and I was very nervous about it. Thankfully I had my mom and a good friend with me as well as two incredible techs. They were so kind and calming. They walked me through everything. I have so many nice friends who gave me advice and reassured me that everything would be fine. I'm so grateful for everyone who helped me through it! I know it may sound silly, but I get anxiety easily and everyone's help was so helpful and calming. So, I very much appreciate you guys -you know who you are! 

On to today's post. I am playing with prints and scarfs. Actually, scarfs are going to be my main focus for the next few posts. This one has a rocker vibe to it. Skull print against stripes, what a weird pairing, right? Yet it works! I love it, personally. The jacket ties it together well and the boots sell it completely. Its sexy, stylish, warm, and comfortable. What more can you ask for? 

I styled the scarf two different ways. Once just draped over my neck and the other tossed over my shoulder with the longer part on full display. I love both looks, I'm very curious as to what you will think! Let me know! 

Actually everything in this particular look are old pieces. I'm once again attempting to weed out my closet. Wish me luck!

I think its safe to say these pieces will stay! 

Jacket: Target
Scarf: Goodwill
Dress: Forever21
Boots: NY and Company
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses

Hey all!

Quick and late post for today. It has been a long and busy day, but I wanted to keep on track! Also the last few days have been kind of dreary and cold, so I decided to spruce things up a bit. 

These bright colors help improve my mood when the day is gloomy and the weather cold. It was certainly fun breaking out my peacoat for the first time this year! 

I thank you for reading and enjoy this post! =)

XOXO

Coat: Shein.com
Necklace: LOFT
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses 

My friend Reasons Brown wrote and recorded a new song! This song is much different than many of his other songs. While most of his songs -the ones I have heard at least- are upbeat and inspirational, this one takes a more somber, reverent tone. 


Hattie Strong is the name of the song, and as soon as it began, I realized I was about to hear something deeply personal. The music is soft. The beat, methodical. It is the lyrics that take the fore front. Some of the lines are deep and raw; "...crying to the Lord because it's not fair. Lost the one who helped me conquer all my fears," and "the earth is lucky to have known you." It is very clear that he has lost someone who meant the world to him.

It was his Grandmother. 

While I don't know her personally, I felt like I got to know a lot about her through his song. Clearly she was huge influence in his life. His support system and cheerleader both professionally and personally. A person who never gave up on him nor let him give up on himself. A woman of great character. 

The love Reasons has for his grand mother is palpable, the loss his experiencing is heavy. 

That is the unique part of this song. While Reasons is fully grieving the loss of his grandmother, 'Hattie Strong' is also a song of celebration and hope. Celebrating the wonderful woman she was and the impact she had on his life and hope in moving forward and continuing to make her proud. 


Robert, I'm sorry for your loss. I think your song is the perfect tribute to your grandmother. 

And by the way, I believe she is extremely proud of you!

Well I know this post seems crazy!

The coldest day thus far this winter, I'm posting in shorts?! Well bear with me! These pictures were taken when it was much warmer! Wednesday has been my spotlight series in the last few months. The one I was planning for today, I needed a bit more time to create and write. So, I decided to spotlight series on the belt bag! AKA the new fanny pack. 

Granted, this is much more fashion forward than the original fanny pack.

What I love about it? It is hands free! I mean what can be better!? My bags typically gets VERY heavy. So the belt bag certainly eliminates the heavy bag factor! That part I love!

What I hate? Also it being hands free! >D 

It is just so foreign to me! I love it, but then... what do I do with my hands?! I think I'll keep it, experiment with it, and -most likely- fall in love with it too much! ;D 

Belt Bag: Target
Blazer: Target
Shirt: LOFT
Shoes: Versona
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses

Hello and Happy Monday! 

Last month I was invited by my friend and designer/creator, Sarah Bischoff -of Zersten- to help with styling for a photo shoot for her Bantam collection. A day hanging with my designer friend, styling models, and taking behind the scenes pictures all the while, meeting new people and hearing their stories? This is the stuff I live for! So of course I was in! The plan was to meet at Sarah's place for hair and make up at 8 am on Saturday. 

When I arrived, our make up artist, Capri Greer, was already hard at work. Sarah was hard at work as the hair stylist that morning. I jumped in and began pairing looks together for the models. Our models that day were Kennedy Guyton, Jordan Hitchcock, Kendall Evans, and Holly Dunn. The plan; to have them all styled in their first look before we left for our shoot location. As I have come to find with photo shoots, hair and make up can take a while. But in the meantime I was able to chat with the moms of the models, as well as Karen Dunn, our photographer for the day. It was fascinating to hear their stories and experiences in the fashion world. 

Around 10:30 we were ready to go! We packed up and headed to our shoot location; Camp North End. The weather was on our side for the most part. While it started out sunny, it quickly became overcast. Sounds strange right? But shooting outdoors, that worked in our favor. Camp North End is an interesting place. It is a large venue and very diverse in its' scenery. Sarah had visited prior to the shoot and picked out a few places she wanted to shoot at. Including one rustic, wooden wall -you'll see in the pictures what I mean! We also shot in an industrial/warehouse location, and in front of a huge black and white mural. 

Karen, was outstanding. She shot all day long. She directed the models on how to pose, where to stand, how to walk -introducing at least me to what she calls the 'drunk walk' and a pose called the 'pee pose.' Karen also planned ahead and brought along a changing tent for the models to change outfits in. It served its' purpose well! 

The models were absolute troopers the whole day! The thing that was not really on our side was the temperature. It was very cold! One thing I want to point out about photo shoots. They are not always as glamorous as the end pictures would have you believe. They typically last most of the day and there is a lot of waiting around in between shots. I say that to bring home the point that while it was cold out, these girls were styled in shorts, crop tops, sleeveless shirts, and skirts.  Not once did I hear any of them complain. In fact Kennedy and her mother offered to let everyone sit in their heated car in between shoots. They were so optimistic and fun to work with. They were cooperative and so supportive of each other. In between shots, they huddled together, wrapped up in blankets and shared stories and laughed together. 

Now to Sarah. Sarah is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! She and her fiance, Gibson, are so thoughtful and generous. I had seen her Bantam line before at a Sustainable style show. I loved it then. But to see it up close was surreal. It has a very tough, strong feel to it. Her use of similar colors and patterns makes it easy to mix and match almost every piece. Sarah was involved in every aspect of the process. She did the hair that morning, she had the final say in the styling, she helped out with directing the models, she picked the locations, you guys... this girl did it all! And she did it all so graciously. I love her passion for her work. I expect nothing but greatness from her! I am so honored she asked me to be a part of it! 

I hope we will have more projects to share with you in the future! 

Thank you for reading! 


Special thanks to:
Designer: Sarah Bischoff -Zersten: Bantam
Photographer: Karen Dunn
MUA: Capri Greer
Models: Holly Dunn, Kendal Evans, Kennedy Guyton, and Jordan Hitchcock

Happy Friday all! 

It is a little chillier out this morning! Not too bad though. I have several future posts I need to work on so I may try heading outside and doing a little writing. I haven't done that often. Mostly because it has been so hot. But today might be the perfect day to try it! 

Anyway, onto today's look! Today I am having some fun playing with prints. This striped pencil skirt has been with me for a lonnnnnnng time! A VERY long time! I couldn't even tell you when it came into my life -that's how long ago! But I have loved it always. It has more than paid itself off at this point. It is just so bold and dynamic. It can be mixed and matched so well. I personally love mixing other prints with it. In the past I have paired it with a differently striped crop top and a tweed jacket. 

And today it is a giraffe printed sweater. 

When mixing prints,  I try to typically stay within the same color family. Or at least close. This one is of course all black and white. And I also thing the solid black cuffs of the sweater are what really pulls this look off. They tie in perfectly with the bold black stripes in the skirt. If it had been giraffe print all the way, I don't know how well it would have worked. 

And of course a pop of color to complete the look! 

I hope you enjoy it! And stay tuned! There is much more coming up! 

XOXO

Skirt: Target (old)
Shirt: Summer Bird Boutique
Bag: NewChic.com
Heels: Chinese Laundry
Shades: Hashtag Sunglasses
Necklace: Burlington