OOTD | Happy Colors!

It had already been a long Friday but I had the chance to actually have dinner with my husband and go to an event that I have been meaning to get to for months now. I dashed home from the gym, jumped into the shower and then my closet and came out with this...I kind of really like it! 

I cannot live without this Oatmeal cashmere wrap, it goes with everything, keeps me warm, folds easily into my purse and I can style it a countless number of ways. Tonight I made it into an infinity loop by tucking and hiding the tasseled ends into the wrapped layers. I picked up this adorable cream quilted jacket with gold accents today while at Target. Not the best quality piece but cute and I am sure I can get a season or two out of it.  

One of my favorite colored tops. I've had this forever, it is such a versatile, happy piece. 

 I just love pairing complimentary colors, blue and orange are my favorite!

Accessories...my staple Stuart Weitzman nude pumps, Hermès belt with hammered gold buckle, and my Louis Vuitton makeup case that has never held makeup but is the heart of any handbag I carry and my go to clutch when I'm lazy and need to crab something small on the go.

I just love the COLORS of this outfit. The belt feeds off the reds and oranges of the top while complimenting the rich blue of the jeans.

 This was a great outfit because while I felt cute in it, and I was comfortable it didn't feel at all fussy. I didn't have a stitch of makeup on, and I there my wet hair into a ballet bun and ran out the door. Another post on the go!  

I hope you all had a good Friday night.  

xo, 

OOTD | BLD

Lord I know it has been forever since I have done a fashion focused post! I have no excuse. I have been busy and capturing my outfits in detail has just not happened. If I had a dime for every time I've run, not walked, but run out the door and thought I should snap a few quick pictures for my blog I would have gotten myself a really great handbag or pair of shoes by now! This outfit is the one and only exception when I actually stopped for 3 seconds and took a few pictures. 

:: BLD | Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner ::

My days and activities vary greatly and so often times whatever I throw on in the morning is going to have to get me not only through the day but sometimes through the evening as well. I call these days BLD's because they have to take me from breakfast to lunch and straight on through to dinner! This was one of those days...

:: An effortless pop of color ::

Comfort is paramount on busy days! 

I remember throwing this outfit on in about 3 minutes. The key to this outfit is accessorizing. I tossed on a pair of plain skinny jeans(J.Crew) and paired them with a simple black top(?). The belt is an easy and effortless bright pop of color, comfy classic flats enabled me to stylishly scurry about for the entire day, while my go to-never let me down Céline sunnies hid the fact that I am not wearing an ounce of makeup and my well tailored favorite leather jacket kept me warm and added a little texture.

:: Delicate bows, comfortable and adorable::

The great thing about an outfit like this one is that I will wear it  or a version thereof hundreds of times in my life!

 A flip of the belt, a change of the top, swap the flats for heels, toss in some colored jeans...While how I wore this particular outfit was rather basic it can easily be transformed into something sassy and far more fun. Experimentation is my fashion muse, you never know how incredible something may be until you try it! 

xo, 

My Life in Music

Many people document their lives in journals or diaries. I've never been any good at that, I've started a few over the years but I've never kept one up. The one thing that I have done consistently over the years is to create playlists of music. One of my favorite movies is Almost Famous directed by the very talented Cameron Crowe. In the  behind the scenes interviews he discusses how he has kept tapes of music throughout his life and how he has been able to go back to those tapes and quite literally replay his life. 

My playlists are titled simply with the month and the year and I too am able to replay various moments of my life with the simple click of my mouse or tap on my iPod. From songs of my childhood to when I first left home to go to college, trips with friends, breakups, parties, when I met my husband, even when loved ones have passed away these playlists and their songs transport me back to moments and memories of my life. 

Most of them make me laugh, some make me cry but all make me smile. 

November 2013

Young & Beautiful Lana Del Rey

Stand Up Five for Fighting

What If Five for Fighting

At This Point In My Life Tracy Chapman

Bruises Train

Love Somebody Maroon 5

Let Her Go Passenger (still on repeat)

Wait for Me Kings of Leon

Wake Me Up Avicil

Oklahoma Sky Miranda Lambert

We All Need Saving Jon McLaughlin

Hero Family of the Year

God Gave Me You Blake Shelton

Demons Imagine Dragons

Bleeding Out Imagine Dragons

Nothing More The Alternate Routes (also on repeat!)

This playlist has been on repeat since I created it. In fact I'm still playing it and last night my husband came home to tell me about this great song I just had to listen to! Funny thing, it's on this playlist and I've been listening to it nearly non-stop, good news he was happy to listen to it more with me. 

These playlists are one of my most treasured possessions because they are quite literally my life in music.  

xo, 

The Beauty of Kindness

This evening I was touched by the beautiful kindness of an absolute stranger. I was at the gym and had just finished a workout that was intended far more for my mind than for my body. I was quietly stretching by myself, there was no one around me and yet as I sat on my mat and rested my body over my leg to stretch there was a smile and wave from across the way. I didn't recognize the face, nor did I understand the gesture, in fact I was not even certain that it had been a wave at all, but I quickly and warmly smiled back because that's how my heart and head responded. I went about my stretching and finished my workout. As I was beginning to leave the young man approached me. He very politely said that he didn't mean to disturb me but that he just wanted to let me know that he felt I was a very positive person and that he could feel the presence of my positivity. 

That was it. That was all. He smiled again at me and we parted ways. It was just a moment, a brief one at that, but it was a moment that I will never forget and one in which the true beauty of kindness revealed itself.

It was a moment that made me stop. 

It was a moment that reminded me to be grateful for all of the blessings in my life and it was a stunning reminder of how touching and meaningful the smallest of gestures can be. 

"We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do!"

In that moment all of my worries slipped away, I realized that whatever challenges I may be facing will work themselves out and that the power of my positive presence is palpable. 

What a remarkable reminder of what a gift a simple smile can be. 

 xo,