I could play with pattern and color all day long:)
These were a few looks that stood out to me this week!
Hope you have a fantastic Cinco de Mayo weekend ahead! Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for the REAL CHAT post! I will be participating in Ez’s challenge“Things I’m afraid to Tell You.”
I admit I was a little excited to have an excuse to play around with some new photoshop elements and fonts:) I designed these prints for you to use this Mother’s Day if you are in need of a note card, post card, or gift to give! They are 5 x 7 in. and you can download and print for free! Print on nice paper, cut out, and add to some textured paper for a thoughtful card or just frame as a print! These are designed so that you can give to a friend, MIL, or someone who just deserves a thoughtful note.
Coral red dress on a Spanish patio, while drinking a class of Sangria? Yes please! Who wants to join me?? Sometimes, its fun to dream, but rest assured, everything I post here is for inspiration and creativity only. My life is most certainly not always a dream. I have been talking about this subject a good deal with bloggers. That is why I started the Real Chat series. Ez of Creature Comforts is starting a series tomorrow on the topic of sharing the real and the not so pretty with readers. I suggest you tune in! You won’t want to miss!
* P.S. I want to hear your suggestions for topics on the new Real Chat series! What do you want to discuss? I have some wonderful guests lined up to share with you as well! Shoot me your ideas:)
A round up of some of my favorite moments from April…
My dear friend Jen’s wedding (don’t you love the birdcage?) / Me and my hot prom wedding date (earrings c/o BMB) / Little Miss Nina Ballerina / Bead Table at the local Antique Market / Gabriel in gingham makes my heart melt / My sweet little goddaughter / Cooking class with a fun bunch of friends / Getting my baby fix again (can you tell I love them?)
May and October are my absolute favorite months, so I welcome the start of this month with open arms. It seems to be that time of year where new life is everywhere. Graduations, First Communions, Weddings, Baptisms, Engagements, etc. It also means Gabe will be done teaching soon and we get him all to ourselves for the summer!
What is it about the obviously stated rules that make you want to break them??…
(Tee: H&M, Jeans: Banana Republic (similar here or here), Shoes: Urban Outfitters (similar), Necklace: DIY, Belt: H&M (similar here or here), Clutch: Target, Bracelets: Gift, Francescas)
It was Gabe’s idea…;) Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. They seem to always go faster than you hope they will. Friday night, I had the pleasure of meeting several fellow Atlanta bloggers. Its so nice to be able to talk to people who know the same blog language! Saturday and Sunday was a whole lot of this and this. Gabe and I got to sneak away and witness one of my dear friends weddings. We also got to dance the night away….a definate plus:)
By the way…thank you all who tuned in for one of the first Real Chat posts Saturday! Your feedback blew me away! I was so encouraged and motivated by you. Many more fantastic topics coming up this month:)
Style Word: Sometimes its best to start with the essentials. I would say a red heels polka dot tee are essentials for the all american girl. Run to H&M and get your self some polka dots for $5.95. Yep.
P.S. Its the last day to enter in the giveaway for the $100 shop credit to September Wren! Also the last day to grab a sponsor spot for May! Email me for the new sizes and stat info.
The True Beauty Files:
A lookbook for the modern modeste.
“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
Good morning friends:) This week I was close to quitting twitter. No particular reason other than the fact that I was feeling tired of all the distractions. Some days, I don’t want to be seen or heard, I just want to be…and enjoy being. You might find this surprising since I am a blogger, and my line of work involves a good deal of social media and the internet. However, sometimes, there can be too much of a good thing. We can consume to much of what we enjoy and feel the effects afterwards. What happens if you don’t realize you are consuming too much? What if there are no obvious after effects? Read on, and leave your thoughts!
The unthinkable happened at a friend’s wedding last month. As the groom was asked to confirm his desire to accept the bride as his lawfully wedded wife, he held up his hand, as if to say “wait a minute.” The audible gasps among the attendees turned to relieved chuckles as he pulled out his iPhone in the middle of the vows. He was tweeting, “I Do,” to his hundred or so followers.
At a coffee catch-up yesterday, the person I met with was too busy typing meeting minutes in Google Docs to actually have a face-to-face conversation with me. Even after I received his play-by-play account of our meeting via email, I left feeling as if we wasted time and never went deep enough to discuss specific, critical issues.
On New Year’s Eve last year, as thousands of people counted down from ten to one, I looked across the Sydney Harbor foreshore. I was shocked that most revelers were taking photos of the fireworks instead of actually watching them.
….Are we entering an age where capturing the highlights of our lives has taken precedence over actually enjoying those very same moments? The problem is, we must choose between capturing these moments or viscerally experiencing them as they unfold.
You will want to read this full post by Daniel Galati. He points to the elephant in the room of what our culture is experiencing….an overdose of social media. There is of course a way to keep things balanced, and if done so, it can be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, or network for your business. Every person has a different level of involvement. For instance, my mother – zero. If you want to talk to her, you give her a call or email her. My sister Angela takes a break from facebook every summer to invest in her friendships in person, and to enjoy life with no distractions. Sometimes, we need to step away to actually know how much it is a part of our lives. If you have time, read Kate Gabrielle’s post on her clean break from social media and her results.
So tell me, what are your thoughts on this? How do you balance the time you spend on social media?
Ultimately, its always a good challenge to ourselves is to take time to make a phone call, visit a friend, or even email someone you love. Invest more time in experiencing real life:)
I had a reader request some tips for the gents, so I am going to start with the basics, and where the best places are to find them. I love my husbands style so I had him approve this in advance;)
I don’t know about your man, but mine knows what he likes, and sticks to it. He keeps his closet simple, unlike me who never can say no to a cute pair of shoes;) He is a guy’s guy, who doesn’t like to look too contrived. We are willing to pay a little more for the basics, knowing he will wear them to death. (Except for pants because we seem to get pen stains on every pair;)) H&M had shirts for $15 the other week that were just the right fit and style.
