Faux Leather for Date Night

Faux Leather for Date Night

We have been non-stop over here with all the birthday and theme park fun, and Lil' Miss has not 1 but 2 Halloween parties this weekend. While she's at her gymnastics Halloween party, mom and dad get to enjoy a much needed date night. And I'm excited to break out these paperbag shorts which are insanely comfortable - so bring on the food! 


Faux Leather Cropped Tank in Olive {available in 5 colors} | Faux Leather Paperbag Shorts | BlazerBraided Sandals {48% off} | Necklace | Lipstick in Crème Cup








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Styled

Styled

Knock knock. Last week of October is that you? The glorious weather has moved in to Central Florida, and although it was a little too chilly for my taste last week the sun was shining the whole time, and it has now warmed back up to high 70's/low 80's with cooler mornings in the 50's/60's and low humidity. I am here for it. On one of the chillier days last week, I signed up to be a hair model at the brand new DryBar that opened up in Winter Park so the new stylists could practice. I was treated to the "Dirty Martini" do which is tousled and textured waves after a pampering wash and blow dry. 




I was greeted with a glass of bubbles (yes please!) and brought back to the hair washing room before settling in for the blow out and styling portion of the appointment. I relaxed with the glass of bubbles, and thoroughly enjoyed that they had Legally Blonde playing and it had just started. That and The Devil Wears Prada I could watch over and over again, and never get tired of them. 







I have been to a few blow dry bars before, but never the OG - DryBar since there haven't been any in Central Florida until now. I do love their products, and have scooped them up over the years from Sephora including the Super Lemon Drop brush, On the Rocks clarifying shampoo and Triple Sec finishing spray all of which were used during the appointment. 




Sending out more appreciation for this skirt! Not only is it super flattering, it's also insanely comfortable. I packed it for our trip to Cape Cod last month, and was excited to wear it around town back at home now too. 


One-Shoulder Sweater {30% off}| Free People Skirt {40% off} | Necklace | Lipstick in Crème Cup

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Revamp Your Wardrobe for the Holiday Season

Revamp Your Wardrobe for the Holiday Season

When you change your wardrobe, you feel like you've done something good, which is a great

confidence booster. In addition, by going through your closet regularly, you can get rid of

clothes you no longer wear and add new clothes that fit your ever-changing style. 



If you have been thinking that your wardrobe needs an update, it might be time to do it, now

is the time to switch things up if you've been wearing the same style for more than two or

three years. 


Keeping your style fresh can help you look evergreen and chic. Fortunately, updating your

look is less intimidating than you would imagine. Instead, finding your new style can be

rewarding and fun if done in the following ways. 


Discover your style


You may already have a good concept of your preferred daily attire and a well-developed

sense of your unique style. However, doing a personal style audit is vital, even if you think

your style is all figured out.


Discover whether you prefer a wardrobe with fewer, higher-quality pieces or one that is more

lively, fun, and colorful. 


You could also write down your style goals and preferences, make a mood board of all the

outfits you like, or look at the styles of people you look up to in the fashion world. Once you

know what you like and want, it will be easy to find new clothes.


Follow the trend


Before changing your style, you should analyze what works and what doesn't about your

current look. Then, consider why you have the contemporary style you do. 


Attempting to force a new style on yourself that doesn't fit well with you, your habits, and

your attitude will often fail, so carefully consider what you need and desire from a style

before committing to it.


Be real


In addition to considering how you want to look, think about how you must look. Your ideal

plan must assess your workplace atmosphere, social environment, area, weather, holiday

plan, and budget.

 

Don't be scared to have an aspirational style; don't be afraid to start dressing like the person

you aspire to be. However, be practical and choose a type that fits your personality.


Start with the basics


Versatile essentials are the core of any style. While the kind of basics suitable to your class

can vary based on the appearance you're going for, typically required basics include:


  • Shirts of solid hues 
  • Some basic shirts -T-shirts, button-ups, polos, camisoles, etc., 
  • Black trousers - Consider contemporary and flattering pants for your body type.
  • Flattering jeans - Regardless of which pair of jeans you select, ensure they fit and flatter you. 
  • Solid-colored sweaters or cardigans 
  • Skirts and dresses - Add a black pencil skirt or a neutral wrap dress.


The latest additions to your wardrobe should complement your style, compliment your figure,

and increase its versatility. Therefore, search for complementary and distinct items from your

current collection to prevent your wardrobe from becoming too homogeneous. For example,

consider whether a particular shirt can be worn in various ways with different outfits before

purchasing it. 


Add accessories


With the right accessories, you can get a look that is uniquely yours, so finding the correct

items for your style can assist you in refining the tone and appearance of your particular style.

Accessories help you to add nuance to your ensembles, so when purchasing them, consider

the subtle components of the style you wish to portray. For instance, accessories can offer

subtle elegance, assertive confidence, or edgy comedy to your overall look. The standard

assortment of accessories consists of belts, jewelry, hats, scarves, and spectacles. 




The accessories can transform an outfit's focal point, add a splash of color, or transform it

from casual to office-appropriate to formal, so shop intelligently. In addition, you can get a

lot of choices and discounts while looking for wholesale hats, belts, bags, etc., online.


Shopping online


It's hard to change up your wardrobe, especially when you go to the mall looking for almost

nothing. So instead, use the internet to shop from home. But before that, list the things you

like to look at.


Moreover, you can use sites with festive offers and discounts to revamp your wardrobe while

staying within your budget.


Don't shy from experimenting


Try not always to wear the same outfits together when you match them. Instead of being

limited to the same colors in your clothing, a good combination will allow you to create a

unique style. 


Use the seasonal changes as inspiration. The most popular time to replace your outfit is

around the holiday season. During the winter, it's typical to see more red, green, or other

holiday-themed clothing. 


Why not experiment with layering your clothes rather than always wearing the same pair?

Just consider different layers, and you never know what you might find.




*This post is a sponsored article in collaboration with Scalefluence that I was excited to share you with you, as it came at the perfect time with us trying to plan for all the end of the year fun.


Turning Six

Turning Six

How is it possible that my sweet girl is turning 6 already?! I am definitely "one of those moms" who still sees her as an itty bitty baby, and I have to remind myself daily that she's no longer a baby. Her official birthday isn't until this weekend, but this past Saturday the stars aligned with the pavilion at the park she specifically requested to have her party at being available, my cake baker being available and some of our friends who had travel plans coming up also being in town. 



I originally encouraged her to have a party at her gymnastics gym, but she insisted on this park because she loves the splash pad, playground and beach sand area. She also insisted on a "Mei Mei party" since she has been watching "Turning Red" on repeat. This theme was not easy to pull off - for some reason they don't carry supplies for it at Target or Party City so enter Amazon. But even that wasn't as plentiful as it should be. 



It turned out that the rain I had been fearing that could ruin her big day wasn't an issue. In fact the skies were cloud free and picture perfect, humidity was low and it was warm enough for the kids to run around in the splash pad but not super hot where the adults were uncomfortable. What I didn't account for was the wind. Ugh the wind. I wasted the entire set up time fighting against it before surrendering. I had envisioned "Turning Red" tablecloths on each table, setting the tables with "Turning Red" centerpieces, plates, napkins, etc... and that all went out the window. Even the red table weights I bought immediately fell over and the tablecloths had a mind of their own. So, I'm sitting on several unopened tablecloths, plates, napkins and centerpieces if anyone is throwing a party with a "Turning Red" theme soon. 









I also forgot the t-ball bat at home, so H quickly ran to a store down the road and bought a broomstick for the pinata. Oh and the pinata - couldn't find one that was Turning Red themed even on Amazon, so I picked up a red one at Party City which happened to be Minecraft themed. Whoops! 



We had several amazing helpers when the party ended to clean everything out of the pavilion, and load up the cars. Then we headed down the street to our favorite local Mexican spot where I enjoyed a much needed margarita, and Lil' Miss opened her gifts from Auntie Emily who also joined us for some post-event beverages. They hit the spot, and it's always great to catch up. 




Thankful

Thankful

In the 12+ years since we moved to Florida, we have been extremely fortunate to only endure 3 hurricanes - Hurricane Matthew in 2016 (2 weeks before Lil' Miss' due date) thankfully we didn't lose power, Hurricane Irma in 2017 where we lost power for a week and now Hurricane Ian. I'm heartbroken to see the devastation on the gulf coast, but am confident they will rebuild and be stronger than ever. 

We were hit with the worst part of the storm overnight on Wednesday (why can't they ever roll through during the day?), and woke up on Thursday to still having power albeit flickering a lot. The yard was covered in debris, the pool was brown and we had a lot of standing water. Thankfully our neighborhood wasn't flooded, but a lot nearby were. We did end up losing power around 10:30 that morning, and were extremely relieved when we came home from dinner the following evening that it was back on. We were prepared to be without it for several days again, but are thankful that wasn't the case. It's incredible how much we rely on electricity - internet, lights, garage door openers, the pool pump, charging our phones, the refrigerator, watching tv etc... Even though we did our best not to buy a lot of perishables leading up to the storm, and eat what we could beforehand I was upset to throw away so much food. I am not a fan of waste.



Someone was excited for an excuse to break out her rain boots and umbrella to stomp in the puddles before the storm fully arrived. I told her that was it for a while because it would be too dangerous to be outside.



This was what we woke up to - a flooded and brown pool. There's a small slope in the backyard, and when water builds up all the dirt pours down into the pool. Thankfully, it is almost back to normal again because I know a certain little girl who can't wait to jump back in. 



We spent most of Saturday cleaning up the yard, and removing debris which was no joke. I wish I was wearing a fitness tracker because it totally wiped me out. Then on Sunday, we met up with friends who also have annual passes at Universal to de-stress and ride some rides. We had a marathon of a day with lower wait times:


Universal Studios

  • Transformers
  • Simpsons
  • Splash Zone
  • Hogwarts Express from Kings Cross to Hogsmeade

Islands of Adventures

  • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
  • Flight of the Hippogriff
  • Velocicoaster
  • Jurassic Park River Ride
  • Spiderman
  • Storm Force Accelatron
  • The Hulk
  • One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish









I'm also thankful for each and every one of you. My heart was full with the outpouring of texts and DM's checking in to make sure we were ok after the storm. Thank you <3