I'm not typically one to wear a fitted dress, but when Lulus sent this millennial pink goodness over I was immediately obsessed and looooove it paired with brown (or white)!
I just re-read a great New York Mag article titled "Why Millennial Pink Refuses to Go Away," and I guess I'm as cliche as millennials come because I really can't get enough of this color family. I was gravitating toward it before I even really knew what it was, and although subtle, I've even incorporated small accents throughout our home (like this book and this pot). Trey hasn't complained so far so the possibilities are endless as of right now 😝
Some of my [many? endless?] favorite millennial pink finds...
While
I've always been fairly "successful" and put-together for my age, I've
still made my fair share of stupid choices and grown from a lot of
learning experiences over the years. Over the past few years I've worked
through not regretting anything, and simply learning from my mistakes
and experiences - whether serious or silly. If you live with the
perspective that everything happens for a reason and should be grown
from as a result, it will truly improve your life!
Since
these are some things I've reflected on over the years, and found
myself chatting about with my friends, I thought I would share them here! I think it's such an interesting conversation topic :)
If the guy you're dating isn't marriage material, don't waste your time.
You've
probably heard this advice repeatedly from your parents, but maybe it
will sound different coming from me ;) Even if marriage isn't on
your radar right now (or ever!), why would you invest yourself and your time in
someone who is immature and would not make a good husband or dad? I wish
I could answer why I wasted time on stupid boys.
Step away from the tanning bed sista.
I
straight up cringe when I think about baking myself in a tanning bed.
Nothing ages you faster, not to mention the highly increased risks of
skin cancer! After my mom had several cancerous cells removed (and as a
result received several scars), it really opened my eyes that I wasn't
invincible, and that it wasn't worth it. I'm already thanking myself for
quitting a few years back, and know I will even more down the road!
Don't weigh yourself everyday or count every calorie.
Instead focus on clean eating, healthy portions, and nourishing your body.
I
first have to include the disclaimer that these practices are helpful
to a lot of people. However, they were extremely harmful to
me. I succumbed to disordered eating off and on in high school and college. I was
obsessed with being bone thin and would only eat very low calorie foods. I wrote down every calorie I consumed (starting at 15 years old! 😢) and analyzed each night. I
obsessed over my calorie counts and mentally beat myself up if I went
over my limit by even a couple hundred calories. Unfortunately when I
went through this in high school I was dancing 5+ days a week and my
strength and overall ability declined, and I stopped having my period
for over a year (which messed me up for many years afterward). I'm
thankful that one of my dance teachers and one of my best friends
noticed what was going on and helped me through it.
To
avoid those negative and unhealthy thoughts (which I still struggle with sometimes), I now turn my focus on
clean eating, nourishing my body, and healthy portions. If you're
someone who fixates, find some healthy goals to fixate on. I actually don't ever weigh
myself anymore and instead evaluate where I'm at based on how I look in the
mirror, how my clothes fit, and most importantly - how I feel. Sometimes I even ask nurses not to tell me my
weight because it's just healthier for me mentally if I don't know. I now try to
workout for muscle tone and health rather than "to get skinny" just
because it's a much more positive way to approach things.
In summary...Love yourself and take care of your mind, body and soul :)
Explore LOTS of careers while in high school and college. I can't even tell you how many interesting careers I've learned about as a working adult that I would have been so interested in when I was younger. While I mostly enjoy my work in communications and PR, if I could go back in time I would explore the nutrition and dermatology fields. My advice: - Think about things you're interested in, and research all of the careers that tie into those interests - Take personal strength and career strength tests (there are both free and paid ones) to narrow down fields you may excel in, then explore from there! - Think about what intrinsically motivates you, and what grinds your gears. What jobs include tasks you hate, and what fields encompass principles that motivate you? - Do lots of job shadowing, and don't be afraid to simply email or call someone to ask questions either!
Have more fun! I was always so school and career motivated, and while that's ultimately served me very very well over the years, I often look back on my college years and wish I had had a little more fun and stressed less! I wish I had spent more time with friends rather than studying and working constantly. Not that adult life isn't fun, because it's as fun as you make it, but definitely enjoy your younger years and take advantage of having fun with friends!
Did any of these resonate with you? And what pieces of advice would you give your younger self??
And just a quick note on my outfit... You've seen this tank on my Instagram a couple of times because it's already been such a summer staple for me! I love that it's simple and low maintenance for hot weather, but the tie details add a little somethin' somethin.' I also scored this amazing hat on sale for $19 (originally $48)! It has a high end look and feel, and I love the unique color (called 'cinnamon').
If I were to have a uniform, this would pretty much be it. Nearly all-black, distressed denim, hat, and structured bag - check! We've had shorts weather this week and it's been absolutely glorious. I know I've whined before about how much trouble I have finding denim shorts that fit right, but I lucked out and found the pair I'm wearing for just $32 at my local boutique, June and Beyond. They don't have an online store yet, but their Instagram shows off all of their adorable clothes (you may or may not find me on there ;)), and you can order off of it by email through PayPal! If you're interested in these shorts they are true to size (the small fits like a size 2-4) and have a little extra room in the leg, which I love.
Tomorrow is my birthday (hooray!), so check back tomorrow for a special birthday post with some fun facts about me and more!
There's nothing like stripes, a straw hat, and pops of pink and turquoise to give off some summer vibes. This top and jeans are classics that I've had for awhile, but I found another way to remix them by wearing some fun and fresh accessories. I can't get enough of my slide sandals and both colors of my straw hat for making my outfits a little more fun!
My first thought when editing these photos was, "Dear Lord I have a stupid hair tie on my wrist." The perfectionist in me hates little oversights like this, but the truth is when you work all day, then run home to walk and feed your dogs, then drive an hour, change in your car to take pictures, take the pictures by yourself with a tripod, change back to your other clothes in your car, and then meet a friend for dinner, life is far from glamorous and perfect. Real life looks a lot more like being very thankful you slapped some self-tanner on your legs the night before and wearing a hat because your roots are atrocious and your hair is a tangled mess from the wind. I'm the first to admit that I can get caught up in the "perfection" of the blogging/Instagram world. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE pretty photos and chic outfits regardless...it's my brand of art and a daily inspiration for me. And yes, there really are some girls shooting blog photos in Paris, and living in amazing minimalist lofts with multiple Chloe bags. But the thing to remember is that none of us are perfect or even have to try to be. It's not wrong to love the pretty photos and amazing fashion, but it's also key to remember that life isn't that gorgeous 100% of the time for anybody. Do I find myself Instagram-stalking my favorite bloggers and lamenting the fact that I can't buy everything in my Nordstrom online shopping cart? I would be lying if I said no. But sometimes I have to bring myself back down to earth and remember how blessed I am to even have a monthly shopping budget, and to get to share something I love with you, even if the behind-the-scenes isn't all that glamorous.
While in my head I'm totally in sundress and midi skirt mode, we are definitely still getting some dreary, chilly days here (especially with all of the rain) so I'm relying on light layers like this lovely duster cardigan. This is a [super] dramatic thing to say, but this is seriously the cardigan of my dreams. Not stuffy or itchy (I have an issue with a lot of sweaters), and such a cool length. Also, they just added it to their site in blush pink, so I'm obviously loving that a lot as well.
Another recent obsession is this black straw hat. It's a serious bargain at $30 and was my favorite outfit feature at the Masters last week because it protected my face from the sun (I'm all about skin protection as of this year) but also hid my hair from the sudden rainstorm. Win win.
