Being Fashion Forward in a Small Town 5.11.2018

I'll be the first to admit that being super into fashion and living in a small Midwest town are not exactly a match made in heaven. Photo locations can be hard to come by, I get all kinds of looks and comments, and shopping isn't readily available. 

But I'm a definite believer in blooming where you are planted! Since living here I've been determined to not let my location dampen my style and what I'm inspired by. As my confidence grows, fitting in becomes less important to me, and being true to myself and my style become increasingly important and empowering!

How I deal with the looks and comments...

Honestly, I've just gotten used to them and grown to care less and less over time. I internally roll my eyes at the "wow, those are some shoes!" types of comments. Or the misogynistic, "you need to ask Trey to buy you some jeans without holes in them!" Gag. I've been known to flip off the creeps who harass me as I'm trying to take photos of my outfits (I'm sassier than you might think haha). And now I find the mystified looks to be pretty amusing! To me, it means I'm doing my own thing and owning my style!  

How I shop...

ONLINE! As I'm sure you've noticed, online shopping is kind of a big deal these days 😉It's definitely made it easier to adapt to a town where we don't even have a Target or a Chipotle, and helps to put me on a more level playing field with other bloggers. That being said, it would be really nice to run to Nordstrom or Sephora here and there haha. Fortunately, we do have an awesome boutique here called June and Beyond that gives me a great local shopping option! 

Why I refuse to conform to where I live...

To me that would be giving up and just blending in. I've loved fashion and been super inspired by the industry since I was 14 years old, and I'm not giving up on that anytime soon. I have a feeling I'll love it my entire life. I started my blog years ago because I felt like I had a unique perspective and style, so it would be a shame to drown that out just because we ended up in a smaller town for the time being. Here's what I think: Don't let where you live define you. Dress how you want to dress, believe what you want to believe, and live your life how you want to live it!   

How it's built my confidence...

I think in a way I've been forced to become more confident by living here. I stand out at times, and I've had to become more comfortable with that! I no longer feel embarrassed about my style and personality, and feel empowered to be uniquely me! 

dress (c/o - use code LOVELENORE20 for 20% off your Maude orders!)

shoes  |  sunglasses (c/o)  |  similar bag  |  similar bandana  |  hoops

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Busy, but Energizing Weekends 5.07.2018

While I love weekend trips and fun plans, sometimes nothing excites me more than looking at my calendar for a weekend and seeing very few plans! That was the case this weekend but it ended being a lot busier than I thought it would be. a) the weather was gorgeous. We had to get outside. b) our house was in shambles. c) I'm eating Keto right now and am cooking lots and flying through fresh groceries. d) I've been neglecting my blog and it was time to catch up.

Even though I didn't get much lazy couch time, I actually feel super energized going into a new week! Productivity + some quality time with the hubby makes ya feel really good. My house is clean and smells nice (always a win with indoor dogs), I have a new blog post up (you're reading it!), I played golf with Trey, I did some adopt-a-highway trash cleanup (which made me so tired and sore!), I meal planned for the week in about 5 minutes in the Aldi parking lot, and we got to spend some time on our newly made-over back deck to grill and split a bottle of red wine. All in all, I have no complaints :)  

top (just $18! fits oversized) |  jeans (look for less) |  sandals (c/o)  |  similar bag  |  earrings

Now if I can get through a very stressful workday, I get to shoot with my friend Bri tonight and finally get some new content!

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The "It" Bags of the Season 3.07.2018

There's no denying that woven/straw/basket bags are the "it" trend of the season. I'm seeing them absolutely everywhere, and at all different price points! I have a feeling they're pretty polarizing, but I personally love them! In my home I love to decorate with different textures, and I love applying that philosophy to my outfits as well. Since these are the perfect accessory to transition into spring, I thought I would round up some of my favorites!

Sadly I can't include Zara stuff in the below widget, but I think they have the best collection! I legitimately opened 10 or 11 tabs and loved them all! If I had to narrow down, some of my favorites are here, here, here and here.

Zara bags aside, here are some others I'm loving (all under $100, and most are well under):

Is this a trend you plan on wearing? I already have two woven/straw bags 🙈 Mine pictured above is sold out, but I purchased it from the cutest boutique, Hello Luvvy! Oh, and my top can be found here.   

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