Best Friends Are Hard To Come By

NYFW is upon us and although we are already looking forward to Spring 2020 lines, we still have to live through Fall of 2019. This season, get ready for a little 90's influence. Cue the denim jackets and plaid button-downs. Although we are still waiting on our first burst of cool air, fall fashion styles are already rolling out. 

Last week my best friend Laura Pucker was here in North Carolina to escape Hurricane Dorian as it threatened the east coast of Florida after pummeling the Bahamas. Of course, when Laura called and asked if she could fly up and stay with me I said YES immediately. Laura and I have known each other for years and met when I was coaching her for Mrs. Florida America.  

About 3 minutes into our first session I knew 2 things, Laura was the class clown (aka Ms. Congeniality) and we were about to become best friends. Since that day 10 years ago Laura and I have been thick as thieves and we have bonded over everything from travel and relationship issues to fashion trends and fake friends.

Even though Laura and I don't live in the same city, she is one of those people you can just pick right back up with. One of those rare friends that you can call for anything. While Laura was here we were inspired by NYFW and started planning our return trip to New York City for fall fashion week this coming February.  

In the meantime, enjoy these fall-inspired styles that are sure to be hot trends as the leaves change. Look for denim, mauve, plaids, casual dresses and sandals to rock this season for transitional pieces.  

2

All Business In 2019!

Happy New Year Friends! I can honestly say I have never been happier to wave goodbye to a year. 2018 was a tough year for my family and we are hoping for things to get off to a great start in 2019! 

This will be the year of focus for me. My long term goals this year are to focus on my family and my radio career. You hear stories all the time about how challenging it can be to balance both, and as a working Mom, I can attest to that! 

I have always been a big believer in vision boards and I am working on mine this week to include growing our radio family and putting even more resources into baby Cash's speech in 2019. 

Vision boards have always helped me keep sight of the things I've wanted to achieve and keep them fresh in my mind. It is so easy to get caught up in life and distracted by drama. You know what they say? "Out of sight. Out of Mind." Vision boards help me visually see what I need to keep myself motivated! 

Of course, also included on my vision board this year as cute looks for the young, busy Mom on the go! I love this business casual inspired blazer from Nordstrom and Free people waffle thermal. I kept this look leaning more casual with a pair of destressed black jeans and leopard flat mules. Add a great necklace and my signature hoop earrings and I am ready to take on the world in 2019! 

I hope you are too! Happy New Year! 

1

Chambray Summer

Oh, how I love Chambray in the summer... and no I'm not talking white wine. Chambray, not to be confused with Chardonnay, is that light denim material you've seen everywhere lately. Although I like where your head is at!

Chambray is the fabric of the moment, but what is it really? It looks like denim but feels like linen. Well, although it does share some common elements with denim, it is actually categorized as it's own unique material.

Chambray is a plain single weave construction, giving it a softer feel than traditional denim. Subsequently, after washing this material, you will need to iron it to bring back it's soft texture. 

I am loving this tulip backed tank top in this alluring fabric, coupled with a traditional pair of slightly distressed white denim jeans. I styled this look with a pair of nude strappy summer heels and my brand new Katey Brunini bracelets. 

Katey Brunini handcrafts all of her fine jewelry by hand to create the most beautiful natural pieces you have ever seen! For my birthday this month, Dallas added a pearl bangle to my already impressive stack.  

These bracelets have always represented milestones in our relationship. One from our first wedding anniversary and one from Cashton's birth date with his birthstone at the center. 

This one also has great meaning in my life. Dallas gifted me this bangle as a representation of Woofer, our late fur baby who we said goodbye to last month. Of course, I cried when he put it on my wrist and told me the meaning. Now, I proudly wear it every day along with my other reminders of a blessed life I am lucky to have.  

I wore these gorgeous pieces of arm candy with my Daniel Wellington watch to complete this look and you can shop the details below.     

  

0

4 for Fashion : Blue Hem

Happy Thursday Friends!

If you're like me ... you've had a week, but have no fear Friday is coming and she's bringing wine!

Until she arrives, I have a brand new 4 For Fashion edition of "All Of The F-Words" to keep us entertained! If you missed the initial launch of "4 For Fashion", let me clue you in on who we are. 4 For Fashion is a group of women of all ages and walks of life, assembled to create stylish inspirations for anyone in their 20's, 30's, 40's or 50's! We like to think you can be stylish at ANY AGE!

This week my girls and I are spotlighting a staple on the Queen City shopping scene. Blue Hem is a pure, premium, denim shopping experience.

We all know how dishearting jean shopping can be, but Blue Hem takes the guesswork out of finding your perfect size and fit. They carry lines for men and women in all colors and sizes. Blue Hem even carries shorts and overalls from bootlegged to distressed.

Rachel, Laura, Barbi and myself all visited Blue Hem on Camden Road at different times, to select our looks. The great thing about Blue Hem is the selection! All four of us found looks we loved to suit our personal styles.

I think if you read my blog you know that I LOVE super distressed denim and I am probably the most "rugged" out of our little ensemble. I found these amazing high rise, distressed, slim fit jeans by McGuire. The denim was worn in and soft. The jeans themselves never lost their shape during wear!  These jeans have a personality all their own so I chose to pair them with an everyday knotted tee, and simple silver jewelry. 

Rachel from Queen City Chic is our little hipster! Rachel is in her 20's and has the perfect physique for this retro look. She opted for these stylish jean shorts by James Jeans. They are longer than your traditional denim shorts but she said the length was perfect! They stayed in place and the cut elongated her torso when paired with this double ruffle tee she chose to tie up! 

Laura is the editor behind Smart Southern Style and I always love working with her because she sees the big picture in things. Laura's look this week is perfectly styled and shows her true fun loving personality! I mean who doesn't love leopard heels paired with jeans? Laura found a great pair of Joe's cropped, slightly distressed jeans that fit her like a glove! 

Last and certainly not least is Barbi from Southern Blonde Chic, and she is just that! Barbi elected to stay on the traditional side this week and go for a classic jean by 3x1. She rolled the hemline for a cropped look and hit the nail on the head! This look is a must-have! Barbi paired these jeans with a bell-sleeved tunic and added a pop of color with a great earring. So on trend! 

As you can see Blue Hem has something for everyone! You can find all of our looks (and more) at Blue Hem on Camden Road in Southend. From traditional blue jeans to colored denim or distressed to classic cuts, Blue Hem is a Charlotte treasure when it comes to finding the perfect jean for your body type.  You can reach Blue Hem at (980) 228-1868 or check out their Instagram for more looks you're sure to love! 

A special thank you to Say Cheese CLT for a fun evening of shooting and gorgeous photos that captured the true style that Blue Hem has to offer! 

160

Smiling Through The Tears

This isn't my typical post and if you don't have a box of tissues handy I would just shop this look and bail because I am bearing my heart in this post. 

What is the definition of denim?

Den-im /'denem/ noun: a sturdy fabric, sometimes distressed or bleach but typically blue. Used for jeans, overalls and other clothing.  

 I am trying to decide if I am like denim. I am trying to be sturdy but I am distressed and definitely blue. For the last month, I have been struggling with the tough decision of putting my dog Woofer down. 

Last Sunday afternoon at about 5:15pm my world stopped as I said goodbye to my very best friend and fur baby. May 21 will go down in my heart as the 2nd worst day of my life, only to losing my Father. 

Woofer aka Cody was my 16-year-old baby boy and was the absolute best dog ever. It still breaks my heart to think about the moment I said goodbye but Woofer wasn't in good health. He was blind due to an eye infection and cataracts leading him to sleep all day and struggle to get around day and night. Most nights he would fall into his food and water bowl, run into walls and/or gets stuck behind furniture because he couldn't find his way out. 

He was also dealing with hip dysplasia, causing him to fall into his own feces when he attempted to use the bathroom. He didn't go outside anymore as he was becoming disoriented, so he used pee pee pads inside the house instead.  I use to try and take him outside and sit with him once a day to get some fresh air but his quality of life took a turn for the worse. 

Saying goodbye to Woofer was not a decision I took lightly. It took many long talks with our Vet and to say this was the hardest decision of my life is an understatement. I have had the hardest time with the thought of "playing God." Woofer was my absolute best friend and fur-baby for half of my life. Voluntarily saying goodbye to someone you love unconditionally is a haunting experience.

This sounds terrible to say but I put it in Gods hands, and prayed and prayed and prayed that he would take Woofer peacefully in his sleep but that didn't happen and I couldn't see him suffer anymore. 

Woofer was with me through college, my father's passing, 3 cross country moves and MANY sleepless nights with a newborn. He was my rock. 

I use to love coming home to see those two little black beady eyes waiting patiently on the second stair of our little condo in Boca Raton, Florida. 

My greatest fear is that I have made a terrible decision and those little whimpers I use to love hearing at the swimming pool will haunt me forever. Woofer loved the water and loved to swim. I did what I thought was best for my life-long buddy and I will try to honor him this summer by spreading his ashes at his favorite lake. 

Goodbye, my sweet boy. There will never be another like you.

28

All Or Nothing

 

It's been hard to find time to blog lately. 

I seem to have a ton going on and nothing much to say. Truth be told ... I'm just worn out. My day begins early and ends late. Putting in a full 8 hour day before noon on minimal sleep does take it out of you. Then add a new routine with my husband's new job, appearances for work, a sick dog, a baby and a blog. Whoa.

I know it might sound like I am complaining because I am stressed, but I am just trying to remind myself that this along with all other worry is only temporary.

Dallas got a GREAT new job as a regional RVP with a medical company and it is requiring him to be on the road most of the week. Which would typically be a cake walk for us (and a nice break for me) but our nanny, who we love dearly, has taken a leave of absence for a family emergency. For the last two and a half weeks we have been struggling to find childcare while we are both at work, adding an extra layer to our already nutty lives. With some help from our mothers, Cash has been well taken care of but it has definitely taken a toll on all of us. 

Luckily, I have found an interim replacement nanny who will start at the end of this week. Fingers crossed all works out and our dear Sandra is back to work soon. 

In the meantime, I have been searching for answers to Cashton's speech delay. Today he saw a speech therapist for a consultation and it was the toughest hour of my life but I have to trust the process. Children are typically tested in private, away from Mom and Dad so that they are not distracted and Cash was having none of it!

During his one hour consultation, I sat in an empty waiting room listening to my baby cry out to me for 25 mins before he even entertained the idea of playing with a stranger. At nineteen months children are dealing with some separation anxiety so I know that behavior is normal but it doesn't ease the hurt in your heart when you hear those cries. 

All in all, they were able to complete the evaluation and we should have a course of action for his speech therapy in about a week.

While I wait, I thought I would get back on the wagon and share with you this innovative look for your #bossbabe Monday. The Blazer dress is a collaboration by one of my favorite influencers (Olivia Culpo) and Revolve. The dress runs small so size up. I paired this chic look with a pair of white mules from Nordstrom and Kendra Scott's brand new adjustable earrings. 

Enjoy Boss Babes! 

0