Beautiful Goodbye

Hi friends... Wanna hear something exciting? Dark and early tomorrow morning, my sweet momma and I will be catching a flight across country! I'm headed to Portland and this time I'm dragging my best friend with me. Technically I'm going for "work," if you can even call the CAbi Scoop work. We lucked out & scored a guest ticket to the fashion show and I'm so thrilled to share this experience with my mom! I swear I'm already dreaming of the Fall 13 collection, I cannot wait to see the new line, and I'm so looking forward to some girl time with some of my favorite ladies. Besides all the fashion, we plan to drink fabulous wine and eat delicious food, hike off some of the extra calories, and do some general exploring. If you have any recommendations for things to do in the Portland area, please share!

In the mean time, it's all packing... and I'd say this Maroon 5 song is the most perfect packing music!

Canary

Instead of a regular post today, I wanted to send you darlings over to the CAbi Canary. Not only is it one of my most favorite blogs, but you just might see a familiar face making an appearance in that corner of the web today... Eek!

A big thank you to CAbi for including me... it's such an honor! 

p.s. be sure to check out some of the other bloggers featured... good reads! xoxo

boudoir, bandeau

To say that my bedroom is girly would be an understatement. It is clean, romantic, and feminine... creamy peachy hues, glittering gold, and a boatload of candles. It's more than a bedroom, it's my boudoir. It makes me feel like a fabulous French woman as I'm getting ready. I find myself traipsing around in my silk robe, swiping on a little lipstick and twirling through an extra spritz of perfume. Another girly touch? Lacy bandeaus. 

I've been wearing them under pretty much everything, but I'm especially fond of the look under sheer blouses. The lace peeks out a slight bit, and when the light hits just right you can see the faint outline. Sexy in a subtle sort of way...

[the only problem with my girly room? it's almost too conducive for playing dress-up... my sister came over & we ended up with the entire contents of my closet on my bed.]

I find they work well under camisoles too, sparing you the trouble of an unintentionally exposed bra...

p.s. similarly, my rules for exposed bras here...

[all tops: CAbi, pink shorts: forever 21, all bandeaus: american eagle]

Now & Later

I'll admit to having shopaholic tendencies, but I must say I'm very practical about it. I tend to stay away from pieces that are overly trendy and items them I can't wear a a few different ways. On second thought... that's not entirely true. I shop for bargains on pieces like this. I'm always willing to spend a little more on the things I know I can wear year-round though, like this fabulous scarf top from the current CAbi collection. I wore it all February with rockin' red pants and ankle boots. 

[Top: CAbi Pants: J. Crew Boots: Target (I know, right?!)]

Now that the weather has warmed up, I'm channeling more of a boho beach babe vibe. Did I mention that the front of this shirt is the most creamy, delicious silk? Yeah. To die.

[Top: CAbi Shorts: Forever 21 Shoes: Zigi Soho]

How are you transitioning some of your favorite pieces into the warmer months?

Craven

Peplum can be tricky. I was watching an episide of Kourtney & Kim take Miami last night, and in one particularly unfortunate scene both were shown traipsing around in the worst kind of peplum (proof.) The thing about peplum is all too often it draws attention to the widest part of a woman's body. It's like "hiii, as if your hips weren't wide enough, here's an extra ruffle..." hmmnothanks. I love my Texture Cami by CAbi because the peplum is at the natural waist (aka the narrowest part of the torso, helloooo skinny minnie)  so it creates a flattering, feminine silhouette without adding extra bulk. 

I wore this to dinner in New Bern at 247 Craven (delicious, btw) & I topped off the look with my Chic Jacket (cannot get enough of the gauzy, sheer sleeves on this little gem)

[Texture Cami- CAbi Chic Jacket- CAbi Ponte Leggings- CAbi Fall 12 Shoes- Madden Girl Necklaces- J. Crew, gifted Watch- Michael Kors Nail Polish- Essie Turquoise and Caicos]

hair did, nails did, erythang did

My sweet momma and I went for mani/pedis yesterday. Never mind the fact that it's still 50 degrees outside, with Easter being this weekend, it seemed like a necessity. I knew I wanted something springy, not too milky-pastel but not overly bright. More like if a jelly bean and a marshmallow had a baby. Make sense? Good. I picked..

essie "Turquoise and Caicos" for my hands

and OPI "If You Moust You Moust" on my toes.

I was so happy with my choices, but I had to laugh when I realized how perfectly these hues match the CAbi spring collection... I must have really been channeling Thin Mint and Power Pink...

thin mint jegging

power pink blazer

What can I say? It's official, y'all. I'm a CAbi girl through and through (and wouldn't have it any other way...)

p.s. Kendi did a post on hot pink blazers! I love our design team... so on trend! Our version has pretty princess seaming and the sliiightest peplum, so it's insanely flattering and feminine. j'adore. 

p.p.s. remember my first attempt at seafoam green nails?

my office

I've always been a firm believer in having a designated work space (as seen here.) Now, granted, my definition of "work space" is very loose, and I've found a comfy couch or crowded kitchen counter makes a perfectly acceptable "desk," but I will say having an office certainly has its perks. Personal and professional touches that speak directly to what you do are key to making your work area your own. 

1. I'm not working for the social media company anymore, but I've taken on a new role at the restaurant that requires me to spend a lot of time focusing on these things, so the @ figure and the "Tweets and Status Updates" book (hilar, btw) are a nod to that. 

2. Fashion. The CAbi Spring 13 collection was inspired my Paris, so little French things here and there keep me feeling inspired and creative. 

3. Africa. Part of my heart will always be in Tanzania. Photos and other reminders of Africa keep me feeling motivated, blessed, and thankful. 

4. So how do you reconcile Paris and Tanzania? Keep a similar color palette. I stuck with black and white pictures on my pale pink walls. It balances out the girly hue and keeps the room feeling grounded.  

5. Light. I love natural light, and the big window over my desk was one of the things that attracted me to the townhouse in the first place. I also use lamps and candles (rather than overhead lighting) to keep the space warm and inviting. 

6. Books. 
-To honor and remember my educational background, I have my Communication Theory textbook sitting on my desk. It was my absolute favorite class with my absolute favorite professor and I couldn't bring myself to sell it when the semester ended (and I'm so happy I didn't.)
-Planner. Obvs. 
-I have a copy of the childrens book my grandmother wrote, because it reminds me to follow my heart and chase my dreams. 
-My sister made an "inspiration book" for me, full of quotes and notes of encouragement. I find myself turning to it when I'm feeling overwhelmed or bluesy. 
-Blank notebook(s) for brilliant ideas. And doodling during boring phone calls.

7. Personal touches. Two giant trifle dishes of nail polish because a. it's pretty b. I like nail polish. When I look at it I just feel happy. Family photos and sweet cards and notes serve this same purpose. 

Where do you work? How do you make your space your own?

Guilt-free Friday

[pretty aunt dancing to "The Girl from Ipanema" after a delicious dinner at Peak City Grill]

... on a Monday. Because last week was crazy and this week will be even crazier, to be sure. But first, how was your weekend? I spent mine in Raleigh with my sweet "second family." It wasn't all play, I actually had 2 CAbi shows (eek!) and did a private showing too! I'm love, love, loving what I'm doing and I feel so blessed. Getting back today feeling both tired & energized... now how does that work? Anyways, here's to a great week. xoxo

Hey! It's ok...

...to be adamant about your artificial sweetener preferences. Iced tea? Sweet-n-Low, please. Coffee? I'm gonna need some Truvia...

...if you're still burning your Christmas candles (and not pressing skip when "Winter Wonderland" comes into play as your iPod shuffles.)

...to not trust women who say they "can't cook" and to judge people with any form of "lil" or "baby" in their Twitter handle...

just throw it in the bag...

Ok, so I told you I'm a hot shot fashion consultant now, right? Well, while I was in San Diego for training, I asked some of the veterans for their advice. One resounding theme: don't over do it on the clothes. A common "rookie mistake" is to fall in l-o-v-e with the collection (which I did) and overspend on personal purchases, rationalizing that it's a "business investment." So, I made a rule for myself: No personal purchases until after I had completed my first month. And dang if it wasn't tough! It challenged me to wear my samples in creative ways (I don't get to pick my sample sizes!) and it gave me time to figure out my absolute favorite pieces. Here's what I'm loving from CAbi... (and promptly purchasing this afternoon...)

Texture Camisole and Texture Slouch Pant with Chic Jacket
This was my abs fave look as soon as it came out on the runway. And now, a month later, I'm still nuts over it. I love the idea of wearing the two pieces together like a jumpsuit. It's got that "model off duty" vibe, especially when paired with pretty espadrilles (more on that later) and loads of gold jewelry. This drapey, lightweight material will be perfect for when things get steamy this summer (gotta love that southern humidity.) It's a great alternative to the overdone sundress. Way edgier & totally sophisticated. The Chic Jacket is perfection because it has the polished look & the masculine cut of a traditional blazer, but the sheer sleeves add a subtle, sexy appeal. 

Feather Tunic 
This piece didn't really stand out to me in the beginning, but as the season has progressed I'm really digging it. It's 100% silk (so dreamy) and the gold buttons are bonkers. Love it paired with these...

Thin Mint Jegging
I kind of cheated here... I convinced my mom to buy them and I've been wearing them. I just couldn't wait a whole month! Love the color (mint is so hot for spring) and the fit makes your legs look miles long. 
Scarf Top (image above)
And one sample that I have been wearing the heck out of... The adorable scarf top. Love that it has 3 different patterns. And it seriously works for all ages & body types. Proof: my sweet grandmother ordered this top. Love the thought that she & I miiight show up wearing the same shirt and both look fabulous. 

Have you checked out the CAbi Spring 2013 collection? I'd love to know what you think! xo