Goodbye 2023... Hello 2024
Dress: Amazon // Shoes: Elisabet Tang // Earrings: Amazon
Happy New Year! I know we are already over a week into 2024, but I took some time over the first week to set intentions for the year. I hope each of you had an amazing time over the holidays and found ways to celebrate with your loved ones. Before fully moving into the new year I wanted to take a few minutes and highlight last year and share a little about my journey during 2023.
Beginning in January, my fiance and I chose the word VITALITY for our theme word to kick off the year. Our goal was to align our work, home life, health, and all things to become full of vitality. We did just that! We improved our health to the point that we even got pregnant halfway through the year. Not sure how much more vitality you can have than creating another human!
During the Spring I launched a new line of apparel designed to help remind you to get through tough times. It included a KEEP GOING racerback tank top and t-shirt, a cropped YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS sweatshirt, and then a SOBER IS SEXY cropped tee. Thank you so much for all of the incredible support and your purchases! I also started individual counseling to address my inner child and have attended weekly since then. It was some of the hardest work I’ve ever done but paying off so much!
During the Summer we moved into a new home, found out we were going to have a baby and I began to work with a ton of brands on collaborations. This year I worked with more brands than I ever have and so thankful for each of them. I also attended my 20th year high school reunion and we headed to Galveston for a birthday trip. The Summer was eventful, emotional, and incredible.
As the Fall approached and I hit my second trimester I felt another shift happening. I began doing more and more social media content, joined a referral partner group, and focused more on my mental health. Healing your inner child is not an overnight thing and has continued throughout the end of the year. In November, we headed to Colorado for a work trip and Marshall proposed to me! It was a dream come true and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
Finally, Winter blew in and we finished the year with a trip to Port Aransas and prepping for baby. We decided to have a natural birth with a midwife and have been preparing the way through meditation, exercises, healthy living, and natural remedies. As I close out the year I wanted to thank each one of you for all of your encouragement along the way. Truly grateful for another year on this planet and I look forward to 2024!
Here is a quick recap of my top posts….
With love, Crystal
The past two weeks I’ve been on a constant rotation of all things red. It started with our trip to Colorado where I pulled out a few of my favorite pieces for the season like this red coat that has been on repeat and this adorable bow embellished sweater. Then, once we returned home I decided to keep the holiday theme going! Red is such a classic and festive color for this time of year.
We just got back from an incredible trip over Thanksgiving and had the best time! I wanted to share a few of the outfits and activities with you in today’s post. Although a lot of our trip was business-oriented, we made time for some fun and relaxation. Toward the end of the trip, Marshall proposed! It was such a sweet surprise and I am so excited we are getting married. I’ll be sharing more about it in an upcoming blog post with the full story but wanted to round up a few looks in case you are traveling this season.
We decided to drive from College Station, TX to Denver over two days so my first few outfits were really comfy-oriented. I found that bodysuits are the perfect item to travel in since they offer support and convenience without having to layer underwear. I added cute leggings and cardigans over to stay cozy in the car. I also wore shoes that I could easily slip on and off for quick road stops. I’ve rounded all of my outfits and details for you to shop in this post! Read on…
It’s party season and I’m here for it! I love the holidays and love getting dressed up for any occasion. This year I’ve been really gravitating to all things sparkly and figured it was time to shine bright. Recently Grace Karin sent me a few new pieces that I’m just dying to share with you guys like this pretty peplum lace top in today’s post. I paired it with a short sequin skirt and bow-embellished heels. I love the simplicity of this look and you can mix and match it with so many other items to give you multiple outfits.
Ever wear flats and immediately get blisters from walking? I know I do! I walk a lot and love wearing my flats in lieu of sneakers sometimes. Especially when I’m in the mood for a cute girly outfit. I follow a lot of European fashion and have been loving the new Mary Jane and sock trend I’ve been seeing everywhere. It’s girly without being too childish.
I absolutely love this time of year and getting to dress the Bump has been so much fun! If you follow my Instagram account, you will see tons of outfits I’ve been wearing lately like this short black dress styled two ways or this adorable pink dress that gives so much room for my growing belly. I had a few requests for styling tips and now that I’m in my second trimester I actually have a bump to show off! Currently, I’m sizing up one size in anything I buy so I have room for my larger boobs (yes they’ve jumped two cup sizes) and waistline. I’ve also invested in a couple of maternity bras that will convert later for nursing. It’s good to have those staples on hand so you don’t feel uncomfortable underneath your clothes.
Insecurities are something we all have. Many of them were formed in childhood and then reinforced throughout our teenage and adult lives. For some of us the insecurity lies in our physical looks (here is a great post for how to have a better body image) but for others, our insecurities lie in feeling loved in our relationships. I’ve been going through intense therapy this year and we’ve been digging deep into my childhood, doing shadow work, and healing my inner child. I’ll share a few ways that therapy has helped me over this past year and what I’m currently working on.
What a week already! Loved getting to shop lots of Amazon Favorites this week for Prime Day Big Deals and looking forward to beginning my holiday season shopping. Have you already started rounding things up for Christmas? I’ll be curating a Holiday Shop this season so stay tuned for updates and make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter! You’ll be the first to know all the best deals and finds. Today I’m sharing a new brand I’ve been working with called Zesica! I have several pieces like this coral henley top, this adorable comfy oversized two-toned sweatshirt, and this striped sweater that is my favorite stripe sweater so far this season.
Amazon Prime Day is finally here! I always bookmark tons of items so I can score big deals! This year I’ve rounded up a bunch of best sellers for you guys and some tried and true wardrobe pieces. It’s the perfect time to treat yourself or just grab a few things you’ve been dying to add to your closet for a while.
First and foremost, I wanted to begin by thanking all of you for your sweet comments and encouragement. Each DM and comment you leave has truly filled my heart and I’m so thankful for you. The past couple of months have been beautiful and have also been a little bit of a roller coaster. We found out very early on in July that we were pregnant and it was a true shock for both Marshall and I. We are in our late thirties (I am 38 years old) and I did not see this coming. You can read more about our pregnancy announcement in this post but I wanted to share more insights for what I’ve actually been going through. It wasn’t easy. This is now my second pregnancy (I have a beautiful 14-year-old daughter) and it has been drastically different than the first time around.
It’s crazy to think it’s been 10 weeks since we found out we are pregnant and it has been the wildest ride of emotions! We found out right at week 4 when I missed my period and couldn’t believe it. I haven’t talked about it as much on the blog, but if you follow my journey on Instagram or Facebook you will see that Marshall and I have had a hell of a year. He came down with a virus last year and we spent most of 2022 getting him back to health. It was a really long journey but I’m so grateful to God that we made it through only to find out we would be having a kiddo together! What a blessing!
We’ve had a few waves of cool mornings here in Texas and I’m already dreaming of all the ways I can wear the cutest coats! Fall brings so many wonderful things from spicy pumpkin flavors to cozy sweaters. I love that I can start layering pieces! I figured I’d share a few styling tips and my favorite new ones I just got in with you in today’s post in hopes of inspiring you to grab a few new pieces for the season.
Years ago I struggled with having an unhealthy viewpoint of my body. I grew up in an environment where I was oftentimes criticized about my body shape by one of my major role models and was told things like… “you have full thighs,” “if you keep eating cheese you’ll be fat…”, and “your derrière is big.”
Looking back at my pictures I was NOT ever at any point overweight as a child but I did have a different body shape than my younger sister. Of course, I would be different, I’m adopted. However, the critical words I heard regularly throughout my childhood burned into my mind and shaped an unhealthy thinking pattern.
Fall is almost here and it’s boots season! I am so excited about all the options this season. If you’ve been following my Instagram lately, you’ll find tons of western boot styles including these black rhinestone booties and these knee-high silver ones! Every time I put either pair on I immediately feel like heading to a Taylor Swift concert. If you know… you know! I went ahead and rounded up a ton of options for you in all price points. I love pairing boots with short body con dresses like this striped one from Lillusory. It’s great for this time of year and you can throw a moto jacket on for an edgy look. Whether you are looking for glam boots or classic styles for work you’ll find everything you need below for a chic Fall update! Hope you enjoy and make sure you DM a pic when you put on a pair!
Nothing in my life has been a product of chance. God gives us free will to walk the Earth and if we make a decision it has consequences one way or another. On March 22, 2019 I kissed alcohol goodbye for forever. I was at a place in my life where I was lost, miserable and completely heartbroken. It was at least a year of turmoil or more and I was in deep depression. Some of my friends will tell you I was a wreck. Others will tell you that they just couldn’t figure out what was going on. All I knew is that no matter what, the alcohol had to go. At that exact same time, I was in a relationship with someone who regularly drank and partied. I knew that I was on a path to sobriety but I had no idea the things I would be giving up when I made that rock bottom choice. Including that relationship and many more as the years would pass by.
A shirt designed to remind you that the best kind of party is a party you can remember. Slip this baby on for your next event or girl's night out and feel immediately empowered. This top is tight-fitting but still incredibly comfortable, and it hits just above the navel. Fits true to size.
Here are a few last-minute Amazon things you can add to your cart for the upcoming holiday. Love these rasberry-colored shorts (I also have them in denim), this adorable striped duffle bag, these slides, and my favorite which is this bikini. I also love this red halter one-piece swimsuit! You can shop all my favorites below and don’t forget to check out my Amazon Storefront.
Fourth of July is right around the corner which means outdoor entertaining for so many! I wanted to share our backyard with you guys before we move. We are in the process right now of packing up (check out here) and moving our stuff to our new home. So excited! I cannot wait to unfold the design projects that will be coming your way. Today I rounded up some of my favorite things for outdoor entertaining.
Wanted to give you guys something new this week and a round of Amazon dresses was long overdue! When it’s hot outside I reach for flowy dresses instead of tight-fitting clothes. It’s so humid here in College Station that I need a break from feeling like my clothes are stuck to my skin! Today I’m sharing a few of my absolute favorite pieces from this season. You can shop all of them on my Amazon Storefront here.
Last weekend we met in Salado, Texas at Greenfield Coffee to catch up and shoot these incredible dresses from friends at Wneedu on Amazon. They sent us each a dress to share with you! We both picked out our colors to fit our own personalities. I chose a bold leopard colorway and Tiffany went with a beautiful shade of deep mauve. Great style is available for everyone. No matter what your age or body type you have when you walk with confidence in your own skin a new sense of style seems to follow. That’s one of the things I love about our conversations!
After a grueling weekend last week, I made a decision Saturday afternoon to do a 48-hour social media detox. Being a blogger and influencer comes with the price of constantly being on social media through posting content on multiple platforms, engaging with followers, and then responding in direct messages. It’s such an incredible way to create a space in the world but sometimes we all need a break. I desperately did. I started feeling a little out of touch with myself. I felt like I had a million things tugging at me and I was struggling with mindfulness. I put a quick plan together and then alerted my boyfriend and kiddo that I would be offline and intermittently checking my phone for the weekend. Here’s what I did in hopes to inspire you to take that much-needed downtime.
Wow! What a weekend! After taking this last year to really ground myself and work on transformation from the inside, I finally made it out for the Laura Ashley 70th Anniversary Event with Growing Up Texas! It was so incredible to meet Jennifer and Mike who restored a vintage Grand Station with Laura Ashley printed fabrics. The event was hosted at one of my favorite local hotels, The Stella and catered by Campfire Grill. The whole experience was out of a storybook and unfolded beautifully as we mixed and mingled on Saturday afternoon.
I cannot believe this is actually happening! This past month Three Heel Clicks released a few apparel items and now we have a collab with What’s the Buzz Specialty Coffee located in College Station, TX. We’ve teamed up to bring you the most incredible high-quality coffee. This is an artwork in a cup and tastes incredible. I’ll be sharing so much more about the process of coffee and various methods of brewing a cup so make sure you subscribe to my newsletter.
You deserve happiness. You deserve joy. You deserve to have a life filled with positivity. That’s the entire reason for my GLOW UP course which gives you a 60-day plan and a community of accountability partners to chat with as you continue to affirm yourself into your dream life!
Today I wanted to share the new cropped sweatshirt! It comes in mauve, dusty blue, and black. It’s designed to be lightweight enough for Spring and Summer months but also is the perfect amount of soft and cozy to slip on after a workout or when you are feeling like you need a little lift for your mood. I love the perfect shade of this one and how the cut shows off your hips and waist.
Here is the new “Keep Going” tank top. It comes in white, vintage blue, and vintage shocking pink (shown here)). It’s the perfect layering piece to wear under a sweater or sweatshirt or over a swimsuit as we head into the warmer months.
Yes, you heard me. This boss babe right here is intentionally going slower in life. For the first time, ever. I’ve put extra time in between tasks. I’ve taken things off my to-do list. I’ve spent the last few months asking myself what is really important. I’ve gone inward to figure out my priorities. I’ve taken tons of time to journal, reflect and pray. The thing I’ve learned is that we can become addicted to anything including activity. Next time you are wondering what you should be doing with an extra five minutes? Breathe. Yep. Sit down and take 5 minutes to just breathe. I promise your entire life will change from implementing this one tactic. Your heart rate will be calmer. Your thoughts will be clearer. You will feel less rushed. You will be recharged.
It may be February and I’m a minute late to the game but better late than never. As I realize the Earth’s energy is going to keep speeding up I’ve given myself so much more grace for emotions to roll in and out. For the first time in most of my life I am allowing every emotion to surface, be categorized and processed and then released. It hasn’t been an easy process but it is leading me to more vitality.
Yesterday I took a little road trip to Waco, TX to visit the incredibly elegant newly renovated boutique Hotel 1928. Designed by Chip and Joanna Gaines! The project was to restore a cornerstone building in downtown Waco, TX, and preserve the turn of the century hospitality. There are so many corners, nooks, and details to awe over as you explore this incredible masterpiece. There’s a library downstairs, lounges on the ground floor, a coffee bar, and a Brasserie where I had the most delicious baked cheese! There’s also 33 rooms and a rooftop terrace. Whether you are looking to stay overnight, spend the afternoon working out of the lounge, or just grab some food with friends you must stop by!