Classical Garden

I love finding new places in Houston. I've lived here for almost 8 years and the city always has new corners to discover. I had to find a client location the other day and ended up parking down the street. As I was walking back to my car, I saw a church courtyard. My curiosity got the best of me and I wandered on in...

Wow! I was so surprised by what I found. It was a classical garden. I haven't seen one of these in so long. It reminded me so much of the gardens I saw when I did a study abroad in Europe (oh, how I long to return someday!) I took a few minutes to enjoy a moment or two and soak up the quiet solitude. There were tables all along the the sides of the garden and I saw a few people trickle in for lunch as I was leaving.

In the past year, I've really embraced the idea of wearing a longer dress during the day. This one was a TJ Maxx find and although I wish I could give you the exact location to purchase, it's a little harder with discount stores. I think it would make a great DIY project if you purchase a few gemstones and use E600 glue. Just adhere the gemstones to the neckline to a navi maxi dress that's fitted around the waist. Make sure you let the gems dry at least 24 hours before wearing. I found a few other options for navy maxi dresses if you shop with the images at the bottom of this post.

St. Martin's has two courtyards, one that is more classially designed featured above and then it has an area with granite seating with names of contributors engraved on several of the stones. It's really shady and tranquil. I could spend all day wandering around the property and it's located in the Galleria Area in Houston, TX.

Over the past week, I've been playing with various hairstyles. I prefer wearing my hair longer and found myself in a "rut" by doing the same ponytail or wearing it in loose beachy waves almost every day.

Today's look was achieved by twisting the sides and securing with two or three bobby pins. Then, I pulled the remainder in a low ponytail, made a hole and slide the ends through. It's really easy and looks a little more creative than my typical low side ponytail. Plus, it pretty much hides the ponytail holder. All that I used was one ponytail holder and 6 bobby pins.

My last little tidbit of advice for the working gal, is to carry a bag that's big enough for your laptop, makeup, notebook and planner - but also have a cute little wallet wristlet or clutch to tuck inside. That way, you can easily transition the outfit from day to night. Finally, to not make the dress overly formal, a pair of pointy toe flats peek out beneath the hemline. Easy to walk in, but don't make you look overdone for daytime.

Dress: TJ Maxx Find (also like this one and this one) // Shoes: DSW - Audrey Brooke (another coral pair here) // Tote: Betsey Johnson (options below for styles I love) // Clutch-Wristlet-Wallet: Target (love these in light pink and hot pink)