It’s been a place full of growth and discovery. A home filled with peace and love. I believe we are products of our environment and I sought to create a place for Skyler and myself to flourish in! From Covid to working from home to homeschool This is where all the magic happened that created the life we have now I will be forever grateful for these memories and the life we created one day at a time. The apartment is three beds and two full baths with high ceilings and beautiful granite and stone textiles. I love how much light is throughout the day! Although the space evolved over this past year, I tried to carry the same look and feel throughout the space - whimsical, chic, and feminine.

I believe there are seasons for everything in life. I mentioned in my post last week on listening to your inner voice how I needed to take time to enjoy the things I’ve worked hard for over this past year. After a season of grinding every day from early morning until my head hit the pillow my body was telling me to get more rest. I started incorporating more quiet time, regular massages to work out stress knots in my body, and sleep to help combat the pressure. As the days began to get longer I noticed I also shifted in my sleep schedule. I awoke a little later and went to bed later. Instead of fighting this, I decided it was time to breathe it all in and just go with it. You see, as much as goals are incredibly important so is joy. Without joy, we cannot experience the fruit of our rewards. Savoring the sweetness of summer has never been so vital for me in the past. But here we are and I’m embracing this season. Time is precious and you cannot relive moments.

About this time of year I reach for flowy dresses and skirts since the humidity and heat are really high. Lately I’ve been pairing my summer dresses with mini bags like this one from House of Want. I love the quality of the purse and that it’s made of vegan material instead of leather. The gold hardware is also such good quality creating an expensive looking aesthetic. You can grab this one or the pink one I wore in New Orleans in a post from earlier this week. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite finds for summer right now below! Hope you guys are having an amazing Fourth of July weekend!

Are you one of those people that gets a strong sense of direction in the pit of your stomach? Like there’s something inside of you urging you to move one way or another? I am that person. I’ve always had a strong intuition but growing up and into my early adulthood, I didn’t always pay attention to it. In fact, sometimes I would rationalize against it. As I’ve aged (hello 35 almost 36) I’ve learned to trust that inner voice. The inner voice doesn’t steer me wrong. In fact, every time I’ve gone against it I’ve later regretted it. I believe intuition is just as important as what our minds can come up with. I find humans rationalize emotional and illogical choices to justify doing them. I also find that we lead so often with our heads and not our hearts.

On my way home from my travels this week to the Florida coast I made it a point to take a short detour through Fairhope, Alabama. It’s a coastal city about half an hour South from Mobile, AL and an hour from Pensacola, Florida. The city has so much charm it felt like I was instantly transported to a little European town. From lovely boutiques to patios covered in flowers there’s no dull corner as you make your way through the streets of their small downtown area. The city dates back to late 1800’s when a group of popular reformists decided to create a southern utopia. The city was built for creative and free thinking people. Around 1908 the city was established with about 500 people.

Over the past week, I took myself on a little journey across the South. I decided to start in Mississippi and travel down to the Florida coast and then back through New Orleans making a loop home. When I arrived at the coast I immediately encountered a series of thunderstorms. It definitely was a challenge for me to photograph and spend time at the beach due to intermittent raining and required an immense amount of flexibility in my day. I am a planner but you can’t always plan everything. Life is dynamic. In fact, some would say that life is constantly changing and nothing remains the same. I’ve found the thunderstorms bring the prettiest sunsets and rainbows. I think that’s true for life, too. There’s no such thing as only experiencing “good.” You have to have the lows for growth and to appreciate the highs. Without rain there is no rainbow.

Today marks day four of my latest solo trip. As I was heading across the South this week I stumbled across a retired couple at the Anchuca Bed and Breakfast in Vicksburg, Mississippi who commented how they thought it was incredible that I travel alone. I’ve actually been doing this most of my adulthood.I am now a single mom who needs downtime. I love having my daughter and would give her anything but I also have an immense amount of pressure to be and do all. I work a pretty high-stress job and could feel myself in need of time away a few weeks ago. I am writing this to tell you there is a way for you to be a good parent, spouse, family member and have time to yourself. Maybe it’s a far-fetched idea right now. Maybe you think you have no one to watch your kid. Maybe you’ve never left your hometown alone. Maybe you can’t imagine leaving your spouse alone for the weekend. Well, sister or brother - YES YOU CAN. When there is a will, there is always a way. Everything is figureoutable and I’m here to tell you if you need a vacation - you have permission to take one.

Does anything scream summer than dresses? I love reaching for a romantic yet casual feel for a summer day or evening. This one was another Amazon find and received so many compliments. I love the little ruffle detail and off-the-shoulder romantic feel to it. I find the buttons down the front really elongate my petite frame. It’s an easy fabric to dress up with a touch of gold jewelry and a pair of espadrilles or keep casual as I did for brunch with ballet flats. Ps - these flats are literally the most comfortable pair I have EVER owned! I even have them in black. Check out the round-up of all things summer below. Hope you all are having an awesome weekend and enjoying your long summer days.

Many of us wait for the big things in life - weddings, school dances, new jobs, or moving to feel the excitement. This past year taught me so much about learning to appreciate everyday moments. Last weekend my daughter and I decided to do just that. We decided to have a spread like none other to celebrate absolutely nothing. Grabbing a variety of non-dairy cheeses, gluten-free crackers, dark sea salt caramel chocolates, fruits and olives paired with the most delicious sparkling cider and non-alcoholic wine to create the best snack ever (those were her words).

Memorial Day Weekend is forever the milestone to kick off summer. Yes, it’s day of honor and rememberance for those who have fought and fallen for our country. It’s also the end of the school year and the start to summer vacation. Iced coffee, sorbet, and gelato, days on the lake, and a long list of summer bucket activities are now the agenda. So much ahead this summer compared to last year’s lockdown. I’m excited about the upcoming months and changes life will offer as I shed things that no longer serve my life and make room for more creativity, joy, and freedom.

Confession - I saw this nap dress when it launched a while back and I wish I had bought it sooner. Hill House Home has created capsule collections in limited batches of the softest most coziest nap dresses. So what is a nap dress? It’s a lightweight cotton dress than can easily transition from night to day worn as both a nightgown and day dress. After getting this pink and white version a few weeks ago I fell in love and ended up getting two more. The swiss dot pattern of this slightly sheer dress makes it both feminine and whimsical. I plan to wear this over the summer as a swimsuit cover up, a day dress for working around the house and add a belt and wedges to take myself to dinner. The pink and white stripe is not sheer at all, but the white version I’d recommend adding a slip underneath if you are wearing out.

Every now and then I love doing a refresh on my bedroom and bath. Being that I sleep and get ready in these areas every day I try to replace items that get worn over time. I recently refreshed my bedroom by purchasing a new floral quilt for my bed. I love the pretty blue and white pattern with the scalloped edge. I also refreshed my towels with these super soft striped turkish towels (which were such a steal I might add). Finally, I’ll be putting these floral wall decals up on the wall behind my bed in leu of paint. Sometimes a few changes make a really big difference!

As a work from home momma who also does distance learning with her kiddo, I have to tell you getting an afternoon to refill my cup is always appreciated! I love taking time to have a slower day on the weekends when my daughter visits other family. Lounging outdoors on a blanket with a picnic is seriously the best reward for a long week of hard work. Texas is just incredible during the Spring with perfect temperatures and wildflowers blooming all over the place. I couldn’t help but take advantage of the day by going to the park and reading a little Emerson for the afternoon.

This time of year I usually do a closet reorganization and put away my bulky Winter items. I weed through anything that’s worn, torn, needs mending or that no longer suits my taste. I love having beautiful things, but I also think it’s really important to keep my home without clutter when possible. I try to take a note of anything that needs to be replaced like basic tees and tanks or socks. After I put together a list it’s time to fill on Amazon!

Confession: I’m a total outdoors gal. You might not expect me to say that being how much I love getting dolled up, but when I’m in nature I’m at home. From sunny days to trips to the beach to aggressive hikes in the mountains… I love it all. When given the option to work out at the gym or outdoors, you’ll find me jogging outside any day. Being that I love time outdoors means a lot of exposure to the sun. With the sun comes wrinkles if I leave my skin unprotected. These days more than ever I find myself being diligent about taking care of my skin and wearing a product with SPF daily is now built into my morning routine.

Mother’s Day is about a month away and I’ve already begun bookmarking a few items for my own momma. Online shopping has completely shifted my time lines for purchasing items. I start looking much earlier than I used to so I can have things ordered in time of the next holiday. Spring is a the perfect time to stock up on beauty favorites for myself and for mom with the heat coming in a few weeks. As the weather warms up I constantly reach for things like moisturizing and brightening products to give my skin a beautiful glow. Giving the gift of beauty products to pamper her makes any woman feel like a million bucks. Here are my top picks for Mother’s Day!

Since places are opening back up I find myself reaching for something besides a house dress or yoga pants. Enter - vintage fit jeans and this pair has been my favorite pair for almost two years now. They have the perfect high waist and relaxed fit without looking frumpy. I love the bottom and how it almost flares out without looking drastic! If you are in need of a good pair of jeans that never go out of style you need Madewell in your life. I love this sustainable company with high quality materials and craftsmanship.

This week marks another milestone in my life. Two years ago I gave up alcohol. After a series of panic attacks, feeling a lack of purpose, and ultimately needing peace in my life I made the decision to give up alcohol completely. Today I’m sharing the why, what I had to do to fulfill this decision and how it improved every other area of my life. It was also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Harder than birth, harder that failure, harder than any job I’ve taken. Yet day by day I made it. Two years is 730 days, 1 million minutes and over 67 million seconds. Essentially I made the same decision over an over each day that went by to get to where I am today. Life still throws me curve balls, but it’s manageable now. Before it was not manageable. It was not enjoyable or peaceful - I was miserable. I want to preface sharing my story that I am not suggesting whether someone should drink or shouldn’t - that is a decision that has to be made on your own. I am suggesting though if you are struggling to find joy and purpose to take a long hard look at what you are doing daily and decide if you want to keep doing it.

As I approach the one year mark of being single I realize how important this past year has been in regards to my personal growth. I am pretty sure this was the most significant jump in my entire life. After a huge breakup this time last year I decided before I spent any amount of time seeking a new relationship or even dating much for that matter, I would take time to unpeel the layers of my life and figure out why and how I got to where I was. My last relationship was pretty rough especially towards the end. We were going in significantly different directions and shared minimal life values. It was hard to break up but I knew at the time there was no other choice if I wanted to grow in my own life. I shared in a previous blog post - how to handle a major break up and more about my outlook in the post title how to be single over the holidays. Fast forward to this month where it officially ended a year ago. Here are my own reflections about how life improved, what changed in my perspective and some tips for growth in your own life.