Embellished Tee and Ripped Jeans

 

 Jeans Joe's/ Top Express/ Shoes Shoedazzle/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

I was going to write about finding this shirt in my closet and visiting with family, but instead I will tell you a little about the conversations I have been having with my sister and husband. I am thinking about quitting :( I don't know if any of you have put yourself "out there" before, but doing this blog has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone. When I started this blog I had very high expectations for myself, like most people do when they set out to do something. I also set a goal for myself, which I have not reached, not even close. Blogging can sometimes be the most rewarding part of my day and it can also be the worst part of my day. I have received so much support from many of my family and friends and I am very grateful for that. I wouldn't have made it this long without them. I think I need to reevaluate why I am doing this and what I hope to gain, if anything. Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated :)


 

Night Out

 

 

Dress Astr via Nordstrom/ Shoes Shoedazzle/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

 I've got some wild hair to match my wild dress!  Here is one more of my strengths/themes. I hope that you will be able to survive the weekend without knowing the last 2....

 

Futuristic

 

It's very likely that you consistently strive to improve yourself personally and professionally. You are inclined to target your shortcomings rather than enhance your natural abilities. You aim to minimize your limitations or eradicate them altogether. You think this is a small short-term plan for reaching your long-term goals. Driven by your talents, you intentionally take steps to be the mastermind of your future. You refuse to leave your destiny to chance. You probably resist placing it in someone else's hands. You trust your own intelligence and imagination when setting a direction for your life. Chances are good that you channel your mental and physical energies toward what you can accomplish in the months, years, or decades ahead. The question is this: "How far into the future can I think before my ideas start becoming vague or uninspiring?" Because of your strengths, you are eager to get started on a project once you realize what you can accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years. You work very hard to breathe life into your big dreams. These often push and pull you into the future. By nature, you naturally spend a lot of time creating innovative ideas about what will be possible. When you concentrate on your areas of mastery, you frequently exhibit the behaviors of an inventor, a visionary, or a dreamer. You usually think about using your finely honed--that is--sharpened skills and knowledge in ways others have not considered. 

Mini + Tennies

Skirt American Apparel/Top Nordstrom/Shoes Converse/Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

Don't mind my wrinkled shirt. I would like to pretend that it was totally wrinkle free before tucking it in and wearing it, but I don't want to be a liar. I am not much for ironing (everything seems to come out worse than when I started) and I am very thankful that we have a steamer. I remember several years ago when I told my mother-in-law that I never ironed or dry-cleaned anything...I thought she might bust a vein. Since then I can say that I have improved...a little. I now go to the dry cleaners once a year! :)

I am excited to be featured again on Dailybuzz for Labor Day Fashion!
http://style.dailybuzz.com/write-with-us-labor-day-weekend

Tahoe part 1

Our new addition to the family is a DSLR camera!!!!

 

 Look at the clarity of those beard hairs...

 Me + Sister-in-laws....they made the tallest one stand at the bottom of the hill :)

 Nate and Nick, AKA: The camera man and the camera man's apprentice.

My Fourth of July outfit: Skirt Express/Shirt Marshalls/Shoes Target/ Necklaces Express and Old

 

Nick and I spent a long weekend in South Lake Tahoe, celebrating his sister's birthday and the 4th of July. The beautiful scenery provided a great opportunity for us to try out the new camera. This was our first day of photos and you will see the quality continue to improve as the week goes on. A special thank you to Nate, who gave Nick a crash course in photography and helped make adjustments to the camera.  I can't wait for you to see the rest of the photos!

Lace Shorts again...

Top Marshalls/ Shorts F21/ Sandals Sam Edelman/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

Today I leave you with one of my favorite quotes. I really feel that this has been me for the last 6-8 years or so....I guess it is time to break the cycle.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

Striped Shirt and a Hard Lesson

Shirt JCrew/ Shorts Loft/ Sandals Target/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

This shirt has helped to teach me an important lesson....but it all started with the first couple of weeks of beginning my blog. I was doing some "research" on how to maintain a successful personal style blog (which really means looking at the FAQ lists of extremely popular blogs). Most all of them had a common theme when responding to the question, "What are your suggestions for having a successful blog?" The answer always being something along the lines of "be yourself." I found this to be kind of annoying, since OBVIOUSLY you would be yourself....it's your PERSONAL style blog. Fast forward a couple of weeks.....

I think that I started the blog with the best intentions, really showcasing my personal style. I wasn't seeing an increase in my followers, but I was seeing an increase on other sites of people who dressed very similar to the "popular blogs." At this point I somewhat subconsciously started dressing like the "popular blogs" about 15-20 percent of the time. There are several issues with this and I don't think that I need to state the obvious. So, back to the shirt. I saw this shirt on a couple of different websites and really loved the coloring. It went on sale for a pretty good deal so I scooped it up. After wearing it all day and looking back at pictures I realized that although it may be cute, I was attempting to wear it in a way that wasn't necessarily true to my style. Fast forward to today....

I've realized that I was focusing on the wrong aspects of blogging, instead of just having fun.  I may still have a relapse in my thinking (I am human), but for now I will try to maintain my current state of mind.  I think it is wonderful to gain inspiration from others and if you love the shoes someone is wearing, buy them. But also take the advice of "being yourself." :)

Have a great Tuesday!

Summer dress for wine tasting

 

 

Dress: BCBG (purchased at outlet)

 

 

                                         The guys trying to figure out how to play bocce ball.

Christina and I taking a "selfie" while the guys explored.

Enjoying a glass of wine on the beautiful grounds of one of the wineries.

Towards the end of the day :)

 

Nick and I had a very fun and relaxing weekend. I started the weekend off right on Friday with a shopping date to the outlets and mall with my friend Melisa. We may or may not have stopped at my favorite cookie place where I definitely did not purchase 6 cookies!  On Saturday our friends Christina and George came down for a day of wine tasting. Christina prepared some little snacks and we sat on the patio of a gorgeous winery, enjoying the company and of course the vino. After that we headed back to our house for a BBQ, card games, more wine, and tons of laughter. We absolutely enjoyed ourselves and can't wait to do it again! Finally, on Sunday we headed to my aunt and uncle's to swim in an attempt to beat the heat. Melisa, Nick, and I floated around for several hours, while her poor hubby and Nick's friend worked their butts off in the orchard. Hopefully they will be able to join in the fun next time. I am excited for the holiday weekend, as I know you all are. Have a great week.

 

Lace Shorts

 

Top Marshalls/ Shorts Free People/ Shoes Old/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs/ Necklace Express

 

I love these lace Free People shorts/skort, enough said :)

High Waisted Shorts

Shirt and Shorts F21/ Shoes Gianni Bini/ Jewelry Express, F21/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

One of the chores that I need to get to this summer is cleaning out my closet. I have decided that I have waaaayyy to many summer outfit options and that I really don't need anything new. It is hard to not get caught up in buying the latest and greatest, especially when you have a blog, but I think it will be more fun to remix the items I already have in my closet. This will serve as somewhat of a challenge, forcing me to become a bit more creative with my outfits. The challenge begins today!!!!

Summer Romper

Romper Gift from Sis/ Sandals Target/ Jewelry Express, Nordstrom/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

My generous, beautiful sister sent me this romper in the mail when I was having a bad couple of days. How thoughtful is that? I think if I ever read the "Language of Love" book it would say that mine is gifts. I love the colorful print and the silky feel of this romper. I got a little matchy matchy with my accessories, but I just couldn't resist layering on my favorite color.

In other news...we almost one our first softball game. It went to extra innings, which is a huge improvement from our last couple of weeks. I pre-gamed at Panera with my other sis-in-law, enjoying another great lunch!

P.S. I love Lydia from Real Housewives of OC and thought I would try out her jeweled headband look. I am digging' it. Happy Tuesday!

P.P.S. I will be working on a collage for tomorrow, so feel free to send me an item that you want to see featured! :)

Silky Shorts

 

Shorts and Tank F21/ Shoes DV Dolce Vita/ Necklace Express/ Bag Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

I have been living in silky shorts and tanks the last couple of days. I liked the fun print on these and the fact that they were around 10 dollars. Be prepared for the silky shorts overload this week!

Nautical Shorts

Shirt Nordstrom/ Shorts JCrew/ Jewelry Express, Nordstrom/ Shoes Gianni Bini/ Clutch Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

I think it might be impossible to wear these shorts without exuding a nautical vibe, so I just went with it. I wore this outfit for a lunch date with my sister-in-law, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am one of those people that talks a lot when I get excited or haven't seen somebody in a while, okay I guess I talk a lot in general. Right about now is the time to feel sad for Katie, or jealous that you weren't having lunch with me  ;) All kidding aside, I hope you have a fabulous weekend.