A couple years back, I visited Burnside Farms durning the spring for their annual tulip festival. It was gorgeous & I MUST go back again this next year. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to go during their sunflower season because all the pictures I have been seeing on their Instagram have been giving me major FOMO. Yesterday, Ben & I finally got to take a little road trip up to see the gorgeous sunflower fields. To say is was dreamy would be an understatement. Plus, we went on a Tuesday afternoon so there weren’t many people there. We had such a fun time & even got to cut & bring home a few sunflowers as well.
On the drive home, we could not stop talking about how much fun we had in the sunflower fields. We loved walking through the classic sunflower fields & taking photos, but then we also saw some lovely white & burgundy sunflowers as well! Of course, we had to bring home a few of each color. They had chickens & turkeys on site as well which were thoroughly entertaining. I couldn’t help but think that one day when we have kids, we have to bring them back to see this. How much fun will that be?!
This was such a cute outfit to wear to the sunflower fields because the red & white really stand out against the flowers. Yesterday was my first chance to wear this dreamy long white skirt & I already can’t wait to wear it again. You may remember seeing it in a recent Sunday Try On where I mentioned that I had been looking for the perfect long white skirt for such a long time & this one is even better than I was expecting. It’s so light & flowy & is not see through either! An effortless white skirt like this is one is one I know I will wear for many years to come.
Last week, I went on a much needed girl’s trip to Charleston, SC. While I’m still putting together a post on our full itinerary, I thought I’d share one of the best pieces of our trip with you. On our last day, we decided to spend the afternoon at Hampton Park. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, & the park was filled with beautiful big trees & blooming flowers at every turn. Oh, & there were palm trees! I didn’t realize how tropical Charleston is! Anyways, it was the best afternoon, & an ideal way to close out our amazing girl’s trip.
Before we arrived at the Hampton Park, we picked up some lunch from The Park Café. This cute little restaurant has great food, amazing service, & is very aesthetically pleasing. I highly recommend visiting this little gem if you’re ever in Charleston. Instead of eating there, we decided to take our food to the park for a nice afternoon picnic. We were all craving a bit of sunshine, so we laid out our blankets in the open green grass & soaked up the sun. I ordered some tasty avocado toast with some roasted sweet potato bites & a fresh squeezed lemonade. We ate, chatted, & laughed until we were ready to get up an explore more of this beautiful park.
Instead of walking around the park, we decided to rent bikes! They were super easy & inexpensive & the perfect way to explore the park, feel the cool breeze, & get a bit of exercise. We rode about the park for an entire hour checking out all the plants, people watching, & remembering how much fun it is to ride a bike.
This summer I want more days like this. Even though I won’t be back in Charleston, I vow to get out & do more things like this in my own city. Picnics are just the best. If you’re in Richmond & want to have a picnic, call me up! Let’s soak up the sun, eat yummy food, & enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
OMG I can’t even believe it! My two worlds have collided in the most amazing way. I have a two page fashion focused spread in a magazine I grew up reading. As a teenager, reading through Pointe Magazine & dreaming of becoming a professional dancer, I never thought that one day I would be featured in that very same magazine! The article in the April/May issue that I am a part of is called Studio To Street. In this article, I talk about Felix & Flora, my personal style, & how that also translates into my ballet studio style. Thank you, Pointe Magazine, I feel truly honored to have been chosen for this article. (Pointe Magazines are sold in Barnes & Noble stores if you want to see the print version. I will link the online version as soon as it’s live.)
Now onto this month’s Designer Crush…
The Dreamy Zimmermann
Zimmermann is know for his flowing designs, feminine cut outs with dreamy floral ruffles, & the most figure flattering silhouettes. If Oscar de la Renta was my first designer crush, Zimmermann was definitely my second. Each Zimmermann piece is dreamy & iconic in it’s own way. He combines everything I love about feminine clothing & gives it just the right amount of edge.
Below are few Zimmermann images that I’ve been totally crushing on…(notice the sweater in the second picture!)
Get The Designer Look For Less
Shop these affordable pieces that give you the same designer feel.
November is here & holiday season is in full swing. This time of year brings holiday parties & events as well as lots time with family & friends. Being the planner at heart that I am, I’ve already started putting together outfits for occasions I’ll be attending over the next couple of months. Doing this really eases any stress about what to wear or wondering if I even have anything to wear. Also, if anything should come up out of the blue, I’ll already have cute & festive outfits at the ready.
Thanksgiving is a big event coming this month. I know sometimes it can be hard to know what to wear or what to bring to these gatherings. On the one hand, you want to look cute & put together, especially if you are seeing people you don’t get to see everyday, & on the other hand, you don’t want to look over-dressed or uncomfortable. Here’s what I’m going to wear & bring to Thanksgiving this year.
“But What Would I Wear?”
It seems as though everyone experiences similar sentiments about finding the right outfit as the Grinch sometimes. (see here) If you know me, I always tend to lean on the slightly over-dressed side, but this year I think I have found the perfect look that combines function & fashion.
At the end of summer, when I started to plan ahead for fall content, I knew my wardrobe was in desperate need of one item: a camel turtleneck. I searched everywhere to find the perfect quality piece at the right price. Finally, I found this gorgeous top at J. Crew. Unfortunately it was backordered for a while, but it’s finally here & is indeed just the thing my wardrobe needed.
My Look
This camel turtleneck is perfectly paired with this Chicwish floral skirt for a flattering & feminine silhouette. You guys know I love a good silhouette! The classic cut of this skirt as well as the metallic thread that runs throughout the fall toned florals, elevates the look of the whole outfit. Not only does this outfit look good, it is also cozy enough to curl up on the couch under a blanket to watch the parade or a football game, take a post-Thanksgiving meal nap, or to toss an apron overtop & bake a pie in the kitchen in.
You can really go so many different ways with accessories & layers with an outfit like this. For me, I always love wearing my trench coat on Thanksgiving. I don’t know why, but it’s a thing for me. Then I added some faux fur for warmth & extra style. To keep with the classic & comfortable vibes, I felt that sticking to a neutral pair of ballet flats was the way to go, but this look could also be worn with a pair of boots for added warmth.
I’ve been completely inspired by floral cakes as of late, so I thought why not use some creativity & bring something beautiful & tasty to Thanksgiving this year. Now you definitely don’t have to make a cake, but let me challenge you to get a bit creative this year. Put your own spin on a classic dish, or just go the extra mile to add a lovely visual to the thing you want to bring to your Thanksgiving feast. Put a little bit of you into your creation. Not only will others love it, but I guarantee you’ll enjoy preparing it.
What are you making for Thanksgiving this year? Do you have your outfit planned yet?
The idea of change has been on my mind lately. We experience change on a daily basis. It’s constantly happening all around us like the change of seasons, changing our clothes, a change in our schedule, or even the change in others that affects us in one way or another. Why then, if we experience change around us all the time, do we sometimes find change so difficult to cope with? Let me share with you my thoughts on the matter.
Get Your Head In The Game
I’ve been contemplating the different reactions I tend to have to change. On the one hand, when change occurs that tends to lean in my favor, I get excited & think of all of the reasons why this change was so good. The flip side to that is that when the change seems to have the slightest negative effect on me or my surroundings, a feeling of dread comes over me. This seemingly negative change that happens makes me feel out of control & sometimes even angry. But why does it have to be that way? Why does some change excite me while other times change makes me want to cry? I believe it’s all in the mindset.
I think it’s finding the excitement in change no matter if it’s good change or bad change. Granted, it’s much easier to find the excitement in the good change, but I think there can be reasons for excitement to be found in the midst of “bad” change. Let me give you an example of how I’ve been dealing with in this in my personal life recently:
Real Talk
Ben is now in his third week of being a police recruit, & starts police academy next month. He used to work with me as a dancer & then as a teacher at the ballet, which meant our schedules aligned well, we worked in the same building, & we could relate to each other on that level so well. Now that he is starting this new job, I’m beginning to see that that means lots of change is ahead for me. It all hit me at once, because prior to this moment I was just so full of excitement for Ben & his new dream job. I was suddenly aware of all of the ways our lives could change. To be honest, I panicked. I started thinking of all the negative things I could think of which took me down a long spiral of fear & feeling out of control. Then I went to sleep & chose not to think about it for the next few days.
My Theory
Then a few days later, I was driving to work when I had this thought,
“What if I could change my approach to negative change & find creative ways to get excited about any & every change that comes my way?”
I honestly think putting this theory into action could change my life. This is a game changer! Thinking like this is empowering & really makes me put things into perspective. Instead of seeing all of the changes that are bound to happen in my life & in our marriage as bad, I’m doing some soul searching & trying to approach the situation from a different angle.
So..maybe we won’t get to go on an international trip this next year, that means we will maybe get to see some amazing places on the east coast that we have never seen before. Maybe our schedule that I’ve grown to love so much is going to change, that just means we get to start from scratch & make a whole new schedule & fill it with whatever we want. We get to sit down & talk about what is most valuable to use & brainstorm ways to spend time together & be there for each other like never before.
What About You?
Do you see what I mean? I really think, as abstract as it may seem in the moment, that positives can be found hidden in every change that happens, we just have to be willing & creative enough to see them & then choose to become excited about them.
How do you deal with change? I would love to start a conversation in the comments below about change. Everyone experiences change, & it’s not always easy, so if you have any thoughts or insights on this topic that you would be willing to share with the F&F community, I know we could all benefit from them. Thank you in advance!
I fell in love with this skirt last year. Hard. I mean head over heels in love with this pretty little skirt. At the time, it seemed as though everyone had it. I even went into J.Crew & tried it on, which made me love it even more, but I couldn’t justify the price tag in that moment. Last month, while perusing the J.Crew Factory website, I found it online for a fraction of the cost! I knew it was finally time to make this skirt mine. Mine at last.
The shape of this skirt is one I knew I would wear year after year. It looks amazing with boots, & the many colors of the classic houndstooth print will go with infinite outfits for years to come. I love the feminine ruffle at the bottom as well as the comfortable feel of the elasticated waist. A timeless, classic piece in my wardrobe.
