Monday Mantra + See Ya 2012

And I'm back. What a month December has been. I spent the better part of the month wrapping up things from 2013 and preparing for the new year—in work, home, and life in general. So after a much-anticipated, much-needed week long break from life for the holidays, I'm refreshed and ready for action to take on this new year we have sneaking up on us tonight. I'm a fresh-start kind of girl, hence my adoration for this evening.

I'll be entirely honest right now, and say a few words that an eternal optimist does not mutter—I wasn't so impressed with 2012.  Now don't get me wrong— in 2012, I did good work, traveled to amazing places, experienced once-in-a-lifetime opportunities with my job, and carpe diem-ed the heck out of my life. I ushered 2012 in happily with no expectations and a commitment to let life happen. And that was fun. But, that was also the problem—I don't exactly do no expectations. I'm a self-proclaimed self-help junkie—I adore refining myself and the details of my life. I find that when my attention is there, it's not in negative places and I am constantly encouraged. So the "letting life happen" resolution was great for my day to day events. But now, looking at things I accomplished, I'm afraid I fell a little short.

So, my 2013 resolutions list has grown pretty quickly as I've reflected on this year the past few weeks. I've inquired to almost everyone else's in my quest to refine my own list—goals to travel, to take care of oneself, to accomplish an impossible task. And each time a loved on has revealed their goal for the upcoming year, I find myself inspired by not only the possibilities this fresh, sparkly, untouched year holds, but by the perseverance held by so many to live the good life. Fight the good fight for happiness.  To live defined by no one but themselves.

If you haven't made a resolution, I encourage you to. Because this is your year, too—and hello, the world didn't end so we sort of owe it to the universe. Because life is lovely and can always be lovelier.  I often make one large, over-arching goal, then a few smaller ones that give more immediate results (ie: feed my instant gratification complex). But more on those tomorrow. For today, let's repeat something as we prepare for 2012 to fade into the past and 2013 to begin with a bang:

Here's to wishing you a sparkly, love-filled evening celebrating the new year with the ones you love most! 

xoxo

(Photo sources here)

Lusting After: Ophelia

If you know me at all, you know that I am not a fan of cold weather. An avid shopper, I don’t even add much to my winter collection each year aside from a few adorable pairs of booties or a leather jacket. I have a uniform in cold weather, and I stick with it: skinnies, booties, with pretty blouses underneath a leather jacket or eye-catching coat. Sweaters? Hate them. Tights? Not unless I have a dress too cute to not wear. And don’t even get me started on... layers.

So, mixed with the seventy degree temps we’ve been having in, yes, December here along the beach, it’s really no surprise that I found myself browsing my favorite local swimwear boutique for what I’d love to add to my warm weather collection. Hey, all you girls lucky enough to be jetting off to some super exclusive tropical holiday or proactively planning your going-to-be-here-faster-than-you-know-it Spring Break trip, word to the wise: pay attention.

(Source)

Ophelia is a high-end swimwear boutique down here on 30A. If you don't know Tori and her beautiful group of girls, you are really missing out. They've helped me style many a photo shoot for the different publications I work with, and I always find myself literally drooling over the gorgeous products in their beautiful stores—not to mention their suits have a way of magically making you appear like a beach goddess.

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So while perusing their site the other day, I found a few things I automatically pinned to my Daily Finds wish list. Top of my list? This breathtaking pleated hi-low maxi. It reminds me of a fresher version of this look I pinned this week. Gold bangles stacked high on your wrists with a fresh sandal, and you have a show stopper, perfect for really any occasion.

And then I eyed this stunning white bikini—a knock-out for any sunny occasion, which automatically left me with dreams of spending my upcoming Christmas break in the South of France (emphasis on the dreams, there). Top here, bottom here.

Or, perhaps I'd wear this flirty number while sunning in said above far away exotic location. Top here, bottoms here.

A few of my other favorite options are this girly skirted suit...

 and these bold graphics for a huge punch of color.

I'd take any of the above under my Christmas tree this year, and am just a bit sad I didn't find them to add to my list sooner. So, no matter where you are this winter, there's a good dose of sunshine and Spring dreams for your Wednesday. You're welcome. Be sure to follow Ophelia Swimwear on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook—these girls are seriously good at posting alluring photos of their new merchandise, and I find myself liking, re-pinning, and wanting to run in the store at least once a week.

No, back to this Christmas planning on hand...
xoxo

Monday Mantra + Progress

Don’t you love it when the ole Monday Mantra appears on a Tuesday? And this is after a week without writing on the ole blog. Whowouldathought? Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches. And if that means sitting down every day for a week to write and drawing a big fat blank, then you roll with it. Or if it means forgetting to schedule the post time on your original Monday Mantra, then you roll with it. Or if it means that every time you have written for the past month, it’s been raw, from-the-heart thoughts and opinions versus your normal lifestyle topics, then so be it—you roll with it (and hope your readers don’t mind).

I guess what I’m learning this month is that He’s teaching me my plans, even the smallest ones, are interrupted by every day life and to keep on keeping on instead of feeling the defeat. So, without further adieu, the regularly scheduled post I was supposed to bring to you yesterday:

The holidays are here in full-force and I’m more impressed than ever by the people that can do it all. Select the perfect presents for their loved ones, tied in pretty-as-a-picture packaging. Host a holiday get-together for friends effortlessly, complete with personalized seating cards. Decorate their abode straight from the Southern Living Christmas issue, and still have time to work 9-to-5, pick the kids up from school, and fix dinner for the family—and that’s after addressing 150 Christmas cards, mind you.
And, honestly, with life happening as usual, making time for all the extras sound so hard.

Despite my pinning and planning and decorating and gifting, I still feel a little frayed around the edges in preparing for the holidays. I just finishing stamping my Christmas cards. I’m still not done with my holiday shopping (last minute gift guide, anyone, anyone?). My recipe for Christmas treats for the neighbors and coworkers is still hanging on the fridge, untouched. And I was good to get a wreath hung on my front door this year. Dinner parties? Cookie exchanges? A Christmas tree, for heavens sake? Not this year, it seems. Which, unfortunately, can be a little defeating if I wallow in it because more than anything, I want to be the woman who can.

But then, I remember that I’m 25. And it is Christmastime. And what matters is that I have friends to throw open my door for, arms open and champagne to pour. That I have family to pack all my suitcases for and head home on Friday to hug. That I am able to purchase sentimental mementoes for the ones I love because I am blessed with a job to roll out of bed for every morning. And that I am able to walk and dance and sing to celebrate the season. That woman? I’ll get there. But until then, the perfect reminder:

So here’s to a week of holiday cheer, happiness, and hugging your loved ones. Back tomorrow for all you last minute shoppers.
xoxo

Happy {19 Days Until Christmas} Weekend

Well I’m a little late in the game today, wishing you a fantastic Friday for the start of your weekend.

It’s been one of those weeks,  but I’m being taught a great lesson at looking at the positives and not dwellings on the what-ifs and have-nots. So, I've turned all my love and affection into promoting holiday cheer.
Shocker.
Christmas is on the full-time agenda down here in Florida for the weekend—I’m currently begging my friends to take me up on my multiple offers for cookie exchanges, Christmas light cruises, and tacky Christmas parties. After all...

 So, to help promote the festive season, I have a few Friday Finds I’ll be employing to the best of my abilities to turn the Scrooges I’m dealing with into sure-fire Christmas elves.

• The perfect tree decorating party playlist...
• And the perfect tacky Christmas party (my favorite kind!) playlist
• What’s that? You said you needed a Christmas cocktail for your parties? Got you covered here.
• And while you’re at it, go ahead and order this to wear.
• And don’t forget to put finding your perfect red on the list of holiday attire this Christmas.

Happy 19 Days until Christmas!

xoxo

(Photo creds here)

Wednesday Wish List: Supermodel Secrets

I had a Wednesday Wish List planned to post today for the upcoming holiday season (party dresses, anyone?) but then I fell spell to the Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show last night, like everyone and their great aunt. Pardon me while I get up on my soap box.

I sat spell-bound for the entire hour by the theatrics of this show and the behind-the-scenes footage that left me thinking Miranda Kerr and I really would be bff. Who knew the attire worn in this show is couture and takes an entire year to create? Who knew the background stories, insecurities, and opinions of these supermodels (Many of them are rock star moms and wives—take this story on Lily Aldridge, for example)? These girls, the Victoria’s Secret SUPERmodels, they amaze me. They are stunningly beautiful with rocking bods and personality for days—nothing like the waif-like models I’ve seen parade down many a fashion week runway. They are the real deal—the girls that we’ll eventually tell our daughters, “They were the most beautiful girls that existed when I was young.” And they work at it, hard, and admit to it. I can confidently proclaim that they inspire me, as well. I was practically pulling on my yoga pants as last night’s fashion show ended (or maybe I was finishing a glass of wine—whatever).

Nonetheless, I was slightly dismayed disappointed when I saw on Facebook the bashing these girls got today:
Their job is to work out.
How much plastic surgery have they had done?
No one actually looks like that.

And then, even more so when I began chatting with a friend to hear her proclaim her embarrassment for loving the annual fashion show so much. This friend, mind you, is a beautiful girl inside and out. And she’s also brilliant. So I was surprised when she simply stated, without thinking twice, “It makes me feel a bit shallow loving them so much, wanting to figure out their beauty secrets and wondering about their workouts.” My wheels really began turning. As girls, we are doted on and lifted up for being intelligent, forward-thinking, driven or charming—God-gifted abilities. So what, exactly, is so wrong with being pretty—wasn’t that God-gifted as well?

Where along the way have smart girls been taught that it is shallow to care about how you look?

Don't for one minute take me too literally here. I’m not boldly stating that we should all become self-consumed by our looks or strut down a runway scantily clad in black lace and Swarovski crystals—quite the opposite, actually (though they make it look like so much fun). Just as you’ve been given a brain or a sharp personality or whatever it may be that you nurture, take care of, and improve, isn’t it alright to do that to yourself as well? After all, our body is a temple, and it deserves care and refinement. And while I’m not endorsing here that we all make vanity our middles names and go try and look like Victoria Secret models (they were God-given a bit more in the body department, after all), I am endorsing taking pride in the beauty you've been blessed with as much as the brains and passion you've been given, and not being embarrassed for refining it. That also means embracing all those oddities that we have going on in the physical department (my eyes change colors—that’s definitely not normal). In some way, we’ve all got the whole package, and I think we should be proud of these assets equally. You can be smart, and driven, and pretty. And I don’t find anything wrong with wondering what their supermodel beauty secrets are (that you can find here and here) or researching their workout regimes (that you can find here). I mean, it works for them... (Just make sure your boyfriend knows they have trainers and a personal hair and makeup team)

So, shine bright you crazy diamond (direct reference to Rihanna’s rocking performance last night) And don’t feel like you’re shallow for doing it.
For some serious BTS from the show, tips, and tricks, visit this little site here.
xo

Monday Mantra + Hello December

Hello, first December week. Is it really that time?

(Source)

I am thrilled, thrilled that the holidays are here. I love nothing more than that warm festive, fuzzy feeling brought about by Christmas right before the new year dawns and the possibilities become endless (I mean, I've already begun contemplating my New Year's Resolution). Saturday was an excellent beginning to what is sure to be a fantastic month—good food, good music, great company and great times are a recipe for the perfect weekend if I've ever had one. So here we are, arriving in our first December week, with endless possibilities to wrapping up 2012.

I had quite the time hunting for this week’s mantra. Normally, they coincide with however I happen to be feeling on that particular Monday, or a certain season of life I may be coping with.
Advice in hard times.
Wise words for living.
How to become more.
When what you have is enough.
Embracing come what may.
Put on my heart, it’s normally easy to recognize what my focus for the week will be—words to live by, repeat, tune in to. But what do you choose when you can’t read what’s on your heart?
Sometimes, it’s simple. Just be.
Isn’t that a novel thought? Accept contentment. Take a moment (or one every day) for you to just exist. Because sometimes, what’s needed is a break from striving, refining, molding, climbing, persevering, and making more or making better to remind yourself, “Where I am is good. What I am is good.” Break. Breathe. Exhale.

(Source)

So, let's do that as the season of love is upon us, shall we?

Happy Monday!

xoxo

Happy {First December} Weekend

December is tomorrow. Wow. Wasn’t I just wearing my bathing suit cover up and eating popsicles on the balcony?
The season is here, my friends, and I am thrilled. December holds precisely my two favorite holidays—Christmas and New Year’s Eve. That’s right—both of my favorite holidays are this month. And I am one. happy. girl.

(Photo cred)

So, I’m practically wringing my hands in anticipation of posting gift guides, party ideas, and, of course, tons of outfit inspiration for the one million reasons we have to celebrate in a thousand different ways this month. Because that’s what it is all about, right? Celebrating His birth, and the gifts we are bestowed in the form of family, friends, loved ones, thanksgivings, and a fresh, sparkly start to a brand new year.

So, a few Friday (Pinterest, mainly) Finds where I’ve drawn inspiration for what to give, how to entertain, and what to wear as we gear up for December:

• These adorable DIY glitter votives are the perfect ambient lighting for an intimate soiree.
• Thought I won't be draping a breathtaking stairwell with fresh garland like here, I will be finding the perfect spot for my favorite holiday decor sometime over the weekend.
• Who says sparklers are just for New Year’s Eve? I’d like to make the movement to use them far more often.
• Take one sequined skirt + one classic silk blouse and go to essentially every holiday party you’re invited to.
• My dream gift. Literally, in my dreams.

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Wordless Thursday: All That Glitters

Because sometimes there are thoughts and not words, and my thoughts today are about all that glitters for the upcoming holiday season...

(Photo credits here)

Undoing the Dish

I'm touching on something we are all thinking about today, admittedly or not.. Thanksgiving is still lingering in the air for me, and it’s due to one thing—one major thing, might I add. After feasting Thursday on all the homemade treasures my mom is most famous in our family for, I, of course, couldn’t stop there due to the cupcake centerpiece awaiting me on my arrival home, an in-state rivalry SEC tailgate to attend on Saturday, and festive cocktails had by all, oh, every evening we spent together. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been on the fast track to undoing the damage I did during Thanksgiving last week in a fast and furious way this week before yet another food-centered holiday dawns at the end of this last month.

Not one to ever not divulge in every festive aspect of the holiday season, I’m not exactly a say no kind of girl. And the stint between Thanksgiving and New Years provides so many opportunities for decadent treats and tasty cocktails that it can add up quite quickly if I don’t keep my eye on it. So, throughout the past few years, I’ve developed some tactics to fight the Holiday Heavys (as I like to refer to this eating period as). I thought I’d share these with you today, as office talk has centered these this week and hey, if they’re talking about it at the water cooler...

1. Stick to veggies, fruits and lean proteins. I live off these during the week. Stir-frys are my best friend. And I try to eat lots of fish—tuna, salmon, grouper—which has lots of other healthy things going for your skin, as well.
2. Incorporate a few whole grains into your menu, but try to keep dinner carb-free. Carbs are harder to digest, so give your body much more time to get rid of these—unless, of course, you’re a hard core runner. Which I clearly am not.
3. Water is your best friend. Seriously, challenge yourself to drink a glass of water with every meal, between every meal, and right before you go to bed. This will also give your winter skin (read: no tan) a glow. No one likes pasty.
4. Stock up on apples. Whenever I’m feeling hungry around the 3-4 pm hour (and it never fails), I eat an apple. This feels you right up for virtually no calories.
5. Take a break on the weekend. I always break on Saturdays for a “free day” to enjoy some wine, chocolate, and whatever else tickles my fancy.
6. Have a safety food. Everyone has that one thing they carve, and after a stressful day, it’s easy to turn to these to feel  better. Find a safe food that satisfies your cravings but isn’t as bad as the original thing. Crave potoato chips? Try the Special K chips for a third of the calories. An ice cream girl? Keep Skinny Cow ice cream treats in your freezer. While you shouldn’t be turning to these every day, they’ll ward off undoing your weekly progress in a major way.

Of course, you can’t undo major foodie damage with diet alone. Or, you probably can but you shouldn’t. I am a major supporter of getting your boot-ay moving.

1. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a Pure Barre girl. So when I’m on diet detox, I try to up my weekly three classes a week to four. Can’t get to a Pure Barre near you? Try an at-home workout like the one here for long, lean dancer's muscles.
2. Walk for at least 30 minutes every morning, in addition to your normal workout routine. By walking first thing when you wake up, if even for just 30 minutes, every single morning, your metabolism not only revs immediately, but you burn additional calories in addition to whatever your workout regime may be. Not a morning person (hello, raise my hand). Great tips for becoming a morning exerciser here.
3. Cardio, cardio, cardio. While you should be strength-training in some form or fashion (muscle mass burns calories way faster than fat, even when sitting still), cardio is the fastest way to blast away fat. Tear up that elliptical for an hour. Do some walk-run interval training. Take a kickboxing or zumba class. Whatever it is, do it for an hour at least 3-4 times a week and you’ll melt away your extra cushion in the blink of an eye.
4. Fit it in whenever you can. This workout here is fast and has major results for both blasting calories and toning you back up—you can do it before each shower and it takes less than five minutes!

A few more tips, all courtesy of my "Healthy Me" Pinterest finds. 

• Skinny drinking tips here—great for holiday parties!
• Eat Yourself Skinny—my fave healthy recipe blog
• 25 natural appetite suppressants here—for when you just can't get full (assuming this happens to people other than me)
• A super-calorie blast playlist for all you runners out there here.

(photo creds here)

Tuesday Treats: Seeing Red

I woke up this morning in one of those moods. You know, an "I wish I had a home office so I wouldn't have to get out of my pajamas" mood—one of those moods. And my quickest fix for a homebody getting ready for the office in need of a fresh-and-ready face?
Red lips.

I like to wear my red lips one of four ways, and all very intentional. The first, as an accessory. Nothing to wear? No problem. Paired with a "blank canvas outfit," these lips are meant to stand out and draw the focus to a fresh face:

The second, to make a messy ensemble instantly put together. Red lips are a magic trick to making the disheveled look seem almost intentional. I like to pull this trick out when getting off an airplane or meeting someone after a long car ride:

Another option— the bombshell. I have a penchant for old Hollywood glam. Big, relaxed curls. Long lashes. And red lips tops this look right off:

Lastly, the newest addition to my red lipstick repetoire. Bright eyes + red lips. For you blue or green-eyed gals, lining the inside of your eyes with a pearly shadow and pairing with a red lip makes those bright eyes pop—perfect for a fun night out on the town. This works best with a more orange or coral-based red versus a darker red:

But the perfect red is a perfectly awful fail if you don't prepare and apply correctly. Be sure you line the lips in a correlating red liner, and even apply the liner as your first coat so the red won't smear or run. The, pat a translucent shadow on top before applying the red lipstick as a final touch.
I'm no makeup guru (I'm guilty of often going without), but this seems to be my fix in every lazy morning bind. Not that I'd ever admit to being lazy...

(Photo credits here)

Monday Mantra + Roots

Honey, I'm home.
Time to put the work pants on again and get rid of the vacation brain.

(Source)

What a hard thing to do after such a perfect Thanksgiving week. I packed up my Tory Burch weekender on Wednesday and sped to Mississippi as fast as my little car would take me. Why the urgency, I'm not sure. But I knew I needed to be there. These people waited:

The family at Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State, a win for the Rebs!

Is there anything like going home? For me, there's no other feeling like walking in the door to the loud laughter that always seems to emit from our living room. Nothing like my family that is big and loud and sarcastic and funny, or the long dinners with too much food and lots of wine. Nothing like playing Christmas music and decorating an already over-decorated tree, or crowding in the kitchen to watch mom cook. Of sharing late night snacks and early morning coffee, and plotting pranks and surprises together and alike. And despite the chaos or uncertainty of any given date, its these tiny little moments that can bring a smile to my face and a warmth to my heart when life is a little bit cold. 

If I've said it once, I've said it one thousand times—I get really caught up in life. So caught up, in fact, in the excitement or events of any given day, in pushing and striving and getting to where I'm going and who I want to be, that I'm guilty of forgetting what's here right now. But my roots, they are strong. Roots deeply planted in family, love, traditions, and values. And just when life begins to blur by again, He has this funny way of saying, Newsflash little girl, you've got yourself a lot to be thankful for. Now slow down and let me remind you. Which is why when I stumbled across this little gem this morning, I knew this week's mantra had nothing to do with the recent Thanksgiving holiday and everything to do with making a habit to offer up thanksgiving daily.

(Source)

A big thanks to the family for keeping this fast-moving little girl firmly rooted.

Happy Monday!

xoxo

Weekend Ramblings From the Ghost Girl

There is one thing I have not been good at for the past month. That is updating this blog.
There are, though, a few things I've been really good at for the past month. Those are:

• Head bobbing and shoulder shimmying everywhere to Taylor Swift's new Red album.
• Practicing my new French audiobooks.
• Creating secret Christmas gift boards on Pinterest for the fam. That you can't see, so I can't link it here. (Aren't the new secret Pinterest boards fantastic?)
• Shopping for new booties. Just purchased these, after much dilemma and denial over these and especially these.

(Photo cred)

Yep, all those things I've pretty much perfected in my free time—very important things, as you can see. Aside from my newfound hobbies, I've been down in the Big Easy shooting for the March/April issue of VIE this week. A whirlwind trip meant three nights at the luxurious Roosevelt hotel, where we spent our time getting to know Ashley Longshore (my newest obsession, her modern pop art infuses so much personality I was almost bent over laughing—not to mention she's crazy cool and perhaps the funniest person I've ever met) and the precious, could-be-my-BFF girls behind the Jolie and Elizabeth line (I want to drink champagne with them every day + our makeup artist from the shoot.) Mix that with the most fine dining experience I've ever experienced at Stella!, a few nights out listening to brass bands in smoky lounges, and a quick run through Saks for these babies, and I had myself quite the business trip. Look for all of the above in an upcoming issue of VIE.

(Photo cred)

So here I am, settled back into beach life after a lovely break away to find that surprise! Thanksgiving is next week. Hello, darlings, how did that happen?
Life is so quick. And for that I am thankful.
I used to be the number one person to be melancholy when I noticed that life was passing by quickly. Always the sappy sentimentalist, I wanted to hold on to moments, to anything I could that would keep me in a moment, a day, a month where I was so very happy. Until I realized that, if life was passing quickly, that was all the time.
Life happens fast when we're satisfied, filled up near the top of contentment. When your days begin to drag slowly, when minutes are hours or the day never seems to end—that's the concerning passage of time when something most likely needs to change. But when a day passes in a blink or a month flies by, despite hectic schedules, dissatisfaction with a situation, or whatever your "complaint" may be, you're actually one of the lucky ones.
So, I'm thankful that my life happens fast. (Hold me to that, Mom.)

So, I'll wrap up this post of miscellaneous comments and stories with a few Friday Finds in case you should find yourself in a nesting weekend much like mine ahead. I'll be doing some writing, using some crafty hands and planning for the upcoming holiday season. Thanksgiving will be the Theme of Ainsley's Life next week and, as one who often skips right past this fantastic holiday in leu of Christmas and New Year's Eve planning, I'm going to attempt to pay a bit more attention to gratitude giving. A few things that are on my agenda, holiday-related and not:

• This fantastic tip for cleaning makeup brushes—I'm not sure about you, but mine are long overdue.
• Hunting for this perfect holiday nail duo. Glittery yet subtle, it will go with everything for the perfect holiday sparkle.
• Making these adorable Thanksgiving coffee-dippers to deliver as festive handmade treats next week.
• Creating a few of these seasonal decorations to hang from the curtains in our home. I think I'll paint mine metallic for a bit of glitz, though.
• Plotting the beginnings of a girly holiday party that is sure to feature this.

Happy Friday lovelies, enjoy your pre-Thanksgiving weekend!

xoxo

Mid-Week Mashup

This post has been in drafts all week. With the week's events thus far, there's been no time to write. But as I finished my quiet time this morning and began to prepare for my day, I kept feeling nudged to finish.
So here I am.

Last week, I stumbled into a moment that nothing in my whole being wanted any part of. One of those real knock-you-out-and-down doozies. You know them—we all do. Feelings of insecurity, rejection and inadequacy flooded my conscience as unmet desires continued to be oh, so very unmet. And as I walked my dog around the neighborhood before bed, somehow, without my even realizing I was thinking it, one sentence filled my thoughts as I clung to it over and over:
You are more than enough.

He whispered it over and over as I began to repeat it to myself.

It's funny how life is a beautiful gift that can create and dish out these ugly, crippled situations to us: The job you didn't get and wanted so badly. The class you failed after trying so hard. The mistake you made when you weren't thinking. The boy who said you weren't special enough.

But you are more than enough. And that's why we're equipped to handle it when life throws curveballs quickly and furiously. I'm not sure about you, but I've never been so great behind a bat, so these curveballs shake me up a little more than perhaps the average person. But good news girls—He bats for us. And I was ever-so-thankfully reminded of that last week, when I was in danger of crumbling behind the bat, and He stepped up to the plate, took over, and kept me together.

I have no idea how that turned into a baseball metaphor, but I'm going with it.
So today, you are more than enough.

And turning the corner to other great things on this Wednesday that I've intended to write about this week but haven't:

1. The best news—the new issue of VIE hit the streets. You can read it here, and watch a behind-the-scenes video shoot of our cover here. It's good stuff—trust me.
2. It's officially cold here on the coast, and the lack of Fall attire means shopping is at the forefront of my brain right now. A few fantastic looks I fell in love with this week to incorporate into the ole wardrobe here, here, and here. 
3. Speaking of falling in love, if I had an excuse to wear this ensemble, I'm convinced I would. 
4. And lastly, though I'm late, an exquisite mantra for this week here  in light of recent events.

I hope the first half of your week has been a fabulous one!
xo

Photo credits here.