Baby Blues

This outfit is perfect for summer and has the right amount of sass and prep.  And if you know me, you know I love ALL things preppy!  These Chambray sandals are too much.  I can't deal with how cute  and  versatile they are.  They go with everything  (colors and outfit options)  They would even be cute with a sweet sun dress.  This baby blue dress shirt is one of my favorites things in my closet.  It's so versatile and you can dress it up or down.  I can't fail to mention the cut…it's amazing.  It's slim fit and divine, I simply adore it.  Every girl should own one! Let's get to the best thing about this ensemble…the Kendra Scott necklace.  OMG, I'm obsessed with it and how many things in my closetI can pair it with.  It goes with EVERYTHING!!!  Coincidently these pictures were taken in front of Kendra Scott, right after I made this lovely purchase.

Sunnies: Chanel

Shirt: J Crew

Pants: J Brand

Bag: Chanel

Necklace: Kendra Scott

Shoes: J Crew

Nail Polish: Butter brand, "Trout Pout"

Xoxo,

B

Traveling Girl

Wow, posting for me has been very rare lately.  I've been throwing myself into my volunteer work and loving every minute of it.  That leaves little time for blogging after you factor in the taking care of the husband and house thing!  Last weekend we went to the Hamptons for a birthday of one of our dear friends.  It's a tradition at this pint and it's a whirlwind each year.  Unfortunately I didn't get any great blog photos except for the first few that we took while we waited at the Airport in NYC.  I can tell you one thing for certain, the weekends ensembles were very East Coast and preppy.  Which happen to be two of my favorite combinations!!

Here is the full look, then it's broken down below.  This outfit was so incredibly comfy yet super cute!  BTW, I overpacked as usual:) 

Sunnies: Chanel

Top: J Crew

Necklace: Alexis Bittar

Bangles: David Yurman

Earrings: Kendra Scott

Ring: Kendra Scott

Pants: J Brand

Sandals: Chanel

Suitcase: TUMI

Carry on: Louis Vuitton

Necklace: Alexis Bittar

Arm Candy: David Yurman

Earrings: Kendra Scott

Ring: Kendra Scott 

Sunnies: Chanel

Earrings: Kendra Scott

Ring: Kendra Scott  

Warning: below is a picture of my feet, the are scary ugly, not for the faint of heart...you've been warned!

Sandals: Chanel 

Here is a pic of my husband and I before heading out to dinner with the group.  This outfit may be one of my favorite going out ensembles!  I had a couple of full body shots but this one shows the vibrant blue the best. :) Not pictured are my nude heels with this little number.  Our friend Lauren and her sister co-founded the "Party Skirt".  It comes in several different color and length options.  You can find them here.  They are a Canadian based company that is ALL about empowering women :)  LOVE IT!

That is all I have for you today!

Xoxo,

B

Food for Thought: We Date Who We Are?

Here I go blogging about another blog again!  I have written about "The Daily Love" before and today Mastin's post really resonated with me.  I am so happy that my closest and best friends are married to the best men I could hope for them.   I was also very fortunate to have found my soul mate and married my best friend.  

I believe that you surround yourself with those who mirror you.  If you are surrounded by constantly single people,  are you putting into the universe that you want to be single?  Even when I was single, all of my friends were in very serious relationships.  I didn't go looking for friends in a relationship, I just attracted those types of people.  Sure it was hard at times when they would be snuggled up together, but I would just imagine the day when I would snuggle with my true love.  And so it is!

Remember you are like the 5 people that you spend the most time with, so be sure you surround yourself with AUTHENTIC, HONEST, LOYAL, POSITIVE, KIND & LOVING people.  That is a whole other blog post in and of itself!

On the flip side, I also know some people who are with the wrong person all together.  My hopes for anyone looking for the right person: read this and take the next step in finding the happiness that you deserve.  

All of this being said, being authentic and allowing yourself to be YOU, is the first key to finding true love.  You must first be happy in your relationship with YOURSELF! I am so tickled that he wrote this and finally put into words how I have been feeling for so long.  I could go on and on, but I will spare you!  To read what the real Guru says click the link below :)

http://thedailylove.com/we-date-who-we-are-2/

Xoxo,

B

Feels Like The 4th of July

Oh wait it IS the 4th of July!  Today is a gorgeous day and we are going to our restaurant with some friends to watch fireworks on the rooftop.  Obviously, it's customary to wear red, white and blue.  So that is exactly what I did…I even did my red lips!  Below I have the name of the red lipstick I am wearing.  Remember that the same color red may not look right on you. I searched for months before finding the perfect red.  Red is not a color you can just pick up at the drugstore without having tried it before.  Go to your local department store and try different brands (they all have varying shades of red). Have a makeup consultant try a few different hues on you.  Once you find one you love, stick to it!  I always say, finding the right shade of red is like finding the right man.  You won't find the perfect one just anywhere, you must be choosy and set your standards high!

I finally got you some quality photos, including accessory close ups :)  You guys have earned it after having to look at the terrible self portraits for over a month now! Kudos to my darling husband for his mad photog skills!

Dress: J Crew

Belt: Halogen (Nordstrom)

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Earrings: Tiffany & CO silver studs
Lips: Chanel lipstick: #105 Inimitable, Chanel Lip Liner: #14 Carmin

Clutch: J Crew

Bangles: David Yurman

Ring: David Yurman (Wheaten Ring)

Nail Polish: Bubble Bath (O.P.I.)

I don't own a red handbag.  Luckily, it's summertime, so I can pull off wearing my cork clutch with the red shoes and belt.  This is why I adore cork, it goes with everything in the spring and summer.  I will have to find a replacement for the winter time because I refuse to pack up my red heels just because the temps drop!

Here is a close up of my beloved red Manolos!  Funny that my favorite heels aren't a pair of my red bottoms, but my red tops!  Don't worry Christian Louboutin, I still LOVE you!

I hope that everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July tonight!  Be sure to help keep our roads safe and CALL A CAB if you have one too many cocktails!

Xoxo,

B

American Girl

July 4th is quickly approaching and happens to be one of my favorite holidays.  I still get teary eyed when watching fireworks synchronized with "America The Beautiful". 

Since today is July 1st,  I thought I would show my patriotism and my excitement with my outfit choice!  Can we talk about this linen anchor tee shirt?  I was obsessed from the minute I saw it in the store!  I love all things nautical during the summer.

My husband finally got around to fixing my light in my office so the lighting in my pics is much better now:) I also wore my new haircut straight for the first time since cutting it.  What do you think?!

Top: J Crew

Shorts: J Crew

Belt: Hermès

Watch: Michele

Shoes: Tory Burch

Xoxo,

B

Cure For The Summer Time Blues

What better way to cure the summer time blues that giving back to your community??  If you are down and out because the heat has you staying indoors, then perhaps you should get out there and volunteer, preferably in air conditioning.

I am in Junior League and this year, I have the honor of being Community Chair for Faith In Action Caregivers-West Austin.  The good news is, that they are a NATIONAL organization.  Training is only an hour and half and you get to pick how often you want to volunteer  You can even sign up for shifts the day before if your schedule is sporadic.

What is the great non profit you ask?  Well, you get to drive the elderly to their appointments or assist them in grocery shopping. It really is designed to help them maintain some sort of independence.  Some of these people have no family in or around Austin.  Some have no family at all.  Sad, I know.  Not only are you helping them run their errands, but you are giving them companionship that we, as humans, so desperately need for sound mind.  

You can drive around the same person each week or month or sign up for a different person each time.  I plan on volunteering for this organization long after my placement is fulfilled.

No matter where you are reading this blog from, you are likely able to find a branch near you.

For more information on Faith In ActionCaregivers, please visit:  http://driveasenior.org

There are so many great places to volunteer during the summer.  And places will even let you bring your kids, if you have them, to teach them to get involved while they are young!  Some other great places to volunteer in the summer are:

SunShine Camps on Austin http://www.sunshinecamps.org

Big Brother, Big Sister  http://www.bbbs.org

SPCA  http://www.centraltexasspca.org

Girlstart http://www.girlstart.org

Just to name a few.  If you have any spare time this summer I strongly encourage you to give back.  It's the right thing to do and you get back what you put out there into the world.  If you are always helping others then you will always find others helping you when you need it most.  I believe that we are put on this earth to help those who are unable to help themselves!! Happy volunteering!

Xoxo,

B

Writing Thank You Notes…A Lost Art

It saddens me to hear that cursive handwriting is becoming a lost art.  Along with it has gone the art of writing Thank You notes.  Call me old fashioned...I have written thank you notes for as long as I can remember.  It's disappointing to me how often people DON'T send them. I have been to two weddings where the bride never sent a thank you note.  Is this a new trend?  Well it certainly isn't one I will be following nor encourage.  It's manners people, those are NEVER out of style!

Late notes are better than no note at all, however, the proper etiquette is to send one either the day of or at least within a few days after and event or receiving a gift from someone (except after a wedding obviously).  In even more formal situations I will even send a thank you to a host who invited me to a nice event and let them know how nice it was or send one to let someone know it was nice to meet them. 

Help to keep Thank You notes alive. It only takes about 1-2 minutes to do so and the recipient will appreciate you for it.  Send one out to someone who has done something for you lately.  Even if it was just a nice visit with a girlfriend for happy hour cocktails.  My closest and best friends, we all send each other sweet nothings in the mail on a regular basis.  Another perk to doing so... it helps the people who work at the USPS to keep their job!

A few great places to pick up some Thank You stationary:
Target
Paper Source
Paper Place
Barnes & Noble
Book People
Papyrus

My favorite Stationary brands:

Crane & Co:  http://www.crane.com/search?searchTerms=thank+you

Kate Spade: http://www.katespade.com/cute-stationery/stationery-paper/99-thank-you-cards/TC7111,default,pd.html

Papyrus:  http://www.papyrusonline.com/stationery-1/boxed-thank-you-notes.html

Every time I am out and find some that I like, I buy it…you can never have enough of those laying around! 

Xoxo,
B