Tag Archives: trends

Silver Lining | Personal Style

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Photos by Eric Tra

Ever since turning 24 in February I’ve been rewriting my life mantras. I’ve been learning a lot about myself and establishing what matters most to me in this world then separating those from what I think might be toxic. For example:

Things that are toxic: Neglecting to purchase something that you’re personally drawn to because you think other people won’t respond to them the same way you do. I struggled with this for a long time. I was constantly asking myself “What if people think I look weird?” and then hesitantly putting that pair of metallic harem pants back on the rack.

Things that are not toxic: Allowing yourself to buy whatever the hell you want because you’re an independent person who doesn’t just follow trends, but instead sets them. Trends like METALLIC SILVER PLATFORMED SHOES.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced love at first sight in the way that I did when I sleepily stumbled across these babies on Shopbop one night around my birthday.

I’d been feeling very blasé about many of the styles I’d been scrolling through, but these oxfords by Opening Ceremony could not have made me feel any more alive. I was in love. I constantly admired and talked about them for two weeks before my friends got tired of hearing me obsess over them and urged me to buy them…so I did.

They’re grungy. They’re minimal. They’re shiny. They’re PERFECT. One small step for my closet, one giant step for me serving Xenon: Girl of the 21st Century realness.

New Life Mantra #2: Do you. Wear whatever you want because YOU like it. Be fearless. Feel flawless.

Buying these shoes wasn’t just a sporadic chasse into my spring wardrobe, but a step deeper into my identity. Every time I wear them I feel fiercely confident and undeniably myself. Who cares if people like them or not? They aren’t wearing the shoes – I am.

Speak to you soon!

x

9 | Monday Playlist

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Vinyl Record PSD MockUp

It’s Monday again and that means it’s new music day again! Making these playlists is something I genuinely look forward to because not only do I get to show you guys (potentially) new bands, but I get to seek some out for myself. I usually try out the playlist for a week before I launch it live on here, and this one is no exception. In fact, based on that one week trial, this one may be one of my favorite one’s I’ve ever published. (That may or may not be based solely on the fact that Ryan Gosling’s band is the first track. I’m serious. Google “Dead Man’s Bones.”)

(…Also be careful googling that because your results might be weird).

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It’s officially the second week of July, so here’s to nearing the dog days of summer.  I wish that meant:

A) Free puppies!
B) There is no other choice!

But what it means instead is that things are about to get a little toasty here in the southern United States. Now would be a great time to start hydrating, allowing yourself more time than normal to walk places, getting milkshakes more frequently and warning your friends that it’s hot so you’ll be reaching “hangry”* status more quickly than normal.

*hangry: hane•gry, adj- being so hungry that you are visibly upset. “Lauren had to wait to sit down at the pizza restaurant for dinner, and impatiently watching everyone else crunch their piping hot crust made her hangry.”

Here’s this weeks playlist! Stay cool! (Literally)

 
 

Speak to you soon!

x

July 4th

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July 4th

 
Happy birthday, America! I hope everyone has endulged in at least one sno cone, ice cream cone, or popsicle today! Enjoy the holiday and don’t post too many instagrams of the fireworks.

Speak to you soon!

 

x

Park Guëll, Barcelona | Spain Travel Diary

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• Wearing a jumpsuit from Necessary Clothing (similar here) •

It’s always interesting to experience a place that you have seen on a screen, made of thousands of tiny pixels, so many times. You go with certain expectations of what it will look and feel like, and sometimes your experience is even made or ruined by those expectations.

Park Guëll is a place that I’ve seen a million times on the internet. I anxiously counted down the days on the trip until we would get to pay Gaudi’s masterpiece (one of several) a visit. With an open mind I took in the sight of the mosaic covered grounds;  the flowers spilling over the walls echoing the vibrancy of the tiles; and the colorful, breathtaking view of Barcelona from the overlook.

While the initial impression was more than magnificent, it was what you saw when you looked past the big details, and instead focused more on the intricacies that were true signatures of Gaudi’s work. Some of them were only  visible for an instant, so catching sight of one felt like a whisper from Gaudi himself; a secret that not everyone gets to know. Those details are what make seeing a popular place so special. Those details are what make visiting a place like that worth it.

Mosaics, like pixels on a computer screen, come together to form an image and make an impression. There was certainly one left on me. Thanks, Gaudi.

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A final few waves of Barcelona photos to go and then an announcement of a new adventure!

 

Speak to you soon!

 

x

La Piscina | Pool OOTD

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La Piscina

 
 
Sometimes a getaway is exactly what you need when life seems to have been whizzing past you at warp speed. It’s easy to lose the beauty in moments when they all start to melt together.

A pool day is definitely in order; one with rays of sunshine and beads of sweat that are not only symbols of a physical detox, but a mental one as well. I’m all about this monochromatic swimsuit paired with a tropical, patterned kaftan on top. A vintage inspired pair of shades to protect my eyes, sunscreen to protect my face and water to keep me hydrated through the day are my other essentials.

What do you do to take a breather?

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Regular posting back SO soon.

x

Pretty boy // Your Monday Playlist

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Pretty boy

  

Getting back into the swing of things can be hard after a weekend of warm family moments and an abundance pillowy dinner rolls. Here are a few words to inspire your next few moves:

•Today is going to be great. It is a new week. It is a new day. It is a new beginning. There is no reason not to be delighted in that.

•YOU are great. You are talented and your dreams are worth chasing. They are worth it. You are worth it.

•Know that you are loved. It’s Monday and sometimes it feels like everything is spiraling in a bad direction. It’s not. Breathe and know you are going to make it through.

 

•You can make the decision to be happy today. Don’t forget that.

 

•You can also make the decision to choose pizza for lunch, and there is no better cure for a bad day than that.
  
This weeks playlist was inspired by my (often discussed) masculine-feminine style obsession for spring 2014; I’m continuing to love the shapes and pieces involved in a more boyish look and twisting them with girlish textures and details . My two favorite items are the oversized black watch (MARC by Marc Jacobs) and the boyfriend shorts (rag & bone featured here, but we all know about the love affair I have with the Madewell suitor.)

 

The playlist is a bunch of fabulous ladies who sing like angels. So, without further adieu, your Monday mixtape:

 

Speak to you all soon!

 

x

Spring Dreams | Jamie & the Jones SS14

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Collection: Spring/Summer 2014 Jamie & The Jones • Photography: Brett Warren • Video: Tyler Evans

 

I cannot get over the hues and simple, beautiful shapes of, Nashville based fashion label, Jamie & The Jones for Spring/Summer 2014. Each piece is so organic and the combination of dye colors/techniques only furthers the uniqueness of it all. Not only are the pieces pretty, but they are hand marbled and handmade in Nashville. The collection was done in collaboration with Shutters and Shuttles.

The ambiance of the shoot could not have been better for the collection. The dewey skin, softness of the hair and speckled nails are the cherries on top. My vision of spring has been officially been epitomized.

To see more of Jamie & The Jones work, click here

 

Speak to you all soon!

 

x

Nashville Guide: The Essentials

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Nashville Weekend Guide | via RLTCSometimes I forget how amazing it is to live in a city full of so much history, ambition and pizazz. Just one internet search about “What to do in Nashville” yields endless results; tours, music, famous bars, places to buy find that single shoe that Johnny Cash wore–once.

Okay maybe not that last one, but you get the drift.

Overhearing conversations at the coffee shop I worked at was often overhearing frustration from travellers (and locals) not knowing where to get the best BBQ or where to hear the best bluegrass or where to get “hot chicken,” whatever that meant…

(IT MEANS the best damn chicken you’ll ever eat. Check yourself. And then promptly drive to Prince’s and feast like you are the fire king).

So without further adieu, I give you my condensed (sort of) Nashville to do list. This idea stemmed from the forthcoming visit from my amazing parents. While sifting through blog posts and trip advisor comments, I just wanted to be able to look at ONE thing. So I made it. I really tried to think from all realms and to fill it with things that would keep you (a traveller OR a local) busy for an afternoon, a day, a weekend…I hope it’s as helpful to you as it was for me!

Discover something new in Nashville.

(Also, please feel free to discover how great the adjective pizazz is. Note to everyone: use it more often.)

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I’ll be a little absent the next few days (spending much needed time with the parental unit) but I’ll be back during the weekend/the beginning of next week with a FLOOD of pictures. There’s a lot coming up for this little blog! Get excited.

Also, thank you guys for all the support and kind words! I’m excited about this new venture and about bringing you on it with me.

 

Speak to you soon!

 

 

x

March Favorites // April Playlist

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FAVE_03141. The Spring Madewell Catalogue. It’s basically describing the Madewell girl to be a pretty tomboy. HELLO, is it me you’re looking for? They should just rename their brand to “hammer” because they nailed it. I poured over all of the images and outfits and a particular pair of boyfriend shorts (pictured above) all month. Check out their new collection here.

2. My little green roommate whose been bringing me positive feelings and hope for spring. I got this succulent at Trader Joe’s (which may as well be a favorite item in itself) for literally  $2.50.

3. The amethyst I picked up at the Flea Market was obviously a no brainer. Look how faceted and purple it is. It’s also my birth stone, so the fact that it’s in my room must mean that I’m really building up my Aquarius points about now. Right?

4. ULTIMATE SPRING LIPSTICK: Vegas Volt from MAC. It’s a florescent coral color that will change your life no matter what your skin tone may be.

5. Grace. I hadn’t had a chance to read Grace Coddington’s perfect memoir until now. I spotted it on a friend’s coffee table and promptly interrupted our conversation to inform him that I would be checking it out of his personal library.

6. Josephine. I really should stop talking about it, but I’m not over it yet. The wine list was never ending, the cheese plate was impressive, and the atmosphere was really unique for a Nashville restaurant. If you get the chance you’ve got to go.

7. Trader Joe’s (85% Cacao) Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar. Because I’ve tried to adapt some better eating habits this year, dark chocolate is my savior when I am craving something sweet but am trying my damnedest to battle my sugar cravings. I eat a 1 inch square and I am sa-tis-fied.

8. Maroon Zara boots. I got these for Christmas and they have been on my feet almost every day since then. Comfortable, versatile, pointed toe…another testament to my Masculine/Feminine wardrobe aesthetic. I’m not sure they still have this exact pair, but I can promise that you’ll stumble across another pair you like here.

9. LUSH Cosmetics Rosie giftbox. I bought this for myself and I’ve never felt more like a pampered princess than when I was surrounded by rose scented bubbles and then slathered in a rich, fragrant rose+aragon body conditioner. (Pro tip: don’t use the bubble macaroon in a jacuzzi. Don’t ask…just don’t.)

& finally

It wouldn’t be the beginning of a new month without a new playlist. Thanks to a flurry of SXSW recaps and Spotify success stories, I’ve discovered a lot of addictive (and eclectic) tuneage this month; it just so happens that it’s perfect for putting a little *spring* in your step. Open up your windows and enjoy…

 

 

Speak to you all soon!

 

 

x