Sweater Weather

Attention- THERE ARE ONLY 27 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS. As you can tell, I am a little excited for the Holiday season. With Christmas comes family gatherings, Christmas parties, etc. Since you obviously can't attend these events in your onesie (as tempting as it may be), Christmas can be a stressful time for finding the 'perfect outfit' over and over again!

I am a big fan of cozy sweaters. My brother would probably identify them as my "safe", or rather, the thing I pull out of my closet when I don't want the hassle of worrying whether my outfit is OK or not.
Unfortunately I don't own this super cute sweater, but that doesn't mean that you can't! This entire outfit came from...wait for it...Vignettes! This sweater, and skirt, are both super comfortable, yet put-together looking at the same time. Another one of my favorite places to find comfortable sweaters is Final Cut because they have many samples marked down. However, be prepared to search for your fashion treasures because everything is mostly thrown together.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  I know this time of the year can be stressful with midterms, college acceptances, Holiday plans, etc so I encourage you to take this time to relax and enjoy your families company!

Crazy for Cords

DRESS AND JACKET: VIGNETTES BOUTIQUE

BOOTS: SAM EDELMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNA AVRETT

As stylist Rachel Besser once stated, “there's nothing more durable, versatile, or comfortable to keep you warm — and looking good — all season long.” I have always been a fan of corduroy pants, especially in fun colors, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw this adorable dress in one of my favorite fabrics. You might even remember my Jean corduroys from an earlier post Leather and Leopard. According to vogue.com, the major runways of spring and pre-fall 2015 were filled with corduroy… so don’t be afraid to bring back the 1970s style. This fashion forward translation of velvet has been an outfit staple for many notorious celebrities such as The Brady Bunch, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Kate Moss, etc.

This Navy corduroy dress from Vignettes is a great happy medium for those of us that are willing to give the 70s style a chance, but aren’t quite ready to fully embrace bell-bottoms. Vignettes boutique on Monte Sano Ave in Augusta is by far one of my favorite places to get clothes and it is rare that I don’t fall in love with an in-style, yet affordable dress everytime I model for the store. 

***Warning- You will probably be seeing a lot more of these black boots because I just got them from Goody Two Shoes on Milledge road and I am obsessed! They are the perfect touch of Fall and Winter for so many outfits!

http://www.vogue.com/9002389/making-case-corduroy-trend-comeback/

6 tips to help improve your Self-Esteem

6 Tips to help improve your Self-Esteem!

1- Stop comparing yourself to others

2- Do something that intimidates you more often so it becomes second nature

3- Motivate yourself by listening to empowering music or reading something inspirational like the Bible. (Do this EVERYDAY)

4- Create a list of goals that you wish to accomplish in the near future

5- Decide how you will accomplish those goals

6- Remind yourself what you have already accomplished

“There's a lot of stress out there, and to handle it, you just need to believe in yourself; always go back to the person that you know you are, and don't let anybody tell you any different, because everyone's special and everyone's awesome.”-McKayla Maroney

For some help with tip #4... try using this goal-setting template- :)

It ain't NO COMPETITION

Reflection for the day:

“Walk in wisdom toward the outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:5-6

Isn’t it just so easy for us to treat life like it is a competition? When we work hard towards a task or a goal it can be disappointing when we do not accomplish that for which we have been working so hard. I know it’s hard to not get jealous when people around you are constantly getting rewarded when you are working just as hard as them (if not harder). If you continue to treat life like it is a competition it will destroy you and cause you to miss so much. How does one avoid falling into a graveyard of aspirations?

One approach that I learned from Kristen Dalton at sheismore.com is surprisingly quite simple.  “If you feel the tendency to throw rocks at someone who is gaining success in accomplishing their dreams; ask yourself this question, ‘What am I gaining by doing this’? Believe it or not, it isn’t a race. No matter how hard you run or how many rocks you throw; nothing will change the outcome of tomorrow.”

In other words, God has plans for each of our lives that are more thought out than anything we could have ever created ourselves. While it may be very hard at times when we feel like we are working hard to accomplish nothing, we must remember Jeremiah 29:11- “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

"Straight Outta Independence Hall" (with apologies to N.W.A.)

I have always had a love for history. We all learn the Pledge of Allegiance before we are four... My grandmother took that a step further by teaching me the Preamble basically straight out of diapers. Perhaps this is because my 7th great uncle, William Few, was one of the Georgia signers of the United States Constitution. 

Even greater than this appreciation for the past is a love for my country.   

On a recent trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, my parents and I were excited to experience a piece of our nation's history first hand. The Liberty Bell is a powerful symbol of America and is a reminder that in this country, we stand for "liberty and justice for all." While the Bell no longer rings, it's sound message is perhaps more powerful than any chime. "Threatened many times, the Liberty Bell outlasted adversity, offering hope for a better tomorrow when Liberty may truly touch us all." 

I have had the opportunity to stand in front of symbols of our country's history such as the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Arlington National Cemetery in DC. I would not trade opportunities like these for anything.These locations remind us of those who sacrificed themselves for our freedom and laid down the foundations for what is now the greatest nation in the world. 

If you find yourself near one of these National Historic landmarks, I highly recommend you visit! Like the Liberty Bell, each site has a symbolic message and will challenge you to search for the meaning of liberty within you. God bless the USA! 

Satisfy your sweet tooth...

If you are anything like me, you most likely constantly have a sweet tooth. However, eating cookies and ice cream every day probably isn’t the best step towards a healthy life. I tried this protein cookie recipe from www.getfitnowpt.com the other night so I could satisfy my sweet tooth and it was actually really good (if you like bananas)! My friend Kinsi even tried them :)

Ingredients-

– 1/4 cup of Flax seeds

– 2 tsp of Chia seeds

– 1 Banana

– 2 tbsp Dark chocolate chips

– 1 scoop of PB2

– 2 scoops of Protein powder (vanilla)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In a large mixing bowl add 2 scoops of the protein powder (you can use vegan protein powder to make these cookies vegan) and 1 scoop of PB2.  If you don’t have PB2 available, you can use all natural peanut butter.

3. Mash the banana, PB2 and protein powder until creamy.

4. Then mix in the ground flax seeds, chia seeds and dark chocolate chips.

5. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and drop about 1 1/2 tbsp sized drops onto the baking pan. The cookies will not rise, so spread them out into a circular shape.

6. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until cookies are firm and the edges are golden brown.

Hope you enjoy these yummy and protein packed treats… comment below what you thought of them!