Life & Style: Maximizing your Time

When you understand that time is a precious resource, you become more intentional about how you spend it. I don't want to die with wasted time or potential so I decided to become more intentional about how I spend my time. I've lost an aunt and uncle this year and dealt with my fair share of sadness recently over the death of Chadwick Boseman. As I reflect on the lives of these people, one thing is clear: they did not waste time. They all dealt with health challenges and understood how precious their time on earth was. The mere fact that Boseman continued to produce excellent work throughout his four year battle with cancer tells us that he didn't take his time for granted. He poured his time into his craft, touched the lives of his loved ones, colleagues, fans and made every moment count.

As I've gotten older, started a family with my husband and advanced in my career, my time has become more limited. Wasted time can never be restored so I've become more intentional about how I spend my time. I have a lot of goals and several things occupying my mind at all times so organizing myself is essential. Things I have been doing to help me steward my time better are:

• journaling my intentions/goals for the week and reviewing them often to hold myself accountable
• putting down appointments in my calendar and setting reminders so I don't forget them
• making to-do lists and putting them in places I won't pass by like on the wall next to my bed and in the notes section of my phone
• turning off social media notifications during certain times of the day and close to bedtime because I have a bad habit of scrolling for too long and that time spent scrolling could be used on something productive 

Dress-Who What Wear x Target | Shoes- Dolce Vida

Reasons to Celebrate with Basic Invite!

One thing living through a pandemic has reminded us is that life is fleeting and there is always a reason to celebrate. Celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how big or small. Celebrate every birthday, because none of us knows how many we have left. Show love to your friends and family by celebrating them! Fall is a season of celebrations in my family. My mom, son and several other family members have fall birthdays. This November is a milestone for my son as he will be turning two! While my husband and I have not yet decided if we're going to throw a birthday party for him, I know that if we do, we can always rely on Basic Invite to provide the invitations. 

What I love most about the party invitations this company provides is that they are all custom invitations that can be tailored to my needs and design aesthetic. Here are some details about Basic Invite that made the company even more appealing to me:

Almost Unlimited Colors- Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once they select a design, customers can change the color of each element on the card. With over 180 colors to choose from, the invite is sure to be exactly how they want it. This is what sets us apart from almost any other online stationery company.

 

Custom Samples- Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers to order a printed sample of their actual invitation before they place their final order. They can see the paper quality and how it will print, and make sure the card is perfect. 

 

Over 40 Different Colors of Envelopes- Basic Invite has over 40 different envelope colors to choose from. With so many options, customers can make their envelope match the invitation. All of the envelopes are peel and seal so they can be closed quickly and securely.

 

Address Capturing Service- Basic Invite offers an address capturing service that allows customers to share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media to request their friends and family’s addresses. The addresses are stored in the customer’s account and can be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders.

 

Foil- Foil cards are available in gold, silver, and rose gold. Customers can choose flat or raised foil on all of Basic Invite’s foil designs.

 

Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51 

 

If you'd like to stay in the loop with Basic Invite, follow them on social media!

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Summer Staples: Smocked Top, Cut off Shorts and Mules

Summer is quickly coming to an end, so now is the time to wear all your summer outfits before it gets too cold! Three trends I enjoyed wearing this summer were smocked tops, cut off shorts and mules. I don't buy into trends unless they speak to my style and these 3 pieces are so me. I'll definitely be wearing the mules well into fall with jeans and my favorite faux leather pencil skirt. The shorts can also transition to fall with a duster or over the knee boots if you're feeling sexy! I'll come back with another blog post to show you how to transition summer looks to fall to get the most for your money.

I hope this summer has been good to you and that you made time to engage in your favorite summer activities. As a we journey through a new month and prepare for a new season, remember that everything can't go where God wants to take you. Fall is a reminder to let dead things go and anything that is not helping you grow is pulling you down. 

Top- H&M | Shorts-Target | Shoes-Nine West also sold here

White Corset Dress, Strappy Sandals and Self Love

When you love yourself and walk with God, it shows. The glow is different!

These days loving myself looks like setting boundaries for the sake of my health, releasing things that are weighing my spirit down, resting when I feel weary and dedicating more time to the things I'm passionate about like fashion, God, spending time with loved ones, wellness and self-improvement.

Dress- Asos | Sandals- Nine West

Loving myself also looks like styling cute outfits and what I love most about this outfit aside from the details is that everything is on sale! This dress is perfect for summer but can also be transitioned into the fall with tall boots or even sneakers if you're feeling sporty. These shoes are not only on trend, with the strappy detail, they are also comfortable and easy to walk in. If you love this look, get it because its currently on sale!

7 Truths We all Should Accept: Reflections on turning 27

Today marks my 27^th journey around the sun! To celebrate, I thought it would be fitting to share 7 truths I’ve come to accept in the days, months and years leading up to this point in my life. Because my birthday is in August, this is always a month filled with reflection. I think it’s important to take inventory of your life every so often; reflect on the things you like and dislike, meditate on the things you have learned, and reflect on the person you are in the present moment.

 

1.     You control your own narrative. Create a life you're proud to live and take charge of your story.

2.     You are not for everybody and that is okay. You will be too much for some people and not enough for others.

3.     You can be in a good mental state and still experience feelings that don’t make you feel good. That’s called being human

4.     The way people treat you is a reflection of their character, not yours. If they treat you well, embrace it. If they don’t treat you well, don’t take it personal or internalize their actions.

5.     Slow progress is still progress. Celebrate it.

6.     Discipline is the vehicle that allows you to accomplish goals.

7.   Growing apart from people you love is part of life. Honor the relationship for the goodness it brought you and the lessons it taught you. You can live in peace, love and respect someone from a distance.

Growing From The Concrete

Top- Thread Tank | Jeans-Asos | Shoes- Asos

I firmly believe that the toughest situations produce the most growth. Becoming a mother challenged me to examine my mindset and made me think about the life I wanted to live and what I needed to do create that life. It started with me learning to embrace tough situations and finding a way to function outside my comfort zone. Nothing challenged me like becoming a mother in November of 2018 and the year that followed. Everything was hard for me, from learning how to care for a small human who mostly expressed himself through crying and a variety of facial expressions to adjusting to my position and changes at work. 

It was difficult to deal with so many changes at once, but giving up was not an option. I was desperate for a breakthrough so I spent a lot of time in prayer and found myself in a series of learning situations. I had to elevate my mindset to survive. It felt like everything was happening to me, but in time I came to realize that everything was working together for my good. I can honestly say I've experienced more growth and success within the last year and half than I have in several years combined because I learned to work with what I have, lean on God heavily and bloom where I was planted. 

When you grow through what you go through, you'll develop the strength to bust through the toughest of surfaces. If you find yourself in a challenging season and just want a way out, I encourage you to embrace this season of your life and be open to all it can teach you. You have the power to bloom wherever you are planted! 

Small Steps in The Right Direction + Slip Dress

Dress- Target | Sneakers- Nike | Jacket-Anthropologie

Shoutout to everyone taking small steps towards accomplishing big goals. The journey may be long but the process will be worth it. The skills and confidence you develop during the process prepare you to handle the blessing of your goals. Celebrate every small victory and remember that slow progress is still progress so keep moving forward with faith that your goals are attainable!

Can we get into this slip dress?! I bought it from target months ago and love how versatile it is. It can be dressed up with heels or dressed down with sneakers and a jacket for a sportier look. Which look is your favorite?