I am so excited to share this post!!! For one I am actually in L O V E with this utility shirt and second I am hosting a great G I V E A W A Y. The idea here is to showcase how easy it is to take one key piece and make several different types of outfits. Let’s be serious… I am not made of money but I love different outfits. So I am working on being more selective of what I purchase and making sure everything I buy can be worn in several different ways.
This spring I am embracing and loving boyfriend jeans. And girlfriend jeans. The looser fit is really catching my eye and I am loving how versatile and easy they are to style . While I am not ready to donate all of my skinny jeans I am ready to embrace a looser fit. Not sure if it is the old age or winter crock pots but the boyfriend fit is happening!
Joggers. So much hype about joggers. If we break it down to the nitty girtty they are essentially a glorified refined version of the classic sweat pant. BUT I would like to argue joggers are bit more sleek and can truly be worn in a fashionable and trendy way. At the end of the day I am embracing the trend and bringing you along with me! Ha. So, here are a few tips for styling your joggers for spring.
SHOULDA COULDA WOULDA- IT’S SO EASY IN THE PAST TENSE
I am currently living in a perpetual state of shoulda coulda woulda (lets call it SCW for short). I think it is perfectly normal and perfectly natural to question and hypothesize about the SCW’s of life but at what point does it become unhealthy? According to Urban Dictionary (which is clearly a relevant source here) the definition of shoulda, coulda, woulda is as follows:
Meaning that it is of no use to dwell on what should have (shoulda), could have (coulda) or would have (woulda) happened/been done.
Said as an attempt to shorten a discussion that focuses on the past, thus providing no solution to an actual problem.
This definition could not be more true in that thinking about the SCW offers no actual solution to a problem.., but then why am I living in a world where I am ALWAYS thinking about this. What if I hadn’t moved to London? What if Brendan and I hadn’t gone on that trip? What if Declan’s health had been “normal”? Should I have really started a blog? Could we really move back to Colorado and expect to slide back into life?
You know what friends…. I am finding the answers to all those questions unattainable and unmanageable. The reality is that we did move to London, we did go on that trip, Declans health was impacted, I did start a blog and we did move back to Denver. I want to believe that our lives are not dictated by our past but I am coming to the realization (in ways I never anticipated) that my future, is so very much impacted by what happened in my past. Climbing out of this cycle, I am finding, is extremely challenging. Trying to only think about the future and making decisions based on what I want for the future seems GREAT in theory… but what I am running up against is how to not allow my previous decisions to impact how I make future decisions. I feel there is value in remembering previous decisions as it allows me to make more educated and informed choices the next time- or so I think…. BUT what happens when it doesn’t? When it becomes a burden to your decision making process or in my case a downright road block; it is impossible to not live in the SCW world. So here I am… wondering and thinking about all the choices I have made in the last several years and how impactful they have been on my ability to make future choices. This time I do not actually have an answer…
You know one choice I have made that I do not think much about is the decision to wear white denim all year long!!! And especially in the spring (before it get so hot in the summer you can not wear pants). I love white denim as a way to lighten up any look and add a fresh vibrant flare. I wear these babies all the time. I love to pair black and white together as a classic sleek look and these white denim and this scalloped hem tank are the perfect pair for a sunny spring day. I have been crushing on Nordstrom Rack and this tank was one an obvious choice! I love the how this tank has eyelet detail on the top and the scalloped hem on the bottom. I paired the whole look with a bright bag to add a little color to a very neutral outfit. Black and white, in any fashion, is one of my favorite combos. White denim is here to stay and adding a dainty little black tank is the prefect way to keep your denim classic and sleek.
It is hard not to dwell on the choices I made in the past especially those that did not have favorable outcomes (both long and short term) and so I am committed to remembering that in the moment I made them it was with positive intent and all relevant information available at the time. I can honestly say I do not regret many choices made in the past but in the recent months I have had an abundance of times of doubt, rethinking and wondering. Have I made perfect decision; certainly not. Have I learned from those; certainly I have. But as I continue on I am reminded to not let old choices taint, sway or determine what I want for the future. Our past has a way of reminding us of how important it is to be intentional and thoughtful going forth… and I choose to strive to remember that each day.
With Love,
Those moments… the ones you want to capture and cherish forever. The times you never want to forget. The moments in your life that make it worth living. Let’s talk about time. And how I try to keep it.
As a mother I wear many different hats; most mothers do. And each day I am given 24 hours to make the most of my time. The challenge of ensuring I get everything done I need to is daunting, to say the least. Plus I do not want all of my moments in time to be spent on chores, errands and to-do lists….
Hoppy Easter!!! (super corny I know!)
Easter is often looked upon as a time of “rebirth”. As a Christian and someone who celebrates Easter I must confess that this year is the first in many where I have taken the time to reflect on the meaning of this holiday. Now, I am not going to preach at you nor will this post be heavily loaded with religion but as you have come to know I try to be honest in my writing. This Easter brings some new and different reflections. As Easter is in spring and spring is a time of regrowth, rebirth and starting anew I could not help but to see a parallel between my life and this Easter season.
Over the last few weeks you may have noticed (or not, which would be great) that I have been a bit off or a bit scatterbrained and even a bit negative. At the beginning I thought it was just because I did not want to leave London but as time has gone on it is has become more apparent there are deeper feelings here. I have felt, for some time, a serious dichotomy between my life here on the blog and social media and my life offline…. they did not seem to mirror each other. I am in control of what I put out into cyberspace and I took great care to showcase myself in the best light possible- to be fair to myself who wouldn’t?!? BUT it is time that I begin to showcase my life as I see it everyday. As a stay at home mother and a wife.
Photos: Zoey Grace Photography
Dressing for Easter is one of my favorite things because it always reminds me of getting dressed up as a little girl. This year we are spending Easter in Chicago with Brendan’s family and I am so very excited to get dressed up. Finding my whole outfit at Old Navy was a pleasant surprise for me as I went in looking for some stuff for Declan. I am loving this duster length cardigan and this pin tuck dress- both easy to wear, trendy and comfortable. Declan’s sport coat was a random find but isn’t it just ADORABLE. I am one who does not like to spend a lot of money on clothes for my three year old boy as they either end up with food, dirt or boogers on them so I was happy to find his Easter outfit for under $25. These skinny chinos and this bicycle polo still allow him to run around yet look put together. Brendan’s classic style suits him so well as he just loves his chambray and polos– it is seriously his dadiform!!!
It is time that I begin to weave my online life with my real life… starting with the fact that I am a mom and wife and a friend. I started this blog as something for myself and worked very hard at keeping it separate from my life as a mother and a wife… but over time that has becoming impossible to keep up. Rightfully so! Do I still love fashion- yes!! Do I still want to inspire you to feel good through fashion- yes!!! Are there are other aspects to me that I want to share with you- YES!!!! I am more than just a fashionable person (and somedays I am not even that) and there are so many pieces that make me whole. My goal to inspire you remains at the core of my journey but I want to inspire you to be real and authentic in your own life- to cherish and foster your passions, to admittedly accept your challenges and to be proud of all the things that make you whole. So, as we approach Easter Sunday and celebrate the rebirth of Christ I am anxious to begin to rebuild, regrow and refine my blog and social media to showcase that I am a mother, a wife, a friend, a lover of Sauvignon Blanc, a passionate lifestyle fashionista, a little girl at heart, an avid recipe experimenter and an entrepreneur.
I hope you continue to travel this path with me- I hope you find inspiration for yourself-
With Love,
Make sure to subscribe so you never miss a post- some exciting things are coming soon!!!
Happy Hump Day!! It’s officially the season before summer… time to bring out the spring blush.
Last week Pish to Posh celebrated it’s 6 month anniversary, small potatoes compared to many other blogs you read, however a large benchmark for me. When I set out on this adventure I was not exactly sure where I was headed… I had an idea and a grandiose vision but a less than detailed road map on how to get there. My main goal was to inspire you, the reader/follower, to feel comfortable, confident and happy through style. Secondarily, was to introduce you to the true person I felt myself to be and to break down any pre-conceived notions of who I was in the past. To be able to redefine myself as someone I am proud to be, someone my son is happy to call mom, someone my husband is honored to call his wife was the launching point of this adventure…. so, how have I done??? The reality is that I am only as successful (to a point) as you feel inspired, empowered and enlightened… have I accomplished those goals???
But each day I am learning more on how to achieve those goals and after six months I can successful say that has been the most rewarding challenge; figuring out how to succeed and achieve without a set out plan or path to follow. Sure, I read hundreds of other blogs, I spend countless hours on Pintrest and Instagram and yes I do a fair amount of shopping but I had NO idea how much more there was to blogging…. I had NO idea how much I did not know… I had NO idea how much I needed to learn. Truth be told, looking back, I was completely and utterly unprepared for this adventure. Figuring out how to style distressed skinnies, finding the most “on trend” shoes and sampling beauty products has proven to be such a small part of what I do each day. At the end of the day all the fashion, photography and beauty products are not what makes me happy it is the fact that each day I continue down this path, of blogging, I am learning a great deal about myself. I am slowly becoming that person I am proud to be- the person I want all of you to see… my true self.
Photos: Jenna Sparks Photography
Each time I do a photo shoot I learn more about defining my style, defining my look and really honing my craft. This look is one of my absolute favorites over the last six months. I am obsessed with everything in this look. This blush top is the perfect go-to spring item. The delicate blush ruffle hem makes this top super fun and feminine. This blush top does come in several other colors and I have linked a few similar ones on the widget below. These distressed denim have been the best purchase this season. I wear them constantly and find they are super versatile. I love to pair them with sneakers, like these copper ones, but they are also easily dressed up with some wedges or heels. Speaking of shoes let’s all just take minute to talk about these sneakers. I am constantly wearing these (especially given all the weird weather in Colorado). They are so comfortable, super sleek and easy to pair with everything.
The accessories for this look are pretty simple with a neutral clutch, easy tear-drop earrings and a chunky cardigan. I wanted to highlight the blush tones of both the top and shoes. I have linked several options in additional price points for this whole look (something I have learned to do over the last six months).
When I launched Pish to Posh last September I thought I felt confident in who I was, what I stood for and my future. And then I put my whole life on the internet.. I opened myself up to subjective and personal criticism, I provided an avenue for people to judge me and I consciously added myself to career of comparison…. AND six months later I am no worse for the ware. Each day is not perfect and there are times I have doubted myself and my ability to do this (thank you Brendan for not letting me quit) but every day I push myself to continue I am enlightened, inspired and challenged by something new. There are no two days that are the same nor two challenges that are the same. I am constantly being pushed to refine myself and my brand. The last six months have given me a fresh perspective on hard work, on the road less traveled and on personal growth.
Thank you for following along… I only hope to grow, to continue to inspire you and to provide an authentic portrayal of who I am and the person I am proud to be.
With Love,