Apr 1, 2015
[With my niece Lauren, the bride to be]
We’ve got a wedding coming up in our family and I couldn’t be more excited! My sweet, intelligent, beautiful niece Lauren is tying the knot. The wedding with be in New Orleans this summer but this past weekend, her bridesmaids hosted a bridal shower for her in Dallas. It was an English tea themed fete complete with fascinators, big hats and lots of girly treats and decorations. Absolutely perfect for a spring bridal shower to celebrate one of my favorite people.
[Me, Lauren and my sister Andrea, the mother of the bride to be]
I wore a light gray fascinator and sparkly heels with a bow-tie one shoulder sateen dress from eShakti.com. I love eShakti dresses because I’m able to customize the length and this one has pockets. Who doesn’t love a dress with pockets? This dress was originally below the knee but I had it brought up to knee length.
[Dress: c/o eShakti, Fascinator: NY Fashion 101, Shoes: Michael Antonio]
Spring Challenge Registration Closes Tomorrow!
It’s official – the Spring 2015 GYPO Style Challenge is the biggest yet. Over 1,200 women have already signed up and are dishing style advice and shopping tips in our private Facebook group. If you haven’t joined us yet, there’s still time. But hurry, regular registration closes tomorrow night at midnight! The spring trends shopping list will also be released at that time. Sign up HERE.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretties. That’s it, now go have some fun!
Mar 25, 2015
A funny thing happened on the way to the museum. The British Museum, that is.
When my daughter Aubrey and I took our day trip to London while on spring break in Paris, we got a wee bit distracted.
Our intentions were good – walk a few blocks to the British Museum and get lost in there for a few hours. We had just seen Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, so we were both eager to see where it took place.
Unfortunately a few blocks into our stroll, we stumbled upon a three story H&M and never quite made it there.
Instead, we spent those few hours distracted by cute clothes and accessories. I came home with the gray scarf, graphic t-shirt and blush cardigan in today’s outfit.
[Sweater, Scarf and T-shirt: H&M/Jeans: c/o Cavender’s/Ring: Samantha Wills/Perforated Ankle Boots: Similar]
Registration for the Spring 2015 GYPO Style Challenge opens on Friday, March 27th. Sign up to get your spring trends shopping list and 21 days of mix and match outfits.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretties. That’s it, now go have some fun!
Mar 18, 2015
Le sigh…
It’s hard to believe that our magical week in Paris is already over. My daughter Aubrey and I had the time of our lives. It was everything we ever dreamed of and a whole lot more. We fell hard for the City of Love and have tucked a little piece of it in our hearts. We will forever be changed by our experience!
Where do I start. I don’t even know. We did and saw so much, it didn’t really all sink in until after we got back home. In addition to our action packed days in Paris, we took a day trip to London on the high speed train.
Passports in hand, heading out on our adventure.
The best part was our view of Paris’ most famous landmark from our hotel window. I mean, wow. We couldn’t have gotten much closer to the Eiffel Tower if we tried. Every night, we were enthralled with the sparkling display of lights at the top of each hour. It actually woke me up a few nights. I just couldn’t bear to sleep with the blinds closed!
As you can probably tell, I was obsessed with taking pictures of it. Here are a few of my favorites.
The People
Although I wasn’t sure what to expect, we found Parisians to be nothing less than warm, friendly, helpful and accommodating. Maybe it was the time of year (their high tourist season hasn’t started yet) or maybe it was because there weren’t many Americans there (we only ran into two other sets of Americans the whole time, both from Texas!) But whatever it was, I really appreciated it. I don’t speak much French but they didn’t seem to mind and everyone spoke English. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted.
The Culture
Perhaps this is what struck me more than anything and the one thing I wanted to bottle up and bring home. The French know how to live intentionally. They linger over meals, are engaged in conversations and most importantly of all, they aren’t on their phones all the time. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to see people actually talking to each other in cafes and on the trains. We rarely saw anyone on their cell phones. Aubrey and I loved lingering over dinner and really enjoying each bite and talking to each other. We stayed off social media and kept our phones tucked away until we got back to the hotel each night. It felt so freeing and allowed us to truly enjoy the moment. This was something we decided to bring home with us and have been doing really great with so far.
Having lunch at a street cafe. The weather was perfect!
Market near our hotel.
The Food
My goal was to eat so many croissants that I wouldn’t want to see one when I got home. Mission accomplished. Each morning, we started our day with a traditional French breakfast – cafe au lait, croissants and bread with butter and jam. We had lunches and dinners in traditional French restaurants and enjoyed every bite. By day three though, we were craving something else and had pizza. Traveling to London was a welcome palate change, we had lunch at a soup and sandwich place that felt more American. We also had afternoon tea which was quite an experience.
Our daily breakfast.
Cafe where we had breakfast a few days.
Afternoon tea in London.
The Sites
Oh, the sites. What a feast for the eyes. Nothing in Paris is plain and simple. It’s just extravagance and opulence at every turn. Even the shopping centers, as evidenced by the interior of the Galleries Lafayette. Wow!
Of course, we visited the Louvre and checked out Mona Lisa. She’s possibly one of the most unimpressive things in Paris. The painting is very small and dark.
The ceilings in the Louvre rival many of the paintings.
Venus de Milo
Notre Dame was pretty impressive. The history and architecture are awe-inspiring.
Window at Notre Dame.
Inside the cathedral.
Although the Louvre gets all of the attention, I enjoyed the Musee d’Orsay with it’s extensive impressionist collection so much more. It’s in an old railway station. The see-through clocks give you a view of the city.
We took a trip to Versailles to check out the chateau once occupied by Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. Wow, these two knew how to decorate with gold.
Hall of Mirrors.
One of my favorite buildings we saw in Paris was the Opera Garnier, where Phantom of the Opera is set. There is actually a lake under the opera.
Opera Garnier’s grand hall.
In London, we hit all of the major attractions we could see in one day – the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Harrod’s, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Chinatown and a few museums. It was fun hanging out in Trafalgar Square and watching the street performers. We arrived just in time to see the changing of the guard.
London calling!
The Fashion
I expected to be wowed by fashion in Paris. And I was. But not for the reason you might think. I thought it would be full of effortlessly styled French women drenched in Chanel No. 5. It was not. When I say anything goes fashion-wise in Paris, I mean anything. Yes, there were a few of those perfectly put together French women but the overwhelming majority of Paris style I just did not get. London, on the other hand, was great. The Brits dress more traditionally and wear more color. I loved their classic style.
The Shopping
Due to my observations on fashion, we didn’t shop much in Paris. That combined with the fact that most of the stores are ultra high end. The Champs Elysses was fun but disappointingly overrun with American brands. I found London fashion to be much more mainstream and affordable. Aubrey and I visited Topshop and H&M for her and Harrod’s, Burberry and Joules for me. The British brands won hands-down in my opinion.
Getting Around
The one thing that surprised me is that Aubrey and I bonded more over finding our way around than anything else. It was truly an adventure for both of us to use the metro, buses, cabs and trains to make our way all over both cities. We also logged an average of 7 miles of walking each day (10 miles the day we went to London!)
Security
The thing I was most apprehensive about was traveling to a foreign country with a sixteen year-old girl but we felt really safe the entire time. Paris’ security was definitely heightened. There are armed military personnel at every turn, especially near the major attractions and at the airport. The only time we felt a little threatened was when we were approached by two men in an alleyway. We tried ignoring them but they got more and more aggressive. I pulled my pepper spray out of my back pocket and pointed it at them. They wisely decided to turn away and leave us alone. Don’t mess with Texas.
The Lock Bridge (Pont des Artes).
Au revoir, Paris! Thanks for the memories. We will be back one day.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretties. That’s it, now go have some fun!
Mar 11, 2015
I have a confession and it’s one that I am thrilled to admit. Are you ready?!
I am deeply in LOVE with COLOR. Well, color jeans/pants to be exact. 🙂
No matter the style, high or low waist, shorts, ankle length, or the floor grazer. I love and need them all.
Here’s my two cents…try not to be intimidated with how you’ll style them, color bottoms are life changers! I love being daring and adventurous when I wear them. I know it’s easy, but don’t think that you can only pair them with plain black and white neutral tops. Incorporate prints and patterns into your outfit, by doing so you will have put together the perfect ensemble. We can mix and match and explore the colors that we haven’t worn before. There are so many beautiful shades and hues for all of us to pick from. Some of us will adore the pastels while others will rock the neons.
Just remember to have fun when you shimmy into those color jeans!
[Scarf: c/o Lucky Brand/Shirt: c/o Lucky Brand/Pants: c/o Lucky Brand]
[Sweater: c/o Persunmall/Jeans: Loft (on clearance!)/Scarf: Similar/Tank: Mossimo/Boots: Similar/Bracelet: c/o Ettika]
[High-Low Pullover: c/o J. Jill/Scarf: c/o J. Jill/Corduroys: Kut from the Kloth/Boots: Frye/Earrings: Similar]
[Blazer: Similar/Jeans: Similar/Shirt: Similar/Purse: Same/Heels: Same/Necklace: Similar/Sunglasses: Same/Watch: Same]
[Seersucker Blazer (on sale)/Cuffed Skinny Jeans/Floral Tank (on sale)/Wedges (on sale)/Bee Earrings/Necklace]
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretties. That’s it, now go have some fun!
Feb 25, 2015
Itty, bitty little February has flown by in the blink of an eye. It also seems to. I never want to rush time but it does mean we’re getting closer to spring!
Here are some of the pretties that provided us with great outfit inspiration during this month’s I Feel Pretty link up.
Lauren from Lauren McBride Blog styled some fun sneakers to complete her sweater, collared shirt and leather pants.
Kreyola’s Journeys shared her casual weekend outfit that she wore running errands. The owl tank and white cardigan is my favorite!
Red Reticule paired her chicest essentials in a gorgeous striped dress, navy blazer and pearls. She looks classic and perfect!
Tatiana from We Shop in Heels has the ultimate snowy background that makes her red trench coat stand out, along with her striped top, faux leather pants, and over the knee boots! This will brighten any gloomy snow day.
Jacket Society visited the Louis Vuitton Exhibit in Los Angeles looking very chic and fresh in a neutral jacket, white blouse, jeans and gold accessories.
MENSWEAR CHALLENGE
Registration for the Menswear Basics Boot Camp opens on Friday. If your guy’s wardrobe could use an update, this will be the perfect introductory challenge to get his basics in place. Click the image below for more details.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretties. That’s it, now go have some fun!