Sunday Chronicles: Spring Forward

Investment Piece: Sunday Chronicles

When you woke up this morning there’s a good chance you lost an hour of sleep (if you live in the States and if you’re not in AZ. If you don’t meet those criteria, know I’m jealous of you). Daylight Saving Time (where we spring forward in the spring and fall back in the fall to try to “control” time) is not my favorite. In a week, I will love that the days seem longer and that I have more sunlight. However, right now, waking up with it being an hour earlier, and no way for me to explain all that to my cat, I’m tired.

Actually, most of us who are under Spring Forward, or Daylight Saving Time are tired. Did you know heart attacks increase during the week following the spring forward? I find that to be crazy. But, I’m not going to argue any case against who we tell time, or whether or not we should keep Daylight Saving or get rid of that- that’s above my fashion grade.

What I would like to talk about? All the things I plan on doing with my “extra” hour of sunlight. I have to spring forward, I might as well enjoy it!

Investment Piece: into joy
I plan on working in the backyard, pulling out my pool, and getting in the water. Happy hour with my feet in a pool? Sounds amazing! Eating outside in the brief time before it gets too hot? Count me in. Evening walks, reading outside, if it involves using my extra hour to be in the sun, I’m interested.

Also see: Clean the patio, clean out the garage, and get the house spring ready. AKA spring clean.

Investment Piece: Lounge Luxe

Besides the time- it feels like the year has sprung forward. It’s getting hot (not warm, hot!) where I am, and while that makes me scared for the summer, though we are supposed to have a “cold” front this week which I am now excited for. The heat makes it feel as if my wardrobe- from what I’m wearing to my wishlist- is springing forward. I’m in summer clothes, and I love it, but at the moment it feels fast. Time, not the clock, but time itself feels as if it’s gone a bit forward. The beginning of the year felt a bit slow, and all of a sudden things feel fast and busy. That could be a sign I need to adjust my personal schedule and routine, but it could also just be the season. (Most likely a combination of both!) Perhaps the best use of my new hour of daylight is to find ways to adjust to all the springing forward everything is doing!

This also means part of my “new hour” will be spent cleaning out my closet, making adjustments to my wardrobe (selling or buying or both!), and again- spring cleaning- entering the new season 100% as ready as I can be. Even if a “new hour” means I’m extra tired.

Do you spring forward? How are you dealing with losing an hour of sleep? What are you looking forward to doing with your extra hour? I hope that if you sprang forward, that today was easy on you!
Wishing us all a week of daylight and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Fangirling Tracee Ellis Ross

An upside and the downside of living in LA is that celebrities are everywhere! (They are just like us!)

And even though they become common place, there are just a few celebrities that I can’t help but Fangirling over. Tracee Ellis Ross is one of them. One of the best stories I have? Meeting Tracee in a SoulCycle bathroom and chatting about red lipstick. (I’m not sure of the exact science, but red lipstick does help. Everything.)

Investment Piece: Fan Girling Tracee Ellis Ross

At this point, you may be asking: why Fangirl over Tracee? I mean yes, she’s stunning, talented, an advocate for causes she believes in, does amazing things like lift other artists up:

Investment Piece: Fangirling Tracee Ellis Ross
Tracee was the emcee of the AMAs and made a commitment to wearing designers of color and letting them have a platform.

Tracee’s Instagram is a glimpse into amazingly glam and couture moments and behind the scenes slices of life. There’s so much to love, and if you haven’t seen her TED talk yet, you need to get on that:

And I love this speech about having kids and the worth of being a woman:
Tracee Ellis Ross is the life coach we need.
She’s an endless inspiration for outfits and how to show up in life.

There are many, many reasons to be Fangirling over Tracee Ellis Ross. But, why do I?

Investment Piece: Fangirling Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross is a woman who is comfortable in her skin, and this alone makes her radiant. We give a lot of lip service to self care and self love, even I have written about it (here, here, and here). As we know, self love isn’t just face masks and a hashtag on Sunday’s. It can also mean saying no to things, saying yes to things, and choosing to treat yourself like someone with worth.

To me, Tracee shows how to do all that. Yes, a part of it is the glam fashion and the support of amazing causes. I don’t personally know her, and there could be an argument that any time we follow someone from afar that we’re only getting a curated view of their lives. Valid points. Yet, if this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Tracee Ellis Ross’s life, I’m still a Fangirl. She’s the kind of woman I’d love to be: self assured, giving, funny, and real.

I also wouldn’t say no to this Gucci cape:
Investment Piece: Fangirling Tracee Ellis Ross
Just saying.

In the meantime, I’ll just work on being comfortable in my skin.

Wishing us all a week of happiness and amazing shoes! XO RA

Investment Piece: Fangirling  Tracee Ellis Ross

Sunday Chronicles: Ways to Say “I Love You!”

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Happy Valentine’s, Lovers! I hope you’re being showered with love and affection and treats.

I have something to confess my loves: I am not a big fan of this day. No, it’s not a big “single movement” or “galentines ” (although I like that idea). I just don’t like the idea that someone is professing their love or pampering me because they “have to”. I’m not anti-love. I’m anti having to express it in a certain manner. Let me be clear: if you care about me and want to tell me, please do! Treat me! But please don’t do it because this is the day that you’re supposed to. I was a little bit scared to admit that–there’s nothing worse than being the woman who’s anti-Valentine’s day, but a friend of mine wrote this piece on not liking the holiday–and it made me bold. (I loved a lot of what she had to say!)

Here’s the thing lovers–I love love. I really do. I am for affection, and treats, and letting people know that you love them. I think there is so much love in our lives to be grateful for–from our friends to our families to the baristas who remember our names and exactly how we like our coffees. All of that is love –and should be celebrated. In fact, sometimes I think we forget how much love is in our lives. We concentrate on romantic love–which is amazing–and the big, grand gestures that can accompany it are fantastic. But the simple gestures that friends, family and sometimes strangers can show us are just as great. When I found this list of ways to say “I love you”, it hit me–because these non-grand gestures of love are often what make up our lives. And they are fantastic. And should be celebrated–not because a holiday says so, but because we are so lucky to have people in our lives who care how our days go.

If you love to celebrate Valentine’s–great! There’s nothing wrong with that. And if you’re not–great! There’s nothing wrong with that. I hope in whatever way, on whatever day you chose, you can take a minute to see the love in your life–and maybe let those people know you love them too. And not to get on my soapbox–but this is my soapbox–I hope you let yourself know that you love you too. I saw an essay about being the love of your own life (regardless of any other relationship) and of all the things I love, I love that. Ourselves will be with us forever–we will spend the most time with ourselves, we will grow old together, we will be forever tied together. Loving yourself isn’t always easy (that’s another therapy trip), but it is important and rewarding. So while we’re celebrating love–maybe let’s learn to love ourselves, develop a great relationship with ourselves, treat ourselves like we’re the loves of our lives, be the loves of our own lives. And if that involves treating ourselves to new shoes to pamper us? Well, everyone wins 🙂

I wish us all an abundance of love and amazing shoes this week! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Seasons

a woman in a brown faux leather top and pants with a gold belt and black peep toe pumps by a fence and a white brick wall

To Everything: Turn, Turn, Turn
There is a season: Turn, Turn, Turn

My mom loved that song by the Byrds when I was a kid- and would sing it to us often. (And yes, it comes from a Bible verse!) As an adult I often sing this (or say it- singing isn’t in my list of talents) to myself to remind myself that seasons in life are normal. And needed. As another saying goes- nothing blooms all the time, so seasons of growth, of rest, and then of blooming are all a part of it. True of life, true of fashion (even as “reasonless” options get advertised to us).

A combination of life and fashion? I can often tell different seasons of my life by my go-to outfits. For example, there was a time in my life when a bunch of my schedule was going to the gym then changing into a form of lounge wear for errands. Then my location and schedule changed and the in-between outfits were cut as I would go from gym to home or gym to my day. Seasons where I have been in jeans a ton. Seasons where I would only wear dresses (true story as a young kid I would ONLY wear dresses, leotards or shorts. I don’t think I wore jeans will I was 10!)

We’ve been in a liminal season, with the pandemic and being at home more. And the changes that we all have been through- perhaps still going through- have changed not only our lives but a lot of how we’re dressing. Perhaps that (the pandemic, and honestly the recent actors strike) has me thinking about seasons. How we weather them, how they’re needed and not to be feared- and how to move from one season to the next.

I think it’s very easy (and tempting) to believe that seasons aren’t needed- or to rush them. Part of this (I believe) is that seasons take time. No matter what your “bloom” is- it takes time. And a part of it is the season of rest. Not creating. Then creating -blooming- takes its own time. We don’t live in a society that gives time. We want things instantly. Social media has led us to think we can only show highlights and finished products- or perhaps I should say that social media doesn’t reward any season that isn’t “blooming”. So most of us (me, it’s me!) feel like we should always be blooming (and maybe beat ourselves up when we don’t. Again -it’s me!)

As a creative and a human I know we need different seasons. I know that we need rest and inspiration and blooming-spring, summer, fall and winter. Yet-I can’t help but feel pressured to always be blooming. Perhaps these feelings have come to a head because I do feel like the past for years for me have been seasons of rest, of laying low- not of blooming. I have been painfully aware of that. And while I feel I might be ready to bloom again- there is a bit of fear and pressure around it.

Other seasons in my life have happened a bit naturally. This season I’m hyperaware, and yet also a bit unsure of what lays ahead. In the midst of that feeling that my body, my outfit, my pictures, my creativity must be 10000% perfect while changing, while coming out (still being in) an off season is –something I don’t know is comfortable and I don’t know how to spin as always blooming. Do you feel this way too? Is it really just me?

Knowing that seasons take their time, and change, and are all a part of it- singing the song to myself- helps. Being honest, even when it’s not social media shiny, helps. And having a bit of faith that all of our next seasons will get us where we need to be (because of course they will!) helps. What helps you when you’re feeling a season shift?

Any tips you have about seasons and how to navigate them are always appreciated!

Wishing us all a week of shiny moments and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: The Pause

a woman in a vintage slip and leather pants sits on the floor

For some of us in the States, tomorrow is the first Holiday of the new year (MLK Day). For others, you may have the day off due to the arctic blast that’s taking over the country! In many ways, after the first full weeks of January and getting our bearings, it’s our first pause.

A pause according to the dictionary: a temporary stop in action or speech.

Here the pause is a chance to take a bit of stock in how we’re beginning our year, what we want; and adjust if necessary.

I am not always good that the pause. Often, I find myself rushing – through everything from work to drinks to food to driving. It’s taken me a while to appreciate a great pause, but the older I get the more I love them. A pause can bring a lot of good- dramatic tension, time to think, time to plan, time to really take our time. While I used to think that getting everything done would be best for everything, I’m coming to think that really taking our time, pausing when needed is best.

So? What can we do with this pause? Rest. Take stock of the goals we set. Perhaps set some new ones. Make progress. Think about the plan for progress. Take a minute for ourselves- however that looks.

It may seem a bit silly that there is a pause this soon into the year, but I think that maybe this is when we need a pause the most. New Year energy has us rush into everything, we’re supposed to be new and different and better right away. A pause might be just what we need, so that we can rest and assess and then really become new and better.

How I am spending the pause? Resting. It’s cold here so a fire and reading are on my schedule. Of course, shopping sales (I’ll be posting my picks here tomorrow and of course you can shop along with me in the apps!) I’ll sleep in a bit, work out a bit, eat something yummy, and plan out my week/rest of the month. I may stay in sweats the whole time!

Do you get tomorrow off? Are you taking a pause? And how are you spending it?

Wishing us all a week of perfect pauses and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Gift Guide-Ing

I hope that the above inspires you in your gift buying this year! Below I’m linking these exact gifts AND some things that I love! If you need help with shopping- I would love to help you come up with personal gift ideas for that special someone!

Wishing us all a week of great gifts and amazing shoes!
XO RA

Note: This post does contain affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Sunday Chronicles: Taking Time

A woman n a floral dress setting a table

This week (especially if you’re in the US) truly marks the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving. A TON of sales. Black Friday. Christmas Tree lightings (everywhere!). It’s both the most joyful time of the year- and a stressful time of the year.

Because with the holidays- and the joy and the celebrating, comes to-do lists and hectic travel and high expectations. It can also bring grief (especially if you’ve lost something or someone this year, as well as unmet expectations can cause grief- and that’s a hard grief to admit). The holidays can also bring activities and over scheduled calendar. So, with all the things that the holidays bring, how can we take time?
For ourselves, to truly be with family, to really sit and enjoy?

I’m not sure I have ALL of the answers (and I hate it when that happens!) but I can let you know what I’m doing in the coming weeks to make sure that I take the time- for everything I need!

– To-do lists. Yes, I’m a stickler for lists, as they help stay on task (and there’s a great feeling that comes from marking things off!). From chores to shopping to presents- I’ll be making lists and checking them off!
-Scheduling. Writing in Ink my workouts, time alone, time with family, etc. My workouts keep me a bit sane, I’m prioritizing those, but as an introvert I also know that I need time alone- so I’m scheduling that too! Parties and dinners and holiday schedules also go on my calendar, but I also like planning my shopping, etc. It not only helps me stay organized but lets me know when I’m behind- or conversely lets me know when I’m on time and can relax me!
-Turning off my phone. Not all the time, and not for the total of every event. But there are times when I think I’m just “taking pictures” or “answering a quick work email” and then I find myself lost on social media, scrolling- all of the bad habits that we all have. For multiple reasons I can’t just turn off my phone indefinitely, but I try (for at least part of every event) to really put my phone done and be present. Perhaps that’s not turning it off- but in these times it counts!
-Letting Go. This one is really hard for me. Even in the best of times, we can’t get it all done, make all parties (etc) or be perfect. A lot of this season, I think, is letting go. As those high expectations and worry about fitting it all in can take away from all the joy and the magic of the season. While letting go is something I struggle with, it’s never something I regret. So- I try extra hard at this time of year to let go at this time of year so I can make time for the things that actually matter.

How do you take time at the holiday season? For you, for your loved ones, for all that we have to do? I would love to hear all your tips!

Wishing us all a week of extra time (and pie) and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Not sure what to say

Investment Piece; Basic Invite

Well. After a few years that have been unprecedented, this week added another world event that’s taken precedent over everything. And the attacks in Israel and Gaza should. I am not educated enough to know everything about this conflict- or even to have suggestions on how to fix it. All I know is: we all deserve a home, to be treated with dignity, and love. All I can hope is that somehow, we find a way to exist with each other and without hate. I don’t have answers but I can tell you, this isn’t a space for hate.

Yet- because of all this, talking about fashion hasn’t felt right the past few days. I haven’t been posting on social media much, I haven’t felt that style tips or sales or outfit posts have been the thing to chat about. (And we will. Life does have to go on- and fashion can be a form of resistance!) But, I have taken a step back this weekend, I’ve spent time with people and animals I love. I have baked bread and prayed. I have wanted my friends to know I’m with them, in this weird time. Because we are a business, we will be posting new tomorrow. This month we’ll chat more fashion Halloween costumes, fall outfits, sales and more. I just wanted you to know that while we will use fashion as a respite and an act of courage- that my heart is with everyone affected and with us all as we strive to find new ways to coexist and love.

Wishing us all a week of peace and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles : It’s Spooky Season

A woman in  a black Halloween Graphic shirt with white knit pants and black slingback with red devil horns headband

It’s October 1st- which means it’s the beginning of Spooky Season:
-Hocus Pocus (at least for me) is now the go-to movie
-Halloween becomes the focus. There are many thought pieces about what Halloween is a the best: including but not limited to: it’s about community, you don’t have to spend time with your family if you don’t want, there are so many ways to celebrate. For me Spooky Season means Fashion Halloween (starts tomorrow!) which is the ultimate marriage of my loves of acting and fashion. I can’t wait to share my costumes with you.
-Planning costumes is also what makes spooky season special to me. I love the costumes – wearing them, seeing the kids in them, all of the costumes. Please tell me all about your costumes or let me know if you need help with yours!
-Fall treats! If you love the candies or not, it’s time for ciders and pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice, apple and pear everything.

And let’s be honest, Spooky Season is just a hop, skip and barely a jump into the HOLIDAY season. In fact, I’ve already seen holiday decorations out in store. (While I wasn’t surprised, it still feels way too early). I also love the holiday season, this year I have some specific goals for Spooky Season. All can be summed up by saying I want to slow down and enjoy it. This weekend – while at an event with my sister, wine tasting with my family- I felt myself rushing through things. Worrying about pics. Thinking about the next thing. At this time of year, I feel that we never have to worry. The next thing is coming. We’re going to be busy. Rushing through any thing- from our fave scary movie to pics to tasty treats robs no one but ourselves.

SO this spooky season, I want to enjoy it. I want to slow down. Be present. Enjoy. Savor. This is the season to really focus on what’s in front of us- be it Halloween, or pumpkin, or witches, or just enjoying the fall-from sweaters to hay. Holiday season will come. While it’s here, let’s focus on the spooky (whatever that means to you!).

If you need me, I’ll be in an elaborate costume, or in a graphic tee, sipping apple cider, watching Hocus Pocus every chance I get, and savoring the moment. How are you spending Spooky Season?

Wishing us all a week of enjoying the season and amazing shoes! XO RA

Sunday Chronicles: Grandparents Day

Investment Piece: Grandparents Day
My parental (Grandma) and maternal (Mimi) grandmothers

I know that some of these “holidays” aren’t really big deals. See “red wine day” (not that I didn’t celebrate), “French fry day”, “pancake day”, etc, etc, etc. However, as someone who was lucky enough to be close to her grandparents, and miss them now that they’re gone, Grandparents Day for me is actually something I’m into this year.

My maternal grandmother, my Mimi, was a bit like my nanny growing up. She drove us to school and picked us up (making sure she was first in the pick-up line), made dinner, used to pay me $1 to eat a taco at dinner (instead of just queso. I also got paid $1 not to tell my mom we watched soap operas with her!). Mimi taught me about mixing patterns, red lipstick, the wonders of Vaseline as a night cream, and her infamous pecan pie recipe.

My paternal grandmother, my Grandma, taught me to quilt, make hand pies, made the best toast (I know, completely random. She also made so many amazing things- but I often miss her toast!). Grandma taught me to indulge my artistic side, laugh when you can, and indulge while keeping to your schedule.

My Papa (paternal grandfather, not pictured!) was a bear of a man (to others) but to me was the person who would tell me to give his neck some love. He worked/owned a construction company but my most vivid memories of him are watching sports (silently) on his lap/chest with his miniature poodle (Cheerie, who wore bows and had her nails painted). Papa taught me about juxatipositons, home repair, and boundaries with compromise.

I know that families are complex and relationships are hardly ever linear. No matter you’re feelings on holidays like Grandparents Day, I hope that you’ve been lucky enough to have the love of a great grandparent. And if not, that in your adult life you’ve made a chosen family that provides you with that kind of love. I adore you, and would even wait in line to pick you up.

Wishing us all a week of strong love and amazing shoes!
Xo RA