I know that this is the space where I usually share my thoughts, experiences, dating with you. And I love this space, it’s sacred and some of my favorite of our time together. This week? This travel season? I couldn’t put words to paper (or screen). I just couldn’t. (And I have another great ex-files coming up!) So I did this instead:
I’ve spent the past few weeks shopping and thinking about fall, and our fall trends. (Remember when we chatted about that? Refresh here). I’ve identified some more fall trends I might like to try and wanted to share them with you!
First up:
Remember glitter boots?
Well, what do we think about Rhinestone Boots?
I fell in love with these boots at Free People, and started thinking about all the ways we could wear them: with jeans and a white tee, a sweater dress, a shirt dress, as a statement, as an accent. I also found some reasonable options for us! (Some are under $60!)
*Note: These are affiliate links, I do receive commission from these, though that doesn’t affect your price!
My picks:
Another fall trend I never thought I’d like? Vinyl Pants
I saw some on Instagram. I tried on some patent leather pants at RecessLA, (side note: they didn’t fit by a hair. Have some nude patent leather pants, maybe Pucci? Hit me up!) And it was love.
Some vinyl and patent leather pants we may love:
And, how do we feel about White Booties ?
I think I like them, but more research may be needed. Let’s shop my picks and see how we feel:
And loves! Don’t forget, we have a giveaway coming up! (Refresh yourself here) Check out SkinPrint and let me know which product you might like to win! The product it’s the most inquiries will be in the giveaway (and that will start Tuesday!) Look, shop, and let me know!
I hope that your Sunday involves a lot of rest and time with people you love. I’m catching up-all my looks are now updated (shop my site! Over on the left) and we’re working on getting the best content up for the next week!
Sometimes things can be too much, right? I shared a little bit about my conflicting feelings about posting during weeks like this one on Thursday (You can read it here and those sales are still going strong!). It can also be hard to write during weeks like this one. We had every intention of bringing you a great editorial opinion piece today. This week was hard. My heart was a little battered, and I had travel to deal with. (If you follow me on Instagram I need people to be impressed with how light I packed for a 24hr trip). So, instead of presenting you a subpar piece, I went internet surfing. Isn’t that valid? I’m presenting you with the best of what I found-from deep thoughts to fashion inspiration. I hope that you enjoy what sparked me!
I loved this piece, 10 Regrets Too Many People Will Have in 10 Years Written before? Yes. A new take, with actionable steps? Yes. A favorite quote, “The key is to gradually practice letting go of these ideals and fantasies, and focus instead on making the best of reality. The truth must be embraced…”
Now that I’m a pro at light packing, I want to keep it going! I have 2 more trips this month, I know I can make one fit in a carry on. The other is a road trip with a photo shoot, so no judgement when I overpack. But this take on packing in a carry on (they used the Birdy Carryon, I want one), is giving me hope for my packing future!
I shop for a living, so this guide to sizing up/down is amazing!
Meanwhile, this guide to caring for your clothes is a must for those of us who like to keep our money in our closets.
Paris Fashion Week Style, I’m also taking notes on this for all my fashion inspiration. Imitation is the best form of flattery, right?
I used to tutor as my day job. One of the brilliant, young women that I worked with is now is college (yes, somehow I’m still young, too). She’s fierce and intelligent and gives me hope for the future. The Kleanis an online magazine she started with peers, and it is well worth your time. I’m so proud of her!
And because this week was what it was:
If you want to make your voice heard on gun control, Everytown is a great place to start. You can also text ACT to 64433 to join.
And if this week, and all the things, are taking its toll this guide to self care in the 24 hr news cycle is a must. Hint? Just because the news is on 24/7 doesn’t mean we have to watch it.
I hope that you loves this Internet round up, and that it balanced the light and the dark for you!
Wishing us all a week of peace, love, and amazing shoes! XO RA
I had an idea where I was going to buy and write a post all about knock-offs and if they are worth it. I bought a knock-off of this summer’s “it” Self Portrait dress–but the post didn’t work. The dress I got was so cheap, fraying, and the zipper broke before I even got it on. My plan was a bust. That’s disappointing on a blog–but it’s not the end of the world. I simply came up with another idea. However–there are times when the stakes are higher and moving on to plan B, or C, or Z can be way more difficult than we (I) like to admit.
Let’s be honest there are things that don’t work out or go to plan almost every day, whether it’s an outfit or traffic or something major. Some of these things are easy to move on from (although I’ve recently had to move my closet, and when nothing seems to fit or go as planned I can attest that little things seem big). Yet– can we be real? Failure is a part of life, and it’s not always easy to swallow. I’m assuming you’re on Pintrest, or at least have heard every platitude about failure being an opportunity, or getting you on a better path, or letting you find the way to win. All of these are true, but that doesn’t always take the sting out of the “loss”.
Our society loves winners, and doesn’t really pay attention to any one else. Failure can sometimes feel like a character flaw, instead of something that happens to everyone. However failure is a part of life and as Queen Bey will tell you:
It happens to the best of us. And yes, sometimes it’s just that our closet won’t fit in a new space.But sometimes it’s a dream, or a relationship, or a job that meant the world to you. And then failure sucks and hurts, there’s no way around that.
What I’m hoping to remind you (and me) of is that all those lovely platitudes about failure are true. Failure can get you off a path that’s not great for you, and on one that’s so much more spectacular than you could have ever dreamed. A relationship can fail and you could wind up meeting someone who makes you a million times happier–and sometimes that person is you. Losing a job can leave you open for a dream job, and failure of any kind can make you creative and you end up with the thing you wanted in the first place–even if the journey wasn’t what you planned. Sometimes you just have to trust that a letter down the alphabet will work.
In case you’re worried–I’m making the new space for my closet work, and while I’m having to resort to plan D, it’s a nice reminder that sometimes getting caught up on plan A isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Wishing us all a week of failures that end up successes and amazing shoes!
Be You. It’s the most cliche, most true, most repeated advice. Being you is both amazing, and diffult. Yes, let’s all be all of who we are, but real talk? Being you is complicated, sometimes messy, and often takes years. My relationship with myself is still evolving, but I know it’s taken me time to really get to know me, to like me, to be comfortable with me, and to be willing to share me with the world. I truly believe that things can fall into place and are better when you’re “being you”, but I don’t believe that it’s as easy as advice makes it seem.
This isn’t a post about being yourself though. It’s about how a wig party allowed me to be myself, and what I discovered. More real talk? We all have multiple sides and complexities; it is one of the most amazing things about us. I had a friend who threw a “Wig” party for her birthday. I was excited to go and support her fun; but had it in my head that I wasn’t a “wig person”. Then came this sassy number. Would I ever cut my hair short and dye it purple? Highly doubtful, as getting to where I love my own hair has been a journey all to itself (read about that here). But this wig, it was love at first site. Not me, but it fit me so perfectly! And while I think I know myself pretty well, every time I wear it I feel a tad more sassy and a tad more free. Is it possible that the wig is a way of being me?
(You can see the look that I styled around this wig and freedom here)
A lesson that I keep learning is that we are so much more than we think. There are different sides to us, all worth loving; and our potentional for growth is amazing. It continues to amaze me what sides of us appear when we need them. Did I know that I would sometimes need the sassy side of me that this wig brings out? No. But she’s hear, and I think she’s pretty awesome.
This week let’s be ourselves. Let’s spend some time and figure out what that means. Let’s spend some time loving ourselves, spend some time around people who love us, and let’s let that love fill our space. Go be you, and if you need a wig, let’s go get one!
Wishing us all a week of being you and amazing shoes! XO RA
This was first published back in Feb, but with Friday’s post, and my thoughts turning towards Self Love–it seemed like a great time to repost! Enjoy! XO RA
Loves! It’s the month of love, and treats, and showing people you care. I hope the first person on your list to pamper is yourself–not because self care is indulgent, but because there is no way to care for others if you are depleted. There’s a reason why the air stewards and stewardesses tell us to put on your own air mask first; if you’re not taking care of yourself, there is no way you can take care of others. And loves, this can be a hard time to take care of ourselves. I promised to never get policital (though I broke that promise here), and this is not meant to be a political post. However, it is irresponsible to ignore what’s happening. Many people are scared, disagree with the administration, with loved ones, are protesting, are mad at protesters’ and every day there seems to be something new happening and to be concerned about. How do we care for ourselves during this? On either side, how do we pursue what we think is important politically and stay sane? And personally, how do we take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our loved ones?
I have found this Medium article, this MTV one, this wired, this self care, and this article helpful in navigating self care, because unfortunately it’s not all wine and shoe shopping (those can be included though) and meditation (though that helps too). So what is self care? In my world, it means listening to your mind and body, giving yourself what you need, treating yourself like a loved one, and protecting yourself like a loved one. And loves, that’s a lot easier said than done. My list of tips below are by no means comprehensive, and if they don’t work for you, that’s ok. Self-care is by definition is inherently personal. However, these practices help me. I’d love to know how you practice!
Be OK Not Being OK
I’m a perfectionist. I have grand plans. I also have a hard time being vulnerable in front of people (and I know that’s weird for an actress, all I can say is that when I speak a writer’s words, I give myself permission). My point is, it can be hard to admit that you’re not ok. Or not 100%. That maybe you need a break–from social media to plans to vacations. No one is on or together all the time. So, it’s ok not to be ok, to take time to take care of yourself. Stay in with a movie, or a bath, or a book. To take a day off and rest. To get out of town and think about things. To not be strong all the time. The overall, encompassing thought of most self-care manuals or advice is to give yourself what you need, and for me the first step (and often most important) is recongnizing that I need something.
Turn Off
Get off social media, get outside, do yoga, meditate, unplug your phone; however it is that you turn off. For me, it’s getting offline and reading. My yoga, Pilates, and spinning practices are also my forms of meditation. (I’m working on building a meditation practice). All of this means that I give myself permission not to be involved every single minute. I don’t need to read every article, work all the time, or say yes to it all. I try to give myself an hour a day where I’m unreachable and doing something for me, yes this is more often than not my workout, but I find that when I give to myself, I can give to others.
Telling My Loved Ones What I Need
This is also hard if we’re conditioned to people please or we want to say yes. It can also be scary to be vulnerable, to admit that we’re depressed or we need help. However, from being honest about needing to stay in to asking for help, as scary as it can, I find that when I’m honest with my loved ones things go so much better. We’re all in this together so no matter what you need, be it time alone, a listening ear, a hug, there’s a great chance people understand, and want to help you.
Of course, if you find yourself not being able to care for yourself, professional help might be for you. And loves, I’m a fan of therapy, we all need support sometimes, let’s not make that a stigma. Find a therapist in your area here.
Take care of you. I’m off today taking care of me. Meet you back here tomorrow?
Wishing us all a week of radical self-love and amazing shoes! XO RA
I get attached to things, people, places. I am intensely loyal (once you earn my loyalty), I often give people more tries than they should get, I hang on longer than I sometimes should; it’s easy to see that letting go is hard for me. I have a sinking suspicion it is for a lot of us. I have no answers. I know that letting go is a process, it takes as long as it takes, and sometimes you just have to do it.
The above skirt is one of my favorites from Zara, it was one of their vegan leather ones. It went great with tee shirts, it was perfect for summer and heavy enough for fall. However, it was unable to be washed. You couldn’t use bleach on it, no dry cleaning. The one above is actually my third skirt. You see, it may not have been one of the things you could throw in the wash, but it could get stained easily. Color transfer from any number of sources could get on it, and they wouldn’t come off. Before, I was always able to buy a replacement skirt; this time when I noticed that my skirt can gotten stained, I couldn’t find another one online. And it was one of my faves. So I did all the things I could think of: hand wash, hand bleach, I used nail polish remover on it. But loves, nothing worked. Nothing. The hand wash and bleach didn’t make a dent, and while the nail polish remover did–it took the material with it and left a different stain behind. I worked on this skirt for days, but eventually I had to face the truth: I couldn’t save it, I had to let it go. And while it was just a skirt, letting it go wasn’t easy. Luckily, I was able to find a vintage leather skirt online that’s similar.
This isn’t the worst story about letting go, I know. And it has a happy ending (thankfully). I think there is no shame in being a person who holds on, but I think there are times when all of us have to let go. I wish for you that every time you have to let go of something , it has this kind of ending.
Wishing us all a week of peace and amazing shoes! XO RA
Loves, if you’ve been following my Instagram, especially my Instagram stories, you know that my family (mom/sister) and I went on a road trip for our family vacation this year. Road trips seem to be something completely American and nostalgic, and at the same time freeing and fresh. Our road trip? A little bit of both! There were small towns (yes, every town in TX has a football stadium, it’s the law), open spaces, dust, mountains, huge cities, and tiny villages that almost looked deserted. We sang along to the radio, laughed, fought only once, and saw a tiny bit of this country in a new way. Below you can see some of the amazing moments from our trip. I’d love to know: what’s the best thing about road trips for you?
XO RA
The great news for you? I packed some great outfits and made my mom play photographer! Be on the look out for pics taken on the road!
Wishing us all a week of freedom and amazing shoes! XO RA
Maybe you’re familiar with a certain kind of hangover? The one that comes from indulging a bit too much the night before? We all have a story about those kind, and most of us have a remedy (coconut water, a great spin class, and a burger); but those (thankfully) don’t last too long (warning: as you age, they can). Lately, another kind of hangover has been on my mind, the emotional kind. You know, where something “big” (good or bad) happens, and that emotion takes a while to get over. I’ve been thinking about them, and wondering: what’s our remedy for those?
Side note: I’m a big fan of being honest with where you are, I’m a big fan of taking your time through things, and I’m a big fan of therapy. I think that some things just take time and that there is absolutely no shame in that. If you’re going through something I think you have to be honest with yourself and those in your life; and that if you need a professional (even if it’s just to talk to) that is amazing!
What I’m interested in, and what I don’t always know how to deal with is when a big emotion just seems to linger. For me, this can happen a lot with trips. If I have a great vacation, or time in between all my cities, letting go of that experience can take a while. I can spend the next few weeks feeling low. In those instances planning fun nights out with friends, my next vacation, or having a “treat” can help. With big life events -break-ups, engagements, job changes, loss, gains–the emotional hangovers can last, and sometimes aren’t “cured” with fun plans.
Much like a “regular” hangover, you can at times see an emotional hangover coming, so I wonder: are there preparations you can take? Is there a way to brace for them like you do a physical one? In general, I think drinking a lot of water can help, but as I get older I’m not sure that there’s a way to prevent, or shorten an emotional hangover. Or, if there is, I think it might involve not feeling so much; something I’m not great at, and something that might dampen your enjoyment the first time. So what do we do?
I don’t know that I have the answers. Yes, this is one of those uncomfortable Sunday Chronicles when I have no answers, just a thing I’ve been thinking about that I’ve brought into our community. I think the way out of an emotional hangover may just be to let yourself feel whatever it is that your feeling, that if you can lean into the suck of that, that you can find a way through. Coconut water seems like an easier way!
I’d love to know: how do you deal with emotional hangovers? Do you have a rememdy?
Wishing us all a week of free emotion and amazing shoes! XO RA
There are studies after studies that prove that one way that we get pleasure out of experiences is planning them and looking forward to them! So, as we stare down the beginning of another season, I can’t help but plan out what I want to do this summer. Many bloggers give you their Summer Bucket List (I Love Cupcakes and Cashmere and Joy the Baker) and I hope that their lists and mine inspire you to have a great summer–even if that only means relaxing by the pool!
Without further ado, my Summer Bucket List:
Travel
I travel a lot in general (spending time in my two cities) and while I plan on being in both CA and TX this summer, there are other places on my mind! I have an annual family trip (this year we may go to CO), I’m hoping to get to see some friends in the Midwest, I want a lone adventure on the beach, and am hoping a few girl trips fall together (wine tasting, we’re looking at you).
Try New WorkOuts
I love my SoulCycle and Pilates, and have no plans to quit them, but I’m looking to add a little variety! I’m excited to try boxing, barre, ModelFit and more! The great thing about Summer is that there’s an easy energy–which lends itself to trying new things without the pressure, and I love that! I’m excited to play with my workouts and schedule!
Read all the Books
I love books and reading and live among stacks of books and magazines I want to read (as well as shoes). This summer I hope to get caught up on my stacks–and I’ll be sharing what I read!
Eat
Summer is a time for gazpacho, Rose’, and Popsicles by the pool. I plan to get my fill of all of it!
Exploring
In all the cities I’m in, I always feel like there are so many things to do, and I tend not to make it to everything I want to try! So this summer, I’m going to make it a point to do one of those events each week! From movies and yoga in the park to new restaurants and museums, I want to try it all. Got a recommendation for me? I’d love to hear it!
I know, this seems general (and some of it is, Summer is a state of mind!) but I’m excited to get to the planning of each thing (all while leaving room for lazy afternoons)! I’d love to know: what are you planning this summer?
Wishing us all a week of summer plans and amazing shoes! XO RA
This week is swim week and I have so many exciting swimsuits to show you, as well as the roll out of a new passion project for me: Fashion Gives Back. I love my clothes and shoes, but also feel like as world citizens it’s our job to make the world a better place. I’m thrilled to be showcasing and working with brands that do both!
Loves, I know that I talk about rest and sitting still a lot here in our weekly “fireside chats”. (See here) This is mainly because even though I’m an introvert (I am, I promise!) who loves her time alone, and a creative who needs to recharge after her bouts of creating, I have a hard time sitting still. Everything about it-from letting myself just do nothing, to active mediation, to admitting that I need some down time– has been a struggle for me to give into. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gotten better about this as I’ve gotten older, I actively acknowledge that I’m a better person when I get some time each week to sit still, and now schedule it for myself, but that doesn’t always mean it’s easy.
And loves, May is my busiest month of the year. I have something each weekend, trips, birthdays (not only can I name someone for each day this month, both my mommy and I have birthdays this week!), graduations, and it’s the beginning of wedding season. It’s almost as if this is the month of go-go-go before summer sets in. So, when you know that you need some time to sit still and yet your calendar is completely full (and your to-do list because of said calendar is miles long), what do you do?
I’m learning. I’m learning that everything is a practice, from my yoga to my spin to my business to my sitting still. And this means that some days are amazing, and some days I fall out of the pose. That I have to schedule my time to sit still the same way I do my birthday celebration, and that even when it doesn’t come easy, that sitting still is still something to do.
And what do I do when I sit still? Meditate (or try to), relax, do nothing, read, recharge, Netflix and chill, look for inspiration, try to turn my mind off, try to turn inward, and most importantly, try to just be. Have I mentioned that it’s not always easy. That getting caught up in being busy and all I “have” to do is much easier? But, that when I do let myself sit still we’re all better for it.
I’d love to know: what’s your journey with sitting still? Tricks?
Wishing us all a week of stillness, birthdays, and amazing shoes! XO RA
