Archive for September 2015

Home Archive for September 2015

This is another thrift store gem. It is actually a two piece and both items stand great on their own as well. Thrifting is like a treasure hunt for me. Not only do I find amazing things at thrift stores but it also challenges me creatively. I enjoy what is going on in current fashion for the most part and I'm not immune to trends but I hate wearing something just because someone else told me it was cool or okay to wear. I meet women and girls every day that are afraid to wear something unless it has become a trend despite how much they actually want to wear it. Don't be afraid to wear something because of what someone might say or think of you. It doesn't really matter. Don't wait for validation for someone else. On the flip side of that don't be embarrassed if you happen to like a trend that is happening right now. We live in an age where there is no one particular style of the times. We have so many options and while sometimes I think this keeps us from pushing ourselves to create it also opens up the door for us to explore as many different styles as we would like.

A lot of people think black is boring. Or lazy. It is a comfort zone for me. But it also challenges me. With the lack of color you are left to play with lengths, textures, drape, layers... it opens up a whole new door of creativity.

Free People velvet blazer available here

I had never noticed this sign outside of the Carver Theatre / Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame until the other day. I couldn't wait to go back. While we were there we met a very nice man who let us take a peek inside because he saw us taking pictures. Sometimes I feel funny when strangers see me taking pictures but most of the time they strike up a conversation. And then it leads to something really cool. But on to jazz and Louis...

I've loved Louis Armstrong since I was little. Thanks to my Grandmother who taught me everything from how to act at the table to how to act at the theatre. Her and my grandfather where championship swing dancers for a long time and she has the best taste in music. They used to go to New Orleans all of the time and once they went to see Louis Armstrong. While they were at dinner before the show my grandmother heard a huff and grunt from the back of the restaurant...and she looked back and it was Louis himself. Surrounded in a cloud of smoke eating alone in corner before the show.

This is why grandparents are the coolest. I spend a lot of my time with my grandparents and older people in general. They have the best stories. So many stories that don't even sound real sometimes. Maybe I'll share some more on here. They are endless wells of knowledge.

Do you have any cool stories from your grandparents? Let's talk.

Sometimes simple is the best.

Dress is from Zara and coat is from Monki

My first thought when I put on this outfit was "I look like I'm going on a safari in the 1970s" which I would totally want to do. There is nothing like the look of worn in leather boots, the ones that look like they have a story to tell. I've had these Frye boots for almost 10 years and they have seen a lot. It is so cool to look down and remember the places you have been when you are wearing some of your favorite shoes.

Everything else is vintage except my top which is available here

I feel kind of like Vivian Stanshall and Carine Roitfeld had a child in this outfit.

I love driving around and location scouting. Even though a lot of times I pick a plain wall I am constantly exploring my city. There is nothing like finding a new alleyway or hidden part of your city. I also have huge appetite for adventure and a lot of wanderlust. I hate feeling stuck in one place. Even if it is just driving out of the city limits...I feel a lot better. I also have an almost obsessive need to learn something new every day. When you are traveling you are soaking up so many new things without even realizing it. It is a bit more of a challenge to learn when you are in one place for a while but the challenge is exciting. I encourage you to see your own city as an outsider would. Pick up a book or eat food from another country if you can't travel right now. There is a lot out there. There are also a lot of beautiful people to meet. It is so cool when I meet someone new because of my blog. I love meeting people whether it's when I'm taking pictures or if it is a connection over social media. I've met a lot of really amazing people because of what I do. Sometimes it's just an in the moment meeting or sometimes I've made a new friend. And I kind of feel like I'm just getting started.

Cape blazer is Zara

Boots are Chloé

There is nothing like a velvet suit. This is another one of those amazing H&M finds. I picked this up when I was living in NYC a few years ago.

I love the stillness of being on top of a roof in a city. Birmingham is by no means a loud city but there is still that stillness that comes with being on a roof. When I lived in NYC I spent a lot of my free time on my roof reading, writing, anything really. I would get up and watch the sunrise. I would go up there in the middle of the night and play in the snow alone watching New York below me. I will always hold those moments in my heart. Where we live influences us in so many different ways. NYC might have been a temporary home to me... but it has a big place in my heart. It changed me. But Birmingham is also home. And it has changed and it has also changed me.

Every city holds magic if you care to find it.

I particularly love this parking deck in Birmingham because it is next to the Redmont hotel. It's a glimpse into Birmingham's past. It's steeped in legend and Hank William's spent his last night in the Redmont hotel. It is important that we respect these places and people. If we go and plow over everything our history gets muddled and lost. We also need to respect these people and their contributions. There is a new film being made about Hank's life called I Saw the Light and I am less than thrilled. I'm left with a sour feeling every time I read something about the film or see a clip. Every icon and person deserves to have their story told the right way. Ego's shouldn't play into the portrayal of another person's life. There is already a lot of negativity surrounding the South and I would hate for our good contributions to get lost in translation. Don't let Hollywood's magic wand stop you from digging deep. Go beyond. I encourage you to seek the truth and the soul behind things.

Wearing sneakers is a whole new world for me. There was a point in time where I didn't even own them. But I have come back around and I appreciate them now.

I used to think that I had to fit inside of a box. I am a passionate and intense person when it comes to the things that I like and love and that goes for my clothes as well. I thought that my style had to be defined by certain things. I so deeply admire the people who have a classic style that they commit to but that is not in my personality to do that. I love too many things and I want to wear too many things. Because what I love and how I dress go hand in hand. I've dabbled with being minimalist, only wearing black and white for half a semester at school, I was a skater (I've always loved skateboarders), I went extreme hippy, I was Penny Lane, I was Edie Sedgwick, Keith Richards, Marianne Faithfull, Ginger Rogers, I was that Victorian child in a painting my grandmother had on her wall when I was a child... I tried it all. But then I realized that I could blend all of these things and I didn't have to box myself in to one particular era or style. All I had to do was be me. And now it is more fun. For a long time I kept asking myself where do I fit? With everything, not just my style but in life. And I met a really wise man and he told me stop asking myself that...I already fit and I always have. And so do you. Don't compromise yourself. You don't have to change who you are to fit in.

sneakers are Prada available here

I can't stop wearing this top. I think shoulders are one of the most beautiful parts of the body and I love tops that subtlety show them off. I don't like things that are overtly sexy either. About a year ago I discovered that I actually can wear jumpsuits. I wrongly assumed since I'm not really tall that they wouldn't work on me. It is always worth it to try something that you want to wear and equally important to know that you don't have to wear something you don't like just because it's 'cool'. I'm not really sure what cool is anyway. We all have our own definition. But the best thing is to stick with what you like but don't be afraid to try something new. Your style inspiration doesn't have to just come from fashion or clothes. It is a mix of influences, inspirations, moods, feelings, etc...just like anything else creative.

top available here

jumpsuit similar here

There is something magical about early mornings. Waking up before the world gets started. It is a different kind of quiet from the night time.

I wore this shirt in a post a few weeks ago. It is such a dream. The cut. The fabric. H&M you did it again. It is finally starting to cool off outside and I feel the inspiration surging through my mind.

As I mentioned in my previous post I feel like this is a time of transformation. A transformation of so many things. It is beautiful and it is hard. We often have to take the first step alone. But that first step is so important. Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

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