The White Tee Obsession And Major Life Announcement

Warning: This is a long winded post, but I hope that you can get to know me a little more and tell me a little bit about yourself while here!

I’ve been running my blog for 3 years now. I started August 2014 and had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I had to do it already. I had thought about it for years and was tired of working jobs that my heart wasn’t in or always breaking the rules because I thought they were ridiculous. I remember the very first shop I worked with and first outfit I reviewed. I worked so hard on it and discovered things as I went. I was getting paid nothing and enjoyed it as I went, but knew I had a goal to make this my living. I’ve spent countless hours researching and analyzing trends and what works logistic wise. I spent months learning back end systems or connecting with like minded people and best practices. I knew this was where I needed to educate myself because fortunately, the style and fashion part came naturally. Honestly it’s the only thing that has ever come naturally to me. I can do it without trying or thinking. And when I do try and think about it, I have a happiness that is so fulfilling to me because I know that is truly what I’m meant to do. It took awhile to embrace this because it kind of felt superficial, and I knew I was more than that. Of course I care about the world (I majored in poli science at an attempt to help change the world after all), and want a better place for my children. I will always be an advocate for things I believe in and always try to be a good person, as I raise my children to live in this way as well. But fashion is my world of play and I needed to embrace what I was actually good at. A frivolous release for me and the people I can possibly inspire.  You’re meant to enjoy life after all, so if you love clothes, fashion, food, whatever it is, life is truly too short to be miserable and not celebrate the positive things in it.

One time I had a friend complain they were miserable at their job. I simply told them to change it. I have always changed something I couldn’t live with. When I was 22 I graduated and couldn’t bring myself to take an office job. So I became a flight attendant. When I was 24 I started as an MIT at Abercrombie. I worked extremely hard for my own store and a year and 3 months later, became the store manager to where I was the top store in the region! I wanted it so I worked for it. I wasn’t living true to myself when I was 25 and because of that, harming a relationship and person, so I left everything I knew and fled to where I knew I needed to be (New York). In NYC I sought after a company I wanted to be a part of (Anthropologie) and after 6 interviews and months of preparing, I landed the company and job I wanted in the city of my dreams. In 2014, I was working and had a 5 month old. I live and breathe fashion but had no outlet and was feeling lost in my new identity as a mother. I needed to do something about it. I started my blog. I would take my laptop to the pumping room 3 times a day and pretended to be working but in actuality, was blogging (oops sorry Air-Watch). I worked on my lunch break. I invested in a hotspot and for a year while I sat in 1.5 hours of standstill Atlanta traffic, I worked on my blog. I sacrificed so much to be able to just have my website. There were not many returns, but I loved it and knew where I wanted to be. I had to hustle because there was no other way to get there. 

The hustle has now brought me to a crossroads. I need more time. I was running the blog the same way I did a year ago, yet have more work, more content, and more opportunities. My only focus time was 11pm-3am. I don’t want to be frazzled and stressed and I want to be 100% when I’m with my kids. Not half there and half working, or vice versa. One thing was not getting me at my best or my all. Not even my health or marriage. The kids will be going into preschool and daycare, I will strictly be paying for it (that’s the deal) and in turn, I get true office hours. This life change does not just come on a whim and this decision has been weighed heavily. I’ve been up countless nights, well pretty much every night, late and stressing about how to get where I want and need to be. I have never worked so hard at something in my entire life. I never choose sleep. I make strategic decisions and although can sometimes seem frivolous, they are also always calculated. The other side of this is how will the kids benefit? I almost feel as though they benefit the most because they thrive in social settings and it is honestly time for them to have more activities in their day. They need structure and to be around other kids. When I dropped them off today, Jackson said ‘Bye Mom’ and ran to new friends, and Elston was playing with farm animals and didn’t even give me a second look. Well then… I’ll miss ya too… I guess that made this a lot easier.

This decision comes at probably the verge of an anxiety mental breakdown and in Robert’s words ‘please don’t go Britney on me’…as in the breakdown circa 2007. And that’s exactly how I felt. I think I was one blog entry away from shaving my head and taking an umbrella to my minivan stroller. Ok that’s extreme but I’m sleep deprived. Robert has swooped in and truly proven what it means to be a team in marriage. He is always willing to sacrifice for the betterment of our family. He came to me with tons of game plans and suggestions on how I can progress and truly live out my dream. It’s been possible because of his support and believing in me. He talks me off a ledge weekly and has ever since I met him. Back when I was working and we were truly struggling, I used to get down and tell him I had to quit blogging. We were packing our lunches every day and I would window shop and long to be able to have the ability to be freely creative. He used to always say ‘you’re not quitting, that’s not an option’. It didn’t last long but that was never an option again. I cannot quit my dream even if someone held me to the fire. I want it too badly that my self will not allow it. I’m not saying my final goal and dream is to be a blogger. It’s more than that. It’s to be able to be around my children and not answer to a corporation who truly doesn’t care if my kids were sick or not. It’s to hand them a company later in life if they want it. It’s to share a talent and passion to help people be happier and inspire each other. It’s to get people excited about clothes because, why not. And eventually it’s to have it transform into whatever it can be. To use it to style more runway shows or put my name on something. Who knows. 

I’m terrified I cannot do it, but you know, I’m going to try. I’m going to hustle the exact way I did when I was hiding out in corners of a corporate office on someone else’s dime, or in the wee hours of the night, while everyone else slept. Every minute is crucial and precious to me and means something. I hope you can be inspired that it’s possible to do anything you want… if you want it badly enough. I hope you can continue to support my own dreams the way I would support you. Please don’t stop clicking on my blog, liking my posts, my Instagram pictures, my Facebook. That’s all I ask. I would do the same for you because why not? Life is way too short. 

As I enter this pivotal moment and next chapter, please follow along because what I do is meant to be shared so we can all enjoy life a little more! We are going to live this stylish life together and I want to prove to you that it’s possible.

Thank you for reading! If you scroll all the way to the bottom, you will be able to enter the giveaway that is going on! 

You probably know I can’t live without the ‘perfect white tee’, but here’s why. It goes with everything, can be dressed up or down, makes everyone look a little more tan (I’m casper), and is the best option for a crisp casual summer look. I styled my favorite one ever (shop the post below) three different ways. I added my favorite touch in the silk neck scarf for a polished look, and I think is the perfect ‘stylish mom on the go’ look. If you haven’t tried the white tee with white denim, you need to do it. Make your accessories pop with color, or keep them neutral for a more classic look. I think at this point, I have had 500 white tees in my life, and get a new one every year, but it’s my number one style staple. Have it hang a little loose for the best fit because you don’t want it too tight, and too loose can look sloppy.

Now…it’s time for a fabulous giveaway!
I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers
to give YOU a chance to win:
a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time for the Anniversary Sale!

Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter.
You’ll receive one entry per completion.
This giveaway is open internationally and runs until 7/3.
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!

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