February 28, 2017

24 Things I've Learned In 24 Years
As my birthday month comes to an end I can't help but to be grateful for another year.  I knew that 2017 would have a lot in store for me, but I didn't think it would be this much so fast.  After ringing in the new year with my family I headed back down south to start a new job.  I had a great girl's weekend with my mama when she came down to celebrate not just my birthday, but also Oliver's first birthday (pictures still to come).  I went on an amazing ski trip completely thanks to my friends.  Omar came back from deployment and I recently just sent in my application for graduation.  To say that I've had a busy two months of the new year would be an understatement.  I'm loving every minute of it though and I've learned a lot through it all.  It is completely true when they say that you never stop learning and growing as each year passes.  I have defintely made some mistakes in my life, no one is perfect, but the important part is that I learned from them.  It's okay if you never truly grow up, it worked for Peter Pan - why not us?  Just make sure you're evolving as you go along.  I'm hoping that this post can help you avoide some of those mistakes and learn from other ones that you will eventually make. Here are 24 life lessons that I have learned in 24 years.



1. Your mother is always right.
2. Quality over quantity for everything. Friends, food, mascara.
3. Don't put anything on your credit card that you can't pay off in 90 days, and pay attention to interest rates.
4. Work out. Your 25 year old self will thank you for it.
5. Put some money aside, because you never know when your dog will jump out of the car window and break his leg.
6. Living on your own can be very liberating but it can also be very lonely. Make sure to keep your calendar filled with things to look ahead to.
7. Don't wait until the last minute to pay your bills.  Schedule payments ahead of time.
8. You don't need brand name products when you're grocery shopping. Walmart butter taste the same as any other butter.
9. Learn to cut cost when possible.  If you don't watch TV as often as you think you did, cancel the cable and watch your shows online .
10. Get ahead on your school assignments. You'll be so happy when you've already done the quiz that's due this weekend.
11.  If you're on time, you're late.  Arrive 5-10 minutes early for anything and everything.
12.  You don't need a $5 cup of coffee every morning.  They sell iced coffee at the grocery store ($3.99 for 7+ cups of coffee).
13.  Travel as much as you can as often as you can.
14.  You don't need a ton of money to have a good trip. All you need is time to plan and to give yourself a budget to ensure that your trip is filled with fun activities and you don't come home broke.
15.  Make a big deal out of the smallest of occasions.
16.  Try not to flake out on plans as much as you can, you never know when it's the last time you're going to see somebody.
17.  If you've lost someone close to you go visit them as much as possible. It's OK to grieve someone you loved dearly. 
18.  Get your flu shot.  Trust me it sucks.
19.  It's good to have a plan for the future, but don't let it throw you off track if it doesn't go exactly as planned.
20.  LEARN YOUR DRINK LIMIT.
21.  A pet is only for a part of your life, but you are their whole life. Spend time with them even on your busiest of days.
22.   Find a hobby that you really enjoy.  It's good to have something to look forward to outside of work and school.
23.  A degree is really just an expensive piece of paper, a necessity for some job fields (For instance, communications). However, you don't need a college degree to become successful in life. Go out and find your passion and build a future around that.
24.  Don't regret any of your decisions.  Your decisions is what you brought you to this point in your life.  Trust that you are exactly where you're meant to be.



These are the lessons I've learned in my time.  Some more serious than others, but lessons nonetheless.  

xoxo, Michele
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February 10, 2017

Valentine's Day Outfit Inspiration With Shop Lindsey Vee
Valentine's Day can be really fun.  Whether you have a date or a galentine's day event.  As long as you don't stress about it and have fun!  I was never a big believer in Valentine's Day and if I'm being honest, I'm still not.  However, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy getting dressed up and going out to dinner with my boyfriend.  My favorite part about this cheesy holiday is that you get to dress up all fancy!  That's why I put together a few outfits to give you some inspiration.  I'm also very excited to announce that I collaborated with Lindseyvee, this adorable Etsy shop based out of California.  She makes these amazing hand stamped cuff bracelets that go with any outfit.  Dress them up, dress them down, and they still look amazing.  See how I incorporated those into my outfits below.

My first outfit is actually the dress that I wore last year.  It's very Kimye and I love it.  It's a soft pink with mesh in just the right place.  It sticks to my body in all the right places.  It's sexy and yet mysterious.  This dress is from Forever 21 and even though I bought it over a year ago they have a lot of similar styles.  I paired it with these amazing Valentino knock-offs from Charlotte Russe. I opted out of wearing a necklace since this dress has a definite neckline and stuck with my simple stud earrings and custom made bracelets from Lindseyvee.  These items went so perfectly together it made the perfect Vday date night outfit.

My second outfit is more for the girls who want to go out together!  Seriously, this day doesn't need to be "depressing" if you're single.  Get all dolled up and go out with your friends.  After all, they make the best dates!  I paired my favorite tan romper from Forever 21 with these amazing lace-up heels from Charlotte Russe.  The tan on tan is a great combination that makes you stand out.  It was easy to decide what jewelry I wanted to pair this with and it is all gold.  This long gold necklace is from Forever 21, my gold studs were a gift from my amazing mother, and the customized hand stamped bracelets from Lindseyvee Etsy shop based out of Cali.

My third and final outfit is a bit more formal.  I'm not sure how fancy you plan on making your date, but if it does get super fancy than a little black dress is key.  Believe it or not, this was the dress that I wore to prom and it's one of my favorite dresses of all time.  I got this black strapless dress from White House Black Market and it's amazing.  I love the glossy look on the front and the way it stays intact.  Do you know how hard it is to find a strapless dress that doesn't move?  Best purchase I've ever made.  I didn't want to take away from the dress so I kept the jewelry simple.  Simple black choker, stud earrings (I like stud earrings- can ya tell?) and my custom made bracelets from Lindseyvee.  I wanted to get a close up of my bracelets because the stamps on them are very sentimental.  You can get custom made bracelets from this adorable Etsy shop.  Since it IS Valentine's Day I wanted to get some special jewelry to represent L-O-V-E.  On the first bracelet is a simple heart design that just states MO.  Simple and cute.  My other bracelet, and I must say is my favorite one, is the roman numerals of Omar and I's anniversary.  These bracelets are so cute and perfect for Valentine's Day!  They even make the perfect gift (hint, hint, boys).


If you love these bracelets as much as I do and want to make these a staple piece of your wardrobe then head over to Lindseyvee and use the code VDAY10 for 10% off your order and if you purchase 2 or more bracelets you get free shipping with code BUYTWO.  You won't be disappointed by these pieces.  They're customizable to fit your own unique personality.

What are your ideas for the perfect Valentine's Day outfit?  Let me know by leaving a comment below.

xoxo, Michele






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