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My mother and bff are well aware of my love for all things Parisian, so of course when they told me about a new French cafe and boulangerie in Wilmington, NC I had to go while I was in town . Seriously, this place is a little piece of Paris in the Port City! If you’ve never been to Paris (or even if you have), this gem captures the charm of a quaint cafe in Montmartre. You can almost hear the accordions and envision street artists painting the French country side at their easels.

Far From France has a wide variety of pastries, breads and lattes. There are also imported chocolates, jams and other condiments available for purchase inside the gourmet boutique as well. Lastly,  if you’re looking for a gift for that special someone in your life who’s always dreaming of France, you’re sure to find something here.

We chose to order lattes, a cream puff and an assortment of macarons to enjoy on the outside patio. I could have sat outside at this cafe with my mom and bestie all day! My latte was amazing and in my opinion, the macarons were better than Laduree!!!

Have a great week, friends!!

Striped dress // sunnies// handbag (vintage 1960) // red flats (almost identical)

Happy Friday everyone!! I thought I would do something a little fun and different on the blog today, so I’m sharing “10 things you didn’t know about me.” Hopefully this gives you a chance to get to know me better ! 🙂

1. I’m left handed but learned to play acoustic guitar right handed. I still have my guitar but can’t remember the last time I played it.

2. My two favorite foods are Mexican and Italian. I could seriously eat a chicken taco salad or vegetable lasagna every night.

3. I never went to prom when I was in high school.

4. I don’t want kids. I’m perfectly happy being a dog Mom.

5. I never get tired of watching Sex and the City re-runs.

6.  Before moving to Oregon, I lived in Illinois and Texas but I’m originally from North Carolina.

7. Whenever I need style inspiration I turn to Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn,  Jackie O and Kate Middleton .

8. In the past three years I’ve been to London, Paris (twice), Rome and Amsterdam.

9. When I was in middle school, my hair was so long I would ask my mom to style it like Princess Lea’s. We’re talking cinnamon buns, crown braids, the whole nine yards!

1o. If I could travel back in time, I would love to spend some time in the 1940s. Preferably after the war. I would also like to spend 1 day and night on the Titanic prior to the iceberg collision. I’ve been fascinated by it forever!

Well I hope you all enjoyed learning a little bit about me. Maybe I’ll share ” 10 more things you didn’t know about me” in the future. It may come as a surprise, but I’m really a very private person so this post was a huge step for me. Blogging has definitely forced me to step out of my comfort zone in many ways and for that I’m grateful.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Old Navy scarf // Old Navy tee dress // similar black booties

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Some of my earliest memories of Halloween include carving pumpkins with my dad, trick-or-treating and watching Disney’s Hocus Pocus with my brother. This year I was extremely grateful to spend the week leading up to one of my favorite holidays with my family and best friend.

Almost every year my parents and I have a long distance pumpkin carving contest, this year I was fortunate enough to be able to carve with them in North Carolina!

Prior to carving, my mom and I made a trip to the pumpkin patch at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a pumpkin patch, especially one adorable! The pumpkin patch started 25 years ago to fund youth ministry and mission projects. Today proceeds from the fundraiser continue to support mission trips and children in need throughout the community.

   

I hope you all have a spook-tacular Halloween! I plan to stay in, light a few fall scented candles, eat candy and watch a scary (yet no so scary) movie. What do y’all have planned?

Shop this post:  bag Tory Burch simiar here , plaid shirt, similar jeans, similar booties 

“I’m basically a feminist. I think that women can do anything they decide to do.” – Grace Kelly

Grace Patricia Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 12, 1929. Her father was a three-time Olympic gold Medalist and owned a successful brickwork contracting company. Grace’s mother was the daughter of German Immigrants and a Philadelphia native. Prior to having children, her mother taught physical education at the University of Philadelphia.

Kelly had two older siblings, Margaret and John Jr., and a younger sister, Elizabeth. Grace began modeling and acting at a young age and had already starred in many local play productions prior to graduating high school.

After Grace was denied entry to Bennington College, as a result of her poor mathematics scores, she decided to pursue her dream of acting. To begin her career, she applied to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Once admitted, she worked as a model to support her studies. Throughout this time, she starred on Broadway and approximately sixty live television programs, which eventually led to a roles in a major motion pictures.

In April 1955 Grace attended the Cannes Film Festival . While there, she was invited to participate in a photo shoot at the Palace of Monaco with Prince Rainier lll. Grace eventually became Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier lll, in April 1956.

As Princess, she was unable to continue her acting career. Instead of acting, she performed her daily tasks and became involved in philanthropic work. Grace founded AMADE, a non-profit organization that promotes and protects the “moral and physical integrity” and “spiritual well-being of children throughout the world, without distinction of race, nationality or religion and in a spirit of complete political independence. As a mother of three, this cause was very dear to her.

Grace Kelly passed away on September 14, 1982 as a result of her injuries sustained in a car accident. Today Kelly is not only remembered for her philanthropic and charitable contributions, she is remembered as a style icon as well. Her effortlessly chic style and natural beauty has been an inspiration for many modern fashion designers.

The iconic photograph we recreated of Grace Kelly was photographed by Howell Conant in 1955 while Grace was working on The Swan, and the color version was featured on cover of Vanity Fair in May 2010 paying tribute to Grace’s timeless style.

Thank you to Lizzie Harrell for partnering on this project.

 

“I am a woman above everything else.”- Jacqueline Kennedy

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born in Southhampton, New York on July 28, 1929. Her father was a successful Wall Street stockbroker, her mother a socialite and an accomplished equestrian . As a child  Jacqueline enjoyed horseback riding and reading.

At the age of 10, her parents divorced. Dealing with the divorce of her parents was an extremely difficult time in her life. At the time, few children had divorced parents.

Dispite difficult times, Jackie took advantage of opportunities to grow. She began taking ballet and French lessons. In 1947 she graduated from an all girls boarding school in Connecticut and sought continuing education at Vassar College in New York. At university she studied art, history and French. She was spent her junior year of college studying abroad in Paris, France.

Upon returning to the United States, she transferred from Vassar College to George Washington University to be closer to her family and complete the remainder of her schooling.

In the  1951 Jackie began her first job as the “Inquiring Camera Girl” for the Washington Times Herald. During this time she met John F. Kennedy, who was soon to be elected Senator of Massachusetts.  In September of 1953 they married in Newport, Rhode Island.

John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the presidency on January 3, 1960 and launched his campaign across the country. Jacqueline Kennedy accompanied her husband to campaign events and assisted on the campaign trail.

Jackie Kennedy remains one of the most popular First Ladies of the United States. Her role as a wife and mother was her greatest passion. As First Lady she dedicated her time to the restoration of the White House, promotion of American arts and preservation of its history. During her husband’s presidency she became a global style icon and was often criticized for her love of French couture. Throughout the years she has made countless best dressed lists, last year Forbes even included her on the list 10 Fashion Icons and the Trends They Made Famous.

The photograph we recreated of Jackie in her iconic gingham dress was taken by photographer Jacques Lowe in Hyannis Port, MA and appeared in several magazines such as Paris Match and Ladies’ Home Journal. Jackie will forever be remembered for her style and grace.

Thank you to Lizzie Harrell for partnering on this project.

 

1 cold shoulder sweater // 2 floppy hat// 3 plaid blanket scarf// 4 suede moto jacket ( also loving it in burgundy)// 5 booties// 6 classic bag (loving this satchel from Charming Charlie)

Happy Friday and happy fall y’all! Since today is officially the first day of autumn, I thought it would only be appropriate to share some of my favorite fall trends and essentials.  This fall I’m loving all things camel, cognac, burgundy and mustard yellow. If it’s available in any of those colors, I’m probably gonna buy it. I love summer, but fall has always been one of my favorite seasons.  Cozy sweaters, blanket scarves, wool hats and booties are definitely staples in my fall wardrobe.

 

“You know a woman is strong, beautiful, and secure by the way she empowers others.” – Alicia DiMichele

I stumbled upon Girl Code while perusing the business section in Barnes & Noble not too long ago. Now, I don’t like to judge a book by its cover, but something about the black, light pink and gold caught my eye. As I began to read the summary on the back cover, I began wondering why this gem was in the business section. Sure, it’s geared towards the female entrepreneur…but now that I’ve finished the book, I believe all women in general would benefit from reading it. Entrepreneur or not.

I couldn’t have found this book at a better time in my life. I found it a time when I was lacking inspiration. I found it when I was asking myself questions like “why don’t other bloggers in my area want to work with me? Why are people making snide remarks about my life decisions and blog?” I also found this book at moment when I was craving a #girlboss role model.

As a woman, I’ll be the first to say, women are the worst. I have 3 to 4 female friends in my life, 1 of which is my mother, and there’s a good reason why. Women tend to be catty and they’ll be the first to judge you when they can’t relate to your lifestyle. As women, we tend to be hard on ourselves anyway, so why add more negativity and criticism to the mix? With that said, I choose to surround myself with positive women who understand, support and love me. I’ve learned if I have to spend time convincing women to like me, they’re probably not worth my time to begin with.

Girl Code was a breath of fresh air and I can’t wait to read it again with a highlighter in hand. Cara’s positive messages and compelling interviews, with strong women who have overcome obstacles in their lives to achieve greatness, are inspiring.

I finished reading the book with so many takeaways, these are only just a few: when women support other women amazing things happen. There’s enough success to go around for all of us, so don’t be afraid to celebrate someone else’s success. Insecurity competes, confidence empowers. Lastly,  it’s ok to create the life you wish existed.

So many inspirational women share their personal mission statements throughout the book, which left me thinking, what would mine be? Easy. It would be this : We all get a life but it’s up to us what we do with it. If you choose to get married, buy a house and have kids, fine. If you choose to be a renter and kid-free so you can travel and buy expensive handbags, fine.  Are either one of those choices wrong? The answer is, no. Do what makes you happy and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for it.

If you’ve read Girl Code, I’d love to hear your takeaways or personal mission statement!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! I’m so sorry I’ve been M.I.A. on the blog recently. Things have been a little crazy at my day job and then my dog developed a boo-boo on one of his paws. It was a difficult couple of weeks for my four-legged-child, but he’s feeling much better with relaxation and the medicine his vet prescribed.

For today’s post I’m rounding up some outfits I’ve recently shared on Instagram. You’ll notice I’m beginning to work in some fall colors : camel, navy, burgundy, mustard yellow and olive green are a few of my favorite summer to fall transitional colors.

I’m currently working on a fall favorites post, so stay  tuned!

 

Happy Saturday, everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve shared beauty products I’m loving on the blog, so I hope I can redeem myself by sharing some great ones!  Some of you may have seen these products on my Instagram over the past month, but I wanted to take the time to link them for you and share with those of you who may not use Instagram.

I received the Flawless Fusion Ulta-Longwear Foundation and Translucent Loose Setting Powder by Laura Mercier complementary from Influenster for testing purposes and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. The foundations I love and use the most are oil free, light weight and provide full coverage. This foundation is all of those things. If you have naturally oily skin (like I do) and are looking for a full coverage foundation, these products are definitely worth a try .

The day before my collaboration photo shoot with Lizzie Harrell, I made a trip to Ulta for under eye concealer. I’ve used under eye concealers in the past, but none of them really impressed me. One of the Ulta beauty reps suggested I try Tarte under eye concealer with the shape tape for optimum results. Since I love trying new products, I took her advice without hesitation and purchased both products.  Guys, when I say these products are amazing.. I mean AMAZING. Not only do these products eliminate pesky under eye circles, they also brighten to give you that well rested glow. Also, I recommend using a complexion sponge for blending. Lastly, the thing I love most about the shape tape is it can be used as a foundation too. Who doesn’t love a good multipurpose product, right?!

I went to World Market a few weeks ago for another box of floral bouquet soaps ( yes, these rose buds you’ve been seeing throughout on this post are soaps) and these make up brushes totally caught my eye. Right now they’re on sale for under $10 and would make the perfect gift for the beauty lover in your life.  I honestly haven’t decided if I’m actually going to use them, or just use them for decoration… same goes for the soaps, because they’re just so pretty.

Since National Lipstick day wasn’t that long ago, I thought  it would be appropriate to share my favorite lipsticks in this post. I am obsessed with this line by Revlon!  These shades are budget friendly and beautiful. I get so many complements on the Spark shade of pink and people are always surprised when I tell them its Revlon. I’ve tried lipsticks at all price points and these are the only ones I continuously rebuy.

If there are any beauty products you’re currently loving, I’d love to know!

Last week, my best friend from North Carolina came to visit. We talk everyday and usually see each other once or twice a year. If any of you also have a long distance bestie, you understand how important actually being together is.

While she was on the West Coast, we spent some time in Seattle and Vancouver B.C. prior to returning to Portland for more exploring.  A normal day, for my bestie and I, always starts with coffee. We usually don’t plan too much, simply  because we both appreciate spontaneity.

This particular day we ended up at Cornell Farm  & Cafe. After ordering iced coffees, we wandered around the grounds admiring the beautiful plants, flowers and fountains that are all available for purchase.

When it comes to exploring on warm days, I’ll choose a flowy dress and flip-flops over a tee shirt, shorts and sneakers any day! I’m loving this off the shoulder maxi dress from Shein. After reading the size reviews online, I decided to order an extra small and it fits perfectly. If you ask me, black and white is always appropriate.

I hope you’re all having a great weekend. I went to spin class yesterday and today, so hopefully I’ll be able to walk tomorrow!