{What I'm Wearing} Easy Like Sunday Morning

Lately I've been all about simple pieces, especially a white tee... paired with a long skirt, distressed denim, grey skinnies, neon shorts and a chambray. The list for me is endless.

Details: (old) Abercrombie denim jacket (new version,  similar), Loft tee, F21 skirt (similar), vintage belt & bangles, Gap aviators, Clarks wedges, Michael Kors bag (similar)

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Also, a note about these posts....

My style isn't fashion forward or groundbreaking, and I'm okay with that. I enjoy dressing up and often ogle over runway shows or fashion magazines, but in reality, cocktail dresses, gowns and even the most amazing, detailed peplum just don't fit into my daily life. I'm a simple gal, leading a simple life. I like pretty clothes, big jewels, and heels, and I like to share them with you.

xoxo

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This Young House: Building a Hairpin Leg Bench

Our master bedroom is one of the only rooms in our home that is close to being finished. Aside from large projects like exchanging our horrid green carpet for hardwood floors, painting the trim and upgrading our nightstands to something more our style, the room is just what we wanted -- a {headboard-less} low bed, industrial lighting, unique and meaningful artwork. One of the few remaining projects we had was to build a bench for the foot of our bed. We were originally looking for something at our local antique and thrift stores, but nothing was exactly what we wanted, so we decided to build the simplest version of our vision.

You will need:

1 - 12 inch x 5ft x 1&1/2in board*

a small can of stain or polyurethane**

4 - 17inch hairpin legs***

12 - 1&1/4 inch screws

Sand, stain and seal the wood to your desired color and let dry overnight. Assembling the legs is quite simple. Lightly attach two legs on opposite corners, then turn the bench over and place the remaining legs underneath to see if and where they are uneven. {This step requires a second pair of hands!} Use the supplied spacer on the leg that is uneven. Attach the remaining legs and secure tightly. Viola!

xoxo

Other considerations...

*Our bed is about 5feet wide so we chose to make the bench the same length. If you want something longer, use a longer length board

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**If making an outdoor bench, including one you may place on a deck or front porch, be sure to use indoor/outdoor or outdoor stain to protect against rain.

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***Obviously, the height of the legs will depend on how tall you need the bench to be. We wanted ours just slightly lower than our bed, so 17inch legs worked perfectly. 

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{What I'm Wearing} Blues

 DETAILS:
H&M blazer (similar) & neckalce (similar), Loft top, J. Crew pants (similar), Seychelles booties (similar here & here, but I like this open toe version as well), Michael Kors bag, H&M faux fur stole

Land of the Living

The past few weeks have been challenging, both personally and professionally. I feel as though I am being sifted, spiritually and emotionally. I suppose it's all a part of moving forward, and I know that seasons of self reflection and change make me a better person because they always have. When I look back on difficult times of my life, I can see the changes and the character flaws that prompted them. 

1 / 2 

And while I think this season is coming to a close, I don't believe it is over quite yet. There are changes yet to come, but I am trying my best to keep my heart and mind open. I am surrounding myself with encouraging friends, a steadfast husband, and a sweet {but stinky} pup and allowing time to disconnect -- time for trail runs, weekend coffee on the porch, and long phone calls to friends.

Have a happy weekend. It's good to be back.

xoxo

*This post is in the interest of full disclosure. It is so easy to look at the lives of others through the lens of the internet and assume that other women live such perfect lives. My life is wonderful because of so many things, but it is far from perfect.  

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Life Lens

Life lately has meant long days at work, busy weeks, lazy {but productive} weekends, small projects around the house, afternoon espresso, the last few fires of winter, puppy feet warmers, and delicious weekend brunch (made by husband).

 

xoxo

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Sunny Cranberry* Trail Mix

*I originally set out to use cranberries and golden raisins as the fruit of choice for this trail mix, but unfortunately I didn't have any cranberries on hand. So, I improvised. 

When husband and I were in Colorado we munched on the most delicious trail mix that we found at Target. Unfortunately, the mix contained a laundry list of ingredients that are not only unnecessary, they're not very healthy. So, naturally, I decided to make my own. 

1 cup lightly salted almonds

3/4 cup each pepitas,  golden raisins

1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup currants

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together except coconut oil. Melt the coconut oil and pour over the fruit and nut mixture and combine well. Store in an airtight container.

Next time I will add more sunflower seeds and less almonds, but since I only had 1/2 cup of sunflowers, this was what I made. And not only was it healthier than the bagged stuff, it was sure tasty.

xoxo

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{What I'm Wearing} Black & White, Dots & Stripes

 DETAILS: 
Loft top (similar) & skirt (similar here and here), F21 belt (old, but this one is fun), Dolce Vita heels, Michael Kors bag, June Shin ring

Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of spending some time with my dear friend Lesley on her birthday. It was such a fun night, filled with laughter, stories, red wine and homemade chocolate cake. But one of my favorite moments was sharing fashion tips with sweet little four-year-old Matilda. Til and I found out we share a love of stripes and polka dots, and she suggested that I wear them together. And while this skirt isn't exactly polka dots, it's a close second and one that I think Til would approve. So this outfit is for my friend Matilda Graham, that sweet little blonde that stole my heart the moment I met her.
 

xoxo

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Quietude

{Job 26:7-10, 14}

Lately I've found myself craving more time for silent reflection. My soul feels unsettled, yet have no answers for all of its questions. I feel bombarded by wants, necessities, responsibility and the vastness of endless possibilities.

This isn't inherently bad, though. Being sifted, as I call it, allows us to grow and change.. to refocus our energies.. to become a better version of ourselves. I don't know where this will leave me but even in the throes of this soul-searching journey, I am in awe of the beauty in this life of mine.

Happy weekend.

xoxo

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(p)inspirations

A few of my favorite inspiraitonal pins from the last few weeks. 

Anticipating... springtime colors, summertime warmth, afternoon sunshine, camping trips, household projects

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

all can be found here

xoxo

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Colorado Adventures Part III: Granby*

*A fair warning: this post is picture-laden. There were just too many beautiful moments from this part of the trip! 

On the last full day of our trip, husband and I headed out to Granby for a more serene outdoor adventure at Snow Mountain Ranch. We arrived at the park around 9am to rent our gear, then headed out on snow shoes to explore the seemingly endless trails, ridges and peaks. A mere few minutes into our trek, the buildings were small in the distance and not a sound could be heard. No cars, no people. Just a little bit of wind... and then we happened upon two moose! 

After winding around some of the flat trails we decided to make the climb to the top of Coyote Tooth and get a view from the ridge. The trail narrowed and steepened, and it felt like we walked into another world. The trees were so still and perfectly laden with snow. The sky was a brilliant blue that allowed the sun to cast perfect shadows on the untouched snow. It was magical.

The view from the top of the ridge was worth the short climb. We decided to brave the slightly chilling breeze and eat lunch atop the ridge. Once we were almost frozen, we decided to head back to the camp and try our luck with cross-country skis. I'll have to say that cross country skiing was not my forte. We only attempted it for about 45 minutes or so, definitely not enough time to figure out the right technique, so it's on our list for the next winter trip we take.

As much as I love downhill skiing, I have to say that this adventure was my favorite. There was something so special about being atop a ridge with untouched snow and feeling a million miles away from anything and anyone. There is a part of my soul that longs for solitude and a closeness with God, and I truly believe that I find that most in His vast creation, in nature.

xoxo

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