It’s here! The second of my monthly Life Lately series where I’ll share what’s been top of mind in the realms of Style, Music, Books, Beauty, Atlanta, Travel and anything else inspiring to me this September. In my recent reader survey (thank you to those who took it! Lip gloss winner to be announced soon!), people asked for more personal posts about what’s going on in my life beyond clothing, so read on for this month’s thoughts!
STYLE – SUMMER TRENDS FOR FALL:
It’s fall! And I’m on a budget. Until I’ve got a bit more money flowing in, I’m all about getting (re)inspired by my current clothes! That means I’m taking my summer trends and turning them into a cooler weather looks by adding boots, tights, or a wool hat. Sure, there are some things that simply can’t transition (like this adorable striped sundress that I never got to write a post about), but I’ve been trying to focus on those items in our closets that we can take into fall – like your maxi dresses and your off the shoulder tops! Check out this week’s maxi-dress post here, and my recent off-the-shoulder top post here.
BEAUTY – SKINCARE EXTRAVAGANZA:
While every blogger dreams of being approached by brands to work with them, she has to be discerning about what she posts about. I get asked to review a lot of skincare brands, but it’s not easy to post about skincare because it’s so personal for each person and can take up to 3 months to show any results. Here is an item I’ve recently received that I have the highest hopes for and am so far quite pleased with. Jouviance is a Canadian brand (eh?), and this retinol-based Restructiv cream fights the major signs of aging so I’m all about giving it a chance.
MUSIC – SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS:
It’s the 20th anniversary of one of my favorite albums, HOT by Squirrel Nut Zippers. I’ve been listening to it a lot to commemorate the anniversary, and we even had the opportunity this week to see the band perform at City Winery here in Atlanta. Only one of the original members remains in the group, so it wasn’t exactly the real thing – but it was still really fun!! If you’ve never had the chance to listen to SNZ or you want a little blast from the past, here’s a link to the 20th Anniversary Remastered album on Spotify.
PODCASTS AND BOOKS – HAPPIER & THE HAPPINESS PROJECT:
I’ve been contemplating ‘Happiness’ lately and whether this is an elusive state of being that I will forever chase or something that I am responsible for creating myself. I’m really hopeful that it’s the latter because at 34, I can’t afford to sprint after persons, places and things that promise a better life. I simply can’t run that fast – and I don’t want look back on life wondering why I spent it seeking external gratification (this is particularly challenging given I’m a blogger!), rather than creating internal peace. Thank goodness my sister turned me on to Gretchen Rubin’s Happier podcast, which led me to her bestselling book, The Happiness Project. Listen to it! Read it! The podcast is all about practical and simple things you can do to increase daily satisfaction. And the book holds YOU responsible for creating your happiness – I’m so excited to dive into it.
ATLANTA – SKYLINE PARK AT PONCE CITY MARKET:
We had such a blast this week at the Skyline Park at Ponce City Market. It’s a rooftop mini-amusement park with fair games like mini golf and Skee-Ball. You pay $10 to go up where the games and rides are free (mini golf costs extra) and the views of Atlanta expand in all directions. It’s 100% worth the money, so for those of you in ATL who haven’t made it there yet, GO! It’s a great time for a date, a family outing or a company party. Here I am celebrating my Skee-Ball victory!
TRAVEL – FORMAL WEDDING IN NYC IS NEXT:
I’ll be posting about my recent trip to Vegas next week – it was magical! Highlights include Britney Spears in concert (a blurry pic of Her Majesty below), the Hoover Dam – a tremendous feat of engineering, the Petrified Forest – 200 million year old trees turned to rock, and the Grand Canyon – terrifying and breathtaking all at the same time. We even spent a little time on Route 66 during our travels. More soon!
Next up, New York in October for my dear friend’s wedding. We’ll be dressing in formal attire, and I think it’ll be worth a post unto itself on wedding attire etiquette. I’ll be renting a dress from Rent the Runway, so stay tuned!
P.S. Aren’t the murals above so cool? Both are near our apartment in Cabbagetown in ATL. The striped one above is by @mevansATL92 and @adam_pee, but the amazing Kermit Ninja Turtles have no tag, so I’m afraid I can’t give proper credit to the artist!
P.P.S. My most recent skincare post about products that were helping my skin is here, and my first Life Lately August post is here.
