BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

WEAR A SAFETY PIN: BE AN ALLY, BE KIND, BE …

Something that has really struck me over the past few weeks is how wearing something small or seemingly subtle can signify a tremendous message to those around you. Prior to the election, many of us wore pantsuits to demonstrate support for our preferred female candidate. In her concession speech, Hillary Clinton wore purple to demonstrate the blend of blue and red and the need for the two parties to unite going forward. And today, we wear safety pins to signify to people that we are safety allies, that we are people who will walk with you and stand by you and stay close to you if you are in danger of being persecuted and subject to hate. 

IDEAS FOR BEATING THE POST-ELECTION BLUES

Yesterday I wrote a “How to Rock a Pantsuit” post as a way to playfully and stylishly celebrate what I believed to be the certain and inevitable election of our first female president. It was my way of being sheepishly political while staying ‘on brand’ as we bloggers must do. I didn’t get the pleasure of clicking ‘Publish,’ and for that I am devastated. Today I woke up to the shock and anger plastered all over my Facebook feed. The negativity sent me further into a black-hole-shame-spiral of despair. What could I possibly write about, and what could I possibly do to remain strong and engaged and positive? First I turned off FB and Twitter. And then I drafted a list of ideas for beating the post-election blues. ‘Blues’ is clearly a euphemism for my current state, but I have a feeling my current shock will dissipate into a blurred haze of well, blues. No one gives a crap about outfits or makeup or skincare today, so let’s go off-brand and think about ways we could each be more productive by taking some individual actions of positivity. 

BELLE MEETS WORLD ON CBS ATLANTA

Last week I had the opportunity to be on TV as a lifestyle expert for the first time, and it was a blast!! I was invited by CBS Atlanta to put together a segment on throwing an “Adult Halloween Party” and to join Kimberley Kennedy on her daily Atlanta Plugged In segment to share my ideas with her and her audience. Halloween is my absolute favorite so I jumped at the chance! Read on for more on the segment and click through this link or the image above to watch my TV debut!

LIFE LATELY – OCTOBER

Here we are! Month three of my monthly Life Lately series, sharing all the latest and greatest I’m exploring behind the scenes in Atlanta, at Home, with Beauty & Style, Blogging, Books, Music and…Life! Read on for October’s adventures!

ON AGING, AT 34

I started writing this post on my 34th birthday, and it’s taken me two months to complete my thoughts on turning 34 and what it means to me. Last year I posted about beating the Birthday Blues on my 33rd by infusing self-love into your special day. The year before that, a fun little outfit post about my short skirt, smiling wide at 32. This year, I’m posting about ‘getting older’ because in the last year, my relationship with age has completely changed – suddenly I was ‘aging’. AGING. I’ve felt so many different emotions towards it, had so many different experiences with it, and sought out so many different ‘solutions’ for it this year – as if it’s a force to be reckoned with that I must control, deny and accept, all at the same time.

TRAVEL DIARY: LAS VEGAS, PETRIFIED FOREST, GRAND CANYON, HOOVER DAM

My bestie Dina and I take a trip together every few years. Last time was Montreal, the time before that, a road trip from NY to GA. This one to Vegas and the Grand Canyon had been one in the making for about four years, and it was definitely one of those bucket-list-item-checking types of trips. In five days, we hit The Strip, saw Britney Spears, drove to Arizona, walked through The Petrified Forest, hiked in The Grand Canyon, and toured the Hoover Dam. It was a blast, and definitely an adventure I’d recommend to others!