LIVING FROM A POSTURE OF GRATITUDE ALL YEAR LONG
Thanksgiving is a beautiful time of year, where we gather with family and close friends, break bread together, and express our gratitude for the blessings in our lives. It’s one of my favorite holidays because it’s focused entirely on gratitude. Thanksgiving has always been a reminder to pause and reflect, and families often participate in traditions where they go around the table and each person shares something they’re thankful for.
MARRIAGE: Moving Beyond Contracts & Scorecards
My husband and I have been married for ten years, and I’m still learning every day! After spending time at a conference last month, I feel compelled to share with you some of the things I’ve learned and am continuing to learn.
Glimmers of Hope Amidst Darkness
Hi gals, Candace here. This week, I wanted to share with you a piece written by a friend of mine. She’s shared her story with me over the years, and I love the way God has shown up for her. I do want to mention that this post contains sensitive subject matter, so be gentle with yourself as you choose whether or not you want to read.
Embracing the Everyday
Since I’ve been sharing on the Internet, I've learned that the path to inspiration is very rarely a straight line. Often, it’s more like a winding road with its fair share of uninspired moments. This can be easy to forget when we’re consuming curated content, but the reality is that sometimes we simply aren’t feeling inspired.
Why I'm Against Dupe Culture
In a world where fast fashion and consumerism can significantly impact our choices, the allure of a dupe can be hard to resist. After all, who wouldn’t want to sport a designer bag without breaking the bank? But, as I reflect on my personal journey with fashion and consider the impact of counterfeit goods on the industry, I’ve decided I firmly stand against the dupe culture that has taken root in our society.
THE ENIGMATIC ALLURE OF TRENDS
In the ever-evolving world of fashion, trends are a fascinating phenomena that dictate our choices, captivate our senses, and often shape the way we present ourselves to the world. They emerge in a way that seems entirely organic and rapidly gain steam, especially with the help of social media and the virality of the Internet! Sometimes, trends fade away just as quickly as they appeared.
THE SLOW FALL FORWARD
Listen, I adore summer. It’s the season of relaxation, sunshine, and joyous family moments. I’ve had an amazing summer so far! I know that it’s only the beginning of August, but the reality is that fall is right around the corner.
Dear Mocktail Monday
Knowing when to move on from something and being willing to evolve is a skill that often goes unpracticed in the online space. We’re taught, through things like algorithms and formulas, to stick with what is working. But, despite my presence in this online community, I’ve always been proud of the way I am willing to pivot and shift during various seasons of life.
OOO FOR SUMMER BREAK
A quick life update if you will for you gals. After a lot of contemplation and reflection, I’ve decided to take a break from sharing content here on the blog and over on Instagram for the month of June. This time away will allow me to fully immerse myself in the beautiful moments life has to offer, and reconnect with the joys that often go unnoticed in the fast-paced world of social media.Insert excerpt here
BEST AL FRESCO DINING IN COLUMBUS
Summer is upon us, which means it’s officially time to dine al fresco! Personally, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for eating outdoors. There’s just something so quintessentially summer about relishing a delicious meal on a cozy patio - it just feels right!
MY NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY
The journey from relaxed to straight.
Hey, my gals! This May marks a big hair anniversary for me, so my hair journey has been top of mind quite a bit lately. With that in mind, I thought now would be the perfect time to tell you about my natural hair journey! And girl, it has been a literal journey.
It was in May of 2013 I did my “big chop.” For those of you who don't know, the big chop is a major haircut to remove all relaxers from the hair.
PROCESSING THE REALITIES OF INFERTILITY
I never would have guessed…That this would be a part of my story. Infertility that is. I always imagined that motherhood would be something that happened when I wanted it to. I always thought it would be in my 30s after finding love and settling into the life that I fantasized about as a young girl growing up in South Georgia.
ENGAGING THE 5 SENSES WHILE HOSTING
If you know me at all, you know that hosting is one of my favorite things in the world. I love being able to pull together various elements to create a vibe, and really make my guests feel comfortable, welcome, and special. It’s something I really love doing! I’ve learned that one of my favorite ways to do this is to intentionally engage all 5 senses when hosting people in my home. If hosting overwhelms you, it’s super easy to get caught up in just the visual presentation of a space and really forget about the other four senses.
SPRING TRENDS TO KNOW
Spring is a season of renewal, growth, and fresh beginnings. One of the things I love most about entering into a new season is the opportunity it provides to revamp my wardrobe and look at things with a fresh perspective. It allows me to just really have a new excitement to get dressed each day! This feeling is really the vibe of a trend. Trends are meant to be a directive or a pulse-check, if you will.
THE UNSUNG HEROINE OF SPRING & SUMMER
Spring is in full swing, and summer is right around the corner which means it is this fashion staple’s true time to shine. Let’s chat about nipple covers. I fully believe that a great set of nipple covers is essential to every woman, especially during these warmer months.
MY EVERYDAY MAKEUP THAT IS MAKEUP ARTIST APPROVED
Back in the day, I was totally the girl who had a serious makeup kit. Part of that is attributed to the fact that I grew up as a pageant girl, and in ballet and theater, so I spent a lot of time in this sort of creative process that called for a lot of makeup. And while that was a really fun part of my life and I look back on it fondly, now I’m 33 and really don’t like using as much product. And that is contributed to a number things…not having a lot of time in the mornings, wanting to have naturally great skin and more. Having this realization has really started this slow evolution of “less is more,” when it comes to makeup.
WHAT TO INVEST or WHAT TO SKIP
Let’s be truthful: There are a lot of service options out there.
Just off the top of my head, we have microblading, brow lamination, brow waxing, acrylic nails, gel nails, gel pedicures, sugaring, and the list goes on and on.
I truly believe that one hundred percent of these services can bring value to your life. However, over the course of the last several years, I’ve come to realize that it is in my best interest to truly prioritize which services would serve me best, and invest in those.
SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON HIRING A WARDROBE STYLIST
This is something I’m asked rather frequently, which is only natural given that I’m a stylist! Over the years, I’ve have had the opportunity to connect with lots various individuals, and I have found that there are really two general schools of thought that bring an individual to the conclusion that they need stylist expertise.
TRAMUA ASSOCIATED WITH A SERV ICE EXPERIENCE
I’m talking about trauma associated with a bad service experience or should we say unmet expectations.
MARCH FOCUS: SERVICE & SUCH
Last May I wrote the introduction to what I felt would the beginning of an incredible new series. And guess what? The introduction was all I wrote. Bless. Life got a little chaotic and I simply never returned to make my regular journal entries with you all about this topic.