made me think.

the other day i was chatting with someone who brought up the fact that i have a blog. i immediately smiled and explained how it's not really a blog-blog... meaning i don't post as consistently as i should, i write only when i feel passionate about something, and every time i post images of an outfit i secretly hope no one thinks i'm conceited. after all this "blog" of mine is really just a creative outlet when i need one.

all that said -- the previously mentioned friend went on to say how she liked the blog and the outfits i put together. can i just say HOORAY! loved hearing that, especially b/c this girl and i aren't even that close, but getting a compliment from her was really neat and much appreciated!

so this made me think... i haven't posted in a while! honestly, there is not enough time in the day with a baby and other tasks that always require attention way before a silly little blog.

however, today we went to lunch and i got dressed while Lyla was taking a nap. this enabled me to get dressed and snap pics all without being bothered. below is the result. #goodtimes

sunnies: forever21 / shirt: zara / jeans: GAP / shoes: Target / clutch: south africa / necklaces: The Archive (long) & James Michelle (short) / bracelets: PeaceLoveWorld

   

about Crossfit.

this post has been a long time coming. it's one of high regard, personal gains, unity, love, and loads of sweat.

if you have a negative outlook on Crossfit, just take a minute, readjust your train of thought and let me share my point of view. {insert happy face of gratitude here}

about six years ago my brother started going to this "thing" called Crossfit. my brother, at the time, was not super active in many sports at school, made bad nutrition choices, and lacked some self confidence - as most high school freshmen do. he became instantly hooked on Crossfit and had a very noticeable change in his overall demeanor. my mom took immediate notice and before we knew it, my sister and I were on our way to this Crossfit "on ramp" class with her. 

we show up to a random warehouse and "on ramp" class commences. somewhere between the adrenaline rush, loud music, copious amounts of sweat and seemingly endless box jumps, I fell in love. I'm the least athletic person I know, so when the coach asks me if I enjoy working out, I'm quick to respond, "no! but I'm getting married and need to look good!" probably more than he cared to know, but it was all the motivation I needed to give this Crossfit "thing" a shot. my mom was on board and soon my dad was too... my sister decided to stick to her yoga classes with a side of pilates - to each their own. 

so what's the big deal?! over the year that followed my family gained a whole new level of "closeness". almost every weeknight at 7pm we headed to Crossfit Threshold, where we were met by some new physical (and mental) challenges, along with a coach who only saw our individual potential. personally, I was so encouraged by the team environment where everyone said, "YOU GOT THIS! FINISH STRONG!" soon, my fitness level and/or physical shape played no part in how much I suddenly felt I could achieve in and out of the Crossfit box. I believed the voices and I conquered things I never thought I could. I even ran my first 5K which turned into a 10k etc... remember, this is the least athletic person you know speaking. my 50-something year old mom was doing deadlifts and push presses like a champ. my dad and brother had the best head to head competitions... they both found even greater respect for each other. (feeling all warm and fuzzy!)

time has past since those beginning days. life happens and we couldn't all continue to go to classes together or at the same time, but the physical and mental gains never stopped. 

six years later, my brother probably has the coolest testimony about Crossfit. without speaking for him, I just have to express how today he is a different person on the inside and out, for all the right reasons, due to Crossfit and the coaches (and other attending individuals) who invested time in his mental and physical growth. 

to be honest, Crossfit has never been all about the workout for me - although I do appreciate the physical outcome. rather, it's been about how it has changed my mindset. while my family has always been close through our faith and love, we gained another level of relationship through physical activity that pushed our personal limits. and while pushing ourselves we were encouraged by some awesome coaches and teammates.  

so here's to Crossfit. love it or leave it, but I'll take some more double-unders!

incase you were wondering: bag/american eagle, top/crossfit threshold, pants/lululemon, shoes/nike, sunnies/rayban

do you dbrie?

to say i'm proud of my friend is an understatement. life has dealt her some crazy curve balls, but she has overcome each obstacle and pushed forward. she uses her bruises to make herself better, never taking her eyes off her goal of being a designer and owning her own company.... both of these goals have (and continue to) come to fruition. 

honestly, this girl has more creativity in her pinky than most people have in t heir entire bodies. she's so good. 

yes, i might be biased, but just take a look at her work. or maybe you saw her on Deco Drive recently... or maybe you've seen one of her fashion shows... or maybe you own a bathing suit of hers. 

love this dress by Danielle Pinder, owner/creator/designer of dbrie.

{dress: dbrie // wood & gold bracelets: lovestrung // shoes: target}

   

regression session

been trying to put these thoughts into words for a few weeks... ever since Lyla started waking up every 3 - 4 hours again at night (she hasn't done this since she was newborn). 

it's amazing how many life lessons God has revealed to me through the birth of my daughter. there are at least a handful i could mention, but most are pretty common ones other parents often talk about.

this lesson, however, i feel is a little more unique. maybe you can relate?

i am notorious for not enjoying the moment or current season of my life - this was painfully pointed out to me by my loving husband. i fully acknowledge this fault and try to be conscious of it... BUT LIFE, MAN!

now as i ride through this being-a-mommy season, again i find myself looking back OR looking too far ahead.

here's how God showed me up ///

sometimes, we have to be dragged backwards in life to be able to see how far we have come, the doors God has opened, or the fortuitous path we have carved. this was made clear to me though my baby these past few weeks. she had been sleeping 8 - 10 hour stretches at night and while i recognized her achievement, i still wasn't happy... i wanted a FULL night of sleep. why? because other mommies said their babies could do it, so why not mine. (it hurt to write that.)

then four months came knocking and we hit the dreaded (according to Google) Four Month Regression. supposedly this is very common for most babies. they wake more and eat more due to changing REM cycles and evolving motor skills.... OH!!!!!!

all of a sudden, i found myself praying for those 8 - 10 hour stretches of sleep to return. as i sat there feeding Lyla in the middle of the night, it dawned on me that this regression session might not be as necessary for Lyla as it was for ME. i needed this slap up side the head to stop and be present in the moment. just be. just enjoy. just thank God for the blessings instead of consistently wanting something more.

hopefully this regression will end soon and we can all resume our normal sleep schedules. in the mean time i will be grateful for what is good and full of His grace.

oh, and a husband who knows me too well. {insert cheesy wink face here}

   

stars & stripes //

got dressed this morning in an attempt to match Lyla and ended up matching my shower curtain instead.... so naturally i documented the moment.

stars: Marshalls
stripes: Zara
jeans: cut from an old pair of Levi's

{{literally sneezed here}}

just because...

fun times in the backyard with these easy going jeans from old navy (in darker color) on super sale. just because...

sunnies: ray ban, scarf: from south africa, shirt: gap, jeans: old navy & shoes: zara

   

the unexpected.

one of the funnest things to do with your closet of clothes is mix the unexpected. you know... like putting a sequence shirt with ripped denim and heels or placing a glitzy statement necklace with a t-shirt and adidas original sneakers.

the pioneer of this activity has to be Leandra Medine of famed blog, Man Repellar. her idea of mixing the unexpected is layering a mui mui skirt with fitted skinny jeans and valentino heels - she nails it every time. sadly, my collection of designer pieces and overall closet budget is just not as extravagant as ms. medine's.

no worries! there is still tons of fun to be had in the budgeted closet. for this post i wore this new fabletics tee (it's really meant for a little sweat or yoga), my over-sized old navy shorts, custo barcelona jacket (found this gem at kimberly boutique in West Hartford, CT), steve madden booties, and my fave turquoise necklace i got on a trip to England with my cousin, Grace.

hooray for unexpected finds in your own closet!

   

chilly VS cold

since moving back to miami from connecticut, i've realized that it's only ever mildly cold here when the northeast is being blasted with a snow storm.

this last storm (juno?) that came thru had my husband and i thinking, "do we miss it?"
and by "it" i mean the storm, the snow, the cold.
and the answer we came to was, yes.
and we recognize that's a bit nutty sounding.

there's just something about the idea of an impending storm. when the snow starts to fall you feel like you're in a snow globe and nothing else exists. the day after you're in a winter wonderland... and all of this while freezing your bum off.

{{i'll just fail to mention all the not so magical parts like power failures and snow covered cars}}

so in honor of the freezing cold up north, i pulled on a sweater and scarf. burrrrr!

scarf: zara (similar)
sweater: target
pants: purchase in South Africa a while back
shoes: birkenstock

   

tomorrow's another day.

in my last trimester of pregnancy I did some extensive research, reading, and general questioning of and about how to care for a baby. the knowledge I gained was vast and at times very overwhelming, but always helpful.

however, there's this one piece of easy going advice that really stuck with me:

"if the day doesn't go well, you fall off schedule, or baby is not co-operating... breath and remember tomorrow is another day... you can just start over."

the source of this tidbit was referring to an eating/sleeping cycle for baby, but i've started applying it to other aspects of life. 

the statement is true in terms of baby; they are a clean slate in the morning so start fresh. BUT we too are clean slates in the morning. so brush it off and start a new. 

obviously, some messes we make are bigger than others and take more dusting in order to "start fresh", but it can (and at times must) be done.

i try to remind myself of this mindset every time Lyla doesn't go to bed exactly on schedule, OR i have a really bad day in general due to hormones, people, personal expectations and/or uncontrollable circumstance. 

so far this little thought process is working for me ...if you need it, try it too!