Father's Day

 

I wanted to start this post with a sweet quote or poem about fathers, but couldn't find one good enough to summarize my dad. He is the greatest man I have ever known and there is no way I would be the woman I am today without him. His hard work, determination, and selflessness has made it possible for my family to have everything we need and then some. It was just a couple of years ago I found myself talking to a group of friends. It was just days before father's day and we were all commenting on our own fathers. Talking to them and listening to the negative experiences of their fathers made me realize just how truly blessed I am to have a dad like mine. Whenever I have felt down or discouraged, he has always pushed me to stand up and follow my dreams. I have no idea what the future has in store for me, but I am grateful for the dad I have to remind me that there is a future and it is as bright as ever.     

Graduation: Part Quatre

Me + the graduate!

So it's that time yet again: time for another graduation. This time, we traveled to Charlotte, NC to celebrate another cousin's high school commencement. The ceremony was extremely organized and well put together; definitely more so than my high school graduation lol. It wasrather lengthy, but was enjoyable none the less to see him walk across the stage. 

Because I knew I would have to ride in the car for 2.5 to 3 hours, I knew I wanted to wear something comfortable. I also took into account the fact that temperatures were to reach the mid 90s! I looked through my latest purchases and taking the ride & weather into account, chose a very comfortable, flowy dress. To finish the outfit, I chose to wear my favorite pair of summer heels that matched the skinny belt that came with the dress. 

Dress: Charming Charlie

Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Bargain shopping {+ a few splurges}

We've all been there. You look in your closet (often overflowing with clothes). From left to right and top to bottom, you look at every item you own and come to the conclusion(s): I have nothing to wear/I hate everything I own. Well this certainly sums up how I have been feeling lately about my wardrobe. Getting dressed would take sooo long because I felt like hardly any of my clothes were "up to par." Finally fed up with going through the same motions with the same negative conclusions, I decided to do something about it. Today I decided to go shopping and re-vamp my closet. Because of my need to get several pieces of clothing on a relatively tight budget, I opted to try my luck at a few bargain stores. I went to TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and even Ross in search of new items to add to my closet. Usually, I don't shop at these type of stores because I found it so time consuming and the stores often felt disorganized. However, I actually enjoyed myself! I didn't mind looking from rack to rack and was able to find several pieces that I love and for great prices.

Afterwards, I remembered I was low on makeup and decided to head over to the mall to pick up my favorite MAC compact foundation (here). While there, I couldn't resist stopping by Forever 21 and bought a couple items. Also, my mall recently opened a Charming Charlie store. If you are unaware, it is a color-coordinated store filled with wonderful accessories and cute clothing items. I saw a couple of dresses that I couldn't resist purchasing and even a couple of jewelry pieces.

In total I got: 3 shirts, 5 dresses, 2 skirts, 1 blazer, 1 necklace, & 1 set of bracelets. A great day shopping indeed!

Casual Chic: Orange + Black + Gold

I enjoy birthdays; whether it's mine or someone close to me, they are always a good time. Today we celebrated a cousin's 25th birthday. She wanted something pretty casual so she had a small kick back at her apartment. It turned out to be a lot of fun. Time was spent at the pool and then we played volleyball. Because it was so casual I just slipped on my favorite jean shorts (the same ones you've seen before), a bright orange top, and my signature pair of black sandals. To keep the outfit from being too plain, I opted to add a black & gold necklace and ring. 

Shirt: Forever 21

Shorts: Forever 21

Jewelry: Forever 21

Graduation: Part Trois

Me + the graduate!

So I wasn't joking about the large number of 2013 graduates in my family. You've already seen my graduation from college (here) and 2 cousins' graduation from high school (here); and now we've made it to the half-way mark of so many commencements. The woman of the hour was my aunt who graduated with an Accounting degree; which is actually a common major in my family. In support, my mom, dad, sister, a few aunts, an uncle, several cousins, and myself all met up in Atlanta to attend this important event. The ceremony was held at a beautiful church (that I wish I had taken pictures of!) and included an excellent solo rendition of an inspirational song. Afterwards, the whole family went out to eat at a nearby restaurant where all the fun and celebrating continued. One positive thing I can definitely say about all these graduations is that do bring the whole family together and that's always a good time. :-)

For my outfit, I wanted to wear something bright and comfortable. The skirt I chose, a pink bodycon, was something I got last summer and never wore. I paired it with one of my favorite floral blouses . I added a skinny brown belt for a little detail and comfortable silver sandals.

Top: Forever 21
Skirt: Papaya
Belt: borrowed from my sister