Last week, we took a much needed escape to the beach.  While there, I read a couple of books and devoured every September issue fashion mag.   So about hour 7 of the the 10 hour drive home from the fab trip,  I was bored.   What to do?

I know my insatiable need for competition.  My drive to win – mostly against self.  This is why I’ve refused all invitations to “Words with Friends”.    I know me.  The game would consume me.    And I must confess,  I had been feeling rather pious that I had not succumb to another social/ app interaction.    But on that long and winding rode,  I did the unthinkable… I downloaded  the free version of “Angry Birds”.

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about.   “Angry Birds” is a game for the iPhone ( and other phones)  that challenges the player to kill green pigs using birds launched from a slingshot.  There is strategy involved.  Each level becomes more advanced with new obstacles and new birds.  As birds flew into lumber contraptions causing major explosions and 5000 points, the last leg of the trip home quickly flew by.     When we finally  pulled into our driveway,  I had achieved 3 stars on every level of “angry birds – lite”.      With that feather of distinction in my cap,  I did something even more unthinkable….I BOUGHT the advanced version of “Angry Birds”

That’s when things  got serious around here.  Competition was ON!   I’m embarrassed to admit I spent the better part of my day strategizing avian warfare.   My husband was drifting to sleep Saturday night…when I leaned over to his ear to gently whisper, “I won a golden egg!”    As I rolled back over,  I began to think about my resume updates.  -”So, I see here, You were a community leader in 2006-09 and in 2010 you were a Golden Egg recipient in Angry Birds – wow!”

That one thought, brought me as quickly as the yellow bird accelerating into the queen Hog back into reality.   Did I just waste 2 days of my life on a mindless video game?    Surely there was more to it than just a brain escape.   Did I Learn anything from these birds?   Who are these birds and why they  so angry anyway?

Turns out – the birds have a decent reason to be angry.    If you watch the game trailer posted above,  you get the whole story of how these five sweet singing birds become consumed with vengeance.   Together they have a nest of beautiful eggs which they guard relentlessly.   Nearby green pigs graze on boring ol green grass.   One day a mosquito lights upon the egg.  The birds become enraged that a mosquito dare land on their babies.  A royal hissy fit ensues.  The mosquito becomes their focus of attention and retaliation.   ANd while the birds expend their energies to  make the poor blood sucker pay — the pigs sneak in and eat up all those precious golden eggs.   Uh -oh.   War is on.  Each of the five birds  then unload their personal super powers of attack on the swine.

There is the red bird.  He dives right in.  Hits where he can.   The blue bird splits into three and can go all different directions.   The yellow bird finds a focus and accelerates.  The white bird drops small bombs and disappears.  The black bird drops huge bombs of mass destruction  ( and if you get to a very special level the Toucan appears –  he likes to glide over and then do a switch back )

Suddenly, something struck me.  Angry birds exist In Real Life.     Who among us hasn’t taken our focus off something very important  to later realize it is gone?    Perhaps it was a dream, a job,  a goal,  a relationship, or your walk with God.   We get busy chasing the small pesky mosquitos in our lives. Then,  one day we look up and see what we REALLY wanted – has vanished.     Like the birds,  we get angry.     If left unchecked,  that anger can become a stronghold that will destroy us.     We start critizing others  like the yellow bird  speeding into other’s weak areas.   We drop  black bird emotional bombs that create mass confusion.   Or we become the Toucan – gliding over things smoothly and then flying backwards into the past.     We may feel our anger towards others is justified.   But that anger spills over and we are angry with ourselves,  and – if we are truthful – we  are ultimately  angry with God.    That kind of anger leads to bitterness and a discord of the soul.   King Solomon said, “anger lodges in the bosom of fools”.   My friend, A heart filled with anger cannot be filled with love.

No one sets out to be an angry bird.    It’s a choice.   Anger is not an easy emotion to overcome.  But we’re called to leave the anger side of things to God.  And that takes prayer and time….did I mention –  a WHOLE lotta prayer.    Today,  I encourage you to be  – “a bird of pray”.   Pray to be a bird  that builds rather than destroys.    A bird that sings of kindness instead of cutting words.   A bird who doesn’t get her feathers ruffled so easily.  A bird who forgives.

I would not deem my past two days of gaming  a waste of time. I won couple of golden eggs.  I learned a life lesson.  I can honestly say –   need a heart check and  a reminder to keep your eyes on the most important things in  your nest,  there’s an app for that.

Cheers and Hugs, Y’all.

School bells are ringing in a new year of leaning. Ah! The smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the crispness of new folders, and a closet full of brand new clothes. I miss those days. In sixth grade, I began my tradition of wearing not-so-traditional denim on the first day of school – a practice I carried throughout graduate school.  That year I wore a denim pinafore that I thought looked smashing with my raspberry beret – apparently music played quite a role in my fashion sense. In 8th grade I wore a darling GUESS box pleated mini skirt. This was my favorite first day of school outfit of all time. I searched for the pic to post. Let’s just say the skirt was precious.

Denim is a great transitional fabric which moves one season to the next. Spring Fashion 2010 showed a return to more denim pieces mixed and matched and it’s a trend that is continuing through Fall 2010. Here are a few not-so-traditional  and traditional pieces I adore this season.

This dress is perfect paired with leather wedge sandals for warmer temps and would look ultra chic  layered over a long sleeve black tshirt with black tights and pumps for fall.

ABS - Saks Fifth Avenue

This skirt reminds me so much of the GUESS skirt I loved long ago.   Great with a slouch cream silk top this fall and layered with tights and ankle boots later in the season.  A perfect morning coffee with friends pick.

Leifsdottir

Take casual jeans Friday at the office to a whole new level with this pencil skirt.  White shirt + multiple strands of pearls = classic

Ann Taylor

It’s no secret that I adore bows,  so I LOVE this top.  Paired with camel corduroy jeans and English Riding boots wold take you from the stables, to the farmers market, to a fab tailgate soiree.

Ralph Lauren – LAUREN

Another spin on the Denim and cords look,  is this classic western cut blouse.  Kick this with Cowboy boots and tourquoise jewelry and you’re set for a day at the state fair.

Ralph Lauren – Blue Label

One of the more popular looks this year is the boyfriend jean.   I confess I must be getting older because I didn’t really want to pay BIG bucks for jean with rips and tears.  I found these at Ann Taylor loft for a steal…and now, I LIVE in these.    A white ruffled blouse and heels and I’m set for a day of running errands.Ann Taylor Loft

Who says denim has to be blue?  This Helmut Lang creation is a departure from the preppy, all American vibe.   These clean lines meet urban 80′s.  Don with Red lips, slicked back hair a little Robert Palmer “addicted to love” on the iPod  makes for a retro sexy date night on the town.

Saks Fifth Avenue – Helmut Lang

So you see, boys and girls,   with all these fabulous looks from which to choose,  we no longer have to wait for the school bell to ring for noteworthy A plus style.  And that, my friends, is pure JEAN-ius!

And yes, I realize my Favorite Things Friday is a wee bit late.  Tardy Slip noted.

Cheers Y’all!

Now here’s the deal, I have been so incredibly blessed with smart, courageous, brilliant  older women who have taken time out of their busy schedules to give advice on my career.  From those experiences, I realized how much camaderie happened over a simple lunch.  How blessed I was by their experiences and advice.     I wrote a blog post about these special women back in the Spring.   Shortly after that blog post,  I happened to mention to someone at my mega church, “wouldn’t it be great if we had this network of women at church who just met and did lunch.  Having a relationship with an older woman a little further down the path… a path with career, family, and trying to follow Christ.  You know- Those connections that make this big ol place seem a little smaller – like my hometown church”    Well, that person said,  ”Indeed it would,  I’m setting up a meeting with you and one of senior pastors next week.  He is launching a new ministry called Sageworks  - a ministry for adults in the golden half of life  -  and this would be a perfect project”

Soon after that,  I met with Bill Parkinson and discussed what a possible mentoring program for women IN the church would look like.   He gave me a slight smile.  He asked me a few questions.  He said, “JoBeth – go for it!”     So, after two days of complete weeping (in a good way) – I started a fervent prayer that went something like this:   “God I have no idea what I’m doing or who I need, but you do.  So please,  just put them in my path”    And from that moment on –  everyday, I stand amazed at God’s hand.   A week after a meeting with Bill,   his wife Ann literally crossed my path as I was walking out of church on Sunday morning.  She grabbed my arm – told me Bill told her about me and she said , “I want to be part of this!     She is now my mentor, my precious friend, and my sidekick in organizing this project.

Last night, we had the privilege of sharing this vision of ministry with all of Sageworks – about 500-700 folks.     So now,  I’m sharing with you ….

MOXIE is now defined at Fellowship Bible Church as “mentoring others by influence and encouragement”

The purpose of moxie is to promote generational unity – connecting women of FBC Sageworks to share God given life experinces to encourage and counsel the younger generations of Christ Followers.    The MOXIE vision is to give women of FBC a stronger sense of belonging to the Church, to strengthen their walk with Christ,and to grow female leaders and mentors across all generations.

The way we hope to accomplish these lofty goals is my utilizing the committed women of Sageworks to connect to the women in the general FBC congretation and weekend attendees through mentoring at four different levels:

Casual Connection ( Life on Life)

Equip/ Skill Mentoring     —

Discipleship

Life Experiences

In January 2011,  we will host our first MOXIE Mixer – a time where women who want to mentor and women who want to be mentored will meet and greet.  From now until then there will be behind the scenes organizing of our MOXIE PROJECT ( my cutesy name of the committee) and a lot PRAYER.     So if you are the praying kind,  please keep this new project / ministry in mind.     If you are a woman in Fellowship Bible Church who has lived life – well we need you.   And if you are a younger woman who feels like you’ve lost your energy, courage, verve, skill … I know a place where you can find your moxie.

“ Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.

“You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn’t have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God’s Message to you. You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren’t freeloaders! You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life.”     1 Thessalonians 2: 7-12   The Message

For more information on how to be part of MOXIE or if you have great resources or talents you want to share , please contact me at my email  bootsmcblog@gmail.com.   And fair warning – I’ll keep you updated on here from time to time on our progress.

Cheers and Grace Y’all!

The tension gave way to laughter.   Everyone recognized my nod to another savvy go-get-’em blonde- Elle Wood.

In the past few years –  I’d forgotten just how fun and inspirational Elle can be until I stumbled across this trailer on the SheSeeks Site.    Just watching this makes me smile.

Not only does it make me smile…it makes me remember a time  when I thought I could do anything.   ANd then I think to myself.  What’s changed?   You know what?   Let’s see – I have a few more experiences on my resume.  I have learned a few more life lessons.   And if I’m really honest with myself – I  still feel like I can do anything.     What about you?    Are you in a rut this morning?    Is it a case of the Mondays?    Maybe you are letting your Monday’s become your everydays?

Whether you are blonde, brunette, a fiery red head or have a head full of gray,  we all  on some level identify with Elle.    Now is the time to remember that wide eyed girl you used to be.   Pull out  that pink sheet of paper.   At the top, write your dream.    Underneath your dream, make that  mundane to-do list for the day.  However, add one more thing – list one activity that will get you closer to your dream.   It’s YOUR dream.  No one else can do it.  The world has been waiting on it.  So hop to it, sister.  Sign up for the class.   Request the information.  Set up the appointment.  Buy the book.   Make the call.    Then promise yourself by the end of of the day – you’ll have that one thing done.

Tomorrow – make that same mundane to-do list all over again and add one new thing that gets you closer to your dream.

Oh,  this is too easy, you say?    Is that devil sitting on your shoulder whispering “you can’t do that”?  Well, my sweet friends,  it’s time to channel your best Elle Woods and say …. “Watch me!”

Summer signifies a slower pace for most of us.   Lazing by the pool catching up on books we’ve wanted to read all year long.  In this day of social media, it’s been fun to see the names of books that my twitter friends have finished and recommend. I try to take note.   A few weeks ago my blogger friend, Jolly Goode Gal,  shared her summer reading on her nightstand.    (You’ll want to check the link to see her list as well as check out her blog – it’s one of my favorite sites!)

I’ve always been an avid reader.    Reading was in the air as I grew up in a town with one of the most quaint bookstores ever - That Bookstore in Blytheville. As a pre-teen it was called The Book Rack and it  is where I purchased every one of the Sweet Valley High Books before advancing to VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic series.   The store has become a destination for bibliophiles and new authors.    Not to mention it is a place that remains a stop for some guy named John Grisham.     I am thankful to Mary Gay Shipley – the owner – for putting my small southern delta hometown on the map for reading.

Earlier this week,  I already planned today’s post to be the books I’ve read this summer.     Then this morning, Don Miller ( one of my favorite inspirational writers)  blogged some startling facts about reading.    It appears not everyone grew up in a town with reading as a pastime and chief export.  Nor do folks spend their summer saturdays by the pool or time on business flights with a book in hand.   I’m shocked!    And I’m disheartened.    Miller states  70% of  Americans have not stepped in a bookstore in 7 years or that 80% of American Families did not purchase or read a book last year.     If you are reading this blog,  chances are you are not part of those statistics.    Whether you are part of these stats or not,  I hope my list inspires you to find a title that you want to pick up,  crack the spine, and enjoy.  ( and support the art of writing while you are at it!)   If my list ( coupled with the link above to Jolly Good Gal’s ) isn’t enough to inspire – then hop over to Don Miller’s blog today and see what a difference reading can make in your life…and the life of others.

I’ve amassed an eclectic mix of books this summer (starting in May)  with a heavy leaning towards Non Fiction.   I, also realize, my list may not be as astute as others –  which may explain why I’m a book club drop-out

The Summer At Tiffany by Majorie Hart :  a precious,  quick read.  perfect gift book

The Song is You by Arthur Phillips: an intriguing story of love and infatuation fueled by lyrics on an  ipod: note this is the only fiction I chose to read

What Happens when WomenWalk in Faith by Lysa Terkeurst: a practical bible study for busy women wanting to take a chance in life

I am not but I know I AM by  Louie Giglio: Giglio’s writing on faith  is straight foward, modern, and thought provoking and a good reminder – its not about ME. A good read for those in leadership roles.

Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald: just like hanging out with a really cool girlfriend

Fifth Ave, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson: A behind the scenes look at the Making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the birth of the modern girl

Desiring God by John Piper: my second time through this rich text of finding happiness in God

(Not Pictured)

Principle of the Pat by  Andy Stanley: a fresh, direct way of reminding us to keep our desired end in sight

The Encore Effect by Mark Sanborn:  delivering excellence in the performance of life.  ( a quick in-flight read with huge inspiration)

Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller: musing on Christianity from a non religious view – entertaining and insightful

Wicked by Gregory Macquire: the book, dark & tedious,  is nothing like the play of the same title which tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West.  One of two books in my life I’ve wanted to quit

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin: Anthropologie and Oprah highly recommended this book of one girl’s monthly to-do list to happiness

A Touch of Grace  by Cindy De La Hoz- How to be a Princess the Grace Kelly Way:    Confession – I bought it because I liked the title  and cover.

Currently Reading:

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Zappos CEO Tony Hseih

If you are wondering – yes,  I’ve read every single one of them this summer.  Do I always read this much?  Yes and No.   As I get back in the swing of public speaking, organizing a new ministry leadership team,  and a possible new business venture, my reading has increased.   Books inspire me.   If you want to borrow from my book shelf,  feel free to ask.    If you want to purchase a book,  Call That Bookstore in Blytheville and schedule a trip to my hometown.   You’ll be charmed for sure.

Lastly,  please feel free to leave further reading recommendations in the comments.  I’m always looking for my next great read.

Cheers and Happy Reading, Y’all!

Charlotte   – even just the say it  makes a lump in my throat – holds a bittersweet place in my heart.     When I was 15 years old, I was a small town girl.   As the John Mellencamp song says,   “I was raised in a small town.  Taught to feel Jesus in a small town.  Just a small town romantic – that’s me”     And that was me.   I was a Northeast Arkansas girl born and bred –  But even then I had a peripatetic spirit that wanted more.    I’ll never forget the night my mom broke the news to me that my small town life was about to change.  My  family was being transferred to the BIG city.   I honestly took the news really well.   I was moving to a southern city….with a mall.    That’s about all my 15 year old self cared about.    And from all my past life experiences in a small town,  if you were the “new kid” and wore cute clothes,  took Honors classes, – that was all  one needed to be accepted  into the  ”in” crowd.   It never donned on me that life would be any other way.

The moving trucks loaded our stuff.  We moved in July.  The next few weeks before school started,  my mother and I explored the  Queen city.  Learning the ways of North Carolina.  I tried Cheerwine.   We shopped at Harris Teeter.   And every day as I put on my clinique make up and poofed my bangs, I listened to my Amy Grant tape   (yes, tape. It was the 90′s.  Don’t judge) and prayed for my new life…just like my Brookhill Camp counselors had told me to do.

The first day of tenth grade arrived.  I wore a denim skort ( yes, a skort.  It was the 90′s. Don’t judge)  and white  long sleeve shirt with hemstitch detailing on the collar and cuffs.   I had carefully selected  the outfit at THE LIMITED…at the mall.   My schedule was full of honors classes.   I was set.

Not a single person said hello to me my first day of High School.  Not one.

That day I decided my parents had set out to completely ruin my entire life with their move to the BIG city.

Day two onward through tenth grade,  a few folks spoke to me.   I found a lunch table.   They were nice enough to give me a place to sit, but I never fit.   I had the clothes.  the classes.   but no real friends.   Yes, it was obvious – My parents were  ruining my life….and  by this time I was convinced God had pushed mute on my summer prayers.

my iPhone view of Charlotte

In eleventh grade,  my parents – outside of their  personal comfort zones – decided to attend a mega-church.   The youth group had come highly recommended to them – a group of  500 youth.    It was in that youth group, that I learned God wasn’t out to get me. In fact, to the contrary –  a thirty something youth pastor and his staff of college interns began to encourage a hurting, lonely, poofy haired small town girl in cute clothes.  Through them God showed me that I belonged…to Him.     Over the next two years,  my faith and walk with Christ flourished.  A foundation in faith was laid.     At school, I was the “good girl” and I was okay with that distinction.   I continued not to have  close friends.  I didn’t get asked to parties or prom.   I didn’t have a boyfriend.    I spent Saturday nights in my church sanctuary  praying for my family and my future.    It sounds pitiful, I know.   I seriously could have been the kid that wore the t-shirt “Jesus is my boyfriend”.    But that wouldn’t have looked good with my denim skort.

I graduated High School and went half way across the county to college.  I would never return to Charlotte.   My parents moved back to small town Arkansas my freshmen year of college.     And  I grew up.

My faith grew up, too.    The bumps and twists of life have tried and tested it.  I’ve tucked it away at times.  Well,  if I’m honest I’ve tucked it away most of the time –  the way we grown ups do.      I admit – there is a part of me embarrassed to admit how I spent my saturday nights in high school.   Odd because I wasn’t embarrassed back then.    In ways, my 16 year old self was far more mature than my 36 year old self is today.

Eighteen years later,  my plane laded on Charlotte soil.   I hoped in my rental car and took a spin around the city that changed my life.  This is the city where I learned to drive – (which I remembered as I drove past the site of my first wreck)  I went to the mall which now houses a Neimans, Tiffany’s, and Anthropologie. (on my!)      I bought a couple of diet Cheerwines at Harris Teeter.   I drove by our old house and noticed just how tall all the trees had become.   I remembered my bedroom where I wrote in my journal every single day.  (before blogs)    Then, on Saturday night,  I drove to my old church.  I sat in the parking lot for a quite awhile staring up at the steeple.    I thought about that first day of high school.  My times in youth group.   My college years.  My family.  My marriage.   My friends.   My career.    My church.  My hurts.   My joys.  My accomplishments.  My failures.  My wanderings.  My homecomings.  My past.  My future.

My life over the last 18 years hasn’t turned out exactly like I planned.  I’ve had my share of disappointments.  And  I  have been blessed with joys far beyond my wildest dreams.    I didn’t need to sit in my old church parking lot to know this, but it was a good reminder:

God didn’t push mute on my summer prayers years ago.  He heard every. single. one.

And he still  hears my prayers today.

He hears yours, too.

“I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing.

I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

- Jeremiah 29: 11  ( the Message)

“I love it when God tells the sky she’s beautiful and she blushes.”

From that moment on, I’ve been consciously aware of sunsets and the evening sky.  I can sit for hours and watch the watercolor effects  peak and then fade until  the stars and the moon appear.  I often wonder if its an age thing.  I really don’t remember being as mesmerized by God’s handiwork as a child.    In this last year of  my sunset observances,  I’ve come to realize just how rare PINK sunsets really are.  They don’t happen every day.  So,  I did a little research.   Scientifically speaking,  the colors of the sunset are created by the light reflected through the spectrum  ( remember the prism of light –  ROY G BIV we learned about in grade school science)  and the angle at which the clouds cause the light to bend.   Purples and blues have shorter wavelengths.  Reds and oranges have longer wavelengths.  As light scatters and is reflected amongst the clouds,  the shorter lengths don’t travel as far and the oranges and reds show up more brilliantly.   The rare pinks it seems, happen when there is more atmospheric dust  kicked up by storms and pollution.  These dirty particles reflect the light in all different directions and turn the sky PINK.

That got me thinking…

These beautiful pink skies….the sunsets I sit and enjoy the most – are because light is shining through a bunch of atmospheric junk.      The Creator of all things could choose to present this  spectacular  evening  light show in any fashion He chooses,  and yet this is how He casts the rosiest of light upon the world.

He does the exact same thing with us.   Storms happen in all of our lives.    Dust gets kicked up and we’re left with a lot of atmospheric junk.      When we choose to take that junk,  that unsettled dust in our lives,  and  we allow His Light and love to filter through it,  our lives suddenly become a glorious reflection of His creation and his grace.  When we embrace  that our mess is His message,  The Way, the Truth, The Light reflects off our dirty lives and casts a rosy glow of hope to the world,  REAL hope.  At that moment,  He looks at us and says –  we. are. beautiful.   I don’t know about you, but when the Creator  of all the Heavens can look at me and my dirt and say that, I can’t help but blush.

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.   God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.   If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you?   I’m putting you on a light stand.   Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven”

Matthew 5: 14-16,  The Message

As you read this today,  I’m on my way to a conference designed to help Christian writers and speakers find their voice in sharing God’s message.  I’m on a “standby list” to speak and be critiqued.   I can’t really tell you how I’ve ended up  with this as my summer vacation.  I don’t see myself as a writer or a speaker… But I’m going.  Out of faith.  Only He knows why I’ll be sitting there.   So, Pray I figure out why I’m there and I learn what I need to learn.   Pray for my safety.   I am thankful for you, my sweet friends.

Cheers and Love -

The Dress

The Shoes:

Kate chose these Kate Spade Purple Satin wonders

And of course the necessary accessories

The Pearls

The Rings

The Shades

And the mini-Fans!

(given that it was unseasonably H-O-T  for mid June, these were a fantastic idea and counted as the brides “something blue”

The Bride & Groom

The Wedding Team

The Flowers

Phil Cato’s About Vase outdid themselves with these vibrant, happy arrangements of gerbera daises, roses, and fruit.

The Food

The Cakes ( with a side of gelato – yum!)

Of all the many decisions this couple made along the way,  it is obvious choosing each other was the best decision of all.

Kate and Kyle,  Thank you so much for giving Heather and me the opportunity to be part of your big day.   We wish you a lifetime of laughs and love together.

To see this enchanting event through Heather’s lens, click on over to her blog, Heather Owens Photography.

Believe in yourself

Make every moment count

Do what you love

Embrace change

Go where you have never gone

Have an adventure

Be the first to say hello

Be the last to say goodbye

Take nothing for granted

Be positive

Find your passion

Redefine the impossible

Dance

Settle for Excellence

Be a friend

Take chances

Find the beauty

Volunteer

Make someone’s day

BREATHE

See for yourself

Make a difference

Grow towards the Light

Savor the song

Be brave

Create memories

Think BIG

Say thank you…and mean it

Expect success

Laugh out LOUD

Take good notes

Live gracefully

Love fearlessly

Have faith

Be NEW and improved

Give a cheer

Blaze the trail

Pray without ceasing

Count your blessings

Leave a Legacy

SHINE

Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil  is the official – albeit  taboo – scent of summer.   Drugstores still sell this.   Used as a scent and not as a sunblock, a few drops of this can unleash that carefree oceanside feeling even if you are stuck at your desk.

available at drugstores

Of course, to have that sunkissed look of  summer,   NARS Body Glow and Monoi Body Glow II  are essentials to achieving a subtle glow with a heavenly scent of gardenia and coconut.  NARS describes this as French Polynesian.  I say it sounds more Old South meets Tahiti.

NARS body glow, Sephora

In addition to the scent of the coconut,  I love the look of a coconut.  The rough grassy dark wood paired with crisp white is one of my favorite go-to looks for summer.    For at home entertaining,  I love  setting the table with these wooden serving pieces with a natural burlap table skirt and crisp white linens, mix in some tea lights for a little shimmer.

www.macys.com

As for dressing myself…

for day –  This little easy breezy dress from Calypso St Barth paired with long wooden beads, and kenneth jay lane bracelet for a little sparkle.

ruffle poet dress, calypso st. barth

Kenneth Jay Lane, Neiman Marcus

For a girls night out –  I might pair Calypso’s Dale Dress in White  with the coconut shell colored miu miu caged heels.

Dale Dress, Calypso St. Barth

miu miu, Neiman Marcus

And for a Junior League event or charity luncheon ( who says you can’t be a tropical lady?) – I absolutely adore this Haley Dress by Milly.   Pairing it with these wooden beads  in a style appropriatly called “Where we Ought to be”  from Elva Fields (one of my favorite new finds)

Haley Dress, www.millyny.com

Where We Ought To Be, Elva Fields

My sweet friends, if destinations are limited between down home and downtown for the next few weeks,  don’t despair, we can at least grab a little shimmer, scent, and coconut inspired fashion….maybe a pina colada or two… and dream of escape.

Cheers.