Fashion Friday: Elephants and Healing Jewelry

I definitely believe in all the healing ideas behind crystals, symbolism of animals and positive thinking. The elephant is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In Indian culture elephants are often painted for weddings and adorned with anklets and necklaces.

Hamsa bracelet- c/o Aeropostale / Crescent Moon & Star bangle- Dogeared Jewelry from Declaration Boutique / Tibet Healing Bracelet- Sivana

My whole outfit is leaning toward the spiritual side, all my jewelry has meaning or is meant to do something. The sandstone necklace is to help with change and to promote clarity. The red bracelet is an all around healing piece inlaid with Copper (energizing), Turquoise (strengthening and cleansing) and Coral (bring peace). This is the case with most of my jewelry I wear daily.

Elephant Top- c/o Aeropostale / Black pants- c/o Aeropostale / Sandals- Reef  / Sandstone Necklace- Anchor Boutique

It looks like autumn with all the fallen leaves, but I promise it's spring here! My hubby took these photos with me just last weekend when we took a walk through a local park. Weird Florida weather has all of our plants confused down here- again.

So tell me, other than sentimental value does your jewelry have other meanings? Don't you just love elephants? They're so majestic and calming to me.

Linking up with:  Fashion Friday Item | Favorite Fashion Friday | Totally Awesome Blog Hop | 
Fab Favorites  

Fashion in the Pumpkin Patch

Happy Halloween! This little "pumpkin patch" is located on King Street in Saint Augustine. The First United Methodist Church sells these pumpkins to benefit their youth and children's programs. This year 3,000 pumpkins were delivered for them to sell! I'm hoping they still have a couple left after work today that I can go pick up. I carved my pumpkin way too soon and now have 2 moldy messes that need to be thrown out. Luckily I do have some glittery skulls and the like decorating our entry way.

Side note: I had shellac nails on for the first and last time here. They destroyed
my nails just as much as acrylics do and I would NOT recommend them.

 

Cardigan Target / Tank / Skirt Forever 21 / Pumps Similar / Watch Michael Kors /
Ring Michael Kors /  Bracelet Forever 21 / Earrings Gifted

This is sadly the final set of images from Foxtale Photography. It really was great to work with them and I truly appreciate the effort they put into this project. If you haven't already, Like their Facebook so you can keep up to date with them and the other bloggers they photograph. If you are in the Ocala, Florida area look them up, they are offering a photography package that will add a lot to your blog

Be safe tonight everyone, and if your staying in like me, enjoy all the little trick or treaters that come to your door. I can't wait to see what characters show up at my doorstep, hopefully no Honey Boo Boo's...

Fashion Friday: Maxis in the Fall

Happy Fashion Friday! I am a major fan of Maxi dresses and skirts. They are super comfortable, not too hot for the Florida summer, and not too chilly in the A/C pumping businesses. With no sleeves though, they are not quite ready for fall.
I paired this Maxi with boots and a bright blazer for a nice pop of color.

This necklace is from Anchor Boutique in Saint Augustine. All of their jewelry is handmade and this one is the Florida state stone, Agatized Coral, wrapped with silver wire. It has a bit of shimmer to it when the light hits it.

Maxi Similar / Jacket Banana Republic / Necklace Anchor Boutique / Bag Michael Kors  / Earrings Gifted

Photography credits go to Foxtale Photography for another set of beautiful pictures. Foxtale Photography is on Facebook and Twitter, they always have the best sneak peeks from their shoots, so you should Like and Follow them!

How are you wearing your Maxis this fall? A leather(faux leather in my case) jacket would be great too.

This post was featured on Lucky Magazine Community.

Fashion Friday: Walking the Bayfront

Happy Fashion Friday! Don't you love this outfit? These pants are super soft and comfortable, I found them on LastCall. This is the same online store I got my Michael Kors Pavé Link Bracelet from and they always have designer deals. I diverse; the top I picked up at Marshall's is a great shade of reddish-rust with gold accent buttons on the sheer material. The necklace pulls the outfit together nicely with tones of the same colors, and the gold chain.

One of my favorite things to do in Saint Augustine is walk around historic downtown and along the bay-front. There is so much to see and it's very relaxing to hear the water washing up against the bulk heads. Sometimes you'll even see a manatee swimming around near the docks there! 

The city marina is on the south side of the bayfront walk, and it is open to the public. You are free to walk out on the piers and look for manatees or to get a skyline view of the city.

Pants Fade to Blue / Top Marshalls  Similar/ Necklace Goldfinch Boutique /
Purse Michael Kors / Watch Michael Kors Similar / Boots Papaya (last season) Similar

In case you couldn't tell I'm still really feeling for fall even though it's tank top weather here.
Thank you Foxtale Photography for these wonderful images! The true colors of this look came out in your photographs. Like Foxtale Photography on Facebook too see more of their great work!

Is there a place in your town where you like to go people watch or just relax and walk around aimlessly?

Fashion Friday: lace and polka dots

Top Marshall's similar / Shorts Marshall's similar / Tights similar/ Booties Fahrenheit similar /
Watch Michael Kors similar/ Ring Michael Kors / Bag Michael Kors / Belt Michael Kors

Happy Fashion Friday at last!! I have been dieing to post these, Foxtale Photography did an amazing job taking these photographs. If you haven't noticed yet I am not really one to post pictures of myself here on a regular basis, so go easy on me it's a little different doing this kind of post.
This outfit rocked, I really like the lace with the polka dots. This outfit feels very fall-esque to me. It's still around 80 degrees everyday here, so these tights are even a little much for Florida's "fall."

How about this last shot!? It's a Michael Kors explosion- I think I'm in Heaven! 

I've worked with Lucy and Wayne of Foxtale Photography in the past for modeling and was very excited when they asked me to work with them again on a different kind of project. for modeling

So what do you think, do you like the lace with the polka dots? Or is it a little too much for you?

This post was featured on Lucky Magazine's Community

surprise party

 How great is this? Days after posting all of the open beam architecture, with the help of his mother we threw a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend at an A-Frame, oceanfront cottage with load bearing beams!

View walking up, he was very surprised when his friends greeted him inside.

View from the upstairs loft. The eclectic collection of glass and other items in the house made it a nice locale for our little shindig.

Birthday boy blowing out the candles. :)

I made these awesome puff pastry, nutella, and berry cookies, what a hit! (If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you already saw this picture.)  The boys of course all struck up a conversation about how thankful they are that Pinterest is now around.

There was a guest book there, with signatures as far back as 1951!

We got one shot together before heading to the beach to hunt for sharks teeth.

Everyone had a great time, about a dozen of his friends and their spouses were able to attend.  His actual Birthday is in early September so this was definitely a surprise.

Do you like surprise parties or would you rather throw them for someone else? I am personally a fan of throwing them for others.;)

Pink guns, tofu pudding and getting fit

 This may be one of the weirdest, oddball, conglomerates of a blog post many fashion bloggers have ever read, but this is me and here it goes.

In addition to my pescatarian eating lately, I've been trying to get fit.  I am actually underweight for my height, but I am starting to notice the little things that need toning up.  This probably has something to do with the fact that I'm getting "over the hill" tomorrow. No longer will I be in my early 20's, 26 here I come!!

I've been running, practicing Yoga and doing the Tone It Up bikini series. Karina & Katrina are awesome- if you haven't worked out to one of their videos before you should totally check them out. They are so motivational and you "check in" with them and their other followers regularly to keep you on track.  

I ran a 5K a week ago and cut my time from the October 5K that I ran by over 8 and a half minutes! You better believe I am a happy girl about that!  Now to keep going and get my time under 30 minutes for the next one.

My birthday is tomorrow, and here's what I'm getting from my man! A pink Sig Sauer Mosquito .22 pistol. :)  I can't wait to go take it out to the range this weekend and blow some targets away.

My Birthday Present

Dee shooting at the range

My turn!! Good shot of my ombre hair too ;)

We went to the range after my 5k and made the day that much more EXTREME! haha

A yummy dessert was very needed after all of my healthy endeavors, so I made some Chocolate Tofu Pudding.  Non-tofu eaters, before you turn up your nose- this stuff was gooooood! It was like a healthy, slightly thicker chocolate mousse.  Here's the recipe in case you want to try it, it was so easy
.

I'm on the look out for more vegetarian recipes to keep on track with this new "diet" of mine so any readers with recommendations please send them my way.

Chocolate Tofu Pudding Ingredients, just add water.

Thanks for reading, I hope y'all are having a good week!

Cobblestones & Colors

A little while ago my friend Ashley Steeby  took some photos of me in downtown Saint Augustine.  I of course took full advantage of this as a time for professional outfit of the day photos. ;)

So here is my adorable dress from Goldfinch Boutique paired with brown boots from Charlotte Rousse (last season).

Our little town with the brick paved and cobblestone areas are just too cute!

Up-cycled dress & an arm party of meaningful stones

As previously mentioned here, I was finally able to figure out my sewing machine and took an old dress & tank and up-cycled them into a new dress.  It was a bit chilly on Saturday so I paired it with some cream leggins and my boots from Papaya. The necklace is a rudraksha bead, you can read about their benefits here and here.  Mine has 5 faces and keeps the wearer peaceful.

This is the extent of my arm parties. ;)  My malachite & rough diamond bracelet, aventurine bracelet, recycled glass and bronze Buddha Mala bracelet, and faux wood bracelet.  

Malachite & Aventurine are both meant to bring wealth, while Aventurine is also said to be the stone of chance or luck and assists in making the right decisions.  As I'm on the hunt for a job, I need help in all of those realms.  Do you have any jewelry you wear that is said to bring you any type of good fortune or luck?

Ombré hair and sewing dresses!

Finally went and got the Ombre touched up...3 months later.  Oh the  things we go through as women for beauty (i.e. looking like I could get some pretty good stations on an oldschool TV Antenna!)

I figured out my sewing machine and what was going wrong, I am a dummy and didn't have the bobbin threaded correctly.  Now it's working like magic! :) So I took 2 old dresses and gave them new life with the help of this tutorial from A Small Snippet

This was a maxi dress that had shrunk way too short, and a tank that just wasn't fitting right anymore.

This was a little sundress with a tube top the elastic was all worn out in. I absolutely loved the print on here and held onto it knowing someday I could save it.  Another tank top that wasn't fitting so well for the top.

They both actually came out really good, I will try to get some pictures with them on sometime this weekend as laying flat gives them no justice.  I plan to make a few more dresses in this style, it was just so easy and each one took about an hour or less. A girl can never have enough strappy short dresses, especially in Florida.  Hello cover-ups! :)

p.s. Don't forget to Like my Facebook page for Just Me aghan here! Thanks!