January 9, 2023

2023 Setting Goals for the New Year

amazon workwear refresh, workwear, what to wear

It’s 2023. Wow! Where did the time go? So much happened in 2022. There were moments when it felt like the time was flying by and I was barely hanging on. And there were moments when the time was moving at a glacial pace, and I started questioning the path I was on and what was next. I walked away from last year feeling like I wanted more for myself in this new year. More focus. More depth. More peace. More gratitude. More love.

3 Ways I’m Setting Goals for The New Year

2023

1. Decide what I want to accomplish for Q1 – not the full year

While I do have long term goals, keeping my focus quarterly (sometimes weekly or month to month) is more manageable for me. It feels a bit less overwhelming and helps me to not give up before I even get started.

2. Be realistic with myself

I know my strengths. I know my weaknesses. And while stretching myself to do more, be more and accomplish more is what I want for myself, how I do that and what that even looks like for me, will be structured around what I can realistically maintain and be consistent with.

3. Evaluate my previous year

I love to look back on the previous year and see what went well vs. what didn’t go so well. A new year doesn’t have to always be filled with these grand ideas and gestures, sometimes it’s simply picking up where you left or finding ways to improve the areas that you wish went a little bit differently than you originally envisioned.

Favorite New Year Tools

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Style

October 7, 2022

Fall Fashion Trends to Watch

Fall fashion trends to watch this season include Barbiecore Pink, western boots, leather, sparkle and easy basics. We’ll break down the a few in today’s post and share more styling options in upcoming posts. I used to think that summer was my favorite season, but I’ve recently decided that fall fashion is simply the best. I am obsessed with the layering potential, sweaters, great boots and the overall cooler temperatures. Dressing for fall is fun! Let me show you how to rock the latest trends. Many of these you might be surprised to already have in your closet. You can also tune in to my breakdown of fall fashion trends in a recent episode on SundaysPod – my weekly podcast with co-host Sarah Adam Hafez.

Fall Fashion Trends: Barbiecore Pink

You can expect to see lots of pink this season! This is very exciting, especially for those of us who love color. Below I’m sharing easy ways to incorporate PINK into your fall wardrobe.

SHOP BARBIECORE:

SWEATER // SHACKET // PUFF SLEEVE TOP // + DRESS // LONG DRESS // PINK JEANS // NIKE // JEWEL PUMP // UGGS

Western Boots

I recently ordered my first pair of boots for the fall season and I cannot wait for them to arrive. They are an affordable dupe to the very popular (but very expensive) Isabel Marant Denvee boot. They are also very comparable to the Anine Bing western boot, which, like the Denvee boot, is very pricey. I love both of these styles but if I’m being honest, spending $500 – $1000 on boots is not something I really want to do right now. Here are some great options at every price point that will keep you on trend for fall.

shop western boots

Isabel Marant Black + Grey Boots // Silver Toe Boot // Short Black Western Boot // Steve Madden Detail Boot // Jeffrey Campbell Tall Boot // Mango Black Boot // YSL Brown Boot // Steve Madden Lasso Boot

Every Day Basics

I love fall fashion this trend because it’s easy and you probably already have so many pieces in your closet that you can elevate. Think oversized blazers, plain white tanks, a great trouser, loafers – all of this and more are very on trend for fall. This trend is great for the conscious shopper who wants to get the most wear of out pieces in her wardrobe. I recently discovered Pixie Market and fell in love. Their website is the epitome of easy every day basics. I linked the LTK post that shares more from the brand and I’ll also add some additional pieces that would be great for fall.

shop elevated basics

LTK Post Link // Pixie Market Link // Nordstrom Options

More to come! Be sure to follow me in the LTK app for every day styles and sales. You can check out more blog content on my style pages linked here. I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Have a great day! XO – Steph

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Home

October 5, 2022

Black and White Bathroom Decor

You may recall our bathroom remodel from a couple years ago, it was a black and white bathroom with touches of green within the cabinetry. Today on the blog I’m sharing a few home decor pieces that I have my eye on to help freshen up the space. Check out the blog post with all the details from this remodel or take a look at the images below!

Black and White Bathroom Photos

What’s In My Cart

black and white bathroom decor ideas, black and white bathroom remodel

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Style

August 17, 2022

15 Must Have White Dresses

white dresses, white party, revolve, black fashion blogger

White is such a pure and beautiful color that is timeless and, in my opinion, seasonless. I pulled together 15 white dress options from Revolve that will have you looking amazing for your next event. I know that there are a few of you who are getting married soon, so this roundup should also give you a little inspiration for any upcoming events you might have.

Even if you don’t have a wedding coming up, white can be worn at any time of the year! Don’t worry about the old fashion rules that said no white after labor day. It’s 2022 and we wear whatever we want! I hope you are ready to fall in love with these styles, I added at least 5 to my cart while I was building this list.

White Dresses for Any Occasion

Mini Dresses

Midi/Maxi Dresses

Revolve doesn’t disappoint when it comes to great options for any occasion. You can shop this post by clicking on the looks above, or by checking out this post in LTK below. We are headed to Turks in a couple months for my sister’s 30th birthday, and I see a few options for while I’m there! Thanks for reading. Let me know which dress is your favorite.

white dresses, revolve, ltk, black fashion bloggers

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Style

August 5, 2022

Houston Girls Weekend Recap

what to wear in houston, girls weekend outfits

This Houston Girls Weekend recap is two months past due, but we had so much fun and really enjoyed everything we ate, so I pulled together a quick list of some places to visit if you’re headed to Houston anytime soon.

I’m also including all the outfits I wore during the trip. A few things have sold out, but if there are similar pieces available, I’ll try to link it for you!

We were in Houston for my college bestie’s birthday. It’s an easy trip from Dallas, so I’m glad we were able to pull it off.

Where To Eat in Houston

Houston has so many amazing restaurants, and it was hard to narrow down where we wanted to go since we were only there for 2 days. Here is where we ate, plus links to the restaurants.

Friday Night Cocktail Hour + Lite Bites

Joey Uptown

Joey is located near the Galleria and was such a fun vibe. The food was very good and I loved that they greet you with a glass of bubbly at the door. Literally my kind of party!! I have been here for lunch when I was working in corporate but the cocktail hour vibe was so much better. It’s a great place to let loose and just enjoy your friends. We only had appetizers, and we were blown away, so I really want to go back for dinner next time.

Liberty Kitchen

I fell in love with this restaurant when I went one night while I was in Houston for work and I have been wanting to get back there. I’m so glad the girls were down to go. Everyone agreed after our meal that it was 10 out of 10! So good! I ordered a spicy margarita with my dinner and warning … it is VERY SPICY! But still so good.

Saturday Morning Brunch

Lucille’s Houston

This restaurant came highly recommended and the it’s a southern cuisine, which is always a fave for me. We enjoyed the food and there was live music playing outside on the patio. The only complaint I had was that we sat outside and it was of course very HOT but the food made up for it.

SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER

Gratify Houston

WOW! This restaurant is a HOT spot. It was PACKED and even though we had a reservation, we still had to wait. It was annoying, yes, but the food was incredible. Like, so so good. Everyone really loved this restaurant and it’s on my list to visit again.

WHAT I WORE IN HOUSTON

My white top with the ruffles is an oldie, but goodie from ASOS, but I linked another fun white top. Abercrombie is also having their sale right now and my jeans are on major sale! You’ll definitely want to shop these and more on their site.

Let me know what Houston spots you would add to this list! I can’t wait to go back. I lived there for 3 years and always love going back to visit.

Thanks for reading!

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Beauty

June 3, 2022

May Best Beauty Products Round-Up

Trying new beauty products is my favorite thing to do! Last month I tried several products that I ended up falling in love with and using daily. Here is a round up the best beauty products for the month of May! Have you tried any of these? Let me know your favorites.

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Style

May 20, 2022

What To Wear on Vacation: Beach Edition

I recently got to go on a little spring getaway to Mexico. If you’ve never been to Mexico, specifically Cancun area, I highly recommend it! The vacation was so beautiful and I had so much fun piecing together looks for this trip that I figured I’d share them with all of you!

I’m sure it comes as no surprise when I say I love shopping at Revolve and they did not disappoint when it came to tropical vacation wear! I was also able to find some great pieces from Amazon and ASOS that were so cute and perfect for the beach.

It was an absolute dream vacation and I loved having my girl Rach Moon there to enjoy it with me!

amazon fashion, affordable fashion, linen pants outfit

As always, you can shop my looks by simply clicking on the icons below!

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Style

March 7, 2022

Get The Look: NYFW Street Style

New York Fashion Week has come and gone, but I’ll be wearing this street look for many weeks to come, you can guarantee that. Have you ever worn an outfit that was so comfortable, but also gave you the biggest confidence boost? There’s something about walking the streets of New York in an outfit that makes you feel like you can do anything!

You can shop the look by clicking any of the icons below!

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Wealth

February 27, 2022

How To Build Wealth When Money Is Tight

Welcome back to the monthly wealth chat, where we chat about how to build wealth and all that goes in to it! We took some time off but it’s good to be back. I say “we” because even though Jason isn’t visible in the photos much on these posts, he’s very much with me behind the scenes helping me out with these topics. If you’re new here, the monthly wealth chat is a discussion around building generational wealth and we share some of our successes/failures a long the way to building our net worth to where it is today. It’s important for me to share, because I think too many people believe financial success is not possible for them, when in reality, wealth is attainable for everyone if you’re willing to do the work.

How To Build Wealth When Money Is Tight

When I first brought this topic up to Jason his response literally was … “you can’t.” And well … that was not the answer I was looking for LOL! But truthfully, it is HARD but it’s not impossible. We were on food stamps 12 years ago, fresh out of college and living on Jason’s football stipend from SMU … WITH A BABY. We were able to make something out of nothing and I believe you can too. So today we’re going to chat about what to do when money is tight and you’re ready to start building wealth.

Establish a goal and actually believe it can happen
- We’ve always sat down and talked about our wildest dreams, both financially and just for life in general. Some are crazy and at times feel unattainable, but we never stop believing in the possibility of creating something really amazing for our future generations.
Where is your money going?
- This might sound like a silly/basic question, but it’s really important to understand where your money is going each day. I recently set a quarterly spending budget for myself because I realized last year that I was just kind of spending without really keeping track of things the way I was when money was tighter. It’s important to not lost yourself even when you are financially stable.
Maintain the same lifestyle, even when you receive bonuses and pay raises.
- It’s so tempting to want to buy that car or get the bigger house just because you are now finally making more money. But what if instead of spending more, you invested more? In doing so, you are taking the extra money you have earned and making it work for you. I definitely believe in treating yourself, but this is something to think about before making larger purchases. I’ll never forget the year we moved from Houston. We left behind a beautiful home and moved into a humbling 2-bedroom apartment in Carrollton. I hated everything about it but if you’ve been around a while then you know that during this time, we bought two rental properties that we still own to this day. We invested in real estate and now on the first of every month, when rent is due, it’s also pay day.
Don’t be afraid to downsize
- Downsizing is humbling, frustrating and not something that many people are willing to do. And to be clear, I’m not talking about only your home — it could be your car, eating out every day, shopping habits … there are so many ways to scale back your lifestyle to create more room for extra funds to become available. But in order to do so, you have to make sure you refer to point #2 – knowing where you spend your money. I was blown away while doing my taxes this year when I realized how much money I spent on Amazon. It’s something I am more aware of now, because while I absolutely love the convenience, spending thousands of dollars on things that I really don’t need is not how I want to use my money.
Decide how you want to start investing to build wealth
- Whether it’s crypto, real estate, stock market or anything else, do your research and determine what works best for you. Right now we are a mix of crypto, real estate and the stock market but we have more invested in crypto than the others. Investing is a long game. It’s not a get rich quick and get out situation. We’ve had really amazing quarters and then there are some quarters where I prefer not to look. But overall, taking charge of our finances and not being afraid to take risks has paid off significantly for my family. Start small and give it a try.

In order to make money when money is tight, you have to do 1 of 2 things … make more money or spend less money. And because making more money doesn’t just “happen,” the latter option (spending less) is usually the most realistic and easiest place to start. I recently linked my bank accounts to my Quickbooks for better, more accurate tracking of my spending and it has been so eye opening. Having a really honest look at myself and my habits has helped me get a game plan together for how I want to spend my money this year and what that will look like, while also having some fun along the way.

Start where you are and build. Even if it’s saving $50 a week, you have to start somewhere right?! You got this! What are some of your goals this year? Do you have game plan that works for your family in terms of how to build wealth?

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Here To Inspire

February 27, 2022

5 Ways To Treat Yourself This Year

Have you seen the dialogue around being a “soft woman?” I think it is such a necessary conversation. Living a “soft life” is something that I am fully embracing this year. The whole premise is that for so long the “grind” lifestyle has been tied to success. Women have been wearing multiple hats and grinding non-stop … for what? More money, a promotion, recognition … all of these are great things but at what cost? There were many reasons why I quit my job in September, but letting go of the unnecessary grind was high on the list. And quite frankly, after a tumultuous last couple years, I don’t want to grind anymore. I’m going to enjoy rest, relaxation and luxury a lot more this year than I ever have in the past.

Here are 5 ways to treat your self a little more this year.

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Style

February 25, 2022

Shop This Week’s Top Finds

I thought I’d compile all my most recent top finds from this last week for you guys! I’ve been pining for warm weather recently so I, of course, had to add in some luxe swimwear finds along with some of the best new arrivals at Sephora and the cutest little girl outfits for my baby girl!

Feel free to shop all the items you see in the icons below.

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Beauty

February 23, 2022

I Have Cicatricial Alopecia

I have Cicatricial (scarring) Alopecia. Wow. Saying it out loud feels both daunting and relieving. I have fully come to terms with this so I’m not sad and I’m working with a great doctor on my game plan. I did, however, want to share more details about what I’m doing, what this type of alopecia is and hopefully encourage anyone who is experiencing hair thinning to take action sooner than later.

Here’s a quick definition for you from the Mount Sinai’s website: “Cicatricial alopecia is primarily caused by inflammation that damages the hair follicle, although the damage may also be caused by a trauma such as a burn or serious infection.”

Here is my hair now

I have always had a small spot in the middle of my head that was thin, and when I say small, it was not even really noticeable. I had a stylist mention it to me once several years ago and I just kept an eye on it since then. Fast forward several years, and several sew-ins later, I started to notice that I was having to work a lot harder to cover my extensions in this particular spot.

Every morning, I would take pictures of the top of my head to make sure that the extension tracks were covered (something I never had to do before). I’d spend 20 minutes or longer adjusting to cover this spot that was clearly thinning. As a result, I decided late last year that I was done with sew-ins. I couldn’t see myself doing that “check” every morning — it was stressful and wasn’t how I wanted to start my day. This is why I made the switch to wigs. But of course wigs are only partly a solution, I needed to figure out why my hair was thinning.

Getting My Stitches Out

I started researching dermatologists in my area. It was important for me to find a black doctor, preferably a woman, who understood my hair type and could help me find solutions/properly diagnose me. Dr. Dornechia Carter of Affinity Dermatology is who I am seeing and I feel really good about my care so far. We did a biopsy as a part of my initial visit to determine exactly what is happening on my scalp and that is how I know that I have cicatricial (scarring) alopecia.

I wanted to share what I’m doing to take care of myself and stop the spread of the thinning. I’ve been doing some research and of course taking all of my doctor’s advice. Here’s my game plan:

Increase my vitamin intake, specifically B vitamins
Increase my consumption of anti-inflammatory foods
- tomatoes
- olive oil
- green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
- nuts like almonds and walnuts
- fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna
- fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges
Divi Hair Serum – I just got this product in and have seen great results for other users. I’ve used it a couple times and like how it feels on my scalp. I will keep you posted on what I think after more use!
Applying Castor Oil
Taking the medication my doctor prescribed – the goal with the medication is to stop the spread of the thinning

What’s Next

This journey is still very new for me and I’m honestly proud of myself for even saying that I have alopecia out loud, because I prefer to keep most health things private. But I do want to encourage anyone who might be experiencing any type of hair loss or health issue in general to make an appointment with a healthcare provider and get it checked out. Taking care of my health and not ignoring anything that doesn’t feel right has been my commitment to myself this year.

I will keep you posted on how I’m doing and what my progress is looking like. I have another check-in with Dr. Carter in about 5 weeks. I feel good because I’m doing everything I can do to take care of myself and that gives me peace of mind.

Thank you for reading!

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3 Ways I’m Setting Goals for The New Year

Favorite New Year Tools

Fall Fashion Trends: Barbiecore Pink

SHOP BARBIECORE:

Western Boots

shop western boots

Every Day Basics

shop elevated basics

Black and White Bathroom Photos

What’s In My Cart

shop the post

White Dresses for Any Occasion

Mini Dresses

Midi/Maxi Dresses

Where To Eat in Houston

Friday Night Cocktail Hour + Lite Bites

Saturday Morning Brunch

SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER

WHAT I WORE IN HOUSTON

How To Build Wealth When Money Is Tight

Establish a goal and actually believe it can happen

Where is your money going?

Maintain the same lifestyle, even when you receive bonuses and pay raises.

Don’t be afraid to downsize

Decide how you want to start investing to build wealth

Here is my hair now

Getting My Stitches Out

What’s Next

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