Jumpsuit Addict

Hi, my name is Courtney and I'm addicted to jumpsuits :) If there was a rehab for wearing jumpsuits, I'm pretty sure I'd be the first to attend. They happen to be a match made in heaven, regardless of the person’s shape. How can anyone resist a comfortable one piece, stylish outfit?? You just can't! I literally buy every jumpsuit I see.

On the weekends, I love to go for stylish, comfortable looks, while knocking off new places off of my bucket list! A great jumpsuit and pretty accessories definitely create an effortless look.

What I Wore: 

Jumpsuit, Shoes, Bag - Amazon

I love that there are multiple ways of wearing a jumpsuit. I’ve worn this same grey fit a million times, but styled it completely different each time. I totally understand the intimidation of wearing this outfit, especially as a woman who gained weight. One way I’ve made this look fun, yet a little more conservative is by wearing a yellow blazer! You can add layers, any color or form of jacket or blazer

Another way to make switch up this look is by wearing sandals or sneakers. I’ve worn this same jumpsuit to run errands, in every season - spring, summer, fall and winter! 

There are endless ways to create looks starting with this show-stopping piece. How are you wearing your jumpsuit??? 

Xoxo, 

Courtney 

Go Bold or Go Home!

I know it’s February, but happy New Year! 

I think we can all agree that we are going big or going home all 2022! 

If you were anything like me, you became super lax with fashion - Choosing comfort whenever possible. 

I lived for a good sweats/comfy outfit for the past two years! This year I decided I’m going big or going home whenever possible! We are no longer waiting for the perfect time to wear the outfit! 

I chose to wear this super cute/comfy pink dress for a friend date at an upscale restaurant. This dress color was amazing! Who doesn’t love a good hot pink number??? 

It was also forgiving with the ruched middle! And let’s get into this color combo! Orange and pink are always a match made in heaven 😍

What I Wore: 

Dress Naked Wardrobe | Shoes Steve Madden 

If 2020/2021 taught me anything, it’s that life is short. With that being said.. wear that bold color! Wear that dress! Wear those heels! 

Xoxo, 

Courtney 

Becoming

Fun fact about me: I'm OBSESSED with butterflies. I love everything about them, from their beauty to everything they represent! 

Many people pay close attention to the butterfly without paying much attention to the process of it becoming that beautiful creature. A butterfly goes through a not so pretty journey. The butterfly starts out as an egg, then it turns into a caterpillar that overloads itself on leaves in preparation for its new life of growing. Next, it pushes it own body, while slitting the skin open. This sheds "the former self" and rebuilds itself as a cocoon. Finally, it stretches new wings as a beautiful butterfly :)

To me, they represent a journey. Similarly, three years ago, I made the decision to dig deep! I will be the first to tell you that growing is NOT for the weak! It gets really, really ugly. That process is probably the ugliest thing I've gone through (and currently still going through - remember it’s a journey, not a destination!), but that reward on the other side of the ugliness is so rewarding! The reward for me is the beautiful woman I'm becoming. (Physically, mentally, and emotionally)

This showed me that my time as a caterpillar expired! It was time to get my "wings." Since my journey of becoming was soooooo similar, I thought it would be perfect to wear something to remind me of how far I've come with my journey. 

Dress - Amazon | Earrings - TJ Maxx | Shoes Sophia Webster 

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." ~Trina Paulus 

Xoxo, 

Courtney 

Champions

 Happy Saturday!  

I hope all of you are having a great start to your new year! Looking on the surface, 2020 was a horrible, unpredictable year for the majority of us! However, when you take a moment to look back at everything, most of us really came out like a "champion!" I say this because although times were hard, we had no choice but to push through like a champion. 

One of my cousin's favorite Harry Potter quotes is, "What is the definition of a victory? It's a measure of progress, not a celebration of wins." This made me take some time to reflect on my goals from last year and decide how I wanted to intentionally move forward in 2021. I made practical goals that were attainable and measurable. I think it's important to set your goals this way so that you are able to measure progress and celebrate yourself. For example, I cut my hair due to impatience, but a goal I set for myself was to grow healthy hair. Today, my hair is in the best condition that its been in since the beginning of my 20s! I felt like I came out like a champion in the end :)

So I know you're probably wondering, how can you feel like a champion with the world we are living in? My solution is to focus on SMART goals for yourself. (Make sure you write them down too!)

S- Specific. So maybe you want to set a goal for yourself to grow healthy hair. How are you going to go about this?? For example, maybe you will deep condition weekly or maybe you will do protective styles consistently.

M- Measurable. This is so important! Sometimes we don't always focus on how far we've come and we aren't able to see our own growth. Be sure you have a way to reward yourself or acknowledge your accomplishment so that you can confidently crush the rest of your goals. Seeing progress is so rewarding! For example, I took picture of my hair at the beginning of my hair cut so that I could see the condition of the before vs after. 

A- Attainable. Make sure your goal is challenging, yet reasonable for you to obtain. Having patience with hair is very challenging to me, but doable. 

R- Relevant. So you've set your goal, but does it align with your other long term goals or other areas of helping you grow?

T- Time-Based. Lastly, can you reach this goal within a reasonable timeframe?

What better way to remind yourself than to wear something to support you thinking like a champion. Lately I’ve been choosing comfort over everything for me these days (well outside of work)! 

What I Wore:

Top: Champion | Leggings: Alo Yoga | Shoes: Aldo 

"Everyone falls, only difference is champions get up!" ~ Matshona Dhliwayo 

Xoxo, 

Courtney 💕

Autumn Vibes

Happy Sunday! 

One of my favorite seasons is fall. Particularly, for the weather! It’s not too hot, not too cold. However, my favorite thing about the season is being able to maximize my wardrobe. I absolutely love this transition period when I’m able to take summer pieces and wear them in the fall by adding layers. 

Follow these steps below for easy ways this to maximize your summer pieces for the fall: 

1. Step one: You always want to start with a basic piece. For example, I started with one of my favorite black dresses. This is one of my staple transition pieces.

2. Step two: Add additional layers. This layer can be a scarf or jacket. This will give you the flexibility to stay warm or cool off.  I added a long cardigan with nice neutral tones. It was kind of cool I’m the morning (high 50s), but wanted up later. I was able to take the cardigan off when it was too hot and add it again later when I got too cold. 

3. Step three: To complete the look, accessorize. You can do this by adding statement jewelry pieces, hats, and/or handbags. For my look, I added neutral colored earrings that I picked up from my cousin that sells paparazzi. I enjoy shopping for cute statement earrings. They make any basic outfit pop! (See https://paparazziaccessories.com/208612/ )

I enjoyed adding one layer (cannot wait to add more as the weather changes!) My first day back in church was warm and stylish without having to buy any new items 😊 

What I Wore: 

Dress Target | Cardigan Target | Shoes Christian Louboutin | Earrings Paparazzi 

How do you maximize your closet for fall? Let me know below in the comments.

Xoxo, 

Courtney 💕

2020 Vision

Happy Wednesday! 

2020 has been a rollercoaster ride for us all! One thing I've noticed is that planning and manifesting your goals is still possible, even during a time such as this. You MUST believe  it, pray for it and go make it happen! 

At the beginning of this year, I made a vision board. I always try to keep a list of goals for myself in my note section with a place to check them off. However, being able to see them come to life, creatively was something I truly enjoyed. I love being able to visualize the things I normally just write down. I guess I’m old school, wanting to have everything on paper. 

At some point closer to the end of the year, I love to reevaluate my goals just to see how far I've come, make necessary adjustments, and remind myself that I still have time to accomplish more. This time I decided to make a new vision board since this year was a little different. There were some goals that become more important than others. For example, I originally wanted to focus on working, saving money, etc. However, COVID made me realize that my mental health was far more important than any of those things. My new goals shifted more towards self care and self love. 

Sooooo... I went downtown with a blanket, magazines, a few of my girls & started planning, praying and manifesting! This happened to be way more therapeutic than I thought. The words, phrases & pics that jumped out at me had me dreaming big this day! 

I decided to wear a comfy outfit to be able to fully relax while making this board. See below: 

What I wore:

Hat: Forever 21 | Top: Kohl’s | Shorts: Target | Shoes: Gucci

• Vision board, January 2020 

• Vision board, September 2020 

✨✨Small disclaimer: making a vision board will not be a secret genie or magic for you that will make all your dreams come true. To me, it’s simply a visual for you to remember all the things you say you want for yourself and a reminder to work hard to achieve them. Anything you want, you have to put your mind to & work hard! 

Did you make a vision board this year? If not, it isn’t too late! 

Xoxo, 

Courtney 💕

Friendship X Self-Care

Happy Tuesday!

I feel like a broken record sharing about my recent journey. However, I'm a firm believer that once you overcome something, your purpose for that journey is to teach people that are going through that very struggle, how to overcome! 

One of the things I did to dig deep was to practice more self-care/self-love. A lot of times we are giving so much to our loved ones and others while neglecting ourselves. Self-care is one form of recharging so that one is able to continue giving back to the people around them.  I believe there's levels to that recharge. These levels include: physical, emotional, mental and social. 

At one point, I put all forms of self-care on the back burner when I was going through my struggles.  I still remember staying in bed and sleeping in the dark. I never forgot the friend that refused to take "no" for an answer when I wanted stay in the house and do nothing. I consider spending time with friends as one of the greatest forms of self-care now that I'm older since so much of my growth included me isolating. Friendship helped save me from myself! 

Last weekend, my self-care social level included spending time with the people I love. This is more important than you think. Friendships usually guarantee a celebration for the good times and support through the bad. 

One of my friends celebrated her birthday and I couldn't miss this opportunity to recharge. 

See below for outfit details:

 

 

 

What I Wore: 

Top Arden B | Bottoms Target | Scarf Louis Vuitton 

How do you recharge socially??

Xoxo, 

Courtney