Have you ever wondered where old school fashion rules came from? Or is that just something I geek out over? It truly is so interesting to me, and what’s the most interesting is just how much influence our culture and the times has on how we dress. I could literally go on and on for days about this topic but I’ll save that for another day. ? Since what I really wanted to touch on, is something I’ve struggled with for years…wearing pink. Phew. There, I said it. Don’t worry – I’m not about to unload a bunch of feminist rhetoric on you, hehe, it’s really just a personal thing. I’d much rather wear black, gray, white, and sometimes the occasional blue. But here’s my problem – two words. Valentine’s Day.
How is it that another year is gone, just like that? I mean, 2018 feels like it didn’t even happen. For some reason – what should feel like a year went by, really only feels like a solid 6 months max. It’s like I woke up one day after Christmas, like woah, 2019 is just around the corner. Maybe it’s because so much happened last year. And maybe that’s why this year I was excited to actually get my hiney up off the couch and ring in the new year right – like we used to, before kids ?
This past week I had the exciting opportunity to partner with one of my close friends, an extremely talented jewelry designer, to help launch her fall line. My friend Hattie launched Hattie Now Designs earlier this year, and it’s been so awesome to see her creativity come to life. She creates custom handmade jewelry that truly makes a statement. From stunning druzy necklaces and bracelets, to fun tassels and bold leather earrings – people are raving over her designs! I recently shared a fave “burnt orange” Longhorn-inspired pair on my IG that’s become my lucky tassels on game day 🙂 But her new blush colored teardrop tassels (pictured below) are my current obsessions 😉
There will always be things we take for granted in life. It’s just human nature to focus on the seemingly more important things rather than the things we do everyday. I bet you’ve never thought about how many times you’ve held your father’s hand, or remember what it felt like to be that little kid looking up at him walking hand-in-hand down the street. I certainly didn’t. Just like I didn’t know 14 years ago today, that it would be the last Father’s Day I’d be spending with my dad. He had been battling stomach cancer for two years and just had a major surgery that we were so hopeful would give him a second chance at life. I had just graduated from UT and it meant so much for him to see me walk across that stage and accept my diploma. Something he wrote in my graduation card has always stuck with me: “Raising you has been my greatest success in life.” Fast forward to later that summer, his health had quickly deteriorated and I’d moved back home to spend what we all knew were his last days with us. Although I don’t think any of us would have ever expected what happened next.
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If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve already had a sneak peek into what the last week and half has been like for our little Murray clan (oh, and for the foreseeable future I’ll be referring to my family as “The Murray Clan” – not because we’re part Scottish, but because that’s what happens when you binge watch Outlander for the first months of a child’s life). So long story short, my mom (who stays with us and helps me with the kiddos a couple times a week), ended up going to my oldest brother’s in NC to help out with his little one the week after Easter. I kid you not. It never fails. Anytime she’s gone, Grant gets told he has to travel for work. The first time it happened actually spawned my very first ever “Mom Jean Confessions” post where I so lovingly referred to myself as a Momaholic. But you wanna know the even more ironic part – it was literally three years ago to the day that they both left me hanging ?. I’m convinced it’s a sick joke they like to play on me, just to test me. Not funny guys, not funny. Especially because this time around, Garrett and Charlotte both came down with the stomach flu – need I say more? No, but I will for entertainment’s sake. Oh and just in case you’re wondering why we all look so happy in these photos – this was literally the one day of reprieve we had. The hubs had just gotten back into town the night before at like midnight, Garrett had finally felt good enough to go back to school that day, and little did I know Charlotte would come down with what Garrett had exactly 24 hours from the moment these were taken. Hence, the title “Subliminal Messaging” ?
You might remember I filmed “Wardrobe Transition Pieces“ for ABC13’s Mirror Mirror segment with Rebecca Spera back in January. Well I’m so excited to share the next feature we did for Mirror Mirror called “Closet Cleanout.” If you’ve been needing a little push to finally do some wardrobe spring cleaning, my favorite type of cleaning, then this one’s for you. For this segment, I’m talking about the four types of clothing you should get rid of to thin out your closet. Since I know it can be a bit of a painful process, I’ve come up with a fun way to make things a little easier on you with my “Closet Offenders” as I like to call them. You can watch the video below and read the full story here.
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Spring break was gone in a flash, and before we know it, it’ll be Easter. Like one week from today to be exact. But when you have a kid, it’s almost like every holiday starts out like a cute little Mogwai, except you accidentally feed it after midnight and it ends up multiplying. Seriously, I feel like we’ve already celebrated Easter three times before the actual Easter, and we still have two more Easter parties this week. I kid you not, when it’s all said and done this kid will have had literally seven Easter egg hunts. Seven, people. I’m totally not complaining – hey, it takes the guess work out of what the heck to entertain a very, we’ll call it “particular” shall we, four year old who could attend a circus, while taking a karate class, while jumping on a trampoline and still ask “what are we doing next?” (cue collective mom eye-roll).
Some days, I hardly remember “my former life,” as I call it. The life before kids, the life where I picked up and moved to NYC without a job (cuz I was crazy like that), and the life where we were newlyweds living in the City of Angels – where a big decision consisted of which movie we wanted to go see that night, because, well, we could.
This Valentine’s Day, my motto is – why wait for someone to buy you flowers, when you can wear them instead? I mean, c’mon, think about it. Flowers are nice for what, three days, and let’s be honest – they end up just withering away in the back of a cubicle or lone countertop. But a floral dress on the other hand, lasts for seasons and you get to show if off everywhere you go. Sold. So whether it’s a much needed date night out with the hubs, or a fun day with the gal pals (Um, can you say “Galentine’s Day Waffle Bar Brunch??” Cuz I can.), I’ve got a floral frock for you.
Last month I had the pleasure of filming three segments for ABC13 with my friend/reporter Rebecca Spera – “Wardrobe Transition Pieces,” “Closet Cleanout,” and “Five Minute Makeup Hacks.” If you’re a local Houstonian, then you might have caught the first segment this past Wed afternoon. I modeled four different looks that are perfect for when you’re either in between sizes from just having a baby or on a weight loss journey. Either way, finding the right outfits for your changing body can seem daunting and take the fun out of shopping. So, I was asked to style versatile looks that are perfect for day or night, dressy or casual, and what must-have pieces you can pull from your wardrobe to get you through this transition.
