favorite NYFW trends

similar romper | cape blazer | shoes | earrings (on sale for under $10!) | clutch

While it still feels very much like summer in Houston, Texas and fall feels years away let alone spring, I can't help but be excited over all the upcoming trends I saw on the runways at NYFW. From bold stripes to somewhat startling bathrobes, there was something for everyone. As fall & winter clothing take over department stores, now is the time to snag spring and summer staples on major sale. When warmer weather rolls around again, you'll be so glad you did! Here are some runway looks you can easily incorporate into your own wardrobe:

1. Banker Stripes- Inspired by Wall Street but chic enough to roam the likes of Fifth Avenue, these classic stripes have been tweaked to fit even the most ladylike of wardrobes. To create your own look at home, pair a menswear inspired shirt like this one with white jeans and wedges.

2. Off One Shoulder- Fashion's obsession with showing some shoulder rages on, and this spring it's all about exposing one shoulder versus both. Embrace your inner Flashdance and let all your 80's fashion dreams come true. Maybe not all of them- some were left behind with good reason.

3. Sleeve Slits- You can tell by the photos above that I'm already loving this style; a cape blazer is a fun play on the up-and-coming trend. Tons of designers from Michael Kors to Lacoste debuted sleeves with slits and waved a farewell to last year's popular bell sleeve.

4. White Shirt Dresses- Interesting waistlines and unexpected hemlines are taking this closet staple from basic to statement. This is one piece that never truly goes out of style, and designers have made the perfect tweaks for spring 2017. Here's an adorable one that would work for this fall as well as the spring!

5. Not-So-Mellow Yellow- Y'all know I love wearing this bright, cheery shade, but I realize not everyone feels the same. As a stylist, one of my biggest challenges is getting clients to step outside of their "color" box. Everyone from Marissa Webb to Tibi had a look in this sunny hue, and there's one for every skin tone.


Some honorable mentions include: crop tops, fiery red dresses (love when you can sum up a fashion trend with a single emoji), over the top statement earrings, comfy white sweatshirts, and silvery metallics (nice to see a change from gold everything the past several seasons).



Anyone else in a serious Monday funk?! Bear and I slept until 10am and have been somewhat unproductive ever since. Well, Bear has been very productive if you count building Lego towers and successfully blending all 20 colors of Play Doh we own. Our kitchen looks like some kind of wild rainbow bomb went off. I seriously need some of his energy (though I'm beginning to think it takes more energy to clean the mess than to actually create it).
Hope your week is off to a great start!
xo, Britt

big yellow taxi

skirt | top | bag | similar shoes | earrings | sunnies

photos by Laurel Creative



It seemed fitting to title this post Big Yellow Taxi after one of my favorite songs, especially since we're going to the Counting Crows (and Rob Thomas) concert TONIGHT! It's my third time seeing them in concert and I'm just as excited as the first time, maybe even more so. The music video for this song was filmed in NYC and I love the different parts of the city it shows, and of course the overall message: You don't know what you got till it's gone. 

Speaking of gone, I almost got run over by approximately 129 cabs while in New York City. Apparently I'm extremely oblivious when it comes to crossing streets and looking both ways; I've taught my three year old this very thing hundreds of times but obviously wasn't listening to myself. Of the 129 near death experiences, at least half of the drivers yelled at me out the window. "Lady, you gotta look before you cross the street!" was the norm (though they didn't all refer to me as 'lady'). I'd just smile and wave an apology- that Southern charm doesn't seem to work the same on New Yorkers. I blame my lackadaisical walking on living in Texas; I can't tell you the last time I crossed more than a street or two on foot in my home state. Especially not in stilletos.

Zach and Bear made a CVS run early this morning and came back with Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies and pumpkin spice baking chips. They know me so well. Fall has only been underway for four days now and I've already OD'ed on Pumpkin Pie Concretes from Freddy's. We ate lunch there yesterday (third day in a row) and as I was getting a refill, one of the cooks saw me and said "It's like you love our food or something". No shame in my fast food game. Last week, Bear and I met his friends Carson and Kinsey and their Mom at Freddy's for lunch. Toward the end of the meal, a manager brought over three ice creams and said, "An annoymous customer wanted the kids to have these". Needless to say it made the kids' day and warmed our momma hearts, too. I scanned the somewhat empty restaurant, trying to figure out who would've done such a kind act for children they don't even know. That's the beauty of this life- no matter how crazy and scary it can be, somewhere, there are good people doing good deeds. I saw an older man sitting in the corner,  eating his hamburger alone and reading a paper. Maybe it was him who spotted our toddlers and decided to surprise them with ice cream; perhaps the three rascals reminded him of days gone by and the song in this post, you don't know what you got till it's gone. I hugged Bear a little tighter that day, knowing he won't always be an innocent three year old child who gets more excited over ice cream than anything else. And I explained to him the process of paying it forward, which I'm certain he doesn't really understand yet. But one day he will, and I hope and pray he grows up to be the kind of man who buys ice cream for strangers.

xo, Britt

DIY fall sugar scrub

A couple weeks ago, I guest posted over at Cheers J where I shared this easy DIY fall sugar scrub. With fall officially here (as of tomorrow!), I wanted to share the post over here, too. If you're totally #basic like me, you've already been chugging PSLs and wearing plaid blanket scarves in 90 degree weather for weeks now. I'm happy to introduce to you a fall treat that won't leave you sweating your buns off. In fact, it's the perfect cure for just that. :)

When I was in junior high and high school, my uncle would get me a bag of stuff from Bath & Body Works every Christmas. I always looked forward to his gift because I loved all the different scents and pretty packaging. My favorite, which he always included, was the Warm Vanilla Sugar Scrub. I don't think they even sell the stuff anymore but here's a picture of what it looked like (for all you young'uns). It made my skin feel incredibly soft and smooth, and I loved the stuff. But it was $20-$25 back in the early 2000's! Definitely paying for that pretty packaging. 

I recently missed the sugar scrub and wanted to create my own version for much less. After doing some Pinterest scouring, I was surprised to find that I already had all the necessary ingredients at home. I ran to Michael's and picked up these glass jars with lids for $1.50 each, pumpkin ribbon for $1, some small chalkboard labels, and got busy!

I chose to make Pumpkin Pie and Apple Cider flavors, which both smell absolutely divine and I highly recommend. If you're more of a plain jane kinda gal, you can easily leave out the spice and have a yummy vanilla sugar scrub! 


To make:
For an 8 oz. container of scrub, simply mix together 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of coconut oil, 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice/apple pie spice, & two tsp. of vanilla extract. That's it! Your skin, and delicious smelling shower, will thank you.

Can you smell it through the screen? I can't pick a favorite; they're both amazing in their own right. We made more and gave some to Bear's MDO teachers, who have ranted and raved on how much they love them. They keep a jar in the classroom for washing their hands, and we all know working with toddlers is definitely a dirty job.

I keep mine in my shower and it's the perfect treat for my skin after a long day. Nothing feels better than hitting the sheets with silky smooth pumpkin pie smelling skin. :)

Thank you for reading and HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!
xo, Britt