Martha Wannabe

Why I Love Martha Stewart.

"I love Champagne and I love to drink it out of any beautiful glass" - Martha Stewart

About the look:

Dress: Too Belles Boutique  

This dress is the perfect party dress no matter the season.  Wear it alone for a Spring or Summer garden party.  Or put a black leather jacket on with some high heels and wear it out on the town in Fall or Winter. The tulle adds a hint of innocence to your look, but you can have fun with your accessories to make it simple & elegant or sexy & sassy. 

Earrings: J.Crew

I wear these earrings with so many outfits.  They are a statement piece. Quite frankly, you don't need anything else.  They are perfect for a party, night out or even a day at the office.  They are also very lightweight so you can wear them for hours- added plus! 

Why I Love Her:

There are many reasons why I love Martha Stewart.  I grew up watching Martha with my mom.  Everyday we would sit and watch her precisely measure out her baking ingredients, perfectly fold a fitted sheet or plant the most magnificent garden you have ever seen.  Any task, Martha would do it with grace, style and perfection.  It was very intriguing watching her and the more I watched the more I wanted to be that perfect and that successful. 

On a side note: My mom and I always pretended we had our own TV show (we still do to this day).  We would bake at least once a week.  We would act as if we were tv show hosts, showing off our skills in the kitchen. That was always a dream of ours!  Our show would be more on the humorous side compared to Martha's impeccable set and classical atmosphere. Ours would be focused on the goofy duo known as Deb & Bon.

Ok, I digress, when I got older I was even more intrigued on how Martha became a household name.  She was/is an amazing entrepreneur and someone who didn't take no for an answer.  Yes, icing gingerbread houses, rolling green grapes in foie gras and boiling quail eggs in champagne vinegar for a living may not seem like the stuff financial empires are built on, but that's exactly how Martha Stewart turned her own good taste into a multimillion-dollar business. Her skill at making a fortune out of fantasy has made her a legend and has given her royalty status among her thousands of devoted followers. As a result, this self-driven queen of domesticity has taken homemaking and entertaining to a new level and taught her fans how to add a touch of elegance to their everyday lives. 

One of my favorite Martha Stewart quotes is:

"I think people who have a real entrepreneurial spirit, who can face difficulties and overcome them, should absolutely follow their desires. It makes for a much more interesting life."-Martha Stewart 

How awesome is that quote!!!  Basically if you have the drive to be or do whatever you want go for it!  Do not let the fear of the unknown stop you from doing what you want.  Martha never let the fear get in her way and now look where that got her, owning over a billion dollar business and being a name known around the world. 

This quote has actually been on my mind a lot lately.  I have recently started my journey on being a Social Media Influencer.  I have heard a lot of "you don't have enough followers" "you don't have enough time" and for a while I let those negative comments influence my decision to put that dream in the dark.  Well, not anymore.  I am going to be like Martha and laugh at the difficulties and the hard work.  I am going to do finally do this for myself.  I am going to channel my inner Martha Stewart and be who I want to be. 

Fun fact about Martha: Martha Stewart is a big animal lover, owning several dogs, cats, birds, chickens, turkeys, donkeys and horses.  That is another reason I love Martha.  Anyone who knows me, they know I am a HUGE animal lover.  I like animals more than I like people.  I recently took on the hobby of owning chickens- one of Martha's favorites.  Let's just say I am now a "chicken tender"...see what I did there?  I actually have a Martha Stewart bowl I keep all of our fresh eggs in.  Again, channeling my inner Martha Stewart even if it's on our mini farm in the middle of town. 

If I had the acreage I would own even more dogs, cats and chickens.  I would also love to own donkeys, horses, goats, pigs, cows.  Name it and I want it!  

Martha, in my opinion, is the best baker ever!  Sorry Ina, Martha is hands down the best!  I remember watching her bake a cake or pie and just thinking to myself this is amazing! I also love how she is a firm believer in measuring cups!  Now a days cooking shows do a splash of this or a pinch of that....NO!  Tell me, is it a 1/2 cup of sugar or a whole cup!  I remember watching her pull her baked goods out of the oven and they just looked perfect. They were also decorated as if she was hosting a 100 person party. I mean it was breathtaking! Nothing but perfection when watching Martha in her element. 
While baking, I really do try and be like Martha!  Of course, my baking may or may not have hints of dog or cat hair in them...but, I should get an A for effort. I know I am far from Martha with my baking skills, but I will forever use a measuring cup, and I know my baked goods could have the potential to be a show stopper. I just hope my guests don't mind them sprinkled with pet hair...I promise I really try to not have that happen!

"I love the challenge of starting at zero every day and seeing how much I can accomplish"

Let's all take a little advice from Martha.  Everyday when you wake up, be excited for what you are going to accomplish that day.  Don't wake up dreading the unknown.  Be excited at the opportunity to be successful that day.  You never know....that may be the day you become who you truly want to be. Love the challenge, love the hard work and honestly, love starting from zero!

I have to end with this one blooper shot.  This picture sums it all up! How I am a Martha Stewart wannabe but, far from being that PERFECT Martha. 

Riding On Bikes With Chickens

Take a ride with me...and my chickens.

Some take dogs on bike rides, some have their baskets full of champagne and flowers...

Nope, I have chickens! 

This blog post is going to focus on this beautiful dress from VICI, one of my most favorite online stores and where I spend most of my paycheck!

Dress: VICI

Makeup (foundation): IT Cosmetics (from QVC- gotta love those easy pays)

Makeup: Too Faced 

Photography: Ashley Damude Photography

Yes, we are now in the fall season, but here in South Carolina it still feels like summer.  In this post this dress is worn without a jacket because it was 100 degrees outside when shooting.  But, I think this dress will look awesome with a black leather jacket or a cute sweater.  I am a firm believer that even in the fall and winter seasons you can get away with bright colors.  I would not let the bright yellow scare you away from wearing this dress in the fall!  One trend for Fall 2018 is bright colors.  Bright Oranges,  Bright Pinks, Turquoise, etc. I think yellow is a great color for the fall and allows women to look outside of the normal fall colors and be more of a stand out in a crowd look. 

I also paired this look with just my dirty feet! If I would wear this look out I would pair this dress with a great nude heel.  The sheer bottom half of the dress allows you to wear a statement shoe and still have it be seen in this maxi dress.  

Also, a nice flat would look nice as well if you did not want to wear heels.  I am not a big flats fan, so in most of my posts you will either see a heel or no shoes at all. 

I would love to hear your opinion about heels vs flats.  I personally think heels make the look.  I will forever wear heels instead on flats...or just go barefoot (hence the very dirty bottom of my feet). 

Do you rather wear flats over heels? Give me your honest opinion! 

Or, would you rather go barefoot?

Also paired with this look is Miss Vader, the Chicken. She is one of my Silkies and the most mellow.  Not a lot of my chickens would agree to a bike ride in a basket.  

Another reason I love this dress is how it creates effortless confidence.  I am firm believer that when women feel confident in their clothes they produce a radiance that cannot be measured.  This is a simple look that everyone could wear! It is flattering in the places that need to be accentuated and forgivable in places that women like to hide.  The material on this dress will look nice on any shape. 

Plus, if the neckline is a little too low or if you do not like showing off your arms, like I said a jacket or little sweater will look great with this piece as well.  

Later on in the fall I will get some more shots of this dress with layering options.  

 We did have a chicken swap...I had to have my girl Candy Corn in some of these photos.  Candy Corn is by far my favorite chicken.  She is great at posing, but not so great at sitting in this basket!

This dress could also be dressed up or dressed down for any occasion.  For example I wore this as a casual bike ride around town dress.  But, I would also wear this dress with a big statement necklace, heels and my hair pulled back in a bun for an evening look or night out on the town.  

The bottom detailing of this dress is amazing.  It is one of my favorite components of this dress. It was what grabbed my attention at first and had me add this dress to my shopping cart. 

It is unique, girly and really regal.

 In closing this blog post, I want to reiterate that this look will be amazing on any body type.  

One of my main passions and reasons I started this blog was to help encourage women to embrace different clothes and looks.  I want to help spread confidence to whomever reads my blog.  

I also love styling people! I love helping women and men embrace change and learn to love their body and how to dress their body type appropriately.  

A great outfit can make your day! Let me help you get closer to loving yourself and loving clothes!

Explore Your Type

What is Your Personality?!

Recently I was asked the question what is your personality? Of course, my first response was "well, I am really goofy and outgoing...other than that I have no idea!"  That sparked my interest and I found a really cool test to figure out who I am exactly.  The test/website is 16 Personalities .  If you have never taken this kind of test I urge you to take 10 minutes and try this test out! 

Here are my results and my summary, which I think the summary fits me to a T! 

I am a Campaigner. 

Read the summary below to better understand who I am as a person. 

On a fun note, here are some Campaigners you may know:

I think it is hilarious I am in the same category as Michael Scott!

The Campaigner personality is a true free spirit. They are often the life of the party, but unlike types in the Explorer Role group, Campaigners are less interested in the sheer excitement and pleasure of the moment than they are in enjoying the social and emotional connections they make with others. Charming, independent, energetic and compassionate, the 7% of the population that they comprise can certainly be felt in any crowd.

You Can Change the World With Just an Idea

More than just sociable people-pleasers though, Campaigners, like all their Diplomat cousins, are shaped by their Intuitive (N) quality, allowing them to read between the lines with curiosity and energy. They ten to see life as a big, complex puzzle where everything is connected- but unlike Analyst personality types, who tend to see that puzzle as a series of systemic machinations, Campaigners see it through a prism of emotion, compassion and mysticism, and are always looks for a deeper meaning. Many other types are likely to find these qualities irresistible, and if they’ve found a cause that sparks their imagination, Campaigners will bring an energy that oftentimes thrusts them into the spotlight, held up by their peers as a leader and a guru – but this isn’t always where independence-loving Campaigners want to be. Worse still if they find themselves beset by the administrative tasks and routine maintenance that can accompany a leadership position. Campaigners’ self-esteem is dependent on their ability to come up with original solutions, and they need to know that they have the freedom to be innovative – they can quickly lose patience or become dejected if they get trapped in a boring role. 

Don’t Lose That ’Little Spark of Madness’

Luckily, Campaigners know how to relax, and they are perfectly capable of switching from a passionate, driven idealist in the workplace to that imaginative and enthusiastic free spirit on the dance floor, often with a suddenness that can surprise even their closest friends. Being in the mix also gives them a chance to connect emotionally with others, giving them cherished insight into what motivates their friends and colleagues. They believe that everyone should take the time to recognize and express their feelings, and their empathy and sociability makes that a natural conversation topic. 

The Campaigner personality type needs to be careful, however- if they rely too much on their intuition, assume or anticipate too much about a friend's motivations, they can misread the signals and frustrate plans that a more straightforward approach would have made simple. This kind of social stress is the bugbear that keeps harmony-focused Diplomats awake at night. Campaigners are very emotional and sensitive, and when they step on someone's toes, they both feel it.  

Campaigners will spend a lot of time exploring social relationships, feelings and ideas before they find something that really rings true. But when they finally do find their place in the world, their imagination, empathy and courage are likely to produce incredible results.