Sasha Rhett Guest Blog

Recently I was asked to write a guest post for Sasha Rhett watches. I interviewed the designer, Alexandra Daum, for a post on Unabashedly Prep back in 2010, and they liked it so much, they asked me to help out with their new blog. You can check out the original post here.  I expanded on the original piece and decided to share it with all of you. I hope you find my expansion into women's fashion as exciting as I do. You should expect to start seeing more of it from now on. Happy Shopping!

For some people the thought of building a spring/summer wardrobe can be quite daunting. Especially when most women look in their closets and immediately think I have nothing to wear. In reality, most women have too many things to wear, which is why dressing can seem overwhelming, especially for a last-minute event or outing.

As the daughter of not one, but two avid shoppers, I've learned how to stretch my clothing budget, and to buy things that will last many seasons. The key is to purchase items of clothing that compliment each other, and basics that keep up with the trends, yet are classic. The best way to do this is to choose classic-shaped clothing in colors that compliment the season, your skin tone, and your figure. As much as I'd love to buy the latest offering in Vogue or In Style, these items are simply out of my everyday price range. After doing some serious closet cleaning for the upcoming season, I put together a list of items that would help me create a mix & match wardrobe that would last well into the warmer months. The best part? These 8 pieces can be combined with staples that many of you likely already own, and not one of them will set you back more than $119. I've also included some accessories, and have styled a few outfits to show you the various options available. This will help get your imagination flowing, as the possibilities are endless.

For even more time saving, I suggest grouping several outfits together in your closet at the beginning of each week. You can even put all of your accessories in a drawstring pouch and include them on the hanger; just grab and go. On the mornings that I'm late for a meeting, this has immensely helped me. It's also quite useful if you have to travel for work. I hope that you'll find these bright, cheery pieces as a great guide while you're out shopping for spring and summer. Remember the most important rule of all: Wear what makes you feel comfortable and confidant. However, if a few simple alterations will make it perfect, run, don't walk to your tailor. No matter the price, it's not a bargain if it doesn't fit like it was custom made.

Polyvore Collection

Spring/Summer 2011 by FabulousMissLA featuring summer skirts

I've numbered the main pieces for ease of matching.
1. Fuchsia double-breasted blazer, $100
2. Chambray button down, $98
3. Turquoise pencil skirt, $118
4. White trench coat, $90
5. Yellow linen skirt, $88
6. Striped boat neck blouse, $60
7. Striped v-neck dress, $119
8. White cropped pant, $40

Bags, clockwise:
Canvas and leather satchel, $158
Stone bow clutch, $80
Green zip-pocket satchel, $228
Cognac cross-body bag, $100

Shoes, clockwise:
Pink patent ballet flats, $180
Green flats with bow, $70
Brown espadrille wedges, $80
Navy Top-siders, $75
Canvas and leather slingbacks, $90

Accessories, counterclockwise:
Sasha Rhett Gold Round watch with snakeskin double wrap strap, $299**
Sasha Rhett Navy snakeskin gold double wrap strap, $75
Sasha Rhett Green snakeskin gold double wrap strap, $65
Brown woven prairie belt, $45
Pink patent belt, $32
Raffia belt with orange bow, $26
Khaki double-buckle belt, $22
Straw fedora, $58
Orange and Navy fabric and chain bangles, $38
Multi-color stripe bangle, $5.80
Polka dot gold ring, $5.80
Gold link bracelet, $88
Gold clover drop earrings, $49
Turquoise bead necklace, $59
Maltese pin/enhancer, $19
Pearl stud earrings, $25

**These watches have interchangeable straps, further adding to the versatility of these ensembles. Just switch out the strap to change your watch from day to evening.

Here are some of the ensembles I styled from the pieces below:

Business:
1 + 7
Canvas and leather slingbacks
Green zip-pocket satchel
Sasha Rhett gold watch with navy snakeskin double wrap strap
Pearl stud earrings
Gold link bracelet

Weekend at the coast:
2 + 8
Brown woven prairie belt - leave the top untucked, and belt like a tunic
Navy Top-siders
Cognac cross-body bag
Sasha Rhett gold watch with green snakeskin strap
Straw fedora
Pearl stud earrings

Dinner & drinks:
6 + 3
Raffia belt with orange bow
Brown espadrille wedges
Stone bow clutch
Sasha Rhett Gold Round watch with snakeskin double wrap strap
Gold clover drop earrings
Orange fabric and chain bangle

Shopping or the museum:
4 + 5, trench worn open with belt tied in back
Navy & White top or other basic from your closet
Pink patent belt, tuck in shirt and belt just under ruffle detail
Pink patent ballet flats
Pearl stud earrings
Multi-color stripe bangle

Other possible combinations:
1 + 2 + 8, Pink patent ballet flats
4 + 2 + 3, Brown espadrille wedges
1 + 6 + 3, Green flats with bow
4 + 7, Canvas and leather slingbacks, pink belt
4 + 5 + 6, Green flats with bow
1 + 5, basic top, Brown espadrille wedges
2 + 3, Pink patent ballet flats
1 + 6 + 8, Navy Top-siders
2 + 5, Brown espadrille wedges and belt
1 + 5 + 6, Green flats with bow
2 + 6 + 3, Canvas and leather slingbacks
6 + 5, Pink patent, Pink patent ballet flats
2 + 7, with Khaki double-buckle belt and Brown espadrille wedges
6 + 8, Pink patent ballet flats
2 + 6 + 5, Brown woven prairie belt, Canvas and leather slingbacks

1 + 3, basic top, Brown espadrille wedges
7, alone with various belts, shoes, accessories

Of course, the possibilities are endless. And if you have any questions about how to incorporate into your own wardrobe, feel free to contact me!

Cheers,

Blog Lovin'

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The Adventure Continues

So, I suppose that the first post that I write after I quit my job to write full time should be on an enlightened topic. I could write about the "easy way" to start your own freelancing business, how to get the gumption to walk into your boss's office and quit your less-than-stellar job in corporate America in chase of  "the dream." I could tell you that working for yourself is exactly like in the movies. Adorable casual clothes, coffee shops, all the time in the world to do your laundry, look perfect for every outing, and send all your friends birthday gifts on time.

If I wrote about all of those things, I'd be lying.

The truth is, that April 15th was my last day of work in corporate America -- for now. I don't think I publicized much how much I hated my job, but I worked as an insurance adjuster, dealing with injuries from car accidents. For those of you that know me, it was likely the most ill-suited career I could have ever chosen. I just can't do glass-half-empty all day. I need passion and creativity, something that was seriously lacking, even while on the office Events Committee. And so, I quit.

On the morning of April 18th, I woke up and went to work in my new office, my dining room. So far, working from home has been interesting. I did a lot of leg work. I got all new office equipment, including a brand new MacBook Pro laptop. It's lovely. The first few days flew by because I had quite a bit of work to do. It's the days that aren't so structured that are a bit odd. Like when I wake up and don't have any assignments from my clients, so I spend my entire morning searching for new work, doing research on writing, and brushing up on AP vs. Chicago Manual of Style; or I spend two hours comparing health plans. And then I find myself feeling guilty for having time to listen to the Fashion 140 conference online, and being able to throw myself completely into some guest blogs that I wrote.

The thing that I wasn't prepared for was all the alone time. I've lived out on my own for the last 12 years. I've had roommates at some points, and lived alone at others. I really don't have any problems spending time alone; that is until I was doing that very thing 24 hours a day, seven days a week for weeks at a time.

The last few days I've started to get a little stir crazy. I've started to doubt myself. I think, "do I really have what it takes to be a full-time writer? Do all my friends and family think I'm crazy? Are they secretly just waiting for me to fail and come crawling to them for help?"

I know these thoughts are ludicrous, but you get a LOT of time to think about your life when you don't have physical contact with the outside world. I mean, I go to the gym, and have dinner with friends, but I've never spent so many large chunks of time with myself. And I'm starting to think that having this much time to think when I'm in the last few weeks of my twenties is possibly a bad idea.

I've always been an over achiever. I set extremely high standards for myself, and I'm pretty self-critical. When I was twenty years old, I thought I'd be living in NYC and working at a big magazine by now. Or I thought I might be in Nashville following my dream of singing. If anything I thought I'd be in a serious relationship, and possibly married. I never thought I'd be single, living in Fort Worth, Texas, having just quit my job, and essentially starting my career from scratch. Over the last few months, I just felt like my life was heading in a direction that just didn't make any sense to me. The more I prayed about it, the more I felt like I was supposed to start over again. I sincerely believe that God doesn't give people talents that he doesn't want them to use. In my heart of hearts, I think He wants every person to use every bit of talent they've been given. Because of that belief, I'm hoping that this bout of loneliness and doubt will pass quickly. I know there is an extremely confident women lurking inside me who just knows that big things are on the horizon. It's one of those "heart vs. head" moments. I just don't know which one will win this round.

In the mean time, I'm recommitting to my blog again. I will share my life's adventures with the few people that choose to read it. And for those of you that do, I really appreciate it. I know that even if no one reads it, it's the most therapeutic thing in the world to me. At the end of each victory and set back, I can come here and relish in how far I've come from even a year ago. And that in itself keeps me going.

Cheers,

A New Adventure

Every teenage girl dreams of what she'll be when she "grows up." I've dreamed of seeing my name on a magazine masthead since high school. I would devour every morsel of each issue of In Style as it arrived in my mailbox; I quickly became addicted to the smell and texture of the glossy pages. My love for one magazine grew into two, three, and soon I was subscribing to upward of twelve magazines at any given time. If you asked for my vices, the check out line at the grocery store would top my list — I rarely leave the line without a shiny publication in hand. I received a B.A. in English from my beloved University, and I hit the pavement to find my dream job. After applying last-minute for a publishing institute in NYC and being wait listed, I settled for an editing job at an educational publishing company. A mere four years later, I got laid off. I sat befuddled at the young age of twenty-six; I was back at the drawing board, staring into the face of unemployment. I could not, would not, swallow my pride and move home with my parents. And so, I updated my resume and landed a new job.

Over the last four years, I've held jobs that were just that, jobs. They were not something that I in any way enjoyed. They were a paycheck, a means to an end. And slowly, I lost a little bit of what I loved most about my life; having a career that gave me real fulfillment. And so I started this blog. And after that, I began writing and editing for friend's blogs and other projects. I began rebuilding my portfolio and I've begun applying for actual writing and editing positions again. So where does the high school dream fit in? It finally came true! Since the entire point of this blog was that I would actually pursue my dreams, a friend asked if I'd like to edit and write a little copy for a start up magazine in Dallas. I kindly accepted, and enjoyed every minute of my assignments. They liked my work so much that they called to tell me that I will officially be listed on the masthead as a Contributing Editor/Copywriter. My little heart skipped several beats, and I was actually speechless. For those of you that know me, that's a rare occurrence. And so, the magazine went to print today, and I can't wait to share it with all of you. Even more importantly, I'm beyond excited to continue my writing and editing ventures for the upcoming issues. I know that the best is truly yet to come. Watch out world, L.A.J. is back in business.

Cheers,

A Big Goodbye

Big finally made his decision. And as I'm sure you can assume from the title of this blog, my finale with Mr. Big didn't end by standing on a bridge in Paris, him telling me I'm "the one." My ending was much less poetic. It began with an email that said he'd come to a decision and wanted to talk to me about it. So, on Thursday, December 2nd at 9 PM, my last phone call with Mr. Big began.

As Big began to talk about his week, I reflected on the last 5 years, and all the prayers and love that had gone into our relationship. I had a peace that whatever happened, I knew that it was God's plan. He really had no idea how to start this conversation, so after what seemed like the longest 10 minutes of my life, I finally urged him to get to the heart of the matter.

He sighed and asked me how to begin. I asked him the question that had needed an answer for entirely too long. Do you love me? There was a pregnant pause on the other end of the phone. He wavered on his answer for several minutes, and it was then I had my answer. If Big couldn't muster the courage to utter those three little words to me after all these years, he never would. The conversation went on for over an hour, & I said all of the things that I needed to say, the things that had weighed on my heart for years.


Getting off that phone call was one of the hardest things I've done in my life. I let go of my very best friend, my PERSON, in order to open the way for the future. My heart feels very empty. There have been many times in the last few weeks that I've wanted to call Big. Driving hone from work everyday is the very hardest time. We always talked then. It was our time. To admit that I cry many days on my drive now is hard. I wonder what he's doing, how his day was, and if he was able to secure the President for his big fundraiser. I wish Big nothing but happiness. I also know that letting him go will open my heart for the future & a good relationship with a man who is willing to give me his whole heart. I will continue to wait, be it for the rest of my life, to find a man to love me the way that I loved him.


I got a package from Big yesterday. A fitting way to end the year. Enclosed was the circle journal that I made him in July 2006, right after my first trip to visit him. It is something that was extremely special to Big, & something I had waited all these years to get back. He finally wrote in it. It was hard to read. To see how much my love for him had grown was much to take in, but a fitting way to close our chapter. Big was finally able to open up to me & tell me how he felt. I see how I was able to give him my heart, & how he really did know the real me, better than I ever thought he did. It was nice to know that men sometimes do notice the little things after all.

So, with another year under my belt, it's time to close this chapter and say hello to 2011. I am ready for it to bring all my passions to the surface & live the life that I was called to live. It's time to set aside all my fears & go get all the wonderful things that Gid has in store for me. Writing this blog has been such a great experience & one I will continue for many years. To all of you who read about my life, thank you. It's good to know that I'm not alone on this crazy journey. May each of you have a blessed New Year!

Cheers,

Big Comes to Texas

You read that correctly. He actually bought a ticket, got on a plane, and came to the Lone Star State. And we had the absolute best weekend that I could imagine. He came down to be my date for James and Alex's wedding, which was hands down one of the most fun celebrations that I've ever been a part of. Tied of course with Ally and Weston's wedding in October. (It's quite a season when two of your BFFs get hitched within 5 weeks of each other.)

All that being said, JJP, not John James Preston, but my Mr. Big, had a pretty great time on his trip. And he was an amazing sport, meeting 3 of the 4 BFFs, numerous other friends and family, and even meeting the parents. And despite the fact that he's a Yankee, a Democratic, and a huge Washington Redskin's fan, my parents, and all my Republican-minded friends loved him. Putting him on that plane back to New England was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I cried the entire way back to my office, at 5:30 in the morning, listening to Rascal Flatts turned up as loud as it would go.

And after several long conversations throughout the weekend, and putting all the cards on the table, it's up to the real JJP to decide if he is ready to take the next step in our relationship. I love the man more than I can even express. He's incredibly thoughtful, witty, handsome, sarcastic, kind, uber-intelligent, staunch about his values, set in his ways, crabby at times, the best storyteller I know, and passionate about his causes to no end. He's a man's man, but dresses well, and he loves the cute, albeit irritating, things about me that most people just don't understand. He listens well (most of the time), and he's sensible 99% of the time; unless he's in in a mall with a Brooks Brother AND Nordstrom. But who can blame him for that? He's the kind of man I can see in my life, but would never have picked on my own. I wouldn't have had the guts to talk to someone so charming. And although not emailing Big back 5 years ago may have saved me past and future heartache, I wouldn't change any of it for a minute. I know that one day I'll tell my kids about the best date I've ever had, and it will be about a charming man from Maryland who surprised me, and continues to surprise me even after 5 years. If I'm not the woman that gets to spend my life with Big, I'll know it's because God has other people for each of us. I'll just be glad that I got to spend as much time with him as I did. It has taught me to never settle for anything but the simple sound of someone's voice making me grin from ear to ear.

Privileged to Guest Blog

Here's another guest post for Unabashedly Prep. Privileged to write for such a great blog. Enjoy!

When I first picked up Susanna Salk’s book, A Privileged Life: Celebrating WASP Style (Assouline), I wasn’t quite sure that I would identify with this somewhat shrouded demographic. I’m a Southern Prep from a world of hot toddies, pearls, and the SEC. A far cry, or so I thought, from champagne, riding boots, and Brown. After reading this lovely book, I found myself identifying with the traditional, intelligent, classic, and casual-yet-elegant aspects of this lifestyle and how it as a whole has contributed to the often-lost traditions in today’s American culture.

Ms. Salk shares her own treasured memories of her childhood and adolescence in the book. Growing up in Massachusetts, surrounded by ribbon belts, Ivy League lacrosse, cocktails, Nantucket summers, Pulitzer shifts, and monogrammed sweaters at Milton, she is the perfect example of a WASP woman.

Salk fills the pages with hundreds of photographs of famous WASPs, from Jackie, to Blythe Danner, Audrey Hepburn, Brooke Astor, Robert Redford, as well as many candid portraits of her friends and family. The lovely captions, and personal sentiments help the reader catch a real glimpse into this often emulated, yet misunderstood way of life.

The book beautifully explains how WASPs, like many Americans, identify with traditions, and how members of this demographic seem to almost freeze with time. They seem forever youthful, in their beloved forty-year-old camel coats, inherited summer homes, and their weekly Saturday morning brunch. WASPs define heritage, grace, joie de vivre, and formal without being fancy.

Although deeply rooted in tradition, the inherent definition of “WASP” has progressed through different eras and is a far cry from the original constraints of the word. While Salk’s parents emulated Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, her generation leaned toward Carole King and Ryan O’Neal. Today’s generation continues to add twists on the classics, but adhere to the tried-and-true preppie principles. The barriers to this elusive American style of living have been removed, allowing increased accessibility for current generations. Even if you didn't grow up summering in the Cape, you may find yourself living slivers of a privileged life after all.

Cheers,