In light of the most recent tragic events in Houston (my prayers and thoughts go out to anyone living in the area), I started to think about “doing life.” So much of life is outside of my control… weather and the actions of others come to mind the quickest… but, so much still remains within my control. I find myself so frequently making statements like, “Wouldn’t it be fun if….” and then never doing the “if…” only to look back months later and wonder why I didn’t…..

One of my “ifs” this summer was to have evening beach picnics with our family. We went through June + July without even stepping foot on a beach as a family… then, last week, I decided it was time to just do my “if.” We spontaneously packed up, grabbed some poké take-out, and headed down to Laguna Beach. We ate, played in the sand and ocean with Harper, and watched some of the sunset. I put Harper’s schedule on hold for the evening (if you can call 30 minutes off “on hold”) and we enjoyed a mid-week family night. It only took two months, but I decided it was time to “just do it…” (thank you Nike….). I guess my point is that we can’t control the tragedies that happen in life… but we can control how much happiness we generate for ourselves (because no one is going to do it for us) and how fulfilled we fill by the life we live…

And, if you’re looking for a way to give back to those who are struggling in the Houston area, I recently saw that diapers are not provided by disaster relief agencies and that the Texas diaper bank is in need of diaper donations to provide emergency diaper kits to the families that are being displaced due to hurricane Harvey. Let me tell you, diapers are so important. I’ve made a donation, and you can check out this site for more information. I know there are lots of ways to give back, but if you’re still looking for the right one, I thought I would share…. we never become poorer by giving….

I guess I should say a little about how my outfit ties into all of this, right? Well, if you’re looking to “just do” something, tossing on all black will be a sure way to look pulled together! My top is a new favorite from BB Dakota, which has been a favorite brand for years. A few other pieces that I love from their fall line include this jacket (that you last saw here), lace up ribbed sweater, faux fur vest (which I am obsessed with), faux suede studded skirt, black lace-up blouse (which I wore to a recent trip to Vegas), and this parka.

Also, my monthly Q+A post will be up tomorrow. Feel free to e-mail me any questions.
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(Outfit Details || Top c/o (floral option) | Jeans | Hat | Sandals | Bag | Sunglasses (similar))