approaching joy

#AJFW :: Mae's Emporium Jewelry

Imagine finding your grandmother's vintage jewelry box that has been hidden away for years.  Upon opening it you find each and every piece carefully laid out as if she just placed it there last night.  Looking at the layers upon layers of twinkling beauty, you can practically hear the laughter of the last party she attended in the background and glimpse her reflection in the polished metal.
Now imagine that jewelry box is a small store tucked away into downtown Fayetteville Arkansas and you have Mae's Emporium. 

Mae's first caught my eye before I even moved to NWA through Instagram.  Their vintage jewelry just begs to be fawned over and I knew that I would have to make it there soon.  Because of the store's hours I would always miss them by either being there too late or showing up on a day when they weren't open. While at the time I was bummed it just made my anticipation for my first visit even stronger.
I finally made it last week right as she had switched out her summer inventory for pieces that would transition into fall as well as some "Back to School" pieces (it is a college town after all).  

All the anticipation and time I had spent eagerly awaiting a glimpse past the front window totally paid off.  Once inside, I really did feel as if I had stepped into a life sized jewelry box filled to the brim with thousands of gorgeous pieces.  All of this beautiful jewelry is put together in such a way that you automatically think, "I have ten outfits with which I could wear that exact combination," even if such an extravagant piece has never crossed your mind before.

This is most definitely just a taste of all the pretties this store has to offer.  This is one of those places that you really do have to experience to truly understand.

I am ecstatic that I will be wearing jewelry from Mae's Emporium during Fashion Week.  Knowing that something as timeless and classic as these will be there will help me hold my head up a little higher and remind me that I do belong.

p.s. Don't forget the two giveaways happening this week: the photobook of all my New York adventures  AND the gift certificate to the Country Outfitter boots!

Mae's is providing me with jewelry for the span of Fashion Week but all opinions expressed are my own.  It really is a magical place and if you're within driving distance to Northwest Arkansas you should really check it out!!

things I heart thursday :: new office

So the move has come with quite a bit a arranging and rearranging.  My Mister has good taste so I haven't "needed" to have any big room makeovers, but I did claim an unused closet (with surprisingly great natural light) as my own.  This is my spot where glitter and fabric and scrapbook paper (and blogging) can run amok while only occasionally disturbing other members of the household. 

If you follow me on Instagram you may have gotten a peek at the bright yellow frames I intend to put up on one of the walls of the office.  I also plan to stuff it full of books, magazines, and trinkets/ refurbished furniture that I've had since I was two.  I plan on sharing pictures once it's all up and pretty but until then here are some things I'm lusting after to add to the fun factor that this room is al about.

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4

1: I've always like the idea of floor pillows but have never actually used them because I always imagined that they would just look out of place.  But this small space is perfect for them to have a cozy home of their own.

2: This is a rockstar of a pillow guys.  The color, pattern, and texture of the material on this material all scream loveliness to me.

3: This chair could provide a simple colorful contrast against my refurbished (and somewhat ornate) desk.  My dilemma?  I'm not sure if I would like the orange of the chair up against the black of my desk (too Hocus Pocus?)... good thing this beauty comes in seven colors!!!

4: An etsy find that blurs the line between clean graphic lines and fussy antique.  I'm absolutely in love with it. 

Random side note: Apparently Gala (from yesterday's mini-post) was the originator of the "Things I Love Thursday" train of thought. Yay for looking at the positive!!

things I heart thursday :: work it out

Ladies and gents, I have to start working out.  And before the screaming starts, let me say that it's not because I need to lose weight.  That's definitely not my goal.  
It's just that the fact that moving a set of boxes from one side of the house to the other side of the house during my move has totally winded me.  Not to mention the upcoming wedding- because, by golly, there will be dancing and I refuse to be the one on the sidelines catching my breath.  Because that, my friends, would be super sad.  So to inspire me I've put together some cutesy stuff that could (possibly/ maybe) motivate me to get my work out started.

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5

#1- Here's the deal.Like I mentioned before, I'm not working out to lose weight because I'm a skinny girl.  Skinny as in "borders on gangly" so over the years I've realized that on a day-to-day basis a normal non-fitted T-shirt just doesn't do anything for me.  This is much more my style since its both fitted and flirty without being too revealing.

#2- Please see number one above.  I don't have any curves so I'll get where I can take 'em... even if that means sports bras from Victoria's Secret.

#3- Mostly, I just love this color but it's also functional without screaming "Hey world!  This bag contains sweaty stuff!!"

#4- Please see number one above.  Plus check out that yellow!! Yum!  I love yellow wen it's not too close to my face.  And, have you every really spent time in a tennis skirt?  Serena and Venus do. not. play. therefore these things are super functional as well as cute. 

#5- My daily over consumption of caffeine already has me in the under hydrated bracket.  This squeezable bottle has a place where I could stash keys or ID or money... as long as you I don't spend the money on a tall mocha afterward.

So now: audience participation time!!
What should I do?  I like the non-cardio (i.e. no hard breathing) aspects of yoga and pump class, but obviously I need to work on that aspect as well.  I've done Zumba recently but... ehhh... not totally my thing.  I wish I could snap my fingers and become a runner because I like the thought of de-stressing via a workout session... but the mere thought of running stresses me  out so I'm not sure that's a good idea either.

So, seriously, I need suggestions.  Please.

things I heart thursday :: garden edition

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Today I am over at Arkansas Women Bloggers explaining how (my feeble attempt at) gardening is a form of spring cleaning in my mind.  Go over and check it (and these precious gnome guys) out and let me know what you do when you're in the spring cleaning mindset.