Look For Less: Leather Mules

A year ago I would have laughed at myself for even considering purchasing these shoes. I really didn't get the whole 90's shoe/ugly shoe/etc trend when it first came about. Lately, however, my style has really been evolving and changing. I suppose it's a natural side-effect of getting older combined with graduating college and moving to a new city. Whatever the reason, I've come around to this look in a big way. Gotta love how things can change, eh? :)

During one of my many post work shopping trips on King St. (so dangerous to work here) I came across the J. Crew Marlow Mules and fell in love with their un-fussy, chic vibe. The style is such a fun alternative for the typical heels/wedges I wear throughout the warmer months. However, this post-grad budget can't really swing almost $200 for a pair of shoes, so I left broken hearted empty handed.

Fast forward to a different post-work shopping trip last week. I walked into Urban Outfitters to browse and kill time before attending an outdoor movie event nearby. After looking around I discovered their Sloan Mules- a doppleganger for the pair I had been coveting from J. Crew! I tracked down the last pair in my size, tried them on, and immediately walked to the register. Comfy, stylish, and a full $100 less than the pair I originally wanted? Sold!

Always exciting when something like this happens! Have you found any great style steals lately? If so, please share! Happy weekending! xoxo

-Lanie W.

Put Your Heart Into It

Yesterday as we were wrapping up a meeting one of my bosses turned to me and said "Thank you for your hard work. I really think you have your heart in this". I smiled because it meant something I decided to do months ago was actually noticeable to other people.

For her to see recognize something I've been trying to do every single day was definitely one of the nicest compliments ever and the first answer that came to mind (after genuinely thanking her), was "is there any other way to be?".

After graduating college the reality that I would be working for the rest of my life hit me all at once. Envisioning this large expanse of time spent working (almost) every single day was a bit intimidating, especially coming from the structured world of school where you take life semester by semester, six months at a time.

During the midst of this overwhelming post-graduation life confusion I stumbled upon Colossians 3:23 and suddenly everything clicked. The verse states "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for The Lord, not for human masters". Wow- what a perfect answer to the overwhelming fear I had about transitioning from school to the professional world. It all became so simple- when we put God first in all that we do, including our work, we have to put our heart into it.

Living and working for Him (not earthly gain/recognition/money/etc) means we have to invest our soul and energy at the most basic level. What other option is there? Otherwise we spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year passively, unemotionally going through the motions of life and work. Where is the fun in that? Where is the energy-giving, life-affirming passion in that? I decided to shift my focus from the length of time I would spend working to the quality of life I would be living by focusing on Him.

Every day I really try (I say try because I'm so human and fall short all the time) to do my best work, not for myself or even other people, but for Him. When I do that, my heart is invested without even realizing it. I truly care about doing my best, not for a grade or a promotion or a raise or a pat on the back, but because I want to give myself to whatever I'm doing 100%. I want my heart to be an active participant in all that I do.

Now, to be completely transparent I do really enjoy my job. I realize that putting your heart into a career that you don't look forward to doing every day is a lot harder. I have close friends in that situation and I truly wish I could snap my fingers and put them in a job that they love and deserve. Regardless, I think we can all learn from Colossians 3:23. We can risk putting our heart into something by keeping our eyes on Him and working not for the world and what is seen, but what is un-seen. That's where our lives get their real mojo- the buzz and excitement deep inside to wake up every day, drink some coffee, and go out into the world to do our best.

That's really what this life boils down to- imperfect humans trying to do their best every day. We fail, and let's be honest we will keep failing again and again, but His grace keeps us going. Grace and forgiveness and love keeps us from staying down when we fall. Knowing that truth, I'm going to keep working for Him. I'm going to keep putting my heart into my work and life, because in the end He is and will be all that matters- so why not fully invest in that? :)

What do you put your heart into? Your work? Your side passion project? I'd love to hear!

-Lanie W.

Soaking Up Spring

Charleston has seriously hit its stride as far as springtime weather is concerned. It feels like every day is more gorgeous than the last- I'm talking clear blue skies, no humidity (!), warm sunshine and a light breeze. The past week has been gorgeous and I've been soaking up every minute possible outdoors. Some activities I've added to the agenda to take advantage of this pre-summer heat season include:

dining al fresco with the boy:

 going on long post-work/workout walks downtown...

and in my neighborhood

attending outdoor movies in Marion Square:

What are you favorite ways to enjoy this time of year?

-Lanie W.

The Southern C Summit: Recap

I'll admit something nerdy- I love learning. I'm talking real, honest to goodness, "I'm dying to know more about this subject, please teach me" learning- not the type of disengaging "learning" you experienced in school. You know what I mean, when you were forced to sit in a math/science/spanish class that only made you feel beat down and like you were the worlds least intelligent person. Real learning is exciting and inspiring and passion inducing- it never leaves you feeling bad about yourself. #endrant

Although I've been out of college for almost a year, I sometimes I find myself wishing I could spend time sitting in a classroom soaking up useful, interesting (read: relevant to my profession) information. It's easy to think that you diploma signals the end of your education, but I've learned that I will never stop needing to challenge and better myself. Working in social media I feel like there's a new skill to learn or tool to utilize every single day. I don't think I'll ever feel like I've gained all the information about this ever-changing digital medium and that really excites me.

This week I had the awesome opportunity to attend the Southern C Summit, a professional conference for creative business people here in Charleston. I spent two days attending various seminars and learning from creative, passionate, successful people from all different areas of the professional world. The conference was held in the historic American Theater (aka where Noah and Allie have their first date in The Notebook) and its next door neighbor, the William Aiken House. It was incredibly cool to go inside these buildings rather than just walk past them like I've done for years. Their interiors were just as beautiful as you would expect- the history nerd in me was in heaven!

Day 1: 

Day 2:

From magazine editors, to business owners, to bloggers the speakers shared their knowledge in a real + relatable way. They didn't sugar coat the hard parts of their work, or spare us the nitty gritty details of what it takes to create success, and I really appreciate that. While I enjoyed everyone, Mandy Rye of Waiting On Martha was definitely my favorite presenter overall. Her session of social media strategy was beyond helpful and inspiring. I kind of wish we were best friends now- homegirl was hilarious, blunt, passionate, and brilliant at what she does. Oh, and her outfit was so on point. #girlcrush

I think I appreciated Mandy's honest session so much because it took away the smoke and mirrors, "oh I just woke up with 100,000 followers" vibe that social media can often create. In the end we're all just imperfect humans trying to live and work and "do life" the best we can. It's so inspiring when we can come together, admitting our innate humanness, and share knowledge to help one another grow. It was truly a beautiful thing to experience and I feel totally re-charged. I'm looking forward to taking what I learned and tackling my work with a renewed excitement and thirst to work harder, better, and smarter. Happy weekend! xo

-Lanie W.