Neighborhood: Northlake
Day Job: Senior Customer Associate at Anthropologie
Dream Job: Working in a retail corporate office
Describe your personal style.
My style is very feminine. I love lace, bows, floral prints and color. Dresses are my go-to because they are such an easy outfit, and I definitely own one too many fit and flare dresses! I make sure what I wear is comfortable and reasonable for what I’m doing so I wear flats way more than heels.
There are some spots that are so special, you find yourself staying a lot longer than you had originally planned. Of course, this can be a good thing. At least when it comes to sweet little spots like Amelie’s! This Carolina import feels right at home in West Midtown, a burgeoning area of all things cool and well-crafted. I didn’t know what to expect really, but when you say french bakery, I come a-runnin. And I was nothing short of enchanted.
The eclectic and quirky decor, the warmth of the staff, the well-baked baguettes… it’s like a divine melody composed specifically for the purpose of perking up my day. Starting out with the traditional jambon sandwich was a dangerous decision. One little sandwich was not enough baguette to top off my day. I was compelled to eat more bread and I even ended up taking a whole other baguette home. Can you blame me? I daydream of mornings spent strolling through the streets of Paris, picking up a fresh and warm baguette at a corner cafe. Amelie’s is probably as close as I can get right now!
Do you ever see or meet women who make you think to yourself “man, she is so cool; I want to be her when I grow up.” Well, today I aspire to be one of those women, to serve as my own inspiration.
Yesterday I added this jacket to my wardrobe and I couldn’t be more excited about it! I see women pull off these moto-slash-army (aka anorak) jackets all the time and I’ve never been able to envision myself being able to, until now. It’s fitted yet casual, classic yet edgy and it will be the perfect layering bridge moving into the fall.
Instead of living in comparison to others, I’ve decided that my future self is the person I’m trying to live up to.
One of the things I love most about Atlanta is the ever-present accessibility to nature. There’s not a place I can think of where you’ll lose sight of trees, bushes, flowers, and leaves. And within an hour drive in any direction, you can always find nature preserves, hiking trails, or places to get lost in. This past holiday weekend, I FINALLY made it to Arabia Mountain.
Like Stone Mountain, Arabia is pretty much a big rock you can hike on and around. Composed of migmatite, the rock material itself has a lovely swirled pattern akin to granite. Yeah, it actually sparkles.
August is almost over and I can hardly believe it. We are well past half-done with 2014 and I feel like there’s still so much to do. And so much to sort out. Since I’ve embarked on this working full-time journey, it’s been difficult to get in all the local adventures I’ve become so accustomed to enjoying. When I’m not at work I’ve got just enough time to relax and recharge – and maybe paint and cook a bit – before I have to get right back into the thick of it. So I’m gonna go ahead and cheat by stealing pics from my instagram to share with you all the little things I’m loving lately. It’s these little things that keep me going. The little moments of everyday comfort, wonder, and beauty.
This has been by far my favorite outfit of the past two weeks. I don’t typically buy, let alone wear, so much Free People, but this over sized tee and this stretchy pair of pants fits me just so. I wore it to work on a Sunday and it couldn’t have been better; so casual yet confident, almost as if #iwokeuplikedis. I highly recommend you go into your nearest FP and try on both of these things. I’d be surprised if you didn’t want them in your closet immediately.
I gotta hand it to myself. Though I’m often dead tired on my off hours, I’m still managing to get some good pattern painting in there. The main driving force behind it is a surprise I will be revealing very very soon! I’m doing my best to get a variety of organic motifs for a cohesive colorful collection. Stay tuned to see why..
Yes, guilty, another picture with coffee in hand. Working a lot means consuming a lot more caffeine. It’s just too difficult not to have this everyday indulgence. I’m an addict. At least every now and then I can manage to get a really nice cup, like this one from Octane Grant Park.
Okay, I lied. I do still manage to have my fair share of fun and discovery. I can’t help it! It’s just part of who I am. It’s just more difficult to capture everything the way I used to, hence the insta-overshare. This awesome Danish wooden salad bowl set (you can’t tell by this picture, but it’s pretty big) was one of many things I loved on a recent browse through Highland Row Antiques. The shop is a secondhand staple in Atlanta and their booths are always being refreshed by the vendors so it’s the perfect place to wander and lust over random objects I don’t need in my life.
Welp, that’s all I got for ya now. Hope it’s enough to keep you entertained and maybe a little inspired? I promise, exciting updates are coming soon. Just hold onto the edge of your seat. I know I am!
If you’re new to reading this blog, welcome. If you’re not, then you know why this exists and where this (might) be going. Every few weeks, months, or whatever, I am compelled to re-explain the impulse behind my writing and sharing in this space. It may seem repetitive or self-indulgent, but it’s absolutely necessary for me to keep these thoughts alive in order to preserve the definition of tide & bloom: a personal and genuine journey. My journey.
Do you remember the good ole days of blogging? Livejournal, xanga, whatever your poison might have been, there was a time when you were able to pour your heart out to the internet without fear of retribution or consequence. You weren’t worrying about what your prospective employers were looking at, you weren’t scared that your family would judge you, and everything was raw and real. Looking back on what I used to put out there as a teenager, I’m embarrassed but also really proud of how much I was willing to feel, and how willing I was to really go there. As silly, ridiculous, and melodramatic as my writing was, it was definitely authentic to who I was at the time.
I hope that to some degree, this is true of my current blog as well. I began writing here as a desire to have a genuine documentation of creative, emotional, and professional growth. That means that sometimes I’m super inspired and rarin’ to go, blogging three times a week…and sometimes I’m really down on myself and don’t know what to do or write about. I do my best to paint a picture of depth, illustrating who I really am, what actually matters to me, and what thoughts influence my direction.
I’ve been wearing contacts on the regular for more than a decade, but you’d never know it unless you’ve seen me on one of my off days. I only pull out the good ole trusty specs when I’m having allergy issues with my eyes or if I’m traveling long distances. Unfortunately this means I’ve been using the same pair (with an out of date prescription) for as long as I can remember. Needless to say, I was way overdue for a refresh. I decided this was the perfect opportunity for me to try out that uber cool hipster Netflix of glasses, Warby Parker.
Have you heard of Warby Parker? Tell me you have. Well, if you haven’t, here’s their manifesto. I had known about them for a while so I was actually pretty excited that I could experience their home try-on process firsthand. Basically what you do is shop their collections online, use their handy dandy virtual try-on using a picture of yourself, and then select five frames to be sent directly to you for test driving. Here’s what I got:
I selected a variety of colors because I decided if I’m gonna get brand spanking new frames, then I’m gonna get ones that are going to entice me to actually choose glasses over contacts. It’s pretty contradictory to my whole getting-ready process to factor in glasses on my face, but I mean, how can I miss out on a chance to have a great accessory? It’s time that I embrace my inner nerd and turn it into outfitting plus instead of a style obstacle. Here’s what they all look like on…
Even if you’re not in love with all things retro, vintage, and antique, your curiosity is bound to be piqued at Chamblee’s antique row. Just off of Buford Highway, you’ll find a small street filled with shops that are full to the brim of random and not-so-random trinkets, furniture, and ephemera. Some spots look like a hoarder’s paradise and others look like movie prop warehouses.
Browsing all of these stalls, it’s easy to forget you’re in Atlanta.
Every now and then, you just gotta treat yourself. Some days, it will be with a doughnut and a vanilla latte. Other days, it’s a great new outfit to make you feel shiny and new. I made the decision to buy this top and pencil skirt because they of how multi-functional and bold they both are; equal parts feminine and strong, contemporary and classic. [ sidenote: this post has made me realize I tend to like pictures of me facing to the left! ]
I’m a huge fan of the crop top trend, but it can be next to impossible to dress it up or take it into the workplace. As I slipped this one over my head, it took me less than a heartbeat to decide that I really couldn’t live without adding it to my wardrobe. It’s so much better than your average shell; the silhouette is structured yet unexpected and keeps you looking fashion-forward, graceful, and confident.
If you’re above the age of twenty-two, there’s a pretty good chance you’re into farmer’s markets. When you get to your mid-20s, you get the cooking bug – if not for taste and craft, then definitely for practicality. This is when all of us start getting really into gardening, cooking, all that domestic crap. Ben and I are certainly guilty of this, and we are not afraid to venture out for some good produce. Solution? Atlanta State Farmer’s Market.
This ain’t your neighborhood farmer’s market. It’s not a makeshift pop-up side job for these guys; they’re the real deal. Rows and rows of farmer-dealers, offering up the most enticing array of fresh fruits and veggies (not to mention spices too)! It’s worth a drive for a good deal if you need a ton of tomatoes, a ton of onions, a ton of cucumbers, a ton of anything. Even better – they also have a nursery.
