Organize Me Monday: Style Notebook (part 3)

As we wrap up our three part series on my style notebook (you can catch part 1 and part 2 if you missed them) I want to talk to you today about adapting this system for other projects or topics. Although I certainly love fashion (live and breathe it actually) there are a lot of other great ways you can use this system to keep your life organized!

One idea I have (and probably a future set of notebooks for me) is for home decorating. There are so many beautiful ideas out there, that although you may not replicate completely, they lend themselves to giving lots of inspiration!

image via pinterest

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Tide and Bloom: New Year's Eve Style

Oh hey 2014- I can't believe you are staring me in the face! Friends can you believe New Year's Eve is next week? I'm barely recovered from Christmas!

Well, it's time to start thinking about all those fabulous parties on your busy social calendar and what you're going to wear! If you want to see my perfect party pick, head on over to the lovely blog Tide and Bloom run by my outrageously talented friend Christina Kwan. She's so fabulous I can't stand it!

Thanks for having me Christina- I had so much fun teaming up!

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Puff It Up

Although winter in Florida is often less than chilly, I still can't tear myself away from my favorite winter piece - the puffer vest! Something about these puffy vests just makes me melt (or is that the Florida sunshine) :) 

I love this casual, comfortable outfit for running around town and making my after-christmas returns and exchanges. If it gets to toasty warm I can slip off my puffer to reveal this comfy striped sweater. It's the perfect outfit to wear while checking things off your to-do list! 

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Holiday Memories: My Favorite Ornaments

One of my favorite holiday traditions is decorating the Christmas tree with my family. What I love about our tree is how unique it is. Each and every ornament has been handpicked or gifted to one of us, and every year my mom buys each of us a special ornament representative of something we loved that year or an activity we were involved in. Looking at our tree is like getting a glimpse of our history, and each year as we decorate we reflect on the stories behind the ornaments.

Here is a peak into some of my favorite ornaments from our tree!

Reindeers shoe shopping- from when I worked for Payless Shoe Source Corporate

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Christmas Cozy

When deciding what to wear for Christmas day, one word kept reverberating in my brain... "cozy". The temperatures finally dropped in Florida (to a chilly 70 degrees!) and visions of bundling up were dancing in my head.

My family tradition is to wake up at 6:30 am and open presents in our PJs, then we have breakfast, open stockings, get ready and head to my extended family's house about an hour away- so Christmas is a busy holiday for us!

I wanted to be cozy and comfortable for this busy day, and a bow sweater was the perfect way to feel festive! I am obsessed with these bow smoking loafers I found a Kohls (a STEAL at $35) and with my trademark gold bow necklace I felt wrapped up like a present! Buddy even got in on the fun with a festive Christmas sweater- he loved it!

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Wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Christmas is just my favorite time of year! I love being surrounded by family and friends and coming together to celebrate our sweet Savior's birth. It's the perfect time of year to reflect on blessings and remember just how lucky and loved we each are (both here on earth and in Heaven). 

I hope that this special day brings you joy and cheer as we celebrate the one who loves us more than words can describe! Merry Christmas!

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark! The Herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

I hope you and your loved ones have the merriest of Christmases this year! 

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Organize Me Monday: Style Notebook (part 2)

Last week I introduced you to my Style Notebook, part 1, where I organize all the outfit ideas that I get from magazines and look-books. But if you are as organized as me, you are probably wondering how to keep track of all the ideas this binder conjures up! So today I am introducing you to part 2 of my system, the actual "style notebook" in the system!

All the pieces working together look like the below:

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Fab-Find Friday: Old Navy Fair Isle Cardigan

This fall season I have been LOVING the oversize chunky/tribal sweater trend. Every time I see one it conjures up images of snuggling by the fire with a big 'ol mug of cocoa. I love that whether you are having a skinny day or one of those inevitable "chubby days" these sweaters hide all sins and yet still look pulled together!

I got this cardigan from Old Navy on Black Friday for 50% off- it was a steal at $25! To finish off the look, I paired it with my Lilly Pulitzer travel pants (you can read about my love for them here) and my favorite Sam Edleman boots (they are the perfect riding boots)! I would wear this outfit running errands on a chilly weekend or brunching with my friends- it would keep me warm if we sat out on the porch!

Tell me friends, are you loving the Tribal sweater trend?

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Loved it Once, Bought it Twice (Look 2)

If you tuned in yesterday then you already saw this skirt's hot pink twin sister (if not,  check it out). Seriously folks, I can't rave enough about how this skirt combines both style and comfort- a winning combination!

For my second styling of this skirt, I was inspired by the balmy Florida fall and dreaming of wearing this in the summer strolling along the shore. The bright blue tee, turquoise skirt, and accessories scream "ocean" - I can already feel the sand between my toes!

Now, how many days until Summer??

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Loved It Once, Bought It Twice (Look 1)

One of my shopping mantra's has always been "if you love it once, buy it twice" - meaning that when you find something you love, don't be afraid to buy it in more than one color/pattern/print. When you find something fabulous don't you want to wear it everyday?? Well, when you buy it in more then one version than you can!

When I tried this skirt on, I knew that not only was it coming home with me, but so was its sister! Made of the softest jersey knit it feels like my coziest pajamas yet looks pulled together and effortless. Adding this colorful statement necklace made for the perfect Florida fall look.

Tune in tomorrow to see how I style the turquoise twin of this skirt- you won't want to miss it!

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Organize Me Monday: Style Notebook (part 1)

Friends, today I am going to let you into a special little part of my organized world, my style notebook!

First, a little backstory... This notebook started when I was in high school. I was a voracious reader of Lucky magazine (and still am) and loved tons of outfits in each issue. But the more issues I received the more the magazines I had stacking up. So, I started to think of ways to keep outfits I loved without taking up the space used by stacks of magazines and thus my Style Notebook was born! What started as 1/2" binder has now grown to a 2" mammoth book that is bursting at the seams! 

So why do I keep this notebook? What's the point? 

For me, I use this notebook as a constant source of inspiration. I look though these pages on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis and am constantly inspired to re-mix my closet and try new combinations. I also find that I am often drawn to a very consistent style of clothes (classic, girly, preppy) and so it helps me focus my shopping to see what I am drawn too and keeps me from buying things that don't fit my aesthetic. Sometimes I purchase the exact items I cut out, but many other times I use them to spark an idea when styling myself in the morning.

Here is a peak inside the pages...

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Out of My Comfort Zone

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut... both in life and most definitely in fashion. We find what works for us and we get afraid to take a chance and try something new. Well friends I am here to tell you that the risk can most definitely be worth the reward!

For a girl like me, who is "curvy" on her bottom half, the adorable patterned pants that all the girls have been sporting this season scared the pants off of me (pardon the terrible pun) :) But the more I saw them the more I wanted a pair for my wardrobe. So I took a chance and started trying on a few pairs. I'll be honest... some were downright terrible! But then I found these gems, and my whole attitude changed. Fun, sassy, and slimming... I loved them! When I wore them to work I was heavily complimented and two co-workers even bought them online before I left for the day - now that's what I call making an impact!

It's official... I'm a patterned pants addict now! And taking a risk in the dressing room showed me that in life, as in fashion, sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.

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Fab-Find Friday: Lilly Pulitzer Travel Pants

Friends, I have to be honest with you... pants are not my friends. I have CURVES on my bottom half, which has made it near impossible for me to find great fitting pants. Especially comfortable pants.

Well- hallelujah! I have found the Holy Grail of pants in the Lilly Pulitzer Travel Pant. The minute I put them on in the dressing room I instantly looked (and felt) sassier! And more than that, I felt fabulous, which is how we all want to feel when wearing our clothes right?!

These pants are beyond comfortable (imagine the comfort of your favorite leggings), absolutely perfect for work, play, and life in between, and are affordable to invest in.

Need I say more... Hurry and scoop them up now!!

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Winter Lobster

Friends, Christmas has snuck up WAY to quickly this year - I can't believe we are less than two weeks from my favorite Holiday! If you're like me, you may also be slightly behind in shopping for this wonderful day. My weekends are packed with running around to stores and shops, finding the perfect little "somethings" for all my loved ones. 

With all this running around, comfort is key! For my perfect shopping outfit, I paired this cute little lobster sweater from Forever 21 with my favorite pants from Old Navy, and a pop of leopard on my feet for the perfect shop-til-you-drop look! 

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Ties and Tennis Shoes Gala

On Friday night I had the pleasure of attending the "Ties and Tennis Shoes" Gala in support of the Pinellas Education foundation (you can check out all the awesome work they do for education here).

When I first heard about the dress code for this event I was somewhat puzzled... a cocktail dress and tennis shoes?! I'm sure there was a look of horror on my face friends! However, it was so much fun to wear our comfortable sneaks, hang out on the field at Tropicana Stadium, and play fun games all without our feet hurting at the end of the night!

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Fab-Find Friday: Old Navy Excursion Vest

Happy Friday Friends!

Today I wanted to bring to you a fun "look for less" piece which is this ADORABLE hot pink excursion vest from Old Navy (which is a gem of a store if you ask me)! This vest looks very similar to its much more expensive cousin from J. Crew but at a fraction of the price.

I love excursion vests here in sunny Florida (where the low is around 65 right now) because they give you that fun, fall layered look without the weight and warmth of a puffer vest. It's how we Floridians can participate in fall trends while still being cognizant of the weather!

(Scroll to the end of this post for full outfit details)

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Reflecting on a Thankful Thanksgiving

We are a few days past Thanksgiving, but after a whirlwind of a long weekend at home with my family I am reflecting on all thank I have to be thankful for.

Family- I cannot begin to describe the love and support that my family has given me this year. After going through a tough breakup, my family dropped everything to help me move into a new apartment and start a new chapter of my life (both an exciting and scary one!) As I begin my blogging adventure, once again my family is stepping up to help me. From taking pictures to helping me organize my thoughts- my family is supporting me every step of the way!

Friends- I have been extremely blessed with the most fabulous group of girlfriends! Each of these lovely ladies is so special and each of their friendships offers me something unique. Since graduating college, once a year we take a break from our busy lives and have a fun get-away weekend. I truly cherish these fun times and wonderful memories with such a wonderful group of ladies!

The Lord- There are not words to describe the gratitude I feel towards our sweet, sweet Lord for the abundance of love and blessings He has poured out on me. He gives me strength in times of weakness, has opened doors I didn't even see, and continues to love me and forgive my flaws and shortcomings.

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever" (Psalm 107:1)

Friends, as we head into a busy holiday season I encourage you to continue to reflect on all we have to be thankful for. What tops your list?

An italian Thanksgiving tradition- Antipasti before our turkey dinner! 

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Welcome to Girl Meets Bow!

Welcome friends to my new little piece of the internet... and my "mobile home". I am so excited to begin this exciting new project of mine... a fashion and lifestyle blog focused on organization, style, and putting a "bow" on every occasion in life!

I hope that my lil blog will be one you enjoy reading as much as I am enjoying writing it! My hope is that my ideas and posts will inspire you and spark an interest or idea you didn't have before- let's learn together!

I am so looking forward to sharing life, style, and organization with you! xoxo

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