The Last Time I Saw Paris

  

I first visited Paris when I was 15, and I instantly fell in love.  I was lucky to travel far and wide while I was growing up, but nowhere captured my heart quite like Paris. In the years that followed, I did everything I could to get back to that magical city.  I spent one summer there in college through a Parisian study abroad program, and when my parents asked where I wanted to spend my 21st birthday, I didn’t think twice (even though it’s in March).  It had to be Paris.  In my carefree days before marriage, children, and responsibility, I was even known to jet off for a long weekend.  It all seems like a lifetime ago, and in a way it was.  The last time I saw Paris was in 2007 when I was pregnant with my almost-10-year-old.

After ten years, I’m going back, and I can’t wait!  My mom, my daughter and I are leaving this week for Paris and London.  I’m so excited to see Paris through my daughter’s eyes, because I know she is going to love it as much as I do.  So, as you can imagine, I’ve been mentally planning what I’m going to pack for weeks.  It’s going to be pretty warm during the day, but cooler in the evenings, plus I have to think about London also.  Fortunately, I’ve picked up a few new pieces, which I plan on mixing in with my staples.  As Traci mentioned (here), our good friend, Katy Nagel, recently opened a new boutique, Gray Boutique, in Pensacola, and she has tons of stuff that will be perfect for a trip abroad.

Here’s one look I’m considering for the trip from Paris to London in the Chunnel.  You can’t go wrong with dark jeans when schlepping suitcases and navigating train stations.  What do you think?

30A Songwriters Festival - Did I Have Fun?

The 30A Songwriters Festival has become a tradition for us over the years.  We've made it to the festival every year since it started (except for one), and every year the weekend is full of a lot of music, very little sleep, many late-night dance parties and usually one-too-many adult beverages.  That combination makes for a really fun yet really exhausting weekend, and this year was no exception.

All that being said, I have to admit that this year I was not as excited about the event as I have been in years past.  The holidays really took the wind out of my sails, and the thought of getting the kids packed and ready to spend the weekend with my parents was overwhelming.  My lack of excitement made me start wondering if it was really worth all this effort.  I waffle back and forth between feeling like my life is a monotonous treadmill and a roller coaster.  Too many days of carpool lines, homework, laundry and after school activities, and I want to scream.  Yet, I feel like I push myself to have "memorable" experiences, and I'm not even sure that I'm enjoying them.  I know what you're thinking that I'm just never happy, but I promise I am.  I just can't help but wonder if the anticipation and the memories are sometimes better than the actual event.  What do you think?

We did a version of this brunch for New Year's Day, and it was so good that we decided to repeat it.  The brioche for the French toast was made ahead of time and frozen, so all we had to do was let it thaw the night before.  Because we did not have a left-over beef tenderloin like we did from NYE, we cooked a chuck roast in the crock pot over night in beef broth, red wine and some carrots, onion and garlic for flavor.  The next morning the meat was so tender and tasted great over creamy cheese grits.  

Festival footwear times four!  I've said it before, and I'm sticking with it, closed-toe shoes are a must at a music festival.  These platform Vince kicks (seen in black and limestone) have been my go-to shoes for the last several months.  Traci picked up these super-cute New Balance sneakers at J.Crew, which was conveniently just a few steps from the festival site.  Finally, you can never go wrong with a classic, black running shoe (here).

We loved getting to enjoy the festival with our good friend Laura, who owns one of our favorite shops, Bluetique.

Here are some highlights from John Prine and Levi Lowery.

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Fashion Should Be Fun
A Pocketful of Polka Dots
Flashback Fashion Friday

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WMTH Edits: Wedges

I recently showed off my new Vince Espadrille Wedges, which are just one of the pairs I keep in constant rotation this time of year.  It seems that if I'm not in flats, I'm in wedges.  Being 5'3", I love the extra height they allow without killing my feet.  There is still something alluring about a sexy stiletto, but for comfort, you can't beat a wedge.  Here are some of my picks for this summer!

What We Wore to the Ryman

While a majority of our weekend in Nashville was music, food and friends, we did squeeze in some shopping at Emerson Grace in 12 South.  The store is very inviting and carries lines like Current Elliot, The Great, ALC, Rag & Bone and Ceri Hoover.  Emily picked up a hat by Olive and Pique and I found a boxy crew tee by The Great (both pictured below).  Another great find at Emerson Grace was a bralette from the lingerie line called Anemone.  I bought a pretty grey one would definitely add it to my list of bare necessities.

After a little down time Sunday afternoon, we met in the lobby to snap some outfit photos and head to Rolf & Daughters for an early dinner followed by Jason Isbell at the Ryman.  It was a perfect afternoon/evening.  Check back next week for details on the show.  I was blown away by the acoustics in the Ryman (more on that later).  Check out our outfit details at the bottom of the post and be sure to visit Emerson Grace in Nashville whether you live there or are visiting.

Rebecca Minkoff Crossbody bag

Emily's Olive & Pique hat from Emerson Grace

Kelly Wynne bag from Bluetique | Ex Voto Graham necklace with Ellen Locket

Linking up with: Home of Malones / Stylin in St. Louis / Pampers & Pearls / The Pleated Poppy / Tucker Up / Pumps & Pushups / Cappuccino and Fashion / The Mummy Chronicles / My Girlish Whims

Great Transitional Pieces for Fall

I love dresses because they can be worn year round and styled for the different seasons.  I find it easier to spend money on something that I know I can wear year round.  The Vince Popover dress is effortless.  I love the idea of throwing a long cardigan on top in cooler weather.  Another thing I am really digging lately is small cross body bags.  Clutches are great for dinner but one can wear a cross body and be hands free for a wine tasting, restaurant crawl, or beer festival.  No more trying to find a place to put your clutch!  Check out my picks below.  I love the blue, grey and burgundy all mixed together.  Nice fall colors without being too dark.

As always, thanks for stopping by Waltz Me To Heaven.  We appreciate our readers and would love to hear what you are loving for fall in the comment section.

Dress: Vince Popover

Cardigan: Splendid Downtown Duster

Necklace: Alexis Bittar Spear Pendant

Bracelet: Chan Luu Beaded Wrap

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Biance Cross Body

Shoe: Belle by Sigerson Morrison Wilma Suede Wedge

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Home of Malones / Twenties Girl Style 

Transitional Footwear

When I was growing up there were rules about fashion...no white after Labor Day, your footwear was supposed to be darker than your hemline and absolutely no opened toed shoes between Labor Day and Easter.  During my sorority days, a friend and I played a trick on my mom by writing a letter saying that the Standards Committee of Kappa Kappa Gamma need her help.  The letter read that I continually wore my white, open-toed, sling-back  pumps (she hates sling-backs) after Labor Day, which as everyone knows is a huge fashion faux pas.  I still laugh when I think about the message she left on my answering machine.  By the time I called her back, she had figured out that the letter was a joke because she knew I didn't own any shoes like that, and we both had a good laugh.

These days, the old rules are out!  As summer fades slowly into fall, transitional footwear needs to be not only comfortable in the lingering heat but also have the look and feel of cooler weather.  I love an open-toed bootie in the early fall.  There are so many cute ones out there right now.  The Vince booties have great lines, but be careful because last year the leather was stiff and hard.  For running around town, I'm a big fan of a d'Orsay flat such as the Madewell one pictured below.  And of course, I love my slip-on Vans similar to the Via Spiga pair pictured here.  Until it's time to break out the Uggs, you'll find me in something along these lines.

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Sale, Bargain, Deal, Discount

Sale, bargain, deal, discount...whatever you call it, this time of year, every store from the Gap to Neiman Marcus is having a sale.  The bargains are incredible, and it never hurts when there is an additional promo code.  Stores such as J Crew and LOFT are known for offering discounts on top of the already-marked-down merchandise.  As the marketers begin pushing the next season, consumers can use opportunity to pick up that piece they've wanted all season or even stock up on staples, such as lingerie, denim or simple tees.  Of course, these sales require a little more digging, but if you don't want to take the time there are plenty of personal shoppers (including Waltz Me To Heaven) who will do the dirty work for you.

Below are some things that I've been eyeing all season.  My shopping bags are full on many an online store, but I still need to pull the trigger!  What's in your shopping bag?

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Pampers & Pearls / Tucker Up / The Pleated Poppy /
 The Mummy Chronicles / Cappuccino & Fashion / Pumps & Pushups

OOTD: Summer Whites

You may have noticed that I'm pretty obsessed with this top lately.  I picked it up a couple of months ago at Banana Republic when I was in Atlanta.  There were so many cute tops that it was hard to pick.  For years now, I have not been a fan of Banana Republic, so I was very surprised that I saw so many things I liked.  The whole store seemed to have an edge that I haven't seen in a while.  Perhaps it is because Marissa Webb (most recently of J. Crew) is now at the helm!

But I digress...This top is really easy to keep casual or to dress up.  I wore it last weekend on the boat parade, but before that, I wore it out to dinner at Cafe 30A when we were at Seaside Memorial Day weekend.  I also seem to really be into black and white right now, because I love my summer whites paired with this black necklace.  Below are some photographs before we headed out to a much needed, adult-only dinner.  

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Throw Back Thursday

OOTD: Maxi Dress

Today was warm and sunny so I pulled out my Vince maxi dress from Scout.  My girls and I were able to spend some time in the backyard.  We even climbed a tree!  This maxi dress is so comfortable and easy.  I paired it with my favorite denim Miu Miu wedges and an Alexis Bittar pendant.

                                

Linking up with:
Home of Malones
Stylin in St. Louis
Living in Color Style
Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins
East Coast Nat

OOTD: Black Hat

The weekends these days are consumed with birthday parties and baseball, so I want to keep my style simple and easy.  I love this hat because it protects my face from the sun while staying on trend.  My shoes are Vince, and they have become an all-time favorite!  I actually got them last spring, but to me, they have been perfect this fall and winter.  What is your favorite laid-back look?

Hat | Sweater | Jeans | Shoes (similar) | Sunglasses | Necklace

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Myriad Musings

Bless Her Heart Y'all

Southern Beauty Guide