9 Things to Wear Before the End of Summer!

August 16, 2020 Kimberly Mcdowell

The summer months are quickly passing us by and school is beginning to start. Soon we’ll be feeling the crisp air of fall. WELL, here in Savannah, its still hot as ………let’s just say its really hot. Since we have a little while before it really cools off, let’s talk about some of the things I truly enjoy about the hot weather. Here I’m highlighting 9 cool things to wear before summer ends!

Bold Earrings

Earrings from Ginen Wrap by Sophie Patel (www.ginenwrap.com) $25

Both earrings are from The Gilded Stone (www.thegildedstone.com)Multi -Color $32 Tortoise Moon - $28 — Both earrings are from The Gilded Stone (www.thegildedstone.com)
Multi -Color $32
Tortoise Moon - $28

Bright Headwraps

Headwrap from Ginen Wrap by Sophie Patel (www.ginenwrap.com) $35

Chunky Wedges

Glowy Palettes

This look is Pat McGrath’s Mothership V - Bronze Seduction palette $125Another great one is the Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet $49Both palettes have a special duochrome shadow that’s a gamechanger! — This look is Pat McGrath’s Mothership V - Bronze Seduction palette $125
Another great one is the Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet $49
Both palettes have a special duochrome shadow that’s a gamechanger!

Flesh Tone Swimsuits & Alluring Waist Beads

Swimsuit by Asos $24 for both piecesCover-up from Fashionova Curve $20Waist beads I stole from my niece but Amazon has tons! — Swimsuit by Asos $24 for both pieces
Cover-up from Fashionova Curve $20
Waist beads I stole from my niece but Amazon has tons!

Nude Flip Flops

Sassy Straw Bags

Leopard Bag from Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse $20Straw Clutch from Amazon $12.99 — Leopard Bag from Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse $20
Straw Clutch from Amazon $12.99

Statement Eyeglasses

These are my fun picks for the summer so pardon me while I go sit in my backyard in my swimsuit. LOLOL!!!

Until next time,

-K

Marriage Chronicles: Top 3 Questions my Single Friends Ask about Getting Married

August 4, 2020 Kimberly Mcdowell

I’ve spent a great deal of time on my posts talking about fashion, event planning, and diy’s but truthfully, the majority of my time is spent being wife and mommy. So this post is focused on one of my most important positions and that’s being George’s wife. I was chatting with friends recently and a couple of them expressed their anxiety about getting married. I’ve heard this so many times and have tried to capture the three most frequently asked questions I get about marriage, from those who’ve never been married.

Remember, this is only from my point of view and its extremely important to understand that I cannot speak for every married person, but I can sure tell you a thing or two about me!

Is it Worth it?

It totally depends on your mindset and core values. I think the best analogy I can come up with is your HOME- Rent vs. Buy. If you believe ultimately that you want a forever home so you can put down roots and have a true place that is yours, you may want to buy (marry). If you love the security of a commitment, or you want to invest fully into something long-term, then marriage is totally worth it. If your ultimate goal is flexibility, you don’t want to be tied down, or you cringe at the thought of ever being responsible and tied to one person for the rest of your life, then you may choose not to marry.

Your preference may also depend a great deal on your religious views, traditions, and as I said earlier, your core values. Think about it. Just like when you are contemplating the purchase a home….

Core Values tell you- Renting is a waste of money, I want to buy.

Dating: Even though I’m working on my credit and saving money, I ultimately want to buy a home.

Find your person: Wow, I’m investing quite a bit into this rental. I’m afraid to put too many updates into it because I don’t own this home.

Get Married: So happy we closed on our home. I can’t wait to decorate! Maybe in a few years we’ll add another bedroom.

Married for a while: Oh my, the roof needs to be replaced. Let me tackle that. We need a new AC unit, let’s save for a replacement. We need to renovate!

Marriage not working out: It seems that I’ve outgrown this starter home, time to find a new one that suits my needs a lot better.

You get the point! Just remember what you put in is what you get out and if you don’t pay your rent or mortgage, you will eventually be evicted.

2. What is the Transition like from Single to Married?

The best way to gauge this is to ask yourself, am I really my true self with this person? Or how “perfect” am I pretending to be with this person? My suggestion is to have a good “come to Jesus” talk with your mate and lay all your toxic traits on the table so you both can decide whether you want to be bothered or not. George and I do a lot more communicating now in our 16th year of marriage than we did early on. Be as clear as possible with your intentions, try your best to not get offended so easily, and talk about issues when you are not angry so you don’t say hurtful things that you can’t take back. Plus, if you have never lived together, that adds a whole new layer of issues that take getting used to.

Just for kicks, I’ve listed some of the areas George and I sometimes butt heads on. We are pretty cordial in how we handle them all but once upon a time we weren’t so nice.

Thermostat (hot vs. cold)
Messy Mates vs. Neat Freaks
The Holidays! How do we spend time with all of our family?
Togetherness vs. Give me my space
Family Members: When is it too much?
Parenting Styles

3. How to Create Space for the Relationship to Grow?

Simply put? Share often! Talk about dreams, fears, toxic traits, goals, everything! The more you share the more comfortable your relationship will become to change and growth. The more you share, the more prepared your mate will be with new things you bring to the relationship. You both won’t grow at the same pace so be prepared to love them just the way they are. If you’re the one who doesn’t want to change or grow, don’t hinder your mate’s progress. We often associate the changes with the idea of them outgrowing us. This isn’t always true. When you communicate, you ease this fear somewhat because they’ve heard it before and it’s not just coming in out of left field. It all goes back to being as open as you possibly can and honest about your needs.

I keep a hobby of some sort, I know my poor husband is like “What you doing now!!?” “Go sit down somewhere!” I just figure, the more I keep busy, the less I’m harassing him. He’s such a trooper too. He will always ask, ok where is this coming from? And that allows me his ear to tell him all about it. George you’re the real MVP.

I hope this will help someone and please share with me some of your marital qwerks and how you fix them!

Until next time,

-K

TGH Tips to take you from Blahhh to Brick House!

July 22, 2020 Kimberly Mcdowell

Today’s topic was spurred by an old Facebook memory photo that popped up from back in 2010. My sister and I cringed and giggled at how much I had changed over the years. To my defense, my priorities were a lot different back then as a wife and mother of two boys under the age of eight.

Now wait a minute, I am not saying that you can’t care for yourself if you have children, I’m simply saying that in this specific scenario, I didn’t. In my head, self-care was something you felt guilty about especially if someone else had to keep your children while you do it. It seems we go through this dark phase where you look like some ashy cast of gray is clouding your skin, your clothes aren’t bad but they aren’t great. You lose whatever spunk and style you had and worst of all, people make you feel guilty for having time away from doing motherly duties. Let me be clear, I love being a Momma to my boys. Especially when they were little, I would jump at their beck and call and I still do. Momma was tired though. I used to say all the time, you know how you see those stray female dogs roaming the street with their breast looking like they were sucked dry by a litter of puppies? That’s seriously how I felt. But as a wife and mother, you carry on.

Well, as the children get to be more independent and your budget isn’t being drained by childcare and formula, you start to see a light at the end of the tunnel. You’re able to shift your focus a bit before college rolls around and you’re broke again. For me, it was like a switch turned on. I was over feeling blahhhh, I used to be pretty cool back in the day. What happened? I didn’t waste time trying to figure that out but I did focus on how I really wanted to feel and look. Simply put, I wanted to be a mom my children were proud of and I wanted to look like a trophy wife.

So if this story resonates with you for any reason, I’m sharing my confidence building tips that help me get my glow back.

Know How to do Basic Maintenance

If this quarantine has taught us nothing else, it has definitely proven how important it is to know how to maintain your look on your own. My husband came home one day and said you know, I’m glad you know how to do your own hair and pedicure, people are really starting to look rough. I chuckled and told him I was flattered but he really does have a point. In tough times this is key. Learn how to do your basic care like pedicures, hair, make-up, waxing, eyebrows. Even if you are not a professional, when you’re in a pinch you’re still able to maintain your sparkle. We may not want to admit it but when you look good, you feel good. Where to start you say??? YouTube Girllll!! I’m telling you, it has totally changed my life. I knew nothing about make-up except what my sister would do to me, but nothing on my own. Now I can put my face on in fifteen minutes and look pulled together. If you have a girlfriend that knows these things, grab her and ask her to teach you. I promise you will be glad you did.

Shape Wear and Under Garments

Invest in good bras, underwear, and shape wear. I cannot stress enough how easy it is to cheapen your look by having ill-fitting unmentionables. Prep your canvas by investing in bras that help the girls sit where they belong, under wear that enhance your figure, and shape wear that smooths any bumps. This will instantly set you a part. Trust me, a compliment hits different when it’s given with respect. It separates the ladies from the girls.

Dress for the Body You Have

You’re not alone. I too have those clothes hidden in the back of my closet that I plan to one day get back in. I keep them for motivation. But! I am a firm believer in dressing for the shape and size I am now. You truly don’t have to wait until you lose weight to be pretty. You’re always pretty! Why not let your wardrobe reflect that. Start by taking inventory of your closet, try things on and purge anything that doesn’t make you look good. Everyone’s style is different so you know what truly makes you feel pretty. Don’t be afraid to gift those items that don’t serve you. You may also want to consider your size, age, and the image you want to portray. If your clothes don’t represent that, its time to do some shopping. Take the time to find whatever formula works for you and accentuates your favorite parts. This is an instant confidence builder.

Take whatever your Outfit Plans are for the day and Turn It Up a Notch

What does this mean Kim?? Simply put, this means put a dash of effort into it every time you get dressed. If you plan on wearing pj’s all day, just be sure they match and your hair is managed. I love to throw on a head wrap or scarf when I don’t feel like doing my hair. This makes you look pulled together even in pajamas. Lounging for the day? Don’t just throw on that ratty old house dress that has holes in it. Grab a nice one that is still comfortable and you can also pair with some nice slides if you have to run out of the house unexpectedly. If you don’t feel like overdoing it with some over the top outfit? Keep the simple one you love and just do some nice makeup with a bold lip. The point is to find a way to put the tiny extra bit of effort into what you look like regardless of what mode you’re in. I have tons of work clothes but I was caught slipping when we were quarantined, I had nothing but old t-shirts and mismatched bottoms to work and chill around the house. Yeah, there is nothing wrong with that but I looked so sloppy. I had to get it together and just put a little care into my chill fits as well.

Try New Things to get Inspiration

I’m extremely visual and love looking at pictures for inspiration. Magazines, websites, Pinterest, you name it. I’m always surfing and soaking up all the visual goodness this world has to offer. Whatever inspires you, do it, touch it, smell it! Explore new things. My style is pretty classic and I don’t waver too far from that, but I love to try out something new. Even if I do or wear it only once. This is how you keep things fresh. For example, my thighs are my least favorite part but I was determined to finally wear shorts this summer. I did it! I did it several times and nobody died or was cursed because I did. I enjoyed every bit of it too. So cut yourself a break and take that small risk. It may open up a whole new part of you that you never knew existed.

This was so much fun! I love uplifting people and showing that we may all have something in common. Be careful though, when you make this shift to put effort into your appearance you may get some minor backlash like I did. I was told that I’m vain, shallow, and have my priorities in the wrong place. These people clearly don’t know me. Caring about your appearance does not mean you don’t care about anything else. Caring about your appearance does not mean you don’t spend time with God. Caring about your appearance does not mean nothing else matters. So my response to those lovely people was “Clearly, YOU caring about MY appearance makes YOU vain, shallow, and YOUR priorities are definitely in the wrong place.”

Until next time,

-K

Curvyscaping: Summer Chic!

July 6, 2020 Kimberly Mcdowell

Hey everybody! The temperatures are definitely rising here in Savannah, GA. Its actually the last day of my vacation and you’ve probably seen all my fun outfits of the day posts on Facebook and Instagram. I’ve been loving the shorts, short dresses and flip flops but here I’ve decided to display some slightly more pulled together looks for my 43 year old self. I like to call it my Summertime Backyard Chic looks.