Resilience and Liking What I Wear

If you have been following my blog these last eight months

you know I have been dealing with a lot of things of late.

It's definitely been a challenging season of life to say the least.

And recently the word that sticks with me is 

Resilience.

And the importance in life

to become resilient.

What I have learned from not only surviving a marriage betrayal

but  coming out the other side

with a much more loving marriage

is that I am stronger than I thought.

My mother's death three weeks ago

has definitely been a challenge.

As well as witnessing the pain left behind in those I love.

But  I am more committed than ever before

to grow stronger

and 

become resilient.

At my age

I have a limited time left on the planet

I want to make each day count.

I want to focus on the good and beauty in life.

I want to be able to weather life storms

with strength, grace and courage.

I am more committed than ever to not only

Self Care

but

Mental Health

 as well.

I am proud to say I have 

and 

regularly see a therapist.

Life is hard.

And I want to do everything in my power

to do life as well as I possibly can.

I know for me not only is a therapist helpful

but so is working out regularly

and 

eating healthy.

I need to start my days 

every day

with quiet reflection

and 

Intentional Gratitude.

I choose to put my focus on all of the good in my life.

And on the days that grief comes rushing in so hard

I am taken down

I will give myself grace.

I will not be afraid to feel the hurt and loss.

I will stop and accept it as part of life.

but in that same moment

I will remind myself

I won't always feel the pain.

I will remind myself ...

I am resilient.

I am loving.

I want to live my life well.

Find beauty.

Help where I can.

Learn to be light and love.

And do you know what helps me everyday

with all of this ...

Liking what I wear.

I know everyone might not be able to relate

but being able to choose what I want to wear

is like a soothing layer of protection 

from some of the hard parts of life.

Some days

like my mother's funeral

it feels like a protective armor 

when I need it most.

So that I can stand up with a loving tribute

to the women who taught me the importance of 

Self Care.

Some days

getting dressed

is simply 

a reminder that there is beauty in life.

Other days 

it's a simple diversion.

Choosing what I wear is something

 I can actually control and impact.

On the good days

it is truly a creative outlet for me.

I can dress to express

who I am that day.

But the point is

for me

liking what I wear

is not just 

Self Care

but part of my 

Mental Heath Investment.

Life can be hard.

I want to be resilient.

And on a lighter note

speaking of the importance of

Liking what I Wear ....

How fabulous is this summer dress from

Soft Surroundings!

You can find it HERE

It's made of linen 

with silk gussets.

The halter top is tied with a silk scarf at the neck.

It's perfect for a summer stroll or date night.

I styled it with a full slip underneath.

I like the feeling of a swish of fullness at the bottom.

The bone bracelets are my designs 

that are in stock in my shop.

My basket is imported from Africa.

My hat is one of my favorite Frank Olive designs.

The shawl is a favorite vintage find.

So for me 

I can truly say 

a creative wardrobe

and 

Liking what I Wear

is both 

Self Care 

and 

an investment in my own

Mental Health.

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life

Del Coronado Anniversary

Last week Jeff and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary

at the
 Del Coronado
 in San Diego!

This year

maybe because we have just done our daughter Ellis's wedding

or 

maybe because Jeff and I are now truly empty nesters

I have such reverence for our nearly 3 decades together.

As with most couples who have been married for decades

we have have had good times and hard times.

Jeff has seen me through the death of my sister

my personal bought with cancer

business ups and downs

and 

together we have raised three remarkable adults.

These rings have been with us the whole time

and 

now they are even more beautiful to me

as a symbol of our togetherness.

Designed to represent two people coming together as one

but still

able to remain individuals

they symbolize our relationship beautifully.

After not really celebrating our anniversary big

for years

while we were so busy with kids

this was the perfect year to take time away

and 

celebrate our 29 years of being a married couple.

For our trip to the iconic Del Coronado

I packed a wardrobe of greys and whites.

Picking a color palette 

and 

having an idea of occasion and plans

 makes packing so much more easy and successful for me.

I knew I would be getting plenty of use out of my new

J Crew Toothpick jeans
 I picked up in Malibu

on our impromptu getaway!
For me
white jeans are a year round staple
here in Southern California!

We had a lovely suite room with a lovely courtyard view.

But I couldn't wait to hit the beach!

Because I heard they had cabanas to rent!

The queen size cabanas were one of the trip highlights for me!
With a moveable canopy for shade
it felt like having your very own room on the beach!

This was our wonderful view for the afternoon!

The cabanas come with food and drink service as well!

Which all  made for a perfect anniversary celebration!

My caftan from
Soft Surroundings

was a perfect resort piece for the occasion!

It worked as a swimsuit coverup

as well 

as  comfortable loungewear.
Adding a great sandal and accessories
had it perfect for cocktails inside the hotel!

My extra large Morroccan  Market bag

from Juxtaposition Home

meant I had everything I needed for an afternoon on the beach!

One of my favorite things about Soft Surrounding caftans
(also seen HERE)

is not only that they come in different lengths

(I always have a hard time finding pieces that are long enough)

but they also sell cotton knit  slips for underneath!

Something up until now

I found almost impossible to find!

My throw from IKEA always makes the perfect beach wrap!

As the sun set

it was time for dinner at the Del.

Sunsets at the Del are remarkable!

But even better than dinner and the sunset

was the fire pit we rented to do smores!

Since some of our kids live in San Diego

it was a  perfect impromptu get together!

Besides renting a full serviced fire pit

you can also order all the makings for smores

as well as beer or wine 

right there on the beach!

As someone who entertains often

the sheer ease of just having to show up

and 

have everything set up 

and
 brought to you

was worth every penny!

More time to savor and enjoy time with
some of my very favorite people in the world!

Mornings many times on our Southern California beaches

can be foggy.

So I knew my second

Soft Surrounding piece

would be perfect for a morning beach stroll and coffee!.

This 'Lazy Day Lounger'
 is the perfect maxi length

kangaroo pocket sweatshirt.

Not only did it work for cozy beach resort wear  in the chilly morning  air
but it will be a pieces to upgrade my home wear as well!

I paired it for the beach with my faux fur 'stole' from 

Restoration Hardware last winter season
and
a turban I made for the occasion!

I always appreciate bringing along a tote for beach walks 

so I don't have to carry my shoes

or

fret about my phone.

And I always have a hat 

for protection

in case the sun does come out!

It was such a beautiful memorable weekend.

I have just as much appreciation for the foggy greys

as I do the blue skies
at the beach.

 I think so much of living a beautiful life

is learning to recognize the beauty

that is right before us

rather than yearning for what we think we want.

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy 

as you style your life