The New Scene..

Braving Balance is the new Diamonds on the Vine! Life has changed so much since I last ventured down this creative path. The feeling to start something new representing this chapter of life was one I had to listen to. I’ve missed this creative outlet a ton, so I’ve decided, “why not?”

So what’s changed since my last post in June 2017? Everything.

I have a flair for drama, and that’s an over-exaggeration. Julio (husband) and I decided to have a baby. So I’m still me, but also a mama now. It doesn’t define me, and it is something I’m constantly trying to find balance in. In addition to being a wife, Lady Boss, therapist, friend, sister, and daughter.

One of my idols is Brené Brown. If you don’t know her, you may be living under a rock and I suggest you at a minimum watch her TED talk, or watch her recent Netflix Special. She is all about living bravely, boldly, and being in touch with our vulnerable selves. I venture to do that more here. I am bravely trying to find balance in being a human and professional human helper each and every moment of my life. My goal is to merge all my-selves in this platform, mostly for me.

I am truly honored if you wish to follow along.

I’m Back…!

Hello, internet land. How the heck are ya?!
I simply just can’t even believe that my last post was January 2015. It seems living all the sparkling sweet moments of life has gotten the best of me and kept me from exploring further creative genius via this platform.
I’ve decided to potentially ease back into lifestyle blogging. 
Ease. Like really ease. Not going to do any pretty graphics or fonts here. 
 Just the basics.
And I’m not telling anyone for a bit. So if you’re reading this- thanks for not giving up on me. 
2 1/2 years has flown by, so I’ll give a quick recap (doing so with the use of my Instagram page- because how the heck else am I supposed to remember what I’ve been up to!)
***** Work ***** 
(and part of the reason I stopped personally blogging):
I started my amazing private practice as of June 2015, and it’s been on the up and up ever since. I am rarely taking new patients, and doing lots of great but challenging work with couples, individuals, and families. I love my office and my co-owners have become some of my dearest friends (yes, we are in a legal partnership #workwives #ladyboss).
I am grateful for the privilege to speak into others lives each day. 
I love my work, and I love my humans.  
We have a mental health blog that we all contribute to that makes my heart happy. You can check it out here. 
***** Life *****
Visited New York 
(where Lia lives, and Stephanie, Dan & P move)!
Saw Bean @ Camp
 Saw Prince in Concert March 2015
 Parents, Lia & Mitch came for Derby 2015
 got a sweet camera may 2015
had my 10 year high school reunion
Miami Half Ironman October 2015
Thanksgiving in the Keys 2015
 
      
Christmas in Thailand 2015
Royal Rumble in Orlando January 2016
Keys/Key West March 2016
Asheville April 2016
 
Derby May 2016
Vegas For Dani’s Bachelorette Party May 2016
Boston for the 4th of July 2016
 
 Croatia August 2016
Kanye in Nashville September 2016
Julio became an Ironman October 2016
 Adele Nashville Oct 2016
Voted for a female president Nov 2016
 
  Hamilton New York Nov 2016
Thanksgiving parade in Manhattan November 2016 
Lia & Mitch get engaged
Saw Snoop December 2016
Christmas in Bama 2016

New Years in the Keys with the Fowles 2017
Became God Parents January 2017
  
Chicago for St. Patty’s / Hamilton March 2017
Charleston, SC April 2017
Lia picks her Wedding Venue 
Ran a Half Marathon April 2017
Super fancy Oaks 2017
AmanDerby and 30th Birthday 2017
5 year anniversary and U2 June 2017
Dang…..
That was a lot. But there’s the timeline of my life.
Now let’s see where things go from here!

Happy 2015!


It’s crazy that I haven’t posted in soo long! I’m sorry but life has simply gotten in the way.
2015 has really started with a bang, and 2014 certainly wrapped up with a crazy couple of months as well. In line with my goal for this blog, I’m going to take a moment to reflect on some sparkling moments of the past year. So lets start with 2014: a year in review.
Travels: 
San Francisco. Iceland. Italy. Key West. West Palm. Boca Raton. Philadelphia. Key Largo. Miami. 
House & Home: 
we got settled in our house home. We painted, put baseboards in the kitchen, we decorated, and almost all of our nearest and dearest made trips to see it! 
Accomplishments: 
I started my private practice and went contract employee at my former place of employment.
Listened to more live music.
Joined a CSA
Baked more
Hosted 2 holidays with dear family (Easter & Thanksgiving)
Noteworthy:
My little sister graduated college & flew the nest to NYC
One of my besties had a little baby boy
5 of my dearest friends, and my husband’s sister started the journey of marriage
*  *  *
I’m sure I’m forgetting things, but overall this past year has been filled with love, joy, and sparkling memories! I am pumped for this next year of adventures. A few things I’m looking forward to for 2015 include traveling to Thailand, turning 28, and a renewed dedication to Self. In my profession, I’m always #preach- ing to people that they need to make themselves and their self-care a priority, but this is something that too often slips through the cracks for me. My focus for this year is to be a bit more selfish where I can be and find a better balance between my own priorities and the lives of others.
I hope to share some wisdom and insight into that process this year on the blog.
xox A

Entertaining Essentials: Place Cards

A Thanksgiving table isn’t complete without seating arrangements! Now this may be a little silly, yes, but a gold embossed place-card adds a touch of elegance and avoids the inevitable, “um where should I sit?!?”

Spending a few extra minutes ahead of time can save your guests from the awkward moment as well as take anyone’s special needs into consideration. 
(Like don’t put the vegetarian directly in front of the turkey, or don’t sit someone who’s hard of hearing at the end of the table on their bad-ear side, or don’t seat the 2 year old on top of the white section of carpet!)

Williams-Sonoma Side Dish Technique Class

Sunday afternoon I spent an hour in the lovely Williams-Sonoma store taking a side dish technique class. I guess I should rewind for a sec though and start with, DID YOU KNOW that Williams-Sonoma offers free technique classes where you learn cooking tips and tricks and get to taste-test super yummy free food?!  They send you home with recipe cards, and give you a 10% discount on anything your purchase in the store after the class to boot! 
It was really lovely, and I picked up a few essentials to make Turkey day go a bit smoother!
1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6

Thanksgiving Roundup- Links I Love

I am so pumped for Thanksgiving!! This holiday is often overlooked, and let’s be real, it’s not a big deal– it’s just one meal. BUT, this year, my sister, her husband, and my sweet nephew are coming to visit! Which translates to = i’m hosting!
::inserted excited trepidation here::
I’ve enjoyed not rushing through to my favorite holiday (oh Christmas, you’re so close I can taste you!) and simply be joyous and thankful for family and good food.  
So get your fat pants ready, folks!
1. Williams Sonoma full thanksgiving prep timeline. (uhg, I’m already behind!)
2. Choosing the right glassware for your drinks
3. the necessity for pie: The perfect all butter pie crust.
4. W-S tips for cooking the perfect turkey. Step by step.
5. Creative pie crust techniques for the presentable pie.
6. My chosen cocktail for the big day. anything with bacon wins.
7. Martha’s 36 recipes for thanksgiving leftovers!

Happy Halloween

I’ve never been one to care much for Halloween.
To be honest, scary stuff…just scares me. If I watch a thriller, I need a light on when I go to bed. And the walking dead gets me spooked every week. 
[…which may be due to the fact that my husband thinks its cute to hide, go slack-faced, and make zombie sounds when I turn any given corner for the evening…]
I learned via pintrest that the key to good fake blood is some hershey’s syrup!!
And having all these ingredients on hand already (I know, i know- you’re thinking why the heck did you have corn syrup?!- but we’ll save that for some other time),  I jumped at the last minute opportunity to do a bit of decorating & will even dress up. I saw this makeup tutorial for the character Maleficent and decided, yeah- i can do that. I already have green eyes, though some crazy green contacts would’ve been fun! but a simple face with lots of contouring felt like a welcomed challenge! 
We’ll see how it turns out! Check on my instagram later if you wanna see! 
and Happy Halloween!! 

Un-Healthy Competition


It’s part of human nature to compete.  From somewhere circa 700s BC we’ve been testing our physical prowess and strength through the Olympic Games, and flash forward to today- a healthy sense of competition can still be a great asset.  But, what happens when our competitive nature causes us to feel an overwhelming need to keep up with, or even stay above everyone else in our work, our relationships, our monetary possessions, or our style?
All it takes is a scroll through any social media site to kick that competitive urge into high gear. There are so many people talking about what they have or what they’re doing, creating, and promoting.  Are we truly happy for them, or do our hearts twinge with a feeling of self-defeat because we haven’t done anything warranting a Facebook-officialcelebration lately?
These feelings can drive us to a repetitive quest to always stay on top – to look better, do more, achieve greater results, or at the least keep up appearances that we are. This exhausting loop can lead to frustration, anger, and even feelings of self-doubt. And since we don’t live in a bubble, feeling this way about our own lives, will also in turn affect our relationships with the people we care about the most. 
But what if, instead of giving in to this need to be above or better than others, we chose to simply acknowledge the success of others, instead of tearing them down so we might look or feel better?  It turns out, the old adage of “treat others the way you wish to be treated” has some street cred on how we internalize happiness. The Journal of Social Psychology published a study that showed after 10 consecutive days of completing one random act of kindness for others, participants rated their own level of happiness significantly higher.
Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies showed a “positive feedback loop” between kindness and happiness. In simple terms: engaging in one kind deed (for example, taking your mom to lunch) would make you happier; and the happier you felt, the more likely you are to then do another kind act. Thus, igniting a loop of never-ending happy. 
When we choose to genuinely encourage someone to do what they feel passionate about, or commend someone for an achievement, it can be truly self-empowering as well.  If you set an intention to find beauty in others and put a rest to competition, the benefits could be endless. 

Lust or Must

I am just loving these “miss en dior” tribal earrings. Some celebs have been spotted wearing them, Emma Watson even just rocked one in one ear on the red carpet for the golden globes. But with the Dior name, also comes a hefty $410.oo price tag. 
Pearls are definitely making a comeback this fall, so i’ll rock this look for way less!!
I snagged this pair on Bauble Bar for 28.00
Etsy also has lots of great options too! Like this pair for 19.50
I like the idea of adding some color with these, these neons, or these pretty pink ones. 

Fall Floral Monogram

This little DIY was inspired by the fake flowers at JoAnne fabrics being on sale! I had gotten these paper mache letters from JoAnne’s a while back in our monogram to do something with- (I think at that time I was leaning towards sticking some light bulbs in them to do a light up monogram- but looking back, that was just too complicated!)  I had seen a project similar to this in the spring somewhere, so I thought I’d throw a fall-floral-spin on it to add some of these tones to the mantle for the season change!
I used: 
small and large paper mache letters 
green floral foam (easily cut on a cutting board with a kitchen knife)
Hot glue gun
fall toned silk flowers & leaves