The Style
These boots were the best find I think I have ever had at any store, ever! I purchased these great Stuart Weitzman leather ankle boots, with silver spikes, from Saks Off Fifth for $11 — yes, that was the deal. The shoes happened to be on sale, then additional sale, and then I had a few coupons, which brought the price down to a grand total of $11. On that same day, I also nabbed this amazing mohair sweater in a beautiful rich wine color. It is furry, but not scratchy. The leather skirt was purchased during the Nordstrom anniversary sale and it is definitely one of my new favorite looks. To pull in a bit more of that red color, I added these great tights from Hue! I love tights…practical and fun! I hope you enjoy my biker chic look!
Mohair Sweater purchased at Saks Off Fifth (similar styles here, here, and here — all at Off Fifth)
High Waist Zip Mini Faux Leather Skirt by Blank NYC purchased at Nordstrom
Opaque Tights in Deep Burgundy by Hue
Ankle Boots from Stuart Weitzman purchased at Saks Off Fifth (similar style here)
The Mood
Over the past few weeks, I have been working really hard to create space in my life. Just like so many other people I am overscheduled and overworked and I quickly realized it was taking too much of a toll on me. I decided to take an inventory of my commitments and my relationships and start scaling everything back. I knew that I needed to spend more time doing the things I love; the things that refill my energy tank. But, in order to do that, I also knew I needed to cut back. As I took a look at how I was spending my time and the people I was spending my time with, I opted to remove quite a few activities from my schedule.
The first thing I worked on was cutting back on my volunteer service. I have been serving on multiple nonprofit boards, but I have not been particularly involved or effective due to my being overextended. So, I resigned from one of those boards and I now have more time and energy to devote to my other nonprofit board that, honestly, is more aligned with my passion.
Additionally, as an older sister (and as a woman), I have a tendency to spend a lot of time worrying about those I love and trying to solve the problems of those around me. I realized that this worrying and obsessing over my siblings was draining me and it also wasn’t my place. So, I am learning to keep my thoughts to myself more often and instead allow my siblings to live their own lives.
And, last, but certainly not least, I am spending more time on the activities that refill my tank, such as photography, golf and tennis, and on my “pampering” activities, such as visits to the nail salon and spa. I now have regular appointments at the nail salon and spa. I also set out time each week to take photos around the city, usually in the mornings. By scaling back my commitments and prioritizing self-care, I am already beginning to notice positive changes in my mood, complexion and health.
