by Leigh | Dec 30, 2017 | Stories |
I want to share with you some of the really good things I’ve experienced this year. It’s the 2nd to last day of the year and it’s lightly snowing here in PA. We’ve been on vacation this week at 110FRONT and it’s been so relaxing. As I was scrolling through my Bloglovin feed, I thought about my own neglected blog and what I could write about. I’ve always focussed on Fitness, Food and Fashion, because it’s honestly what I love. So, here’s what’s going on:
Fitness — I’ve been doing what I’ve always done: a random mix of whatever I can motivate myself to do and what works with the weather. A typical week includes Spin, Yoga and Jazzercise (which are the things I pay for.) I’ve been trying to curb my spending on “recreation” so after I pay the $35/month for Jazzercise and roughly $40/month for Spin, Yoga is an “extra.” I fill in the other days with free things like walking on the local rail trail or doing a workout on PopSugar. Same ol’, same ol’. Sometimes I make up my own workout. I put on a Pandora station like 80s hip hop or Florence and the Machine and just freestyle it. The only challenge I’ve had with working out is that my back has been…unpredictable… and sometimes I have to take a break from all exercise which is awful. I weigh myself daily and try to aim for a certain number on the scale. It records my weight to my fitbit app so I can see my progress — it’s a true obsession! I have to work hard on acceptance and moderation. I try to focus on being grateful for my overall health. And I have been working on my commitment to going to the chiropractor sooner rather than later. I track steps with my Apple Watch which I’ve had for over a year and I love it.
Food — Currently, I am eating everything. I don’t think Christmas is the time to be on a diet. However, making healthy choices is always in the back of my mind. I think that over the last 20 years I’ve made eating healthy a way of life. A typical day includes coffee with a little cream, breakfast: cereal with milk or eggs with baby spinach/kale and goats cheese and salsa, lunch: a sandwich made with leftover chicken, some kind of cheese, whole grain bread or salad with chicken or tuna, nuts, olives, tomatoes and homemade oil and vinegar dressing, dinner: veggie burgers with yam fries, pasta with tomato/pesto sauce or maybe tacos. I snack on almonds, cashews, cheese sticks, dark chocolate and lately: homemade cookies. Once a week we order Chinese food or pizza. I’m trying to quit diet coke, so I drink water or seltzer or green tea. I got Gwyneth Paltrow’s book, It’s All Easy, which looks really pretty in my book case. I have good intentions to use it one day. I get really bored cooking every day, thinking up what to make, but the kids are helping more and more and my husband will cook if I ask, so it’s constantly evolving. Oh, and believe it or not, I cooked meals in a crockpot for the first time this year. Win!
Fashion — This year I continued to curate my closet, only adding what I really need and what feels like it’s truly “me.” I bought things and returned quite a few things and I worked hard to appreciate and celebrate my wardrobe favorites. New additions: Madewell brown suede boots, Madewell jeans, Target (A New Day) trench coat, Everlane cashmere crew sweater and J.Crew tissue turtleneck t-shirt in stripe. I donated clothes to charity, used ThredUp and discovered Poshmark (check out my sales!) I also tried out StichFix for the first time after I received a gift certificate from my family. I ought to mention, too, that cut back what I was spending on clothes this year. We redid our budget and decided to do away with the clothing allowance. It’s been good for me to scale back and be more selective with what I buy — and more honest and transparent in my marriage. I was surprised how much I didn’t feel deprived and how much less stressed I was. A big thank you to my friend Kim who inspired me in this area.
2017 — What a year! I got a Nikon FG film camera last Christmas and am still on my first roll. I went on an amazing trip to Omaha in April with a bunch of women I adore. I watched my kids play a lot of baseball, softball & football, as well as sing (in front of people!) and do gymnastics. We went to the shore in the summer and Washington, DC in the Spring and again in the Fall. We went camping for the very first time as a family. We finally finished renovating our main bathroom, which has spanned over 7 years. We went to the shore in September which is the best time of all. I turned 50 in October and had a series of quiet celebrations including brunch & shopping in NYC. I started playing the violin after my aunt gave me my grandfather’s violin. We shared a lot more dinners with our friends/kid’s friends and learned that it’s the best way to become better friends. We lost our beloved hamster Molly and adopted a beautiful cat named Noelle. I read many books including The Magnolia Story, Peace is Every Step, Love Wins, as well as these. Every thing I read this year was from the library or was a gift! Favorite shows I watched were: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Patriot, Red Oaks, Big Little Lies, The Great British Baking Show, The Crown, Alias Grace, Ozark & This Is Us. That’s it. Thanks for reading.
Happy New Year! Here’s to another great year of health & happiness!
by Leigh | Nov 6, 2017 | Stories |
I’ve had a lot on my mind these days. Life is busy and life is incredibly hard and lately, very tragic. I think a lot about what’s going on in the world and I feel a lot about it. This blog is my outlet… an emotional and a creative outlet. I think we all need a light-hearted diversion occasionally. So, please indulge me in this very not serious topic: Shirt Tucking.
I have always been squarely in the no-tuck camp. Why? Because I have (in my mind) a crazy large booty. I feel like the visual effect of having my tops over my pants creates the optical illusion that my backside is more reasonable. For this same reason I have embraced lower cut pants as long as they’ve been around. As waist heights have risen, I’ve resisted. Ever so slowly I’ve become more openminded about high waisted pants. And one day last month I was somewhat willing to try tucking in my shirt. Probably because of Jeanne Damas. I started to think maybe it looks better to tuck shirts in. I kind of like having a defined waist and having longer-looking legs.
I tried tuck vs. no-tuck with the two pairs of high-waisted pants I own: a wide-leg crop from Madewell (that I cropped myself using this video), and a long flare from the Gap.
So, I enter into evidence, exhibits A – E. You decide.
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by Leigh | Oct 6, 2017 | Stories |
It all began back in 2013. I became aware of the most important wardrobe must-have. The Trench Coat. Remember Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? I wanted to look just like that. I searched and researched and then finally, on February 4, 2014, I found the perfect trench coat: Banana Republic, eBay, NWOT, $50.
I never wore it. I tried. I really did. I thought the problem was that it was too long, so I had it shortened. I still didn’t wear it.
Pictured below: The BR Trench Coat (photographed January 2016)
Caught up in Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo fever, I bought a bunch of stuff I would end up returning including this next trench coat, pictured below. I felt like the color was wrong and the lining made it look bulky.
I continued to obsess about finding the right coat.
Then I read the book, The Curated Closet and learned that just because everyone says something is a “Must-Have” you don’t have to believe it. It may not work for you. I mean, how can something be a must have for everyone. I began to let go of my need for a trench coat. “It’s not me.” I still sort of held out hope. Maybe, I just hadn’t met the right one.
I finally gave away that Banana Republic coat I never wore, never loved. I could live with out a trench coat in my carefully curated wardrobe. No one needs a trench coat.
But I still searched. I saved them on my Pinterest boards. I had my eye on a few, but waited. I didn’t need one and I didn’t need to spend the money.
And then on a whim I grabbed this trench coat, pictured below, at Target for $45. I’m wasn’t sure about the color but loved everything else about it, especially the hood. As I was buying it I felt sure I would be returning it the next day.
Could this be the one?
Here are my top contenders, and the one I bought:
Uniqlo | $130
Everlane | $138
Gap | $80 (on sale for $56)
Target | $45
by Leigh | Oct 2, 2017 | Stories |
When I’m bored or uninspired by my clothes, I go to my style board on Pinterest. When I’m really bored, I try to recreate my favorite pins with items I already own. Not a new concept of course, it’s been done by everyone from jseverydayfashion.com to manrepeller.com.
Look One: Cream-colored sweater, olive “army” pants and black sandals. I would love to buy a cable knit sweater like the one in the inspiration photo, but will settle for this old, Old Navy sweater. Source
Look Two: White button down, black pegged trousers and red pumps. I love her shoes—leather with ankle straps. Mine are swede and you can’t see it but they have a nice brown block heel. This is a simple, obvious outfit formula, but somehow I needed Pinterest to tell me it goes together. Source
Look Three: And black trousers go with anything so they definitely go with my oatmeal colored sweater. I don’t know what kind of shoes she’s wearing, maybe Adidas, but I’m still doing the red heels. Sunglasses complete the look. Note to self: a big black tote can’t be too big. Source
Look Four: There are so many things that are good about this inspiration photo, from the coat to the little bag, but the main thing here is: high-waisted jeans that are belted and have the shirt tucked in.* After I took this selfie, I promptly took a pair of scissors to the hem of my jeans and then washed them. Source
*Only half tucked, but may have been a turning point for me regarding tucking in shirts.
by Leigh | Aug 27, 2017 | Stories |
The Forgotten Garden
by Kate Morton
Having already read The Secret Keeper, I knew I would love this book which unravels the mystery of a little girl who travels alone by boat from England to Australia. The story line has us bouncing back and forth between present and past — 1900, 1913, 1975 and 2005. It is reminiscent of The Secret Garden, which I read and loved when I was little, but goes much deeper into complex family dynamics and history. I was so incredibly hooked. My favorite read all summer. (Note: I found this book in a little free library in Carversville, PA so double win!)
Born a Crime
by Trevor Noah
I grabbed this book one day at the library because I was heading to do one of these really-fun-for-the-kids-really-boring-for-the-moms thing and needed a book to read while they played. I’m trying to not be that person on their phone who’s ignoring everyone. I feel way cooler reading a book and ignoring people and this somewhat controversial title seemed like the perfect way to do that, so extra points for me.
I was somewhat unprepared for how heavy it would get. I should have known. But what an amazing story. So worth reading.
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
I get a lot of recommendations from my aunt Cindy and she thought this one was so good and thought I would love it so much that she ordered it on Amazon for me. We were talking about it at the Memorial Day picnic and the next thing I knew it was in my mailbox.
An epic page turner, told from the point of view of two french women living through WWII. I mean, I knew the war was bad but this made me feel like I personally lived it. And I gotta tell you, I was so mad at the Germans. The author really drives home the indignities endured, like having their priceless paintings taken and not having any coffee. Brutal.
But seriously, everyone should read this. It felt so significant to me at this time in our country’s history.
The Painted Drum
by Louise Erdrich
This book. It didn’t look that interesting at first. I couldn’t remember where I got it. Then I remembered: I read a review about it (probably in Marie Claire or Elle), put it on my Amazon wish list and then my lovely sister Missy bought it for me for my birthday. I finally go around to reading it. The initial plot is rich and dark and draws you in, but then it’s like a story within a story. It was so interesting, so unlike anything I’ve ever read. I won’t tell you anything else. Just read it.
by Leigh | Aug 1, 2017 | Stories |
Megan Fox
My friend Megan graciously agreed to be my first person featured on Women Who Rock. And believe me, she does!
When you were little, what did you want to be?
I remember going through the usual little girl dream sequences. I would be a princess, or a dancer, or some kind of singer when I grew up. But then I started reading more. I read the chronicles of Narnia, Watership Down, and books by Avi. I decided that I needed more adventure than most princesses experienced. So, at the ripe age of 11, I decided to be a farmer. I declared it to my 4th grade teacher in front of my whole class. She literally laughed out loud at me, bless her heart. She didn’t stop there, and went on to joke about me driving a tractor. I believe that it was at that moment when I knew it really didn’t matter what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just wanted to be different, and I vowed to be a free spirit for life.
What was your first job?
My Dad was the manager of the East Greenville Blommer Chocolate Factory. Each of my siblings had already taken a shift working at “Dad’s plant”. It was my turn when I was 15. I wasn’t allowed in the actual factory. I helped package cocoa samples and prepared them for shipping. I also had my first experience with a spreadsheet there. My direct boss was a feisty, farmer lady that introduced me to Peter Paul and Mary.
Did you go to college? What was your major?
I come from a college family. It was never a question of going to college or not, it was simply a question of where. “What for ?” didn’t even seem to matter much to my parents. I was blessed that my Dad had been saving for us kids for decades. But I had been a challenging kid to raise at times, the whole free-spirit thing and all. So, I opted for an inexpensive school, close to home to make it easier on Dad. I ended up at Kutztown University.
I did things a bit backwards and got married before going to college. Adam and I lived in a tiny apartment in Allentown. I commuted to KU and he went to St. Luke’s Hospital School of nursing. We both went to school full-time, and worked part-time to pay our bills. At the time life seemed stressful and busy. But those remain some of our favorite years of marriage and seem relatively simple compared to our lives now.
I graduated Magna Cum Laude with my Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, minor in Psychology. Not that it matters at all how well I did, or what I majored in anymore. College is, in my opinion one of the best, most expensive ways to become a more well-rounded thinker. But it seems more often than not, it has nothing to do with your professional life thereafter.
What is your career now?
Ha ha. Well, I moved to Bucks County to pursue my farm-girl dreams. I intended to raise my family surrounded by nature, goats, ducks and gardens. We’ve lived here for 2.5 years, and we did all that (minus the goats) for the first year. We have three young kiddos, ages 3, 5 and 7. Caring for them and our 140 year old farmhouse is a full-time job. Plus, we’re a homeschooling family. But I was still feeling relatively unfulfilled in my daily life. I have a powerful, creative streak and I love to work with my hands. My brain was also not feeling challenged enough to keep me sane. I like to have a full plate at all times.
One day I was chatting with my dear friend Tassia, owner of Birds of a Feather Photography, about my desire to have a business that I could run from home. She took a look around at my house, glancing at my collection of vintage and antique furnishings and said…..”oooh!!!….well….maybe I shouldn’t even suggest this because it’s a very big idea….but there used to be a vintage rental company near our area that would provide specialty furniture for weddings and events. They got so busy they had to move closer to Philly and now there is a giant hole in the industry here”. She had planted a whopper of a seed in my head and heart, and I knew almost immediately that it was the right move for me.
I started taking steps towards starting a vintage rental company. I had a name, an EIN and a list of furniture I could rent out. But I was praying for a partner. I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I approached one friend about joining me, but she wisely declined. Her life was already overfull. One Sunday morning at church, a different woman that I have known for years approached me out of the blue and said “we really should have dinner together sometime”. We were close friends with all the same people and our families had a long history together, but she and I had never connected. “Sure, ” I said. “But picking a date will be hard because I’m trying to start a new vintage rental company and it’s requiring a lot from me right now. Actually….you love vintage stuff, what do you think about that idea. Is it a smart business move?” And boom…the wheels began turning in her head.
To say that Abby loves vintage is an understatement. She’s one of those crazy awesome women that wears dresses from the 60’s and rocks the look. I had stopped trying to succeed at vintage fashion in college, though my home decor reflects my true love. When I mentioned my plans to start the business, Abby instantly knew that she would be great at such a business and regretted not thinking of it first. She mustered the courage to write up her resume and pitch herself to me as my business partner. The following Sunday, she handed me her resume at church. It was literally an answer to prayer and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this woman who I didn’t even know personally, would be the perfect business partner for me.
So, together, Abby and I built Fox and Finch Vintage Rentals. She has been a more perfect business partner then I could have imagined. We balance each other out. We are equally hard working, but we both have kids. Sometimes we need to take turns working or caring for our families. Because we’re in the same boat, we give each other grace to prioritize as we deem necessary.
What do you like about it?
My career found me and I couldn’t be happier with it. Fox and Finch has a collection of vintage furniture and accessories for rent. We house our wares in a turn of the century factory building in Bethlehem, PA. The showroom also functions as a photography studio, as it is blessed with killer, natural light.
I love that owning my own business allows me to work flexible hours. For the most part, I can work it around my family’s life. I do the majority of the computer work at home. And even bring some of the furniture home to refinish. The rest of the work is done at the showroom. I am so blessed to have both the work at home, and the work away from home. The showroom provides a complete escape from the diapers and whiny voices that my children sometimes employ. I don’t know how mothers who work from home 100% of the time survive.
I think the two biggest things I love about my job are: working with Abby, and the vast array of tasks that we have. I am NEVER bored with work. One minute I am sewing, sanding, staining, or painting a piece, the next I am writing, photographing, corresponding and scheduling. I have even grown to love all the furniture moving we do. I am so much stronger physically than I ever have been. I also love the field I am in. The wedding industry is full of fun, creative and incredibly hard-working folks. I love networking with these amazing vendors. It is also truly an honor to help a bride and groom develop and fulfill their dream vision for their wedding day. I love providing the special touches that bring it all together.
Did you have a role model or a mentor?
Abby and I often call other wedding vendors for advice. Tassia from Birds of a Feather, Sarah from Allium Design and Alison Conklin from Alison Conklin Photography are the top three ladies we seek out for advice.
What would you do if you didn’t need money?
If I didn’t need money….I’d probably be a farmer! …And it comes full circle. I actually would go back to some of those farming dreams. But, I honestly would still do Fox and Finch Vintage Rentals. I really do love my job.
What advice do you have for young women starting out in a career?
Hmmm. Can I re-word the question a bit to women starting their own business? I would say that the most important thing in this internet savy world is to invest in the best branding you can. Our logo, our website and our social media presence was fantastic from the start. It made us look like a more polished, established business from the start. People took us seriously and were instantly in touch with the aesthetic we offer based upon our internet presence. So, my advice would be to invest in site development, a logo, photos and all the social media sites you can.
Also, networking is key. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others in your industry. They all started somewhere too. Don’t get discouraged by how big they are and how small you are. Everyone has to make themselves look bigger than they are to appear competent. Also, don’t expect to pay yourself for at least the first two years. Invest in your business and build a strong foundation. Find ways to treat yourself along the way so it doesn’t seem like a chore to “go to work”. But, don’t expect financial pay-offs for some time. Enjoy the journey!
Alison Conklin Photography for Lehigh Valley Style Magazine
Abby in our showroom. Photo: Alexandra Whitney Photography
Styled shoot at D and J’s Auto in Coopersburg
Photo: Alison Conklin Photography
Wedding at Stonebrook Farm in Perkasie
Photo: Olivia Rae Photography
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