Weekend Update 5/14/23

I know that the day can be filled with a range of emotions.  Bill and I went through 5+ years of really intense infertility treatments before we were blessed with our first son and I remember (though not as vividly anymore, thankfully) how emotionally charged Mother’s Day was back then.

And my own Mom, Mary, passed away last year so this is our second Mother’s Day without her. We were blessed with so many years with her, and I truly can’t complain, but I do miss her every day.

Just the other day I was messing around on my phone and randomly came across the voice memos app, opened it and found an “interview” my middle son Jared had done with Mary for one of his college classes. This was recorded about a year before she passed away at almost 97.

It stopped me in my tracks, made me cry like a baby, and then made me SO HAPPY that I had this priceless recording of her sharing simple words of advice for a well-lived life. I will have her voice saying these things forever, as will my kids…and even their kids. See, the dumb phone IS good for something;)

I made a quick reel with a snippet of the audio recording and you can see it on my @b.styled Instagram. (Be sure you’re following me too…my Social Media coach would chastise me if I didn’t ask you to do that;)

If you’d like to hear the full five-minute interview, you can do that below.

1. Tipsy Tuesday: 3-Weeks till Summer

This is a the most supportive, kind and welcoming group of women on the internet and we’d love to have you join the fun. It’s free and you can participate as much or as little as wish….or just watch, learn and work on your habits.  See the Tipsy Tuesday replay to learn more and click below to join for free!

My green buttondown

2. From Blah to Aaaah with 6 SIMPLE Style Tweaks

1️⃣hoops and a cool necklace @flirtyfinds

2️⃣Bracelet stack and right hand ring- try you middle or index finger – or even thumb! @flirtyfinds

3️⃣Pop your collar and cuff your sleeves

4️⃣full or half-tuck your shirt

5️⃣add a cool belt (optional) mine is CAbi – linked HERE.

👉🏼And, are my pants (mine are off-white). They are on the pricey side but the fit is incredible and I’ve seen them work beautifully on all kinds of shapes and sizes…Petite, Tall and Regular sizing too….They come in and out of stock.

6️⃣add a neutral shoe (The black ballet flats would work if I had on a black/darker top or jacket)

Voila!

Here are three favorite neutral sandals:

I know a lot of us have really difficult feet and I’m always on the lookout for great-looking, comfortable shoes. They are worth investing in when you find a pair that your feet like.

Some features to look for: a nude-to-you color (i.e. tan/brown/blush, subtle gold metallic) and SIMPLE SIMPLE, SIMPLE design.  Avoid busy straps and dark footbeds. The simpler and more neutral the better – while still offering the support you need.

I know this is a tall order and the comfort brands don’t always do a good job at this. They tend to add lot of “style features” in an attempt to make the comfort shoe look stylish – but this usually has the opposite effect.

Whenever I find a pair I try to share them in my groups and here, and if you have a pair you love, please let me know so I can check them out!

I found this sporty pair by Sorel that would work with most casual summer looks. The key is when you find the brand your feet like, look for a neutral pair and invest in it. Like pants you don’t need many, but they need to be good. Other brands/styles  to consider are , , and:

👉🏼Need some personal recommendations and the ability to get tips and ideas from other women with similar feet issues? The Spring Style System is the perfect place to get just that. We are starting up with DAY ONE of the 28 Daily Outfit Prompt emails TOMORROW too so now is a perfect time join! and use code SAVE10 for $10 off.

 3. A House Peak Before & After – and my POSHMARK Closet

We are pretty much moved into the new/old house here in Newport. We have our rental through May though so we are back and forth (it’s about a 30 second drive which makes it easy). I’m still tackling my CLOTHING situation and figuring out how to store and organize it all and purging as much as possible.

I have a Poshmark page that I add to frequently if you’re interested. I’ll be adding more over the next few weeks. 

I am loving the luxury of starting from scratch with this house – a clean slate – and I’m trying really, really hard to bring in  only things we need and love.

My youngest son comes home from college for the summer tomorrow…so that’ll present a challenge to my currently-pristine spaces. I’m doing lots of deep breathing exercises to maintain patience and a welcoming spirit. Ha! 🧘🏽‍♀️

I always say, I LOVE my kids – but their STUFF? Not so much.

I’ll be sharing more before and after pics over in my free, private Facebook Group, but for now, here’s a shot of our sitting room (“bar room”  and family room space – before (left) and after.  I’m NO decorator – that’s for sure – but the house is “me” and makes us happy, and we’re excited to grow old(er) here!

P.S. The was one of my best finds and quite affordable. I get lots of requests for the link so here you go. I’m an open book, so if there’s anything else you’d like links for, I’m happy to share – just message me.

I’ll be adding links to this blog post too, so check back here.

Have a great week and remember to #justgetdressed.

xo, Beth