A Fantasy

Shirt and Skirt: J. Crew Factory, Belt: F. 21, Shoes: T.J. Maxx, Necklaces: J. Crew Factory,

Bracelets, T.J. Maxx 

Sometimes I daydream up certain scenarios. I would love to have a nice tea party/ luncheon on a boat in the harbor. It would include finger sandwiches, baby sized macaroons, and ice cold lemonade. And then maybe afterwards we would discuss exciting literature...like Gone With the Wind or Jane Eyre. And this is what I would wear. But until my strange, socialite fantasies come true, I'll just wear this outfit to school in a windowless basement classroom while discussing Walden. Sorry Thoreau, you may be brilliant, but you are down right boring. My daydream is on a boat in a harbor, not an isolated cabin in the woods. 

A Memorial Tribute to the Past

I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Pembroke, NC to see where my Grandma grew up and to meet some of my distant relatives. My Grandma is a full blooded Lumbee Indian, which makes me one quarter Lumbee Indian. I didn't know much about that side of my heritage so it was so great to learn more about it and meet the Lumbee people. They are so loving and kind. They truly made me feel at home. 

Harpers Ferry Baptist church where my great grandpa, Cleotus, was a pastor. 

Embracing my Lumbee heritage...that may or may not have been meant for a small child. My head was getting squeezed to death. 

My great grandma, Dovie L. Dial. 

We had some good ole' Southern cookin', which consisted of the best macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, pulled pork, ham, meatballs, cornbread, and much more. 

Dad and Mike. The two who most look like Lumbee Indians. 

My Grandma and all of her sisters, except Dee, who has passed. Aren't they gorgeous? And they all look so much alike!

The girls with Grandma. We were just missing Macie!

Andrew (my brother) and Dad with Dual Mac. Oh boy, he sure was a hoot. 

My two older siblings and shining examples. I love them so much!

My grandma and all of her children. 

Uncle Abran. 

Grandma and her grandkids. In the background is the farm my grandma grew up on. 

Grandma and Dad. 

I am so grateful for family. This weekend was a great experience that helped me to realize the importance of family history. It is amazing to see where you have come from and meet the people who have created a legacy and paved the way for your life. 

Taking the Wheel

Hey guys! Winston here. Mom is going out of town this weekend, so it's just me and dad. And let me tell you, I am taking the wheel! It's going to be a guys weekend full of paint balling, man caving (dad turned our unfinished basement into an awesome man cave fully equipped with t.v., X Box, and couches from the D.I.), food, and lots of walks! And you wanna know the best part about this weekend? Dad's going to be sneaky and let me sleep in the bed with him. Soft mattress, down feather pillow, and cool fan here I come! I hope your weekend looks as good as mine!

My Sister's Closet: Workin' 9 to 5

Blouse: J. Crew Factory; Skirt: J. Crew; Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger via Marshalls; Necklace: Anthropologie; Watch: Michael Kors 

 (I'm Mike. Meg's older sister.)

I don't work in a conventional office setting. Photos of gorgeous dancers cover the walls, I share my desk with tutus and pointe shoes, and it's not uncommon to see my co-workers doing pliés at the printer or foam rolling on the office floor. Ah, the joys of working for Dance Spirit magazine! As you can probably guess, our dress code is pretty lax (It's tough to test a fitness step-by-step exercise in a pencil skirt—I've tried!). But strict dress code or not, I've found dressing professional at least a couple of days each week is a crucial part of me making my deadlines.  It all comes down to a simple equation:

cute skirt + heels + lipstick =  story edited, column assigned, photo shoot organized and to-do list DEMOLISHED.

Maybe I should join the mathletes.

p.s. I, too, am a J. Crew junkie. But I can barely afford more than a bottle of nail polish with a 40% off coupon in the regular store. My solution? SAMPLE SALES. If you're ever in NYC the first part of June or mid-November, you have to hit up the J. Crew sample sale. I save my pennies for months before each sale so I can really stock up. The prices are killer (the skirt I'm wearing above was only $20!) and it's the perfect time to snag some of the collection pieces for a fraction of the cost.

J. Crew Junkie

Pants: J. Crew, Shirt: J. Crew, Shoes: J. Crew, Necklace: J. Crew Factory 

Some of my best dreams consist of me in a land similar to Willie Wonka's candy land, but instead it's full of J. Crew merchandise that all belongs to me! I can run my hands over the silk blouses, chunky sparkling jewelry falls from the sky, I can pick Italian leather shoes from the trees, preppy dresses float like boats along the river...You get the idea. J. Crew is a dream land for me, but just not for my wallet. Fortunately, they have the best sales around! I got these pants and this shirt for a stealin' deal! 

Dreaming Big

Dress, Wedges, Bag, Sunglasses, Bracelet  

Virtual shopping can be really fun sometimes. I can pretend I have no budget and can just buy whatever I want. I thought about just photoshopping my face onto the body of the girl in the dress, but I'm not that talented when it comes to photoshop. So I guess I'll just have to dream it up in my own head instead. 

My brother-in-law Matt really needs new vision and he is a finalist in a contest to win! Please go to this link and like the mountain biking picture in the first group of people. Thank you so much you guys!

Bunhead

Jacket: F21, Shirt: H&M, Pants: Banana Republic Factory, 

Clutch and Bracelet: J. Crew Factory, Shoes: Michael Kors 

Have you ever seen the movie Mean Girls? One of their rules is that you can only wear your hair in a ponytail once a week. Well, sorry Gretchin Weiners, I guess I can no longer sit with you at lunch. I wore my hair in a bun 4 days this week. 4 days and proud of it! The recent bun trend is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I can go an unusual amount of days (I won't tell how long) without washing my hair and still look socially acceptable. 

On The 23rd Anniversary of Your Birth

I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to this handsome feller! I love him oh so much! I've been meaning to tell him something lately, so now I'm just going to make a public statement on these here internets. On this 23rd anniversary of your birth I am SO GRATEFUL for you. I am filled with so much gratitude towards your dear sweet mama for raising the boy she did, and to you for making the kind of choices that made you the man you are today. You are such a sweet, loving person who always looks for the best in others. You are selfless in always wanting to give everything you have and are to other people, and to me. You are smart, talented, and can do pretty much whatever you set your mind to. Literally people, it's ridiculous. "I'm going to professional ski race...I'm gonna play soccer...I'm gonna play collegiate football...I'm gonna snow board..." I look like a spazmod next to him, really it's embarrassing. And since it is your birthday we're gonna eat like there's no tomorrow! Funfetti cake and all! (This guy can eat like a horse–a really big one. And his birthday cake request...funfetti from a box. My almost–domestic wife skills are hurt.) Happy Birthday to the best, most handsome, funniest, cutest bummed husband around! I love you so much! 

Like an Easter Egg

Blouse: J. Crew, Pants: J. Crew Factory , Belt: F21, Shoes: Franco Sarto via T.J. Maxx

Necklace: Topshop 

I know Easter is over but I just love dressing like a decorated Easter egg. It's warm and sunny outside, and I just want to hop n' skip around. I would even slip on some bunny ears, but that might imply something a bit different. Yikes. 

Sometimes I Get Really Hot

Shirt: J. Crew Factory, Dress: Dillards, Belt, Necklace: J. Crew, Shoes: Sperry Topsider for J. Crew,

 Bag: The Streets of NYC, Glasses: Urban Outfitters

Sometimes I get really hot when I'm getting ready and I feel like my showering was all in vain. It's starting to get hot around here... well in the 80's. Call us tightwads, but Andy and I (mostly Andy) like to save money by waiting until the last possible second to turn on the AC. I think we reached that point today. I only got half way through blowdrying my hair before I was sweating so bad I almost needed to shower again. So I called it quits, pulled my hair in a bun, and threw on a cool dress. I think we better turn on the AC before I start panting like Winston. Poor guy, that big furry mane. 

Showstopper

'Ello chaps! It's me, Winston. It has been nice and peaceful around here. Mom and Dad have much more time for me lately. I'm not sure exactly why, but my guess is because I'm just so darn cute. I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything, but have you seen my curly locks? They're fluffy, golden, and soft enough to go to sleep on. Not to mention they smell like a lavender field in early May. (Dad bathes me two, sometimes three times a week. Maybe I'm a bit high maintenance or maybe I'm just posh!) My eyes are big and round and my eyelashes are long enough to braid. Needless to say, I'm kind of a showstopper. Whether it's at the park, hanging out the window at the gas station, or simply outside for a potty break, people think I'm the cutest teddy bear looking doggy in the world. And I always have to amp it up a bit, so what do I do? I turn on the cutest, sweetest puppy dog charm you've ever seen. I wag my tail (with a little extra booty included), try to give all the kisses I can, and sometimes even grab my toy, tilt back my head, and let out the cutest muffled howl heard to mankind. I'm not trying to be cocky, just honest. I guess in the words of that one popular song on the radio, I'm Sexy and I Know it! 

When Good Morning Kisses Turn UFC

Dress: Modcloth, Shoes: Steve Madden

Saturday mornings lately have been quite lovely. Recently, they have been early-morning-rehearsal free which means sleeping in and snuggling. However, when I'm sleepy I'm not much of a snuggler. You see, when I want to sleep I don't want anything touching me. Yeah, maybe I'm a cold hearted snake, or maybe we should invest in a king size bed. Anyways, Andy rolled over to snuggle and I immediately pushed him away. Feeling rejected, he tried option number two. As he leaned down for a kiss, I sat up, and got head butted right in the nose. It definitely hurt, but I may or may not have milked it a bit. I had to get him back for all the times he teases me! I immediately covered my face and pretended to fake cry. He asked to see, wanting to make sure I was alright. I dramatically uncovered my face, tilting my head back in despair. I heard him gasp and looked down to see there was blood running everywhere. I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll happily submit to the snuggling.