Velvet + Life Lessons at 32

This past weekend, I celebrated my 32nd birthday! I don’t know how that happened! It’s crazy to think that my husband was 29 when we got married (I was 26) and I have surpassed that age.  Time surely does fly by!  Considering that this was my first birthday away from family and friends, my husband did a really great job at making it really special.  Friday night we went to dinner and Sunday he planned the whole afternoon for me at the spa here in Ponte Vedra.  If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club spa.  I spent the whole afternoon there lounging by the pool, having lunch, sipping champs and getting a facial.  It was so relaxing! Since I turned 32 on the 5th, I’m sharing 32…ehhh 5 life lessons I have learned over the past few years at the end of the post.

Now for what y’all really came here for…the VELVET trend! I have been seeing velvet everywhere lately! I was a little skeptical about it at first but once I saw this top in Old Navy last week, I knew I had to try it.  I almost completely missed this pretty velvet top but luckily I didn’t and took it home in 2 colors!  It comes in 5 colors and is under $25!  The weather has warmed up here in Florida so it’s perfect now and will be great for later to throw a blazer over it when it finally (hopefully) gets cooler.  I went for an all black look with a pop of leopard and tassel earrings.  I also think this would be so pretty with a leopard skirt or a pair of red pants for a holiday party.

Velvet top, black denim, tassel earrings, leopard heels (similar, similar), clutch (similar)

I am not one to pile on the jewelry.  I think less is more so if I am wearing a statement earring, I either wear a more delicate necklace or nothing at all.

When trying a new trend, I say start with basics and what you know.  Anyone can pull off an all black outfit!

I also picked this top up in this pretty rose color.

Here are more velvet items I am currently loving!

Getting all serious turning 32 but I wanted to share a few life lessons that I have learned over the last 2 years or so.

1. The blogging world is tough. Besides becoming a mom, this has been one of the biggest learning curves I have ever taken on.  I absolutely love blogging and putting new content together but I would but I never expected it to be this time consuming and hard.  Hard in the fact that I want to get so much done with it but constantly feeling like I never have enough time.  I’m hoping to find my groove with it over the next few months.
2. God is present when you are.  When we started talking and planning our move, I saw God work in so many ways in our lives and I still continue to almost weekly.  Prayers work, maybe not in the way you want them to sometimes but really listening to Him and opening yourself up to Him is so rewarding.  It is amazing what he can do in your life when you make Him a priority.
3. Being a mom is the hardest yet most rewarding job.  Being home with my little guy almost everyday is so demanding, yet I am so thankful to spend these days with him.
4. The best person you can be is yourself.  I am slowly learning this in the world of blogging.  I think as people we are always discovering and finding our path in life.  Many doors will open and even more of them will close but when you are true to yourself, that’s when you can really shine through.  I read this quote the other day by Bob Goff, “We won’t be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose.”  Love that!
5. Kindness always win. In this world, we need to always be willing to lend a helping hand, be there for one another and not pass judgement so quickly.

xo