One of my favorite things is going out early in the morning while the grass is still wet and feeling the fresh spring air on my face and the cold wet grass on my feet. Often times, I’ll cut some flowers to bring inside to enjoy and my hydrangeas are some of my favorites! Even though the gardenias are so beautiful and smell like heaven, they don’t last very long while the hydrangeas will last almost a week if I remember to change the water.

I think it’s so important to do what you can to make the space you live in beautiful and fresh flowers are one of the easiest ways to do that! When you’re able to cut them from your own yard, it’s even more special.

Being surrounded by beauty elevates your life and taking the time to light a candle, pour your water in a beautiful glass, make your food look beautiful and arrange fresh flowers are a few things that cost little to no money and take very little time, but can make a big difference in the way you feel. By doing these things, even though they’re small, you are saying that you care about yourself and this is so important!

We are so busy and often don’t stop even for a minute to slow down and enjoy a ritual such as our morning coffee, our meals or even just walking out into nature for a few minutes but these things feed our souls. The world is a crazy place and going within and caring for ourselves, even if just for a moment can leave us feeling hopeful, renewed and more special and that can give us the strength to be more kind and compassionate to others.

Take a moment today to do one small thing for you because you are important. Remember, it’s the little things that make up your life!

When I was a little girl growing up, I never wore shoes in the summer unless I was going somewhere…I loved to be barefoot and still do!

When I’m not going barefoot, lately it’s because I’m wearing my fabulous blue loafers from Madison Maison! I never thought a pair of blue shoes could be so versatile, but I find that these shoes go with everything from blue jeans to white jeans to olive green to marigold yellow! I’m styling them rather simply in this post with jeans, white or off white tops and a floral top from Veronica Beard that just happened to have the perfect color blue in it!

These classic loafers come in several colors and slightly different styles and are handmade in Italy. They’re shoes you’ll always keep in your closet because they will never go out of style! I find that as I get older, I’m looking for less trendy pieces and more classic “forever” pieces!

I found the fun sunglasses on Amazon and they come in several other colors! I think they’re great with the shoes and tie this basic look together. The jeans are from AYR and called the Frenchie. They are somewhat relaxed and high waisted and the perfect length to show off the shoes! My jewelry is from the Julie Vos new summer collection and goes with everything!

I’ve had this fun clear handbag for many years and I tried to find a similar one but didn’t have much luck. The blue wallet is one I bought for UNC football games…gotta wear my Carolina Blue!

You can use my code BLONDE15 to receive 15% off your purchase from Madison Maison!

I’m sitting in a hotel room in Laguna Beach at the Pelican Hill Resort! It’s such a beautiful resort and I’m soaking in the beautiful surroundings and the crisp spring air coming off the ocean! I’m here for a Quantum Success Leadership Summit put on by my friend Suzanne Adams. I met Suzanne at my first Gabrielle Bernstein Event in 2014 and she has grown by leaps and bounds and I’m honored to be here with her! Listen to her Ted Talk here!

I can’t imagine a more beautiful setting to rest and learn in…I’ll be sharing more about this event in a blog post next week!

I never dreamed in a million years when I was younger that I’d be hopping on planes and going all over the world by myself and I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do so even 10 years ago, but once I decided to do it the first time, it was so much easier the next! By traveling and meeting new people, my life and perspective have changed and grown for the better! There is so much to see and do and so many nice people in the world! At 61 years old, I feel as if I’m just getting started! I’ve never been more curious about life or more determined to step into my purpose fully!

Honestly, I never intended to write all of this…I was just going to share my gorgeous shoes, but I do hope you enjoyed this post!

I’m including a boutique below with some the pieces in this post as well as a few other items that I think you’ll love!