2/20/14

Business Casual.


So as I begin the search for a big girl job, there are a few very important factors when considering where I may be spending the next few years of my life. I want to work in an exciting city, one which preferably has a strong public transportation system so I won't have to deal with driving and, most importantly, parking. I want to work with creative people who challenge me and point me in the right direction. I want to have a job that allows me to travel on a regular basis. And I want a job that doesn't require me to wear a pantsuit or skirt and blazer every single day. 

This is my version of business casual. I wore this to my internship the other day. Usually I wear something a little more on the casual side because I have to walk a lot and have classes before and afterwards. This outfit works for all of that and fits into the business realm, I believe. 

How do you feel about business casual? What are some of your favorite pieces to wear to work? 






skater skirt: Madewell (similar) | blouse: Creme Fraiche | necklace: H&M circa 2012 | oxfords: Sebago

2/19/14

Garnet & Black: Spring Style


Yesterday the Garnet & Black Spring issue was released and I am so excited to share these photos with you. I took these photos for our style spread. We were going for a "garden party" theme. The shoot was styled by the very talented Julia Nicholson (find her blog HERE) and the models are Tilden Brighton (find her blog HERE) and her boyfriend. 

I had so much fun with this shoot and I love being able to share with you the photos that did and didn't make it into the magazine. Enjoy! 






2/14/14

Black & Brown.


I've been learning the value of great basics. A simple white button-down can go a long way and I'm guilty of wearing this one more than once a week. 

These photos were taken by my friend Daniel at one of my favorite coffee shops in Columbia, Drip






white button-down: Cloth And Stone (similar here) | leather jacket: Claudio Jacovelli (from Firenze, seen here & here) | jeans: Paige | boots: Madewell 

2/10/14

He is Good.

25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:25-33

Since the revamping of my blog, on the few post that I've had, you may have been wondering why I didn't have any Bible verses on them. Or maybe you weren't. I don't want to make any assumptions. Either way, I have a confession to make. And maybe this isn't a bad thing to you, but it is to me...I had just been picking random verses that had come up in daily devotionals or quiet times to fill the gap. It wasn't necessarily that the verse had had any resonance with me personally. I think that's not OK. I don't want to give off the impression that I am having major spiritual experiences on a daily basis because that would be a lie. So from now on, I am only posting verses that have actually symbolized the Spirit speaking. I want to be honest with you. This blog has always served to document my spiritual journey, but I want it to be as accurate as possible. 

I am making a goal, however, to have at least one spiritual post a week. Holding myself accountable to be digging into the word and searching for answers. These posts are for my sharing of thoughts and insights and I hope that you will comment below with your own beliefs or testimonies. You don't have to. But wouldn't that be cool...

So, back to that big chunk of verses cited in the beginning of this post. Matthew 6:25-33 was mentioned in last night's sermon and it's seriously one of my favorite passages. It's a lot of people's favorite, I'm sure.

 It served to be increasingly relevant last night as I have spent most of the weekend applying to jobs. I made a big, fat list of 208 PR firms in 13+ different cities across the US and began applying to them. One-by-one. Let me say, it's exhausting. I've got about 15 firms down and ~35 jobs applications sent. 

In this process, though, the Lord has been showing me how little control I have. I hate this analogy, but "you've got to throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall before something sticks," right? But I have no control of what sticks. I might see the most beautiful boutique PR form in Portland (see: Leopold Ketel) and dream of working there, but I cannot make the executive decision for them. All I can do is apply, sit, and wait. I may end up living in Raleigh or...dare I say it...Columbia...for a few more years or the rest of my life.

I love what was mentioned in #Shereadstruth this morning, "I have to constantly remind myself that God’s character is good and kind and that He has promised us that what is coming is better than what is here now. I have to believe all God’s goodness will be resplendent and wholly satisfying."

That's it right there. He is GOOD and He is IN CONTROL.

*drops mic*

2/8/14

Bombadil.


Lately I have been hearing a lot of new music. There are quite a few bands I am excited to tell you about, but one in particular stands out. This band performed last night at the Columbia Museum of Art at a little event called Arts & Draughts. They were fantastic and I am very excited to share this song with you.

Other bands that I have seen lately:


Great Peacock


The Whigs


Dear Blanca 

Enjoy! 

2/7/14

Neutrals.






photos by Katy Fant 

Second-day hair, lipstick, and cozy neutrals. Meet my winter look. Boy, do I love a big cozy scarf on days like this one. What are your winter go-tos?



scarf | from my grandmother 
coat | J. Crew circa 2006 
pants | Anthropologie 
boots | DV by Dolce Vita 


2/6/14

Revamped.

Hi everyone.

You may have noticed that this blog has a new name and completely new look.

For a long time I had been feeling unsettled about the state of my blog.

I felt like the title was too serious sounding, though it was my favorite Henry David Thoreau quotation upon graduating high school (the year I began this blog).

I couldn't decide what I wanted to write about or what I wanted to be the focus of the blog.

Was it a fashion blog? A faith blog? A book review blog? I honestly had no idea, so I just stuck them all together.

Now I know what this blog is. This blog is an outlet for anything and everything that inspires me. And there are a lot of things that inspire me. Faith, fashion, books, art, music, photography, and the list goes on. This will be a place in which I put all of it together.

I also want to focus more on people and friends of mine that inspire me. I have so many talented friends I want to feature on this blog.

So here it goes. Here is Makena Granger.