Hi, it’s been a while :,)

Posting about my ‘normal’ life has felt irrelevant lately, so I took a step back to reflect and learn. If anything, it’s been a good reminder that life goes on whether I post about it on Instagram or not 🙃 Every once in a while it’s good to disconnect. We all need it…even bloggers. With disconnection comes quiet and with quiet comes clarity.

Being away from social media did not mean neglecting the important issues plaguing our country right now. It was a decision to look up from my screen and start making changes in my heart, community, and the real world. While some of us are called to act boldly and speak loudly, others are called to lead softly and quietly.

The division and unrest in our country stems from deep rooted issues that are going to take us years to work through. Years that will require a desire for unity, not division. We can’t expect political leaders or the mainstream media to change our hearts, that is our responsibility.

Latasha Morrison said it perfectly:

“We want to remind you to not jump right into “fix it” mode. Learn to be still and listen and learn. Do not give into the temptation and engrained conditioning to “lead”. This does not mean take no actions—this means change the place from which you are taking those actions. Work from a posture of awareness and humility, always being open and flexible to change your process as you learn from Black people.”

Societal pressure to post or act in a certain way for the approval of others is a REAL thing. We all experience this in some form. I’m learning what it takes to resist the pressure to explain myself to strangers on the internet. Social media has been a hostile place to be lately, but bullying from behind a screen is nothing new on these platforms. There comes a point when you have to accept that what you do or say will never be enough for some people, but what matters is where your heart is and what it leads you to do.

Bloggers, celebrities, politicians, etc. should not be your moral compass. It’s so important to remind yourself of this when reading or listening to a public statement from someone you respect. “We cannot excessively idolize the people we admire – neither should we seek to find our identity in the words of others” (@asiyami_gold). Listen to different perspectives with an open mind, but do the research and internal work required to decide where YOU stand.

The last few months have opened my eyes to how fragile life is and the evil that exists all around us. I’ve done my research (and will continue to do so) and have had endless conversations that have shed light on the racial injustice in America. I understand that I will never be able to truly understand, but we all must come together to be a part of the solution.

As Christians, we are required to love all people – regardless of their background or appearance, stand up for what’s right at all times – not just when it’s trendy or popular, and develop a strong moral compass to guide our lives. We are required to love all human beings, not all human doings. This is HARD! Especially in a world filled with imperfect people. Hate comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. It is not black vs. white, left vs. right, church vs. secular. It is good vs. evil, and every day it’s our responsibility to combat hate in all forms.

2020 has shaken this world, but I know God is moving more than ever and things are being broken only to be built up stronger than before. I do my best to stay in my lane with style and wellness posts, but I will always use my voice to share God’s light whenever I can ~ whether it reaches 100 people or 100,000. I feel lucky to have the freedom and platform to share my heart with this community. You guys fill my career with purpose 🙂

IF you’ve made it this far, I’d love to hear from you tonight on my IG post – what is one person, podcast, article, etc. that’s had the biggest impact on you in the last few weeks? Mine was last weekend’s sermon from @southlandcc – watch it here.

Thank you for always listening ❤️

Although many of us won’t be able to spend Mother’s Day with our mom’s this year, that shouldn’t stop us from spoiling them with all the gifts and love on their special day! Nordstrom is always one of the first places I look for gifts. They have so many category options and always do such a good job of compiling ideas for every recipient and occasion. I spent the last week browsing the site looking for anything that stood out to me that I thought would brighten my mom’s day. If there’s one person in this life that’s shown me selfless, thoughtful love, it’s my mom! So I’m spending time at home thinking of all the little things I can send her way as a thank you.

Sharing all of my favorite ideas for mom this year!

Shop all Nordstrom Mother’s Day gifts here.

Also, if you happen to live in the NYC area, my friends at Bloomie Flower Studio create some of the most beautiful bouquets I’ve ever seen (you might’ve seen my arrangement from them on my story the other day). They’re offering free shipping this weekend on all Mother’s Day orders!

Mom is my favorite person ever, I’m working on a special post with her I’ll be sharing on actual Mother’s Day so stay tuned and thanks for stopping by to read this today 🙂

Thank you to Nordstrom for working with me on this post

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I thought it would be a good time to finally post my favorite wines list while we’re all sheltering in place! I’m no wine expert (although this glass a day method has me feeling like one 🤷🏼‍♀️🍷)…just wanted to share my tried and true favorites that are both tasty and affordable.

One of our favorite things to do is pop open a bottle of wine while we’re cooking a meal at home. Whether it’s leftover pizza (when I’m on cooking duty) or a candlelit steak dinner, the night is always better when you add a little wine. Here’s the list of what we’ve been loving lately & after you read, I’d love any suggestions in the comments of my IG post tonight!

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The Pinot Noirs

I’m definitely more of a red girl, which is typically my drink of choice (other than the occasional spicy marg or dirty martini). When I’m in the mood for red, Pinot Noir is always a great option. It’s a light bodied, easy to drink, go-to wine for almost any occasion. We love drinking Pinot at room temperature the majority of the time, but sometimes we’ll chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes.  

A to Z ($17): A Classic Oregon Pinot ~ light, dry, fruity, affordable.

La Crema Willamette Valley 2018 ($24): We clearly like our Oregon Pinots. I’d say this is one step up from A to Z if you’re feeling fancy. We had this with our families the night we celebrated out engagement! 

Cherry Pie ‘Tri County’ 2017 ($17): As the name suggests ~ it has sweet notes of cherry, plum, and blueberry. A California Pinot that’s one of Conner’s parents favorites ~ they always send us bottles of this! 

The Cabernets

Cabernet is a classic wine for all seasons that’s rich in flavor. As a more full-bodied wine, we like drinking this with heartier meals (like steak or pork chops). My top three:

Decoy ($19): A full, dry, and bold staple in our apartment.

Justin Cabernet Sauvignon ($24): Try it with a pizza!

Hayes Valley California Cab ($12): Pairs well with blue cheese 🙂

The Chardonnays

Creamy and buttery to steely and crisp,  there is a Chardonnay for everyone! I rarely drink white other than Chardonnay ~ which I actually just started liking a couple summers ago when Conner and I decided to re-do the pack patio of my Chicago apartment. We did it so we could start grilling out and eating dinner out there ~ which was when Con introduced me to Chardonnay. I ended up loving it after years of saying I hated white wine. Sometimes there’s just nothing better than a chilled glass of chard!

Butter ($16): One of the first whites I ever liked!

Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Valley ($24): Rich, velvety with notes of peach and caramel. 

Rombauer ($36): A splurge! Pairs well with fish and cheeses. 

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Kentucky friends…

Whenever we’re in town, we always get our wine and spirits from DEP’s Fine Wine. They just launched online ordering on their website and reached out to offer my KY readers $5 off your next online order with code: WINENIGHT. Great wine prices and a great bourbon selection 🙂

NYC/FiDi Friends:

We live right by Seaport Wines and it’s our go to spot in the city. Great hand picked wine selection and we love the owner! They’re currently offering free delivery.

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Hands down our favorite item in our kitchen. Our Zalto Wine Glasses are considered the gold standard of glassware by wine connoisseurs, so this was something we splurged on a while ago. The glasses are made of hand-blown, incredibly delicate crystal. Experts say they make wine taste better than all the other glasses…I believe it!

CHEERS!