Holiday Staycation

Hey guys! How was your Christmas? I had the most amazing time with my mom this year. We had a very nontraditional Christmas. We packed up all of our gifts and had a holiday staycation in town. We checked in at the Intercontinental Buckhead on Monday and stayed there through Christmas. I have stayed at my share of luxury hotels all over the world, but this experience was quite different.

Sure, the Intercontinental Buckhead boasts luxurious furnishings, elegant decor and many other amazing amenities you would expect to find in a 5-Star rated hotel, but where it differs from most are the people that work there. Never at any hotel or resort have I felt more welcomed than I did at the Intercontinental Buckhead. From the valet's to the bell captains, to the front desk team and restaurant staff, I felt ensconced in kindness. 

Having worked retail, I understand how challenging it is to put on a happy face when you would rather be spending time with your family, but the team at the Intercontinental Buckhead did not falter at any moment during our 3 day stay. On our first evening we had such an amazing time chatting with Master Mixologists Philip & Clay while grabbing a cocktail and a bite at Bourbon Bar. To call the eats there "bar food" would be criminal. 

Philip Burke & Clay Livingston 

We kicked off Christmas Eve with some #BendelBonding before we ventured out for the day. While waiting for the car we chatted with the doorman, Richard,  and he was nice enough to snap a photo of us. 

After returning from a fabulous spa day that I'll tell you about later, I was so moved by the kindness of the staff, that I prepared some tasty holiday surprises for the valets and bell captains. It was terribly cold outside and I thought it would be a great way to brighten their day. 

Yummy treats from Soo Soo Tasty

Surprised reactions...

Smiling Faces = Mission Accomplished

After resting for a bit, we got all dressed up for an amazing Christmas Eve dinner at Southern Art. The food was divine and the dining room was breathtaking. I decided to break out my trusty, navy ASOS double peplum top and matching skirt. I know I have worn it like a million and a half times, but I updated the look with my new Iman Global Chic sequin jacket. My mom, on the other hand, wore a fabulous top from Sweet Pea's Boutique with dress slacks from Talbots. We were pretty #haute if I do say so myself!

On Christmas morning, we opened our gifts and had a fabulous breakfast downstairs. We enjoyed the beautiful atrium of the hotel and chatted with other guests. 

Mom had a Henri Bendel Christmas and will probably murder me for posting this pic!

I, on the other hand, was having a Santa Baby moment in my new Dennis Basso coat from QVC. ( I actually opened this at midnight because I simply couldn't wait.)

Ham Bar at Southern Art

After getting all packed up, it was time to say farewell to our Christmas home away from home. I couldn't leave before I delivered one more holiday treat to my new friend Richard. He missed out on the goodies I delivered on Christmas Eve because he was gone for the day. 

If you are looking for a fabulous hotel for out of town guests to stay or just want to have a special evening in the City of Atlanta, the Intercontinental Buckhead gets the Parker Simmons Stamp of Approval. Special thank you to the entire team at Intercontinental Buckhead for making our holiday both special and memorable! 

Me: SWAK Designs Jeans & Pretty Cami, Vintage Eloquii Jacket and Kate Spade Keds
Mom: Banana Republic peplum sweater, HUE jeggings, Ugg Australia & Henri Bendel bag

xoxo-

Parker S.

Pop of Plaid

Happy Friday! I gave you a little preview of this #OOTD yesterday in my #HonorMyCurves post. After deciding to fully embrace me and all of my awesomeness :) I was feeling empowered. I paired my black ASOS midi bodycon dress with my peplum ASOS belt, the already abused Iman Global Chic capelet, last year's H&M scarf and my new Shoedazzle Claudine plaid pumps.

 

Although the plaid from the scarf was slightly different than the plaid in my shoes, they added a great pop of color to my all black ensemble. How do you rock plaid?

 

xoxo-

 

 

<3 Parker S.

 

 

#HonorMyCurves

For the past few months I have been following the Honor My Curves Movement on Instagram. In a nutshell it's a body acceptance movement that encourages women to embrace their bodies and love themselves as they are. I have seen all of the posts and pictures but the gravity of what #HonorMyCurves really means didn't hit me until today.

While getting dressed this morning, I had an epiphany. I tried on outfit after outfit and just didn't feel satisfied because everything seemed to accentuate my stubborn LHF (low hanging fat). I found myself thinking that if I could just get rid of that one thing, everything would be perfect. But the reality is that everything wouldn't be perfect. I would just find some other "flaw" to obsess over and complain about. What is perfect anyway?

As full figured women I feel that we are always on a quest to achieve the societal ideals of beauty and perfection. We see all of the positive reinforcement our svelte counterparts receive by way of praise and accolades, and we somehow feel that we are less appealing because of our size. However, the one thing that we fail to realize is that the very "imperfection" that we want to fix is the thing that makes us perfect.

We are designed to be vessels filled with beauty and life and to spread that to others. No matter what size you are, how old you are, how tall or short, you have to embrace what makes you uniquely you. No one is perfect. Even the most world renowned super models and the best athletes are critical of themselves, and they, are considered to be the pinnacle of perfection.

So today, I choose me. I choose to Honor My Curves, low hanging fat and all!  I'm not saying I don't want to be healthier and in that quest my body won't change, but I will no longer beat myself up. From this day on I will truly embrace me and all of my perfect imperfections.

You are the only person that can be you! If you don't love yourself, no one else will. How do you plan to honor your curves?

xoxo-

<3 Parker S

@ASOS dress, belt & ring, @Shoedazzle shoes

How To Rock Fall Florals

A couple of weeks ago I scored an amazing floral pencil skirt from Talbots. If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember it from a look that I styled my mom in back in September. As you already know, my style range is very broad and I can find fashion inspiration anywhere. I'm guessing you're probably pretty shocked that I shop at Talbots, but what I love most about the clothing there is that it's timeless.

My mom styled in all Talbots

Whether I'm styling myself or a client, it is important to be able to derive several different looks out of a single piece of clothing. Although my floral skirt is a pretty bold piece, it is surprisingly versatile. I fell in love with it because not only can I wear it this fall, but it will also carry over to my spring wardrobe. Florals are usually atypical for fall fashion, but this one is definitely the exception. It not only encompasses some of this fall's most popular Pantone colors like Emerald & Koi, but it also grabs some of spring 2014's as well with Freesia, Placid Blue & Sand.

Fall 2013 Pantone Colors

Spring 2014 Pantone Colors

For this post I'm going to show you how I rocked my "Fall Florals".  I need to be able to make my look go from day to play with just a few switches, and when I rocked my skirt yesterday, it was no exception. For the first look I told a vibrant #ColorStory by pairing my skirt with a sleeveless blue shirt, also from Talbots, Gap cardigan from last year, and my fave green Just Fab pumps. To round out this office chic look I added my Iman Global Chic bag, a skinny belt and my vintage Just Jewels 4 U necklace.

After work, I decided to do a little holiday shopping and wanted to change into something a little more comfy. I switched things up by adding a cream long sleeved Gap tee, my #StyleSteal Wal-Mart denim jacket, last year's scarf from Banana Republic and my amazing riding boots gifted by Lane Bryant. 

How do you rock fall florals? I hope you found my looks inspiring and that they encourage you to step out of the box and embrace fashion without boundaries. Until next time…

See you on the front row!

<3 Parker S. 

Beads by Aree

Hey gang, how's your week going so far? I'm off to LA later on today, but I wanted to leave you with a little Hump Day inspiration. A couple of weeks ago a FAB brand landed at Twelve 24 Boutique. Beads by Aree is a collection of hand crafted accessories created by Areeyal Godwin. The self taught jewelry artisan began creating pieces during her sophomore year of high school. As the years passed by, she honed her talents and launched her inaugural collection in 2011 called "Love for the Congo".  Inspired by the Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize winning play "RUINED",  Aree created earrings and donated a portion of the proceeds to humanitarian organization Women for Women. 

Fast forward a year later, Beads By Aree jumped on my radar. I fell in love with the creative genius that is Areeyal Godwin at the opening night fashion show of the first Style Bloggers of Color Conference. Her pieces adorned the models and were absolutely breathtaking.  The piece that immediately caught my eye were the most amazing peacock plumes encased in golden coils. I knew immediately that I had to have them. After a little bit of stalking and a whole lot of groveling, I was able to call those beautiful earrings mine.

Aree rocking the the Peacock Broomstick earrings

The simplicity of her designs yet the complex range of emotions the pieces evoke when you experience them is almost overwhelming. What I love most about Beads By Aree is the spirit and love that goes into each piece. While some artist pour their heart and soul onto a blank canvas, Aree breathes life into otherwise innocuous items and paints the the human spirit.

Me rocking Beads by Aree "Spike Swirl" earrings & "Huge Swirl" ring available at Twelve 24 Boutique

Thanks to my friends at Twelve 24 Boutique, you can experience Beads by Aree with a special capsule collection they will be carrying in the store. I encourage all of you to pop by the boutique and experience Beads By Aree. Because of the uniqueness of her pieces, quantities are limited. Be the first of your friends to rock her amazing designs, I promise you won't be disappointed. 

xoxo-

<3 Parker S. 

How to Wear Biker Chic to Work

Happy Tuesday! I hope your week has gotten off to a great start. Today I wanted to give you a little fashion inspiration from one of my favorite followers, my mom! I have featured her in previous blog posts and in numerous Instagram posts, but for those of you who are new, my mom is a very fashionable 60 year old woman. As you already know, I believe in fashion without boundaries and style at every age. No matter what size you are or your age, you can look fab!

Yesterday my mom totally surprised me when I saw her outfit. While out shopping together on Saturday, she scored the most amazing Vince Camuto boots from Nordstrom. Initially I was taken aback by the style, because it was way out of the box for her. She said she wanted something "edgy", and these boots were just that. I do occasionally style my mom, but she usually get it right all on her own and yesterday was no exception.

She created the perfect high/low biker ensemble by pairing her new boots with a #StyleSteal houndstooth dress from Ross, 15 Denier tights from ASOS, and vintage Chico's leather biker jacket. She added a color chic color pop to her look by wearing the same Banana Republic baubles that I wore on Friday with her ensemble. By adding these more delicate jewelry pieces to her look, she perfectly balanced the edginess of the boots and jacket. This instantly made what would have been 2 otherwise office inappropriate pieces acceptable for work.

That's her Sexy Look ;)

As you can see, getting older doesn't mean you can't still be fashionable and sexy. I love the fact that my mom has an amazing since of style and the confidence to own her age and rock the hell out of it. I hope her look has inspired you to embrace your inner diva and realize that style doesn't come with an expiration date! 

xoxo-

<3 Parker S.