And The Countdown Is On . . .

As you are aware, 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday!  From the music to the food, it's by far one of the biggest days of the year for me!  In recognition of my uncontained excitement, I decided to wear red, white, and/or blue every day during the week leadng up to the 4th.  Each day I'll hop onto the blog and post that day's outfit to keep you in the loop (in hopes of adding a little to your own holiday excitement!).  So here you go:

Monday:

white pencil skirt (Marshalls), blue linen shirt (LOFT), red cardigan (LOFT),

& blue/white striped ballet flats (GAP)

(PS - this picture was taken at the very end of the day, hence all the wrinkles and tangly looking hair!)

Tuesday:

 khaki trousers (Banana Republic), navy silk blouse (Banana Republic), red/white polka dot scarf (H&M), brown leather peep-toe wedges (Nine West)

Wednesday:

white eyelet dress (LOFT), navy blue cardigan (Ann Taylor), red crocodile ballet flats (Wally World)

(PS - My friend, Jenn, totally surprised me by decorating my workspace for the 4th of July!!!)

Thursday:

navy trousers (Banana Republic), burgandy satin blouse (The Limited), jumbo pearls (Forever 21), navy strappy sandals (Rack Room Shoes)
(PS - Meet my BOA office peeps!  They were all so supportive of my love for this holiday that they all wore patriotic colors just for me!  A lot of the details can't be seen in this picture - accessories like jewlery or nail polish (lol) and of course shoes!  Aren't they fabulous ladies?!)

A Hidden Treasure

2 years ago while vacationing together as a family at Topsail Beach, I took this picture. 

My dad had just been presented with the option of "experimental chemotherapy" by the specialists over at Duke Hospital.  There he stood with his packets and folders of medical information to sort through and process while trying to decide if it was the right thing to do or not.  Immediately I felt this overwhelming uneasiness in my gut telling me this was not what he should do.  But the information told us otherwise so we agreed that he would proceed forward.  A couple of days later, early one morning, as the family was sitting out on the deck enjoying their morning coffee and breakfast, I came back inside and sat down in the window seat overlooking the intracoastal waterway, overlooking my dad.  Sitting there before me was his Bible and reading glasses.  Something in me told me to get up, grab my camera, and document that moment.  I'm glad I did.  This has become one of my favorite pictures of my dad.  It's so symbolic and representative of him and the moment that changed all our lives forever.