Summer Style Staple | White Jeans

Hey ladies! Are you enjoying these warm summer temperatures? Though I'm always excited about summer's arrival, I'm always put off by the southern summer heat! As things warm up, many of us begin to update our wardrobes. We recover and purchase our favorite summer staples-- sundresses, skirts, shorts, sandals, sunglasses, and.... White Jeans.

In the upcoming weeks, I decided to share styling ideas for my favorite summer staples with the help of my Polyvore account. Check out the "staple white jeans" portion of my Summer Style Lookbook below and tell me what you think of them in the comments!

Things I Left in my Twenties

As some of you may already know, I was welcomed into the 30 Club with open arms recently. And let me tell you, I am excited to be in the number! Honestly, however, I wasn't this hype months ago. See, for the last few months I had been torturing myself with this mental list of things I wanted to accomplish by the age of thirty. There was something about this proverbial list and these phantom expectations that had really been driving me up the wall. Why wasn't I already established in my career? Shouldn't I have accomplished waaaaay more at this point? That's what I had been asking myself repeatedly. I was reading self-help books, hoping to find an answer. I was even reconsidering my education (or seemingly lack thereof). After these never-ending dead-end searches, I finally decided enough was enough. 

I began to think about a few of my loved ones who were not awarded the opportunity to even see this next decade. I looked in the faces of my smiling children and husband. Then I looked in the mirror and realized I was still here for a purpose. So I decided right then and there to stop lamenting over what I thought should be, and really show my appreciation and gratitude to the Good Lord for keeping me!

When thinking on those things, my arrival to the big 3-0 began to feel different. So in celebration, I spent time with my closest family + friends and spent a lot of time reflecting on what this next milestone in life meant for me. And since I'm such a chronic list maker,  I started typing out a list on my tab in the middle of the night of all the things I'd be leaving in my twenties---not even considering the thought of a blog post or anything... Just some personal things I wanted to really let go of, so I could embrace who I am and who I am becoming. Below are a few of the items from that list....

Healthy Lifestyle | Going "Raw" with Esosa E

Award-winning Producer. Actress. Model. Author. Raw Girl in a Toxic World. Esosa Edosomwan is a woman of many hats, indeed. Like many others, I received my introduction to Esosa E tuning in to International TV/Web series An African City, where she can be seen playing "Ngozi," a devout Christian and vegetarian. After finding her site, Raw Girl in a Toxic World, I soon learned Esosa E was just as passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle as her character Ngozi. In fact, when Esosa E isn't on set (behind the scenes, in front of the camera, or modeling) she is inspiring people worldwide to adopt a healthy lifestyle through veganism. Teaching others how to live a plant-based lifestyle proves Esosa E is passionate about manifesting true beauty in the world--from the inside out. 

INTRODUCTION TO ESOSA E, THE RAW GIRL

Esosa E is a raw vegan lifestyle expert on a mission! As her website states, The Raw Girl's goal is to share her tips, insight, and expertise to others who look to lead a healthier life through veganism. While she has obtained an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed her business studies at Columbia University, she is well-versed in holistic health through years of extensive research. Following a personal health scare in 2007, Esosa E decided to pursue a healthier lifestyle through holistic health. After ten years of being vegan, she took her healthy lifestyle to the next level by "going raw"--consuming a diet based on raw foods. By doing this, she naturally healed her acne and rid her body of parasites!

These experiences inspired Esosa E to share her personal knowledge and research to help others. She has since written three books, The Acne-Free Diet, Parasites, Be Gone, and Raw Girl's 7 Day Detox. Each of these reads contain tips and valuable information on becoming your healthy, beautiful best through leading a holistic lifestyle. I was excited to be given the opportunity to connect with Esosa E to learn and share about the life. As someone who is looking to improve my health with better lifestyle choices, I was in for a treat!