OOTD: Tackling what a lifestyle blog means to me

October 18, 2018Leave a comment

( Jeans: Banana Republic Factory // Shirt: Loft (similar) // Booties: Steve Madden (similar) // Sweater: J. Crew (similar) )

This is my first Outfit of the Day post in a little over a year, and that one was posted with the same disclaimer to why it had been so long. I stopped posting them because I got frustrated that those posts were doing better than my posts on serious topics like mental illness. I’m not a fashion blogger nor did I have desire to be, I added the OOTD because I thought how we present ourselves is a great part of lifestyle and this blog is supposed to be a lifestyle blog. That’s changed a little, and I didn’t really mean for it to. It started when I published “I’m Not Offended by my Bipolar Jokes. You Shouldn’t be Either.” I was really unsure when I published it, I thought it was going to go over poorly, but I was wrong, it did well and I felt amazing having published it. So, more serious posts started getting mixed into my blog. Posts on my personal relationship with suicide mixed with photo diaries of my horse. It felt good, then I got more invested in the serious topics, and as you might have noticed, they started to dominate.

It’s not a bad thing. The topics I’m writing about are important, at least to me, and I feel like they need to be talked about. That’s what a blog is supposed to be, isn’t it?

But I’ve strayed a little to far from where I started. I need a little lightness in these posts too. I need to include the everyday joys, after all, life isn’t just about the serious topics, and it definitely isn’t just about mental illness and other hardships.

So here is my outfit. Here is my smile. Here is a picture of me in my everyday life.

Anna Down South is about me as a whole, that includes seriousness and it includes happiness.

Late November in North Carolina

November 26, 20162 Comments

There is snow all over the northern US, but as the blog title suggest I am not up north and there is definitely not snow. Instead we are getting near the end of falls colors. This beautiful Japanese Maple in my back yard has always been one of my favorites. It’s not all red yet, but it will be in a few days or a week. Continue reading →

Fall at Reynolda

November 2, 20162 Comments

unnamed

In the middle of last spring I ended up going to Reynolda Gardens in Winston Salem (NC) for the first time. Given the season everything was beautiful and in bloom. You can see all those photos here.

Now that it’s fall it’s a little different. They’ve still got a few things in bloom, some letting off some serious colors like the one below, but for the most part it’s a lot subtler. Still, the green house proves to be beautiful any time of year and I’m excited that my doctors office is right down the road. It means I get to pop in every now and then and explore. Continue reading →

Stay Golden:

July 9, 2016July 9, 2016Leave a comment

These photos are from last fall, now everything is green and lush at the farm from the rain and warm weather. There’s been so much rain that it’s been harder to take pictures out there. D’Artagnan is always orange from the clay. He’s been bathed four times this month, which is a lot for him. Continue reading →

OOTD: Burning it in Burgundy

November 28, 2015December 17, 20152 Comments

(Jeans: Express // Ballet Flats: Banana Republic // Top: Forever 21)

This was my winter concert wear this past weekend. I haven’t put on these jeans in a while because they say they’re a size two- which I’m not. Luckily I tried them on just for the hell of it. Turns out they run big. I feel like they’ll be great around Christmas. They’re colored for this season! Do you guys have anything fun planned? This year will be the first Christmas we’ve done without my sister here, so that’ll be strange.

The weathers been a little back and forth but with the amount of rain we’ve had and are planning to get I think that there’s a big possibility for a white Christmas. I’m not holding my breath, because in North Carolina they’re not all too common. We’ll see though! (and I’d rather snow than all this rain)

Fall Colors:

November 12, 2015November 12, 2015Leave a comment

006 004

North Carolina has been in and out of fall weather, but there is no question that it’s slowly getting colder and colder. Some parts of Greensboro have lost all their leaves, but campus is still colorful. I always feel like I miss fall, that I blink and the leaves have fallen and the pumpkins done away with. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t like Christmas to start till after thanksgiving. Fall is so beautiful, the weather is more mild than winter being crisp not cold, everything’s colorful, fresh apples are everywhere. Why would we want to fast forward through that?

Then again I’ve been fighting human natures want to fast forward through everything. We spend our weeks waiting for the weekends and our weekends waiting for the holidays. I’m still working on it, but how important is it to live in what’s happening and fully enjoy it.
003

OOTD: Feelin’ the Fall

November 4, 2015November 15, 20152 Comments

aaaa

Jacket: Express // Dress: Forever 21 // Boots: Kenneth Cole // Necklace: (similar x – x)

Who even made up the rule about wearing white after labor day? I know that by now everyone has pushed against it. Winter whites are in. Yet somehow I still don’t see many people wearing white in fall. It’s such a good color, it’s only downfall being that spills show. But today I managed to keep it clean through eating nachos with a girlfriend (which is such a feat), so if I can manage that I’m sure you can manage whatever your day throws your way.

It’s been pretty quiet here, the weathers been rainy, and though I’ve been pretty busy with school somehow this year is just flying right on by. I don’t even know how we made it this far into the semester. All of a sudden I’m thinking about Christmas gifts? I haven’t even felt fall yet.

Posin’ Pumpkin’

October 18, 2015October 18, 2015Leave a comment

I went to the farmers market for the first time today. It’s stupid that I’ve never been before seeing as I’ve lived here my whole life! I enjoyed it and bought a craft vanilla hand lotion and a my grandmother’s Christmas gift. All in all it was a good trip. I should have known I would love it because whenever I’ve been to a market in other cities I’ve loved it! How strange is it that this little Carolina girl went to one in Paris before she went to one in her home town.

I’ve been finding out more and more things to do in Greensboro. I really don’t know how I missed it all for all these years. I’d really recommend that everyone reading this dig in and find out if there is anything you’ve been missing in your home town. You don’t have to go far to explore!