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Fashion

What is Like to Know it

liketoknow.it, screenshot, bow top, pinstripe top

Hey guys, it’s another short and sweet Friday post. Today I am going to talk a little about Liketoknow.it app and why you should download it. I have been part of the Liketoknow.it for a little over a year now, and it is one of my favorite affiliate marketing groups to be part of. It allows me to be a personal shopper for all of ya’ll through my Instagram and blog. Think of it like the sales associate at Nordstrom who makes commission off of their sales, we make commission off items we sell through what we are wearing or suggestions we make through our blog. But aside from that, it is very convenient for our readers to shop our looks because it gives you direct links to where to buy the item simply by liking our Instagram photo, and now you can screen shot and have it directly sent to you Liketoknow.it app instead of your email. How easy is that?  Check out this adorable summer look I took in front of the famous Liketoknow.it wall in Dallas, and shop the look below! Continue reading “What is Like to Know it”

Blogging 101

Denim on Denim + Why I Blog GIVEAWAY

chambray shirt, how to wear denim shirt, casual denim look, casual style

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart. I really appreciate every single one of you who took the time to fill out the survey. I also appreciate all the positive feedback and the sweet messages. I seriously was in tears reading it. Honestly, I was so scared to do this survey because I was scared of getting negative or hateful responses. I’ve heard some horror stories from other bloggers, and it being my first survey, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I appreciate every single message from you guys, because it has reassured me of the direction I am going with this blog. I was a little lost at first, but after reading your responses it brought me back to why I blog, why I started this whole thing, and what keeps me going. So today I am going to share with you my whys, my goals, and my vision for this blog. Plus this classic denim on denim look thats perfect for summer and another GIVEAWAY!

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Family

29 Life Lessons I learned in my 20’s

little white dress, cocktail dress, chickwish, spring style, white dress

Can’t believe I am 29! Time sure does fly by, especially more now that I have a family of my own. This past weekend we went to our 3rd annual trip to Dallas to visit family and support the Texas Rangers. (View our past trips here and here.) We come from a baseball family, and there’s nothing more that makes this mama’s heart melt than seeing my husband and son share their love for the game. On Saturday the night before my birthday, when we went to the game my hubby surprised me with the sweetest birthday message on the big jumbotron at the Ranger’s stadium. And to top it off, since Josh’s Uncle manages the Rangers, we were able to sit right behind President George W. Bush and meet him at the game! Now that’s a pretty awesome way to remember my 29th birthday. I’m really thankful to be able to have such wonderful family to celebrate with on my birthday, and as I near my thirties I can’t help but reflect on how much I have learned and grown in my twenties. I never imagined my life would be like this, and never could imagine how amazing life would be. I look back at all my throwback pictures and can’t help but laugh at all the crazy good times, and lessons learned. My 20’s were something else, and there isn’t a single thing I regret about it, not even my poor choice in “hoochie mama” clothing during my college party days lol. All of my choices, all of my heartaches, all of my mistakes, help me be who I am today. So here are 29 life lessons I learned in my 20’s. Continue reading “29 Life Lessons I learned in my 20’s”

Fashion

Gladiator Sandals for Under $100

red dress, tire swing, galveston, beach style, summer style. off the shoulder, gladiators

dress| hat| gladiators| necklace| bag| earrings

Earlier this month my friend Brittany from The Hello Honey Blog, took our boys for a fun day at the beach. I love going to Galveston and touring all the cute and colorful beach houses on the island. When I saw this yellow house with this tire swing I knew we had to stop and take pictures by it. It really brought my inner kid out. Now I just need one of these swings at my house. I wore this adorable red dress and these fringe gladiators for under $40, and had so much fun swinging around. Being short, I’m 5’2″, I was worried these gladiators wouldn’t look right on me, however, to my surprise they actually made me look taller! Woot! Woot! Gladiators for the win! Now I can’t stop wearing them, and I highly recommend anyone who doesn’t have a pair to get some for summer! Gladiators are the perfect summer sandal that will never go out of style. Check out my look and my favorite gladiator sandals for under $100 below!

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Fashion

Peachy Keen + Charming Charlie Giveaway

floppy hat, off the shoulder top, coach bag, bow mules, white skinny jeans, outfit, charming charlie

“I’m peachy keen,” my dad would always tell me when he was in a good mood. You don’t hear those idioms so much anymore, but when your raised in the south it’s something that just sticks with you. If I could describe how this outfit made me feel, I would say just that. I’m peachy keen! This adorable peach off the shoulder top from Charming Charlie is just the cutest thing for summer, and paired with these cute bow mules, makes it that much more adorable. Today I’ve teamed up with Charming Charlie to give you a gift box with this top, this adorable accessories, a $50 gift card, and so much more! Scroll down for more details of this outfit and how to enter in the giveaway!

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Blogging 101

Confidence Tips For the Directions of Your Dreams – Survey + Giveaway

Confidence Tips For the Directions of Your Dreams by Houston blogger Dawn P. Darnell - girl power, initial necklace, monogrammed necklace, marleylilly

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” – Henry David Thoreau

I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for almost three years now. So much has changed since my very first post as a mom blogger. The very first post I did was when we found out we were having a boy! (View post here). I never envisioned this little space of mine would be more than just a place for my family and friends to share my journey as a new mom, and now I get to share it with all of you guys! This year I have been able to accomplish many milestones with my blog, and now that I am taking this full time, I hope to do much more. Right now I have so many thoughts and ideas on what I would like to do with my blog, I am at a crossroads in what direction I should take. I hope to be able to inspire you to follow your goals, whether they be fitness, fashion, or even to start a blog. So please if I could have a minute of your time, I would love to hear from you, your thoughts, and what you want to see more from me and my blog. Plus, I teamed up with one of my favorite brands, MarleyLilly, for this amazing giveaway below!  All you have to do is complete my ten question survey to enter!

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Fashion

Mother’s Day Out With Kendra Scott Color Bar Party

kendra scott event, children's miracle network

Earlier this month I teamed up with some of my favorite mommy bloggers Megan and Margret, and photographer Ashley of Hey Pretty Baby Photography to host the relaunch of Kendra Scott’s color bar. It was a fun event for the family where we had painting cookies for the kiddos, and sweet mimosas for the mammas. It was a fun mother’s day out with our kiddos and family, and we are so glad they could be part of this event with us. We donated 15% of the proceeds to the Children’s Miracle Network for a total of $860 for two hours of our event. Aside from their gorgeous jewelry, Kendra Scott is one of my favorite companies to work with because of their philanthropic business partnerships. It was truly a pleasure to be able to do this again with them. (View last event here.) Thank you Maggianos for the sweet treats and for donating the gift cards for our giveaway, Big Ass Balloons for the beautiful customized balloons, and Amazing Lashes at Sienna Plantation for helping look glamorous with these gorgeous lashes! For more of our Mother’s Day Out with Kendra Scott, check out the photos below!

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Family

7 Things to Do at the Bluebonnet Festival + Giveaway

bluebonnet festival, chappell hill, striped off the shoulder romper, boat hat, mommy and me

This past weekend my family and I went to attend the annual Bluebonnet Festival in Chappell Hill, Texas. Last time I went was seven years ago before I had Jayden. I don’t think I appreciated it as much or had as much fun as I do now that I have my own kiddo to enjoy the festival with. There is definitely so much to do at the festival, and if you plan to go, you can make  a day of it. Below are 7 things to do at the Bluebonnet Festival. Plus another giveaway!

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Fashion

20 Easy Tips for the Best Instagram Post + 20K GIVEAWAY!!!

20 Easy Tips for the Best Instagram Post by Houston fashion blogger Dawn P. Darnell - rebecca minkoff, blazer, chicwish, houndstooth skirt, nude heels, fringe top

Happy Monday everyone,

First of all, I hope everyone had a great weekend with their family! Secondly, thank you everyone who entered in the Lane201 Boutique and Amazing Lash giveaway, the winners are listed at the end of this post. And last but not least, thank you everyone who helped me reach 20k+ on both my Fitness and Fashion Instagram accounts! For my last 10k milestone I shared 10 THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME, but this time I am doing something different and sharing 20 tips for the best Instagram post. Plus I am giving you a chance to win a gift card for you and your bestie to shop and one of my favorite stores! Remember when I said there is no secrets to growing your Instagram just THE UGLY TO TRUTH, well they are also tips to creating a great Instagram post that will get you reposted by big brands, garner tons of likes, and in turn grow your following! So check out my 20 tips for the best Instagram post, plus this houndstooth skirt outfit, and don’t forget to enter in the giveaway below!

Continue reading “20 Easy Tips for the Best Instagram Post + 20K GIVEAWAY!!!”

Fashion

The Perfect Blazer for Under $50

blazer, summer ootd, spring look, destructed jeans, boat hat, statement necklace, nuetral outfit

blazer c/o| top| hat (similar)| sunglasses| jeans c/o| bag c/o| heels c/o| necklace c/o|watch c/o

TGIF everyone!

As always I try to keep it short and sweet on Fridays, because somehow it always seems to be one of my busiest days, and by then I’m almost running on empty lol. Tonight I am partnering up with my dear friend and her church to host their first ever fashion show event at the church. I am excited to be part of such a wonderful community event, and hopefully there will be many more to come. You can follow along on Instagram for more of the event. But back to the subject of this blog post and this amazing lightweight blazer you need for warmer weather. I love a classic blazer to dress up an outfit. It even pairs up perfectly with distressed jeans for a effortless chic look! Check out how I styled this blazer for under $50 in this classic spring outfit below!

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Fitness

Your 6 Minutes Legs Workout

Your 6 Minutes Legs Workout by Houston fitness blogger Dawn P. Darnell - DUMBBELL WORKOUTS, TONED LEGS, AT HOME WORKOUT, EXERCISES, youtube video, exercise video, youtube workouts, LEG EXERCISES, BUTT EXERCISES, quick workouts, fit mom, exercise outfit, buckle, camo

Happy Wednesday everyone,

Here is another addition of workout Wednesday for ya! Want those toned sexy legs for summer? Today its all about the legs and six different exercises you can do with dumbbells to tone up your legs. This 6 Minutes to Toned Legs workout can be done at home or at the gym, and can be modified without weights for beginners.  For this video I talk you through form, technique, and how to do each exercise effectively. Check out my 6 Minutes to Toned Legs workout video below!  Continue reading “Your 6 Minutes Legs Workout”

Fashion

Gingham Tops for Under $50 – Lane 201 Boutique GIVEAWAY

picnic outfit, spring style, tulle skirt, boater hat, gingham blouse, puff sleeves, tulle skirt

top c/o| hat| bag| watch c/o| bracelet c/o| skirt| necklace| shoes

Happy Monday everyone,

This weekend was an eventful one with our second annual Kendra Scott event benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network (view last year’s event here). It was such a great event to raise money for one of my favorite charities, and a great way to kick off my birthday month. If you didn’t already enter, we are giving $400 in Kendra Scott gift cards for your very own Color Bar Party. Click here to enter. Like I promised in my previous post I am teaming up with my favorite brands and boutiques to give away some of my favorite things. And today, I’ve teamed up with Lane 201 Boutique to give one lucky winner a gift card to shop! You could get this adorable gingham top from there, which would be a perfect top for Easter. I wore this outfit last Sunday for church and Sunday brunch, and this gingham top was a hit. Gingham is in for spring and for under $30 this top is a steal! Check out my Easter look below plus my favorite gingham tops for under $50.

Continue reading “Gingham Tops for Under $50 – Lane 201 Boutique GIVEAWAY”

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