Author Archives: Fashion Stoppe

How Parenting Makes You a Better Leader

Posted in Careers, Fashion Blogger, Parenting, Working Mom by

Everyone says that parenting – whoa what! I hate generalizations. But now that I have your attention, for the one that’s ‘Parenting makes you a better Boss/Leader/Employee’ – I would say yes, this is oh so true! And I have receipts, proof, timeline, messages to prove it. But really. Whether you are a working parent, entrepreneur or full time Mommy, this is how I’ve seen being a new parent make me better in my job – and I hope this encourages you, too!

1) Increased Empathy. I bet you are already an empathetic person. Parenting will make you be an empathetic queen on espresso fueled steroids! I’m not saying your emotional capacity quadruples because, tired, but since you are there 100+% for your little one and family, giving your energy, talent and skill to your work – you are know more than most that you are Showing Up. And who knows what already happened to you by 7am that day! The interactions, meetings, tasks, collaborations you have with others are more areas where your understanding for others shows up. Your empathetic muscles have already stretched and grown for your little, and it doesn’t stop there. It adds to your whole world. That being said, it also is important your immediate team has lots of empathy for you, too. Supportive coworkers is absolutely critical to success at work. But more on that later.

2) Faster Decision Making. As a new parent, I know there is a LOT of decision fatigue you have experienced before baby even arrived! (How many strollers do I need to swipe left on?! ) Add sleep deprivation, extra baby appointments and the calendar is looking overbooked. Now, you likely can’t spend 90 minutes revising your presentation deck or perfectly craft your content calendar for Q3. When you have a literal Hard Stop at 4:45pm to relieve your sitter or hop to daycare pickup before traffic explodes, the laptop must be shut and the day to night transition begins. Having stricter timelines sounds daunting, but this actually is empowering. You can now add ‘better decision making’ to your personal and professional resume. This time constraint positions you to increase your decision making speed, enhance your strategic thought process, and make you an even more valuable team member, at home and work. You can continue to contribute your talents, and your day to day is now updated and operates differently.  

3) Strategic Planning/Task Management. On days when the sitter cancels, daycare has a COVID outbreak, surprise snow day, etc, the world does not stop. As a working mom, there are some meetings that can’t be moved, emails for your clients that are time sensitive and other things that Must Be Done. Other tasks can wait, be delegated, adjusted. It’s a big shift if you are used to doing all the things and staying late. I’m not saying blow off all of your responsibilities. You are managing and prioritizing what needs to get done and adjusting the rest. It might mean an occasional late night after bb is sleeping or working on the weekend here and there. And I am all for the takeout/extra caffeine/Ubereats for these moments. Or other selfcare ideas we love.

Even or especially on days when I don’t feel I am operating at 100%, whether it is from a sleepness night from bb E teething, skipping naps (our current struggle) or just navigating the daily lovable toddler chaos, I question my ability to excel. I have truly doubted my ability and energy (and sanity!) to work while being a new Mommy. Do I really have what it takes to navigate Moming and Working? I am learning more every day and just showing up on the daily is my current status. Encouragement and texts from friends, a few hours ‘off duty’ and seeing the small wins (a promotion, a sweet interaction with Bb) go such a long way. If you are a working parent too, it is my honor and responsibility to remind you that by you showing up, you are doing great.

This is how I’ve experienced how being a new mom helps me in the workplace – and I hope it encourages you too! Have you noticed another trait you bring to the workplace as a new working mom or parent? Let us know here or reach out to us on insta at @fashionstoppe.com. 🙂

Easter Reflections by Design

Posted in Uncategorized by

Happy Easter, fashion fam! Today I’m going ‘offbook’ and wanted to share more about Easter and my experience, feelings and journey with this special holiday. I hope you and your loved ones are together today, whether you celebrate or not! You are all welcome here. 🙂

When you get down to the meaning of the holiday, it can feel a little…heavy. Mayybe that’s why we invented peeps and easter eggs to distract ourselves from the real meaning. But the optimism in me doesn’t like that answer, or really believe it. Because those Russell Stover easter eggs aren’t going to eat themselves, people.

When I think of Easter, I initially feel a little uncomfortable. I am reminded of early mornings, outfits not necessarily chosen by me (I valued fashion independence early on, as my mom will confirm). I think of cold mornings going to church as a family except for my dad, who says he is an atheist (who may be more agnostic now). I remember the thrill of carrying a palm leaf to the front of church on Palm Sundays with my sister. But we loved waking up and seeing what the Easter Bunny brought us and delighted in the chocolate and easter egg hunts and funtivities our mom made so special for us. Then our whole immediate family would eat an Easter lunch/dinner with our formalwear and sometimes candles, and call all of our relatives.

When I get down to it, it has been an ongoing journey to learn about the meaning of Easter and who Jesus is through loved ones in my life in so many ways. It will continue my whole life because the story of Jesus’ love for us is that rich and it is a love that is so much bigger than us and not of this world. I learn through community, church and noticing the small but personal interactions God delights in having with me every day. God doesn’t stop loving me or gives up on me even if I’ve barely made it to church this year, forgotten to pray or have a dusty bible (is virtual dust on bible apps a thing?) To think that Jesus died for me on a cross, abandoned by friends, betrayed by one, feeling forsaken from God – it’s almost too much to comprehend. Why would he die for me? If I just open 1% of my heart and mind up to this idea, I picture myself holding out an outstretched hand facing up, and I see so much movement and color and nature taking place in response, that was always there waiting and is unshakable by my own feelings or choices.

Stepping into this unshakeable, unmovable, personal and colorful love is an overwhelming feeling. I see why it can be unsettling at first. I can shout ‘I’m loved!’ to the mountaintops and the plants and sound wavelengths will dance with me. It moves me to my very core. I wonder – am I worth it? Why? Can you dim my feelings just a littleee? Emotions are uncomfortable! But then it becomes…this is new. I am seen. I am loved and cherished! As someone I know would say, it’s like trying on a leather jacket when you are used to the comfy sweatshirt. and I remind myself that God can handle all of my emotions in whatever jacket or tee I am wearing. (Idea for the future: clothes that create themselves every day based on your mood). Stephen (my husband) is someone that does an amazing job of this every day and reflects God’s love in such a steadfast way. With Stephen I can wear any piece of clothing, and he always loves me, and he will always talk about looks and ideas with me (literally and figuratively). As you can see, I have had to put in the work to learn about real love (still am!). Knowing we are loved, cherished, valued is essential for our souls and wellbeing and time on this planet. It can change lives, restore hearts, sprout truth and dance away demons. I hope this post reminds you that you are loved by a King and his love is unshakable and free to you, because you are worth it.

This year a LOT has happened to mess with our psyche, emotional state, physical vibes (um hellooo endless snacks). Reflecting on the meaning of Easter is great for resetting our spiritual soul and getting to reconnect on our journey with God and all that he wants to show us. What is God showing you today?

Much love,

Fashion Stoppe

Where to find your Easter look: 4 Places for #OOTD Inspo

Posted in fashion, Fashion Blogger by
Photo by Amy Lima Photography

Does anyone else remember early morning Easter formalwear, from suits to tights, matching family outfits and patent shoes?

Last year I don’t think anyone left the house, us included. Pretty sure I was rocking Mogul sweatpants most of the time. Fast forward one year into the pandemic and things are starting to come back to life!

Your look this weekend can be as dressy or cozy as you want it to be. Whether you are celebrating Easter or just want a spring inspired #OOTD, here are five places to check out with our recommendations for both dressing up or staying casual:

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Is Gray the New Black?

Posted in fashion, Features by

What colors stand the test of time? Let’s investigate what colors last in fashion.

Thanks for joining us for the second part of our The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior installment. This post included several color mentions, a bold statement to declare in something not as fleeting as a TikTok video! So I decided to dive deeper, fashionista! In the dictionary for ‘B’, today I am reviewing Dior’s mention of colors, “black” & “blue” in reference to the fashion world.  

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Is Christian Dior’s Fashion Dictionary Still Relevant Today?

Posted in fashion, Features by

Fashion from A-Z: Our thoughts on Christian Dior’s The Little Dictionary of Fashion, Part 1!

Originally published in 1954, we are exploring Christian Dior’s The Little Dictionary of Fashion. This A-Z fashion guide is just what this season calls for. This dictionary includes several words for each letter packed with style secrets and tips. Of course this series won’t include every word, but I will be sharing what stands out most, and what is relevant to you, fashionistas, throughout this series, plus daily updates on our Instagram stories. Get ready to be style inspired, enjoy Dior quoteables, and gain insight regarding fashion rules’ relevancy today!

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How To Find Your Perfect Wedding Shoes

Posted in Fashion Blogger, how to find the perfect wedding shoes, lifestyle, pandemic wedding, shoes, shopping in a pandemic, wedding by

4 Tips to saying ‘I Do’ to your shoes

Are you a bride to be, or a fashionista in search of The Perfect Shoe for a special event? This how-to post is just for you, whether you are a planner to the stars or a live-in-the-moment kind of vibe. This helped us on our journey, and we hope it does the same for you!

Find your inspiration – Whether it is browsing through Pinterest, sketching at home, a Disney movie, creating a mood board, inspiration is all around us, waiting to be found! If your wedding shoe is an important part to your wedding day, then this will feel more personal to you, and that makes it a special part of the process.  Reflecting your style is an important part of this special day! I would encourage you to dream big and find lots of examples, colors, textures, styles that resonate with you and why. If you envision walking barefoot, then you are one step ahead of us, and you’ve found your vibe! (Mani pedi, anyone?!) It is all about finding what is true to you and your vision for your special day.  

Be flexible – Probably the two least favorite words for any bride to be. I get it. Remember, this is one piece of the larger puzzle. Tough love moment: If you don’t find the exact shoe envisioned in your mind, it WILL work out. Just as love will find a way, so will the shoes.  If your dream shoe is taking a while to appear, invest in a backup (and check the return terms). Backup plans can take some of the stress off, and bonus, you might end up wearing it to the rehearsal dinner or another event (or even finding it is meant to be The Shoe for your special day). We spent 6 months waiting to find the perfect shoe! NOT that is will take you that long, we hope 6 days! For more on our journey, you can read more here. Right now, this is all about YOU!  

Be realistic – As a fellow dreamer, these are words I don’t even like to type! It sounds so…uninspiring! Defeated! Cumbersome! What might resonate more is if we said Plan Ahead. Whether you are wedding planning during a pandemic or not, taking the initiative to find this piece of your wardrobe sooner rather than later can shake off one extra worry or cross off part of your to-do list. If you are searching online, give yourself extra time for returns and grace if you aren’t loving it as much as you thought you would in person. Be realistic about your budget and what you can afford. But don’t compromise on quality (unless you truly never plan to wear them again-and even so, bring bandaids!) 

What does planning ahead look like for you? Figure out a timeframe that you feel comfortable with, and honor that. If you are wearing more than one pair for your day, how can you plan for shipping, returns, and your budget along the way? Taking a moment for the Shoe Vision to align with your budget and timeline, and the other factors you have in mind, will go a long way. 

Define your Non-Negotiables* – What are the characteristics that you absolutely must have in your shoe? Do they need to be emerald green? Hombre pink? Wedges locally sourced? As comfy as your bedroom slippers? Under $50? Define what that looks like to you, and you can save time and energy on your search-and have more time to enjoy your big day ahead. 

If you do find yourself getting frustrated or defeated, remember – the main goal of finding the wedding shoes is to be able to wear something down the aisle when you get married, show your personality, and complement your look. 

 It is oh so easy to get caught up in the details (believe me, we did!) but if you stay grounded on the main goal <to get married, protect your feet down the aisle, showcase your personality at the wedding> you’ve got this. 

We hope you enjoy, delight and savor in these moments as you plan your wedding! It’s the tiny moments that add to the sparkle on your wedding journey. 

Did you find your perfect shoe? We’d love to send you some hearts. Tag us on insta!

XO Fashion Stoppe

*Credit goes to our sister for sharing this wisdom with us – we love the technical term! 🙂 

Featured Image from Melissa Vossler Photography

Shoe, dazzle, I do

Posted in fashion, Fashion Blogger, lifestyle, love, pandemic wedding, personal style, shoes, wedding by

My shoespiration was nothing less sparkly than the original Cinderella Shoe by Jimmy Choo. Since this Cinderella is on a budget, we found the next best thing-which turned into the perfect pair for me. After searching online far and wide from eBay to Revolve, Amazon to every shoe store possible, as the wedding approached, these shoes danced into my newsfeed (thanks, targeted ads!). Discovering the sparkly heel, elegant style, dash of purple – my fave color – and that they were available in my size, were true signs they were meant to be. Keep reading to see the shoes waiting to accompany us down the aisle.

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How to Practice Self Care During COVID

Posted in covid 19, Fashion Blogger, fashion stoppe, glowup, health and wellness, lifestyle, self care, social distancing by

As a current extrovert / someone who is inspired being in new environments / low key people watcher, we prefer to be out and about more days than not. Given the current climate [aka global pandemic] it has been critically important to stay home, limit social engagements and practice thoughtful social distancing. How is one to cope?

From one fashionista to another, whether you are an evening Reddit user or social butterfly to the stars, we wanted to share a few things to encourage our extroverted, introverted, bbs out there working it day by day!

Here are 3 strategies that help us, and we hope they can inspire you! Read on below:

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Boho Fashion Inspiration

Posted in fashion, Fashion Blogger, fashion stoppe, Uncategorized by

For some style inspiration, I’m happy to share with you this shoot from the lovely @bridalandbraids & @amylimaphotos 🤗

This look is boho inspired with a denim influence, infused with elements of pale pink. It started with the pink top and adding other layers to that. The “messy” bun enhances the style and complements the feel of “effortlessly boho chic”, thanks to Ryann’s uber talented hair styling and vision. (Spoiler alert: “messy buns” are not so easy!)

This look of a more structured jean on jeans + sheer flowy pink dress + pink chunky boots is a fun way to show how to incorporate different kinds of material into one look, mixing structure with a feminine feel. Hopefully this gives you some style inspiration. What other pieces do you like mixing together?

With the dream team!