Balancing in Heels

"It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes, that's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun". -Carrie Bradshaw

As all great fairytales go, it started with a pair of shoes. Not just any pair of shoes Christian Loubiton pumps. I always told myself that when I have made in my career in fashion one day my first purchase would be a pair of Christian Loubiton pumps. I first fell in love with Loubiton's watching Carrie Bradshaw strut around New York city in her red soled shoes. I remember thinking to myself that, that is what I want to be when I am older. Young, living in New York working for either a fashion magazine or designer.

And then like all great soul mates the shoes found me in the most Callie way. See I have an addiction to social media, it is an incredibly powerful tool that must be handled with care. You are able to brand yourself and connect with so many different people powerful and not. Instagram is my kryptonite and also my ally in navigating the fashion industry. I was scrolling through my news feed one day (probably bored in my textile manufacturing class to be quite honest) when I came upon a post from someone I greatly admire... Corrine from the Bachelor. Now I know what you are thinking "You watch that trash"? Well to be frank I only watched it this season to see what all the hype was about and instantly fell in love with the villian herself Corrine Olympios. Her witty banter, funny mannerisms that have me laughing till I am crying, and unaplogetic self, make me adore her all the more. Now my story is proof of just how powerful social media can be. I found this post from Corrine sponsoring a company called Eva NYC for a chance to win hair care products and guess what a pair of Christian Loubiton heels. So of course I had to enter never in my wildest dreams thinking that I would win. Well sure enough on April 27, 2017 to exact I found myself stunned staring at my phone as I had just been informed that I had won the contest. At first I was shocked because a notification from Instagram had popped up on my phone from Corrine herself and I had no idea why she would be communicating with a meer mortal such as myself, completely forgetting about the competition. And 3 weeks later the shoes arrived and thus began my journey with these beauties.

There is something quite powerful about these shoes. To me these shoes scream "Boss Lady". There is something empowering about putting on these shoes. I remember watching so many powerful fashion icons growing up pursue their dream in a pair of Loubitons. They gave me the courage that despite being at a place where my dreams seem so far out of reach that there is hope. I know that there is a plan and it will work out. And with these little shoes, together we are going to conquer the world! And let me state for the record that I am not one of those incredibly lucky people I mean I never win anything. But these shoes could not have come at a more perfect time. As I enter my last year of college and the lure of the future comes before me I am faced with my greatest fear: the future. I fear that my dream of working in the fashion industry will stay just that a dream. I struggle internally with "Am I making the right career choices?" "Am I taking enough steps to get there like apply for enough internships, have enough on my resume, etc"? I have never been raised with a silver spoon in my mouth in fact the quite opposite. I've always had to work 10 times harder than my peers around me. But in the end it was only to my advantage.

Hard work does pay off! Now I am learning how to balance it all: school, work, relationships, fitness, all while also finding time to breathe (that's the most important). How do I balance it all? Simple, I am a planner right down to the last second. Staying organized and on top of things plays a huge role. My best advice, get yourself a day planner. If I don't write everything down it will most likely be forgotten. Thus resulting in forgetting an assignment, being late to work, or worse having to cram for a test because I completely forgot about it the night before. Planning ahead for hangouts with friends or date nights is also important so I don't overbook myself. I am also learning to say no more to things and allowing some time for myself to just relax. I have always had huge FOMO, which means I would often try and do everything at once. Not always a good idea. I've had to learn to take even 30 minutes to myself to take a breather. Whether it be taking a nap or laying in bed catching up on the most current episode of Southern Charm on Bravo. Make sure to take time for yourself otherwise insanity starts to kick in. Being selfish is good, everyone needs to be selfish every once in a while. Nothing wrong with saying yes to a girls night but no to that bar crawl on a Saturday because you have had a long week (been there done that). Remember selfish people live longer :)

#Fashion