me and Minnie

In life, change is the only constant.

With the celebration of my 2 year blogiversary, I decided to make a make a few changes; a fresh new website for the exciting changes that are on the horizon and a small name change. Head over to meandMinnie.com for the complete story.

XOXO,

Shanna

8.28.16|#DOFB

 

Dear Diary,

To say this has been busy week for the blog would be an understatement! I have so many cool projects in the works and I’m both excited and nervous about how its all going to come together. When I was heavy into acting, I rarely told people about my auditions. I didn’t want to tell 50 people I landed an audition for this amazing role only to not be chosen for the role; then have to go back to said 50 people and tell them what happened. Same thing with this, have told a few people but I don’t want to announce it yet until I know for a fact its going to happen. I have my fingers and my toes crossed that it all works out and keep yours crossed too!!

Summer camp has come to an end, but classes start so there’s no slowing down in the near future for me. Classes actually started last week but because of work, I was unable to attend; don’t worry I emailed all my teachers and let them know. I’ve been juggling work and school for about an year and half and I’ve gotten a rhythm with making it all work but with blogging moving from a hobby to something more, I have to sit and make some adjustments to fit it all in.

Well that’s it for me. The last few times I’ve spoke to you have been pretty short but soon I will have A TON of things to talk to you about so be prepared! I have class in the morning so I need to find something to wear because I can finally get out of running shorts and tee shirts (insert dancing emoji) lol

 

XOXO,

Shanna

That’s It. That’s All.

 

White Tee. Vintage Levis. Black sandals. That’s it. That’s all.

Merona White Tee Shirt// similar here and here

Vintage Men’s Levis (DIY)

Alex and Marie Sandals// similar here, here and here

 

XOXO,

Shanna

8.21.16|#DOFB

 

Dear Diary,

I know, it’s been a while since the last time I’ve spoken to you. I wish I could say I’ve been so busy I have not had the chance to write to you but honestly I’ve been lazy; plain and simple. Blogging is a lot of work. Blogging and working is a lot of work. Blogging and working and going to school is a lot of work. And add being a mother and running a household in the mix; yes A LOT OF WORK!! So I got a bit lazy and I slacked off with blogging. But I’m back. And I’m glad to be back. I hope you missed me. Because I missed you too. But absence makes the heart grow fonder right???

XOXO,

Shanna

 

 

{No.4} Five Things|Vintage Dresses

Finally made it to Friday!!!

If you follow me on Snapchap, you would have seen a few pieces from my vintage dress collection and as promised, I am posting them to the blog and linking some similar dresses that I’ve found! I did my best to find a good mix of high/low and tried to link dresses that had elements of the vintage inspiration. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing tips on how to shop vintage and great places you can score you own amazing vintage finds!

Circa: 1950’s

Designer: Cecil Chapman

Why I got it: Look at the sleeves and tell me you wouldn’t get it either! Plus this dress has pockets!!

The pretty little details:

Oscar de la Renta Illusion Yoke Hand Beaded Lace Dress

Pamela Rowland Long-Sleeve Illusion Filigree-Embroidered Dress

Jameela Jamil Pointe Midi Dress

********************

Circa: 1960’s

Designer: Neiman Marcus

Why I got it: Because it reminded me of the dress Carrie Bradshaw wore for her last night on the town before moving to Paris with “The Russian”!

The pretty little details:

Monique Lhuillier Sweetheart Neck Strapless Dress

Missoni Strapless Dress

Diane von Furstenberg Strapless Silk Dress

********************

Circa: Late 1950’s very early 1960’s

Designer: Unknown

Why I got it: I had been looking for a white lace dress but they were all too small so when I found this baby I snapped it up!

The pretty little details:

BB Dakota Elenanor Midi Dress

Jump Apparel Strapless Lace Fit & Flare Dress 

Badgley Mischka Textured Sweetheart Strapless Cocktail Dress

********************

 Circa: Late 1960’s

Why I got it: The beaded neckline and color of the dress!

Designer: Unknown

Heavy Satin Sleeveless Beaded Dress

Steffen Schraut Embellished Shift Dress

Jo No Fui Short Dress

********************

Circa: Late 1950’s, early 1960’s

Designer: Lillie Rubin

Why I got it: It looks like a cupcake. Do I need to say more?!?!

The pretty little details:

It was soooooo hard to find anything similar for this dress 😦

XOXO,

Shanna

Dinner Theater

I work in Recreation and when summer time comes around my #ootd are running shorts, t-shirts and sneakers; I mean it’s hard to keep up with a five year old in skinny jeans, a button down and 4 inch heels, but there is one day of the summer I’m allowed to get gussied up and go some place fancy. Five years ago a co-worker and good friend of mine and I were looking for out of the box field trips to take our kids on and saw that a local children’s theater was running a performance of Henny Penny and a light went off. We decided to take our kids there and then out to eat at a fancy restaurant. Tired of wearing my unofficial summer uniform, I suggested we all get dressed up and the trip was born! Over the years the trip has grown from the twenty we took that first go round and its a trip I look forward to for many reasons; seeing how adorable the kids look all dressed up, the look of excitement on their faces while watching a live show for the first time and of course getting out of rec clothes for a day!

The pretty little details:

(sold out style) Banana Republic Geo Lace Peplum Dress//similar style here

Charles David Sway II Leather Pumps

Vintage Bag

Tiffany’s Infinity Bracelet

 

 

XOXO,

Shanna

{No. 4} Five Things|5 things you don’t know about me!

I’ve joined Snapchat and to celebrate I posted five things you don’t know about me!

 

1. I have a HUGE collection of vintage dresses!

 

2. I LOVE JUDGE JUDY!!

 

3. I used to play the harp and was invited to play at a concert hall in London!

 

4. I used to have a blog called “Adventures in Singlemommyhood”

 

5. I was an actress and performed at The Kennedy Center, in an off-0ff Broadway show and was in an indie movie!

 

Hope you got to know me a littler bit better and be sure to follow me over on Snapchat (theminnierose) for snaps of what I’m doing and content that will ONLY be posted there!

 

XOXO

Shanna

White Hot

  

 

Thank you unbearably hot summer for pushing me out of my comfort zone. If not for the extreme temps and trying to reflect the sun, I would have never tried an all white outfit. Now let me be clear this is not an invitation to stay; I’m tired of feeling like a cooked turkey every time I walk outside, but at least if I’m going to burn up, I’ll look damn good!

 

XOXO,

Shanna

 

Target Mossimo V-Neck Tee

Gap Authentic 1969 Patch Pocket Flare Jeans

Charles David Pumps Sway II Leather Pointed Toe Pumps

 

7.24.16|#DOFB

Dear Diary,

I don’t think I’ve ever told you but I am in the process of switching careers. For nearly nine years, I’ve worked as a Recreation Instructor for the City of Richmond and though I love working with children, I’m ready for a change. Part of my job is to plan and promote programs for the community centers where I’m assigned and over the years it’s become the part of my job I love. I always knew that recreation was something that I wouldn’t do forever but I had no idea what I wanted to do. I went back and forth in my mind for a few years with ideas and every time I would be trying to figure it out, I would be in the process of planing and promoting a program; I finally took the hint lol! Last summer I enrolled in school to pursue my degree in Marketing and I have never been happier; super tired with going to school full time and working full time and blog full time and being a mommy full time but happy! I am trying to get some real world experience in this field so I applied for an internship with a local museum in my area and fingers crossed I get it!

It’s been crickets over on the blog and on Instagram this week. I’ve been trying to keep up with my assignments for my online class and yea…the blog needed to take a week long break. But just because I’m not posting does not mean I’m not working! When I was blogging before, I could not figure out the secret to doing this full time and working full time and found myself burned out. I now know the secret and it’s “batching processing”; in short I schedule day’s during the week to get one task done with the blog. For example, one day I write all of the weeks post, another day I shoot all of the pictures for the posts and another day is for editing all the posts. I first heard of this method from Mattie James who is the blogger behind Mattieolgie and it has been a GAME CHANGER!! To be honest I thought it was stupid and not sure how this one little trick would be a benefit but I gave it a try and boy was she right! I’m no longer falling behind on posting, stressing out about meeting deadlines and I have more control with what needs to get done. I had someone ask me recently how I manage to post three times a week with everything else that I have going on and I shared with them this method. Now I’ve sucked with posting the past week but that was not for lack of content, I just needed to breathe and disconnect a bit to focus on school but its back to my regularly scheduled programming!

Well its time to go and get ready for the week, I’ll talk to you soon!

Until next time,

Shanna

 

7.17.16|#DOFB

 

Dear Diary,

I returned back to work after three days off and though I was suppose to take a week, the few days I spent away worked. As promised, I tackled some task around the house while on my mini vaca; my biggest project…the closet! I swear, I don’t understand how I could ever say “I have nothing to wear”, because my closet conveyed a different story lol! Half of the unwanted items went to Goodwill and the other half are being shipped off to Thread UP; I am stalking two pair of booties and I’m selling old stuff to get new stuff lol!

Nothing new going on with the blog, everything is chugging along smoothly. I’ve been posting three times a week and traffic is increasing daily. I have a few post in my draft box that I need to finish up and finally schedule time to meet with Lauren to shoot pictures for the series I’m working on. That’s it…I kinda feel like I should be saying more, but I don’t have anything else to update you on.

Short and sweet!

Until next time,
Shanna