SAS Turns One!

I can’t believe my first post was one year ago today!  When I started Sunflowers and Stilettos, I honestly had no idea if it was anything that anyone besides myself would pay attention to.  I am beyond grateful and appreciative of everyone’s support and am so excited for what the future holds!

To give a little background, Casey and I moved from New York to Charlotte in November of 2012 and maybe knew a total of 4 people who lived here.  My company was willing to keep me on board and have me work remotely.  The majority of my career has been working as an Outside Sales Rep in the medical industry, so working from home was a huge change for me – and also not the best way to meet people in a new city.  My full time job requires me to manage and coordinate care for sick people, mostly the Geriatric population – so I’m constantly speaking to people about their loved ones who just got diagnosed with Cancer, or fell and broke their hip, or suffered from a stroke, or are on Hospice and have limited time to live.  Very sad, unfortunate, real life situations.  As much as I love what I do, and like to think that I’m a support and help for these families – as you can imagine, it can be emotionally draining and exhausting.

So with that being said, Sunflowers and Stilettos was created as a way for me to talk about things that were fun and carefree – clothes, shoes, cooking, traveling – and whatever my heart desired.  I never expected it to become a way for me to meet so many great people, make new friends, be invited to events, and get connected to a plethora of companies from local to international.

If you have been reading along, you’re aware that a good percentage of my posts are fashion related, and more specifically my personal style.  I want to be clear that I’m no expert (which I’m sure is obvious).  I’m not rich.  And I certainly don’t have one of those bodies “that everything looks good on.”  I may have grown up in a home that a lot of people (including myself) would consider fortunate and very comfortable, but my parents didn’t give me their credit card and allow me to buy whatever I wanted.  I’ve had a job since I was 16 years old and have had to support my shopping habits ever since.

I grew up rather Tom-Boyish and didn’t start to appreciate fashion until the end of elementary school.  In Junior High (and High School), I used my daily journal meant for homework assignments and test dates as a way to keep track of my outfits.  I’d literally write down what I was wearing from head to toe and made sure to never repeat an outfit within a month’s time.  Psycho… I know.  I’ve always been a person who my friends would go to for fashion advise, styling tips, and to consult with before buying or wearing something.  In college I had a dry erase board designated to keep track of who borrowed what from my closet because it would get so out of hand.  So needless to say, it is no secret that I love fashion (along with a trillion other people), which is why it has such a strong presence on Sunflowers and Stilettos.

I wish I kept a diary when I was younger, so I could look at it now and remember certain moments of my past, and possibly reflect on how I’ve changed and grown as a person (I guess both literally and figuratively).  So this is my diary.  A very open and public diary.  I want to thank everyone who has been following along and has helped encourage this new hobby of mine.  I truly love receiving your comments and messages, and hope you continue to enjoy reading!

Photo Credit: Andi Perullo

 Top: Urban Outfitters  //  Shorts: old (Similar)  //  Shoes:  Milanoo (Similar, Similar)  //  Clutch: old (Similar)  //  Monogram Necklace: Jennifer Zeuner (less expensive option)  //  Necklace: old (Similar)  //  Earrings: Teal House Collection  //  Sunnies: Ann Taylor Loft On Sale!  //  Nailpolish: Essie – Mint Candy Apple