Lifestyle Archives - Houston Fashion + Lifestyle Blogger

Instagram vs. Reality

August 27, 2018August 28, 2018by The Style Lynn Life8 Comments

Happy Monday loves! I am so sorry I have been slacking on my blog posts lately. Life has been extremely busy. I’m like screaming inside but keeping all smiles on the outside 🙂 which is exactly what inspired me to get this post up today!

As a blogger I post things on social media daily, it’s part of my job. And as part of my brand, I like to keep things positive. That is why when you go to my social media pages you will see 99% of the things I post are all the “happy” things in life. I love sharing positive quotes, pictures and captions to make you smile and most days I am smiling on the outside and inside. But what you don’t always see are life’s not so happy and sometimes even terrifying moments.

From the outside looking in, I know it may look like a blogger is “living the life” but in reality most of us are just living our lives. And that means all the good, bad and the ugly that comes with it. Instagram is just a highlight reel of someone’s life. Instagram is a platform to help us share joy, outfits, recipes, etc. with each other. It doesn’t always show the whole truth.

I’ve seen a few of the bloggers I follow share Instagram vs. Reality posts where they show the hard work and struggle that actually goes into making that one photo perfect. One of my personal favorite Instagram vs. Reality posts are when bloggers share bloopers from their shoots LOL. But today, I’ve decided to share something a little different because personally, my family and I have gone through some scary moments in the past year and although I share bits and pieces about that every now and then I just wanted to give you all a good example of what social media can portray vs. what may really be going on behind the scenes.

Instagram vs. Reality Example One

What do you see? Probably this pretty pink Free People sweater that was trending like crazy last Fall!

What you don’t see: We got a phone call that morning for a Foster to Adopt placement. It was for a baby boy who was 2 months old and had been left at a fire station. They called me right before I walked into a meeting. I immediately said yes, called Brandon and sat down in my meeting. It was only like 5 minutes and I was already so invested in this baby. 10 minutes into my meeting Brandon called and I answered because I thought we was going to tell me details on pick up but he was actually calling me to tell me that the baby had been placed with another family.

Our agency told us that situations like this could happen but nothing prepares you for it. It took EVERYTHING in me not to breakdown crying in that meeting.

Instagram vs. Reality Example Two- literally only one week later

What do you see? Maybe a super fun travel pic and a happy care bears tee? You possibly read the first sentence of my caption talking about how it was my birthday.

What you don’t see: We got a second phone call for an adoption placement this day. This time they called Brandon. We were in Colorado for my birthday, I was relaxing at the hotel because Brandon went to go visit a customer that afternoon. He called me and said “the agency called. There are 2 little girls, sisters, under 2 that needed to be placed”. We told the agency we could hop on the next flight home and they said as long as we could get there by 6pm then we were good to go. I never packed up a hotel room so fast in my life! Brandon met me in the lobby and we didn’t even check out we were rushing out of there so fast! Brandon was flying to the airport as I was looking up flights back to Houston. There was literally one leaving in 30 minutes so we decided that I would rush to get on that one and Brandon would take the next one so he could check in our bags. We pulled up to the airport and Brandon’s phone rings…another family from a different agency was available to pick the girls up asap so…yup you guessed it. We didn’t get placed that day. It was definitely another sad moment but maybe the week prior had prepared me a little bit because I didn’t cry that time. And then when we turned back around to go back to the hotel Brandon and I laughed because we realized we never checked out and said to eachother “well I guess that worked out” lol

Instagram vs. Reality Example Three

Ahhhh!!! We were finally placed with our sweet baby boy. He had been in daycare for one whole week when I took this photo. And with daycare came a full on stomach virus. He got it. I got. I actually had blog campaign due the very next week so I couldn’t cancel this photoshoot with Yash.

So what you don’t see? I had to pull over twice on the way to this photoshoot so I could throw up. So gross I know. But again, Instagram vs. Reality my friends.

Instagram vs Reality Example Four

What do you see? A sweet photo of us on our anniversary trip with our sweet baby Weaver. Maybe you think “yay, they finally got placed with their son!”

What you don’t see: 4 days prior during one of our casual, routine CPS visits they notify us that a blood relative wanted custody and verbatim she said “once she passes the background check it could happen quickly”. Just like that. So matter of fact. “Once she passes”, basically our whole lives would have been turned upside down.

I looked back to my Instagram to see if one picture that week showed an emotion of sadness that would have even given the hint that we had a rough week that week. Nope, not one photo. That’s the “beauty” of social media.

Instagram vs Reality Example Five

What do you see? A smiling gal at a popular Houston restaurant? I was actually having lunch with my team that day.

What you don’t see: Actually I myself didn’t even see it coming. Right after lunch that day Brandon called me on my way back to the office. He had gone to court for the both of us that day. Since the court hearings were basically a day long event we took turns on who would attend.

Anyway, Brandon called to tell me that another relative showed up to court that day. He wanted to put forth a “family friend” to take custody of baby Weaver. This family member had never met baby Weaver nor had the “family friend” but according to CPS a family member will always take precedence over a non relative adoption.

Sh#t.

Excuse my language here but honestly that was the first word that came to mind. I can’t really describe it any other way.

Without getting into the details, that person clearly did not check out nor did the other family member I mentioned earlier but in all scenarios we went hours, days, weeks, honestly it wasn’t until last week (almost 10 months later you guys!!) that all of my fears were diminished of losing our son. If you have talked to me in the past ten months I probably told you “everything was good and that we weren’t worried”. Well, I’m sorry that I partially lied to you. Yes, everything was good. It is good. But with all of these surprises and unknown we were still really scared on what could have happened. As you may know, we received some really good news last week.

We (thank the good Lord) are in a position that we have been praying about. Thank you Jesus. But before I steer this blog post into another direction my point today is that life isn’t always as it seems on social media.

Some might ask “why would I even choose to post that day if I was really having a bad day?”. Well, because in most cases I signed a contract with a company agreeing that I would post my review that day. Clearly not knowing what life could throw at us that day.

Life is…truly like a box of chocolates 🙂

The comparison game is so real and I’ve heard people say that they stop following bloggers that they originally loved following because it started to make them feel bad about themselves. That breaks my heart but I totally get it. If you ever start to feel like that just try and remember that Instagram is just a highlight reel and that everyone has their own struggles even if it doesn’t seem like it because of a perfectly staged photo.

I know I’m struggling like everyday over here, haha. These are just 5 examples but trust me I could share like 100 more.

If you ever need a laugh or just want to vent I’m here girl, info@roselynweaver.com.

Love you all so, so much!

“Everyday may not be perfect but a perfect moment can be found in everyday.”

Dang..that was good. Did I just make that up?? 🙂

xo, Roselyn

Fashion, Lifestyle, Spring/Summer

8 Unique Ideas For Your Next Girl’s Night Out

June 27, 2018September 21, 2018by The Style Lynn Life8 Comments

We all know this gal loves a good cocktail night with her best friends but sometimes it’s fun to change it up! I’m so happy our friend Alice got us together a few weeks ago for a 70’s themed skating rink party! We all had such a blast and it inspired to share some unique ideas for your next girls day or night out!

My Outfit Details: Coca Cola Bathing Suit: Forever 21 | Denim Skirt: Forever 21 | Socks: Forever 21 | Heart Sunglasses: Amazon

8 Unique Ideas For Your Next Girl’s Day or Night Out!

Cooking Class – Such a fun way to get together and learn a new recipe too!
Try A New Workout Class Together – Get your fitness on with your best friends.
Go To A Skating Rink – honestly at this age, the skating rink is a bit of a workout too LOL but so much fun!
Host An International Potluck – This is a fun idea not only for girl’s night but for a family get together! Have everyone bring a dish that represents their cultural background.
Volunteer – There’s so many ways to volunteer in every city. What better way to spend a day with the people you love all while contributing to a great cause!
Have a Craft Night – Get your gal pals together for a Pinterest inspired craft night!
Go To A Comedy Club – Laughter is good for the soul! And girls night out is so needed by mama’s everywhere!
Spa Day – Who doesn’t love a good spa day! Get your girl’s together for a makeup free spa day and lunch date!

Okay now I gotta go coordinate calendars with my girlfriend’s and see when we can make these happen LOL! What are some fun things you like to do with your besties?!

xo, Roselyn

Photos by Banavenue Photography

Houston Guide, Lifestyle

Summer 2018 Bucket List With A Toddler

June 20, 2018by The Style Lynn Life3 Comments

I keep saying this but I cannot believe this year is flying by so fast! Tomorrow is officially the first day of summer so in honor of that I am sharing our summer 2018 bucket list.

I did a bucket list last year but this year is just so much more fun because we have a little one to enjoy all of it with!

Go To The Zoo
Staycation at A Hotel
Visit A Splash Pad (or two!)
Fly A Kite
Enroll baby Weaver into a gym for littles. OMG, why do I think this is the cutest thing ever?! Because it is 🙂
Take a family vacation with friends
Draw Outside With Chalk (Brandon is going to flip lol) We may have to do this when he is out of town.
Watch Fireworks
Visit A New Park
Watch A Baseball Game
Get Snow Cones (and let him make a mess with it)
Spend A Day At The Beach
Visit A Waterpark
Visit A Local Farmer’s Market
Go To A Museum

I will be printing this out and putting it up at the house so we make sure we cross everything off the list in the upcoming months! Below I am sharing a printable version in case you want to print and stick on your fridge for some summer fun inspiration! Please let me know what is on your bucket list!

xo, Roselyn

Adoption, Baby, Fashion, Lifestyle, Spring/Summer

Good Things Will Come

May 14, 2018July 18, 2018by The Style Lynn Life2 Comments

Outfit Details: Tee: Forever 21 | Denim Shorts: Free People | Sunglasses: Nordstrom | Wedges: Marc Fisher and similar here | Straw Bag: Francesca’s

Good morning my lovely friends 🙂

For the past week something has been really heavy on my heart and I was going to post this yesterday because it truly has to deal with this time of year but this year was a little different for me.

Mother’s Day.

Yesterday I was so overwhelmed by the love from my husband, my family, my friends and YOU GUYS for sending me “Happy First Mother’s Day” messages. Seriously, I cannot thank you enough for always being so uplifting and kind to me!! Mother’s Day is always such a special day for us to celebrate our Mom’s and all the mother figures in our lives but this year I felt extremely blessed to be able to be celebrated by my sweet little family.

As I have been anticipating this special Mother’s Day all week I couldn’t help but reflect on what I felt like last year. I want to share this with you because not until I opened up about our story did I find out how many of you guys went through or are going the same thing.

The last two Mother’s Day celebrations were probably the hardest. I felt so guilty for being sad because I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful mother myself and also two amazing sisters to celebrate that day! But the other 364 days of the year I was able to “hold it together” pretty well staying busy in my everyday activities. It seemed as though every around us was getting pregnant. Even friends that didn’t want kids were having kids and 2 friend’s of ours even made their baby announcement on Mother’s Day. Even though I was genuinely happy for them I couldn’t help but feel sad about our situation. I didn’t really talk about it in depth with anyone outside of Brandon because honestly I didn’t want anyone else to “feel bad” for us and I also didn’t want to take any happiness away from anyone else.

2016 was probably the hardest Mother’s Day of them all because we already knew our chances to conceive were going to be tough if at all possible. 2017, last year, was actually a lot better because we had already gone through the adoption process but we hadn’t gotten a call and my hopes of that becoming a reality started to wither away as well.

Fast forward to 2018 you guys. I got to celebrate in my first Mother’s Day. This post is on the more not-so-happy side than most of my blog posts, but what I want you to know is that

GOOD THINGS WILL COME

I feel your pain for you, my friends, who are suffering infertility. I know the sadness of you longing to be a mother because you deserve it more than anything. I know some of you who have lost a child. I know Mother’s Day is a celebratory day for the world but it’s okay for you to be sad because only you know what you are going through.

I want you to know, from someone who has experienced some of that sadness, that you are not alone. It may seem like people are just having children without any of the struggles you are going through but I’m telling you right now that the amount of people that have reached out to me about their infertility struggles is overwhelming. You are not alone.

I was praying on my way to work this morning (that’s when I pray, haha) and I remember that before we got baby Weaver I’d always pray this “God, I pray that Brandon and I are able to conceive a child if that’s what is meant to be, if not please help us be patient and strong through this adoption process”. This morning I caught myself praying that He help me be the best mother for baby Weaver. Within two years I was praying for our sweet baby and it not until this morning I realized my prayers had switched to me praying that I would be the best mother to our son that God has blessed us with.

You won’t ever forget the sadness that you went through waiting for your sweet baby but I promise you you’ll forget how sad you were and how long you waited because when you are finally blessed with that sweet soul, it will be hard to remember anything else. I know that if you are going through the struggle right now that you hear that from people all the time and it gets annoying but again, I was there girl and I promise you Good Things Will Come…

We don’t always understand God’s timing but I know it’s always the right time.

Good Things Will Come

xo, Roselyn

P.S. Adoption was always in our plan. It just happened sooner than we had planned. If you guys have been thinking about it yourselves or are curious and have questions, please always feel free to reach out to me. You can email me at hello@thestylelynnlife.com. You can also read more about our story here.

Baby, Fashion, Lifestyle, Spring/Summer

6 Things I’ve Learned Since Becoming A Mother

May 13, 2018May 14, 2018by The Style Lynn Life2 Comments

Happy Sunday you guys! Today I get to celebrate my first Mother’s Day as a mother and I couldn’t be more thankful. I’ve learned so much in the past 6 months and I wanted to share some things with you today.

But before I get all teary eyed and sappy I have to share another Brandon Weaver story. I was dying to get this Boy Mom shirt as soon as my girlfriend sent me a screenshot of it. As soon as I got it in I showed the hubby.

Me: How cute is this shirt?!

Brandon: Boy mom? What is that supposed to mean?

Me: That I’m a mom of a boy, duh.

Brandon: Why doesn’t it just say “I have a son”

bwhahahahaha!! I can’t with him you guys!

Okay, okay onto today’s post!

things-i've-learned-since-becoming-a-mother

Outfit Details: Boy Mom Tee: Stateline Designs | Shorts: Free People | Sandals: Asos | Sunglasses: Quay

His Outfit: Tank: Zara | Denim: Zara | Shoes: Adidas

6 Things I’ve Learned Since Becoming A Mother

1. I’ve learned a brand new type of love for my husband. Obviously, I love my husband so much and honestly I adore and admire him like no other it almost seemed impossible to love him even more but then…I got the opportunity to watch him become a father. Whoa. Watching him play with baby Weaver may be my new favorite thing ever.

2. Mom guilt, wife guilt, work guilt is all so real and can’t be avoided. I remember the first day we had to take baby to daycare. I cried the whole way to work because I felt so guilty that I had to leave him with “strangers”. Then I cried the whole way home because I felt like I wasn’t giving my projects at work 100% that day because all I was thinking about was my baby. That same weekend I cried after everyone went to bed because I felt like I wasn’t giving my husband much attention that week. OMG, thinking back on it I’m like what is wrong with me?! LOL but seriously I still get caught up in those moments of guilt. I try to remind myself I am doing the best I can but honestly having mama friends to talk to and who can relate really helps too.

3. Take people’s advice with a grain of salt. People’s intentions are good but everyone and every child is different. The first month I was taking everything I read and everything people told me so literal that I think Brandon was ready to take our son and walk out on me. LOL, totally kidding but one day I would say someone told me that I needed to do xxx and then the very next day I would come home and tell him I read an article and we can’t do xxx anymore. I’m crazy I know. Listen to your pediatrician and then do what works for you and your baby.

4. I can actually get ready under 10 minutes if I really want to! 🙂

5. I never knew fatigue until now. It would be normal for you to receive a text from me at 2:00am and then see me at the gym at 5am full of energy. These days I have found myself taking advantage of sleep! I even indulge in a nap every once in a while and it’s glorious!

6. Having a sense of humor is a saving grace. So our sweet, perfect little guy has started throwing little “fits”. I mean it’s the most fake, dramatic cry I have ever seen in my life. While some parents, might be embarrassed, Brandon and I can’t help but laugh because baby Weaver still looks so dang cute when he makes this face. It happens when you aren’t handing him his snacks fast enough so it usually takes place at a restaurant or if we are out and about. He does this fake cry with his eyes shut tight and his mouth wide open. Like, SO dramatic you guys! I wish I could show you a picture. Sometimes Brandon will imitate him and baby Weaver will start laughing so hard. I’m like “daddy is making fun of you buddy!” lol

Obviously, I’ve learned so much more about being a mom than just these 6 things I shared today. I’ve even learned so much about myself in the past 6 months but honestly today I’m just so overwhelmed with emotion about the fact I even have been blessed with the opportunity to be a mother. When Brandon and I got married, not once did it cross my mind that it would be a challenge to start a family. We even waited to “start trying” because we wanted to enjoy being a married couple for a while. Then we found out it was going to be difficult for us to conceive, we prayed and prayed and prayed for our sweet family then God brought us the most perfect baby boy that we could have ever asked for. Honestly, not to be dramatic but if I was guaranteed more exactly like him, I’d take at least 4 more 🙂 I’m so thankful to be celebrating my first mother’s day as a mommy (eekkk!!).

Happy Mother’s day to all you mama’s out there. I have so much love and respect for each and every one of you. Thank you for always letting me share life with you.

xo, Roselyn

Fashion, Lifestyle, Spring/Summer, Wear to Work, Work Wear

Pink Wrap Dress + 6 New Pinterest Recipes To Try

April 16, 2018April 19, 2018by The Style Lynn LifeLeave a Comment

Hey girl hey!

Usually I am up super early Monday, Wednesday and Friday writing my blog posts before baby wakes up and before I head to work but I am actually writing this on Sunday night this week! Drinking a big glass of wine 🙂 Nonetheless getting my blog post done!

I would also like to share that I meal prepped 4 new recipes PLUS 2 snack options today after we celebrated a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese (baby Weaver’s first CEC experience I must add) so I def deserve this glass of wine 🙂

Continue reading “Pink Wrap Dress + 6 New Pinterest Recipes To Try” →

Lifestyle, Spring/Summer

The Perfect Embroidered Dress + 25 Random Things That Make Me Happy

April 9, 2018by The Style Lynn Life1 Comment

Happy Monday Friends! I hope you all had a great weekend!

I had a fun filled weekend enjoying a mini birthday staycation with my best friend and then yesterday baby Weaver and I went to celebrate Simplicity and Coffee’s precious little girl’s 1st birthday! So basically birthday celebrations all around! 🙂

So….last week I got a spray tan and when I woke up the next morning looking like a bronze goddess :), I thought to myself, “being tan makes me so happy”. LOL. I started to think about all the little things that make me happy and I wanted to share them with you along with this vibrant dress that I can’t help but smile when I wear it!

the-perfect-vacation-outfit

Shop this look:

Continue reading “The Perfect Embroidered Dress + 25 Random Things That Make Me Happy” →

Baby

1st Birthday Celebration: Baby Weaver’s Candy Shop

March 21, 2018by The Style Lynn Life2 Comments

This past Sunday we celebrated our sweet baby boy’s first birthday with our family and friends. It was the best day having our loved ones over to celebrate him. You all know I can only share so much but today I do want to share his cute little candy shop themed party along with some photos of the amazing people he has in his life.

Life has gotten so much sweeter since he entered into our lives so Baby Weaver’s Candy Shop seemed like the perfect theme!

We got this bounce house from Sky High Party Rentals and I love how it went with the theme perfectly!

Continue reading “1st Birthday Celebration: Baby Weaver’s Candy Shop” →

Fashion, Lifestyle, Spring/Summer

5 Date Night Ideas That Don’t Require A Babysitter

March 5, 2018March 6, 2018by The Style Lynn LifeLeave a Comment

Happy Monday love bugs!

Thank you all so much for reading last Friday’s post talking all about the fun stuff to do in Atlanta. One of the things that I loved about our trip was that it felt like we were on a continuous date day/date night since we were exploring and trying out new eateries all week long!

I’m sure all of you mamas know how hard it is sometimes to fit in a date night but we have been especially struggling with it because of our situation with baby Weaver. Since everything isn’t officially finalized yet, we can’t even leave him with a family member or close friend without them filling out paperwork and getting an FBI background check. No, I’m not kidding. I have the most loving girlfriend’s you guys and they have all asked to watch baby while Brandon and I go on a date night. And even though they said they don’t mind doing the paperwork and background check, I still really hate for them to have to go through all of that. Even when my family came in December, they had to get fingerprints done as soon as they got here and all that jazz. It is kind of annoying because here they are, the most kind people, flying thousands of miles to love on baby Weaver and I’m like “hey Mom, can you sign this paper first?’.

I mean, I get it. I see why the system has to enforce processes like this but when it’s personally happening to you and you personally know that your family member’s are genuinely good people, it starts to get you a little. Just being honest.

So anyway, something that I think is so important is “dating your spouse”. We get so caught up in life that it is so important that you put aside time for your spouse to keep that spark. Yes, we spend time at home together talking about our work day or things that we need to do but I love enjoying that quality time just laughing not thinking about a to do list and just enjoying each other. With our son and no babysitter, I thought it would be a good idea to recap some ideas to have a “date night” with your precious child in tow!

1- Try out new restaurants- I love this because Houston is constantly opening something new. You should know by now that I am a big foodie so eating is always at the top of my agenda. Grab the hubby and baby to try out a new brunch spot!

2- Invite friends over that have kids- Order in some yummy food and enjoy some board games while the kiddos play.

3- Go on a road trip or take a staycation- Just getting out of the house feels like an adventure. It doesn’t even have to be a trip to somewhere far but exploring new spots with your spouse always brings excitement! Plus the watching the baby discover new things makes my heart melt!

4- Beach stroll and sunset dinner- something about being on the beach is always romantic. We haven’t taken baby to one yet so I think it would be so fun to take him on a little beach stroll and then have dinner at a nearby restaurant while the sun sets. Plus that’s like bed time so he may fall asleep while we are having dinner LOL

5- Netflix and Chill- Sometimes after a long and exhausting week at work, you just want to put on your jammies and relax. Grab all of your favorite movie time snacks and snuggle up with your honey. This is great to do after baby goes to bed so you can have your one on one time.

*BONUS- If you are in Houston, the perfect date day would be taking the little one to the rodeo. This is something we do each year together anyway so it will be nice to keep the tradition with the baby!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I want to hear all of your date night with kid’s ideas too please!

xo, Roselyn

Fall/Winter, Fashion, Lifestyle, Spring/Summer

4 Year Wedding Anniversary – Silk Gift Ideas

February 28, 2018February 28, 2018by The Style Lynn Life2 Comments

Happy hump day friends!

If you were wondering what the heck we were doing in Atlanta two weekends ago, we were actually celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary! Every year we pick a state that we have never been to and we go celebrate there! It’s such a fun tradition because it typically takes us to a place we probably wouldn’t have gone otherwise. This long weekend of celebrating/exploring is supposed to be our gift to eachother but if you have been following me for some time now, you know that I love buying people gifts so naturally I always surprise Brandon with just a little something extra each year!

On our first anniversary I started using the traditional anniversary gift calendar to get creative on what to get Brandon every month. Year 4 is silk and it ended up being my favorite because I got to incorporate our little guy!

Brandon wears ties all the time so I decided to buy some silk fabric to get some custom ties made for him and matching bow ties for our son! Omg, I thought that was the cutest idea ever…until I saw how much silk was LOL. Anyway, I still bought it and our alterations place actually made them for me! She was like “this is going to be really expensive, you should try buying them already made”. Well one, I was having the hardest time finding a tie and bow tie set. It was either 2 bow ties for Dad and son or 2 reg ties for Dad and son. Brandon won’t wear a bow tie and baby looks so cute in them so having them custom made is what I decided to do. How cute are these?!

I want to get a matching scarf made now because I’m jelly LOL. I’ll let my bank account recover first!

If your 4 year wedding anniversary is approaching, I am linking some other fun silk gift ideas below!

Sleep Mask – Gift a sleep mask, make your spouse breakfast in bed and tell them they can sleep in.

Silk robe- Gift a silk robe with a spa day scheduled!

Silk Pillow Cases & Sheets- He may not appreciate what a silk pillow case does for your hair and skin but I’m sure you can think of a way to get him excited about silk sheets!

Clothing- Buy each other clothing like one of these ties for him or a silk dress for her and enjoy each other at a nice dinner.

xo, Roselyn