Keri Elaine

Blue Lace Monokini

Published on July 19, 2017 by Keri Elaine14 Comments

Being a South Florida girl at heart I absolutely love swimming. Growing up I was always a fifteen minutes car ride from the beach. After my kindergarden best friends’ mom gave me swimming lessons I fell in love with being in water. My one requirement major requirement in finding someplace to live in Atlanta was find a complex with a pool (gym second). There is something so calming about the constant rocking of the water and the silence of being underwater.

Even though I have tons of bathing suits, I never found a monokini that I loved. I finally decided to go to Everything But Water to splurge on swimsuit that would give me more support than my favorite Target swimwear. I actually went in to try on a swimsuit from the Alessandra line, but let one of the fabulous sales associates pick out monokinis based off what would support my chest. She recommended about six suits I absolutely loved 3 of them. One of which I am still waiting to go sale! I’ll probably splurge on it a year from now hahaha, but I’ve had this one for three months and I love it. Unlike most suits that pill or show wear this one has not. I have laid it flat to dry and pressed the water out with a towel instead of hanging it or twisting it. So I highly recommend pressing the water out of your swimwear with a towel if you want it to last longer. Then, I decided to have a mini-photoshoot in my Becca by Rebecca Virtue High Neck One Piece.

Keri_Elaine_BeccaVirtue2 Keri_Elaine_BeccaVirtue3 Keri_Elaine_BeccaVirtue4 Keri_Elaine_BeccaVirtue5 Keri_Elaine_BeccaVirtue6 Keri_Elaine_BeccaVirtue7

Note: I do have the Carli Bybel deluxe eyeshadow palette on and I swam in it underwater for 30 mins. It did not move, which is pretty impressive. My favorite Dior Black Out Mascara on the other hand did not survive!

10 Ways to Improve Your Mood

Published on July 11, 2017July 11, 2017 by Keri Elaine17 Comments

KeriElaine Hello loves! I hope everyone had an awesome weekend! I’ve been in an incredibly good mood this past couple weeks (it might be the endorphins from the exercise), but also because I have been saying no to things that do not make me happy. This past weekend I was talking to my friend about ways to improve your mood.

1. Call someone you love. I often call my gal pals during my lunch break. Two of them are in London, another travels the world and the forth is in Miami. Do we all have crazy schedules? Of course! However, we make time to catch up because it is important. Every time we talk I instantly feel comforted, understood and can not stop laughing.

2. Watch a funny movie. One of my go to movies if I’m bored, sad, or sick is Ferris Buller’s Day Off. If you have not seen it finish reading this post, then check it out on Netflix or Amazon! It’s set in the 80’s starring Matthew Broderick (who is married to Sarah Jessica Parker)! The music, epic “sick” day, joy ride and constant breaking of the fourth wall is just what you need for a laugh.

3. Workout! “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” -Elle Woods

4. Buy something fun! In my case it was two things a 30 foot workout rope like the one you see people use in Crossfit and a red dress from Abercrombie. I’ve already used the workout ropes three times since they have arrived and I am obsessed. It’s the perfect combination of cardio, arms, legs and thighs.

5. Write down what, or who is stressing you out. Then break your stressor down into smaller steps that you can accomplish. For example if your stress is packing to move. Make a list of the rooms you need to pack. Start in the smallest room with the least amount of stuff. Sort trash, donate, keep. Next, make an estimate of the bubble wrap, tissue paper and newspaper needed. Then, move on to the next room. Get boxes from grocery stores and Home Depot as needed. Set a timer in each room so you do not get caught up on walking down memory lane. When we have tasks and can take the time to cross them each off the list, it helps us feel accomplished.

6. Take time to do Yoga, focusing on your breathing. Getting the oxygen flowing and clearing your mind rapidly improves your happiness.

7. Cuddle with your fur baby. Pets are a beautiful gift. They give us unconditional love and often sense when we need a little extra TLC. I know my kitty is great about coming to me and literally rubbing my face with his when I’m upset. He also loves to climb on me in the morning to cuddle so I start my day off happy 🙂

8. Meme’s. Look up meme’s on Pinterest, Instagram or Google. There are tons of Instagram accounts that post funny memes. When in doubt just look at Chrissy Teigens Twitter/ Instagram her captions crack me up.

9. Get outside! Sometimes there is nothing better than fresh air. Just sitting outside on a bench feeling the wind blow and watching the wildlife is always calming to me. I’m not a huge bird person, but I love watching the Cardinals and little sparrows in Atlanta interact. In California I loved watching the Hummingbirds sparkle in the sunlight.

10. Do something nice for someone else. It could be something as small as opening the door holding the elevator instead of letting it close in someone else’s face. Or making dinner for someone you care about just because! It always feels better to do something selfless for someone else.

Independence Day and the High Museum of Art

Published on July 4, 2017July 4, 2017 by Keri Elaine20 Comments

Happy Independence Day! I just want to take a moment to thank all the men and women who continue to protect and serve both in the US and around the world. It takes a lot to be away from your family, comfort zone and risk your life in order to fight for the freedom of others. One of these courageous young women, is one of my closest friends. I am beyond proud of her for following in her fathers foot steps!

kerielaine_highmuseum_77 — One of many breathtaking pieces

I decided to check out the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. If you are a Bank of America card holder, on the first weekend of every month you get free admission for the High Museum of Art! The museum does accept donations if you want to donate. I will warn you that parking can be steep (fifteen dollars) if you can not find street parking. This is the third time I’ve visited and I love how often they rotate out new exhibits in front of the museum and inside. There is usually an exhibit outside that children can play on. I love that these exhibits give children the opportunity to play and interact with the art, while allowing kids to play outside instead of in front of a computer/tv screen.

The High is currently displaying the Andy Warhol exhibit until September 3rd! Overall most of Mr. Warhol’s pieces are the typical pop art colorful pieces you would expect, there was one room that shocked my friend and had some more explicit photographs. I personally did not know he screen printed photos of cats and shoes.

kerielaine_highmuseum4 — That is the question

When I think Andy Warhol, Campbell’s soup cans, the Campbell’s dress and Marilyn Monroe screen print pop art comes to mind. So this was fun and educational for me as well.

kerielaine_highmuseum15 — How interesting are these Aluminum covered walls, there were tons of graffiti everywhere!

kerielaine_highmuseum9 — R.I.P. to the inspiring Muhammad Ali

This is one of the interesting views on the Skywalk inside!

I had to get a close up of this statement necklace to show you all. It’s from Forever 21 about six months back and I love the mixture of turquoise and silver. I thought it would go well with a white dress. I know I don’t have on any red, but my nails should count!

After we left I had to take some fabulous pictures in front of this beautiful ivy.

I hope today is spent with the people you love, sharing laughter and enjoying good food!

How to Pack for a Short Work Trip

Published on June 25, 2017 by Keri Elaine14 Comments

This past Monday I left for a three day work conference. I have been working for this company officially since February, but finally received training at the Annual meeting this week. (The guys I work with have been great about explaining things when they have the time, but mostly I have just figured things out through trial and error). I was incredibly nervous about going on this trip, since it is a very conservative company and this is our corporate headquarters. I come from an incredibly liberal background, love the arts, I’m not big on most sports, I am not married and do not have kids. In my experience these are deal breakers in the South. So I prayed for guidance. I prayed that I would find some common ground with everyone and that I would learn a lot. So now that you have the backstory let’s look at what to pack!

For the plane to the reception:
1 pair of coral colored dress pants.
1 white top
1 statement necklace
1 blanket sweater
1 pair of sparkly flats
1 neutral/nude bra

Tip: I always bring one pair of socks to wear when you have to take your shoes off for TSA then I take them off and put them in a ziplock so I do not transfer athletes foot and God knows what else to my feet/shoes. Then, grab my extra pair of socks to put on and head to the plane! I knew I would have to go from the airplane to a work reception/dinner the first day. The next day is a full day of events, meetings, networking,then dinner at a country club. The last day is a half day ending with us heading to the airport after lunch. Now what should I wear for one full day of events and two half days? While you want to be comfortable you also want to look professional. I am a huge fan of color, unlike most people who opt for black and grey. So I thought I would put together a few looks that would work for the short period of time, but fit in a carry on.

Do not be afraid of color! Even in a conservative office people still love to wear color, whether it is a bright colored tie on guys or a bright shirt or lip color on ladies. Think of J.Crew and Lily Pulitzer, these two brands love to use color.

To sleep in:
1 long sleeve top
1 pair of shorts

I always think about the unexpected. You never know when an unexpected fire alarm may go off and you don’t want to risk running past your boss in a nightie.

Necessities:
1 toiletries bag for liquids
-face wash
-make up remover
-perfume roll-on
-deodorant

1 make up bag
-powder foundation
-liquid black liner
-black mascara
-a neutral shimmer eyeshadow
-blush
-pink lipgloss/stick
-mauve/nude lipstick
(Toothbrush and toothpaste of course).

To work out in:
1 sports bra
1 pair of work out pants
1 work out top
1 pair of sneakers

Bring work out clothes! Even if you don’t think you will have time to workout you’ll be thankful you brought the clothes to change into. Every time I bring a sports bra and sneakers I think okay, I can take at least thirty minutes to workout between events and dinner. It’s rare that hotels do not have a gym and even if yours does not you can walk around the area site seeing.

The Capital hotel we stayed in is owned by the same company that has the building across the street. There is a full rooftop gym with rowing machines, kettle balls, free weights, stair master, elliptical, oblique machine, balance balls, weighted ropes and nine arm machines. I made it a point to work out in between the check in time and dinner reception the first night. The view from the top was beautiful and if I wasn’t so tired from networking the next night I would have went back Wednesday morning!

1 bright high-neck dress
1 light colored cardigan
1 strapless bra
(The same pair of sparkly flats)

The second day I planned to wear a nice dress since we planned on heading to the Country Club after the day of training. I knew we would probably have thirty minutes until we needed to head to our dinner location so it’s better to be dressed up for the day. I always make sure to try on the clothes I am packing at home to make sure I have the proper bra for each piece of clothing. That way you do not have to worry about your straps showing and having someone adjust your clothing. I always pack a nice cardigan that I can wear over sleeveless dresses and stay warm in air-conditioned buildings.

1 red top
1 pair of black pants
1 blanket sweater
(The same pair of sparkly flats)

The third day I chose to wear the standard black pants and a red V-neck. This would be corporate enough and comfortable for the plane.

Above you will see some photos of the Capital hotel. The elevator of the Capital hotel is huge. The rumor is Ulysses S. Grant rode his horse into the hotel and needed the elevator to be big enough for his horse to ride up. I guess he parked his horse in the hallway when he went into his room.

Overall my trip went really well. I enjoyed learning more about my bosses and the Company we work for. The CEO is incredibly charismatic and enjoys taking the time to make everyone feel important. The other admins are fabulous older ladies who want to share their knowledge and uplift one another. (We’ve even started a share drive to help each other with new programs and tasks). I had a really great discussion with multiple people about enjoying this time in my life. As people asked me if I was married, had kids or how old I was I felt a little hesitant to share. (Most people in my company have been married for a minimum of 7 years and are in their late 30’s or 40’s). While I actually am very happy at this point in my life, I find people often try to shame you for being a single woman. Personally I think this is a short window of time where I am allowed to be selfish. I can take the time to travel anywhere I want without asking my man for permission. I can spend $300.00 on a purse I liked, because it is my money and I do not have to explain that to anyone. I’m also taking my time to seriously think about my deal breakers and needs in a husband. It is not a long list, but there are certain qualities I know he needs to have. Just like I expect him to have a list of qualities he is looking for. While I have literally been told by “loved ones” you need to lower your expectations no one is perfect. My response is, “I’m not looking for the perfect person, I am looking for the perfect person for me”. As far as I am concerned we meet when we are meant to, in the meantime I am enjoying this time spoiling myself.

Five Things I’m Excited About

Published on June 19, 2017June 19, 2017 by Keri Elaine6 Comments

Hey everyone!

1. This week I full-filled one of my childhood dreams and bought a polaroid camera. I have always wanted one as a kid since one of my best friends had one. In high school a ton of the Visual-Photography kids would do interesting collages with them. I remember one girl took pictures of a playground at sunset and dusk. She then layered the polaroids in a collage. On the left side it showed the sunset and progressed into dusk on the right side. I always wanted to make a unique collage like that, but with a favorite place of mine. Well Michaels had a sale on the cameras so I picked one up!

2. This adorable pineapple patch I found at Michaels! Am I the only one that goes in there for one thing and comes out 80 dollars poorer with five new craft projects to do? Anyway I figured I could sew it onto a v-neck like you would a logo. Just a little cute whimsical touch.

3. This lavender/periwinkle shade. I love it and I am now looking for a nail polish that is a similar color.

4. I am going on a work trip today-Wednesday to our Corporate office. It is a super conservative area, but I am excited about meeting new people. It will be nice to finally see all the people I have been emailing and talking with on the phone this past year.

5. The cute white layered Parker top I bought on sale from Nordstrom Rack this weekend. (You’ll see it in my what to pack for a work trip post later this week).

Hope you all have an amazing week!

Fitbit and Getting Back into Fitness

Published on June 13, 2017June 13, 2017 by Keri Elaine12 Comments

Happy Tuesday everyone! Since I got back from Miami, I’ll admit I’ve been a bit of a slacker on the gym time. I usually am pretty good about working out in the gym for at least 30 minutes everyday in my neighborhood. If I don’t feel like leaving my apartment, then I’ll do Youtube videos like Blogilates or some of the Popsugar Fitness. I like that Casey makes her Blogilates videos fairly short. So I will often do them at least twice before moving onto another video. Other times I’ll bring out Brazilian Butt Lift and do his killer ab videos. The creater of Brazilian Butt Lift is Leandro Carvalho. In case you have not heard his name, he is the one who trained Victoria Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio and we all have seen how amazing she looks! I’ve done his Dvds on and off for years and gotten great results, but I think like most things you have to change it up. Even though Atlanta is nice and warm I just have not been very motivated lately.

So I got a Fitbit. Partially, because my company will reimburse my health insurance for meeting a certain number of steps. If we meet the required amount every month and get two check ups they will pay our insurance for the last month of the year and cover the cost of the Fitbit. (Someone paying me to get back into tip top shape, pretty motivating)! My other reason was my friend has been telling me to get one for over a year now (what can I say I’m pretty stubborn). I know it can be a pretty big motivator when you have been sitting too long. I also like the fact that it tracks your sleep. I think we often feel like we are getting a good amount of rest. When you look at the app and see that you slept for five hours and were restless for about 30 minutes you know its time to make some changes. I started reading about an hour before I’m ready to go to bed instead of scrolling through Instagram. While I love Instagram! The creative photos, family pictures and seeing my friends travel the world, it also was not helping my sleep. I know there have been multiple articles mentioning the correlation between the blue light of your phone and it messing up melatonin your body releases naturally. You can check out an article from the Washington Post on that here.

Part of me thinks it’s just laziness hahaha the other part thinks it has to do with my job. One person recently left so the rest of us have absorbed his job. I love learning new skills and working in other applications, but it can make for some mentally exhausting few weeks. Especially since you want to make the best impression with minimal mistakes. However, we all know when you are doing something out of your comfort zone there are bound to be mistakes. This past Friday, I skipped my usual posting (apologies) and decided to study an old monologue for an audition. I really wanted to put up a post for you all, but wanted to make sure I could give it 100 percent. So instead I practiced my monologue for my audition. Went on Saturday had a blast auditioning, made a few new friends. Then vowed to take myself for a long walk. So thats exactly what I did. Went on a walk/jog for an hour and a half. I think the change of scenery was just what I needed to get back into work out mode. I must admit there is something satisfying about feeling Fitbit buzz and show celebration emjois when you meet your daily step goal.

What are your favorite ways to get out of a fitness rut?

Shoes: Pleasure and Pain

Published on June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 by Keri Elaine8 Comments

SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) is one of the my favorite places in Atlanta to visit. The view of the Atlanta skyline from SCAD is breathtaking. Since it is an arts college they always have interesting exhibits coming through every three months. There are also interesting creative spaces to look at or play on. When I saw they had a shoe exhibit I knew I must go! As a self proclaimed shoe lover this is a dream come true! The exhibition is called Shoes: Pleasure and Pain.

IMAG1292__1496719006_45.25.169.218 — This is the side of the community of refurbished train containers they have in one designated creative space.

IMAG1318__1496719037_45.25.169.218 — The stunning photo mural in the bathroom at SCAD

Sadly you were only allowed to take pictures of this awesome neon sign. However, I can say the exhibit is broken up into five sections. The first one called Transformation. It refers to various stories about footwear. The next is called Status. This one literally has you peeking in on over 100 pairs of shoes from different time periods and countries. The exhibit has many whimsical touches, but I won’t spoil the surprise for you! It was fun to pick out your favorites or try to guess which designer made them. Then there was the Seduction section. Followed by Obsession, which had the word obsession scattered all over like graffiti. The last category was Creation. I enjoyed seeing the steps it takes to make a simple pair of shoes. My favorite part was learning how shoes have been used not just for function, but for status. It’s always interesting to learn what is considered beautiful to each culture.