// Things I Love Thursday v.277 - F**K TRUMP Edition

Did y'all attend any of the Women's Marches? I made it to the one in Nashville, but I ended up having to catch up with Maya and Curtis after they had already come across the bridge into downtown. It took me a solid 45 minutes to park, but I somehow ended up scoring a great spot only 2 blocks from the rally woo hoo! The rally began after the march at Public Square Park in front of City Hall. Power Together TN organized a great rally and they had speakers from a diverse mix of Nashville based groups and organizations (Check out the full list of pre-march speakers + post-march speakers!) It was a privilege to see so many empowered people take a stand. There are far too many countries where free speech and the right to protest simply doesn't exist. We're here to make sure the US doesn't become another one.

I know, I've made my vehement Anti-Trump stance very very clear, but it pretty much floods my mind every minute of every day - I mean, how could it not?! I knew it was going to be bad, but I had absolutely no idea it could get this bad, this fast. 

So here are some photos to make your heart happy, and then a ton of links that will make you feel a lot of ways. 

♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
via
via
via
via
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥
♥ via ♥




// Trump ~took the National Parks Service Twitter account so some employees took it into their own hands to start a new, alternative Twitter account: @AltNatParkSer - seriously, go check out those tweets. All I can say is Fuck Yeah! I love that they're resisting Trump while also still tweeting regular NPS content.


// And the badassery of these folks just keeps growing... NASA scientists join the resistance with rogue Twitter account. 


// Activists announce People's Climate March - Mark your calendars for April 29th!




// Why our feminism must be intersectional. This was a really great read, give it a bookmark if you can't read it now. It does a great job explaining what intersectional feminism means and how to use it in context. I definitely learned a lot from that piece.

// The Netherlands welcomes Trump in his own words. OMG watch this. Seriously, watch it.

// Want an incredibly easy way to contact Congress? Boom! There's an app for that.

// ZERO arrests were made at the Women's March on Washington. Oh... but I heard those protesters were "vile, hateful, violent baby killers"...



// Did y'all watch the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live? Snap! Aziz Ansari killed it in his monologue. He totally nailed it.













Seriously, fuck that guy.

xo KB



// Happy National Compliment Day! - 8 FREE Printable Compliment Cards!


Happy National Compliment Day!

Did you know that was a thing? Apparently so! It's even noted on my ban.do Best Year Ever calendar haha Compliments are awesome. Sincere compliments get all up in our ~feels and they put a little pep in our step. What's even better than being on the receiving end of one of these? Being the one giving them out. I think that when you do something nice for someone, you just can't help but be in a good mood! It's such a great way to get out of a funky mood - Have you ever tried it? Seriously, give it a shot! Next time you're feeling crummy - for any reason at all - give someone a sincere compliment. The appreciation and joy in the reaction of the recipient is sure to make your day a little bit better and brighter. And you'll likely have made their day, too!

So in the spirit of sharing positivity, I whipped up 8 little rainbow colored compliment cards that you can print, cut, and share with ease! Some are silly, some are sincere, but every lsat one of them is sure to make someone feel good. And that's what we want right? All the feel goods!

just save the image to your desktop and print!

If DIY compliment cards aren't really your thing, you could also...

* Swipe these bad boys from ban.do! 

How freakin' fun, right?



* Send something yummy and sweet
with a note included! *

These incredible Champagne Strawberries would be a safe bet haha
(and I know this because Whitney and I ate far too many - 10/10 would do again)


* Create a Compliment Jar for
someone you love *

Every time they're feeling down they can grab a pick-me-up you wrote for them




I hope you're excited to make someone's day! If we all just practiced a little bit of kindness... can you imagine?! Don't forget, compliments aren't just for friends and family. Compliment a stranger you pass on the street. Compliment the cashier at your local supermarket. Compliment the universe for simply existing. Don't be afraid to spread your sunshine. 

What's your favorite compliment
that you remember receiving?

Happy complimenting!

xo KB

// Starring Chip Baskets as "Renoir"...

Baskets on FX
Baskets on FX
(Ben Cohen/FX)

I'm a big Zach Galifinakis fan. I don't think there's been a single project that he's worked on that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. He seems like one of those guys who just can't help being funny, ya know? I really love that his comedy is kind of all over the place - some of it is really knee-slappin' in-your-face hilarious, while some of it is a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but Baskets feels like a totally new universe - it's kind of dark and... sad? Of course it's a bit weird, too - his comedy always is - but in a really interesting and entertaining way. The show was written by Galifinakis, Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia), so you can kind of get the idea how eccentric it is.

Zach's character, Chip, dreams of being a French clown. His doting and protective mother (Louie Anderson, yes!) sends him off across the ocean to pursue his dream. But you know, language barrier and all. Chip returns home, feeling defeated, part of a green card marriage, and  begins working as a rodeo clown. The show features the stand up comic Martha Kelly as Martha, a somewhat dull but very giving empath who adopts Chip as a friend in season one. Chip has a twin brother in the show, played by himself of course, and naturally named Dale haha. One of my favorite things about this show has been the casting. It seems like every single person is playing the perfect part, and it all works in harmony together. Louie Anderson makes a fantastic mom in this series. It took me a couple of episodes to really get it, but now that I've watched all of season one I'm actually very excited to see where it goes when it starts back tomorrow night! 

Have any of y'all watched Baskets on FX? Season 1 is available on Hulu if you haven't! Season 2 starts tomorrow night (10pm on FX!) I got this Basket basket (ha!) of fun things to enjoy the premiere with. I really love me some Schweppes, too! Yes, that *is* a clip-on man bun... All of my boyfriend problems are solved! :P

If you want to see something hilarious, check out Chip's website (and by Chip I mean "Renoir" - his fancy French clown name! hahaha)

Baskets on FX
Baskets on FX
Baskets on FX

xo KB


This post is in partnership with FX, but all words and opinions are my own!

// Weekly Recap v.2


Gosh this past week has been pretty boring. Mostly just the same ol' day to day grind to be honest. I accomplished a lot on the freelance/work/home front though. Sunday was a day of tidying up the house and finally breaking out from our 2 day "ice-in" - That doesn't even make any sense, but anyway, snow/ice, stuck home. Okay! (I ended up having to ~telecommute in to my Music City Doulas team meeting on Saturday. Thank goodness for Google Hangouts haha!) It was so nice to finally drive in my car and go to the grocery store. Monday brought another "snow day" for Toby. He was totally stoked but I basically devoted my entire day to a massive mound of laundry. Tuesday I worked on a few design projects and then took Toby to the doctor. Afterward we headed to downtown Columbia for my monthly New Parents Group at Muletown. Later I cried through Obama's speech. Heartbreaking, isn't it? Wednesday I had one of my wisdom teeth extracted (ahhhh!). I don't know how people get all 4 done at once! I clearly didn't think things through either because I was 100% headed to the gym after but I was told that was not a very wise plan. Whoops! Thursday was humdrum and uneventful for the most part. Whitney picked up Toby for Boy Scouts and Linden kicked back with me at home. Friday Whitney and I took our 2 littlest (Bennett and Linden haha) to Casa Grande for lunch. It was nice to just get out of the house for a little bit. Later Friday night Whit and I were able to sneak away to indulge in some TJ Maxx shopping. Seriously during my working-at-home-a-ton weeks, it feels like such a luxury to get away for even an hour or three. Starbucks has never tasted so good ha Saturday was beautiful! It got up to around 72 degrees and it was mostly sunny! It felt like Spring! Then it cooled off a bit and started raining, but I didn't mind one bit. I was able to keep all of the windows and doors open so woo hoo! All of the kids in the neighborhood were rowdy and playful outside, and that's always preferred over being rowdy and playful inside :P


On Friday Facebook showed the photo on the left and said this was what I was wearing 3 years ago. So hello 2014 KB. I knew I still had this dress so I fished it out of my closet and decided to wear it. I even still have that Free People coat, but it was far too warm out to wear. I really can't get enough of this hoodie jacket though. I swear I wear it almost 24/7. It's so incredibly comfortable. Once I posted about the whole 3-year thing on Instagram someone asked to see a side by side, so here it is haha

In other eventful news: So, uh, awkward... That whole boyfriend thing is no more haha. Yeah yeah, I hear the voice too "That's what happens when you finally feel comfortable enough to write about things" lololol It's strange how you can spend months leading up to something like that, being totally quiet about it socially and trying to picture how you'll even share it (blogging is weird), and then poof! It's no more. It's certainly a bummer overall but I enjoyed the past couple of months so at least there's that, right? I thought it worth mentioning since you know, I just like, introduced him on the blog... Now I'm off to stock up on cat food... and maybe a few more cats. Truly live out my destiny over here! :P hahaha sigh... // The boys start going to their dad's house every other week beginning tonight. I have absolutely no idea what life is going to feel like with them gone for 7 days at a time. It's a trial/temporary thing (for now, at least) and I have a lot of feelings on the subject, but I'm hoping it'll be a good thing for the boys and not totally bonkers. I worry about the back and forth for them, especially with Toby being in school. I also have no idea what I'm going to do with so much free time haha! Obviously I'll be able to tailor my work schedule to be heavier while they're gone, freeing up more quality time when they're home with me, but I also want to try and prioritize some off-call/kid-free time to go see friends in various places. It'd be nice, I think. Also a good distraction from a quiet house. // And finally, there's a rally taking place Saturday morning at Cumberland Park. Power Together Tennessee is marching in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington following Inauguration Day. I will be there unless one of my clients decides to give birth that day haha Anyone else planning on showing up? Here's the Facebook event page with more info if you're interested!



Did anyone go get themselves a little Friday the 13th banger? I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't get a chance to, but there will always be another one, right? I'm slowly but surely working up exactly what all to finish my right leg with. The plan is the sleeve the entire leg - I'm already over halfway there so might as well just keep going, right? Anyway, that was my week for the most part. I'm not looking forward to Trump's inauguration on Friday, much like most of you, I'm sure. What a craptastic situation the US is in right now. Sometimes it's hard to even find the words to express my feelings. It just really sucks. Take care of yourselves, friends! It's going to be a long 4 years...



// Things I Love Thursday v.276

this gorgeous lettering ♥
these unicorn macarons ♥
this is what craft organization dreams are made of ♥
this illustration ♥
this illustration and all others by amelie faliere ♥
these DIY dip dye placemats ♥
this awesome reading challenge ♥
these mini eclairs! ♥
this cute neon sign ♥



// Dear kids, When I fail... I, of course, cried reading this one. I feel like it's a conversation I have with Toby constantly. I'm just so glad his love for me is unconditional in return ♥


// So, uh, rumor has it Brand New will be here in Nashville for six weeks, recording, starting in February. If you need me, I'll be hunting for Jesse Lacey. (Also, just please let the rumor be true haha!)


// !!!!! ModCloth's 70% off sale is happening RIGHT NOW! What are you waiting for?!

// Speaking of sales... Shopbop just added hundreds of items to their sale section, too!



// I'm finally ready to jump back on the Stitch Fix wagon! I can't wait to get my next Fix and see what all they whipped up for me. Have you tried it?




// Have you subscribed to This Charming Life via Bloglovin? If not, here you go!


xo KB


// Tumblr Like It's 2003!






Because I'm feeling nostalgic for 2003 (or maybe 2013?), I went and made myself another Tumblr. But this time my Tumblr looks like MySpace. It's like internet inception. I had a Tumblr account for a few years, but I was locked out when they required me to reset my password and the email address on my account was from college. So see ya, Tumblr blog 1.0. I managed to go and reblog some of my favorite posts though, so it's all good. Say hello to Tumblr blog 2.0!

Has everyone abandoned the Tumblr train? If not, what's your username?! I'm legitimately following zero people because I can't remember who all I used to follow anyway haha! 

Catch me on Tumblr if you're keen!

xo KB


PS; Want more rad Tumblr blogs to check out? Pop over to the TCL Facebook page and check out the comments! Lots of great ones!

// What I've Worn Recently... [ft. 9 Outfits!]



So I've yet to attempt outfit photos with a tripod and remote... Mostly out of laziness I think. But also because I often feel very boring and incredibly repetative. I wear the same style of jeggings and boots over and over and over. Creature of habit, but I don't mind. I totally already own a tripod and remote, but it's hard to juggle two kids with all kinds of time commitments and still find time to go look cute in a field or by a barn (I'm not hating - You betcha I'll be all over that if and when I can ha) But I've been ~documenting my outfits via my bedroom mirror (or any mirror really...) and I figured I might as well drop them here, too. I'm not going to go into extreme detail or anything, but I'll try to find the links to exact products when applicable. (I'll notate similar items with an asterisk *)



I have this dress in at least 9 or 10 colors and patterns. It's one of those dresses that is just so perfect. Unfortunately now they don't fit me the best. Since I really do love the fit and quality of them, I plan on having them altered to fit me now because that'd certainly be cheaper than replacing my entire ~collection haha I just also want all of the other prints and colors, too heh! (Just a heads up, they have sizes XXS - 6X!) These boots are seriously my favorite. You can probably tell because I wear them non-stop. I just love the fit and feel of them, so they're my new "black flats" if you will ;) They were from ModCloth like 4 years ago or more, and I never thought I'd be able to find another pair, but LOOK! Mine are the matte/suede kind and these are shinier faux leather, but it's something! I'll keep hunting for them. As for the cheeseburger case, it was a lucky $2 clearance score.



I picked up this jacket at the St. Louis Galleria when I was visiting Patrick over the new year. It was one of the first things I spotted when I walked into the store and I'm so glad I decided to buy it. I'm so so into the color and it's pretty darn warm, too. Not bad for $40! Also, these jeggings! I own these in multiple sizes because I just keep buying the exact same pair. They're that comfortable. I'm going to link to them in pretty much every outfit post below so... I really like them haha



I picked up this sweater on a random shopping trip with Whitney one day. Originally I bought it and paired it with a cream colored tulle skirt from the same collection, but I love how casual-but-cute it looks with jeans. I wore this for the 5 hour drive up to Patrick's and it's definitely road trip approved. This sweater comes in 3 different colors and I seriously want them all now.



The black top isn't normally something I go for (well, I guess that's a given considering I didn't wear pants before now haha) But it's definitely in steady rotation in my closet. It looks cute by itself and covered up. It's easy to dress up or down, so you can't really go wrong. The jacket though! I saw it on a random end cap at TJ Maxx one day and I scooped it up. I was wearing a sweater that day so when I tried it on it felt like it fit great. I do wish I had been about to get a size smaller but it was literally the only one I saw in the store so I'm still glad I bought it. I love the gold details.


olive green top (only $12!) // jeggings // boots

This was my Christmas Day outfit, and if you stick around here long enough you'll see this very same outfit in a variety of colors. I bought this shirt in a multitude of colors because they were on super sale, but the black and olive are the two that make it out of the closet the most. I can't say a single bad thing about this top. A++++



This is a super casual stuck-at-home outfit and what I default to most of the time. I have quite the collection of t-shirts now and that feels so funny/strange to say.



You can totally pair black and brown together, right? Of course you can so naturally I did ha! I haven't worn these black jeans since snapping this photo, but I need to find some cute things to pair with them. Any suggestions?



I snagged this tee on clearance for $5. I was totally stoked on that. I had to poll Snapchat to ask if I was too old to wear a graphic tee like this haha Luckily everyone responded with an enthusiastic no :P I snapped the photo in the fitting room obviously.



This is what I was actually wearing on the day I snagged the tee up above (and the sage top, too!) It's nothing spectacular but I was totally feeling my hair that day haha! Dear hair, please do this again! Love, KB.

So there you have it... what I've been wearing lately. Maybe once the weather breaks (hurry up, Spring!) I'll feel more into the idea of traipsing around with a tripod in tow. Until then this will just have to do ;P

Which one is your favorite?

xo KB