- Sponsored by Zappos -
Zappos invited me to take part in their campaign to help launch their Fall collection from Dolce Vita, and obviously here I am, joining in on the fun. I always say yes to Zappos collabs because I've never ever had a bad shopping experience with them. The 365-day return window is a heaven send for forgetful and indecisive people like myself. I also appreciate how speedy they are with their service, with my packages typically being on the front porch in well under 48 hours. Of course I'm also a fan of Dolce Vita, so this partnership is basically a win/win. Now for the actual shoes I chose... I'm a creature of habit. I have 4 pairs of the same jeans, I have my favorite boots in 3 or 4 colorways, and I will probably be buried in my Birks... I just like what I like. So when thinking about Autumn appropriate shoes it's easy to assume I'd bee-line to the booties (To be fair, I did haha! These are my favorite!), but in an effort to ~try something different~ I opted to pick up these ivory leather slides instead. Because hellllooooo Fun KB! Plus there's the whole "no white after Labor Day" rule and well, rules are for chumps.
The campaign is centered around empowered women taking on the world and ~doin their thing~ which is something I can totally get behind. Dolce Vita and Zappos posed the question "What makes you uniquely you?" Their call to action was to be empowered and strong while carving out your place in the world. But what does that mean to you? It's such a subjective and relative thing, honestly. In my attempt to be empowered and fearless I'm seeking self-awareness. The past year and a half has been a journey toward self-discovery, understanding, acceptance, and healing. It's an effort to uncover all of my intricacies and to shine a light on whatever I've kept in the dark, consciously or otherwise. It's closing the door on things that no longer serve a higher purpose in life, and investing whole-heartedly into things that do. Apparently it is also strangely vague references for some reason ha!
It's really hard not to feel empowered when you realize you're the captain of your own ship. I get to call all of my own shots, each and every day. Some days that means turning on Boss mode and getting things done behind the scenes. Some days that means unpacking a lot of anxiety and emotional baggage, or sharing my passions with others. Some days it's simply accepting that today is not my day. It's understanding that the most temporary things in life can have a huge impact on the world, and accepting the impermanence of things we put most of our focus on. Empowerment can even be found where others only see defeat. You might agree or disagree with every bit of that, but that's the beauty of something both subjective and relative. That's what makes this whole thing so interesting - the uniqueness of experience and interpretation.
At the end of the day though, nothing makes me feel more empowered and as badass as being a mom to those two up there. I strive to teach them bravery, humility, self-awareness, and acceptance of disappointment. I want to celebrate their uniqueness - their personality traits, quirks, flaws, and all. And I want them to accept and celebrate those things about themselves, too. I try to show them unconditional love and how to be mindful, present, and conscious in a busy, loud, chaotic world. I feel empowered when I see them "get" something - manage an emotion in a healthy way, understand a concept outside of their typical awareness, whatever. I feel empowered knowing I've helped my boys navigate the world, even just a little bit. I'm partially responsible for helping prepare them for all that life has in store - a tall order! I'm very open with them about my own journey through it all, in hopes that it will show them that it's okay to mess up and not be perfect. It's okay to love and forgive yourself, and others, and when it's all said and done, you are more than enough. I cry in front of my kids, and quite often with them. I don't hide "bad" emotions like hurt, anger, sadness because these are all things we each experience and they shouldn't be shunned or glossed over. I think it's so important to empower ourselves and our children to feel everything because it all has its place.
How does any of this have anything to do with my shoes? Eh, I'm not entirely sure (ya know, minus the whole theme of the campaign). But at least they looked cute while it all went down, right? ha! As for this ensemble: This is totally my ideal end-of-Summer outfit. Slides, chambray, gingham, strapless dresses, and hats! This outfit also makes me really want to go to a pumpkin patch. September is like, tomorrow, right?
wearing: charlotte russe dress // american eagle chambray shirt // target hat //
xo KB
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