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guest post: not so southern belle

Everyone’s journey to building a strong and healthy self-image is a unique one. Figuring out how to project that self-image is even more difficult; style is not just clothing or accessory, it is self-expression. Self declaration. We all go through times of confusion, struggle, and enlightenment, in order to figure all of that out. Today I’m excited to turn over the mic to my friend Victoria of The Not-So-Southern Belle, as she shares her own personal journey to a sense of style. She’s a saucy lil’ lady whose talent is as evident as her beauty and I’m so happy to have her words gracing these pages. So with no further ado…

When Christina so graciously asked me to contribute to Tide and Bloom, I was extremely flattered and said yes without hesitation. Then, I immediately went into a panic thinking what the hell am I going to write about? I’m no fashion/creative/lifestyle authority. But here’s the thing: I don’t have to be. I guess you could say I have my own sense of style, and I own it. That’s all that really matters, right?

victoria-5

I could sit here and say I’ve always had body confidence, that I’ve always known what works for me, that I’m just naturally stylish—but it would all be total bullshit. As the always-sort-of-chubby-yet-cute-girl growing up, I went through a lot of phases. Freshman and sophomore year of high school I wore a lot of t-shirts. My mother used to beg me not to buy yet another “stupid [insert Hollister, Abercrombie, etc.] t-shirt.” Something clicked junior year and I decided to expand beyond my comfort zone. Well, sort of. I have this very distinct memory of the first time I was really proud of any outfit I put together. I used to actually spend a lot of time doing my hair (now, I’m lucky if I even wash it more than twice a week), and I’d just figured out the whole ponytail-with-a pouf thing. I paired it with a red Viva La Bam (oh, the days I actually used to watch MTV) t-shirt, a mini-skirt and these killer white, sporty heels. Yes, I wore heels to high school; quite often, actually.

not-so-southern-belle  victoria-4

Now, it may not have been the most stylish thing to wear, but I loved that outfit and it showed. I got so many compliments that day. After that, I started having more fun just wearing whatever the hell I wanted. I think that’s the biggest thing: confidence.

new instalove

Ever since I received my VERY FIRST smartphone for Christmas, I’ve been instagramming like a mad woman. I’ve always been pretty addicted to the app and I can’t believe I’ve not even been using it for a year. Now that I don’t have to borrow my boyfriend’s phone, I’ve been able to instagram whenever and wherever my heart desires! Here are some of my favorites over the past month or so. To see more everyday beauty, follow me @tideandbloom!

nature

naturewalk  chattanoogaflight  o4w

art

macaron  sketchsketch2  sketch3

food

pho  dessert2dessert  bbq

life

rug  picnicdance  boots 

lady crush: gentry adams of girl meets bow

When I say I have a lot of adorable friends, I ain’t exaggerating. I’ve met so many uniquely stylish women that have influenced the way I dress and carry myself. Confidence can be contagious and having a network of amazing friends to back me up is seriously priceless. I’m so thrilled to bring you some New Year’s Eve outfit inspiration from one such lovely lady in my life, and her name is Gentry. It’s no surprise to me that she recently began her own style blog, Girl Meets Bow, since she’s the picture of effervescent charm and effortless class. I couldn’t help myself from jumping on the chance to have her and her words appear here. Lucky for me, she’s also as sweet as can be. I think I see a new style-slash-interview series beginning…

lady crush: gentry adams of girl meets bow | tide & bloom