Hello, Gorgeous!

Article Posted on Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 5:23 pm

:: Listen ::

On Friday I may or may not have gone on a bit of a Suze Orman kick. Every once in a while, I completely nerd out and go on a tangent You Tubing everything I can about random people. On Friday, it was totally worth it! This little gem is a talk that Suze did for Google employees that is full of helpful hints, especially for younger people. Watch it. Listen to it. Take notes.

:: Read ::

I would argue that there are few skills quite as important as learning to write. These 10 tips from ad man David Ogilvy will truly help you hone the craft.

:: Dress ::

I am happy to report that winter has finally come to East Tennessee! Between the cooler weather and the fact that it is still dark any time I get to go outside, I’ve found myself wearing more and more bright colors. My 2 favorite colorful items of the moment: my new Cole Haans and a pair of yellow cords I got on sale from Loft! Try to work a bright piece into your wardrobe every day this week, and it will truly brighten your perspective.

{ Cole Haan for Me & for Husband // Anthropologie //  Loft}

:: Live ::

Above, I mentioned my new pair of Cole Haan Skylar Oxfords so I simply must take the opportunity to share a really amazing customer service experience I had recently. Last Christmas I bought the most comfortable pair of heels I’ve ever owned and, after 2 wears, I discovered that something just wasn’t right. Naturally, being the social butterfly I am, I posted something on Twitter. @ColeHaanInsider got back to me immediately and let me know that Cole Haan has Restoration Services. So I eventually mailed back my shoes and, as it turns out, they  turned out to just be a bad pair. (When you make as many shoes as they do, it’s bound to happen.) So a couple of weeks ago I got a letter back that reimbursed me so I could get a new pair of shoes. Since then, not only do I have a gorgeous new pair of Oxfords that may be some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned, we’ve also had an old pair of Husband’s wingtips restored. I love that Cole Haan makes shoes that will be your most comfortable (and cutest) pair for years and then are willing to do the maintenance themselves (replacing a sole here and there, etc.) to help you wear those same shoes for years to come.

We both own a few pairs of Cole Haans now, and they are some of my absolute favorites. However, the real point of this story is to encourage you to interact with the brands you love. In the world or Twitter and Facebook, brands can really show their customers what they’re looking at, what they love and also what values they hold dear. I’ve discovered that I really want to support brands like Cole Haan that make customer service a high priority. All that to say, as someone who tries to live a life of intention each day, it’s important to me to take advantage of the ability to communicate with the brands I love.