PERSISTENCE & THE FABULOUS FLAMINGOS
While walking around the Wynwood art district in Miami a couple months ago, I spotted what I assumed was a flamingo wall in the distance. We had just left my children in Aruba and my flamingo-radar was at an all time high. My pink laser eyes scanned everything at approximately 299,792, 458 miles per second and when I saw the top of this wall my indicator went off, I shouted Flamingo to Stef and pointed in the distance almost speechless. I'm confident you understand my reaction.
Obviously we decided to get a better view to determine if there were indeed flamingos on said wall. Stef and I walked a few blocks and the closer we got, the more excited I became. I even whipped out my phone to share the excitement with you on Instagram story, did you catch it? As I held my phone towards the wall and approached the building my anticipation and excitement shifted to utter disappointment. How could this be? A flamingo appeared before me but not at all what I imagined. How could the mother of all Flamingos not be excited by this?
The wall was a pretty shade of pink, one you'd expect sweet flamingos to frolic on but instead a large mural of a deconstructed flamingo with his/her guts and brains on display presented itself. Now don't get me wrong, the art wall was intriguing but not really my aesthetic. I was ready to head back to the actual Wynwood walls. While sharing my disappointment with you gus on IG, I heard Stef calling my name from the other side of the street. He continued towards the wall and was standing behind the tall gate of the building. He signaled for me to come and I reluctantly proceeded. What came next was a very, very happy surprise.
I entered the yard and squealed with excitement! Giant (G-I-A-N-T) flamingo statues nestled between trees and bougainvillea awaited me. Before you could blink, I was posed up for some photos.
Now you're probably wondering where all of this is going and before I continue writing a novel I'll straight up share the moral of this story: stay curious and persistent. Had Stef given up at the spot where I did, we'd never discover the beauty that lived beyond the seemingly unattractive wall. Even I had to be reminded of this (thanks Stef).
If you've lived (even a little) you know it's not all unicorns, rainbows and flamingos out in these streets, so while on life's journey I implore you to be persistent and push through. Push through those challenges even when things appear to be getting worse, trust God and your instincts to direct your path. There will be times when you need to walk away completely from an idea or situation but there will be many times when you just have to be persistent, knowing you'll fail along the way. Failure is simply an opportunity to learn and get better.
There is a season for everything in our lives and oftentimes we have to actually go through some pain to realize the promise God has for us. Don't take my advice though, try it for yourself because I'm just a crazy flamingo-loving blogger who can't get enough vintage pieces and tropical vibes.
Speaking of vintage and tropical, my woven rattan bangle is exactly that and I found similar ones for you (1, 2, 3, 4 & 5). Yay!
My purse is vintage-redux from Cult Gaia and I invested in this piece because it reminds me of the bamboo one Mom had when I was a child. I also adore the beautiful green finish that resembles Malachite; one of my favorite semi-precious stones. I've asked my sisters to help locate Mom's but they've been unsuccessful thus far. I'm still holding out and hoping the wood-ants back in GT didn't devour Mom's purse for breakfast.
The high-waisted shorts are from Zara and I like this style because it fits my curves well and also has a retro-vibe to them. I got them in cherry-print last year and picked them up in this pale pink color and two other prints this season. I scored them for a little less while out in Aruba.
My heels are 2013 Sophia Webster and my favorite style from her collection. I've had them for over a year and saved them to wear on my 30th birthday this year. This was my second time wearing them.
Guys, unfortunately my ruffle top in green gingham has been sold out for months at Pixie Market but my fellow blogger-babe recently found a similar style for a fraction of what I paid. You'll have to read my entire post to get it though.
SHOP MORE HERE
So as I was telling you earlier, LaNatria of Caribbean Cowgirl recently scored a similar top to mine and rocked it in an "ice, gold & green" (red, yellow, green) color-way that makes me want to go back to an island immediately! Her look is Caribbean street style luxe and evokes a bit of Havana flair with the straw hat, wooden bangles and vintage cigar-box purse. Get all the deets as well as a link to her top over on her blog.
