beauty, brains + balance.

growing up, athletics did not come naturally to me. i'm super clumsy, often tripping over my own feet - or others' - and even getting a concussion at discovery zone (remember that place?!) by running into a tube when i was nine years old.

my incredibly bendy little sis, on the other hand, is so much more graceful and balanced than me. case in point? this pic:

she looks so carelessly cool in perfect pose on this floating yoga mat of sorts, looking like she was practically born that way without any fear she'll topple over into the water. 

and she even knows how to properly style an outfit for headstands on a yogaboard in the middle of the water too, so you know i'm proud. she's wearing her new favorite workout apparel - nike pro print compression shorts - which she wears to run, spin, yoga, trx or practically anything these days. i'm tempted to get a pair too, like this playful pattern sure to make a statement from dick's sporting goods:

while i'm still uncertain about trying yogaboarding, she claims that flexing and posing on a paddle board is not so difficult, thanks to the boga yoga stand-up paddle boards. 

want to try it yourself? if you missed it last night, blueline paddle surf, just across from the iconic lighthouse in sunny jupiter, offers a number of classes and rentals. this was taken during a yow class (yoga on water) tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. the cost is $10 per person or $5 if you byob...b for "board," not "beer," people. even cheaper than a regular yoga class...pretty good deal, if you ask me!

fashion week: MIA for MI

i admit it, i'm a sucker for free stuff. but aren't we all? 

that being said, i've never been attracted to the kitschy logoed key chains, press-on acrylic nails, cheap faux eyelashes and over-the-counter brand shampoo samples that typically come in swag bags and just take up space in my garage until the latest green bag of outdated clothes can be taken to goodwill. if it's crap, i don't want it...free or not. which is why the mia tiki stand and "shoe check" at mercedes-benz fashion week on friday was all the more genius.

 
since i'm offering full disclosure already, i'll also admit that of the nearly 100 pairs that i own (yes, i said "nearly" - trying to scale back recently), i didn't own a pair of mia shoes yet. but after this weekend, i think it's safe to say that has changed and will continue to.

while hanging out by the pool in between fashion shows, our lovely guides from img told me about a way cool pr promotion via mia shoes. because it was difficult for those of us in heels - which was probably about 90 percent of guests - to walk in the sand-lined "oasis" show tent, the mia girls set up shop in a tiki hut outside to assist. complete with cute branded beach bags to hold the heels, they offered a complimentary pair of espadrilles in a range of colors and patterns to anyone who checked in with them and "liked" their facebook page, which of course my friends and i took advantage of.

i loved the promo not only for its marketing value (i'm blogging about it, so it worked for publicity, and the facebook "like" brought me see some stylishly hot wedges of theirs that i normally would have missed), but also because i have a new pair of summery khaki flats perfect for days by the beach...which i proudly wore to a seaside lunch after an ocean swim on saturday...

mia shoes espadrilles with an old abercrombie & fitch floral dress, 

a few bracelets and sunglasses from locals surf shop at juno beach.