Mornings Quote...

Quote:{here}

Trip to NYC!

Well I have finally booked our trip to NYC in two weeks! I am so excited and I think I am more excited about the fact that it is a 'girls' trip. My mom and I will be meeting up with one of my oldest friends, whom I have known for about fifteen years. She is graduating from Parsons and I can't wait. It is going to be so much fun seeing her and her family again and even more fun because we will be in one of the best cities...ever.

Now comes one of the hardest parts...picking a hotel. There are so many fabulous ones to choose from! As long as I am in a great area, in walking distance to cafes, boutiques, and time square we are good. I know it's cheesy but I love time square. It fascinates me with how many people flock to that small area. What always comes with hard decisions is a little bit of fun...shopping. We are about to go to one of the best cities for shopping but it's not fun traveling unless you have a new tote, flats, or some cute outfit!



El Salvador House {wishing}...

I have had the opportunity to take several trips down to El Salvador over the last eight years. The hubs was born there and came to the US when he was four. Over the last year he and I have talked in great detail about purchasing a home down there. Not only is his mother there but all of his aunt's, uncle's, cousins, grandparents...I mean everyone is there.

If you have heard anything about El Salvador than I am sure that you have heard things like its a third world country, dangerous, and dirty. Honestly, yes it is a very poor country and in certain places it can be dirty but so are other places. The people there are the nicest that you will ever find. They love it when tourist come especially Americans. They know they are a poor country so when tourist come it means to them that they may be able to pay for their rent on time. Or be able to feed their family all three meals. The land is lush, the beaches are beautiful, and the markets are filled with culture. I love going to visit. We try to go once a year when it is a little cooler and weeks leading up to the trip we get so excited and leaving is heartbreaking.

The only solution he and I see is to purchase a home. Ha! Great solution right?! I am a spoiled girl that loves her AC and houses there don't have it and neither do any of his families homes. So I get cranky and want to stay in a hotel. Because all of his family members are so close to one another I would love it if we could buy a home for all of them to live in. That way when we come down there it won't be spent trying to figure out who we are going to see that day. This way everyone will get to 'be seen' everyday. Having a pool would be amazing...El Salvador really doesn't have a Winter and having a pool is one way people cool down.

We are in the process of planning our trip later this year and I am thinking that we should do a little bit of house hunting. Once again I am up to my old tricks of looking through my archived interior photos and searching the Internet for new ones. My must-haves are an open floor plan, huge yard, a very large kitchen, and great-big windows. You would think a house like that would be easy to find over there but definitely not. These homes are usually found in the 'America' area near the US Embassy which automatically bumps up the price a few $100,000. I am optimistic though. We both love to renovate and so does his mom. The cost to purchase a cheaper home and renovate it to what you want is fairly inexpensive. I am sorry that's incorrect...it's dirt cheap. I wouldn't be opposed to purchasing a home on a great lot that needs some TLC.

Until then these are my inspiration photos!

Everything about this room I love. The ceiling, mosaic tiles, and

definitely the mantel and fireplace!

Decorating with lots of orange and blues.

Now this is what I am talking about. HUGE kitchen for all of us to be in!

Still would like to keep a modern feel mixed in with the culture of the country.

Tile floors are a must! Keeps the house cooler in the summer. 

Hopefully we can get a second living room/den area in the house. People

can cozy up on the couch while looking at the gorgeous views!

Bathroom that meets the outside with lots of windows.

Pool is a must!

This would be ideal but would be hard to find. A nice covered patio that would

over look the pool and views of the city.

I know I am dreaming, a lot, on some of these photos but I figured if Drake Men does us right I can get everything that we are wanting for our families. Yes, families. If we found/renovated a beautiful house like this then hopefully when the hubs and I have kids and want to spend months down with his family maybe mine will join too. This house would be a family house for his and mine.

I said that I usually start getting excited weeks in advance but apparently I have started months instead. Lol. The launch of Drake Men is May 9 and is fast approaching. I am dreaming a little bit more about every aspect of my life. This is just one dream that the hubs and I have had for quite sometime so I would like to see this one come true!

White Vs. Color

I have been searching around looking for my next living room style. I am not ashamed of loving white. LOVE the color-non color?-white. Clean, streamlined, and fresh always comes to mind. Part of me always wonders if I love white so much because it is so easy to decorate with or because it truly makes me feel good when I walk into the room.

Take this living room. It is airy, gorgeous, simple, and sophisticated. It has great combination of traditional and modern...masculine and feminine. There is also a 'boring' side to it. Sometimes I look at this picture and I love everything about it. Other times I think it can be a little 'Eh'-boring.



Then you have a living room like this one...yes the infamous Sex and the City 2 home. Once again has both of those balances. Bringing the male and female side to the room. Has great color, very little white, but some how gives me the same fresh, clean, streamlined feeling as the first living room.

I am torn between the two. Yes, you are right if you are thinking "she said that they weren't going to move until later this year!" And you are right. But, I am the girl that takes six months just to find the right couch or the right outfit to wear to a wedding. I constantly think from every angle that I can to make sure I am making the right decision. It can be very exhausting.

Part of me likes the deeper tones and it feels more grown up/adult like. I am still undecided. All I know is that we will be purchasing a home sometime at the end of the year and buying a new couch, new master bedroom set, and a dining room table will come with that. I have 6-8 months to figure it out! Ha-Ha.

What do you think...White or Color?



Currently Loving...

This gorgeous clutch

I love over sized cardigans with cutoff shorts...I wouldn't mind having this view either

A great outfit in general

Everything here makes me smile

I would love to add this dress to my closet

And sipping wine under these gorgeous trees would be a great way to end the day!

I will be working on the road today! My mom and I are heading down to Galveston to check on the progress of there gorgeous house. I am hoping the inside will maybe have some plumbing and electrical done and hoping the the exterior has all the walls up and the roof on!

Images: 1/2/3/4/5/6



Happy Face...

I would just like to say 'Thank You' to the over whelming response that I received on yesterdays post. It is so appreciated and makes me feel so good! Now that Drake Men has become much more-real?-I am consumed by it. Every minute of every day I am researching, drafting up news letters, emailing about 100 times to our web designer. It has taken over my life! Ha!

I am so ecstatic about our product shots that I just had to share a little more of them with you today. I am hoping that in exactly 2 weeks-May 9-we will go live and I will look at my inbox and it will say 'order received' over and over again. I can dream big right?! I am hope you enjoy and think our products are as gorgeous as we do!

-Photos by Chad Bell (No copying or pinning images without my concent)

Late Night At Starbucks...

I wrote this post last night…

Well after 10 pm, I have been sitting at Starbucks waiting for the email from our product photographer. The whole afternoon was spent on capturing our company’s products. During that time I was spent being nervous and having mini panic attacks. Not knowing if these images were going to be exactly what I was wanting, would I even like them once they were put through photo shop. Lots of unknowns were going through my mind.

This has been ‘my baby’ for six months. Carrying for it, working on it, and growing it into what it will become. I have spoken on occasions about learning and growing. Well in one day I finally felt like an actual owner of a company. Up until this point I didn’t have that feeling. It was like I was working towards that. Once I got that feeling I instantly become so proud, of myself. I took an idea that my husband and I had talked about for a while and turned it into something. Actual products that people really like. I get the response that I love getting “you really took it back to the basics”.

This is true. For a while I have felt that men's accessories had gotten a little boring, plain…every ones products starting to look the same. I could ‘get on board’ with that IF I had to but my husband and I realized that we didn’t. We could turn the whole accessories business around! Yes, we like to dream big. We don’t actually think that we can turn the WHOLE thing around but we think that we can at least bring back what we think men should be wearing. What I like my guy to wear. Let’s face it the majority of the time women dress the men! I fully believe that we have a product line that shows that. The basics; classic patterns and colors that don’t go out of style.

We always hear about the next big ‘trend’. Being trendy is completely fine but ‘trends’ go out of style and hardly come back in. I like to have pieces of clothing that will always look great. The ones that aren’t just a fad. This is what a Drake Man is. The guy in the room that turns heads not for the neon tie that is in style but for the gorgeous, well put together ensemble that has the mix of classic and modern. The one who looks sophisticated at work but can also go straight to happy hour and not have to change a thing because he looks that good.

That is what we are about. This is why I love what I have been doing for the past several months. I have been trying to define this imaginary man in my head. What will he look like? What would he wear?  How will he act? Once I figured out who that man was everything else came together. Other products came together quicker than some but they all had this image in my head.

In no way am I meaning for this to sound cliché, cheesy, corner, or whatever word may pop into your head when reading these next few sentences. This ‘man’ behind the Drake Men inspiration was someone very close to me that I was imagining. My dad. I remember as a little girl that he would come out into the living room tying his colorful bow-ties or funky neckties while telling us that we needed to turn off the TV and get ready for school. That is the image I have in mind. He always looked put together with this mix between traditional and modern. I loved it.

So yes, not only is the name of the company after my dad but the inspiration as well. He is tied for the number 1 ‘favorite guy’ spot in my life. He has taught me a lot about life, success, and motivation but he probably doesn’t know that fashion was thrown in there too! After months of preparation, designing, frustrations, ups and downs, and countless discussions with my oh-so wonderful business partner (the hubs) it is almost that time to launch. Only two more weeks and it is all happening! Until then I will leave you with this image and our domain…

http://www.drakemen.com/

Weekend View

Had a wonderful weekend with my lovely sister and her family in Dallas. It was wonderful weather for Earth Day, museums, parks, coffee runs, and eating awesome food! Now it is back to reality and the start of another week. Today we are having our photo shoot with our products. So exciting since this is the last big hurtle that we must get over before moving forward.

I am pretty tired and having a hard time moving around so I am skimping out on an actual post and showing you my lovely weekend!

Only in Texas you can get a margaritas with your chili cheese dog and fries.Ha-Ha! It was so good but I couldn't even eat half of it...it was huge.

Best iced coffee I have ever had. And I truly love Starbucks iced coffee too but this one is crazy good!

The Foundry&Chicken Scratch has great music, the best chicken, and really good beer! It also helps that your sister is great friends with the owner. :)

Houston Real Estate Round Up {Blvd. Oaks}...

The last couple of Thursday's I have missed this post. I search, probably almost everyday, for homes on the market that have great exterior as well as amazing interior. Nothing has really struck me over the last few weeks and I was pretty bummed about it. Today I actually started searching in a new area of Houston...the Museum District. This is where you will find all of the wonderful museums, the zoo, medical center, night life, and great little cafes and boutiques. The homes in this area are generally older homes that have been renovated in every which way. Added on square footage, remodeled kitchens, infinity pools, and I could go on and on.

An historic home sites on a gorgeous lot in Blvd. Oaks. It is on a tree lined street and has a backyard that makes you feel like you are in your own little oasis. With a three bedrooms, two master baths as well as an additional 2 1/2 baths, a gorgeous den, and a kitchen that (I) would love to cook in, media room, and even the guest bathrooms are amazing. I love everything about this house. It is cozy with touches of modern. It is definitely move-in-ready. And for $2.2 Million it can be yours! So here is what you can get in an historical area in Houston for that amount of money...

A Cloudless Day...

Good Morning my lovely readers! Today seems to be one of those great days. Waking up this morning, sore as can be, from my great-motivating-workout yesterday. I walked into our living room to turn on the news and make a pot of coffee when I was stopped by the beautiful morning that we were having. 7 a.m. and no clouds in site.

I love these kinds of days. They motivate me, make me happy, and inspire me...okay I know how corny that may sound but it is true. I started on my work a little bit earlier this morning for a few reasons. This would be the perfect weather to go play tennis with my hubs, going to visit an old family friend this afternoon, and starting earlier means I can finish earlier!

So here I am sitting here working on a few drawings, marketing ideas, and getting our pocket square fabric ready to be sent to our guys to make! Things are coming along, slowly, but at least things are moving. I keep dreaming about the days when we will have our site up and then I can focus on adding more products, making sales, and getting really involved with social media.

I have said threw this process that I went in blind. Not really knowing what I was doing or how to do everything. I have learned a lot during this experience. Things not to do, things I will never do again, mistakes that have costs this company a few bucks, and researching more. The first few months of me doing Drake Men full time was a definite learning experience. Out of all the things that I learned don't work I found a ton that I will use in the future. Having the support from your friends and family means everything. I was a little worried about our family and friends buying our products just because they wanted to help. It took me a while to get my mind on board with that idea. I'm glad I did because not only is it generating money and exposure I am realizing that all of my hard work is paying off. Every person that I has come to look at our products has loved every piece!

It makes me ecstatic about going live. My family is one of those families where if they didn't like something they would be the first people to tell you. I am sure that contributed to by not 'getting on board' with selling to them first. I'm glad I did. Confidence is very important in this business. Personally, I feel that I am generally a pretty confident person. I don't like people walking all over me, I stand up for what I believe in, and I tend to not care what people think or say about me. All that put together I thought that having a retail business would be a piece of cake. Working as hard as I have on our pieces, drawings, communicating non-stop with my designers definitely gave me an emotional attachment to our products. That isn't a bad thing until someone starts telling you the reasons why they do not like it. I get offended-I know I shouldn't-but I do.

So I am learning, Drake Men and myself is still a work in progress. I am sure it will always be that way. I will continue to grow and so will Drake Men. That is part of why I love what I am doing. Finding things out about myself that I didn't know could exist. I have days, like yesterday, where I feel everything is still-not moving forward. No matter what I try to do and no matter how hard I push everything wants to stay nailed to the ground. Then all of a sudden today feels like a new day. Things are moving-even if its only been two hours that I have been working. The future keeps getting closer and closer.

Images by-Shan

Robin Stubbert Photography...

This morning has been one of those mornings. The mornings where you are having to use more energy than normal to get up and move around. I am thinking that one reason could be that I wish it was Friday morning already. This weekend I will be traveling to Dallas to see my awesome sister and her family! That is the excuse I will be sticking with today. Ha!

While I am returning numerous emails, drinking my second cup of coffee-and it's not even 9 o'clock, I thought I might as well look at one of my favorite photographers. Robin Stubbert has really beautiful interior design photos. The kind of photos that make me want to jump into the photo and lounge around on the couch or be in that kitchen cooking. This first photo is my absolute favorite. I am sucker for black and white with little pops of color. Orange just so happens to be mys husbands favorite color but my favorite color to use with black and white!

Photos:{here}