Starting With Why

Hey you! Welcome to my blog where we explore the beautiful intricacies of lifestyle, personal style, culinary delights, intimate gatherings, and self-care.

I’m Erica, a Jersey Girl living in a Carolina world. While you won’t find me flipping tables (IYKYK) you’ll def find me at home making a mean Sunday sawce (say it with me, “SAWS”) and killer craft cocktails. I want to share the lifestyle I’ve curated that makes me feel authentically… well, ME! From how I nurture and move my body, to the fashion that makes me feel relaxed yet chic, to the artful pieces that adorn my home… I’ll break down how to easily manifest and unleash your own elevated vibe✨

Erica Dawn Living was born out of my insane obsession with creating and styling beautiful plates that pack a punch and bevvies that transport you to luxe lounges (but in the comfort of your beautiful abode). Over the years, I learned that my POV is beyond just food and bev, it’s about creating community and expressing your creative juices in every aspect of life!

So here I am and here you are!  I’ll guide you through each of these areas with insights, tips, and inspiration designed to help you elevate your life effortlessly. Why start with the concept of “starting with why”? Welp, it serves as the foundation for everything we do. Understanding your ‘why’ will help you to create a life filled with purpose and passion, making every moment more meaningful and fulfilling. So let’s dig in…

Culinary Expertise: Delight in Every Bite

Food is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together. My culinary expertise spans a range of dishes, from small bites to main courses, desserts, and craft cocktails. Each recipe I share is crafted with love and designed to make my guests feel special.  When you arrive and as you sit at my table I want you to feel welcome and ready to enjoy. That you’ve been transported to your favorite vacay destination or the best restaurant in town but in my cozy home with the best of friends.   

For example, my whipped lemon basil feta accompanied by a plethora of antipasti is always a crowd-pleaser.  What’s more, it’s simple, delicious, and feels communal. For main dishes, I love creating hearty meals like handmade pasta bolognese or flavorful culinary mashups like my red Thai curry salmon with a Peruvian aji verde sauce. When it comes to sweets, the simpler the better.  You can look forward to recipes like the easiest Philly style vanilla icecream with a peach amaretto sauce or salted chocolate pistachio bark. Sounds fancy, sounds complex but I promise:  it can’t be easier! And let’s not forget the craft cocktails – I have tequila and mezcal on heavy rotation.  After numerous visits to places like Southern California, Mexico City, Costa Rica, and mi querido Puerto Rico I’ve figured out the magic behind incorporating fresh juices (think: passionfruit, pineapple, guava, strawberry, grapefruit, lime…) to balance the sweetness and create the most refreshing drink!  Don’t forget the styling.  Each of my dishes and cocktails arrive on simple stunning plates, chic coupes, and always have that lil bit of Salt Bae finish to make my guests feel special. 

As I share recipes and pro tips across food, cocktails, and styling I’ll most definitely be giving you the exclusive on my direct sources for cooks tools and gadgets, mixology supplies, and table setting must-haves. 

Creating Intimate Gatherings: Memories in the Making

Hosting intimate gatherings for friends and family is a beautiful way to share your love and create lasting memories. The ‘why’ behind these gatherings is to foster connections and celebrate the moments that matter. Whether it’s an impromptu cocktail hour, a cozy dinner party or a festive holiday celebration, the key is to create an atmosphere that reflects your personal touch.  It’s something that leaves your guests wowed and excited for the next invite!

Start by selecting a theme that resonates with you and your guests. Maybe relaxed bistro is your vibe or perhaps it’s high-end classic steak house. Maybe it’s a garden party and all about keeping it casual with small bites that don’t skimp on flavor. Once you’ve decided on the theme, curate a menu that delights and surprises. My culinary expertise shines through in the recipes I’ll be sharing, from small bites to main dishes, desserts, and craft cocktails. Each recipe is designed to be both delicious and easy to prepare, ensuring you can spend more time enjoying the company of your loved ones.

Allow me to bring calm to the chaos of entertaining in your life.  My recipes, tablescapes, and source playbook will stop hosting anxiety dead in its tracks and enable to you actually enjoy the art of bringing people together.

Personal Style: Discovering Your Unique Expression

Your personal style is a reflection of who you are, and understanding your ‘why’ helps you to express this authentically. Start by asking yourself why certain pieces make you feel confident and empowered. Is it the memory associated with a piece of jewelry, or the way a particular color complements your skin tone? Could it be a magical place you’ve visited that embodies a sense of how you want to carry yourself?  By identifying these elements, you can curate a wardrobe that not only looks good but also feels good.

For me, I love pulling together pieces from different brands with the “splurge & save”  method in mind.  For example, I’ll wear my Veronica Beard high waisted flares with a simple tee from Amazon or Target.  Maybe it’s a pair of relaxed pants from Zara with a cute find from a local boutique here in Charlotte like Kla.  Classic pairings come to life with a closet full of on-the-ready basics and little pieces of flair accessory-wise to finish the look.  Whatever the combo I choose timeless pieces that resonate with my style philosophy and make me feel authentically in my own skin. My advice to you?  Find the brands that provide quality and elegance, helping you to create a wardrobe that stands the test of time. In my future blog posts on personal styling I’ll share with you my favorite pieces and link them for you to make your own. 

Unlocking Your Inner Creative Juices

Creativity is a powerful force that can transform your life in unexpected ways. To unlock your inner creative juices, start by asking yourself why you want to create. Is it to express your emotions, solve a problem, or simply to have fun? Understanding your motivation will help you to tap into your creativity more effectively.

One of my favorite ways to spark creativity beyond the kitchen is through painting abstract pieces.  I’ve long wondered what Heaven must look like and have pictured the sky at sunset (or maybe for you early risers it’s sunrise).  It’s the pinks, blues, yellows, purples, grays, oranges… the entire cotton candy sky palette that makes me excited to bring this vision to life on canvas and proud to hang on my walls.  Every time I look at a piece I’ve created I’m filled with a sense of pride and calm at the same time.  It’s the exact set of emotions that I aimed for when creating the piece in the first place!  

I also love the creative process in interior design. For me, the key has been to take a piece of inspiration.  It could be a piece of art or a pattern from textile fabrics that becomes your design aesthetic jumping off point.  When we first moved into our custom build house eight years ago I discovered local artist, Trip Park.  I stumbled across his large format acrylic painting of a blue cruiser bike with a rattan basket filled with blue hydrangeas.  The background was full of texture and had a punch of pink to make the bicycle really stand out.  Every time I pass that painting I think of my cruiser rides around Spring Lake, New Jersey at the shore and reveling in all of the amazing Victorian architecture with hydrangeas being the star of every facade.  If you live in Charlotte I highly recommend visiting Shain Gallery here in the Myers Park neighborhood to check out more Trip Park pieces and that of other artists.  It was this totally bespoke piece that helped me to set the color palette for my interiors, choosing neutrals as my main furniture selections with art, pillows, drapes, and all sorts of unique object finds to provide the bright colorful contrast that I was looking for.  

As we talk about interior design together, I’ll share not only my sources but how easily you can draw out a color palette from one piece of inspiration to set the tone for your entire living space and feel at home in your home.

Sharing Your Authentic Self

In a world where social media often promotes a curated version of reality, sharing your authentic self can be a breath of fresh air. Your ‘why’ in this context is to connect with others on a deeper level and to inspire them to be their true selves. Whether it’s through your personal style, your culinary creations, or your creative projects, being authentic allows you to build genuine connections with your audience.

For me, authenticity means sharing my successes and my struggles. It’s about being real and relatable. I encourage you to do the same. By being open and honest, you’ll find that people are drawn to you and appreciate your transparency.  It’s not all about these well-staged professional photos and videos (although I must say, Jodie Brim and her team did an incredible job!).  It’s more so about the oh sh*t moments, the b-roll, the bloopers, the times we fail forward and figure out how to make the best of things that keeps us human and relatable.  

So while I’m certainly going to share all of my know-how and tips, I’m most definitely going to share the screw-ups I manage and the lessons that come out of it.  Spoiler alert:  a really great recipe will come your way for “Tarpaccio”.  My fail on steak carpaccio that ultimately got turned into a steak tar tar and was knock-your-socks-off good.

Self-Care: It Starts with You

At the end of the day, you can’t be the badass you wanna be if you don’t take care of yourself.  I’m not talking about about luxe spa days every day (although, wouldn’t that be nice!) but I’m saying you’ve gotta take care of you: mind, body, and soul on the daily to be able to share your best self with the world.  Self-care is essential for a balanced and fulfilling life. My approach to self-care includes simple beauty and makeup tips, a proven fitness routine I’ve been doing for 10+ years, and mindfulness hacks to keep you grounded. For some of us, this will incorporate spirituality which is such a personal and important pillar of self care and care for your loved ones, care for your community.  Understanding your ‘why’ in self-care is crucial – it’s simply about taking time to nurture yourself so you can be your best self for others.

In terms of beauty and makeup, I love experimenting with products that enhance my natural features. My go-to brands include higher end luxe names in the biz like Westman Atelier and Chantecaille, drug-store finds like Maybelline and Elf Cosmetics, and dermatologist-backed brands like Aquaphor and Cetaphil which offer a range of products that suit different skin types and preferences. I’ll be sharing my favorite no-makeup makeup looks and skincare routines to help you feel confident and in your skin.

Fitness is one of my key pillars of self-care. As a kid I played soccer competitively in New Jersey and went to University of Massachusetts on a full-scholarship to play.  While soccer will always be my favorite sport, it’s taken a beating on my body and so I’ve sought out routines and modalities that help me exert the effort I need to feel a release, the strengthening and lengthening to feel empowered, and the vibes to keep if fun.  My tried and true ritual is with Tracy Anderson Method where she incorporates elements of dance, pilates, barre, and yoga into one powerful method that switches up the routine every 7 days to keep the body guessing and in learning mode. Through Tracy’s method, I’ve been able to tap into my athletic persona while coming back from two back to back pregnancies and traversing through the graceful aging journey.  I cannot recommend this method enough and will be posting about it on my Instagram @ericadawnliving while sharing an insider’s look here via my blog.  I know once you see the method in motion you’ll be wanting to jump right in yourself!

Last but not least is the ubiquitous and omnipresent concept of “mindfulness”.  This is about finding peace and clarity in the midst of a busy life.  I’ve struggled over the years, especially working in stressful corporate roles in sales and customer success to gain any semblance of balance or mindfulness.  I’ve experienced crushing anxiety and crippling physical manifestations from stress ranging from epic eczema outbreaks, deep gut issues, and the less-than-delightful mix of brain fog and ironic polar end of the spectrum of spiraling.  Mindfulness has been a journey for me and it starts with how I begin my day.  Thinking of three things I’m grateful for, nourishing my body with water and a protein-packed breakfast THEN coffee, getting in my Tracy Anderson Method, and beginning my work with a practical plan.  More than anything, for me it’s about noticing.  About being present.  What are the things that make me feel unsafe, sick to my stomach, and triggering that fight or flight feeling?  Knowing these things and having a plan to frame the situations I’m in have kept me grounded, however like everything, it’s hard work and a journey.  There are times when I catch myself in spiral mode, where I tell myself stories that are unfounded, and where I just wanna climb under a rock until I can emerge feeling brand new.  Mindfulness isn’t about being completely zen at all times.  That’s just not reality.  It’s about recognizing patterns, situations, people, etc that drain your essence and having a plan to pick yourself back up.  I’ll continue to share more on this and can’t wait to introduce you to some experts and frameworks I’ve found along the way.  If I can help just one person reading this to feel empowered and supported through my rituals I’ll feel fulfilled.   

Conclusion: Elevate Your Lifestyle with Purpose

By starting with ‘why,’ you can transform every aspect of your life, from personal style to culinary creations, intimate gatherings, creativity, and self-care. My goal is to provide you with the inspiration and tools you need to elevate your lifestyle effortlessly. Through my blog, you’ll find tips, recipes, and recommendations that reflect my expertise and passion.

Remember, your ‘why’ is the driving force behind everything you do. Embrace it, and let it guide you towards a more fulfilling and purposeful life. Be sure to check out all the source guides, playbooks, and affiliate links to my favorite brands and products.  And stay right here with me for more exciting content. Together, we’ll create a life that’s not only beautiful but also deeply meaningful.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Here’s to living with purpose and passion!