Week in Review - Vol. 5

I hope you all have had an amazing week! With the long weekend ahead, it’s coming at a much-needed time. Ya feel?

The week started off on a yummy note with a trip to Ceremony Coffee Roasters in Baltimore. I’ve drank their coffee before, but going to their shop was the greatest experience. They had avocado toast. Need I say more?

With our trip to Orlando coming up this weekend, I’ve been trying to eat extra healthy and get back into my workout routine. I’ve been drinking this yummy smoothie recipe every other night for dinner and I’m feeling more energetic already! 

Tuesday I shared all about my obsession with the sunglass rental company, Ditto. (Read more about it here!) If you want to try it out, you can use this code for a free month: ITSJULIEN

I also shared one of my favorite and easy breakfast recipes on Snapchat (username: @juliengarman!) These overnight oats are a staple in our house - perfect for the busy girl wanting a yummy breakfast that’s quick and easy (I use blackberries instead!)

Photo by Lauren Louise

If you’re tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses, then you’ll definitely want to check out my post from yesterday where I’m sharing all about my desire to live simpler.

I tried out a new yoga instructor the other night (I’m SUPER resistant to change, friends) and had the most wonderful time. My old instructor had moved and I was nervous about trying someone new. But you never know what you’re missing until you TRY NEW THINGS! 

Photo by Carl Maynard

One of my favorite parts of blogging is meeting people. I met up with two photographers this week, Carl Maynard and Leah Beilhart. I ran around Capitol Hill earlier in the week with Carl, finding a ton of inspiration among the colorful walls and vibrant streetscape. I finished off the week hanging with Leah at the cutest coffee shop and she helped me overcome my fear of looking into the camera. Can’t wait to show you the photos!

This weekend I’m heading to Orlando for a some R&R with some of our best friends! The beach will definitely be on our itinerary. This Cuyana weekender bag is sold out, but they just came out with an updated version and I'm in love. ALSO this beauty arrived in the mail yesterday and I never want to take it off.

Speaking of Cuyana, they are extending their pop-up in DC until July 31! I'm so excited I could cry. Lately, I've been drawn to more in-store shopping experiences (I hate the process of returning something) and this is one you won't want to miss.

Don’t forget to check out the Nordstrom Half Yearly sale! Now that winter is over and summer is here (we completely skipped spring) I know I’ll be needing a few wardrobe adjustments! 

Week in Review - Vol. 4

I love starting off the week on a positive note - and for me, that meant taking Sunday afternoon and indulging in a little Treat Yo’Self time. I dropped the hubby off at the golf course with his buddies and made my way down to Potomac Mills. (You can read all about it and see what I bought here!) I hadn’t been in YEARS and I was thrilled with the goodies I found!

Monday always tends to put a damper on things, but this week, I carved out time to visit with my good friend Betsy! (LIFE HACK - make time for friends! Netflix will always be there, friends don’t always work the same way.) We chatted over coffee and talked about our goals, dreams and plans. I felt instantly refreshed after our hangout and ready to conquer the rest of the day (which was spent working until about 7 PM.)

Luckily, my hubby ordered Blue Apron for us to try, which we did that evening. The food was amazing - the best part isn’t even how tasty the food is…it’s that I’m learning to do all these awesome, new ways to cook! I made jam the other night. JAM!  Right after I shot this look and a smoothie recipe coming up on Monday!

I’m usually SO LATE to everything in life, and this year, I’m ahead of the game with my Father’s Day gift! For once. And I shared my top gift picks from Uncommon Goods earlier this week - you can find it here if you’re still on the hunt for the perfect pressie.

Wednesday I met up with super babe Lauren Louise for coffee and a little shoot! I can not WAIT to share the images with you! I also tried a matcha latte. Probably wouldn’t repeat that experience. But it did make for a great Instagram!

Got my thousandth wedding invitation in the mail this week. Is anyone else like “WHY IS EVERYONE GETTING MARRIED AND HAVING BABIES RIGHT NOW?!” I shared a few wedding guest dressing tips on the blog (like whether it’s ok to wear white and the best jewelry to wear!)

Thursday I stopped into the Greenheart Juice shop with my babe Jen for my Strawberry Fields fix. It’s SO freaking tasty. I’m addicted. It’s basically milk that helps with beauty - and I need all the help I can get. ;) jokes. I also went on a 10-mile bike ride for the first time this year…so if you’ve ever been close to death, you’ll know how I felt.

Yesterday was magical - while I spent most of the day working, I was able to slip away for a moment to eat an ice cream sandwich from Baked & Wired and see two of my favorite people, Erin and Luke. We may have taken a few photos. 

So tell me! How was your week? Are you SO happy it's the weekend?! 

Week in Review - Vol. 3

It has been QUITE the week.

The week started with Mother’s Day and having my sister in town, which could not have been more wonderful. I made ALL THE BRUNCH at my house Sunday (catch a peek on Instagram below!) then picked out a few flowers for the yard with mom afterwards. Monday, my sissie came over for Tacos and we ate at like 10 PM, like the insane people we are.

A little scenery from Mother's Day brunch at our place. Wish this was my view now...instead of leftover pasta at my desk 😂 Fab snap by mom👌 @toula_mitra

A photo posted by It's Julien (@juliengarman) on May 10, 2016 at 9:30am PDT

THEN came the cleaning. Or lack-there-of. Anyone else get, like, SO overwhelmed when guests come over then avoid it like the plague? Insert girl raising hand emoji here. 

I played with the Kylie Lip Kits over the weekend and have some THOUGHTS - will share those in an upcoming review post! Loving the Candy K shade, but Dolce K was a little dark for me, so I pawned it off on the sis. ALSO FRIENDS, if you’re dying to get your hands on a lip kit or gloss, they’re restocking at 6:30 EST!

If you’re into contouring/have no idea what you’re doing (LIKE ME!), this Smashbox counter kit is for you. My sister let me try hers and I’m obsessed. I need it to arrive in my mailbox like last year. It's worth every penny.

Photo by Erin Krespan

Not sure what the weather is like near you, but it’s been the literal worst here in DC. But I reminisced about sunshine and warmth earlier this week - here’s the post in case you missed it!

Last night, I attended the launch of Breather in DC! (I wore this dress from Tuckernuck seen below!) I’m so excited to take you behind-the-scenes into their spaces for a few upcoming projects!

iPhone shot by Erin

Wedding season is upon us friends, and I just discovered the greatest way to help bae look his best. I gave the tux rental company, Menguin, a first hand try and here’s what I thought.

I just discovered the best remedy to wake yourself up after a mid-afternoon carbs-are-kicking-in slump. It’s this.

This weekend is going to be a busy one! I have praise team on Saturday for church, then gardening and a trip to Potomac Mills on Sunday! I haven’t been there in ages, so be sure to tune into snapchat to see what I find! (Username: JULIENGARMAN)

Photo by Jen

AND next week is the last week to visit the Cuyana pop up in DC (bag and blouse seen above!) Get it while you can, friends.

Week in Review - Vol. 2

Phew - what a week! I spent the first part of the week in Portland, Maine on a little getaway with the hubby. Even though it was rainy and cold, we had such an incredible time. Needless to say, we ate ALL THE FOOD. (Thanks to everyone on Instagram who gave us recs!) I can’t wait to share more about Portland on the blog soon!

Last week, I mentioned that I had purchased this gorgeous weekender bag from Cuyana - as a follow up - it was so great to travel with! It passed through TSA without a hitch and fit into the overhead departments like a glove (which I was a little worried about since it is a bit larger!) Can’t wait to take it on more adventures this summer.

I’ve been really trying to do fun new things with my hair since the big chop. While I’ve almost exclusively done messy waves for the past year, I’ve been loving the side-braid lately! Check out my tutorial here.

I was welcomed home with a fun package form Tuckernuck that included this insanely gorgeous dress, this necklace (that I’m wearing as we speak), this sweet clutch and these insanely perfect-for-summer shoes. 

Did you catch this week’s post at Burnside Farms? I wore a dress as a shirt. Then yesterday I posted about two of my new favorite facial products from Blue Mercury. I know I’ve been slacking on the outfit posts, friends. I’ll have more for you next week - and they’ll be worth the wait.

YOU GUYSSS! The Dolce K and Candy K lip kits arrived in the mail yesterday! Tune into Snapchat this weekend to get my first impression  and stay tuned for a full video review!!

Have you heard of Breather? It’s basically like an hourly Airbnb for office space and they’re coming to DC! That mid-day nap you desperately need? Covered. Need a beautiful indoor space to shoot a product? They’ve got it. Can’t wait to share more about them and give you a peek into their spaces! They’re already in New York and a few other big cities, but they launch in DC next Thursday!

After work yesterday, my boss took us out for happy hour at the new Barley Mac in Rosslyn. I’m OBSESSED. Their cocktails were phenomenal. I got one of their margaritas and it was actually everything) and so were the truffle potato skins. If you’re in the Arlington area, you’ll definitely want to check this spot out!

After Barley Mac, I attended a fun dinner honoring twelve moms who were nominated for the FAMILY Magazine Mom of the Year contest at the Hendry House. She’s sacrificed so much of herself to make our lives the very best as a single mom - and with her recent triumph over her battle with breast cancer, this was so so so well-deserved. And a very special thank you to Colleen and Britni who helped put the event together! ;) 

This weekend is going to be crazy and wonderful. My Papou arrived in town with my aunt yesterday and my sister is flying in from Tennessee tomorrow!! We’ll be hosting Mother’s Day brunch at our place so TBD on whether I make it out alive. ;)

That’s all for this week - tune in Monday for an all-new outfit post!

Week in Review - Vol. 1

I had something else planned for today…an outfit post (which I’m sharing a sneak peek of below!) But after yoga class last night, I wanted to try something new - a reflection of this past week and a look ahead to next. So grab your coffee, tea, acai bowl or green smoothie and let’s chat!

This past weekend, we went to Burnside Farms and picked flowers in their tulip field. I felt like I was in France. Definitely make your way there if you have a chance this weekend (and if tickets aren’t already sold out!) Here's a little sneak peek of my shoot!

The work week started off on a super positive note with me sharing about my April feature in Northern Virginia Magazine! I dish on all my favorite spots in the area including my favorite jewelry spot, where to get a cute date night outfit and my favorite places to grab some grub.

Some of you may know this, but my full time job is in commercial real estate. One of my mom’s students asked me if it was hard managing a full time job and the blog - hear what I had to say here.

My insane work week got a bit better when I received my ULTA order in the mail! I ordered this travel-friendly bronzer that I’m obsessed with, a new lip pencil that Claire Ashley used on my Northern Virginia Magazine makeover (and it’s only $3.50!) and this makeup setting spray that Claire also recommended!

I spotted an insanely gorgeous pair of Gucci-like sandals for Spring from Tuckernuck. And if you know me, you know blush is basically a neutral in my closet.

I made the most epic green smoothie of all time the other night. It had 5 frozen strawberries, a banana, two handfuls of spinach, chia seeds, almond milk and peanut butter. It gave me just the boost I needed before my weekly yoga class.

Speaking of yoga, I really found myself in a good place when I attended this week. One skill I’ve learned over the past few years is to listen to my body. If it’s telling me to go to sleep, I’m hopping into bed right away…even if it’s 9:30. This week, I had to decide between a fun blogger event and my yoga class. I listened to my body and attended the yoga class and I’m so glad I did. I’d been feeling a bit unbalanced physically and emotionally this week, and this class was JUST what my body (and soul) needed. During the meditation portion of yoga, the instructor gave us some words of wisdom that spoke to me - maybe they’ll speak to you too: “Sometimes not getting what we want is the best gift we can get.”

Photo from Cuyana

I’m getting excited about our weekend trip to Portland, Maine! And this week I finally retired my Vera Bradley overnight bag I’ve had since high school and gave myself a much-needed upgrade. I snagged this Cuyana weekender bag at their pop-up and I can’t wait to put it to good use this weekend!

Lastly, I was able to snag a few Kylie lip kits yesterday during the restock!! I picked Dolce K and Candy K - have you tried either?! I’m so excited to see if they’re worth the hype!

That’s all for this week - be sure to tune into Snapchat and Instagram (username: @juliengarman) to follow along during my trip to New England!