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!

Polished

A few weeks ago, I got together with some of my best gal pals and shopped our hearts out at Mosaic District. I've talked about what I wear holiday shopping, but with the after Christmas sales, I thought I'd share one more post!

When I'm shopping, I (try to) wear things that are cute, functional, and won't get me overheated. I keep the layer game strong so I don't get cold, but wear a lighter layer underneath so I don't get too hot. Of course, a larger tote is necessary to stash all my layers once I hit the heated stores. (The one I'm using is only $48 with code: ITSJULIEN) 

Even though it's been so cold out, I've been obsessed with silk tops as of late. They're perfect for layering. This one is edgy enough to wear out with my friends (can we talk about the leather shoulder details?!), but classy enough to sport into the office as well. Man I love it when that happens.

Top, Dora Landa c/o. Sweater, Soft Joie via Piperlime c/o (sold out) Jeans, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. Boots, Luxury Rebel. Bracelet, Margarget Elizabeth via Rocksbox. Earrings, Kendra Scott via Rocksbox. Knot, pave, and triangle rings via Hanuel c/o. Bag, Mimi’s the Look (only $48 with code ITSJULIEN) Hair by Hair Cuttery.

9 Fall Trends in FAMILY Magazine

A little exciting news to share - I'm in the latest issue of FAMILY Magazine giving the scoop on my 9 favorite fall fashion trends! You can check out the online version here (page 64) or find the mag in these stores! Have a great weekend!!

My Wedding

On this day two years ago, I stood across from my now-husband and felt an insurmountable joy in knowing that we’d be spending forever together. It really couldn’t have been a more beautiful day.

A few event highlights? I wore my Nana’s ring, handmade all the runners with my stepmom, scoured a thousand antique shops searching for the blue ball jars, walked down the isle with my 90-year-old grandfather, my sister-in-law hand stitched the table numbers, my husband hand-chopped the birch wood for the tables, we had our dance choreographed by Maxim’s (from Dancing with the Stars) old dance instructor, lead my family in a Greek Dance and showcased our high school ‘marriage project’ Shawn and I had worked on together during our senior year.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite wedding snaps below taken by Astrid Woltering and our wedding trailer by Christian Villatoro (I highly recommend a videographer if you're getting married soon!) For more on our wedding, check out this article Washingtonian Magazine published. If you’re interested in which vendors I used, scroll to the bottom! 

Shawn + Julie Garman Trailer from Christian Villatoro on Vimeo.

Photographer: Astrid Woltering, Astrid Photography 
Wedding Venue: Historic Long Branch
Bride’s Gown: Justin Alexander, Blush Bridal Boutique
Hair: Sherry, Alexandre de Paris
Groom’s Tux: Black by Vera Wang, Men’s Wearhouse
Caterer/Cake: CrossRoads Catering
Florist: Wegmans
Videographer: Villatoro Productions
Music/Entertainment: DJ Richard Barreto, Signature Talent
First Dance Song: “Save the Last Dance” by Michael Bublé
Invitations: Minted

26 Things

Guess what, guys?! SUNDAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! Part of me hates birthdays because all the attention is on you, but I also love presents, eating good food, and seeing friends. 

To celebrate, I'm sharing 26 Things You Probably Don't Know About Julien (Me!)

1. When I was three, can you guess what I asked my grandparents for? Not dolls, not stuffed animals - noodles. I asked for noodles. I am still as obsessed with them today as I was back then.

2. Not to brag, but I’m pretty awesome at basketball. I played in middle and high school - where my power forwards at?

3. I have a very real fear of spiders, heights, dark places and missing out on a sale.

4. I’m a very spiritual person. I help lead our church’s praise team and social media feeds, and always willing to pray with/for someone. If something’s on your heart, shoot me an email and I’m happy to keep it in my prayers.

5. My first kiss was at the ripe age of 18 with my now-hubby...on my dad's birthday... 

6. My wedding featured on the Washingtonian website!

7. I’ve traveled to Fiji, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Canada, Bahamas and across the US. I'm obsessed with visiting new places and experience new cultures. 

8. When I was 12 (almost 13), my family road-tripped across the US stopping at every National Park along the way, which I hated at the time, but can really appreciate it now that I’m older.

9. I can neither ski or wakeboard. My husband, who’s wildly athletic, can do both. I skied for the second time in my life down an intermediate trail, falling every 2 minutes and basically sobbed/rolled my way down to the bottom. 

10. I'm a coffee snob. I broke my coffee maker kettle two years ago and haven't looked back since. We know only use our espresso machine, chemex, high-end grinder, gold-played filter and have a craft coffee subscription.

11. I'm a JMU alum #godukes!

12. I have one younger sister, Stephanie, with infinite amounts of beauty.

13. I used to drive sporty cars (BMW and WRX) but after 3 tickets, opted for a Subaru forester.

14. I spent my 13th birthday at Mount Rushmore, because that's where every 13-year-old wants to spend their birthday...

15. I used to develop my own black and white film in my dad's basement when I was in middle school and have been hooked on photography ever since.

16. I've been a vegetarian since I was 9, but no one else in my family is. For all the haters: VEGETARIANS ARE PEOPLE TOO!

17. In 5th grade, my friends and I made up a rap (Colors, Colors) and performed it for our class.

18. I hate riding the metro (what, you mean I'm not the only one?!)

19. I started out as pre-med in college, but quickly learned that it wasn't where my talents laid. Comm was a MUCH better fit.

20. I once did a segment on NBC Washington about what to do with your kids on a rainy day (a card crafting marathon, of course!)

21. During my short waitressing stint at Clyde's one summer, I was the worst waitress that ever was.

22. I once snuck backstage to meet a Christian singer ("are you here for the Toby Mac meet-and-greet?" "why yes, of course we are....")

23. My wedding flowers were so cheap - I got them from Wegmans! My dress on the other hand…

24. We just bought bikes!! Who wants to go riding? #byebyethunderthighs

25. I got voted Loudest for my senior superlative. I’ve been told that people can hear me before they see me…

26. I can’t wait to have kids. And by can’t wait, I mean I can TOTALLY wait 5 more years, but I’m so excited for that moment to happen.