Now…it’s time for a fabulous giveaway! I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to give YOU a chance to win: a $1000 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time for the holidays!
Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter. You’ll receive one entry per completion. This giveaway is open internationally and runs until 12/5. Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!
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Being on vacation is like living in a dream. You don't know what day it is - only that you try your hardest to make the most of every moment...to relax hard enough to make it through the next few months, years, until you can break away for a few days of pure, unadulterated rest and relaxation.
Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the insanely beautiful country of St. Lucia. We spent our days searching for the tastiest eats, exploring the wilderness and doing some hardcore R&R. It was simply incredible.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing about our time in the southern Caribbean island. In the meantime, I'll be responding to the 100+ work emails, helping plan an event at Alice + Olivia next week (more details coming soon!) and trying not to cry myself to sleep at night as I mourn getting back to the everyday grind. ;)
And even though I'm not looking forward to an insanely crazy first day back today, I am SUPER excited about this outfit. I've been smitten with Cameo lately - and my favorite "try before you buy" company, Lyon + Post carries them! I love that their subscription is free and that YOU get to choose the products you get to try in your box. If you want to try it, you can use my referral link and get $30 off your first find. My next box has these pair of Chiara Ferragni flats I can't wait to get my hands on! And the lipstick I'm wearing - might be my favorite of all time.
On Julien: Cameo top via Lyon + Post, Hinge skirt from Nordstrom (on sale!) Free People espadrille, Hanuel bracelet and Claire Ashley for Makeup Meltdown lipstick in "Siren."
On Julien: Denada Shawl c/o. Shirt, Nordstrom. AYR jeans. VASKA bag via Estiletta c/o. Free People shoes. Kate Spade sunnies (similar.)
Early plane flights. You think they’re a great idea when you see that they’re a hundred dollars less than the other options, but not SO much the morning-of.
Since I used up most of my vacation days for our trip to St. Lucia, we had to make the most of our Saturday flying to Boston for my Papou’s big Red Sox debut. We arrived in Boston at about 7:30 AM (don’t even make me tell you what time we woke up) and immediately went to find coffee. But not just, like, STARBUCKS coffee. Ick. So we hopped on the bus to a little place downtown called Barrington Coffee Roasting. They not only had the yummiest latte ever, but the yummiest chocolate croissant too. Mmm.
We made sure not to eat too much, since my sister and her boyfriend were meeting us later for brunch at Area Four. I can’t even describe the amount of happiness and joy I felt as I ate THIS french toast. Even though it was located in a business’y area off the beaten path, it ended up being one of my favorite stops on the trip!
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around downtown, eating ice cream sandwiches, and goofing off by the pier. Surprisingly, it was kind of chilly earlier in the day, so I was thrilled that I had my Denada knit shawl with me. I also wore my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE pair of jeans ever that I found in an article from Cupcakes & Cashmere. There’s a reason why AYR jeans are a cult-classic and now I finally understand why.
Until next time, Bean Town!
I’ve been on a big friends kick lately. No, not my all-time favorite show that caused me to evaluate all my relationships in FRIENDS characters (“he thinks we’re Rachel and Ross, but we’re really more Rachel and Joey…) - but developing friendships. It’s something I’ve mentioned here before, and something I’ll probably continue to mention because I think it’s one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. And maybe because I missed out on really making friends in college.
High school? That was a breeze. I attended boarding school, where I led my basketball team as captain and championed change as class Vice President. I was at no loss for friends. But when college rolled around, it was a different story. My first two years were spent at a small, private school in Tennessee where I struggled finding the right group of friends…but when I finally did, I had already decided to transfer into a state school to save on tuition. Thus started my journey again at JMU, where I made a grand total of three friends. And when I moved back home after graduation, I knew no one.
So I put myself out there. I attended a ton of networking events, started my blog, took time to really get to know the people I’d met, and invested in those friendships. Not many people start a blog to make friends and develop relationships, but I did. And now, my heart is so full with gratitude for the incredible women I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and call my friends.
I met up with one of these newfound friends last week at WK Hearth, a cute farm-to-table style restaurant in Purcellville. We both arrived in similar casual outfits (obsessed with Lauren’s blog!), gabbed about our foray into blogging and accidentally closed down the restaurant after we lost track of time. That’s how you know you’ve found a true friend.
If you’re in a place where you’re feeling lonely or friendless, get up and get out there! If you’re a blogger, head to a Blogger Scene event (where I met all my favorite people, including Lauren!) If you’re a working girl (or gal) in the city, hit up happy hour with a few coworkers! Yes, spending an evening in with Netflix and take out is super alluring, but trust me on this one. Friendships bring the best kind of joy that OITNB could never fill.
On Julien: Jacket, Achro via Anthom. Tee, Halogen via Nordstrom. Shorts, Rag & Bone (size down.) Boots, Luxury Rebel. Necklace, Jenny Bird via Rocksbox (use code JULIENXOXO for a free month of jewelry rentals!)
Since buying our first home back in November, we've been ever-so-slowly decorating our place...buying things little by little, so we aren't breaking the bank all at once. Here's the truth - I'm not naturally great at decorating. PHEW - glad I could get that off my chest because it's been killing me inside. Admitting faults is not one of my favorite things. But you know what is? Learning about how to improve on those faults.
I'm currently enrolled in Skillshare, which has unlimited online classes for creatives. Membership is about $10/month and you can watch the classes anytime you want, at your own pace. BUT you can get a free month when you use my referral link! Since decorating isn't my forte, I enrolled in Justina Blakeney's interior styling class. If you don't know Justina, she wrote The New Bohemians (which I had to order) and is one of the top design blogs on the web. She's worked with brands like Anthropologie, One Kings Lane, CB2, Joss & Main and more - she is the real deal, folks. I'm loving the course so far and it inspired me to go on a major hunt for some new pillows for our chocolate brown couch (which I hate but it's so comfortable we can't get rid of it!)
Check out a few of my favorites below! Do you notice a theme? I've been so into the laid back, bohemian style lately! Can you guess which one I bought? (Hint: I shared it on my Twitter page yesterday!)
1. Citrus Blossoms by Inslee Pillow from Society Social, $80 | 2. Beverly Palm Pillow from Society Social, $75 | 3. CALLA PILLOW, PINK from Lulu & Georgia, $70 (use code BLISS20 for 20% off) | 4. JANLYN PILLOW, FLAMINGO from Lulu & Georgia, $44-$76 (use code BLISS20 for 20% off) | 5. Levtex 'Pompom' Accent Pillow from Nordstrom, $44 | 6. Granada in Blush Pillow from Belquist, $30 | 7. Rizzy Home Decorative Throw Pillow from Target, $32 | 8. YELLOW SPOTTED SILK PILLOW from Furbish Studio, $65 | 9. Sedona Pillow from Sister Golden, $76 | 10. Floral Print Pillow from Cushion Cut Decor, $20.35
