Free People Lace Dress in St. Lucia

On our last night in St. Lucia, I saved the very best dress for last. We had grand plans of eating out, but ended up at a sweet little sushi place on the resort. Eh, when the fish is fresh, right? Just kidding. I'm vegetarian. 

I'm going to keep it short and sweet today - just like this dress. The romantic lace and babydoll silhouette are seriously everything I could ever want in a dress. To me, Free People can do no wrong. My only regret is that I only got to wear it once! But don't shed a tear, my friends. This girl has wild Fall plans to make this work into her fall wardrobe. Just you wait and see. ;)

On Julien: Jen's Pirate Booty dress via Free People c/o. J.Crew Mules. Samantha Wills ring (love this color!) Rachelle Celine midi rings c/o. Free People necklace c/o. Jeffrey Levinson clutch.

Explore

Probably the biggest reason we chose to visit St. Lucia was for it’s VARIETY. We knew we wanted to relax and kick back, but we also wanted a little adventure. Between snorkeling, hiking, boating, (attempting but miserably failing at) paddle boarding, and indulging in a (very muddy) mud bath, I think we got our fair share. The rest of our time was spent, in what i like to call, a state of aggressive relaxation.

At the end of our trip, we thought we’d indulge in some treatments at the Sugar Beach Rainforest Spa. This is the place of dreams, my friends. It’s where your stresses and worries come to die. Each treatment room is perched within the trees, and you’d miss it if you didn’t know it was there. 

Following our treatments, we followed a trail that I secretly hoped would have no end. Through the trees we swayed (well, Shawn snapped and I swayed), crossing over bridges that led to trees taller than the eye can see. 

I felt almost camouflaged among the weeping branches in one of my favorite tanks of all time from Free People. Airy enough to run through the forest, and roomy enough for the big lunch we had after. ;) I tried it on a whim in the new Free People location in Georgetown and fell in love right then and there. The rest is history.

Wearing Free People tank top, bralette and necklace c/o, Rag and Bone shorts, Free People espadrilles via South Moon Under, Rachelle Celine rings and gold bracelet.

Rachelle Celine

They say only time will tell. 

To me, this has rung true for just about everything. Will my favorite clothes today be my favorite clothes tomorrow? Will the same sweater I bought last year still be in style this Fall? Will this necklace I just bought last through the year without tarnishing?

Only time will tell.

I'm excited to share about a jewelry company that has withstood the test of time for me...pieces I always find myself reaching for...earrings that don't turn my ears green...midi rings I wear with literally everything...and necklaces made perfect for layering.

Her name is Rachelle Celine and her jewelry line is just as lovely as her name. She's a local jewelry designer in the DC area who truly understands understated beauty. Capitol File, Refinery 27 and Northern Virginia Magazine have all featured her pieces. Take a look at her pieces and you'll see why. 

She just launched her website a few weeks ago, so today I want to raise a glass to her. For sharing her beautiful craft with the world so we could all have handmade jewelry at a totally affordable price. Cheers to you, Rachelle!

Wearing Cocosand Swimwear swimsuit, Alexis skirt and Rachelle Celine jewelry c/o.

 Note: this post was not sponsored. I just totally dig Rachelle's pieces and had to tell you guys all about her. ;)

Tet Paul Nature Trail - St. Lucia

One of the big reasons we choose to go to St. Lucia was because of how lush the island was. We didn’t just want a beach - we wanted mountains to accompany it. I wouldn’t say I’m outdoorsy by any means, but I do love myself a little adventure now and then.

After a few days of beach lounging and a whole ‘lotta soaking in the sun, we decided to hit up some of the local hotspots.

We started off at the sulfur springs mud bath right when it opened at 9 AM to beat the tourists and sure enough, we were the first ones there. What an awesome experience - my skin was the softest ever after rubbing down in the volcanic mud. Afterwards, we went to a tiny waterfall, Piton Falls, afterwards and it was ok. Not to be a downer over here, but I’ve swam in quite a few waterfalls and this one just wasn’t my fave. It had a warm pool of water and I have to wonder - why is the water so warm? 

Next up was the Tet Paul Nature Trail. Let me be honest for a sec here - we had these grand plans of hiking a much more intense hike, the Gros Piton, while we were in St. Lucia. It wasn’t the length that scared us, it was only 3-4 hours. Maybe I’m making excuses over here, but we got so caught up in doing nothing (oops) that we opted for a much easier hike (a walk, really) that boasted incredible views of both piton mountains. #noregrets. Well maybe just a little ;)

This was definitely one of my favorite activities of our trip. We learned all about the fruits, vegetables that grow in St. Lucia and got to see the island from the coolest vantage points! 

For the hike, I wanted to wear a piece from my new favorite sportswear company, ADAY. They were super new to the athleticwear world, but they’re already making a splash.

Their carefully curated collection of pieces are wearable, comfortable and insanely cute. Sorry there’s not a whloe ‘lotta face photos in this, but DID YOU SEE THE BACK OF THIS SPORTSBRA and ARE YOU DYING RIGHT NOW?! Because I am. 

I'd highly recommend you check them out if you're an active girl like me. And stay tuned for SO MANY MORE St. Lucia posts next week. It might be rainy on the East Coast, but it's always sunny on itsjulien.com ;)

Wearing ADAY sports bra and everything else is so old that you wouldn’t want it anyway ;)