St. Lucia Swimsuit Roundup

It’s been about seven months now. It was a rough start but I’ve made it through. Back in April, I started on a clean eating program. To be honest, I didn’t even know what that meant when I was starting…I just knew something had to give.

So I jumped aboard the 28 Day Challenge from The Fit Girls Guide on a whim when a coworker suggested we do it together. The PDF with the program recipes and workouts was only $25 so I thought, what the heck, I’ll give it a try.

And seven months later, and 20 pounds lighter, I’m seriously the happiest I’ve ever been. To be honest, I lost most of the weight within the first two months of the program and now I’m maintaining…and trying my hardest not to eat every cookie I see. ;)

It’s amazing to me - the amount of support and love from friends, from family and from you, my readers, through this whole ordeal. Each sweet text and each encouraging conversation has pushed me to become my best self…from someone who grew out her hair to hide her insecurities to someone who is confident, energetic and might I add, ballsy.

People love to ask, ‘What are you doing?! How many miles are you running each day?” And I laugh. YOU GUYS!! It’s all about what we’re eating. Seriously. I eat oatmeal or eggs for breakfast, opt almost exclusively for whole grains, limit my salt intake, drink all the water, and eat a YOU KNOW WHAT ton of cooked or roasted veggies. I have taco, pizza made on top of a whole wheat pita and pumpkin lasagna on the reg…and it’s actually super tasty. 

ANYWAY in honor and celebration of 6 months of healthy eating, I wanted to share a little roundup of my favorite swimsuits from our trip to St. Lucia! Tune in Wednesday, when I'll be sharing my last (and favorite!) look of the whole trip! XO!

Suite 1: Cocosand Swimwear
Suit 2: Mars Vida
Suit 3: Triangl Swimwear
Suit 4: Trina Turk (cover up version)

Wander

Wanderlust has taken over my life. From seeing friends on vacation to my favorite bloggers in exotic corners of the world, I’ve been in a major state of envy. All I want to do is travel the world and explore. We endure the daily grind so that one day, when we save enough, we too can explore the world.

This summer, we’ve taken to exploring the things around us. We’ve cut back in other areas for our upcoming trip to St. Lucia (!!!) so it's been a whole 'lotta hanging out around home. But it’s been kind of wonderful - exploring the things in our own backyard…discovering a new wine bar just down the street…finding the tastiest cheese at our local farmer’s market. It’s really, truly the little things in life.

A few weeks ago (before the big chop) we drove past a flower farm and I insisted the hubby make the nearest U-turn so we could check it out! It was kind of a magical. Flowers surrounding us, butterflies everywhere - I never wanted to leave.

As the summer slowly comes to a close, I’d like to challenge each of you to make your own adventures. Craving some sunshine and sea? Make a day trip to Virginia Beach! Hate the traffic? Get a pass at a rooftop pool in DC and live out all your happy feels while you pretend you're in Bali. Anything, anywhere, can become an adventure if you make it one.

On Julien: GAP jumpsuit c/o, H&M bag, Free People espadrilles via South Moon Under, Hanuel and Trina Turk bracelets, and GAP scarf. Hair courtesy of Hair Cuttery in Purcellville.

Schutz Zeloni Pumps at Salamander Resort

This past weekend, we went to Salamander Resort in Middleburg to celebrate my sister-in-law’s birthday. I know whenever we go to Middleburg, there will be good food and great times ahead. We arrived at the property a few hours before dinner so we could tour the grounds. YOU GUYS, this place is gorgeous. They have a library, an immaculate sitting area, and an infinity pool I almost jumped into despite the windy, cooler weather. 

We enjoyed dinner in the stunning dining room at the resort and I can easily say it’s one of the best meals I’ve had. Granted, the antipasti appetizer I ordered only had four tiny pieces of pasta, but let me tell you…it was OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. I also ordered a spring beet dish comprised of different beet varieties and morel mushrooms. I thought I got the dish for the beets, but the mushrooms blew me away. Have you ever had morel mushrooms before?! They will change your life.

I had planned to wear this cute blue dress to dinner, but it ended up being windy and way too cold. Instead, I paired these pants (that I snagged during the most recent J.Crew Factory sale) with an old sparkly sweater and an adorable polka dot top from Express that I won during an Instagram giveaway. 

But the item that stole the show? These gorgeous Schutz Zeloni pumps that I found on Lyst. Remember when I went on and on about how much I love Lyst? When I spotted these on their app, I knew they had to be mine. I’ve been wanting a pair of Schutz pumps forever and from the moment these arrived, I knew we’d be BFFs. They’re 4 inches tall (which is a little higher than I normally go) but they’re surprisingly supportive for my wobbly ankles. These have garnished more compliments than just about anything I own - and it seems the world agrees considering they’re almost completely sold out. If you’re a size 8, 9 or 10, give into the FOMO and get these stat. They could be your new BFF too.

On Julien: Sweater, J.Crew. Blouse, Express c/o. Pants, J.Crew Factory. Pumps, Schutz via Lyst c/o. Purse, South Moon Under (on sale for $35!) Bracelet, Trina Turk via Rocksbox (get a free month subscription by using code: julienxoxo) Sunnies, Kate Spade.

This post was sponsored by Lyst, but all opinions are my own.