Girl talk with Katherine Schwarzenegger at TJMAXX

It’s 6:30 AM and I’m standing in front of our mirror in full-on panic mode. I’d been invited to interview Katherine Schwarzenegger at the Georgetown TJMAXX for her “Road to Real” tour. What on earth does one wear to meet the daughter of a movie star/politician and a wildly successful journalist? But that wasn’t what intimidated me.

Aside from writing two books (one on the struggles of post-grad life and one about body image), I’d spotted her in a fashion week documentary “Baring It All: Inside New York Fashion Week" and swooned as I saw her explore backstage, chatting casually with designers and sitting front row with everyone I follow on Instagram.

So you see my dilemma. 

I finally landed on my trusty Elizabeth and James skirt (that I scored on major sale last season), my silk Cuyana tank, my lightweight Achro blazer and a denim jacket to give the look a more casual vibe. I threw on my new go-to Tuckernuck necklace to finish off the look - I love how well it works with the neckline of this top.

Upon meeting Katherine, I was thrilled that she was as down-to-earth as I’d hoped. First we chatted about her favorite spots in DC (she’d already been to Baked & Wired, smart girl) since her sister (a Georgetown alum) had insisted she not miss it. As a self-proclaimed coffee addict, I had to know what kind of drink she ordered (a latte - a girl after my own heart!) I was surprised to learn that Katherine is a very recent coffee drinker! (As opposed to me, who has been drinking coffee since i came out of the womb practically.)

One thing I noticed immediately about Katherine was her radiating confidence. What was her secret?

“Knowing who are you are as a person is the most important thing for feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin,” Katherine explained. She talked about how her partnership with TJMAXX was a perfect match, given their great price point and wide selection of pieces for every body type.

She added, “TJMAXX makes it easy to dress for your body type - and when we do this, we feel our most comfortable and confident.”

And let’s be real, friends. There is a very specific body type that’s considered “beautiful” in our society. But REAL girls have hips, cellulite, arm jiggle - I know I do! So I asked Katherine what she thought could be done to make every women feel beautiful…

“I think being able to open up the conversation and talk openly and honestly about body image - that’s why I wrote my first book. I felt it was a taboo topic that we couldn’t talk about openly and honestly without someone saying, ‘why are you talking about that?'"

She’s so right. On the blog, I don’t often talk about my insecurities, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. The more we open up that conversation and the more media shares images of REAL women and what real women look like, the more it’ll become clear that every body type is beautiful.

As for her must-have staples for what should be in the real girl’s closet? 

“Anything you can buy at TJMXX! Whether you’re looking for something for a job interview to your workout clothes to finding the perfect piece for your home, there’s everything in one place. TJMAXX understands what a real, modern-day women needs and that’s everything in one place.”

Duly noted! After our interview, I tried on ALL THE THINGS in TJMAXX - my favorites being the chicest pair of Vince mules (a tad to small unfortunately) and the silkiest culottes from Rebecca Taylor…which, by the way, are on -trend with THIS SEASON’S styles. 

Be sure to keep up with Katherine on her Road to Real tour, where she’ll be interviewing women at TJMAXX stores throughout the country through July 17. If you can’t make it to one of her appearances, be sure to keep up on social media by searching #RoadtoReal. And if you have a friend, niece, nephew or cousin who has recently graduated, Katherine wrote a great book to give them! 

Awareness

I remember the day my mom told me. She called my phone, frantic. She felt a lump.

“MOM, it’s nothing!” I insisted. I was sure of it.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. Upon having the lump checked, the doctor’s discovered that it was, in fact, breast cancer. Mom would have to undergo chemo and radiation in hopes of destroying those cancerous cells.

I tried to stay strong during the process - forcing my mom to watch funny cat videos on youtube during doctor’s appointments, bringing picnic foods to chemo sessions and giving her all my favorite hats and scarves to keep her head warm during winter…but I wasn’t the strong one. She was.

I called to check on her one evening on my way home from an event when she suggested I check myself. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to look for. But I thought, might as well start now!

So I checked. Everything felt pretty normal until I got to the right side…and it was then I started to feel a wave of anxiety rush over me. There was definitely something there - something hard, but still small, about half the size of a marble, I’d imagine. I called my OBGYN right away.

I won’t go on with the details, but LONG story short, the doctor wanted to do a biopsy just to make sure it was benign (as she was near certain it was), which didn’t phase me too much. I’ve had knee surgery, orthoscopic procedures - could this be any worse?

Turns out, it was a pretty awful experience…everyone had downplayed the procedure, but it totally did a number on me physically and emotionally. Maybe part of it was being under local anesthesia or maybe it was seeing the procedure that got to me…or maybe I’m just a big baby. But it was rough to say the least. I sort of had a meltdown post-procedure and was so happy I had my husband take me to the appointment.

One of the harder parts about having the biopsy was that I didn’t really know who I could talk with about it…it’s not the kind of thing you just mention in passing. Knee surgery? That’s not really something you can hide. But this was so hidden and it seemed like I was oversharing when I’d mention it to friends, but I needed to connect with someone who’d been through it! And in telling others, I had hoped someone would say, “Oh I’ve been through that!”

Luckily, I mentioned it during a prayer request time at my church and someone came up to me afterwards who had also gone through it! It felt SO good to talk with someone my own age about the emotional and physical struggles that came with finding a lump on your breast, cancerous or not.

We heard back from my doctors the following week and great news - it was not cancerous! However, not everyone is that lucky.

That’s why I’m SUPER passionate about being proactive, doing routine checks on yourself and getting yourself checked by a professional when worries arise. And starting this Thursday, Kiehls (the skincare love of my life) is putting on several events to raise awareness and funds for the GW Mammovan!

A little about the GW Mammovan: their goal is to make life-saving, early detection of breast cancer possible for all women throughout metropolitan Washington, regardless of their ability to pay. This mobile unit travels to corporate and community sites, offering one-stop screening performed in a comfortable, convenient environment.

I’ll be attending the grand finale event with my mom tomorrow night at the Kiehls in Georgetown (3110 M St., Washington DC, 6:30 to 8:00 PM) - here are some of the highlights:

• Learn more about the GW Mammovan and breast health from Dr. Rachel Brem
• Tour the Mammovan
• Meet the DC Newsbabes, a breast cancer charity founded in 2008 by amazing anchorwomen in Washington, D.C.
• Enjoy complimentary 20-minute seated facials or hand massages
• Customers attending this event will receive a 15% discount on all purchases, except charitable products and value sets.
• Receive a gift from Kiehl’s when you donate to the Mammovan
• Refreshments and treats

Learn more about the series of events here! And if you're going through something similar or have any questions, please feel free to send me an email! I'm not a doctor by any means, but I'm happy to share my experience and I'd like to think I'm good with words, at times. ;)
 

SUNO

I mentioned this a couple months ago, but one of my favorite parts of being a fashion blogger is getting to know new brands. The latest in my shopping cart? SUNO.

SUNO has such a fresh perspective on fashion. Their Spring collection is a delightful mix of colors and patterns, inspired by the insane first wife in the famous book, Jane Eyre. To be honest, I haven’t read the book but that chick must have been so crazy stylish because I loved every single SUNO piece I tried on at their preview in DC last Fall. Wanted to buy every single dress. (I snagged this one from Snobswap and wore it to the event!)

You know me - I’m primarily drawn to great solids, and typically steer myself away from too much color, but going to this event taught me something very valuable. It wasn’t color or patterns that were the issue - it was finding the patterns I truly LOVE that’s so difficult! However, here, it was easy. I kept questioning myself, why am I drawn to this bright floral pattern? Why do I think I need this army green/blue/orange coat so much?! And it’s because - SUNO does it right.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for this brand! Until then, take a look at some of my favorite pieces of theirs below!

Pictured above with Anchyi and Holly

Washingtonian Style Setters Event

There are a lot of events in D.C. And I mean, a LOT. I used to laugh when people would make fun of bloggers and say that they didn’t want to wear the same thing twice. HA, I scoffed. That will never be me!

You see, that was all fine and dandy until a bunch of awesome dress rental companies started popping up! Now you don’t have to afford a $600 gown to wear one to that super special event coming up - you can spend $60 and keep it for three days instead! 

Here’s the thing - I don’t mind wearing a dress to multiple events - it’s all in how you style them! However, now that Estiletta is renting out some of their prettiest pieces from emerging Spanish and Italian designers, I can’t help myself!

This skirt and top combo is something I wore to the Washingtonian Style Setters party. I knew this was NOT the night to wear something safe, so I reached out to Silvia, one of the most wonderful women (and owner of Estiletta) ever, to see if she had something fun for the event. She met me by my work and brought a few different options for me to try - how’s that for service?!

My gal pal and most beautiful mommy ever, Tammy over on A Loyal Love, took me as her date and amidst the torrential downpour, we had a pretty amazing evening. (Tammy, there’s no one I’d rather hide out by the sushi table with!) I’m still living on a cloud of happiness and champagne from that night - and I’ve decided someone needs to host another equally as fabulous event soon so I can slip into another one of Estiletta’s dreamy pieces. Until then…

Wearing Justicia Ruano skirt and blouse via Estiletta, M.Gemi pumps (similar), Hanuel necklace c/o and Jeffrey Levinson clutch. 

Alice + Olivia Event

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to host an event at the Alice + Olivia in Georgetown to raise funds and awareness for the Tigerlily Foundation. I had the most wonderful time chatting with you guys - thanks so much to everyone who braved the pope being in town to come say hi!

You already know how much I love Alice + Olivia, how they KNOW WOMEN and what looks great (thanks, Stacey!) and how their pieces are among my very favorites. So I’ll skip the A+O love note and go straight into giving you a peek into the night! A HUGE thank you to the best photographer ever, Jen, for capturing the night so well - and to Alicia and Sahra who played dress up with me after the event! Click below to see a few of my favorite Alice + Olivia finds!

Wearing Alice + Olivia dress c/o, Hanuel necklace c/o, Jeffrey Levinson clutch, Via Spiga booties, and Sophie Blake cuff.