Friday Eats - Fall Sweets Edition

It's Fall, so you know what that means. Hello comfort foods and delicious desserts! I've rounded up a few of my favorite recipes this week with a fun fall theme. Let me know which ones you're dying to make!

1. Granny smith galette (hey, an apple a day, right?) from EatStylePlay
2. Peach lavender compote (all my favorite things in one) from A Daily Something
3. This ground husk cherry pie recipe from Healthfully Ever After (read for the recipe, stay for the bear story)
4. Pumpkin ice cream snicker doodle sandwiches from Cupcakes and Cashmere. No further explanation needed.
5. Ice cream football sandwiches from The Celebration Shoppe (because any excuse to eat an ice cream sandwich is good with me)

What to Wear in Weird Weather

Is it just me, or are you guys having a terrible time figuring out what to what to wear thanks to the A.D.D. weather that surrounds summer/fall in DC? Ok good, so glad I’m not alone in this hot (or cold?) mess.

Here are 5 items I keep in my bag when the weather gets weird:

Linen scarf
I picked up a stunning white and grey linen scarf while I was in Italy a few years ago (similar here but this one is under $30) and I carry it everywhere. Cause when I hit up the public transit and it’s 60 degrees in the AM then 85 when I head home? I need something lightweight that can keep me just warm enough.

Lightweight blazer or trench
We’ve talked about this blazer a ton on It’s Julien. I wear it with everything. It’s the perfect piece to add some instant chic while keeping warm (but not too warm.) Also this $30 trench is on repeat for the same reasons.

Felt hat
Even when it’s crazy hot outside in October, you won’t find me sporting a sundress for summer’s last hurrah. While my clothing can sometimes nod its head to summer (think a floral skirt or white jeans like seen above), I keep my accessories fall-friendly. This hat takes my outfit from ‘Why is she wearing white jeans in fall?’ to ‘Ohh I see what she did there…’ 

Cute umbrella
Let’s just say after that one time I forgot my umbrella in the biggest rain storm ever, I never ever forgot it again. Love this one!

The perfect bag to carry it all
I need all the things I mentioned above, but I’m also not trying to lug a suitcase around. Thankfully, I discovered my new favorite leather goods company, Cuero & Mor and they hooked me up with the perfect-sized bucket bag. It’s handmade in LA (you guys should feel HOW SOFT IT IS), the perfect shade of blush (thank you important fashion people for deeming pastels appropriate for all seasons) and the ideal size to fit all your weird weather accessories. Check out their instagram to get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes down in the studio, and stay tuned for an interview with the founders in a few weeks!

BEST OF ALL, Cuero & Mor is giving It’s Julien readers 15% off your next purchase! Just use code: ITSJULIEN at checkout. This bag is on my wish list FYI (isn’t Christmas coming soon?)

On Julien:
Cuero & Mor bag c/o
Vince  tee
Anchro blazer from Anthom
Lucky Jeans
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5TH hat (similar)
Phyllis + Rosie bracelet
Luxury Rebel boots (love these tan ones)
Love Juliet necklace c/o
Three Jane NY map necklace c/o
Kate Spade sunnies (similar)

Lady Dinner

A few weeks ago, I was asked photograph a friend’s dinner party at her beautiful DC row house. At the mention of tres leeches cake, I couldn’t say yes fast enough! 

The result was just stunning. Mariella of Splendor Styling did an incredible job styling the scene. Candles everywhere, flowing champagne, the prettiest table setting and the most delicious meal prepared by my good friend, Jessica with Adventures of a Repatriate. While I couldn’t eat the chicken (#vegetarianproblems) I definitely had an extra piece of cake at the end to make up for it. 

Big, huge thanks to Carlis of Spicy Candy for being the brainchild of this fun dinner - we were lucky to have our dinner sponsored by Bookalokal, this awesome site connecting people who love dinner parties! If you’re looking to plan a dinner party and need a little help, I’d highly recommend them! Violet Boutique loaned us a few dresses and She’s Unique dressed us in their prettiest jewels, so even the photographer got to feel like a princess that night!

I’ll quick talking and get to the good stuff! Feast your eyes (see what I did just there) on a few of my favorite snaps in our latest lookbook collaboration, Lady Dinner, above.

The Affordable Trench

Many years ago, when Shawn and I were a young couple, we liked to dream. We’d go into home showings of houses far outside our price range, talk about vacations we may never take, and we (mostly, I) would try on clothes we most definitely couldn’t afford. There was one time I remember trying on a Burberry coat. Oh my. The fit, the texture, everything was literal perfection. I sadly put the $1,200 jacket back in its place and have been moping around ever since. Sure, I’d give other trenches a try, but ultimately, they all fell short of my unrealistic expectations.

When I spotted this trench on sheinside, there was a little butterfly in my stomach. Could this be the coat? At a mere $30, I had to give it a try!

My biggest concern, honestly, was the color. It looks pinkish online, but once it arrived, I was happy to find it to be more cream colored in person, with a really beautiful buttery texture. Is it Burberry? No. But it is almost just adorable and THE PRICE, YOU GUYS?! It’s basically free. I love that it’s not a heavy jacket either, perfect for fall! 

On Julien:
SheInside trench coat c/o
Vince t-shirt
Lucky Brand jeans (similar)
Impo Ochoa Booties via DSW
H&M bag c/o (last seen stuffed to the brim here)
Rachelle Celine necklace c/o
She’s Unique bracelet c/o
Antique earrings (similar)
Rachelle Celine midi rings c/o
Smashbox “Infrared” Matte lipstick
Michael Kors sunnies (similar)

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