Rocksbox

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. 

And while this sounds lovely, it sure is hard to come by diamonds in your mid-twenties. Have I seen some I’ve loved and thought I needed? YES. This ring from David Yurman has been on my wish list for the past three years. And while real diamonds are a bit out of reach at this stage in my life, I sure do love my some like-diamonds. But even diamond-look-alikes can cost a lot of money. This necklace from Loren Hope? $160. Am I obsessed with it? YES. Is it realistic with my budget to go around buying a bunch of necklaces from her collection? Unfortunately no.

Enter Rocksbox…a jewelry rental service that sends me unlimited jewelry each month to try on for size. If I find a piece and can’t part with it, I can buy it at a discounted price. And if I decide I may be able to live without it, I send it back in exchange for a new set of jewels. How fun is that?!

Here’s the low down - each time Rocksbox sends you a box, it has three pieces in it. You curate your favorite pieces from their website so the stylists can figure out what pieces you’ll love. Last month, they sent me a set with the Trina Turk bracelet seen here and I had to have it. So I bought it! They have tons of my fave brands on their site like Gorjana, Loren Hope, House of Harlow, Kendra Scott and so many more. 

I’m crazy about this service. I love being able to jazz up my jewelry collection without having to spend an arm and a leg on high-end boutique jewelry. Yesterday, I actually told two people about the service on a whim. One was a coworker who complimented another Loren Hope necklace I received, and another was my Uber driver, who asked me about my thoughts on subscription services on the way to an event at J.Crew. When I love something, I talk about it. 

Rocksbox sent me some jewelry to try for free, and they want to send you some to try FOR FREE too! Head to Rocksbox.com and use promo code: JULIENXOXO for your free month. If you love it, the next month is $19…and if not, you can cancel after your free month. Pretty sweet deal, right? 

Photo by Meaghan

Sporty

When I was in high school, I was quite sporty. I played varsity basketball my freshman year, helped get our cross country team going, and was nominated for Best Female Athlete my senior year. But I wasn’t always so athletic.

It all started my 5th grade year. I’d spent the majority of my elementary years unconcerned with PE class. In fact, I’d dread it. I was more of the studious type. I didn’t realize I even needed hobbies until I broke down in class after getting a B on my math test, and my teacher highly recommended I find something else to consume my time. 

Enter the sportsmanship basketball game. This is where all the best “sports” got to play in a game that the whole school would watch. I was sort of thrown in unwillingly but there was a moment - when I threw the ball towards the basket with reckless abandon - that it clicked. The ball went into the net and the crowd went wild. From that moment on, I played basketball.

Even though I ‘retired’ the game after tearing my ACL/MCL my senior year, I still like to dig back to my roots and get a little sporty every now and then. You’ve seen this Fifth Label dress before, but I had to whip it out again when I found these cute pumas on sale a few weeks ago. Plus, it was loose enough to play a little bocce ball when my friend, Wes, was in town…who, by the way, is an incredible photographer. Huge props to him for shooting this, this and this outfit with me while he was visiting DC. If you’re ever in Australia and need a killer photographer, Wes is your guy.

On Julien: Dress, The Fifth Label via Anthom (last seen here.) Jacket, Townsen. Shoes, Puma (on sale for under $30!). Bracelets, Starletta Designs c/o. Necklace, She’s Unique.

Navy Shirtdress

On Julien: Dress, Achro via Anthom. Shoes, Schutz via Lyst c/o. Bag, Mimi’s the Look c/o. Bracelet and vine ring, She’s Unique. Circle ring, Elaine B Jewelry. Earrings, Julie Vos. Sunnies, Kate Spade (similar.)

Have you ever had someone ask you what you love about a certain person? And have you ever loved that person so much that you had no idea where to even start? You guys, that’s how I feel about this dress.

I first spotted it at Anthom a few months ago, the temptation was real. The silky material, the deep navy color, the sexy side slits, and the POCKETS!…but I didn’t try it on. The price tag was a little bit out of my comfort zone (over $100) and I didn’t want to fall in love with something I couldn’t have. But even after I left, I kept thinking about it. I’d stalk the Anthom website to make sure they still had my size available weekly, just in case. And little by little, my need for this piece became greater and greater until I couldn’t stand it any longer and I rushed into the store on my way home one day.

Of course, the fit was beyond perfection. Like a fool, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was in love.

We all know the ending to this story - I brought this pretty little thing home and placed it on my most prizes hanger. I’ve worn it on a date night, out with the girls, to (blog) work meetings, or just around the house cause I feel like a rockstar in it. So I’m here to give you some advice today - buy the things you love. I’ve been really trying to only buy the things I’m crazy about and get rid of the stuff I feel so-so about. In fact, I’m about to do a big closet cleanse in a few weeks and trash all the things I own that don’t bring me joy when I wear them (anyone else reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up?!) 

But even though I’m minimizing (or really, maximizing) my wardrobe, I have a feeling this dress will be hanging in my closet (and on my body) for a very long time. 

Photos by Wes Tan

Sunny Days

On Julien: Top, Phillip Lim for Target (similar) Skirt, Banana Republic. Shoes, Mint Julep Boutique c/o. Bracelet, Marc Jacobs (metal version, similar rubber version.) Necklace, Target (similar.)

I know, I know. We're all tired about hearing about the weather. Everyone's all "OMG SUNSHINE FINALLY" and you know why? Cause this winter freaking sucked the life out of each and every one of us. And now that we're finally getting the vitamin D we need, we can't help but shout it from the mountain tops.

Although I've been in neutral territory for the last few months, I've been letting a bit of color in lately. I wore this outfit to work this week, and I'm loving the splashes of color here and there. This bracelet is one of my favorites - it's Marc Jacobs that my mom bought me years ago...it's rubber but has such a sophisticated feel. And when I type at work, it doesn't make those awkward clinking sounds.

So here's a little toast to Spring - thank you for arriving when you did and please, please, stay a while.

7 Fun Ways to Celebrate Your Mom This Mother’s Day

On Mother’s Day, we’re all reminded about the one person in our lives who has been there for us more than anyone else. Mine consistently worked overtime and summer schools so I could get braces, get a good education and have every opportunity available to me. Moms carried us around in their tummies for nine months, cleaned up all our poopy diapers, dealt with our teenage years of door slams and breakup ugly cries. They were there through it all.

This year, I’m especially grateful for my mom. Just over a year ago, we found out that she had breast cancer. It was in the early stages, which we were grateful for, but she still needed chemo and radiation. We prayed and prepared for the long road ahead…and to be honest, something happened that I didn’t expect. With each treatment, although her body became weaker, her faith and attitude became stronger. We packed picnics for the treatment rooms, toasted with Martinelli’s at the final chemo, and tried our best to make the most out of a terrible situation. And just last week, we learned that she’s now cancer free. So  eternally grateful is kind of an understatement.

Let’s toast to our moms this weekend - it’s the least we can do after what we put them through ;) Here are a few fun ways to celebrate mom!

1. Pretty blooms and something sparkly
The age old question of whether to get mom flowers or sparkly has come to an end. Thanks to a fun collaboration between two local companies, Stylecable + Bloompop, you can send both! The earrings we’re wearing here are part of the special too! My mom is obsessed. And this special is actually extending beyond Mother’s Day for all the graduations coming up! 

2. Learn something fun together
I am ALL ABOUT experiential gifts. One that I’m dying to take? Knead & Know’s class on making croissants. It’s a little drive for all you city dwellers but the instructor, Melissa, will make it worth your while! I learned to make ciabatta bread from her and my life is forever changed.

3. Help mom plant flowers or work on the garden
My mom always had flowers out front growing up, and now that I have a home of my own, I’m all about gardening and landscaping (WHO HAVE I BECOME?!) Take your mom out to a local nursery and have her pick out a few favorites and help her plant them! 

4. Plan a picnic
For the budget conscious daughter (or son! Hi 10% of my readers!), plan a yummy picnic at the park with mom. My favorite picnic items include grapes, cheese, meats (if that’s your thing), crackers, french bread, fresh veggies and hummus. Get all fancy and bring a cute picnic blanket. 

5. Two words: SPA DAY
Grab mom and head out for a fun morning at the spa! This year, I’m taking my mom to get mani’s and pedi’s as her gift at our favorite little spot. Bonding time + spa time = happy times.

6. Take mom out to the park
Is mom a sports fan? Pick up a Nats hat or jersey and head to the stadium! We play the Braves at 1:35 (get tix here!) Also go to Shake Shack after. JUST DO IT. No regrets.

7. Show tickets
One of my all-time favorite concert/show venues is Wolf Trap. Snag lawn tickets for sprawling and snacking or grab orchestra seats for incredible acoustics. Highlight performances include Ingrid Michelson (June 3), Frank Sinatra, Jr (July 9) and Abba, the Conert (August 16)

On Julien: Earrings, Stylecable c/o (send them to your mom with flowers here!) Top, Banana Republic (old.) Jeans, Lucky Brand. Shoes, Schutz (similar.) Necklace, Loren Hope via Rocksbox (get your first month free using code: JULIENXOXO)