Blue

Not to be basic...but THIS WEATHER. It's killing my soul. And my health. I've had a virus for the past few days that I'm still trying to get over (getting lots of rest thanks to Making a Murderer on Netflix - who else is watching?!) So...to be honest, this has definitely been my least productive January to date.

And while I'm usually a super positive person, I'm kinda bummed out. HOWEVER, tomorrow I'll be sharing a few ways I'm going to try and get myself out of this funk. If you guys have any tips, I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

Until then, I wanted to share one of my favorite color combos as of late: royal blue, black and white. (Remember when I wore it here?!) This whole color situation was inspired by this cool vintage scarf that I found thrifting a few months back. It's been one of my favorite finds to date!

Unfortunately, all of the items I'm wearing are sold out, but I've linked to a bunch of similar items below!

Wearing Finders Keepers coat (similar), vintage scarf (love this vintage YSL find!), Rag & Bone dress (similar), and Finders Keepers pumps (similar.)

• SHOP THIS POST •

5 More Minutes

I don’t know about you, but I FOR SURE needed 5 more minutes when I woke up this morning. You’d think I’d get used to it after YEARS of needing to wake up early after a long weekend but NOPE. In fact, I feel like it gets worse. (See: 10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues)

Everyone’s been posting about being ready for a new year with all their lofty goals and I’m just over here like barely motivated to look presentable for work today. The struggle has never been more real.

While I get my motivation up and at ‘em, here are a few highlights from the past couple weeks (to prove I wasn’t a lazy sloth the ENTIRE week ;))

Grabbed brunch with some friends at Le Diplomate (wearing Sophie Blake cuff)

Took my sister to our favorite winery, Stone Tower in Leesburg

Celebrated a pleasantly warm Christmas in the country (shop my dress and scarf here)

Visited the future site of my Aunt-in-Law’s B&B

Made (and subsequently ate) all the ricotta pancakes

Watched the sunset on skyline drive

Chopped off some more hair (thanks to the great Nadine Matar at PR @ Partners on K Street)

Tried a new coffee shop (King Street Coffee in Leesburg)

Fell in love with Darling Magazine (and tried green nail polish - LOVE)

Finally visited JRINK Juicery! (YUM)

Got my first shipment of goodies from From the Farmer! Can't wait to share more about them!

2016 - A Year in Review

What a year it’s been! Each year you hope that the next will be even better and that has totally rung true for me in 2015! Here’s a look back at what happened this year:

I Got Healthy
This was one of the biggest highlights of my year. After a coworker convinced me to join her in the Fit Girls Guide challenge, I lost 15 pounds. I learned new ways to use veggies that I’d typically slather in Yum Yum sauce and that strength training is a cardio girl’s best friend. I’m not sure if you noticed, but looking back on old photos of me, I was SO uncomfortable with myself. Since I’m stubborn, I’d squeeze into old clothing of mine because I refused to buy a size I wasn’t comfortable with. FRIENDS - DO NOT DO THIS. It only made me more unhappy with myself. Take this shoot for example. The dress is too tight. Period. I was inching it down the whole day. But now? I wear it all the time because it finally fits me right. If you’re wanting to start eating healthier, I HIGHLY recommend the FGG because 1. It’s cheap ($25 for a PDF that provides work outs, recipes and grocery lists) 2. It works.

A Major Shift in Style
One of the things I’ve loved most about this past year has been my style transformation. Before, I never really had a style I could call my own…I sort of stuck to the same 5 brands. I was in a major style rut. To be honest, figuring out my style was one of the reasons I wanted to start a blog. I wanted to feel confident and figure out what I truly loved.

The Big Chop
Not to be confused with, “I got a haircut.” I’d been looking for a change for quite some time, so when I cornered Nadine Matar (over at PR @ Partners on K Street) at the wedding of a mutual friend, I told her I wanted her to transform my hair the way she had all my friends. “Okay,” she said. “But I’m chopping it off.” I agreed and am now happier than ever with my hair. If you're looking for someone to transform your LIFE, go see Nadine. Tell them Julien sent you. ;)

Being Intentional
I made a big effort this year to be intentional in the things I do. For much of the year, I really focused on reading. I have a long commute in the mornings on my bus ride into work (usually about an hour) so I try to divide my time out between reading, blogging and editing photos. I also made it my goal to set aside time in my day for building relationships. Sometimes this meant grabbing lunch with a friend or meeting someone new over coffee. I’m a people person, so focusing on growing friendships over this year has given me the greatest sense of happiness. I also was very intentional about blogging. No more, “I’ll post when I get around to it.” I wanted to share style inspiration with you consistently - and no, I’m certainly not perfect at it - but I’m working on it! ;)

Closet Cleanse
Speaking of reading…one of the most impactful books I read this year was “The Life Changing Magic of Tiding Up.” A good friend recommended it to me earlier this year and it made such a difference in my life. Because here’s the thing - I like STUFF. Sometimes a bit too much. My closet was filled to the brim with stuff I had gotten or bought…but I wasn’t happy with what I had. After reading Marie Kondo’s book, I did a big fat clothing cleanse and only kept the things I truly loved. I found it much easier to get dressed in the mornings! I did this a couple times throughout the year - have you tried a closet cleanse yet? (PS Meg Biram also has a terrific book on the topic!)

I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store!!

New Years Eve Hairstyle

Since chopping my hair 6 months ago, I’ve been pretty much sticking to the same hairstyle…soft waves or blown out. They’ve kind of been my go-to. I love it. But for my New Year’s Eve look, I wanted to create something a bit fancier!

This year, we’ll be dining out in Georgetown with a few friends of ours, so I popped into Hair Cuttery to get their help in styling a cute look for NYE. I wanted a look that was different from my waves, so I opted for tighter curls and love how it turned out! The flipped out curls go with the classy vibe I was hoping for - perfect for dinner out in Georgetown with our closest friends on New Years Eve!

Best of all, the service only cost me $30 - which is what I’d pay for a couple fancy cocktails! I’d rather look cute than schwasted ANY DAY, AMIRIGHT?! ;) If you're interested in getting your hair blown out for NYE, you can find the nearest Hair Cuttery to you right here!

What are your NYE plans?! Going anywhere fun?! Also - WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?! Share all the deets in the comments below! I'll be taking over the Hair Cuttery instagram over the next couple days so head over there for more hair inspiration (@haircuttery) - XO!

Wearing Tibi dress, M.Gemi pumps (similar), Hanuel bracelet, J.Crew coat (similar), K/LLER earrings via Lynn Louisa c/o and Coach bag (similar.) Hair styled by Hair Cuttery.

This post was done in partnership with Hair Cuttery. All opinions expressed are my own.
Photos by Natalie

Holiday Outfit Inspiration

I'm not sure if you’ve noticed, but this past month I’ve majorly ramped up on sharing some holiday inspiration. A huge reason for that is that I simply KNOW the feeling of sitting in my closet Christmas morning with no clue what to wear. Especially around the holidays where different events call for different kinds of festive wear. And because I’ve been sharing outfits like a madwoman, you may have missed a few! So I’ve included a nice little roundup of my holiday looks just for you! (Click each photo to be taken to the full outfit post!)