Featured: Mr. Joe Zee Visits DC

Zara boots: $50
Cuyana coat: $500
Getting stopped by Joe Zee (Editor & Chief of Yahoo Style) in the streets of DC?
PRICELESS

See what yours truly had to say below about the state of DC fashion:

Blush Duster Coat

It’s only February yet I’ve been frantically trying to shift mindsets from winter to Spring. Why, might you ask?

BECAUSE YESTERDAY HIT 75 DEGREES. By the way, I’m back in DC…no longer in Florida, mind you. Although I do have a TON of fun shoots that I can’t wait to share with you!

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite Spring staples with you - the blush duster. I’ve talked about it before, but I can’t help it. I truly love this piece.

This past weekend I went through a TON of my clothing to make room for new Spring pieces (adding more to my Poshmark page every day!) Needless to say, this piece will stick around.

Shop my favorite spring duster coats below! 

Wearing: Mo:Vint linen duster coat (similar), VETTA top, Free People jeans, Topshop velvet choker, Cuyana bag, Ukies flats

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Saks Beauty Week

In fashion, we often hear about someone’s style journey. I’m currently working on a post to share mine (although it’s ruthfully painful to look back!), but there’s one that often gets looked over - one’s beauty routine journey.

Like style, my beauty routine is ever-evolving. I love learning all about how to maximize on taking care of my skin and trying out products that can make that happen. When I first really started caring for my skin, I learned that it’s just as important as taking care of our bodies. Same with makeup - the products we put on our face affect our skin and overall health as well.

When I found out about Saks Beauty Week happening now through February 26, I knew I had to let you in on ALL the juicy details. 

My favorite location - Saks Fifth Avenue Tysons Galleria - will be hosting a ton of great beauty events including free facials, a nail bar from Varnish Lane, hand massages, beauty tips from the pros and makeup application classes! I’ve included the schedule of awesome events for you to check out below. 

Saks carries many of my favorite beauty brands like Chanel, La Mer, Dior, Kiehl’s, YSL, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier, Jo Malone, SKII, Cle De Peau, Sisley, Tom Ford and more. 

Be sure to pick up one of their Spring Beauty Books filled with runway trends, gift ideas and more! Plus with every $150 purchase, you can get this gorgeous tote bag, which comes in three colors (perfect for your next vacay!) Saks Fifth Avenue is located in Tysons Galleria at 2051 International Drive, McLean, VA 22102.

Sale e Pepe - Marco Island

If you missed it, last week we went to Florida to visit my grandfather! He just turned 96 (96!!!) so we always make a point to visit him for a long weekend (which turned into a week thanks to a little unexpected weather) each year. 

For the past few years, I’d been dying to visit this one restaurant down the strip from where we stay - Sale e Pepe. I’d only seen photos online, but it looked SO dreamy. 

But a pretty Italian oasis comes at a pretty penny. It was definitely more than we’re used to spending, but for me, when it comes to GOOD food, there is no price too high. (KIDDING, of course. But I certainly don’t mind paying a little more if the food and environment are top notch.)

Somehow, I was able to convince the two money-saving men (my hubby and grandfather) that this was a good idea, that I had rented a dress JUST FOR THIS SPECIFIC OCCASION and that we essentially HAD to go. (Still can’t believe it worked!)

We arrived and I *actually* felt as if we were back in Italy on our honeymoon. I made a bee-line for the romantic terrace overlooking the ocean (even though my poor grandfather tried to sway us to eat inside instead - PAPOU, YOU CAN’T INSTAGRAM WHERE THERE IS NO NATURAL LIGHT, SILLY!)

Besides the swarms of people covering the picturesk sunset, it was perfect in every way. Wonderful wine selection, a plethora of dishes for me to choose from (ME! THE VEGETARIAN!) I ended up with the black truffle risotto (still can’t believe I actually said YOLO after ordering as I handed the menu back to our waiter.) $200 later, we all left with happy tummies and of course, a few photos to mark the occasion. 

About the dress: This gorgeous Line + Dot maxi dress from Rent the Runway was everything I had dreamed of and more. It was lightweight and romantic - the hubs even asked how much it would cost to keep it. Even though RTR doesn’t work that way, I know I’ll be keeping an eye out during their next Clearance sale!

Wearing Line + Dot maxi dress and Lovers + Friends jacket via Rent the Runway, Maumero sandals c/o, HOBO the Original bag c/o, Cuyana belt.

How We Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Let me just preface this post by saying the insanely gorgeous dress shown here is not what I’ll be wearing for Valentine’s Day (sadly.) I borrowed it from Rent the Runway for a shoot with my dear friend Leah Beilhart (check out her gorgeous photos on Insta) at the Sweet Root Village studio a few months back! I'm holding their stunning flowers here and if you're in the market for wedding or event flowers, THESE ARE YOUR GIRLS. 

It was a fun, spontaneous project we all worked on together - simply for the joy of collaborating with other women, supporting our passions and enjoying each other’s company.

So - Valentine’s Day. I know the feelings on this holiday run the gamete - from loathing the expectations surrounding this one day to baking heart shaped cupcakes for everyone in their office. I lie somewhere in the middle.

In our early dating years, I put the most unrealistic expectations on Valentine’s Day. You want everything to go JUST RIGHT, conversations to go swimmingly, the bubbly and laughter overflowing. 

And after years of finding the right balance for us as a couple, we’ve come up with what seems to be a tradition for Valentine’s Day.

First off - we don’t really do gifts (minus the bouquet of flowers my hubby loves to send!) It’s so close to the holidays, hubby’s birthday just ended a couple weeks prior, it’s too much. Instead, we pick out a meaningful card for each other. I prefer a handwritten card over gifts any day.

When we get home from work, we turn on the tunes (John Legend is our fave) and cook dinner together. Usually we’ll pick a recipe from our Positano cook book (where we honeymoon’ed) the night before. Almost always, it involves a fresh French baguette and some sort of delicious cheese, usually eaten while cooking. It’s a relaxing way to wind down from a busy day and really focus on each other.

Before dinner, we’ll take turns getting ready. We’re usually pretty casual - jeans and a cute top or sweater usually win out for me. I have an abundance of cute little candles from our wedding 5 years ago so I’ll usually light a few of those around the table, pop open a bottle of wine and we’ll spend a quiet evening together. A little old-lady like, but it’s just the way I like it.

Now I’m SO curious - how to you celebrate Valentine’s Day?! 

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