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Winter Boots & Ways to De-Stress

December 17, 2019

This post is sponsored by Lugz and the InfluenceHer Collective. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dressed for Time possible!

Hello, babes!
Happy almost Christmas! I know I’m not the only one to say how crazy it is that the year is almost over.. It feels like my birthday was last week, and that summer was a couple months ago. The truth is, we have almost 5 months of winter left in Chicago, and I started to prep for it way late in the game. A little further down, I’ll share more about my look and my cute new boots, but first, I wanted to chat about some quick and easy, (not to mention cheap!), ways to destress right now.

Tip 1-
Breathe. Wow, groundbreaking, I know, but taking some time to breathe deeply and slowly in and out through your nose has such a calming effect. It can help you focus and get centered, also release stress and squash nerves. I also like to use apps for guided breathing techniques. My favorite is called Insight Timer. It has lots of free options so you can find a voice that resonates with you, or use one of the self-guided sessions. I also LOVE listening to any of the water noises, (pouring rain, crashing waves, a mountain stream), when trying to get to sleep.

Tip 2-
Speaking of… As much of a challenge as it seems, SCHEDULE sleep! Set a cut-off time on your calendar, not just the intention, to actually carve out the time you need. Personally, I need 8-9 hours if I want to be fully functional the next day, so I add it in. That way, if an event might run late, or I start to get caught up with work, I have that reminder telling me I need to cut it short so I can be my most effective. If you’re worried about not getting it all done, manage your time to focus on what’s truly important and what needs to get done on a daily basis, the rest will get done in time.

Tip 3-
Perform random acts of kindness. And then keep them to yourself. I do a bit of an eye roll when people perform altruistic acts, then go on social media to blast it to their following/friends. Encouraging others to do good things is awesome, but it feels better, at least for me, to just know that I’ve done good things without the possibility of a virtual pat on the back from others. That being said, here are some things you can do! Pay for the coffee for the person behind you in line. Send hand-written cards. Get the door for someone. Compliment a stranger. Thank cashiers and servers for working on the holiday. Give someone that gift card you have that’s been gathering dust.

Tip 4-
Write it out. Keep a personal journal to take note of how you’re feeling. Regardless of if you ever re-read the notes, it always helps me to de-stress and get everything that’s on my mind down on paper.

Tip 5-
Turn on some music! I will ask Alexa to play something upbeat, or throw on one of my Spotify playlists of tried-and-true mood boosters, but I also like to branch out and try something I haven’t given much thought to. I never realized I might like a little country, until a friend turned me on to Maren Morris. I also think listening to classical music, which I hated as a child, is so soothing now! I’ll be in my kitchen, stressing over what to make for dinner and how I’m going to get all my Poshmark packages ready before the mailman comes… I ask Alexa to “play classical music” and for some reason, it has a calming effect and allows me to focus and get shit done!

Do you have any de-stressing tips to share? Leave them in the comments, let’s help each other out!

Now, on to this super cozy outfit I’m wearing…
I’ll start from the bottom up! I had been looking for a new pair of winter boots I could wear everywhere, especially in inclement weather. Enter this versatile pair from Lugz at DSW! They’re called the Tambora and mine are in the shade Chocolate (which totally fits this rich color!), and they also come in a lighter brown and black. They’re lined with plush faux fur, which makes them very comfortable and warm, not to mention, I love the detailing at the fold-down collar.

I went pretty minimal, pairing them with jeans, a perfect white T, a shawl collared cardigan, layered necklaces, and my fuzziest glittens. Side note, I didn’t even know glittens (gloves & mittens) were a thing, but recently grabbed these at a pop-up in town. Can you tell I’m big on texture in the cold months?

Brand Wins & Flops of 2018

January 8, 2019

Hello, loves! TBH, I was hesitant to sit down to write this post.
The past couple weeks have been pretty emotional for me. I am consistently really hard on myself, and I felt that I just didn’t deliver this past year. I set so many goals for myself and didn’t reach a lot of them. I don’t want this at all to sound like a pity party, because I’m also really proud of what I DID accomplish. So check out some of my brand wins & flops of 2018!

Wins!

I worked with some new AMAZING, dream brands that I was able to share with all of you and my Instagram family.

I attended NYFW twice! I still am reeling from the opportunities I was given to attend fashion shows, meet with some of my favorite brands, and explore New York.

I hosted two brunches, attended by some of my favorite bloggers. I coordinated everything from the restaurant, to the goodie bags, to tracking content deliverables. I truly enjoy connecting creatives and really think I could pursue a career in PR/events some day!

On that note, I co-hosted a shopping event at LOFT in Chicago. We had a great turnout, everyone enjoyed themselves, and I got to meet so many Chicago bloggers and followers.

I continued to work with some of my favorite brands on an on-going basis, (PinkBlush, StitchFix, Eliza J, Maybelline, to name just a few!)

I left all of my engagement pods on Instagram at the beginning of the year. You’ll get this if you’re a influencer, but it was really important to me to keep my Instagram engagement authentic. I also was so over spending 2 hours a day “catching up.”

I joined my now partner to form It Girl Marketing, which partners brands with influencers. We’re doing really well and have already completed several campaigns! It’s so fun seeing the collaborations come to life.

Flops

I’ll just start with one of the most nagging ones first.. I did not reach 10K followers. Which was also one of my goals for 2017, so it’s doubly humbling. I sometimes feel that everyone else is just sprouting up around me, and my following is stagnant.

I actually organized three brunches, but ultimately had to cancel the last one. Four of the ten influencers who had confirmed that they would be attending backed out THE DAY BEFORE the event. The restaurant decided it was best to reschedule, since I had promised them a certain exposure. We ended up moving cross-country the next month, so it didn’t work out, and I felt embarrassed, promising things to different people and not being able to deliver. It made me think twice about trusting people to follow through.

I was in a really uncomfortable position to leave a local networking group I’d invested half a year in helping to grow, or stay and continue to be bullied, talked about behind my back, put down to my face, and vastly under-appreciated. In addition to my full-time job, and my blog, I spent 4-8 hours A DAY working on brand outreach, organizing events and brand collaborations, planning a 5 day schedule for 5 girls for NYFW, along with receiving notifications from our text chain on an hourly basis. So much time put in, but in the end, I decided it was best to part ways. I’d been degraded by the founder in public, over text and in phone calls, and was told I wouldn’t be paid until there was a half million in the bank account. All of which, I was the only one contributing to, through the brand collaborations. That was the final straw. The good thing that came from my 6 months in the group, was some indelible friendships. I’ve kept in touch with so many of the girls, and we chat all the time via text and DM, and I’m so grateful for their support.

Instagram content.. I’ll be honest, I’ve posted some things I’m not entirely proud of. The worst are ones where I feel that my creativity didn’t come through, usually because I ran out of time and resources. Especially after moving, I have to take most of my pictures myself, because I don’t know anyone in my immediate area to help, especially not photographers. Mark is amazing, but works during every hour of daylight this time of year. I really hope to connect with more photographers, and continue to improve the quality and creativity of my content.

I had several posts denied by brands. These are posts that I put so much time, thought, and money in to. They’re posts I’d envisioned in my head, gone out and purchased items to help create them, spent time shooting, editing, creating a caption for, etc. All to be told by a brand they didn’t meet the brand’s vision, because I actually needed to be standing in front of a mirror and not in a bathtub, or that the product couldn’t be shot outside. All things that would have nice to know before signing on to a campaign, and I hate how much re-shoots squash my creativity and are quite disheartening. Adding this to my list of goals in 2019… I will charge for re-shoots if the brand changes their mind after the content is shot.

I didn’t post on here nearly as many times as I would have liked. I really enjoy writing. It was my major in college, and I feel that it’s such a great creative outlet for me. Definitely something to improve on in 2019!

I think it is really important to create a goals list, and I’ll be doing that as well, but keeping it private for now. Maybe, I’ll share on here when I meet one of them!
I’ll say again that I didn’t mean for this post to be such a downer, and now you can probably see why it was such an emotional year for me!

I’d love to hear about one win and one flop that you encountered last year, or a goal you’re setting for yourself!

Sweater c/o Pink Blush // Leggings / Halogen (Nordstrom) // Booties and bag / Target // Earrings / vintage // Rings / Gorjana

NYFW Spring/Summer ’19 Final Days Recap

September 30, 2018

This post was created in partnership with Pink Blush, Kestan, The Haute Society & 50 Bowery, Bond 45, Aldo, Blank Slate Tea, Eliza J, Rent the Runway, and Gorjana. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. It also contains affiliate links. Purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Dressed for Time.

Throwing you right back in to the action! Check out my earlier coverage of NYFW Spring/Summer ’19 here and here.

The morning following our GNO, I had my appointment with Glamsquad for a blowout that I had tried to push back later but 8:30. I ended up getting roughly 4 hours of sleep so that morning was less than fun for me waking up, but the blowout was SO worth it, because even in the rain, my curls lasted until that night! Side note, (and full disclosure as always, I will get a $25 credit as well), if you use my code ktaylor6816 when booking, then you get $25 off your service! My blowout with tip was $40 and for not leaving the house, that ain’t bad. Will definitely be considering them next Fashion Week as well.

@gracefullyglamblog and I, waiting in line to shop! On me – Top c/o Pink Blush // Jeans / Black Orchid Denim // Boots / Jeffrey Campbell // Bag / Cambridge Satchel Co. // Necklace c/o Kestan // Earrings / Zara

After getting glam, most of my group headed to the She In pop-up sale. I didn’t have any experience with the brand, so I was pretty shocked to learn that they we’re offering 20% off the already pretty freaking low prices. I picked up a cape, bag, t-shirt, sunnies, and dress. We grabbed a quick cup of coffee (decaf mocha for me!), and headed down to the Haute Society influencer party, held at Hotel 50 Bowery. It was so lovely to meet some of my fave girls that I’ve been following for YEARS on Instagram, as well as be introduced to some amazing creatives that are definitely on my radar now.

Cheers-ing some Sauvignon Blanc with @innabose. Shot by Courtney Pecorino Photography.

OK, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background?! Such a quaint little spot to dine or just sit and chat.
We actually had two shows confirmed to attend this day, but ended up un-comfirming because we just didn’t have it in us. I think I may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but DON’T overbook yourself! We certainly did and it took a toll mentally and physically. I never thought I’d be saying this, but there comes a time when you’re just like yeahhh.. I don’t really even want to deal with going to a fashion show right now. It’s just a LOT to attend, so make sure you’re pacing yourself throughout your trip.

After the event, we ubered back to the apartment and took a 30 minute cat nap before getting ready to dine at one of my fave NY spots, Bond 45. We visited them last season, and I’m always blown away by the level of service, not to mention the fantastic and authentic Italian food they delighted our tastebuds with.

So, now that everyone is in a visually-induced food coma… You can imagine we poured ourselves in to an uber and headed back home. But not before I tried to get a shot of myself in my lovely $14 H&M satin gown.. In the rain.. In the middle of traffic.

Dress / H&M // Bag c/o Aldo // Necklace / Rocksbox

What you don’t see are the Fast Flats I was forced to wear because my blister-ridden feet were having none of the heels I tried to force them in to. Little did I know, the flats had multiple holes in them from previous wearings and they flooded with water as soon as we stepped out of the uber. I was literally drying them off under the table and trying to get my feet warm throughout dinner. Super classy, I know. Oh, and side note, and this is important to mention because it happened multiple times. We had to walk about 2 blocks because the uber driver convinced us that the restaurant was just up the street… No. He was lazy and didn’t want to drive through Times Square traffic so he let us off prematurely so we would have to walk two blocks in the rain. What a jerk!!!

On Monday, while everyone else went out to shoot or attend events, I actually managed to sleep in until about 9 o’clock. It was blissful being in a quiet apartment, just resting. It didn’t last though, because we had a very full afternoon to look forward to! Our first stop, Blank Slate Tea. So, I had been following their social account for a while and always wanted to visit the super girly (not to mention Insta-worthy) space to see it for myself. I definitely was not let down. The owner treated us, and everyone else in the restaurant, like royalty, walking around to check in on the patrons throughout the various stages of their meal. We were craving some veggies after all the heaviness, so we opted for salads and sandwiches, along with their dreamy lattes.

Dress c/o Eliza J // Necklace / gift show find // bag / vintage

Next up, we all headed over to the Foley & Corinna open house collection preview. Can I just say that I wanted every single bag! Many of them were floral print or mustard, which are current obsessions, and a lot of them were in really interesting shapes.

Myself and @lauryncakes posing with a few of our favorites.

A couple of the girls wanted to try to get that infamous shot at the Flatiron building, and I was totally game, so off we went in the pouring rain to try our luck!

Dress / Forever 21 // Sneakers / Superga // Bag / vintage // Necklace / Gorjana

The shopping bug was creeping up again, so several of us headed to the Rent the Runway sample sale. I’d previously visited their warehouse in Seacacus, New Jersey when it was still open to the public, and this was very similar. Well, except for the public dressing room, and the bags and jewelry being in less-than-stellar condition. I did find this cute Kate Spade fan style, along with 4 gowns that I probably didn’t need but felt I had to have. Following the hour+ of shopping, we headed to a little Mexican restaurant around the corner called Habenero Blues. Their queso and chips were TDF, but my enchiladas were very underwhelming, borderline gross, and really expensive for what they were.

Back to the apartment to knock out. Some of the girls had already left or were getting ready to leave, so there was kind of a sad vibe in the air. I started packing to be proactive, and actually had to buy a new rolling bag when we were out to fit all of my New York finds and gifts. Some of us said our goodbyes that night, due to some particularly gnarly early morning flight times.

As promised, I wanted to share some shots of our gorgeous apartment that we booked through Domio. They’re a new way to book luxury apartments and have some gorgeous listings that I keep browsing in New Orleans, San Diego, Austin, Nashville, Boston, and Honolulu. We stayed at one of their first New York properties, and even though I got my workout walking up and down three flights of stairs throughout the day, I definitely would return.

Well, my dears, that is a wrap!
I’d love to hear about your experience at NYFW, or why you’d like to attend next season!
xoxo

NYFW Spring/Summer ’19 Day 3 Recap

September 24, 2018

This post is sponsored in part by Pink Blush, Kestan and Cleo Restaurant NY. It also contains affiliate links. Clicking on them or purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission.

Whew! Days 1 & 2 were so jam-packed, I honestly could have called it there and been completely satisfied with the trip. That was so not the case, as we were just getting started with our New York adventures! Keep reading to see what I got up to on day 3…

Our first show of the day was at Pier 39 Studios for the Custo Barcelona runway. Legit, you guys, this was my favorite show of the season. So many mixed metallics, pastel rainbows, swingy dresses, bomber jackets.. Enough trying to explain in, check out these images of some of my favorite pieces from the collection!

Pictures courtesy of Custo Barcelona

After Custo, even though the next show was in the same building, we had to go back outside to check in for it. Kind of annoying, and I wish they could figure out a way to check you in for both at the same time, but I digress. Next up was the Oxford Fashion collection of designers, which admittedly included a whole bunch of designers I’d never heard of before, but I didn’t find too many pieces that I was like “oh, yes, I would totally wear that!” Nothing against the designers, some of the looks were just a bit high-concept for my taste. I was SO excited to run in to Rachel from @racheloffduty and Summer from @summerlebuchanan before the show started! We met through a blogging community back in Southern California and I was missing my girls so much! We had planned on all going to lunch together, but got pulled in different directions in the end. Thankfully, I believe they’re both attending next season!

A couple of the girls and I wanted to play proper tourists and check out The High Line, and let’s be honest, take some cool pictures. We tried to make it there last season but OMG was that the coldest, windiest day in existence and we just couldn’t handle our lives. So thankful that the sun came out, if only briefly, for us to grab all of these amazing shots!

Dress c/o Pink Blush // Booties / Target // Bag (on sale) / Shop Daily Belle // Bracelets / Rocksbox & Trending Above // Necklaces / Forever 21 (sold out but linking similar)

@racheloffduty; @blondeblissblog; @dear.kindred; muah!
Shot by @courtneypecorinophoto

The rain started coming back so we left the High Line in search of our first meal of the day. After mobbing through the cluster that is Chelsea Market, Rachel and I decided on bagel sandwiches, and then I met up with the rest of the ladies and we headed back to the apartment for a well-deserved rest. I say rest, but it was really about 30 minutes of laying in bed on our phones and then starting to get ready for dinner!

Dress c/o PinkBlush // Necklace c/o Kestan // Bag / Shop Daily Belle // Earrings (under $12!) / Amazon // Sandals / Who What Wear Collection for Target

Shot by Courtney Pecorino Photo

Our amazing photographer, Courtney, was so excited when she heard we were dining at Cleo because she’d dined previously at their Las Vegas location and LOVED it. I absolutely understood why because literally everything I ate or drank while dining with them was delicious. Standouts were the Passionfruit Margarita, Roasted Cauliflower, Lamb Shwarma, and the Brussels Sprouts. OMG the Brussels Sprouts… I’ve never tasted anything like them and am currently sitting here craving them. If you go to Cleo, GET THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS, OK?

After dinner, a few of us headed to a local rooftop bar for a bit of drinking and a whole lot of dancing. I’ll admit, I probably overdid it this night. A couple cocktails and glasses of wine at dinner, and a couple of cocktails at the bar/club had me feeling pretty toasty. We cabbed it back to the apartment and crashed hard.

Alright, so I was initially going to make this post include days 3&4 but they were both pretty full so the rest of my trip will be coming in the next post!
Hope you enjoyed following along, babes!