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NYE Party Ready with Rent the Runway

December 31, 2016

Hello, loves!
Happy New Years Eve!! I’m beyond excited to bring you another look from Rent the Runway, perfect for NYE and beyond. One of my favorite night-out formulas is to take an LBD (preferably one that has lovely details, like an interesting neckline or sleeves), add metallic accessories and a rockin’ pair of heels. Classy, festive, and fun! Let me say that I’m not opposed to a sequin mini dress or floor-length metallic gown for the celebration (I actually love both options), but they’re also a commitment, and hard to justify buying such a statement look that you will likely only want to wear for one night a year! I know it’s probably a vanity thing, but I prefer to wear super special dresses just once, and associate them with that lovely occasion. That’s why I prefer renting dresses for events! Rent the Runway makes it so easy to search by style, length, neckline, formality.. Basically, you can narrow down their thousands of choices to a handful that are perfect for whatever you want to dress up for. I’ve used their services for media events, parties, weddings, and most recently, my own birthday brunch! Consider them for your next special occasion in 2017 to make the event even more memorable.
Whichever way you go, sparkly H to T, or understated luxe, I hope you all have a fun, safe, and fantastic New Years Eve!! Looking forward to sharing with you all next year 😀

Nicole Miller dress & Christian Siriano clutch c/o Rent the Runway // Heels / Forever 21 // bracelets & earrings / vintage // ring / LA find

Shot by Sarah Soulberg Photography.

This post is sponsored by Rent the Runway. Items in this post were provided to me to for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Rent the Runway is a service I’ve been using for years, and I highly recommend them.

Happy New Year + Polka Dot NYE Look

December 31, 2016

Hello, loves!
This year of ups and downs (a lot more downs as of late), is coming to a close, and I for one, am looking forward to what the new year brings. This is, of course, the time to start making resolutions and personal promises about being more healthy and spending wisely, etc… I’ve heard two schools of thought on resolutions. One is that you shouldn’t be waiting for a certain time to make positive changes, why not start today! Another is that the new year is a great starting point for a clean slate. Personally, I’m somewhere in the middle. I think that if you want to start a workout routine or financial restrictions, you should dive in as soon as you have a game plan, not wait until Monday or the beginning of the month (or year). At the same time, there is something restorative about a new year beginning. It’s a chance to definitively draw a line and say “this is where I’m starting over.” A deadline to finish up with things you don’t want following you in to a new year, like toxic relationships, unhealthy habits and so on.
For some reason, it really does feel “easier” to maintain a resolution when you’ve told someone what you’re hoping to accomplish. For that reason, I’m sharing a few of the things that I hope to start/maintain/back away slowly from..
I’d like to renew my commitment to practicing yoga. I sustained an injury to my knee about two months ago and had to stop going to my favorite yoga class because of this. I’m almost healed, so I’m striving to attend at least two classes a week. I also love to run, but I find myself making excuses to not wake up (suuuuper early, like 4:30), to get outside and just go. An extra glass of red wine the night before is usually the main culprit, haha! Which brings us to…
A two drink maximum at home and socially. I can hear Patti Stanger in my head when typing that, but it actually makes a lot of sense. It’s hard to interact with intention, not to mention, remember half the night, when over-imbibing. I like to wake up and think back fondly to hanging out with friends, celebrating a birthday, or spending some time with my honey at home, not feel the lasting sting of a hangover. Looking back over the past year, I’ve had a couple of nights where I took it a few too far, and my head paid the price the next day.
As far as relationships go, I’ve been with the love of my life for almost 4 years now, and I think we’re in a pretty great place. I would like to work on communication more, because I think it’s something that can always use improvement, but I’m looking forward to all of the fun things we’ll do together in 2017.
I’m not going to make a blanket statement about dieting, because if there’s one thing I will never deprive myself of, it’s food. I would like to be more attentive to how many starchy foods I’m taking in, and also recognizing when my hunger is actually a cry for liquids. I think I confuse the two quite frequently, so pouring a glass of water before eating a snack seems to be a good solution.
I’d love to hear.. What are your resolutions? What do you think of making them?

Side note, this was one of my favorite shoots to date, featuring this DIVINE polka dot dress from Maggy London. It’s called the Abigail Flare, if you look for it! I couldn’t decide which to cut, so you’re getting more shots than usual, I hope you enjoy! 😀

Dress c/o Maggy London // Bag / vintage // Heels / SJP // Geometric ring / Slate from Rocksbox (purchased) // bracelet / Wilson’s Jewelers // Midi & other gold ring / Forever 21 // Necklace / LA find // Sunnies/ Amazon

Shot by Holli Zenko Photography.

This post is sponsored by Maggy London. Items in this post were provided to me for reviewing purposes. All thoughts/opinions are my own.

Floral Maxi Holiday Party Look

December 16, 2016

Hi, loves!
In case you didn’t already know, I LOVE to dress up. It goes back to being a little girl and borrowing my mom’s gold-veined drawstring velvet pouch, stepping my feet in to her platform wedding shoes, and taking a huge fluffy brush and dipping it in to her Lancôme loose powder. My mom is not a fancy person by far, but when she gets ready for an event, she definitely has her standard go-to’s. She always has an elegant bag that goes with everything and holds only the essentials, and a tried-and-true simple beauty regimen.
Definitely one thing that I learned from her getting-ready routine is to not make anything too complicated. Find a bag that’s not too big (it’ll get in the way at the dinner table or when you’re dancing!), use a lip stain or long-wearing matte lipstick so you’re not constantly worried about your lip color smearing, and don’t line or put mascara on the bottom of your eyes, because they’re just a set-up for smears.
My present day beauty routine for parties is quite simple! Neutral shadow, a cat-eye liner application (always black), mascara, a touch of bronzer and blush, tinted BB cream, concealer when needed, and either a pale pink lustre lipstick or bold lip stain, depending on my outfit/mood. I’d rather be in the moment and enjoying myself and my company then worrying about how I look. Keep it cute, pretty and simple, but never basic 😉

Dress c/o Rent the Runway (Erin Fetherston Floral Olivia Gown) // Beaded bag / vintage // Heels / Ivanka Trump (more on these in a future post) // Wrap / gift from my mom <3

This post is sponsored by Rent the Runway. All thoughts and opinions on items in this post are my own. I would never recommend brands or products that I don’t personally use, and have actually been a Rent the Runway customer for a couple years.

Floral Bomber and Dark Denim

December 14, 2016

Hello, loves!
I wanted to talk a little bit today about New Year’s resolutions. Not the life-changing, quit my job, pay off all my bills (although both would be nice), type of notions, but style resolutions. Over the years, I’ve amassed a whole lot of “fast-fashion” pieces. Some of which, I’ve worn to death, like my black Chelsea ankle boots from Forever 21 or my work blouses from H&M. What I’ve realized over time, though, is that the pieces that are overly trendy, loud prints, don’t fit quite right or are uncomfortable, etc., I rarely wear. Not only does this create a lot of clutter, but it also made me think about the money I’m spending and the extra things I’m bringing in to my home (and closet) that I don’t love. Maybe it’s a little bit of Marie Kondo sneaking in, but a wardrobe detox seems to be in order.
For this upcoming year, I’d like to focus on bringing in not only things that I love in the moment, but things I’ll love next year, and the next, and downsizing the items I don’t wear often enough (or at all). I’m not going to give up on shopping at Zara, ASOS and their ilk entirely, because I do need to continue buying work clothes and basics at reasonable price points, but I’m going to be much more selective on how I fill my closet. Everlane makes some of the best basics around, and I’d love to weed out some of my fading tees and tanks to transition over to more well-made pieces from their line, like the basic black tank I’m wearing here.
I’d also love to set a style budget for myself. When I add up how much I’ve spent over the past year (or 10!) on things I wear, the numbers are staggering! It makes me think of how many fun things I could have done instead with that money. No looking back though, only forward! A detailed closet edit is already in the works, so many things will soon be added to my Poshmark account, and I’m tempted to initiate the “1 thing in, 1 thing out” rule, to keep my hoarding in check.

I’d love to know, what are your style resolutions for the New Year?

Jacket & booties / Forever 21 // Tank / Everlane // Denim / Stitch Fix // Clutch / Scarlet Threads Consignment (thrifted)