If I'm being honest, my favorite part of most award shows is the red carpet. Eyes glued to Instagram on alert to see what everyone is wearing is my game plan and I'm always ready. Let's call award shows (and the MET Gala) my Super Bowl. Whilst it isn't the first Monday in May, it is the Monday after the Oscars and it's time to talk fashion!

Four Tips To Always Looking Put Together

There's something about an outfit that looks perfectly put together, especially if in reality all you did was use a few tricks up your sleeve. Having simple tips to pull from when you don't have much time or you just want to look a bit more chic can make getting dressed easier. 

Read on for four of my tips (plus a bonus tip!) to always looking put together!

The Best & Worst Trends Of The Decade

I have to say that researching this post and looking back on all the trends we've cycled through in the last ten years was SO FUN! Most of what I found was from the later years of the decade, so that's what you'll find here. But there are a few from the early days!

Fashion Documentaries You Should Be Watching

I'm a huge documentary girl, and true crimes and fashion (of course) are my two main picks. I think immersing yourself into fashion as much as you can is extremely helpful when trying to develop & keep a personal style. It's also good to know what's trending, and sometimes you just wanna watch a good docu!

So here are the four documentaries you MUST watch, hand-picked:

Developing (& Polishing) Your Personal Style

I talk A LOT about curating a personal style. It's so important in building a cohesive wardrobe, shopping with intention, putting outfits together, and overall having a sense of what you like to wear. 

But if you've never developed a personal style, where do you begin? I wrote a small post on this topic a few years ago, but things have changed a bit and it's time to dive DEEP.

So, first things first. 

Three Signs You Might Need A Stylist

Let's be real: everyone could benefit from having a stylist. Someone buying clothes for you based on body type, fit, and style? 

Yes please!

But things take an urgent turn when you're in a rut & you don't know up from down when it comes to your clothes.

So, what are the signs you definitely need a stylist?

How I'm Combating The Quarter Life Crisis

My twenty fifth birthday is in exactly two months and sixteen days, and the quarter life crisis has been slowly building up for months. You could say I’ve been in the midst of one since I entered my twenties, but it’s escalated to a full blown freak out. 

The Products I Use For Closet Organization

CHRISTMAS LIST

Answering the question ‘what do you want for Christmas’ gets a little less exciting each year, especially once you start to make your own money and and are able to buy your own things. What do I want/ need that I haven’t already bought myself? Why can’t you just get me a gift card?? The struggle. 

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING TIPS (FROM AN EX RETAIL ASSOCIATE)

I spent four Christmases (like the Reese Witherspoon movie) in retail, and I’ve been a Black Friday shopper as well, so I’ve seen firsthand the do’s and dont’s of the day. 

If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by the Black Friday madness, let this be your guide:

THE PODCASTS YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO

I've recently been v into podcasts (as mentioned in this post) which is something I never thought I'd say. I'm a visual learner & I don't do well with straight auditory (except for music, because music) which is why I can't do audio books or listen to football on the radio, & why I thought podcasts wouldn't be my thing. But oh, how I was wrong. They're basically like their own brand of radio show, & I'm hooked. I'll listen sometimes when I'm driving, getting ready, even in the break room at work. (Hello, I'm an introvert, how ya doin)

THREE HABITS FOR WAKING UP EARLIER

I’ve never been a morning person. My inner self ~wants~ to be one, rising at 5am to drink my coffee, do my yoga & walk stevez all before time for work. But my outer self says eeehh we’re not there yet. 

THREE STEP SPACE BUNS

I know I'm about 500 years late on the space buns trend, but better later than never and now I can't get enough. My hair is finally long enough to do a good bun that I haven't been able to do in awhile. (& yet I'm considering chopping... stop me) 

THREE REAL WAYS TO BEAT STRESS

Oftentimes blog posts talking about beating stress will give tips like 'take a bubble bath!' and 'call a friend'! & while those are so helpful for self care and can work wonders for a gal, it's not the only thing you can do when stressed. It's important to look at the stressor itself and figure out how to nip it in the bud, so to speak. (am I the only one who thought it was nip it in the butt and imagined someone kicking you in the hindquarters as a child?)

THINGS TO HAVE CONTROL OVER IN A WORLD OF NO CONTROL

Over the years the realization has hit  that a huge anxiety trigger for me is feeling out of control. We've chatted about this before, but I joke about it a lot because, oooh the irony. What do we really have control over in life? Not the way people perceive us or the change in the weather or why we just got cut off on the freeway.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM GOING MAKEUP FREE

A few months ago, I made a commitment to give my face a break & go makeup free at least once a week. Of course, this is not including the brows, because the brows must always be done.

I digress. 

BITS AND BAUBLES | MAY EDITION

WHEN did it become June? In any case it’s here & I’m not mad- - summertime & my birthday are fast approaching. Is anyone else struggling with the the fact of not really caring about your birthday anymore? BUT I still love a good month-long celebration so...

TEN THINGS YOU MUST DO THIS SUMMER

1// Take a road trip

2// Have an old school girls night in 

HOW I MOTIVATE MYSELF TO WORK OUT

Unrealistic thought I continue to have no matter how much I’m proved wrong: once you get a workout routine going, you’ll always be ready to go first thing in the morning/ evening/ whenever your preferred time is. You’ll be up & at ‘em, much like Monica when she was trying to get Chandler to run with her. 

SIGNS YOU'RE HEADED FOR A BURNOUT

It’s such a blogger thing to do to address when you miss a day’s post, or you go on a mini break, or basically break your normal blogging cycle at all. It’s a cliche that I’m TOTALLY DOING, SUE ME. It’s important to not ignore the signs of a burnout, or of just needing a break. It's still hard for me to admit sometimes that I NEED a break.