The Shopbop Sale is so good this year...

shop all of these pieces & more below!

Shopbop's annual style event / fall sale began today and I took some time this afternoon to sift through a bit of it. Oh my gosh, I am absolutely blown away but how many pieces I love that are included in the sale! It's structured as a spend more, save more type of sale and I am slightly alarmed by the number of things I plan to order as a result. In college, I would usually post about the sale but couldn't really afford to shop it, but now... someone please hide my credit card!

Here are the details:

15% OFF orders of $200+ 

20% OFF orders of $500+ 

25% OFF orders of $800+ 

use code STYLE at checkout!

I found a ton of pieces that I've rounded up for you (as usual, most everything I picked is under $200!), so you don't have to go through the site yourself (which, trust me, takes a while). I've separated my finds into three categories: fall picks, date night, and wedding guest dresses/accessories because I feel like everything I picked falls into those three categories. Omg, just reading that those are the categories most relevant to my life really shows I'm in my twenties, haha.

I hope you find this post helpful- let me know what you order! This sale is such a good one.

This Week's Top 10: a whirlwind week in the micro-influencer world

image via Pinterest - love this outfit!

1. Hellooo! What a week it's been! This week was quite a fun one because one of my favorite internet friends, Emily, was in NYC and we got to spend a fabulous 48 hours together. We had two events to attend on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then last night I also was lucky enough to be treated to dinner at Quality Bistro. Go check out the content if you missed it!

Earlier this afternoon I had a fun photoshoot for an upcoming campaign, and overall it's just been a whirlwind week in the micro-influencer world, lol!

2. I purchased this Ganni Top this week and I'm so glad I did - it is soo fab and going to be a new elevated basic in my wardrobe. See how I styled it on Tuesday here!

3. My favorite makeup product of the week is the Armani Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer in shade 8; I apply my blush (this one in shade chilly - love this stuff) and then add the fluid sheer overtop to enhance the color and act as a highlighter. It's so magical, it makes me glow and makes my blush even prettier and more seamless with the rest of my face.

This Week's Top 10: A little bit of everything

1. First things first, Rest in Peace to the Queen.

The past few weeks have been so busy for me and I feel like I have so much to catch up on here. I got back from Turkey two weeks ago, and last weekend I was in my hometown, Milwaukee, for one of my high school friend's weddings. This weekend Joe is in town in NYC for a concert, and then in two weeks I have my cousin's wedding! 

2. Shoutout to my Delta Amex for getting me upgraded to first class last weekend! I've talked about this credit card before but I absolutely love it; the benefits have saved me hundreds of dollars on flights and luggage, and have made traveling so much easier and more comfortable (free flight changes, free first-class, and comfort+ upgrades...) I highly recommend it and wanted to share my link again because I got a few questions in my DM's about what credit card I use after I shared that I was sitting in first class. You can earn 40,000 bonus miles by using my link, which can be worth two domestic flights!!

3. I wore this dress to the wedding last weekend and absolutely loved it. It is now sold out but I love the mini version of it... probably one of the prettiest dresses I've ever worn, and the brand is so high quality. 

Speaking of dresses - I bought this fun sequin dress yesterday (under $100); I have no occasion to wear it but I just love it. I got the black, and I will probably wear it around the holidays or on NYE, but I also love the white version for a bachelorette party if you're a bride-to-be!

Also under $100: this flattering printed satin mini (I love this style dress for dinners out or random events in the city) and this gorgeous midi dress that would be perfect for a wedding with the right accessories! + this ADORABLE tie-front top!

September Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpapers!)

Happy September! Wow, this summer flew by. I got back from 10 days in Turkey on Sunday and I'm already heading out of NYC tomorrow for a wedding and Labor Day celebrations with friends this weekend. I am so excited for this weekend; I can't wait to celebrate one of my best friend's from high school's wedding in Milwaukee and then enjoy the rest of the weekend with many of my college besties in Chicago.

Joe is coming to visit next weekend, and then in just a few more weeks, I'm off to another wedding for my cousin! Thankfully I have a lot to look forward to dim the pain I feel about being back from Turkey! Can't wait to recap that trip and my birthday soon; it was incredible.

 In the meantime, I hope you love this month's mood board as much as I do. Please tag me on IG if you download the new mood board- I absolutely love to see the board on your screens!!

My Goyard Review

Some of my most frequent DM's are about my Goyard. I purchased my Goyard St. Louis GM tote almost exactly a year ago, and I use it almost every single day, but I've never reviewed it! This tote is the biggest designer purchase I've ever made, and since I get a lot of questions about the bag, so I want to share all of my thoughts in one spot. 

This Week's Top 10: Shopping, Sales, New NYC Spot & More!

image via

 1. I'm so excited for this weekend because Joe is here in NYC!!!!! He hasn't been to the city to visit since April because of his move down to Dallas, so I'm very happy that he's here again. We don't have too many plans but I am excited to try a few new restaurants and of course, just spend time together! 

2. Speaking of new-to-me spots, I discovered Sauced in Williamsburg last weekend. It's a wine bar with no menu- you tell them what you're in the mood for and what wines you usually like, and they surprise you with a perfect glass for you! I went on Saturday and was presented with some incredible new-to-me wines, and enjoyed a fabulous cheese board as well. Would highly recommend this cozy, cute spot in downtown Williamsburg!

3. Yesterday on the blog I shared a giant round-up of my favorites from July, across clothing, beauty, skincare, books, workouts, and more. I've been swearing by my 5-step summer makeup routine for the past couple of weeks and included everything I use in the post, along with some of my favorite recent reads, and so much more!

A Giant List of My July Favorites

It's been almost two years since I shared a monthly favorites post. In all honesty (as if this is even surprising- you're going be like, duh..), I've been really lazy with blogging. I definitely don't make blogging a priority, despite the running list of ideas I keep on my phone and in my planner and notebook. You'd be shocked to know that every month I fill up a content calendar with ideas, considering I barely post on here anymore! Anyway- not sure if I'll actually stick to this as much as I used to, but in the meantime, a Favorites post is well overdue and I am excited to share with you the things I loved in July, and recently. Beware, there's a lot... 

August Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

August is here, and this mood board is officially my favorite one I've ever done. It's a gloomy day in New York City, and I just put folklore on in the background and magically created this! It feels so fitting as it's my favorite month of the year, my birthday month, and the vibes are absolutely fabulous.

Joe is coming to visit this weekend, and then in just two weeks, I'm off to the southern coast of Turkey for a European beach vacation with one of my closest friends to celebrate my birthday! I am so excited for this month.

This Week's Top 10: Shopping, Books & NYC Restaurant Recs!

image via pinterest

Happy Friday! Yet another month has flown by and, as always, I can't believe it! This weekend I'm looking forward to heading to the Yankees game tonight, brunch plans tomorrow, and then hopefully just reading and relaxing. I've gotten into a really good routine lately with my kindle (more on that below) and pilates classes, and I feel so at peace. Read on for 10 things I loved this week!

1. Ok, so the Kindle - I am so happy with it. I'll write a full blog post on it soon, but it solves my previous problems of (1) poor lighting while reading, (2) difficulty finding a position on my side that works with both sides of a book (like when I'm laying in bed), and (3) not having immediate access to the books I want to read. I could go on and on about it but I'll say if you're on the fence, you have to at least order and try one! I really didn't think I was going to love it, at least not as much as I do now, but I was completely converted after my first book!

2. Last week I read Every Summer After and Girls with Bright Futures, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed and gave 5/5 stars. Ok well actually, both of them I give 4.75 stars because I thought they should have been longer!!! 

Every Summer After is a pretty similar concept to The Summer I Turned Pretty, but with adults; a classic beach-read romance!

Girls with Bright Futures is about three moms whose daughters all want to get into Stanford, and all of the college admissions dramas and scandals that go on during their senior year after it's discovered there's only one spot! I feel like I'm always either reading a romance or a thriller, so I love it when I enjoy a book about something else. I absolutely loved this! So entertaining.

2. I found this gorgeous dress this week and can not believe it's barely $100! It's so comfortable and the colors & pattern are beautiful. I wore it the other night to happy hour and dinner in the city (it's been so hot here!) and it was perfect; I can't wait to wear it in Turkey in August, too!

3. Speaking of dinner, I have recently tried two spots in the city that I absolutely loved: Daddies, and Sel Rrose.

This Week's Top 10: Shopping Finds

 image via emili sindlev- love this outfit

1. This week has flown by; I flew back from Dallas on Tuesday morning and I am thrilled that it's already the weekend. It feels like a minute ago and a lifetime ago at the same time that I was flying down to Dallas for the Fourth of July weekend and now we are already halfway through the month! I'll likely do a full Dallas recap in the next few days because I have a handful of new-to-me Dallas spots to share. 

2. I am back in the city for the next five weeks, and I'm thrilled to finally just be home for a while. I started a 30-day pass at my favorite pilates studio on Wednesday, and I am so, so happy so far. Before with ClassPass it was great because I could go whenever I was in town and then also go to other studios in other cities, but now that I'm just going to be home for a while I'm thrilled to be able to go everyday if I choose! 

I kicked off the 30 days with a little trip to Bandier and bought this sports bra and these leggings, both of which I have already worn and couldn't be more in love with. The sports bra is surprisingly more supportive than it looks, and I absolutely love how easy it is to take on and off. Nothing drives me crazier than the frustration of pulling a sweaty sports bra over my head! The leggings are easily the most flattering I've ever worn. They're also buttery soft, and did I mention, on sale?

3. On a similar note, I am quaking over this hot pink, backless workout dress under $100!

July Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

 

Happy July! I apologize for getting this up a week late; I've been in Dallas since Saturday and it has been quite a busy weekend/week. Three of my best friends came down to Dallas this past weekend for the Fourth and the four of us, along with Joe (who just moved to Dallas!) all went to a country concert, grilled, spent time by the pool... it was such a fun weekend!  

Unfortunately, however, celebrating the Fourth of July felt a little wrong this year given everything going on recently with Roe v Wade, as well as all of the shootings that took place this weekend, most prominently, the shooting in Highland Park, IL. I can't stop thinking about how sad and terrible the current state of our country is. Sending love to anyone and everyone impacted by these recent events.

This Week's Top 10: Fourth of July Weekend

photo by ethan galley

 1. Hello and happy July!!!!! To be honest, I completely forgot about the mood board this month; I will work on that ASAP and hopefully get it up on Tuesday after the holiday! In the meantime, I have quite a busy weekend ahead as it's Fourth of July weekend and I am heading to Dallas tonight to celebrate. 

My best friends, Coco, Elizabeth, and Caroline are coming down as well and we are staying at my dad's house for the weekend! We are seeing Brother's Osborne tomorrow and I just can't wait for all of the yee-haw vibes. Plus, Joe lives in Dallas now, so that will only add to the fun! I've been fully planning my BBQ menu for our pool days on Sunday/Monday and I just can't wait to enjoy some time by the pool, a weekend with my besties, and warm weather.

2. Last night I stayed up until 1 AM finishing The Love Hypothesis, which was truly the most enjoyable book for me! At first, I thought it was going to be cheesy and dumb, but literally, after 5 pages, I was hooked. Unlike most books that require some ramp-up time, or feel slow in the middle, this romance/beach read was so enjoyable the whole way through; I was laughing out loud (like actually, haha) at so many points. It's about a grad student, Olive, who fake dates one of the faculty in another department... it's just really enjoyable, light, and easy to read. Although it's a bit predictable, there were quite a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. I give it 5 stars!!

3. On a similar note, if you're looking for some book recs to carry you through the rest of the summer/year, I rated and reviewed the 15 books I've read so far this year in this blog post earlier this week!

4. I also published a huge round-up of dresses under $200 in this blog post this week - so many good ones for anything you have coming up this summer or early fall! 

Mid-Year Reading Review

When I really got into reading in the summer of 2018, I would write a blog post recapping my recent reads after every 3 or 4 books I finished. Last year I documented everything I read in 2021 at the end of the year, but given that this year alone I've already read 15 books, I want to share a mid-year recap! I've been mixing it up a lot more than usual this year and I have thoughts.

My reading goal for 2022 is 30 books, 5 of which I'm aiming to be non-fiction, whether it be biography, self-help, or anything else. So far I've read 15 books, 2 of which have been non-fiction, and I'm halfway done with my third in that category!

Categories are as follows, in no particular order: (1) Non-Fiction (biographies), (2) Fiction Novels (ranges from very serious to adorable beach read, but not romance), (3) Fantasy, (4) Thriller, and (5) Romance!

Summer Dresses Under $200

I'm back again today with some light shopping content. After the news of Roe v Wade being overturned last week, I know we have all been inundated with heavy, heartbreaking news. I completely believe in a woman's right to choose, and I find it infuriating to see our country take a million steps backward in woman's and human rights by making this senseless decision. If you're interested in supporting this cause, Planned Parenthood is matching all gifts made by June 30, $1-for-$1, up to a total of $250,000.

This post is completely unrelated, but I wanted to share that statement above before talking about something as silly as dresses during a time like this. I just feel it's still important to stay positive and share lighthearted content. I know many people don't look to me or my platform for political conversations, but I do feel that it is my responsibility as someone with a platform to share resources and contribute to the conversations and issues going on in our country and our world.

With that said- let's get into the post, but I highly encourage making a donation, however small, at the link above.

This weekend I exclusively wore dresses, and it made my life so much easier! Throwing on a dress is the easiest outfit for me, but up until recently, I really didn't have many casual dresses in my closet for weekend/weeknight wear. I wore specifically this dress and this dress, and it got me realizing how many cute, affordable dresses I've seen recently. I've rounded them all up here and hope you find something you love!

Recent Finds

20% off right now; under $100! I just ordered this!

I've found the cutest things while online shopping lately, so I thought I'd round everything up for you below! As usual, almost everything is under $200, with just a few exceptions.

As always, you can find all of my recent shopping finds on the shop page here!

Girls Weekend: Recap & NYC Recs

This post is definitely overdue, but I wanted to share another girls' weekend recap from Memorial Day weekend. Our itinerary ended up being perfect, and I have some great recommendations for you! Two of my best friends, Elizabeth and Coco, visited me in NYC and we had such a great time kicking off summer in the city. Here's what we did: 

(scroll to the bottom of the post for the list of recs without the fluff)

June Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

Hello and happy SUMMER! I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family. Two of my very best friends Elizabeth and Coco visited me here in NYC for the long weekend and we had the best time. June is shaping up to be a busy month for me as I am heading to Martha's Vineyard this upcoming week, and then to Dallas for Father's Day / to see Joe because he moves there tomorrow!

I channeled all of the start-of-summer vibes for this month's mood board and I hope you love it as much as I do!

This Week's Top 10: A little MDW Shopping...

image via pinterest 

Happy Friday! Before I dive into this post I want to share that earlier this morning I shared an entire post dedicated to ways to support gun violence in light of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas this week. If you have not yet read that post, you can find it here.

Ways to Stand Up to Gun Violence

image via @shoshibuya

Hi everyone, I know it's been a couple of weeks since I shared a blog post. This year has been flying by and I've found myself busier than ever with travel, social commitments, and just life!

I wrote the blog post below for work actually, for our consultant blog, and I wanted to share it here today given this platform and the conversations going on in our country as a result of yet another shooting in our country this week. After Buffalo, Uvalde, and 200+ other shootings this year, it is time for a change.

Please read on below for a bit more background on the shooting and gun violence, and ways you can support this cause:

Chicago Outfits & Weekend Recap

This past weekend was SO much fun. I flew out to Chicago to celebrate my best friend Elizabeth's birthday. In college, Elizabeth, myself, and two of our other best friends Celia and Coco all lived together. The four of us are so close but have not all been together since before I moved, so the weekend was extra special and exciting. We had such a great time, and I want to do a full recap of what we did, where we stayed, what we wore, and all of the things to answer any questions you might have, as well as for my own memory! 

May Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

May is here!! This mood board is one of my favorites I've made in a while... this month just feels so exciting; I will be traveling quite a bit, for Mother's Day and then to a wedding, and I just feel so excited and happy about the warmer spring weather as well. I hope you all have a fabulous start to this new month and enjoy the mood board as much as I do!!

This Week's Top 10 (Going Out Outfits + My Go-To Drinks & More)

image via pinterest 

 1. I landed in Chicago last night and I am beyond excited for this weekend. I am working from my brother's apartment today and then meeting up with my three best friends/roommates from college to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday tonight & tomorrow here in Chicago! The four of us are so close but haven't all been together since before I moved to NYC, so I seriously could cry from excitement. 

Before we dive into everything, in case you missed it, I shared two gift guides on the blog this week: a Mother's Day gift guide and a gift guide for the College Graduate!

2. This weekend, because all of the girls are so stylish, I really had to plan my outfits. I ended up doing RTR last minute because a lot of things weren't working, and I am SO glad I did. I am beyond obsessed with this plunging leather top which I'm going to wear tomorrow night - might end up buying it to keep. I also love this open-back crop top for maybe tomorrow afternoon, and then I also got this retro paisley dress that I plan to wear to a rehearsal dinner in a couple of weeks; it looks so much better on than you'd think!

3. Speaking of going out, how about an update on my drinks of choice?! My go-to drink drink is usually a dirty Hendrick's martini (I don't drink vodka) or white wine, and sometimes a negroni if I'm at the right spot. 

College Graduation Gift Guide

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone since I graduated college in 2020! When I graduated, I was fortunate enough to receive a few pieces I love and use almost every single day, so I've curated this gift guide with those things in mind. If you're looking for the perfect gift for a college graduate in your life, I hope you find this helpful!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is this following weekend and I am really excited to be visiting my mom in Raleigh. She moved from Charleston to Raleigh in the fall and I've never been! I'm so excited to see her, my dog, and celebrate Mother's Day with her and my brother. I think we already know what we are getting her, which is nice to have figured out. If you are still looking for gift ideas for your mom, I rounded up some good ones here! There are ideas at all price points on here and a variety of vibes, so you're bound to find something good to make your mom feel special :) 

This Week's Top 10: Life Updates & my shopping spree...

image via pinterest

1. This week has flown by! I hung out with a few friends and enjoyed the warmer, sunny weather, and all of a sudden it's Friday! On Thursday I am flying to Chicago to celebrate my best friend Elizabeth's birthday, and from there it will be five back-to-back busy travel weekends for me (Mother's Day, a wedding, and more...), so I'm looking forward to a lowkey weekend this weekend. 

2. Tonight I am going to pilates and then making dinner / having a virtual date with Joe (enchiladas!) and reading my new book, and then tomorrow all I have planned are a few errands and tennis with a friend. I am looking forward to relaxing since this is my only "free" weekend until mid-June (OMG) and the past two weekends were busy too (with Joe visiting and then Easter)

3. Before we jump into the details of my shopping spree this week, I need to share that I finally upgraded from my Revlon blowdry brush to the T3 Airebrush duo (on sale for 25% here) this week. I was beyond blown away (pun intended ;) by the results... 

Wedding Guest Dresses I'd Actually Wear

This past week I had the HARDEST time finding a wedding guest dress and a rehearsal dinner dress for a semi-formal wedding I'm attending in three weeks. Whenever I do roundups of shopping picks I just pick cute pieces that look pretty, but I'll admit I don't always consider 

1. "would I actually pay this price for this item?"

2. "would I wear this more than once?" 

3. "is this available in most sizes?"

This Week's Top 10: Easter Edition

 1. Hello and happy Easter Monday if you celebrate! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. This weekend was quite a busy one for me so I wasn't able to get this up on Friday when I usually post This Week's Top 10. Thursday I had dinner with one of my aunts and my bestie Caroline, Friday was my cousin's birthday, so our family when to Tavern on the Green for dinner, and yesterday was Easter so I went to church and hosted a little brunch!

2. I took my first ennegram test yesterday (I did this one and it is free if you want to try it too!) and found it so fascinating. Afterward I read this article about how best to recharge according to your enneagram and definitely took some notes. I am a 7 (wing 3)!

3. I do want to take a moment to acknowledge the shooting that took place on the subway in Brooklyn last week. Absolutely terrible, so scary, and really sad. Fortunately, the shooter was caught, and no one died!!!, but still thinking of everyone impacted by this. 

Spring Weekend with Joe Recap

My boyfriend Joe visited me here in NYC this weekend and we had such a lovely time. It was a casual little weekend, which was a nice change of pace considering we usually have extravagant plans whenever he is in town. We only made a couple of reservations ahead of time and then mostly just hung out, walked around, and explored. Here's a recap of what we did!

This Week's Top 10

image via @matildadjerf - queen

1. Happy weekend! I am really looking forward to this weekend because Joe is visiting! He was supposed to fly in last night but his flight was canceled due to the storms here in NYC. All is well now though- he just landed and it's a sunny day in the city as you are reading this!

2. This week was a fun one on the blog. I finally shared a master list of my NYC recs, so if you are visiting or even just live here and are looking for a new spot to try, you can find that here!

3. I also shared a roundup of spring finds under $200. Soo many cute things, especially fun accessories. I am particularly in love with this oversized button-down and this comfy midi dress, both under $100 and accidentally left out of the post.

Spring Finds Under $200

I've found so many cute pieces for spring, all under $200, and rounded them all up here for you!

Shop the collage:

my NYC recs master list!

Whenever I get asked about my favorite spots in New York, or for recommendations around the city in a general sense, I feel like I never know what to say or don't have the time to go into enough detail via DM or text. While I have a couple of blog posts on different restaurants I've tried and enjoyed (find them here!), if you're visiting the city for a weekend or aren't super familiar with NYC, you might just want something with exclusively the highlights... so, welcome to this blog post!

This post was inspired by recent DM's, but also that I realized I have never shared a weekend recap of my weekends with Joe when he comes to visit me in NYC!!  This needs to change *immediately,* because we truly have the best weekends together and have discovered some of my favorite, favorite spots in the city during the times when he is here. He is coming next weekend and I hope to recap the whole thing in detail, along with all of his visits going forward! I used to always do a vacation recap whenever I went anywhere, and I even did a girls' weekend recap post when my college roomies/best friends Coco and EJ visited me in December, so I have no idea how I've let this happen...

All of the breakfast, lunch, dinner & drinks spots can be found on this google map here!

April Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

Happy April everyone! As I've said every single month this year, 2022 is flying by! Easter is in just two weeks, and my puffer has already been put away! This mood board is kind of similar to the March mood board with the pink and green theme, I hope you don't mind... just couldn't help myself! This month's mood board is truly manifesting spring with lots of pink and green and flowers and sunny days... here's to hoping we all get a little warm weather and not too much rain!

Spring Home Decor Finds

I am heading back to NYC tonight and honestly, I'm mainly looking forward to hanging the art that arrived just before I left town a week and a half ago! Something about spring just makes me so excited to decorate. I am looking forward to hanging art and sprucing up my space once and for all in the coming weeks. That said, I've rounded up some pretty home pieces for spring here, I hope you love them as much as I do!

Spring Wishlist

Hello! I am back today with another fun round-up of spring finds. After posting 15+ spring dresses for any occasion last week, I found so many more pretty pieces I wanted to share with all of you to spruce up our wardrobes this season. 

This Week's Top 10: Great Finds

shop the look I'm wearing here

1. HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! I am *so* excited for this weekend. I am flying to Chicago tonight and doing a St. Patrick's Day bar crawl with my college friends (and joe!) tomorrow. I couldn't be more excited to finally do a true Chicago St. Patty's day celebration, and of course, to see my bestiessss. Will be staying in Madison with Joe next week too!

2. Found a million cute things online this week. First things first, we all need this pink and green rugby striped shirt.

3. I discovered the chicest online boutique this week and I want everything!!! Especially this blouse, these shorts, and this!! perfect!! top!!

Spring Dresses for Any Occassion

Whether you have a wedding, graduation, bachelorette party, or any other event coming up in the next few months, you're bound to find a spring dress in this round-up perfect for the occasion! I did a Q&A recently over on Instagram and I received so many questions about where to find dresses for special occasions this season. I actually found it so much harder than usual to put this particular assortment together, so I totally understand the difficulty! Everything was either $600+ or a little off... but the dresses I've included here are exceptions to that, and each one is as fabulous as the next in my opinion! I tried to keep the majority of the dresses around $200, which is usually a fair price point, at least for me.

TEN YEARS of Blogging!

The Blonde Prep, April 2014

Today in lieu of This Week's Top 10, we are celebrating my 10-year blog anniversary! I can NOT believe it's been 10 years. I remember coming home from school on this day in eighth grade and starting "the blonde prep" on Blogspot. My first post, of course, was a "welcome to the blonde prep," and I think my second post was either about j.crew or Vineyard Vines. I had no idea what I was doing, but every day I would come home with this newfound excitement to jump on the computer, create Polyvore collages (who remembers that?!), and online shop to share all of my new favorite things with maybe the five people that read my pink and orange, chevron stripe blog. 

March Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

HELLO and happy March 1st! This year is flying by! I know I say this every single month, but I love the way this mood board turned out! Of course, February being so pink was absolutely my truth, but March is not far off being pink and green! Hopefully the mood board will influence the weather to start warming up and show us some signs of spring soon! It's kind of giving Loveshack Fancy in the Hamptons / cottage core vibes, right?

This Week's Top 10: Ukraine, Home Finds, and more

image via

1. Happy Friday! It feels almost wrong to write that given everything going on in our world as of yesterday morning... for the latest updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I've found CNN's updates to be easy to understand and very up-to-date. As we all pray for peace and safety for Ukranians, my friend Sasha (whose parents emmigrated from Ukraine) share this non-profit that we can donnate to. 

2. In brighter news, I feel like I have so many updates to share! First off, a huge thank you to all of you who are following along here on the blog and on Instagram! I was so excited to wake up to 10,000 of you yesterday morning <3

3. If you've been following on IG, you've probably seen that I have been on a bit of an interior design inspiration kick lately. It all started with this Brooklyn apartment tour! (pictured above)

This Week's Top 10: Life Updates, Art, & more!

1. Helloooo! Ok, I have so many updates for you... this week just flew by for me! Of course, Valentine's Day was on Monday, but after that, I had a few fun things planned, like a dinner for a new brand on Tuesday, book club on Wednesday, and pilates yesterday (which I'd missed since I hadn't been in so long!). Joe visisted me last weekend for Valetine's Day and left on Monday morning, so we celebrated Valentine's Day Saturday night! I am planning to write a full recap of our weekend because it was just so fun. 

2. The brand dinner I went to was for Den XYZ, a new home brand with a highly curated selection of home decor, art, and more. The dinner was very small (just 6-7 of us) and I really enjoyed it! I don't get invited to that man influencer events, so I was so grateful and excited to be included. The dinner was at the founder's gorgeous apartment, she cooked for us, and it was such a cozy, unique way to be introduced to a new brand. It definitely had me inspired to finish up decorating my apartment after living here for almost a year!

3. On Sunday I am heading to Dallas for 10 days! My dad lives in Dallas and he just had foot surgery (he's fine!) so I'm mostly heading there to help him out, but I'm also really looking forward to the warmer weather, exploring Dallas, and hanging out with him! I'm excited to cook and go for a bike ride and try new workout classes... I just think it'll be a nice change of pace! If you have any Dallas recs, I'm all ears! I think we might be going to a jazz concert next Saturday which sounds so fun to me. 

Fun Home Decor Finds

Can you believe I've lived in NYC for almost a full year?! The time has truly flown by. I am SO excited to share that a couple of months ago I was able to renew my lease and I'll be staying in my apartment for another year. I am absolutely thrilled because I love my apartment, and it's truly an amazing deal for what it is (wonderful location, natural light, dishwasher, decent size for an NYC apartment, molding on the walls lol). Rent prices are crazy in the city right now, and I feel grateful that my rent, which was already a great deal because I moved during Covid, was raised only 10%. I was honestly so worried it would be raised up to the pre-pandemic price, which was like $1200 more than my current monthly rent. Thankfully, that did not happen, and I am thrilled to be staying in my apartment for another year.

This Week's Top 10

1. This week was a pretty standard workweek for me. Not much to report, but the highlight, of course, was the February mood board going up! If you're looking for a new desktop or iPhone wallpaper, download the mood board here.

2. This week I went to two Mile High Run Club classes, which has quickly become my favorite workout in the city. While I still love pilates at Bodyrok, there's something that feels so "my truth" about being on a treadmill just running for 45 minutes and being pushed to improve. It might have to do with the fact that I just haven't run consistently in so long, but nonetheless, the workout and the vibes are fabulous. I sign up through ClassPass! If you want to try ClassPass, here's my link. I think it's just the best thing ever. 

3. Yesterday on the blog I shared so many cute pink pieces, perfect for Valentine's Day! Check out the blog post here.

Valentine's Day Inspired: Pretty Pink Things

I got a targeted IG ad yesterday for the cutest matching set I've ever seen (for just $40!) and immediately ordered it. I don't think I've ever done that before, but this was too cute to pass up! It inspired this whole round-up of pretty pink pieces for Valentine's Day... whether these items end up as little gifts for yourself, your best friend, your girlfriend, your sister, or whomever else, I hope you find something you love! 

February Moodboard (Desktop & iPhone Wallpaper)

It's a mood board miracle! LOL, truly, I don't think I've ever gotten the mood board up successfully on the first day of the month, but maybe things are looking up for me in 2022. I find the February mood board to be one of the easiest to make because, in my mind, my vision of February is clear... everything pink, flowers, and love! 

St. Barths Recap

Last weekend I traveled to St. Barth's for my aunt's wedding, and it was truly the most beautiful weekend. The trip had been planned for about a year, and I am so grateful that my family and I were able to make the trip down to the island and back safely and without a hitch! I left on Thursday the 20th and while it was a quick trip, it was truly the most beautiful few days, and I would be completely remiss not to share it with all of you.

(everything I wore linked at the bottom of the post)

Resort Wear Picks: Packing For St. Barths

 I couldn't be more excited to head to St. Barths next weekend for my aunt's wedding. Not only am I over the moon for her to get married, but I'm (almost) equally excited about visiting St. Barths itself. The little island exudes beauty and luxury and I just can't wait to soak it all in. 

This Week's Top 10

1. We've made it through the first week of the New Year! This week I've been in Madison at Joe's, and I head back to NYC on Sunday night. It's *so* cold here in Wisconsin (it's -6° today!!!) that the 30-degree temps in NYC sound like heaven. I miss my daily walks!

2. In two weeks I'm heading to St. Barths for my aunt's wedding and couldn't be more excited. When I get back to the city I plan to pretty much quarantine up until I leave just so I don't risk anything; in order to get onto the island you have to present a negative covid test, and it's really just not something I want to take any chances with. 

3. Speaking of- I did get my booster shot on Wednesday and I have to admit that yesterday was pretty rough. I went to a hard workout class on Wednesday night about an hour after my shot, which is supposed to help, but all day yesterday I had major body aches, a headache, and on-and-off chills. Fortunately, I was able to work from bed, and this morning I woke up totally fine again, so it's all good! If you haven't received your booster shot yet, I made my appointment through Walgreens.