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I go through phases of music genres like I go through phases of my personal style. There was the time in college where I was obsessed with rap and wore body-con dresses, that lovely phase where I would only listen to alternative bands and decked myself out Pac Sun and Hot Topic graphic tees (sorry, mom), and right now I’m into Indie music and a bit of an edgier meets boho look. One thing will always stay the same though, there’s nothing like cowboy boots and a country concert in the summer.

Fun fact – these cowboy boots are from 8TH GRADE. I don’t know what compelled me to beg my mom for a pair when I was 14, but I do remember that everyone made fun of me when I wore them to school. Well haters, I’m one of the few people that didn’t have to run out and buy boots for WMZQ because these bad boys have had a permanent spot in my closet for over 10 years. I used to wear these boots a lot with dresses in college and when I first moved into the city, but now I keep them reserved mostly for music concerts. (Honestly, it’s kind of hard to walk on uneven city sidewalks in them because of their long pointy toes.)

I try to go to at least one country concert each summer and this year it was The Band Perry at Wolf Trap – *raise your hand if you have a major girl crush on Kimberly.* As soon as I got tickets I knew this was the outfit I was going to wear. I’ve worn this matching skirt and top set to both a Florida Georgia Line concert and WMZQ, so I guess you could say it’s my country concert go-to. I love matching sets because they give the illusion of a dress or romper, but the crop top and skirt combo makes the look a little more unique. I got this set at Urban Outfitters off the sale rack a few years ago, but I’ve linked some of my favorite matching sets below!

Forever 21

ChiChic

Azbro

I love supporting locally owned businesses, but I especially love supporting them when the woman behind the business is a certified #GirlBoss. That being said, I’m super excited to be partnering with Whistle + Wild, a new online boutique launching in September, whose founder, Amanda, is as HBIC (in the best way possible) as they come. Seriously, this woman is doing it all on her own from the branding to the buying to the logistics – told you she was a Girl Boss.

Boho chic meets affordable style is what Whistle & Wild is all about, and I’m pretty obsessed with what I’ve seen so far! I’ll be sharing a full fall look book in a few weeks with The Caroløve, but couldn’t wait to give you a sneak peek.

This dress pretty much screams NYE and holiday party to me. I had my fall package sent to my office and as soon as I opened it a coworker exclaimed that I HAD to wear this dress to the company holiday party. The crushed velvet and leather-like details are the perfect amount of girly meets glam and this color is just amaze.

Stay tuned for my full fall look book with Caroline and head over to Whistle & Wild for launch date deets!

This may sound silly, but I’ve been on the search for a perfect tee for awhile. I’ve never been a t-shirt girl, but some days you wake up and just want to throw on something easy. I pooled my friends for the best types of tees to buy that will hold their quality, and they confirmed what I already knew was true – that Splendid t-shirts were the ones I should invest in.

I immediately knew where to go for the super soft tees – Refine Boutique. I’ve been a fan of Refine since it opened and absolutely love Tanya’s curated selection of high quality and unique items. She frequently stocks the Splendid brand (amongst AG and Show Me Your MuMu) and the personal one-on-one experience is way better than sending your friends selfies in a Forever 21 fitting room mirror for their opinions. Additionally, supporting a woman-owned, local business is a huge plus in my book! The best part though, is that Refine is 50% the ENTIRE boutique this month!

I felt like a kid coming home with a brand new pair of back-to-school shoes, but I couldn’t wait to sport this tee and wore it the next day. I paired it with a my favorite boyfriend jeans, fun peep-toe booties, and accessories from my RocksBox to help elevate the casual styling, and I can definitely say this look will be on repeat through the rest of the summer!

Tee | Splendid

Jeans | GAP

Shoes | TJ Maxx (similar)

Bag | Rebecca Minkoff 

I’ve expressed my love for the Shaw neighborhood before, but the excitement I feel when a new spot opens on my turf never gets old. Chalk it up to the fact that when I first moved here the closest gourmet restaurant to my apartment was a Subway and the bar down the street closed a few months into my lease, but now I have a plethora of options within a 15 minute walk and I couldn’t be happier I choose to plunk down in the “sketchy” area before it exploded with growth.

I’m so proud of the group of DC bloggers I’ve become close with lately. Caroline rebranded her blog to TheCarøLove, Dani of Blonde In The District slayed it a few weeks ago at the IconiqStyle launch party, Roxanne of Glass of Glam is up to her ears in collabs, and a new friend, Angelica, just launched her blog Angelica In The City. It’s pretty inspiring to be surrounding by such passionate and successful women who empower each other!

To celebrate the launch of Angelica In The City, Angelica hosted a beauty party at Cera Wax Studio in Bethesda and we could tell this wasn’t her first rodeo – this woman knows how to throw a party! The champagne was flowing, there were amazing door prizes, and the team at Cera was absolutely lovely. The best thing though, was how genuinely kind each of the bloggers and DC area creatives were that attended the event. I’m a pretty outgoing person, but walking into a room full of beautiful, successful women intimidates the hell out of me.

It was so refreshing to be able to spend a night meeting new people who share the same interests as me without feeling like I was being sized up the entire time. I’m sure the fact that we were in a slightly vulnerable environment (getting your first wax is scary, guys!) helped create a vibe where we could instantly bond, but I’m definitely not mad about it.

I’m not one for voicing emotional opinions on my blog, but we have GOT to stop making other women feel inferior. I’m not talking about people in the fashion industry, I’m talking about real people. I’m guilty of it, I’ll see someone on the Metro and think “she should not be wearing that” – but I made a rule that if I think something negative in my head about someone I instantly have to say something positive about them. I’m not proud of it, but lets be real – we’ve all done it. Women face so much pressure in today’s society to adapt to a certain standard, and we’ve fallen into the trap too so it’s up to us to change it.I got a glimpse of it at this party and I want, and we need to see more of it.

*Rant Over – sips rosé*

Cheers to my blogger pals on their recent successes and to surrounding yourself with women who lift you up instead of putting you down!

Skirt | H&M

Top | Forever 21

Shoes | DSW

My signature skirt in college was definitely a mini skirt – pour one out for the spandex fold over bottoms I had in every color. If you had told me that a midi skirt would become one of my favorite styles, I would have laughed in your face and said something like “I’d never be caught dead in a knee length skirt.” Well the times have changed, and my collection of midi skirts is growing. I’ve worn this white skirt countless times this summer and I definitely plan on wearing this fun island-inspired piece from the ModCloth IRL pop up quite a few more times before fall rolls around.

Since I’m fairly petite (5’4″) there are some key things I keep in mind when I’m shopping for and styling the longer pieces so that they don’t overwhelm my frame. If you’re looking to add some own midi skirts to your collection, here are my tips!

• High-waisted cuts are the most flattering. The shape of the skirts are so voluminous that the high cuts help further define your waist and show off your shape
• Since you’ve covered up on the bottom, crop tops are my favorite thing to pair with a midi! HM has a plethora of crop tops that are under $10 and are usually the perfect length to show a thin silver of skin
• If you want to make the look work appropriate, be sure to tuck in your top or tie up the ends of a button down to define your waist
• For my height, skirts that hit right below the knee are the most flattering. Unless you’re wearing a body-con midi, I wouldn’t go any further than two inches under your knee to avoid looking frumpy
• Add some height and lengthen your legs with a heel – sandals just don’t have the same effect
• Go crazy with fun prints! It doesn’t really show up in these pictures, but my top is actually striped and I loved pairing a pattern on top with a printed skirt
• POCKETS! This isn’t really a tip, but for some reason all of my midi skirts are equipped with pockets, and who doesn’t love a pocket in a dress or skirt?

Skirt | ModCloth

Top | ZARA (similar)

Shoes  | Vestique (similar)

If you live in DC, you’ve probably heard of Bitches Who Brunch – a blog that reviews the best boozy brunches in the area, as well as in New York and Chicago. Each year the Bitches host a Midsummer Soirée and it always sells out. I missed out last year and was super bummed so I recruited a friend to go to this year’s the second it was announced.

The event was held at The Gibson and featured a braid bar by Logan 14, bottomless cocktails + rosé, an awesome photo booth, Chaia tacos, a pop-up shop from South Moon Under, blooms from Urban Stems, and some pretty stellar swag bags. Yes – it was pretty awesome and yes, we had some serious hangovers the next day.

The theme was “Garden Party” which I absolutely loved because I have a slight obsession with floral prints and look for any excuse to wear them. We drank all the rosé and may have slightly abused the photo booth (these aren’t even half of the photos.) Our swag bag featured cookies from Whisked (which I drunkenly devoured the second I got into my Uber home), macarons from Olivia Macaron, and the DC Passport which we’ll definitely be taking advantage of! All in all it was an super fun event and I’m looking forward to next year!

It’s always interesting to know what’s in someone’s handbag – especially their daily tote that gets them through the workday. I used to make fun of my mom for the amount of things she carried in her purse, but alas – I’ve adapted the same habits.

In the summer, my purse is filled with things to get me through the DC heat wave. As I’ve mentioned before, I have to walk 6 blocks to the metro so I’m usually a hot mess (literally) by the time I arrive at work and still have 9 more hours of the day to get through. Here’s what I stash in my bag to keep me looking as human as possible throughout the day.

Dry shampoo

How I survived college without this magical substance is beyond me. Whether I need to refresh my locks because they got sweaty on my commute or forgoing the shampoo for the second day in a row was not my best idea – dry shampoo is my all time hands down favorite beauty product. Stock up on trial versions from Walmart, CVS, or your local grocery store and stash them in your various bags.

Wet wipes

I hate on the Metro a lot, but it really is an amazing convenience since it lets me not own a car. While the newer train cars are a bit cleaner, I always feel a little dirty after putting my hands on the escalator handrails and being in the personal vicinity of so many strangers. I’m not a fan of liquid hand sanitizer so I turn to trusty wet wipes after my commute. (Gosh, I really am turning into my mom.)

Oil blotting sheets

My skin tends to get oily towards the end of the day so I like to blot around 3 pm to help reduce shine. I don’t bother buying brand name blotting sheets because they all do the same thing, and the store brand is usually significantly cheaper. Pro tip – if you’re without an oil blotting sheet a paper toilet seat cover does the trick as well. I’m not crazy I swear I read that Emma Roberts does it!

Toothbrush + toothpaste

I eat a lot of onions and since I want my coworkers to like me, I usually brush my teeth every day after lunch. Also key for an impromptu happy hour after work when you don’t have time to go home! Pick up a toothbrush and mini toothpaste kit at your local drugstore.

Deodorant

I have the sweat glands of a teenage boy so reapplying deodorant is a must regardless of the weather. Pro tip – I usually opt for men’s Old Spice because it’s stronger and lasts longer, but Dove is my next favorite.

Hair ties

For those days when your third shower without shampooing is just not doing you any favors. Stock up on non-elastic hair ties at Walmart or unexpected places like Forever 21 (I got a 5 pack for $3.00 the other day) instead of upscale retailers like Sephora to save a few extra bucks.

Mini nail kit

Breaking a nail is inevitable and there are few things more annoying that a jagged edge. A simple mani kit like this cheetah print one come with everything you need to keep your nails looking neat throughout the day. This kit is from Lou Lous’s and includes clippers, a file, orange stick, cuticule trimmers, and tweezers! I’m guilty of touching up my nails at my lunch break, so I always have some sort of nail polish stashed in my bag.

In case you haven’t realized by my constant #seeninshaw hashtags on Instagram, I live in the Shaw neighborhood of DC. When I moved here two 1/2 years ago, all I knew was the rent was within my price range and I could walk to work – the neighborhood was nothing like it is today. I’ve been so lucky to watch this area transform into a vibrant scene and also by luck of chance, my boyfriend lives in the Shaw area too, so when date night rolls around we have plenty of options within walking distance.

Thally has been a Shaw staple since 2013 and is often overlooked for newer restaurants that have opened in the area, but my boyfriend convinced me it was a 9th street gem, so we landed on the American-style spot for our big night out. Even though we were going to a restaurant literally a block and a half away from my boyfriend’s place, I still wanted to dress up (gotta keep that romance alive) and I was really looking for an excuse to wear this loudly printed and flirty frock.

I nabbed this dress off SheIn (formerly sheinside) and it’s a dead ringer for a MinkPink dress but at a significant fraction of the cost. I’d highly recommend checking out the site for dupes! For this look I figured I’d go all out and pair a neon pink bag with this busy dress and plain black wedges helped keep it simple on the bottom. This dress is no longer available but I’ve linked some other great date night dresses below!

Multicolor Beach Dress | SheIn

Floral Criss Cross Dress |  SheIn

Color Block Sundress | SheIn

Wedges | Vince Camuto

Crossbody | H&M (similar)

When Zaful reached out to me to check out their site, I actually spent hours pouring over their bikinis, dresses, and trendy separates debating on what to order. I kid you not I clicked through 32 pages of dresses! Their wide selection of clothes rivals ASOS, but their pricing is a lot more affordable.

I admit the low prices made me a little skeptical of the quality of their clothing, but I was pleasantly surprised when my denim dress showed up and was super thick and actually looked like the dress on the site. I will admit I was off on their sizing (I ordered a S in this dress and probably could have done an XXS) but that’s on me for choosing a dress that wasn’t featured on a model so I couldn’t gauge the true fit. Zaful mostly does have models showing off their products, so I don’t know why I chose one that wasn’t on one!

Zaful ships from China but my dress got here WAY quicker than I expected, in less than a week! Their tracking logistics are insane – I knew where my package was every step (mile?) of the way and got text messages the day before it was set to arrive, the day it was supposed to be delivered, and another text when it was signed for at my building. Perfect for someone like me who anxiously tracks packages because I can’t wait for them to come!

I’ll definitely be frequenting this site again, I’ve got my eye on some killer swimsuits! They have some pretty stellar coupons if you’re interested in shopping my look, which I’ve linked below!

Dress | Zaful

Clutch | South Moon Under

Shoes | Vestique