Travel Diary: Palm Beach

Every year for Easter my family travels to The Breakers in Palm Beach for a long holiday weekend getaway. I look forward to it each year because it's always the most relaxing 5 days and it's such a fun trip. I don't usually see my family between Christmas and Easter so when we all meet down at the hotel, it's really exciting. The past two years have been my favorite because Patrick has come along with us (ever since we got engaged!). I guess that's the thing about true love and relationships, even when I was with my own family, it never seemed quite complete without Patrick there. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but I just feel like a completely different person and enjoy them so much more when Patrick is there too. It just feels like my family is truly complete when we're all together. 

This year I collaborated with the amazing PR team at the hotel. They treated my entire family to an amazing lunch one afternoon at the Ocean House restaurant, overlooking one of the beautiful pools. Not only was the food incredible but it felt really nice being able to treat my family. My parents motto is always "save your money", so anytime I have tried to treat them to anything they never accept it. So this lunch felt really special to me. My family, and father especially, was so supportive when I quit my job to build my first company, Rack It Up, and all the ups and downs that went along with that. And now as I build my second company and my personal brand, it's nice to be able to give back to him any way that I possibly can. 

A special thanks again to The Breakers Hotel for their amazing service. I'm already counting down the days until we can be back! To shop some of my vacation looks from the trip, I've linked them below:

* This post is NOT sponsored. All thoughts and opinion are my own. *

Spring Neutrals & A Shopbop Sale

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There's nothing like a good Friends & Family sale. This week, Bloomingdales and Shopbop are both having ones with savings up to 25% off. They're exactly the reasons I rarely shop in-store or when items are full-priced. When you have a little patience, great sales like this come along every season and it's the best time to stock up on some essentials and items you've had your eyes on. Trust me, your wallet will thank you and a little savings goes a long way. 

This spring, I've been really into neutrals. I've been doing some major closet cleaning and I realized most of the items I'm getting rid of {selling here & donating} are bright colored items. As fun as I think they are, the reality is that I really just don't wear them enough so my money just hangs in my closet. So, I've come to realize, my money is so much better spent on neutrals, denim, blacks & whites and colors I just know I'm going to use almost every day. It makes the money I spend on each piece so much more worth it.

Here are the items I have my eye on from Shopbop. The sale ends tonight, so be sure to take advantage of it, use code INTHEFAM at checkout to receive 25% off full-priced AND sale items!

Cherry Blossom Tea

Dress | Bag | Sunglasses | Shoes | Bracelet

A few weeks ago I went to the Willard Hotel for Cherry Blossom Tea with my friend, Cathy. Every year the hotel changes up their regular afternoon tea for a few weeks of cherry blossom themed tea while the trees bloom all around DC. From the cherry blossom trees that line the interior lobby to the cherry blossom jam for the fresh scones, the hotel provides such a fun, beautiful experience!

Of course as soon as we made the reservation, Cathy and I starting talking about dress code. It didn't take much to decide we wanted to get dressed up in our spring best. We lucked out with an incredibly gorgeous and sunny 75 degree day. It felt like such a fun way to kick off the start of the spring season. I was so excited to finally wear this dress. I had purchased it last summer to wear for engagement photos but decided to go with a different dress last minute. I had always loved it and afternoon tea was the perfect venue to finally wear it. 

Fringe Details

Blouse | Skirt | Handbag {similar} | Shoes | Sunglasses {similar}

One of the top trends this spring is fringe! When I saw it on the runway back in the Fall I remember instantly thinking I wouldn't be able to pull it off. I had planned to incorporate fringe into my wardrobe by purchasing a bag like this. But when I saw this skirt on sale {with free shipping and returns} I figured I could try it on in the comfort of my own home and see how I felt about it. I completely surprised myself when I fell in love. I loved that it was neutral and had movement, it was such a fun piece. Is this a trend you've tried? 

Early Spring Picks + Shopbop Sale

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I think it's about the same exact time every year when I start to feel really ready for warmer weather. The 60 degree random days we've had on the East Coast this winter season have been a giant tease but also this is the time of year when spring fashion is introduced full force. I can't be on a website recently without seeing something I really want for spring and this Shopbop sale has so many beauties to choose from. Since the sale is tiered, you save more when you spend more. Save 15% off when you spend $250 or more, 20% off when you spend $500 or more, or 25% off when you spend $1,000 or more! Use code 'BIGEVENT16' at checkout.  

The best part about this sale is that it includes EVERYTHING. Typically, I wait until mid-season sales to start buying some items I've had my eye on, if they're still even in stock in my size at that point. So, I love that Shopbop is giving everyone an all-access pass to everything this early. My plan of action is to buy the basics I know I'll get a lot of use out of this spring and into summer: a pastel-colored light-weight trench, white distressed denim, an off-the-shoulder top (or 2), a new pair of flat sandals and some fun new accessories. Do you plan to shop the sale?

Cold Weather Basics

Turtleneck | Jeans | Boots | Coat | Handbag | Sunglasses (similar)

This week I wanted to focus on some style basics. Coming back from New York Fashion Week, I always have an exciting new appreciation for colors and textures and crazy trends. As beautiful as the fashions are I need to remind myself that trends are fleeting and style can be just as beautiful when it's kept classic and simple.

As I've gotten older, my style has definitely changed for the better. I went from a preppy high schooler with popped collars (yes, popped collars), to a more risqué extreme in college (enter Forever21 spandex body-con dresses) and now I'd describe my style as mature, classic and feminine. I've grown to realize that I can look and feel just as sexy in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as I can in a tight dress. Beauty and feeling good truly does come from the inside and this realization has made me feel more comfortable than I've ever felt in my own skin. It's also difficult being in the fashion & blogging world, and trying not to compare yourself to what other girls look like and how they dress. But the reality is that we all have different body types and different personal styles. Style is also largely based on your lifestyle. If I had my choice I'd travel the world in beautiful feminine fit and flare dresses and high heels. But, wearing heels and dresses are not a part of my every day life. Since I work from home, my weekday 9-5 uniform is made up of work out pants and a sweater. This is also why I don't post outfits on my Instagram every single day, it just would not be an authentic representation of my life. When I do have a business meeting with a client or a company during the week and get dressed up, I keep it simple and comfortably professional. 

Style is also a financial investment and keeping it simple will definitely keep your wallet happy. As much as I love so many trendy items, do I really need 10 different kinds of fringe sweaters or 4 different suede jackets? Each season, I allow myself 2-3 trend items and I stick to Zara, H&M or Forever21 for these because you never know how long the trend will last. As I've been evolving my style and getting older, I've cleaned out my closet and stick to investing in the basics:  great fitting denim, classic coats and bags that you can wear with anything, heeled boots, crisp silk blouses, little black and white dresses, neutral ballet flats, etc. You'll know whether an item is a smart investment by simply asking yourself, "when will I wear this"? If the answer is every day or a few times per week- you're shopping smart. 

Valentine's Day Traditions & Gifts For Her

Sandals | Bra | Perfume | Coat (similar & similar) | Chloe Bag | Sunglasses | Watch |

Hat | Earrings | YSL Bag & here| Perfume | Tote | Sandals 

This Valentine's Day is definitely one I'm cherishing because it's the last one we'll ever have before we're married!! Patrick and I have been together for 8 years and living together for almost 4, so our lives really will basically be the same once we're married and we're hoping our traditions will be too. 

Valentine's Day used to be a big deal for us. We used to do what honestly always felt like the obligatory romantic dinner date at a really nice restaurant up until a few years ago. We made a reservation at a really trendy place in DC for dinner and after a few minutes we both looked up around the room. It looked like an assembly line of tables for 2 and the couples on either sides of us were sitting on the same sides of the table making out. We immediately started laughing and decided from then on, we'd spend our Valentine's Day together in our own home. We also had gotten a dog together the year before and both of us just wanted to be home with her too- our little family. From then on, it was fresh filets from the market and a great bottle of wine, that probably would have cost just as much as our restaurant tip. Being home every year and cooking together is really the best date I could ask for. We always throw on Frank Sinatra Pandora and sing and dance and it feels so good to be in our own space together. Some years we dress up and some years we're in our sweats. It's just always a fun night that feels easy- there's no uber to order or reservation to get to on time. 

This year, Valentine's Day is during New York Fashion Week but my plan is to be home in time for dinner on Sunday. We usually do a gift exchange, but this year we're both putting the money aside for our honeymoon. If we weren't, here are the items I've had my eye on. I've been crushing on everything blush colored and it's the perfect color to transition into spring. I've been dreaming about purchasing this bag and I recently purchased these amazing fringe sandals! What are your Valentine's Day traditions?

Winter Coats

Up until this week, I really hadn't taken my winter coats out of the closet. With the snow this week on the East Coast (we're still buried in DC!), I have a feeling the winter season is just starting. I think coats are such a great investment because the same styles come back year after year and it takes a few years to wear them out.

This season, I've been a sucker for fur collar coats like this and this and recently decided that I need a shawl collar coat like this one. The best part about all of the ones above is that they're all under $200. This is the best time of year to buy a new coat since we're in the middle of the season and since the weather has been so mild, many stores have started their sales early! 

Black & White Basics

Turtleneck | Leggings | Boots | Necklace | Bag | Sunglasses similar here and here

Happy 2016 everyone! If you're anything like me, you're still trying to get organized and back into a routine this week. It always takes me a while to get settled post-holiday season. I think mostly because our families are up north so it's a lot of traveling back and forth to different houses and different states and we added some wedding planning on top of everything this year. So, I'm really happy to be back home and slowly but surely beginning to get back into the swing of things. The start of 2016 marked the start of tons of new and exciting projects for my consulting business and this blog. It's been a really positive start to the year which is so invigorating. 

One of my goals for 2016 is to take more outfit pictures for this blog AND most importantly, take them with my professional camera. Patrick bought me a really great one last Christmas and I have yet to figure out how to use it so I've always resorted to my iPhone. Since my goal is to grow this blog and invest in it a lot more, I know I have to enhance the quality of my photos and learn how to use my camera. Of course, this week, I decided to take my first outfit photos of 2016 during the coldest week we've had yet! I may look happy but I think the smile was just frozen on my face. What I love about this look is that it's so easy and comfortable. Every winter season I live in leggings and oversized sweaters and turtlenecks {this one I found at Forever21 was under $20!} I was excited to take my new bag out for a spin and these OTK boots will be on repeat through the spring. 

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing more of my 2016 goals and would love to hear some of yours!

Sweater Dress Season

Dress (sold out!) similar here and here | Boots | Necklace | Clutch and here| Bracelet

This weather has been crazy but I'm not complaining. Even though it's a bit too warm to really feel like the holidays I think it's going to make the winter feel shorter (hopefully!). When I came across this sweater dress at Forever21 I knew it would come in handy for fall and spring but I definitely did not think I'd be wearing it one week before Christmas. I loved how easy it was to just throw it on head out the door and my OTK boots were the perfect match for it {I purchased these boots during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale months ago and they're still selling like hot cakes!} I've been on a sweater dress kick ever since and have rounded up my favorite ones under $100, especially this one  and this one that I ordered today! Even though it may start getting colder, they'll be perfect to wear again in early spring. Do you have a favorite?