I don’t know about your city, but the weather is still cold in Seattle! While I wait for warmer temperatures to arrive, I’ve been extending the life of my winter wardrobe by incorporating touches of spring. I often wonder, what should you put away and what is best to keep out?
Outfit Idea For Your Holiday Work Party
maurices graciously sponsored this Instagram post, but I fell in love with the brand and chose to write a full blog post. All opinions shared are my own. Thank you, maurices for gifting me the clothing and accessories in this post.
If you’re a new follower here, you may or may not know that I work in the healthcare industry as a Project Manager. I have a BA in communications and previously worked at Nordstrom for almost 10 years before making the switch to healthcare. When I first started at Nordstrom, I worked for Nordstrom Rack and then transitioned to Nordstrom corporate. You can read more about my current career in this post.
4 Blogging Tips For New Bloggers
I was recently featured in the Style Collective newsletter. Not familiar with SC? It’s literally the go-to for all things blogging and I wish it was around when I first started. It would have saved me a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! With SC, I no longer need to hop around to various sources to get what I need since it’s all in one place. The site and the podcast provide a wealth of knowledge for entrepreneurs and influencers and my favorite features include the blog, blog prep kits, and the e-courses and guides! The community element and forum topics are a huge plus too.
For the feature, I was asked to share a bit about myself and add 3 blogging tips for new bloggers. I thought these tips might be of some value to my audience and I’ve added a bonus tip just for Lace & Pearls readers. Enjoy!
Dress up your Little Black Dress this Holiday Season
I love a great closet staple as much as the next girl, but it took me years before I purchased a Little Black Dress. Shocker, I know! I’m just not the biggest fan of black. In fact, when I started this blog back in 2014, I refused to wear it at all! I just didn’t like it on me and prefer softer color palettes. In the workplace, it’s encouraged to dress business casual so after wearing black pants throughout the years, I eventually got up the nerve to venture out of my comfort zone and purchase black in other items. Plus, I would always see cute tops and other clothing in black but wouldn’t buy them if they weren’t offered in another color. Does anyone else relate?
Whenever a special occasion is on the rise and you need to look right, reach for your classic LBD! Just because you’re wearing black, that doesn’t mean that you have to dress boring. The sky is the limit, so use today’s photos and tips to help you perfect your LBD.
Little Black Dress – The Look
Choose the Dress: I have seen so many gorgeous black dresses this holiday. When looking for the perfect one, I recommend choosing something with a bit of texture. That can be anything from lace to brocade. This alone can make your dress stand out from the norm and make it easier to dress down for a non-formal occasion. Don’t you love a little versatility when it comes to your clothing choices?
The Topper: The dress is the foundation or canvas of your look, so once that has been decided upon, choose your outerwear, scarf, or shawl option. Be creative and think colorful or textured or both! A nice print would look great, or even faux fur. I recently saw this look from M Loves M loved how she paired her faux fur toggle jacket with her LBD. The pink bow pumps were an added bonus.
Shoes: Definitely go for a color or something sparkly for a non-formal event. I also like a printed pump or flat. So cute! If you are aching to stay warm, go for a riding or OTK (over the knee) boot. Other cute options could be a traditional bootie or Chelsea boot like the ones I’m wearing. If you’re a trendsetter, try the popular sock boot.
Little Black Dress – The Finishing Touch
Accessories: You can go simple or over the top. I’ve been loving my black clutch lately and it has really come in handy for daily wear and special events. Check out last week’s post for a ton of cute clutch options in the shopping widget. Statement jewelry is always fun for the holidays and a nice way to elevate your look. If you’re not a necklace or bracelet person, go for a statement cocktail ring or even a pair of earrings. Find something that embodies your personal style and wear it with confidence!
Makeup: I love false lashes but always struggle to apply them. I usually ask my husband for help (lol) or a friend. If this sounds like you, check out this video. It’s genius! I really wish I saw this years ago. She makes applying lashes a cinch!
How do you keep your LBD from looking drab? Please share in the comments. If you liked today’s post let me know and also remember to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Bloglovin.
Shop the post:
Dress: J.Jill c/o | Necklace: Callura via Zulily c/o | Earrings: SugarFix by Baublebar c/o | Ring: Happiness Boutique c/o | Boots: Naturalizer | Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs (via thredUP) | Lashes: First Glance Lashes c/o| Lipstick: Neutrogena MoistureSmooth color stick (Rich Raisin) c/o
*c/o: courtesy of or gifted.
📷’s by Luba Kochubey Portraits
3 Year Blogiversary + The Prettiest Tulle Dress
I can’t believe I made it to year three (actual blogiversary is on 10/6)! This time last year I was contemplating giving up the blog. I was definitely feeling like my progress was stagnant, but according to some sources, year three is when things start to happen. This gave me hope and allowed me to quantify my progress: year one is for learning, year two is for putting things in motion, and year three is for scaling and growth.
Celebrating a blogiversary is like gearing up for a new year. It’s that time to reflect and begin thinking of new ideas and goals. My jewelry line is just one example. I wrote about launching it all the way back in January of 2016. At the time, I just had too much going on and knew that if I wanted to really pursue this blogging thing, then the jewelry would have to wait. But how cool is it that I finally made it happen?! Who cares if it took almost two years from when I spoke about it. The point is that I actually did it! Let this be a lesson to anyone who has a dream, it can happen and will, you just have to take the steps to get it done.
Blog Accomplishments
- Improved writing. I’ve always felt insecure about my writing. Earlier this year, I went ahead and hired someone to proofread my posts. She primarily looks at grammar and whether things sound awkward, but it’s been life-changing and allowed me to spend less time reworking a post and more time doing the things I love. It’s also helped me become a better writer and recognize patterns. Kristyn has since helped me scale and work on things like gearing up my monthly newsletter and jewelry line.
- Monthly Newsletter. Email lists are so important! In this business, you’re constantly bombarded with growing your list. This is something I’ve had on my to-do for a long time. My hope is to bridge the gap between me and my readers. I want my content to be more relevant to what they’re wanting. The newsletter is a direct way to communicate this to me.
- Work ahead of schedule. At the end of July, I had three months of content planned out and about half of them written. This has truly given me room to breathe and create at my own pace rather than coming up with something every week. Again, I have my good friend Kristyn to thank for that! With her savvy editing skills, I can really get a leg up in my other blogging goals.
- Sponsored content. I’ve finally begun to get sponsored posts! When you’re sponsored by a brand, you are not only gifted product but paid to share about the brand. I am very selective with whom I work with and turned down a lot of opportunities. It has to be a good fit for me and my audience. My photography expenses are pretty spendy, so having sponsored content to cover the cost of photos is something I am working towards.
Blog Learnings
- Get help. If I’ve learned anything this year is you can’t do it all on your own. Plus, it’s much more fun when you have others to collaborate with and friends who support you in your dreams.
- Make lists. Most nights I find it incredibly hard to shut down and get to bed early. I tend to keep all my to-dos in my head. Making a list and doing a mind dump gets it out on paper and allows me to step away and feel confident when I return.
Blog Goals
- Bring in more sponsored content and brand collaborations to cover blogging expenses. I would love to be able to establish some long-term partnerships rather than one-time gigs.
- Connect more with my readers and create content they love. My newsletter will help with this.
- Lace & Pearls Jewelry is an extension of this blog and my love for jewelry. I hope to do some craft shows, sell stuff online, and have my products in several stores by end of 2018.
If you don’t take anything else from today’s post, remember this. Go for your dream, no matter how big or small it is. The worst that can happen is it doesn’t work. On the flip side, it could be a huge success. Don’t go through life wondering what if, instead think I will!
The Prettiest Tulle Dress
For this milestone, I wanted to wear a party dress but still remain true to my personal style. This tulle dress hit the mark and is one that I will definitely wear repeatedly. I like that it can easily be dressed down. I was tempted to pair it with some booties but decided against it.
If you’re a girly-girl like me then definitely grab this dress! I have a feeling it will go fast. Oh, I almost forgot to call out these gorgeous earrings! They’re SugarFix by Bauble Bar. They’re the perfect blush pink and totally my style. The necklace is one of my own designs and will be available soon to shop.
A big thank you to those who have supported my blogging journey! Every comment, visit, and acknowledgment means more than you know. Most of all, hugs and kisses to my sweet mom who is still my biggest cheerleader in every facet of my life. Love you much!
Shop the Post:
Dress: Asos | Jacket: Gap (similar) | Necklace: Lace & Pearls Jewelry | Earrings: Sugarfix by Bauble Bar c/o | Shoes: Josef Seibel | Clutch: Banana Republic (old)
📷’s by Luba Kochubey Portraits