Stylized Existence

Five Things

by lauren on April 4, 2013

Prague at night - a photo I took during my stay there

I thought I’d pop in as I ease my way back into blogging to share five things that you may not know about me… so here goes!

I have this weird problem when I am about to eat an apple or an orange, I will pull the pesky sticker off and absentmindedly put it on the kitchen counter… or my desk… or wherever I am. I have probably been doing this for years and it has only been brought to my attention because it drives Joe absolutely batty. So now, I will catch myself taking the sticker off my apple, and in the process of placing it somewhere I will FORCE myself to walk over to the garbage can with it instead. But sometimes Joe can still point out stickers when it slips my mind
Despite spending my days looking at clothes online and consulting with people on their own wardrobes, I am VERY deliberate about my purchases and often go through rounds of thought, returns or exchanges before I comfortably settle on a purchase. This stems from the fact that I have always struggled with spending money (I really like to see my bank account continue to grow), so I tend to have buyers’ remorse if I make a rash decision.
I grew up in Pittsburgh (go steelers!), then went to Virginia Tech for college and majored in Finance. I am a proud Hokie and was in the (now defunct at Tech… too much partying) Delta Zeta sorority. Some of the best years of my life.
I got the opportunity to live and work in Prague for 6 months early on in my corporate finance career. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and in my time there, I got to go to Florence (3 times!), Rome, Vienna, Munich, Barcelona, random Czech towns, and Paris. And since then, I have been to London and Lisbon. Florence is still probably my all-time fave. Go there, visit Dolce Forte (a small shop on Via Della Scalla), buy me some Amadei chocolate, and I will love you forever.
I eat healthy about 90-95% off the time, but I really do LOVE all types of food, so I splurge on 1-2 meals per week (and make it a concious decision). I love going out to breakfast (La Poste in Cincinnati started serving brunch about a month ago and it is AMAZING!). We also frequent Dewey’s for a splurge and order half pepperoni/half ryan’s inferno and one of their delicious salads. That’s the thing – if you eat healthy for 19 or 20 meals out of the 21 in the week (assuming you all eat 3 meals a day), the 1 or 2 splurges you make on the weekend will be more satisfying (assuming you don’t have any food allergies and are mindful if you do).

Have a great Thursday and thanks for reading!

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Wanted to put out a quick post to let you all know that things are going to be low key around here while I work on some things in my non-internet life. Don’t worry, it’s nothing too crazy or terrible, but I’ve been having some health issues that are starting to affect me enough to the point that I need to deal with them. One of the ways I am trying to deal is through vastly lowering my stress levels. I gave up caffeine as of 2 weeks ago (a stressor on my system), I’ve also been taking an extended break from my high-intensity CrossFit workouts, and I’ve really reigned in my diet. I’ve also committed to getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night.

So that’s where this blog comes in. First of all, I’ve never been great about working on posts ahead of time, so I usually get home from work, cook dinner, then sit back down for another 2 hours to get a blog post ready for the next day… and then at 10:30 I try to relax my mind enough to fall into a calm sleep at night. It just doesn’t work that well. I know I am only posting 2x per week, and that may not seem like much, but along with a full-time job and wardrobe consulting on the weekends, it’s enough of a stress for me that I know I need to cut it out right now while I work on my health.

I hope you understand how important this blog and you, the readers, are to me. I hope you won’t go too far, as I know I will be back shortly, but at the moment I need to focus on me. I may pop in and share some random tidbits while I am away, but no full-blown content for a bit.

While I am away, I thought I’d leave you with a few links to enjoy!

- One of my favorite blog friends, Gaby from The Vault Files, has been knocking it out of the park lately with content. Go visit her while I am gone to get your fashion fix. I also get daily style inspiration from Liz (and adore her site).

- We decided on LA in a few weeks for a much needed vacation. We’ve narrowed our accommodations down to two contenders – I love this apartment for the rooftop, the ladder, and the books! I love this apartment for the furnishings, the brightness in the apartment, and the Tempurpedic bed! Do you have any restaurant recommendations for us?

- Joe has acquired quite the collection of Nike’s over the last few months. His shoes are now making me jealous. He has this awesome pair called the Jordan Spizikes in the Bordeaux color and I like that it’s his way of embracing “style”. His shoes are also inspiring me to get a pair of dunks (I finally found and ordered these and I am so obsessed!!!!!!) I am going to wear them with skinny jeans. So psyched to change up my style.

- I love looking at the photos on this blog – they’re so beautiful, aren’t they? Bonus: The recipes are all clean-eating, feel good recipes.

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Affordable Spring Dresses

by lauren on March 21, 2013

I know I post a fair amount of expensive items on the blog, but I don’t want you to get the idea that you can’t look amazing on a budget. There are so many really pretty dresses out there right now, so I wanted to show you 8 dresses that I’d be happy to have in my closet, especially for these low prices. There’s a good mix of girly, preppy, and relaxed in the selection above, so hopefully you can all find at least one dress that fits your style. Which dresses would you like to add to your wardrobe?

One: Old Navy | Two: Gap | Three: Forever 21 | Four: Forever 21

Five: Forever 21 | Six: Lulus | Seven: Old Navy | Eight: Gap

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My favorite healthy indulgences

by lauren on March 19, 2013

I’ve been trying to follow a pretty “clean” way of life for a few years now and try not to put too many chemicals on or in my body – I also aim to eat as healthfully as I can. I try not to make myself (or the people around me) crazy with these choices, because it definitely shouldn’t be an added stress in my life, and if it becomes one, at that point it sort of defeats the purpose of trying to do a good thing for my body. Honestly, though, it can be really tough sometimes! I spend a lot of time reading labels and researching things to try to decide whether or not its a good product to use. I have a found a few products that I find myself buying repetitively, so I thought I’d share these healthy choices with you in hopes that if you are trying to make some of the same choices that these might help!

One: When it comes to beauty, I know very very little. But I do know that most of the soaps on the grocery store shelves have a ton of crap in them. I recently found Dr. Bronner’s soap and it’s the only kind of soap I use now. I wash my face with the bar, and use the liquid soap in the shower. The peppermint variety is my personal favorite because it wakes me up a bit in the morning, but the almond is another good choice (although it’s pretty strong, so keep that in mind!) This soap is awesome because the only ingredients are all things that I feel good about. Has anyone tried any of their other products? I’d be interested to hear about them!

Two: This Josie Maran Argan oil is the thing I put on right after I wash my face with #1. I really like to moisturize my face before bed and let my skin soak in the goodness all night. It leaves no oily residue – just soft skin.

Three: I haven’t had soda in years, but occasionally I get the craving for something other than still, plain water. LaCroix is basically just fizzy water with different natural flavorings mixed in. Currently the pamplemousse (grapefruit) is my favorite, but I have never tried the coconut and that flavor seems to get rave reviews. Lime is also good, but steer clear of the peach-pear (BLECH!) and berry flavors…. because if you ever drank berry flavored vodka in college – let’s just say it will bring back some not-so-good memories.

Four: A “special” treat – at $3.50ish per bottle, GT’s Kombucha certainly isn’t cheap, but it really helps with my sugar cravings. Of all of the varieties, I think the most sugary of the bunch only has 8 or 9 grams of sugar in the whole bottle, and the one I like the best (Synergy with the rainbow label) only has 4g of sugar. It can be kind of fizzy, so don’t shake it up! Some have a more “interesting” taste than others, but they’re full of good bacteria and these drinks help me keep my sugar cravings in check.

Five: Another treat when I am trying to eat clean – these macaroons are also low in sugar but are so rich that I only need to eat one to feel satisfied. They’re completely gluten & grain free, raw, and are made with very high quality ingredients. I’ve only tried the chocolate and blonde (blonde aka vanilla is better in my opinion) but I just checked their website and apparently they also come in Salty Caramel and Strawberry Almond…. uh, yum! Definitely going to need to try those soon.

Six: A simple snack that satisfies me every time – a ripe banana with some Justin’s almond butter and cinnamon sprinkled on top. Simple, easy, and delicious.

What are your favorite healthy indulgences? Anything to share with me?

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Vacation choices + wardrobe ideas

by lauren on March 14, 2013

Joe and I are currently having the hardest time trying to pick a place for a long weekend getaway in April. We’ve both been feeling a little over worked, tired, and generally “blah”, so we’ve decided an April vacation is exactly what we need. The problem, for us, with planning a vacation is that there are so many cool places we want to visit. Currently sitting at the top of the list is LA (and Venice and Santa Monica) because we need a little sunshine and we’re both big foodies. Healthy diet aside, I’ve spent the last few years drooling over Joy Cho’s photos from restaurants all over the LA area, and we’re itching to eat at places like Bottega Louie, The Hart and the Hunter, and Animal. And there are such cute places to rent on Air BnB!

Another place we found that sounded amazing to us was an all-inclusive wellness resort near Austin called Travaasa Austin. They offer about 20 different short classes per day ranging from fitness to cooking, all of which are included in the price – along with all meals. How amazing would it be to start off the day with 25 minutes of stretching, then onto a hike, a detox yoga class in the afternoon, then round out the evening with a community dinner and wine tasting? Sounds like a relaxing dream to me. I’ve also heard they have a beautiful infinity pool and beautiful spa…. sold yet? Yeah, me too.

Our last thought is to just go kick it on the beach for a long weekend and the Capella Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas looks like heaven. Come on: an infinity pool that stretches right up to the ocean, open air rooms with their own private infinity pools, beach bonfires — I could definitely make this work for a long weekend. The price tag is pretty hefty, but when you’re a DINK family (duel-income-no-kids), you’ve got to enjoy some extravagant things while you have the chance, right? Have you ever splurged on a five-star resort for a non-honeymoon vacation? Did you feel super guilty (like I probably would)?

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How to Style: Floral Blazer

by lauren on March 12, 2013

We’re all itching for Spring at this point, right? Well, except maybe you Southerners… (I’m giving you my evil eye). I was checking Zara’s new arrivals and spotted this gorgeous floral jacket and knew that I wanted to share the ways I would style it. Because there are so many bright colors in the pattern, there are so many ways you can wear this blazer (in fact, I could probably think up at least 5 more)! If you check out the extreme close-up of the blazer on the site, you will see the browns, greens, yellows, pinks, corals, and oranges that litter their way through this print. If you can get over how loud it is (which I certainly can) then you can open yourself up to all of the possibilities for this blazer within your wardrobe.

You may have seen a few style bloggers rock a floral suit last year – so why not try your hand at it with matching floral shorts (only $36!), a basic boatneck tee, and some metallic d’orsay flats (sigh! get in my closet), affordable tiger tortoise sunglasses, and a sleek handbag. I also thought this blazer was screaming to be paired with an equally bright dress, and this yellow trina turk dress does the trick. Suitable for work, but keep it fun by adding strappy neutral heels, some cheapy cat-eye sunglasses and a two-tone $48 clutch. Lastly, dress the blazer down a bit with a flowy chambray tank (a perfect summer staple), white denim, folding aviator sunnies, and some pretty woven flats to pair with the coral in the blazer (also, the cork invitation clutch is back at J. Crew this year so grab it before it sells out again!).

If $100 for a floral blazer isn’t in your budget – consider a cheaper version like this one or this one!

Is this blazer too much for you or would you be willing to give it a try in your wardrobe? How would you wear it?

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My new wardrobe quest

by lauren on March 7, 2013

In Tuesday’s post, I likened the process of growing and editing your wardrobe to a journey – one that needs to be embarked upon with an understanding that there will be bumps along the way and maybe you’ll feel like you’ve gone mad and want to throw away all your clothes occasionally; but hang in there, because it is all a part of the fun of the quest to find your personal style.

I am currently working on switching things up in my wardrobe. I no longer feel like preppy is my style, so as I migrate away from that (which is basically my entire closet) towards chic/eclectic, I am doing what I think is easiest – buying some really sleek shoes. By studying some of my current style icons, I’ve begun to notice just how much a shoe really can change the entire look of an outfit and really take a look from just “so-so” to envy-worthy. For example, Julie of Sincerely Jules wears a lot of basics, both tops and bottoms, but her shoes are usually the thing that catch my eye and really makes the outfit.

Using that example, I put together two outfits to go with two of the pairs of shoes I bought from Zara earlier this week (T-Strap obsession much?) Without the shoes, the outfits are a bit basic, and paired with the wrong shoes, like a average pump, these two outfits wouldn’t be that special. But when you kick them up a notch with an attention-grabbing shoe, the entire look is transformed.

So what do you think – do you agree? Do you feel a shoe is a make-or-break outfit item, or do you think something else in an outfit holds the showstopper quality? I’d be really interested to hear!

Right outfit: Reiss Dress | Loren Hope Necklace | See by Chloé clutch | Sephora by OPI Polish | Zara Studded Sandals

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Enjoy the Journey (both in life and in your closet)

by lauren on March 5, 2013

As I’ve gotten older and worked to evolve into the best possible version of myself, I’ve been doing some reflecting to dig to the depths of why I act the way that I do, what drives my actions, and how I can tweak things. Lately, I’ve been thinking about patience, because for as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with the plague of impatience – wanting things when I want them, and not a minute later. I doubt anyone would say that being impatient is an admirable quality, which is why I have been working on turning it into a positive. Instead of constantly harping on what I want and where I want to go, I’m aiming to enjoy the journey, instead of wishing the destination would just hurry up already.

Accepting the risk that I might sound like a grumpy old man, I think we’re living in a world where we’ve all started to think we are entitled to live this “perfect” life right now and there should be no alternative. I sort of blame Pinterest (but that’s a WHOLE other blog post and I won’t go off on that tangent right now), but what happened to good old fashioned hard work, learning some lessons, enjoying the small victories, and appreciating where we are in our life at this particular point in time?

I’ll give you an example – I currently work at a large conglomerate by day and have worked there in various functions since I graduated from college. It’s a good company, I get paid well, have great benefits and work with really smart people, but that means that I do all of my Wardrobe Consulting and blogging at night and on the weekends. Do I wish I could quit my “safe” job on a whim and consult people on their wardrobes full-time? Of course! But am I going to? Absolutely not!

I know that right now, at this point in my life, I am on a journey. I trust that eventually I will get to a point where I can do wardrobe consulting full-time, but I am not going to wish my days away right now and forgo all of the learning opportunities and experiences that this current situation affords me. Not to mention how lucky I feel that I do get to help amazing women feel good about their outsides, which tends to have a big impact about how they feel on the inside – even if it’s currently only 2 days per week.

The same can be said for creating your dream wardrobe, and although you may think this comparison is silly, it really is true. We’d all like to open our closet and love every single blouse, pair of pants, purse, and pair of shoes. We’d like to say, “Yep. This is it. My wardrobe kicks ass and I look awesome in every single outfit I pick out.” But the reality is that we’re all on a journey and we shouldn’t be wishing that it was all exactly as we’d like it right away. We also shouldn’t need instant gratification to the point that we’re just recklessly spending on new items and purging old things.

Take a step back and think about what you can learn from your current wardrobe, or your current job situation, or any current life situation. Think about what mistakes you’ve made, what smarter decisions you can make in the future and make a plan to get to your ideal wardrobe/job/life. But don’t get caught up in the fact that it’s not perfect – because the fact of the matter is that it probably never will be exactly as you think it should be – and that’s okay. Because it’s the journey where you mold your thoughts and ideals and really truly become something, not the destination.

{image via Vanity Fair by Mark Seliger}

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On my list: wedges

by lauren on February 28, 2013

I am on the hunt for new wedges for summer. Wedges are my personal favorite because they give me height, elongate my legs, but are considerably more comfortable and easier to walk in than heels (admittedly, I am falling out-of-love with high heels). I particularly love the sleek, clean lines of the Michael Kors pair and know they would have a really low cost-per-wear in my wardrobe. I also really like the interesting design of the Kelsi Dagger, and the price tag is a little more friendly than a lot of the others here. Which pair is your favorite?

From top to bottom: Kelsi Dagger / Badgley Mischka / Pour La Victoire / Steve Madden / Michael Kors / Nine West

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Quick Fix Wardrobe Tricks

by lauren on February 26, 2013

I often times find myself getting dressed and thinking of solutions I would like to find for certain wardrobe issues, but always forgetting to follow up on them until I run into the issue again, at which point it is clearly too late. Lately, though, I have been thinking about these wardrobe issues and finding a quick fix until I can make time for a real solution.

The day before I headed out to Alt Summit in Utah, I found a cute, cheap necklace from Forever 21 that I wanted to wear with a blouse. Unfortunately, the necklace wasn’t quite long enough and sat awkwardly over the collar of the blouse. Since I was leaving the next day, there wasn’t time for me to order a proper necklace extender, but I knew the necklace and blouse would look much better if the necklace was about six inches longer. I gave myself 5 minutes to think and came up with a simple solution.

Using a few clear elastics that I already had at home, I took about 7 of them and make a cut through each to make one long piece of elastic instead a loop. Then, I tied ends together to make one long strand of elastics. Once I had about 6 inches of tied elastics, I tied one end to each end of the necklace.

I ended up with a longer necklace and an extender that was clear, so it couldn’t be seen against my blouse (it also helped to have my hair cover up the actual ends and clasp of the necklace, but if you don’t need as much length, those parts of the necklace could sit behind your neck). It was also easy to get over my head since I made it with elastic material. Another option would be to use pretty ribbon and tie a piece onto each end of the necklace, then tie the two pieces together into a pretty bow around your neck. Given that this was a very last-minute solution, I didn’t have any black silk ribbon around the house, but I’ll keep it in mind for the future.

The other issue I commonly run into is sweating while wearing silk blouses – sorry if this grosses you out, but the reality is that a lot of women sweat in silk blouses! And for me, once I realize I am sweating, it stresses me out and I sweat more! While I was at Alt Summit, I really wanted to avoid sweat stains on my shirt, so my roommate Jeran (slightly jokingly) mentioned that I should try putting panty liners on the inside of the silk blouse to see if that might help. I just turned the shirt inside out, placed the liners at the armpit seam, and firmly rubbed the liners so the adhesive was in place. (I put the liners running along the arm seam, so they were running vertically along my armpit, rather than horizontally)

I couldn’t feel the super thin liners, no one could see them, and it completely wicked away any sweat! I will never have to deal with the embarrassment again, nor will I have to dry clean my blouses as often (which is actually quite hard on clothes). One more tip, though: make sure to buy panty liners with end-to-end adhesive (not the cheap Walgreen’s brand like featured above that only have adhesive on the middle), because the adhesive is the key in making sure the liner doesn’t slip around or bunch up!

Do you have any at-home tips you can share? Send me an email (lauren@stylizedexistence.com) if you’d like your tip to be featured on Stylized Existence!

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