LIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- I am extremely proud of myself for walking away from a very toxic situation that I eagerly and optimistically entered into. I found myself mentally drained well before starting my day and routinely ending my day on the worst of notes. There were so many aspects at play that affected my experience—sexism, racism, and general lack of structure—that I decided to walk away on my birthday. Let me tell you, it was the best birthday gift I’ve ever received!
- I made a resolution to stop playing small. I’ll admit this one was tough for me to maintain throughout the year. Lots of way too personal for me to post here details contributed to my feelings that I shouldn’t discuss good things happening in my life. Eyerolls to me for accepting that negative energy but I’m challenging myself to do better this year.
- I made it through 2019. Sometimes you just have to be grateful that you made it through another moment, day, or year. While this was one of my toughest adult years, I’m taking with me the confidence that I have so far survived 100% of my worst days and so have you!
BLOG HIGHLIGHTS
- Experiencing BODE Nashville with friends during my birthday weekend. Is it a hotel? Is it an apartment? Is it like an airbnb? Yes. BODE gives you the best of hotel amenities, the freedom to relax in spacious apartments, and the flexibility to choose your own adventure outside of the property or spend time getting to know your fellow travelers at complimentary events.
- Collaborating with Lilla P for a summer and winter posts. My Lilla P set was definitely the highlight of my Martha’s Vineyard looks! Comfy, versatile, and made to last? Yes, please. I was thrilled to partner with this woman-owned company to share both a summer and a winter look (with a few words of advice, too).
- Sharing my first clean beauty campaign. In an attempt to be better at adulting, I’ve been working to clean up my eating habits, my propensity for overscheduling my personal life, and my beauty/skincare products. I was happy to share my first clean beauty campaign with The Organic Skin Co. and even happier at the response I received from you!
FAVORITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
- Chicago. Excellent shopping, incredible art, and amazing dining experiences await in Chicago. I shared my favorite Chicago eats in this post. While there’s something for every foodie on my list, plant-based reader will be especially delighted by my finds. Check them out here.
- Nashville. I know. I know. I visited Nashville AGAIN this year. What can I say? It’s only a three-hour drive from Memphis and offers up major retailers, a thriving restaurant scene, and a candle pouring class! More on that here.
- Bentonville – Rogers. Bentonville has a special place in my heart. It’s an art lover’s paradise and is one of the first places I featured on my blog. A few of us hopped in the car to attend a Crystal Bridges exhibition opening and decided to discover a bit about Rogers along the way.
MOST BOUGHT + LOVED BY YOU! TOP PRODUCTS OF 2019
- Handbag. Those you following me on Instagram probably grew tired of me wearing this bag every. single. day. with all the things! Or, maybe not? I received DMs each time I featured it on my feed or Stories and it was the top purchased handbag that I shared last year. Intrigued? Grab yours here!
- Lipstick. This one is for my fellow brownies! I’ve found my holy grail red lipstick that’s highly pigmented, vegan, cruelty free, and stays put through a full workday. Yes, yes I did just find the answer to all of our red lipstick dreams. Get your perfect pout here.
- Dress. I found this dress in just enough time to Prime it for a campaign and it did not disappoint. It’s flattering for all body types and comes in eleven different colors. I’m thinking of also grabbing the white one for an all white party that’s coming up in a few months.
- Necklace. I try not to splurge on trendy pieces so I was beyond excited when I found this super affordable dupe. It quickly sold out but it’s baaaaack and I just know you’re going to love yours as much as I love mine.
- Sunnies. Packing for a beach trip? Headed to Diner en Blanc? Looking for a white pair of sunnies to complete your most capable looking outfit? [Name that movie in the comments!] I’ve got you covered with these cateye triangle stunners.
// CLICK TO SHOP //
TOP POSTS OF 2019
STYLE: Day to Night Around Martha’s Vineyard with Lilla P
MEMPHIS: The Top 3 Reasons You Need to Experience ELIXIR
LIFE: 2019 Resolution: Stop Playing Small
FOOD: 11 Chicago Restaurants to Satisfy Every Foodie
TRAVEL: A Nashville Girls Getaway
BEAUTY: Beauty Crush: Keep Your Summer Glow All Year Long
2020 Goals
- Stick with my New Year’s resolution.
- Grow our Instagram community to 10k. It was exactly one year ago when I started sharing blog content on Instagram to my audience of mostly friends and family. We’ve since grown from 500 to 3,500 and you have been cheering me on along the way. Thank you, thank you for supporting my journey!
- Focus more on my website than Instagram. “Girl, didn’t you just say you want to grow your Insta?” Yes. However, I am growing more and more in the understanding that my website it the only platform that I truly own. I’ve seen fellow content creators miss out on thousands of dollars after losing access to their Instagram accounts with no owned website to fall back on. Let this be a lesson for all of us!
- Up my travel content game. You all overwhelming responded to my Stories with requests for more travel/ lifestyle content over beauty/ fashion. I was relieved to see you responses because I don’t consider myself an ‘it’ girl fashion blogger and much more enjoy sharing travel guides. Looking forward to sharing more!
- Keep going!
Thanks for reading this incredibly long post! Your support—likes, saves, shares, comments, and even the criticism—keeps me inspired to continue creating and sharing with you.
Read last year’s highlights!
