how to celebrate galentine's day!

what is galentine's day?

a day dedicated to quality time with your favorite girlfriends!

grab your girl tribe, wear all pink, and enjoy chocolate, ice cream and

other delicious treats. it's the perfect excuse to indulge a bit

and celebrate your friendship. 

not sure how to celebrate? 

i rounded up a list of my top (local) galentine's activities and destinations -

simply grab your gal pal(s), party shoes and keep reading!

for brunch:

jenn from hello rigby, julia from style and cheek and i 

met for brunch at pomegranate bistro, located in redmond.

their coffee and eggs benedict are delicious! i also love

the wood fire breakfast pizza.

and don't forget to grab a macaroon on your way out the door!

other brunching favorites? tillikum place cafe in seattle 

and red twig bakery and cafe in edmonds are equally tasty!

looking for smoothies and green juice:

looking something on the healthier-side?

freshly squeezed juices are the perfect accompaniment

 to a neighborhood walk while catching up with your 

girlfriends! i frequent assembly hall and jujubeet.

the 'crouching spinach hidden parsley'

from assembly hall has quickly become a juice i crave

(made with strawberries, spinach, pineapple, beets and parsley).

for dessert:

jenn and i may or may not be be biased, but molly moon's ice cream

is always at the top of our list! the stupmtown coffee, 

salted caramel and cookie dough flavors

are sure to put a smile on your face.

the handmade waffle cones come highly recommended by us, too!

not in the mood for ice cream?

fran's chocolates or general porpoise doughnuts in seattle,

and cupcake royale in queen anne or ballard are

other favorite dessert destinations!

for shopping:

if you're looking for an adorable boutique experience, 

lika love, located in west seattle and madison park,

is sure to be enjoyable! shop owner, malika, carries

gorgeous accessories, fun prints,  and of course, all the jewelry

a girl could want (and more!).

if you're a thriftaholic like me,

the new goodwill in redmond is a must-visit.

i went a week after the store opened, and i may or may not

have spent two hours inside (i had to look at and try on everything!).

i brought home like-new dolce vita wedges and the animal 

print flats i'm wearing here.

additionally, the winter clearance is still on 

at zara (my skirt was $15!), and many of the dresses,

sweaters, and handbags are priced at less than $20!

photos by jenn from hello rigby

sweater: nordstrom rack, turtle neck: j.crew (exact here),

sneakers: new balance (similar here), metallic skirt: zara (similar here),

purse: tj maxx, ring: forever 21

and of course, every galentine's celebration requires a festive outfit. 

this romantic, lace blouse or this moto-style pink skirt 

are perfect for any occasion!

jenn and i arrived at brunch in metallic skirts

 and matching hues of pink. be sure to see her full post and 

outfit details here.

happy galentine's day!

xoxo.

a birthday weekend

^^^ a few photos from my iPhone as of late ^^^

this past weekend, i celebrated my 28th birthday!

i took an extra day off from work, slept in, had my hair cut, and 

indulged in far too many donuts, cookies, and several pieces of chocolate cake;

any semblance of healthy eating went out the window (as it should, right?!). 

my coworkers spoiled me with dessert, gorgeous spring flowers,

and a canvas painting that is decorated with the handprints of each of

the toddlers in my class (it's pictured above, and i cannot stop smiling

each time i look at it). being a toddler teacher can be difficult at times, but 

incredibly rewarding, too! i often wish they would listen better, clean up 

after themselves, and walk in the classroom, but i couldn't be happier to spend each 

day with them. i absolutely love the painting they made for me :) 

27, you've been good to me! 

i started a new job, spent a great deal of time with friends and family, 

traveled to tennessee, california, and hawaii, 

and pursued my passions for both writing and fashion on this little blog.

as far as other less exciting // unsubstantial milestones, 

i discovered a love for smoothies (green juice no longer tastes like grass!)

and stopped biting my nails. sometimes you have to celebrate and recognize

the small accomplishments, right? 

thank you to everyone who helped me to celebrate my birthday this year;

you sure know how to make a girl feel loved!

and 28, i can't wait to see what's in store.

xoxo. 

happy valentine's day, with cupcakes!

^^^ cheers! with cupcakes, of course! ^^^

happy valentine's day, everyone! 

today i'm collaborating with my favorite, asa of 

lace & pearls. we shared a casual holiday-inspired look earlier this week,

and today we are back with cupcakes, tutus, and all things girly!

while i love any excuse to purchase and eat cupcakes (ours are

from here), this year, i'm looking forward to a more laid back, relaxing day.

i like the idea of celebrating 'love' and plan to remind those most important 

to me that i love and appreciate them!

and now, for our outfits -

when planning this shoot, asa and i opted for a more dressy, feminine theme.

then came the idea to wear tutus; i love how well our looks came together,

and both would be perfect for a dinner date, night out 

with girlfriends, or a visit to your favorite, local cupcake shop!

what we're wearing

on megan

sweater: forever 21

tutu (dress worn as a skirt): target (old)

necklace: francesca's (similar here)

flats & purse: thrifted (via goodwill)

rings: endless knot

on asa

sweater: ann taylor (similar here)

tutu: club monaco (similar here)

broach: vintage

rings: gorjana & nadri

bracelet: j.crew (old)

purse: old navy (similar here)

shoes: dr. scholl's (exact here)

^^^ prior to this shoot, i wanted to purchase a red handbag and

some other fun, valentine's-inspired accessories. i visited my local

seattle goodwill, and they didn't disappoint! i absolutely love this purse

and patent, pointed toe ballet flats. when the total cost for both was less than $20, 

my bank account was thrilled, too (!!!)! ^^^

photos by michelle dorman photography

this was probably one of my favorite outfit shoots

to date! snacking on desserts while taking photos may have helped, too :) 

be sure to visit asa's blog to see additional photos.

and happy valentine's day everyone; i love you!

xoxo.

pink & polka dots

^^^ nothing says 'spring, are you here yet?' quite like 

a pink blouse and polka dots! sunny seattle weather, please stick around ^^^

today, i'm collaborating with my dear blogging friend, asa, 

of lace & pearls for a casual valentine's day-inspired look.

whether you're celebrating with your honey, brunching with girlfriends, 

or simply relaxing (while eating copious amounts of chocolate, 

like i plan to do), ballet flats, denim, and a pop of pink is the perfect

look for valentine's day. 

^^^ i love how well our looks compliment one another! 

asa's peplum sweater is fun and perfect with the distressed denim, 

and her accessories make me want to purchase a vintage broach ^^^

what we're wearing:

on megan

jacket: endless knot (similar here)

blouse: endless knot

jeans: gap (similar here)

flats: thrifted (via value village)

clutch: c/o bellevue collection

necklace: loft

ring: c/o lika love

on asa

sweater: ann taylor (exact here)

jeans: zara (similar here)

bracelet: thrifted

rings: gorjana (old) & nadri (similar here)

earrings: nordstrom rack

broach: j.crew (similar here)

flats: sam edelman (gold version here)

photos by michelle dorman photography

be sure to check back later this week for our second valentine's-inspired outfit. 

you can see more photos from our shoot by visiting asa's blog!

i'm off to enjoy a few more delicious chocolate treats, courtesy of my roommate!

xoxo.

put a ring on it

^^^ with robbins brothers! ^^^

last week, i had the pleasure of attending the perfect valentine's day (month?)

'kick off party' hosted by my local robbins brothers. 

i ate cupcakes for dinner and tried on more gorgeous diamond rings

than i thought one could ever try (and susequently fell in love with several 

different cuts and styles. can i have them all?)

^^^ trying on jewelry is the perfect excuse to leave work early for a manicure, right?

and this ring! oh goodness, how it sparkles! ^^^

photos by clare spano

after i consumed far too many chocolate truffles and cupcakes, 

i continued trying on rings and decorated a mini champagne bottle with gold glitter.

everything is better when it sparkles, right? 

i was also introduced to the friendly ladies from skoah and took

a few silly photos in the photo booth robbins brothers set up in the store!

the highlight, however, was at the end of the night - i won a giveaway!

i swear i have the most terrible luck, and i don't think i have ever 

won anything (aside from possibly a christmas-themed coloring contest when i was six).

i won a gorgeous pendant necklace, and i cannot wait

to share photos here soon. thank you, robbins brothers, and 

happy early valentine's day to me (!!!).

and as a very special treat, i am being featured on the robbins brothers blog!

i'm sharing my top five places to kiss in the seattle area -

dinner at matt's in the market, a ferry ride to bainbridge island, 

a walk through sculpture park, and a few other fun and romantic local spots.

you can read the full post here.

xoxo.

casual holiday wear with lika love

happy tuesday, everyone! 

today i am linking up with the adorable asa, from lace & pearls.

asa is a project manager for a local hospital by day, 

and fashion blogger in any and all of her free time!

asa and i connected via social media a few months ago, 

but we recently had the pleasure of meeting in person.

it amazes me what a kind and welcoming place the blogging

community can be. i feel like i have so many 'friends' - many 

of whom i have never actually met - only communicated with on the internet.

asa and i are fortunate to live about ten minutes away from one
another; it makes collaborations, like this one, as well as
coffee dates, swapping outfit ideas, and attending fashion-related events
together, easy!

for this shoot, we collaborated with malika, founder and owner of
local boutique, lika love. malika began her business
as a mobile fashion boutique - her red fashion truck can be spotted
around the city. in fact, i first met malika two years ago when walking along alki beach.
i saw the words 'fashion truck' and knew i had to go inside!

^^^ i love this girl! ^^^

and now, our outfits! asa and i made a trip 

to lika love, at the madison park location, this past weekend. 

we tried on almost everything in the boutique and had a

difficult time deciding what to bring home; everything was adorable! 

ultimately, we chose 'casual holiday-wear,' complete

with cozy sweaters, chic accessories, and ankle boots. 

on megan

sweater: cecico (from lika love, exact here)

leggings: american apparel (exact here)

handbag: from lika love (similar here)

necklace: leia beila (from lika love, similar here)

ring: c/o leia beila (exact here)

boots: dsw

on asa

sweater: cherish (from lika love, exact here)

jeans: j.crew (similar here)

handbag: from lika love (similar here)

ring: c/o lika love 

earrings: from lika love

bracelet: stella and dot

boots: dansko (similar here)

all photos by michelle dorman photography

a special thank you to lika love for collaborating with us on this post.
be sure to visit asa's blog, lace and pearls,
to see her photos from the shoot, and stay tuned for another outfit,
as well as a giveaway from lika love, on thursday!
xoxo.