Well, Hello There

Stitch Fix. It's one of the hottest subscription boxes out there delivering five clothing pieces to subscribers on a bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. Simply take the style quiz, add a note for your stylist and viola, you're good to go. While this all sounds peachy keen, there's one issue potential fixers face while deciding whether or not they should take the styling service leap, almost every review on the top Google search results is a paid ad for the service. Whether it's a bold statement at the top of a blog or the fine print near the bottom, finding an honest review of Stitch Fix where the writer isn't shilling out an affiliated link is frustratingly difficult. I know this because before I signed up for the service earlier this year I was in the same boat, I knew the reviews were biased, but I was still curious. It was finally a nudge from one of my coworkers and an add on the Jenna & Julien podcast that set me over the edge, I took the style q...

Between the epic museums, awe-inspiring monuments and perfect sunny weather, my four-day trip in Washington DC flew by way too fast. Although I only skimmed the surface of all the awesome things this city has to offer I had a great first visit. Here are a few of the trip highlights. Monuments by Moonlight On the first night of our trip, we booked Old Town Trolley Tours’ fabulous Monuments by Moonlight tour. The trolley promptly arrived at our hotel in National Harbor (aka in bum f*** Egypt) at 6:30 p.m. and we embarked on a very windy ride down the freeway towards the heart of DC. Upon arriving at Union Station we boarded an even larger trolley where we met our tour guide “Hollywood” for the night. We made a number of big stops throughout the duration of the evening including: the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In addition to getting an up close...

I recently checked a visit to NOLA off my bucket list and was impressed with all the city had to offer. A diverse mix of locals and tourists, music everywhere and an interesting art scene, our five days in New Orleans were well spent.  Exploring the French Quarter  Now I know that most people will tell you not to spend your trip trapped in the French Quarter, but man, there is just so much to see and do there. Odds and ends shops, tantalizing food and of course, booze, the French Quarter is jam-packed with excitement every which way you look. So, like the tourists that we were, we went against the abovementioned advice and spent a good chunk of our time exploring it and I'm glad to report that we didn't feel it was time wasted.  Once the home of early European settlements, the French Quarter has plenty of interesting history to explore including the intricate iron-detailed buildings that line the streets. Tiered and colorful, the architecture of this...

New Orleans' rich history made for the perfect setting for season three of AHS, Coven. From Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau to deranged mass murderer Delphine LaLaurie, these figures weren't just characters in a TV show, they were real people who lived out their days in The Big Easy and who left their mark on the city forever. Now, AHS did take a few artistic liberties, for example, Laveau and LaLaurie weren't sworn enemies, in fact, they weren't even alive during the same time period. But AHS also got some things right, in addition to crafting Gris-Gris bags for healing and good luck Marie Laveau really was a hairdresser and Delphine LaLaurie was indeed as dark and sinister as portrayed. If you find yourself in NOLA and want to do some Coven-inspired sight-seeing here are a few stops you won't want to miss.  Marie Laveau's Tomb  Nestled in the famed St. Louis Cemetary No. 1 , you'll need to join a tour group to experience this piece of living history as it...

I was inspired to write this post after seeing a similar article on Buzzfeed a while back. The challenge is simple, have your s/o choose your outfits for one week, take some pics and reflect. My everyday style tends to be pretty business casual and consists of a whole lot of black. I also own an abundance of warm colors like red and orange and have a soft spot for military greens. I used to take a lot of pride in my fashion *lewks* when I was younger but I'd definitely say my everyday style choices have gotten a bit more basic over the years. That being said, I still like to spice it up with an edgy outfit every once and a while. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of my normal outfit choices (also, sorry for the lack of good outfit pics, looking through my photos I realized I never take full body/outfit shots.... maybe I should have planned for this better 😋). Day 1 - For the first day of the challenge Jake chose a tan v-neck t-shirt, a blue cardigan, and some skin...

It wasn't until I began giving a friend oodles of self-care and wellness tips that I realized I have a lot of knowledge to share. My mental health journey has been in full swing for a few years now and I've tried a lot of different things to see what works best for me. Wellness is different for everyone, but here are a few things I found work especially well for me.  https://bit.ly/2FwkVHx Meditation  The Headspace meditation app has been a literal godsend in my life. Forming a daily meditation practice continues to prove to be difficult, however, when I take the time to commit I can truly feel meditation change my life. Since starting my Headspace journey a little less than a year ago I've learned how to observe my thoughts for what they are and how to live in the moment. I've felt significantly less anxious and I've conquered mental roadblocks I never thought possible.   Fitness Nothing banishes a bad mood like a killer workout. I signed up for a...

“It’s made out of real goat hair,” said Izzy Jaecks. “And this year I added 121 bells.” Huddled around a circular table within the cozy confines of the Riverwest Public House, Jaecks’ colleagues listened attentively. “It totals about 40 pounds, but it’s attached to my body so it’s not a big deal,” said Jaecks. Dark matted-fur, twisted wooden horns and glowing red eyes, the group had been perfecting their costumes for months. The group was preparing for Krampusnacht, the one night of the year that St. Nick’s ghoulish partner has his fun. Good boys and girls will wake up to toys and treats in their stockings while those on the naughty list are met with dread. “Krampus puts a switch in your boot if you’re bad,” said Cast Member Kael Starr. “He either whips you with a switch or throws you in a sack to take you to the underworld where he keeps you in a cage until quite frankly, he’s ready to eat you.”  The story of Krampus isn’t exactly the feel-good tale of Christmas cheer we’re...

B.O. Let's face it, we all have it. On my quest to go cruelty-free I've tried natural deodorants aplenty. Some made my skin get rashy, some made my pits feel like a raging river of sweat and others, well, they just didn't get the job done(if ya know what I mean). So, after failure upon failure, I was beginning to have my doubts about natural deodorants. I thought maybe my pits were just too powerful for my own good. However, that nagging feeling persisted as I reached the end of my stick of Old Spice Amber, I still wanted to go natural. Enter Aromaco. Aromaco is a solid natural deodorant sold by Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. Hesitant to give into the hype, I asked a sales associate for a sample of this bad boy near the beginning of summer. They paired it with one of their powder deodorants, the Greeench, and promised me my wild pits would remain under control even on the most dreadful of summer days. As a novice Lushie at the time and as someone who felt failed by nat...

Somebody call Lush-a-holics anonymous because ya girl is an addict. Walking into a Lush store is like walking into a gloriously scented Candyland for beauty lovers. Colorful products line the walls as sales associates happily greet you. The workers are quick to strike up a conversation about your cool hat, new tattoo, or your luscious locks and before you know it you feel as if they're your long lost BFF. Deciding what to touch, smell and sample first can be overwhelming because you find yourself literally wanting to see it all. Luckily, the sales associates are there to help, offering product demos and plenty of advice to help you discover which products you want to take home (and if you're nice they'll throw in plenty of samples to sweeten the deal). Almost immediately after entering the store for the first time I had a feeling I'd be hooked. Luckily, Lush is a store I can feel good about supporting because all of their products are made with eth...

The Sound of Music didn't lie, the hills are alive in Salzburg, Austria. Famous for beautiful scenery, high-end shopping and of course, a little someone named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg is a destination worthy of anyone's European bucket list. While we only spent two nights in this medieval mountain town, we enjoyed our time dodging rain clouds and exploring the city. Here were some of our favorite experiences. Getreidegasse  Shopping and souvenirs, check. Adorable, totally instagramable streets, check. A big a$$ castle perched atop a massive hill, check. Getreidegasse is a Salzburg hotspot for tourists and locals alike. Get lost exploring the winding cobblestone roads, grab a bite to eat at an outdoor plaza or check out some local history. Composition fans rejoice, Getreidegasse happens to be the birthplace of one of the world's favorite composers, Mozart. Being Mozart's hometown is not a claim to fame that Salzburg takes lightly. If you take a look a...

The Kehlsteinhaus, aka the Eagle's Nest, sits over 6,000 ft high in the Berchtesgaden Alps. Originally built as a birthday present for Adolf Hitler, this chalet structure is a survivor of the Third Reich with spectacular 360-degree views of the surrounding land. Today the Kehlsteinhaus acts as a restaurant/picture perfect viewing point where visitors can explore the same rooms that were once occupied by Germany's most infamous historical figures. Enjoy lunch, grab a beer or simply take in the breathtaking scenery. Drinkers beware, the Eagle's Nest has no shortage of steep drops and isn't exactly a place you'd want to be tipsy.  While the view upon the top of this alpine wonder is simply serene, getting there isn't exactly relaxing. The peak of the mountain can only be reached by one road, Kehlsteinstrasse, on a specially designed bus. Kehlsteinstrasse is one of the highest mountain roads in the entire country with a max gradient of 24 percent and an ...

After spending a ballin' week in Berlin we were ready for part two of our adventure, a six-hour drive on the Autobahn to Regensburg. What was on the agenda? First, a fabulous evening at the historic Altstadthotel in the town square followed by more driving in the morning to reach our final destination, Bavaria. This leg of the trip was rather historical filled with medieval cities and majestic castles. Regensburg Boasting the title of "Germany's best-preserved medieval city", Regensburg is a sight to be seen. Endless shops, local restaurants and great places to grab a drink line the city's many winding, cobblestone streets. During our short stint at Regensburg, it was evident that the ancient city is a hot tourist attraction for visitors and locals alike. When in Regensburg be sure to visit the Steinerne Brueke (Stone Bridge), which is a stone bridge that carried tourists and traders across the Danube river since the 1100s. https://bit.ly/2liBRG5 ...