#BBBos Blogging Summit Recap

On Saturday I took a short break from family things and headed over to the Blog Better Boston summit, held at the Boston.com offices. 

I'm no model, but I was forced into the step & repeat to show off my dressed up denim. I only look slightly uncomfortable here.

Things I love: MK tortoiseshell watch and MK bag, Seychelles booties

white blazer from The Loft, Lucky Brand jeans from Lord and Taylor, coral lace top from Marshall's, ModCloth necklace, name plate necklace from Etsy

MiniLuxe manis? Yes, please.

This is my learning pose. (Sidenote: My hair is really long, isn't it?)

Photos from David Brooks Photography

I had a great time learning with other bloggers and meeting new people!

So great to meet you ladies: Noelle of Rue Le Chat, Amanda of Prim and Propah, Smita of Hogger and Co, Susan of Susan Style Blog, Alana of Good Girl Gone Blog, Holly of Holly Dolly, Emily of Emily's Going Nuts, Brooke from Insparisian, Kenzie from Cave Girl in the City

scary moments + thankful for blessings

Can I be honest for a minute? For the first time ever, I felt like I could have lost one of my sisters. And that was the weirdest, most terrible feeling ever. The past 10 days have been a whirlwind of hospital rooms, cafeteria food, early mornings and late nights, hugs, new friends, and a lot of blessings.

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I am so thankful to live in Boston, which is a spirited city that fights for its people. I am so thankful to the doctors and nurses, the civilians and EMTs who came across my sister and helped her. And I am so, so thankful that I still have both of my sisters. I cannot imagine life without them.

photo by Mary Costa

If you are interested in updates on my sister while she recovers, please visit this Facebook page. We still have a long road ahead of us, but we are thankful nonetheless.

#BostonStrong forever and ever

#BostonStrong

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You have probably heard of the horrific bombings that happened Monday at the Boston Marathon. Unfortunately, my sister was there, and has been hospitalized with some pretty bad injuries. She is expected to make a full recovery, but please excuse my blogging absence while I hang out with my awesome big sister and help her along the way.

You are welcome to view the Facebook page we are keeping updated (and feel free to leave words of encouragement - my sister loves to hear them):
https://www.facebook.com/RecoveryForBrittanyLoring

Thanks so much, and stay #BostonStrong

designing a sitting room

One of the items on my to do list is to redo one of the bedrooms in our house, which is going to become a sitting room/2nd living room. It's currently T's office and has nothing but a desk and ginormous book shelf in it.

My must haves for the room: 

- It has to be comfortable.

- It has to be functional as a TV room/sitting room/living room.

- It needs to be bright. The walls are a light teal color, which we won't be painting over (for now, anyway).

baby fox prints // blue lamp // boxwood topiary

loveseat // ottoman // pillow // mirror

The ottoman serves as a coffee table (with a simple tray on top), as well as storage (hooray for storage ottomans!). I love the baby animal prints, but if we decide against those it would be in favor of photos of Sprout, whose face kills me with cuteness.

I mean, look at this face- can you even?

Anyway, designing a sitting room... Have you put a lot of thought into designing any rooms in your home lately?

Tuesday Shoesday

I actually audibly gasped when I saw that ideeli still had my size in these BCBG Max Azria stunners, and T thought something was wrong - and then he reminded me that we're budgeting for a million different things, and so I had to pass them up. This time. Seriously. How gorgeous are these cut outs!

weekend recap

My weekends have been jam-packed lately, but definitely not in a bad way.

Saturday I spent some time volunteering at the Belle of the Ball event in Boston, which gives donated prom dresses, shoes, and accessories to girls who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to go to prom.

I wanted to volunteer last year but was unable to due to travel, so I was really excited to take part this year. I played personal shopper, which was great. Remember how exciting it was to pick out the perfect dress?

I also finally made it to one of the new paint bars in Boston, which was a belated birthday activity my sister and I had set up for our mom. This was my "in progress" shot of the Boston skyline painting we did.

If you're in Boston, happy Patriots Day and Marathon Monday (and a special happy birthday to my big sister)! If you're elsewhere in the world, happy regular Monday!

Friday writing: the career 20-something

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There has been a lot of hype recently around career moms:  women who are trying to "have it all", both at home and in their careers. We've heard from Yahoo!'s CEO, Marissa Mayer, that no one should work from home (while she has a nursery next to her office). We've heard from Facebook's CEO, Sheryl Sandberg, that women with children can have it all, but it is expensive and doesn't work for everyone.

But who is talking about the career 20-something, who doesn't yet have a family of her own? She's that girl who is trying to figure out her career, have a successful relationship, maintain meaningful friendships, and truly find her place in life.

Sure, there's The Everygirl, a site dedicated to 20-somethings with career tips, finance info, and highlights on some fab women. But one website in a sea of over 63 million sites built using Wordpress is not enough. And there are some books on the topic- I read The Quarterlife Crisis a few years ago- but books on the bottom shelf don't help too much if a 20-something reads them but her manager at work has an entirely different view of how to succeed in the workplace.

From what I've read, I've learned to speak up for myself, to sit myself at the table (both literally and figuratively), and not take "no" for an answer. But from real life I've been taught to stay quiet, not to ask for what I want, and to do what my superiors ask without questioning. So what is a girl to do?

Until more people are talking about the 20-something who is working her way into a successful career (anyone?), on the side being a good sister, a great friend, and a fabulous girlfriend, I am going to do what I feel works for me.

Why? Because...

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getting shifty

In honor of last night's Mad Men premiere, a duo of shift dress outfits for both day and night...

day

shift dress // heels // sunglasses // handbag

night

shift dress // heels // clutch

I have a clutch like this night version from my mom, and I love the feel of it. These dresses and shoes - I wish my budget would allow for them!

Happy Friday!

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This weekend is the long-awaited return of Mad Men, and I cannot wait. Now that midterm week is over, I can breathe a little, spend some quality time with my DVR, get outside to enjoy the spring weather, and pick up where I left off on bridal shower planning for my sister's wedding.

Some things to check out this weekend:

• Some Roger Sterling (Mad Men) one-liners
• Love, love, love the details in Alaina's home tour
• I'm looking at ideas for redecorating a room in the house, and these pillows are at the top of my list
• Dying over these shoes Meg included in her must-haves for Spring

Have a fabulous weekend!

Her Style: Brittany

Have you ever looked around and wondered why people dress how they do?
Today is my first post in a new series, Her Style, where I will feature stylish ladies in my life:  Who they are, what they wear, and why.

First up is my big sister, Brittany. An avid commenter of my blog (thanks, B!), she has always encouraged me to do what makes me happiest. A little about her in her own words: "I'm a full-time graduate student in law and business in the Boston area about to graduate and re-enter the workforce."

I asked Brittany to wear an outfit that showed off her style but was comfortable. Here's what she chose:

"I chose this outfit because it incorporates pieces that make me look put together, but that are fairly effortless.  Classic blazers really suit my lifestyle because they make any outfit look polished. I also really love this new shirt because it's so colorful and spring-like.  After the long winter, I'm ready for the warm weather!"

On Brittany

Banana Republic jeans // Floral shirt from Halogen at Nordstrom (also love this one and this one) // Olivia Moon blazer // Steve Madden flats (old, similar here) // Feather necklace: gift from Etsy // Movado watch (similar)

I jumped in for a photo with Brittany. Where she chose to celebrate springtime by wearing sparkly flats, I stuck to my black tights and suede boots.

And then we let Mom get behind the camera, and she shared with us that she "always wanted to be a photographer", inching closer to us in a crouched position, which is why we're both making a face. Trying to smile for a photo while you're laughing is no easy task.

Cynthia Rowley floral dress, #fabfound at Marshall's (similar) // Steve Madden belt (similar) // Loft sweater (old, similar here) // BaubleBar tassel necklace // Barneys suede boots