Ask anyone nowadays how they’ve been and it seems the answer is always “busy.” There are so many events, work, kids, family, the list goes on and on. Hopefully you are filling your time with things you enjoy doing but it doesn’t make you any less busy! Chelsea, Lindsay, and I have by no means perfected the art of preserving a staple friend date but we’ve been doing pretty good lately with a few simple hacks so we thought we’d share. We all live in different parts of the bay area now, separated by trains, buses, and boats. Literally. This past week, we had a standing dinner date and were talking about how consistent we’ve been lately and how a few things have helped us preserve our cherished time together. In case you need some ideas to get your gal gang back together for some face time, here are some things that have helped us.
- Get it on the calendar. As soon as everyone can agree on a date, we add it to our calendars so we don’t accidentally double book and have to cancel. Give it some space, too. Every week might be too much of a commitment for everyone and being so frequent, might give people a way out since they can just join next week. Not that we are suggesting tricking friends into hanging out :).
- Make it convenient. We’ve been meeting for coffee or dinner at the hub of transportation so before or after our meet ups, each of us can get on or off that train, bus, or boat. Adjust for the groups needs, for example if someone is trying to stick to a diet, go for a walk.
- Make it quality time. If everyone only has an hour to give, make sure everyone has a chance to talk about what’s going on in their lives good or bad.
- Try new places or specials on the menu! We’ve been going to the same place for a few meet ups lately and have tried a few different menu items each time which has been really fun. This brings an added touch of excitement to an already fun meet up.
Here we are trying the lemon shake and an assortment of fries. What can I say, they were delicious!
I also have frequent FaceTime/phone dates with one of my gal gang who has moved out of state. We have a standing calendar save for a phone date but even if we can’t connect that week, we still text and communicate so at least we aren’t letting too much time go by before checking in with each other.
What are some of the ways you’ve been able to make time for friend dates?
(Bodysuit – Madewell they no longer carry this one but 
I love how classy the high neck looks on the body suit now. Someone even complimented it the other day and said it looked like an Audrey Hepburn look the other day. I was so flattered!
A friend passed down these Madewell booties to me and they are so comfortable, I wear them all the time. Also, props for all the clothing swaps I’ve had with my friends and family. I truly get such great use out of hand me downs.
When in doubt, flip it around! Thanks Mallory for your creativity and outfit hacking!
If there’s one thing we also know and love about our Linds is she knows where to find some of the best fashion for a great price. Her outfits are always perfectly put together while also allowing to show her fun and edgy side.
We were loving this oversized bag as well! If you commute, you know sometimes it feels like you need to pack your house in order to accommodate your day.
Every detail was perfect with this outfit. We loved the t shirt with the blazer and all the gold accessories. It was perfection!
When we need glam advice, we go to Linds because she is the definition of glam!
When you are going to a wedding, it is important to look your best but also feel comfortable for a night of dancing and celebrating! I had been eyeing this dress for months and it finally went on sale at Anthropologie (unfortunately it is sold out now). I justified purchasing a dress I really didn’t need because I have so many weddings this year and it is just perfect to wear to a couple of them because it isn’t white! Surprisingly about 70% of my wedding appropriate dresses are white, so I really need to get my act together.
(High/Low front and back of this lace dress gives it a nice flow)
(It has a subtle snap in the front to keep it all together. This necklace was a gift from my grandparents on my 8th grade graduation- it’s still my favorite)
You may have gathered that I am on a quest to invest in quality pieces that be paired in various ways to create new outfits. This shirt was one that I recently picked up and found versatile enough to wear with jeans and skirts in any season. The last few days have been fairly cool which is the perfect time to pull out a shirt like this and make the outfit pop with a burst of color from my purse! Have I told you how much I LOVE this purse? I hope so, because I love it.
(Shirt- sold out but similar 
(Purse- Kate Spade, sold out but similar 
The average woman has over 120 items in her closet and that doesn’t include shoes, purses, and undergarments. Getting ready in the morning can be a little overwhelming and that is why concepts like the Capsule Closet and the KonMari method have taken over the internet as of late. I’ve tried everything to pare down my closet to basics that can be mixed and matched to create many different outfits. Let’s be brutally honest, it is hard to get rid of clothing that you want to hold on to for rare occasions or holidays and even pieces that you hardly ever wear but still hold sentimental value. We recently came across a company called 
Shoes are the items in my closet that I can’t seem to get under control. I have boots upon boots but never wear them in the summer! With t-shirts and long sleeves this isn’t a huge problem because they don’t take up a ton of space but boots seem to get thrown on top of each other and clutter my entire closet. I would sort through all of my shoes first when filling up my first MakeSpace box, it would give me a better idea of any excess and help me focus on seasonality.
(Doesn’t this image inspire you? I really love sorting through my clothes- it makes me eager to update my wardrobe, reminds me of my clothes that get lost in the clutter, and organize the things that I love so that I can get to them more easily!)
And in honor of these summer sales happening around us, here is a outfit that would be perfect for any closet! It has staple and quality pieces that could be mixed and matched easily (from day to night) and remain classic enough to be worn for years to come. I recently purchased these 
You guys know what time of year it is- wedding season! Now, I love a wedding as much as the next person but I have nine this year (including my own). This means I needed to shuffle through mu closet and make sure I have what it takes to be a stylish and appropriate guest to all of these parties. Luckily, I wore a wedding dress to my own in May so that was easy to prepare for and I am in my friend Tasha’s wedding at the end of the month so I just have that one taken care of too! Anthropologie just had their major summer sale and I scored big on some dresses that I knew would be perfect for a few particular weddings, plus I had been eyeing these dresses all spring long! Patience does pay off sometimes 😉
(The entire dress is embroidered which is one of my favorite things in the world)
(This collar is magic)
Unfortunately 
While in London on our honeymoon, Nick and I tried to go into British stores to see how they differed. Well, I will tell you that 
(I love the wrap on this dress)
(Perfect length for booties)
(This is my favorite color scheme I have seen- 
(A beautiful emerald color for the perfect Summer or Fall cake, just gorgeous! Cake by- 
iflunch.com 