The Dirty Blonde Stylist

Weekend Getaway Essentials

Spring can not come fast enough! The groundhog may not have seen his shadow but spring is still rolling in slow here in RVA. For those who cannot afford the tropical getaway, I still recommend a getaway to ease those winter blues. I have found that a change of scenery is usually all it takes to perk my soul back up! Travel is becoming a more relevant factor in my life as I get older so my travel habits are changing with it. One of the things I have always struggled with is over packing. I can rationalize any outfit scenario and why I need that 4^th pair of jeans or another pair of heels for a casual weekend getaway.

One of the hardest things to determine is the weather, is to going to be freezing, warm, breezy etc?

Here are some of my 15 favorite travel essentials for packing for a spring getaway!

Outfits

Great Jeans

Plain white T

Mules

Duster cardigan

Light weight scarf

Carry on

Air pods

Rose water hydration spray

Snack size gold fish

Notebook and pen (I get the best ideas while I travel)

Movie star worthy sunnies

Makeup bag

Ultra-repair hand cream

Better then sex travel mascara

At least one charcoal nose strip

Kylie lip kit

Clinique under eye cream

Wishing you safe travels and stunning adventures! Even if you are only headed to Virginian beach like me.

-MB

The day of hearts and roses

For someone who loves love, it should be no secret that I very much enjoy Valentines day. Over the years as we grow up and grow old, I think our hearts get a little cynical. It is easy to brush off the 14th as “not a real holiday”. While every day should be love filled, something about having a day devoted to love and appreciation just excites me!

There are so many things to love in this life, and I am the first to say, “the best life is a balanced life.” I am constantly doing all that I can to keep a balanced life. With Valentines day around the corner my mind has shifted to the love in our life that keeps us balanced. We may not all be surrounded by chocolates, roses and romantic dinners on valentines but there is still love in your life to be thankful for. At the end of the day love is one of this things that keeps us balanced. I challenge you to find at least three loves in your life that keep you balanced. What do I mean by balanced? A love that without it you would feel incomplete, a love that pushes you and makes you want to be better, a love that keeps your heart smiling. For me those are fashion, family (friends who are like family included) and my husband.

My love of fashion

I love valentines more then most, I find myself searching for the perfect outfit. If I was a designer I would design an entire ready to wear collection for the holiday. I am sure there is an economical reason why designers don’t do this, but I would do it anyway. To be able to have a hot pink sweater with a big red heart on it paired with a red pleated skirt would be perfect! I find a lot of joy in day dreaming about clothes. Clothes and timeless style fueled many of my dreams as a young girl.

To this day I find myself with the urge to sketch out dresses I see in my head. It has become a love afire that I never grew out of. While my modest clothing budget prevents me from owning ever beautiful thing I see in the store window, I never stop loving the beauty of great style. If my love of fashion was gone, I think I would never find a way to satisfy the urge of creativity. I would never know what to draw or what to paint, I would just be like a toddler. Being able to put something I see in my head, down on paper is so exciting to me! That feeling, I just love.

My love of friends and family

I have always been one to keep a close small number of friends rather than an army of people. Through this, I have realized my friends would fight harder for me then any army ever could. Those friends have become like my family. I have been lucky to grow up with multiple grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings and parents who love each other always. Each of these people hold a special place in my heart and selfishly they each influence me in different ways. I can talk to each of them about almost anything, my conversations and advice from each of them has shaped my personality over the years.

While I have experienced what it is like to have a piece of that fall away with the passing of my Dad. It took me a moment but I realized the love never died and I try to focus on the love in my heart that I still have for him and him for me. Keeping me balanced in my life with the love of everyone around me. Love is a powerful thing, simple as that.

My love of my husband

When I became a wife in October, the love I had for Jacob took on a whole new set of traits. Our love grew to a new level that included a grown up sense of self. I know I want to be a good wife and was very aware of some small things I could do to make that happen. It might mean putting away the dishes in the sink, keeping the house vacuumed and clean. I know he loves me when he calls up to the bedroom “Two cups of coffee today my love?” The answer is always yes. He gets me.

Our love and our life is my every day. I am reminded by simple things how lucky I am every day. Without Jacob and our love for each other, I don’t know what I would do. With a grateful and appreciative heart, I thank God as Jacob’s love lifts me up every day.

This Valentines I urge you to find and appreciate the loves you have in your life. Love on yourself, radiate love to others, and lean on God’s love. Happy Valentine’s day lovely!

-MB

Galentine’s Day Celebration

Valentines is great and all but have you celebrated Galantines yet? For me this holiday was made known by Lesley Knope on Parks and Rec. She gathered her work ladies for a Bruch of waffles and girl talk and from that moment that was something I wanted to acknowledge. For the last three years I have gathered my ladies together for just that! Last weekend I hosted a handful of fabulous ladies in my home for the first time, rather than a restaurant. Today I am sharing some of my hostess tips for throwing your own fabulous Galentines!

Pick a theme:

While Brunch is popular theme for Galentines, there are a lot of options! The “subtheme” of my party was Sweet as Sugar. A brunch time and menu that incorporated a lot of sweet yummy elements including cookie decorating. If you aren’t into the brunch of it all other themes include, sleepover, sweet vs sexy, and chick flick movies. Inspiration is everywhere.

Plan a menu:

From 10-50 people you need to plan out a menu for your guests. I have the terrible southern lady habit of cooking for an army when there are only a handful of people coming. My brunch menu consisted of the following.

Mini pancakes with raspberries
Chick fila nuggets
Bacon
Mini donuts
Mimosas

Aside from the brunch items I had other snack and dessert options available. A charcuterie board filled with sugary sweets. Including, rice crispy treats, sugar wafers, Jordan almonds, heart shaped candy and animal crackers. Then of course there were the normal party snacks; cheese and crackers, pretzels, chips and dip and a homemade cake. Like I said, I always buy way too much because I would always rather have too much left over then run out of something mid party!

Maybe as my party throwing continues I will learn from my over buying past.

Décor:

I knew I had the décor done up properly when more then one person walked into my house and said “it looks like valentines day threw up in here!” It was an easy look to achieve with a one order from amazon that considered of banners, wine bottle labels, balloons and heart shaped bowls.

Little touches:

I never rely on a party to just be people standing around talking, even though this often happens. I always have music playing softly in the background, for this event I simply said “Ok Google, play the Galentines day playlist” girly jams played for hours, everything from Shania Twain to Beyoncé. I also always provide one activity at least. For Galentines I had a sugar cookie decorating station and also a few games purchased from Etsy. I had three games like “name that movie, emoji translation and what’s on your phone?” Each winner was awarded a bottle of wine with the Galentines day label and another little add on like a candle, candy or mug. Lastly, I took great pride in my attention to detail in my décor from frozen heart ice cubes that featured flower petals to the candy conversation hearts that were in vases, bowls and available to everyone wherever you looked.

As a party thrower, I urge you to play into your strengths. Mine is the little details that add to the event, rather then the large scale or the homemade menu items. If you are a bomb cook, take this opportunity to show off! If you make the best smelling homemade candles, use this as a launch pad to get them out into the world. These moments make the gathering memorable and something that leaves guests wanting more.

I hope these tips are helpful to you in throwing your fabulous version of Galentines! If you need a little help, shoot me an email at Thedirtyblondestylist@gmail.com.

Happy Galentines day!

-MB

Meet Your Match

While Valentines may not be your favorite holiday, for whatever reason. I am here to spread love filled cheer all around!

I am lucky enough to be spending my first Valentines as a married lady this year and I am over the moon. While it may be no different than any other Valentines, never again will we have our first married Valentines. Whether you have or haven’t meet your match in this life, I am sharing some of my favorite matches that are perfect of this time of year and any time of year.

I have pulled together some of my favorite, dates, meals, gifts, outfits and more to share with you. What is one great thing without it’s perfect pair. To channel Julie Andrews, “These are a few of my favorite things”

Milk and cookies

Pink lipstick on Valentines. (My favorite featured here)

White roses in a Mason Jar vase.

Your next closet clean out and The Dirty Blonde Stylist.

Champagne with chocolate cake (personal romantic favorite)

Cozy slippers and a face mask.

A classic necklace with a great LBD.

RVA’s best museums as a romantic day time date.

Steak and potatoes for a hardy meal. (Personal favorite to make for my husband)

Heels on a Friday night. Especially these!

The office and comfy pants.

Weezie’s and pancakes.

Long walks with a puppy.

Rainy days and snuggles.

Your wedding and The Dirty Blonde Stylist.

What are your favorite things?

-MB

The Wedding Vibe

When you first start wedding planning, it seems like all you are doing is getting asked questions and expected to have the answers. It can be exhausting and overwhelming. Even if you have a wedding planner, one of the decision you and your fiancee have to make is what kind of feeling do you want to provoke at your wedding? What is the vibe? This answer travels down the line to almost all your decisions.

The dresses:

When picking out your bridesmaid dresses with the girls, they will undoubtedly look to you for answers. “does this look good?” “what do you think?” “What color do we need to wear?” During the ceremony and in photos, the bridesmaids set a huge tone for the overall look of the wedding. When the girls all turn to look for you it all falls back to that vibe. Do you want a color to come through as the main focus? Causal? Formal? elegant or edgy? As soon as you figure this out, planning will become a lot easier.

The Decor:

How you decorate the venue can be a huge undertaking. Some venues come fully loaded with a tone, vibe and style all their own. Others, like a tent for example, do not. all back on your overall vibe for inspiration. If your vibe is airy and boho consider family style seating with lots of flowing fabric that can flow softly in the wind. If you want to bring a more elegant and romantic vibe, lean into candles, candles and more candles with limited excess lighting during dinner. Use the vibe and feeling you want to convey to inspire you set up.

The personal touches:

Throughout the ceremony and reception, there are plenty of options to incorporate personal touches. Our wedding was filled with small touches that were unnoticeable to most people but we knew they were there. Like eating our dinner on china that belonged to our respective grandparents. Our rehearsal dinner menu featured a quote from Michael Scott, from our favorite show. At the end of the day, part of our vibe was to feature favorite things as a couple and to honor our families. Not all parts of the vibes are colors and decor.

Tips from a pro, answering this simple question, you will come to find is the answer to many questions that lie ahead. Once you know your vibe, give me a call. I would love to help you make your vision come to life.

-MB

The 200 Day Check List

This timeline is often known as the 6ish month checklist but for those of you with a countdown app to the big day, 200 days is what you are looking at.

While planning weddings the panic and stress can come up at multiple times, for some people this is in the beginning but for most, it is towards the end of the process. Rather then having all the stress hit you at the 100 or 10 day mark on your countdown, consider this your checklist to spread out the stress.

By this time major vendors should be accounted for: Catering, venue, Photographer, band or DJ and wedding party selected. One of the easier things to knock out is to pick the remaining vendors: Dessert vendor, any add ons like videographer, photobooth, entertainment, then your florist, rentals and day of coordinator.

Check out RVA Weddings for a full list of Richmond’s finest broken down into categories for each vendor. Having your vendors is like having a little army of support behind you. Now, I realize that putting down deposits for vendors is no small task if you are paying for the wedding yourself. So do what you can when you can, but don’t spend other wedding money until the vendors are secure.

As I have previously mentioned, one of my favorite organizing tricks is to work backwards. When planning on a large scale, like with your wedding, make a list of all the events and big picture things that need to be done. My list would look something like this for example.

To Do:

Ceremony

Location
Flowers, when, who and how many to be reused
How many people?
Chair layout
Vows
Special readings or important people to include
Music

Reception

Venue
Order or events
Food and menu
Layout
Color pallet

Rehearsal dinner

Budget
Venue
Menu
Guest list
decor

Bridal shower

Who is planning?
Theme
Date
Outfit
Thank you notes

Just to give a few ideas, but you will be surprised how easily the things start following once you just go through the big picture.

Once the list is made, start assigning deadlines or themes for the months.

January: Ceremony and details

February: Menu items for cocktail hour and reception etc….

The key is now sticking to our deadlines the best you can. That being said, make sure your timeline is realistic. Your final two months should not be spent doing big picture items. Same can be said for if you know that March is going to be a busy time at work or in your personal life, don’t assign giant time consuming tasks for that time. Work to be your own best planner.

I hope these tips an trick prove to be helpful, however if all they have done is over whelm you and stress you out, give me a call. I would love to help you master the maze of weddings. Thedirtyblondestylist@gmail.com.

-MB

Weekly Wedding Words: The Engagement Check List

When cuffing season turns to engagement season, my ears perk up. Unlike so many of my friends, I love seeing happy people posting with their shiny new rings and excited for all the wonderful things to come over the next year. When the excitement wears off, most brides are left saying, “where do I begin?”

My best advice is to get organized! When my Husband and I first got engaged, he asked if we could wait a month before starting any serious wedding planning. When he first asked me this I said “do you even know who you want to marry?”. He wanted to wait and avoid being shot out of a cannon the day after the proposal, which I can’t blame him for. After a few days of just sitting around with my new sparkle on my finger, I settled down. Darn if he wasn’t right, waiting was a great idea.

Waiting to start planning made me think and get mentally organized about what I wanted to do first. Waiting made me read more wedding blogs and checklists to make sure my ideas were on target with the real wedding world. Waiting most of all, gave us an opportunity to just be engaged for a moment. Sure there would be other times over the next year when we had down time and weren’t planning 24/7, but there is no time like the first few weeks of being engaged.

If you know you are going to have a year or more for your engagement, I suggest taking a moment to soak it all in. Once that time is over though it can still be incredibly over whelming on where to start, who to email and what to ask for. Whenever I find myself puzzled on where to begin, I usually work backwards from a particular step.

I have noticed a lot of Brides starting this process by picking a date. I can tell you one thing, a date means nothing if there is no venue on that day. A venue controls the date of your wedding. Finances control the venue, multiple people can control finances. Starting with a healthy conversation about what your budget is is the best place to begin if you ask me. While your parents, uncles and grandma might contribute or end up taking the final bill, I always urge brides and grooms to be realistic with what they could afford on their own. Just because you have always thought your parents or her parents would foot the bill for the wedding, you never know what will happen when push comes to shove. After all, you know what they say about assuming…

When discussing your budget, you will find a variety of topics that need an estimated amount next to them, catering, venue, Dj or band, guest list etc. It is very challenging to estimate what these will be I’ll be honest. Every town, wedding and location can play into these factors. Determining the money you are comfortable spending can be easier to determine.

So while this time may seem like a blurry and a to do list that never ends. You will be just fine. If things seem like they are getting too much for you, shoot me an email at Thedirtyblondestylist@gmail.com.

-MB

Weekly Wedding Words – The Moments I Did Not Plan

Some would call me a compulsive planner when it came to our wedding. I had the most detailed timeline I had ever made including details like “Groomsmen: leave cell phones in the suite when heading down for the ceremony” what can I say, I knew what I wanted and had to convey a message. I worked my butt off for months prior, organizing, communicating, drawing out floor plans and well, you get it. All in order to be able to trust in my plan and my vendors to execute my vision. On my wedding day, one of my dreams came true, I was calm. I was able to laugh, enjoy and not stress on my wedding day. Even the best planners can be taken by surprise though.

80711382_10218731787238908_2297337500793831424_o — Sabrina Boykin Photography

When I was getting ready and about to get into my dress, my photographer looked at me and said: “Did you want to do a first look with your girls?” It had not even occurred to me, but I was like “sure that sounds good.” We quickly kicked the bridesmaids out of the suite-style bathroom, I slipped on my dress and came out to my girls covering their eyes with their hands. The photographer stood behind me ad counted down from three. They dropped their hands and five girls, including me, all teared up simultaneously. That moment was captured and is forever in my heart. That first look was better than any moment I could have had with a man. Sometimes girls just react the way you need, at the end of the day, your girls will always be there for you and make you feel beautiful. How I almost missed that moment, is still beyond me.

Like the weather, no one can plan for how the guests of your wedding will behave. You can try and predict how many beers the college guys will throwback, will the aunts and uncles dance to the old school hits, will the majority of people make it to the sparkler exit? You just never know! While we had a lot of faith in our friends and family, I never could have planned for the fun times we all had at our reception. Our guests were fueled by cheap beer, champagne bubbles, and hip hop hits from the ’08 era. I am so thankful for the great moments captured on the dancefloor that will bring me right back to that evening.

We left our rehearsal venue site slightly later then I had expected. I hopped in the car and remembered I was going to give a speech at the rehearsal dinner. I had written a detailed speech but had only memorized some of the key phrases. Flustered by running late and having to make an extra stop on the way to dinner, I decided to say “screw it” I was not going to make a speech and would just write a detailed thank you note after the fact. Halfway through dinner, I leaned over to Jacob and said: “I am going to make my toast after all”. When Champagne and dessert came out, I stood up and spoke from my heart. I teared up and told everyone how much we appreciated them. We both have amazing friends and family who stood by our side on the day we pledged our love to each other. I wanted them all to know that and say it to their faces that night.

So no matter what may come your way on your wedding day, good or bad, my advice is to roll with it. No bride should be stressed or still planning on her wedding day. Trust in your plan, trust in your vendors, and breath in every spontaneous moment.

If you are still looking for that planner you trust on your big day. I would be happy to help you, send me an email at TheDirtyBlondeStylist@gmail.com for more information.

-MB

2020 Preview

As the new year rolls in with the new pressures and new expectations, I am left wishing that 2020 came with a little preview. A trailer for this next year would be great, just a quick minute and half video of what to expect for the year. While unfortunately God prefers the surprise of it all, we are left to dream up our own vision of what the year holds. I believe that a goal without a plan is just a wish. So in the season of “#goals” and “new year, new me” I am sharing my plans for the new year to make my goals attainable.

1. Vocalize

Telling people about your plans makes them more real. It is one thing to hold yourself accountable, but having others in your corner watching adds on. One reason I am writing this blog is to share my goals with my followers, so all of you can hold me accountable. So when I say I am going to change my name everywhere legally in 2020, you are here to hold me to it!

2. Make short term goals to get to your long term success.

Whether that is to grow your followers by 10-50 new followers a week, to blog once a week, or to keep your house vacuumed once a week. Saying phrases like “grow my following” “Lose weight” or “keep the house cleaner” are less then helpful. Keep your goals specific.

3. Be realistic

People have a tendency to pile on the resolutions and think they can change their life over night and all at once. We all know this is usually not the case. Make three main goals that are specific and realistic to you and your life.

4. Play to your strength and realize your weaknesses

if your strength is planning, get yourself a planner and map out your journey. It is easy to ignore your weaknesses, there is nothing fun about your weakness. Just like fear or an addiction the first step to over coming them is acknowledging them.

5. Mental goals are just as important as physical ones

it may sound corny, but if your goals include something to the effect of “be less judgmental” or “celebrate life more” (like mine). We can not discredit those and let them slip. While the scale, mirror or the way our pants fit remind us that the “lose weight” goal is slacking, there is not as clear of a reminder that the mental goals may have been abandoned. Do not let the goals we keep to our self be any less important then the ones seem by everyone.

Cheers to the babes we strive to be, to the goals we will reach this year and to the love we will continue to give back to the world.

-MB

All That Glitter

New year’s eve: All that glitter

One of my favorite celebrations of the year is New Years eve. Everyone is still on such a high from Christmas and now it is time to celebrate a new beginning. I have noticed that over the last few years people have had a tend to focus on the mistakes, sad times and just plan “D*mn it” moments of the previous year. I have learned that it is really easy to be negative, or be the girl who complains all the time. I also know that I do not want to be that girl. I want to be the girl who sparkles entering a room even if I am not the skinniest and most confident. I want to be the girl who sees the good in people rather then letting fear and doubt speak first. I want to be the girl who does not give up on her naive childhood dreams. I may not be that girl fully just yet, but the goals are set. I can tell you one thing I know about her, that girl sparkles!

I am sharing some of my favorite New Year’s Eve options. You can sparkle too from the inside out!