April 2015 | the crystal press fashion blog

Lookbook

You know that feeling when you walk out of a dressing room in a new style & the sales associate is 99.9% unimpressed? This was my first experience with boyfriend jeans years ago. I emerged from the store’s dressing room proudly sporting the then new jean style & was greeted by the store employee with the combination of a quizzical look & a lecture about how unflattering the jeans were to my short legs.

It is instances like these that my borderline delusional love for fashion comes in handy. If I want to wear something, I take it VERY seriously. I am going to wear that something like there is no tomorrow and probably for an uncomfortable amount of days in a row. According to the book of moi, the art of dressing is about what makes you feel your best, not about what people around you observe or say. Yes, I have short legs & yes, there are styles that are considered more elongating or flattering as that sales person was helpfully implying but who cares? Boyfriend jeans was what I had my heart set on and despite my unsuccessful go-go-gadget-long-legs command, boyfriend jeans is what I walked out of that store with that day.

PS Who needs a fairy godmother when you have the most comfortable boyfriend jeans & these Stuart Weitzman 21st century glass slippers?

Blogged while listening to “She Ain’t Right” by Lee Brice.

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Lookbook

I have to admit it wasn’t the clothes that first caught myy eye at Kora Rae but the fact that they named their collections after a Tiger that they support in the National Tiger Sanctuary in Missouri. I immediately wanted to support Kora Rae (the tiger & the line) and picked out the Carolina Dress from the Spring/Summer 2015 Collection, which did not disappoint. It can be dressed up or down & the color panel can switch from the back to the front creating a perfect night out look. So thx Kora Rae for the perfect versatile dress AND shoutout to Monument Avenue for being so beautiful. Ah, Spring in RVA…

blogged while listening to: After Me by Misun

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Lookbook

Aside from my tom boy phase in middle school, I have never considered myself much of a nature person. The more I dabble in photography & The Crystal Press – the more I have grown to appreciate a beautifully kept garden or a tree in bloom. The majority of the world would call this a simple case of maturity but I like to think of my process of appreciation as unique to myself in a semi-narcissitic way. That being said, while I loathe matching in #ootd form – I can one hundred percent enjoy how my Freeps tunic matches the blossoms in these photos from Byrd Park in Richmond. Stay tuned for this top to make an appearance as a bathing suit cover-up in St. John in a few weeks! Cheers to multi-purpose clothing, right?

Posted while listening to “From Time” : Drake feat Jhene Aiko.

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Lookbook

Ok, so, disclaimer – this is totally the dress I wore to my engagement party. I love the dress so much that I have been trying to think of another way to wear it – other than – “lets-celebrate-me-going-to-the-chapel.” This look was a complete accident! I put the dress on, still had my (super comfy) jeans on under it and voila! this outfit basically created itself. Just had to throw on the trusty Weitzman pumps & a turkish silk handband to complete the look. I would also like to credit the wonderful city of Richmond, VA for the most beautiful day at Byrd Park!!

blogged while listening to Amanda Shires – Look Like a Bird
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Travel

I had the pleasure of traveling with 15 high schoolers, my fiance & our friend the Spanish teacher to the beautiful country of Guatemala. We explored the streets of Antigua during Semana Santa (Holy Week), climbed in an active volcano, worked with children in the tiny lake town of Tzununa and witnessed some of the most incredible views. Because I could only take a small suitcase & we would be hiking, hauling rocks & working my wardrobe options were extremely limited. However, I think I managed to make it work. Shoutout to the Gap for the perfect basics that kept me outfitted for 10 days! I put together this photo journal with some of my favorite views & outfit highlights of the trip

Blogged while listening to Sons of Bill – Lost in the Cosmos

Antigua, Guatemala – Casa Popenoe
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Lifestyle

If we haven’t made it clear via our non-stop social media posts, we love a good happy hour in a sure-i’ll-skip-the-gym-again-today kind of way. Detrimental to our health? Eh maybe.. but in this case, we hope to make it advantageous for you. Don’t worry, we have openly admitted that this love for happy hour tends to aid to our non productiveness however, we have decided to turn it into something productive and share our favorite #rva happy hours with you all once a week.

Between the two of us, when we get the itch to go to happy hour, we have yet to find a good go-to site that highlights the happy hours that make you feel as fancy as you are and not like the rosè (or bud light, personal preference) chugger that you may or may not be. First up this week falls into the well known category of Wine Wednesday. I almost fell off of my stool in surprise when the bartender at this week’s restaurant, Southerly, referenced the Wednesday happy hour. He explained that all of the bottles of wine were half off and while I got excited for the $22 dollar delicious rosè on the menu – this excitement did not distract me from the fact that Veuve Clicquot was also on said menu. Being the envelope pusher that I am, I threw a curveball at the bartender by asking if Veuve was included. If you are a fellow Veuve lover, you know that the answer to this question tends to be disappointing but fear not because I almost fell off of my stool again because he said a whopping yes. Veuve for forty something dollars? Count us in.

Oh, I should probably add that the wine list is subject to change, that Southerly is the restaurant connected to the lovely Southern Seasons off of Staples Mill, & that yes, they have a patio. Happy Wine Wednesday-ing and you are welcome for the advance notice because premeditated happy hours are ze best.

PS Stay tuned for next weeks featured happy hour!

Lookbook

I was compelled to name this post Chloe when I saw it was the name of this Free People top that I purchased at Nordstroms at The Grove in LA because anyone who has known me at any point since this scent came out will recognize the smell of Chloe (this one) as my signature scent. I wore way too much of it when it launched at Saks with no fear of smoking my college friends out with my perfume. Hitting people with my wall of perfume was my goal apparently because I get texts to this day of people recognizing the scent and thinking of me. Ah, #college. Gotta give it to the memory of those olfactory glands!

Posted while listening to “Chateau Lobby #4” by Father John Misty.

P.S How sweet are these Red Nectar Sunglasses?

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Lookbook

One of the must see places in RVA is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and it’s pink marble hall. Yes, there is a hall in the VMFA that is completely covered in beautiful pink marble. Check out this Nasty Gal Metamorphose dress Reb rocked in this infamous hall that is on sale right now for a runway look without the runway price. It is our go-to for all things wedding aka we’ve both worn it to multiple weddings & events.