It has been just over four years since The Crystal Press went live and to say that we have learned a few things along the way would be the understatement of the century.  We have had our ups and downs, our laughs and luckily not too many tears and we wouldn’t change the experiences that we have had thus far on this adventure for anything.  We have learned some valuable lessons over the years and wanted to share some tips with you guys!

These tips don’t only apply to you if you are in a blogging partnership, but can also be used in your personal relationships, work collaborations and beyond. 

1. Know Your Strengths – I wouldn’t say that any of these rules is more important than the other, but this is definitely something that you need to establish ASAP.  In the beginning, we were so excited to be doing the damn thing and were concentrated on getting our content out into the world, that we didn’t really hone in on our individual strengths at the start.  However, we quickly realized that in order for this partnership to work we needed to know what each of us was best at in order to function on the day to day.  For us, I am more detail and logistically orientated, which means that I do a lot of the planning (daily and long term) because that makes me feel the most comfortable.  Catherine has a brilliantly creative mind, and helps us dream up our next projects, collaborations and adventures.  In the past few months, Catherine also introduced us to Human Design which has exponentially helped us learn how we work best together as well. Highly recommend looking into HD when working with a partner, as it sheds light on everything from your emotional capacity to your working habits.  (I am a projector and Cath is a Manifestor, it makes sense).
2. Communicate – This one seems like a no brainer, but it isn’t always as easy as you think! If you want to thrive in a partnership, you have to throw any passive aggressive tendencies out the window.  If you have any concerns, voice them.  Having your frustrations build up only to boil over will never end well.
3. Delegate – This one stems from figuring our your strengths and weaknesses. Once you have done that, delegating is much easier. Whether you have to specifically delegate certain tasks each day, week or month, or you come to an overall agreement about which tasks will usually be yours, this is oh so important. Wasting time texting, calling and emailing about who is going to do what can be an extraordinary waste of time!
4. Have Fun – DUH. Whether you are working on a personal relationship or a work one, you still need to make having fun a priority! Laugh. A lot. It really is good for the soul. Often times we get tied up worrying about deadlines, pushing content and scheduling our next moves it is easy to get caught up in the work of it all.  These are the times you have to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing and take a moment to breathe and enjoy yourself.

If you have any other tips for thriving with a partner, leave ’em in the comments below!

Photos by Kenzi Creates 

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Bar Solita — Bar Solita opened up in Richmond a few months ago, in the old Graffiato spot on Broad Street! They specialize in Tapas + wood fired pizza and their decor is spectacular!! Last weekend, they introduced Flamingo Brunch with us in attendance and it was such fun. We stayed for 3 hours……  Highly suggest ordering the Pigs in a Blanket and grabbing yourself a table-side bloody mary. They’ve got drink choices for every brunch lover and the food was equally as tasty! Check it out friends.

Richmond Ballet’s Cinderella — Next up from the Richmond Ballet is Cinderella! This is one of my favorites and I am so looking forward to seeing it in a few weeks. Cinderella will run February 14-17th, with their Club 407 Night for Young Professionals Friday the 15th. If you’re looking for Valentine’s Weekend plans, this would be a fabulous option!! Get your tickets here.

Brunch — The newest venture by the folks behind one of our favorites Lunch/Supper just opened up brunch. in the old Starlite spot on Main Street! Catherine went last weekend and I am DYING to go.  From what I’ve seen, the decor and remodel look amazing, as well as the creative cocktails and delightful menu.  I am currently drooling looking at photos of the waffle flight.

In My Chair — Coming this March, co-produced by Virignia Rep and Cadence Theater, is a play written and performed by the queen Eva DeVirgilis! Catherine and I have been huge fans of Eva since we met her years ago while she was doing make-up at Saks and have loved following along with her journey. Her In My Chair series started as a Ted Talk and developed into so much more as she has traveled the world, speaking to women about major topics like body image and beauty standards! We are so excited to see this vision come to life and watch Eva do her thing on stage yet again.

Don’t Look Back — The delicious Taco joint that started in Carytown has now expanded into Triple’s old spot in Scott’s Addition and just recently opened on Forest Hill Avenue! We are sucks for a good taco and margarita and this is definitely one of our favorite go-to spots around town.

Dear Guest — Our favorite couple behind Dear Neighbor has recently renovated their space and turned it into the perfect BNB haven!! Richmond friends, if you’re looking for a staycation or have friends coming into town, we highly suggest contacting Kristy & Evan about staying at Dear Guest! It is a perfectly curated, minimalist’s dream, plus you can do a little shopping at Dear Neighbor while you’re staying.  Oh, and did we mention it’s right by Sub Rosa?

RVA Friends, feel free to leave comments below about other fun happenings around town so we can help spread the word!!

xx Reb + Cath <3

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Like I talked about last week, Catherine and I are shaking things up here on TCP (see what I did there?), and we have been brainstorming fun places to take photos and the more unique the better. So last weekend we popped by Boulevard Burger & Brew for some shakes + shooting. BBB is an old car warehouse that has been converted into a diner style joint, and they did it so perfectly.  It’s got the big red and white booths, aluminum two tops and a spacious bar with the round stools. It’s even got a room (where we sat) that has Pac-Man games for tables! It’s simply put a place for great burgers, craft beer and boozy milkshakes. No frills, it is what it is and I love it. It’s proximity to the Diamond and Movieland also make it a prime spot in RVA!

Catherine and I just opted for milkshakes this time (one boozy, one not), but John and I frequent the place and I gotta tell you my favorite burger is the Diablo. (Disclaimer: I do get the Diablo sauce on the side because it is s-p-i-c-y!) Oh, and definitely get a side of tots!

Catherine opted for plain vanilla with rainbow sprinkles which was just as yummy!

Dress, Cheap Monday. Jacket, Theory (oldest of the old, similar). High Tops, Vans. Socks, Happy Socks x Steve Aoki. Sunglasses, Quay. Clutch, Louis Vuitton. Earings, Ava (similar).

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We can’t believe that the day has finally come where we get to share with our readers one of our favorite projects that The Crystal Press has worked on to date and something that we are new at: VIDEO. The two of us almost didn’t believe our eyes when we received the email about this project with google – that’s how pumped we were at the prospect of working with them AND taking them around one of the best cities (and our hometown): Richmond, VA.

Is anyone else as afraid of public speaking as we are? Talk about two nervous ladies! (I mean, they are google…) But, luckily we had an amazing video crew who made us feel at ease and on top of that, we got to spend the day hanging with some of our favorite Richmond people throughout the day who were naturals on camera. (I’m looking at you Paul, Christina, and Anthony!). This was truly a memorable experience and we are so thankful to Google for including us, to Need Supply Co, Ledbury, and Little Nomad (see Cath rocking the RVA All Day shirt from the video here,) for putting Richmond on the map, and of course- to the city of Richmond. We think 2018 is our year, 804.

xo

Cathclaire + Reb

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After a little blogging break, I am happy to say I am back and married and throwing OOTD’s your way today!

How do you guys feel about the embroidered denim jacket trend? I am into it in a big way and of course could not turn down this California embroidered jean jacket from one of my favorite spots: Forever 21.

This jacket just sold out today so I have linked some other jean jackets that I have my eye on and the other pieces in my outfit! Hope everyone is enjoying their week so far and that you didn’t miss cathclaire too much! xo

Skirt: old (similar here) / Lace Top: Zara (similar here) / California Jean Jacket: Forever 21 (sold out, Brooklyn embroidered one here) / Boots: Alexander Wang (this seasons) / Bag: Gucci Matelassè in Black / Sunnies: TIJN  / Photos: Kaytee Lauren

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My fiancè prefers that I wear white denim over my constant “the darker the denim the better” approach to my daily attire.

When I scored these black and white striped beauts from ASOS, I immediately recognized them as a wearable compromise in skinny jean form. Cue the Maroon 5 “She Will Be Loved” earworm – It’s not always rainbows and butterflies, It’s compromise that moves us along. Am I the only one who can’t say the word compromise without thinking of this song? 

Some may call these Beetlejuice jeans and I agree, but they are also my fashionable compromise that remind me of a Maroon 5 song.

Jeans: ASOS / Top: Zara, (similar here) / Longline Blazer: Forever 21 / Boots: Steve Madden / Sunnies: TIJN / Bag: Gucci / Earrings: Vanessa Mooney / Photos: Kaytee Lauren

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As a fashion blogging duo, Rebecca and I don’t take nearly enough advantage of the fact that twinning is trending. This Tart faux fur proves to be the perfect opportunity for us to step up our twinning game and we had a helluva a time using this as an excuse to wear the same thing. Rebecca wore this coat to the Cava preview dinner at Whisk on Monday and she got endless compliments. Anytime either one of us is wearing this coat, not only does it keep us warm but it attracts good vibes like no other!

Whether you are headed to NYFW next week or just need a coat to throw on for a chilly day in RVA, Tart outerwear has you covered!
Shirt: Forever 21 (similar here) / Coat: Tart / Culottes: ASOS / Sunglasses: Miu MIu  / Bag: Gucci  / Shoes: Boohoo (similiar here)

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What do you do in preparation for New Years?

Aside from the basics of buying a new dress, I spend the month of December prepping for the New Year by crossing off last minute things on my bucket list for 2016 and dreaming up 2017. You could say that the time between Christmas and New Years Eve is crunch time for creating my vision for 2017 and that is exactly what I have been working on this week. When I say “working,” I mean watching Taylor Swift music videos (I prefer the 1989 World Tour on Apple Music), drinking wine, and reading books about movers and shakers of the world to remind me of what’s possible.

2016 was the year that my meditation practice became consistent (after years of trying) and I finished it off with a bang by recently attending a meditation workshop with Dr. Joe Dispenza in Philly. I have gotten into the habit of doing it for an hour and twenty minutes everyday and as I’ve improved my practice, it feels like time and the room for possibility expands. Meditation is a beautiful practice on its own, but if you want to supercharge your prayer – the key is a clear vision.

Be sure that when you are writing down your resolutions this year, you not only get clear about your vision and what you want for the New Year but also why. Why do you want that promotion? Why do you want to lose 5 lbs? Why do you want to grow your blog?

Make resolutions in the form of mission statements that will endure all the waverings of 2017 and start with why, Simon Sinek style. For more details on this topic, watch one of my favorite Ted talks here.

Black Embroidered Dress (with pockets, score!): c/o Dezzal / Nude Fishnet Tights: Forever 21 (sold out, similar here) / Boots: Alexander Wang (similar here) / Bag: Building Block  / Glasses: Urban Oufitters / Photos: Kaytee Lauren 

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Reb and I love shooting at this spot in Richmond.

We have been coming back to this abandoned building in Scotts Addition with cameras in tow, in our TCP best (#ootd) for over a year now. However, when the two of us pulled up here to do our usual TCP thing recently, we were shocked to see what used to be a very white building painted grey. I have to admit we were both intially disappointed in not only this change, but the thought of the change that is impending our reliable shooting location.

Scott’s Addition in RVA is booming and this building changing into what I’m sure will be something awesome is just one small sign of that. It is going to be a very minor inconvience for TCP but this setback will be surpassed by the amazingness that is coming to this area.

With Thanksgiving on the brain, I have been trying to remind myself to be more aware of my perspective throughout everyday to-dos. I’ll be honest, it involves me talking to myself and it goes a little something like this:

Catherine, the next time something changes, instead of getting upset, shorten your negative reaction time and take one big step back. Leave room for beautiful possibility. You will be surprised with what you see. 

In terms of these pictures from our favorite spot, I know we were.

Boots: Alexander Wang (similar here) / Black Slip Dress: Forever 21 (similar here) / Jeans: Topshop / Sunnies: TIJN / Bag: Saint Laurent  / Top: Baukjen

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However, luckily for us, we don’t have to wait to go to New York or Los Angeles to experience hotel luxury.  Richmond is home to the Historic Jefferson Hotel, which is your one-stop-shop for the perfect, incredibly hospitable experience when visiting our hometown. The hotel recently underwent some renovations and we could NOT wait to check them out. Enter: a little TCP Staycation, with plenty of relaxing in the room, girl talk and down time. Enjoy our photo diary + a few little tidbits about the hotel itself.
Yes, in addition to the newly renovated bathrooms with impeccable marble decor – there is a TV in the mirror. 

The Palm Court, the hotel’s currently “lobby”, is one of the most beautiful places in Richmond. It was dreamt up by the hotel’s original owner, Lewis Ginter, who wanted the hotel to incorporate aspects of Italian Renaissance art and architecture as well as embody the eclectic changes that were happening in our country around the time the hotel was opened in 1895.  It is sure to take your breath away upon entrance and when you turn left to discover the grand staircase you are sure to remain in awe. The statue of Thomas Jefferson was commissioned by Ginter as well and is one of the hotel’s trademarks. (For more of the hotel’s fascinating history >> click).
On top of our relaxing evening in the room, we had the most divine experience at the hotel’s restaurant, Lemaire. We have been frequenters of Lemaire’s amazing happy hour for years, but have to admit we usually stick to the bar snacks and small plates. Boy, have we been missing out! With the guidance of manager and bar master extraordinaire, Chauncey, we had four delicious courses, paired with the perfect wines.  Lemaire has been voted one of the best restaurants in Richmond for as long as we can remember and we can personally vouch for that distinction now!  Next time you’re there, make sure to try the Blue Crab + Avocado Tartine, you won’t be disappointed. 

In our opinion, the Jefferson and Lemaire are reason enough to come and visit Richmond and we could go on for daaaaaays, but we won’t do that here. Instead, please feel free to shoot us an email or leave a comment if you have any other questions about the hotel or traveling to Richmond!

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