Happy Monday, loves! I've never really been one to celebrate my birthdays, but I thought something special was in order when I realized it fell on a weekend this year. In line with blogger traditions, last Saturday was spent welcoming the Jordan Year at bottomless brunch with good food and even better company.

I was definitely way too trigger happy with the invites this year and didn't realize just how many people would actually show up. It was so interesting seeing my friends together, all in one place...from high school friendships to blogger besties to new coworkers. The experience was overwhelming, but in a good way.

I had this fear going into this birthday brunch about my blogging world meeting my personal world. For the most part, I've made a point to keep these worlds as separate as possible. I literally had a nightmare that I would be at brunch and all my "normal" friends would be on one side of the table and my "blogger" friends would be on the other side. And when the food came out, all my "blogger" friends would jump into action and start rearranging the food, doing their thing, and standing up to get that perfect #flatlay shot. And of course, all my "normal" friends would look over incredulously at the other side of the table thinking "wtf' and I would just be in the middle witnessing the disaster.

But of course, that was not even close to what actually happened. Cause in the end, we're all just real people. 

I've come to realize that you meet a lot of people during your time here in this crazy city, but most are just passing through. New York can be an incredibly lonely place to conquer alone. So surround yourself with good friends and better company, and everything else will work itself out.

With much love,

P.S. This was literally one of my favorite shoots in Central Park and it was so nice when strangers would come up to me and wish me a happy birthday...until they started asking if I was turning 23 or 32. HAH. 

{Coat} All Saints; Similar here

{Dress} J.O.A.

{Clutch} Clare V.

{Heels} Prada

Happy Wednesday, loves! The heat wave was absolutely killer last week and I adamantly refused to wear pants. Thank god for this easy eyelet dress--perfect for any summer occasion! This piece has definitely become one of my favorites for the season. In love with the silhouette, design, texture--and it's made of such breathable material!

I couldn't have asked for a more versatile piece. Absolutely perfect for brunch, date night, happy hour...I'm all about having pieces in the wardrobe that can do double duty these days. One thing I've come to realize about adulting? There actually isn't a ton of time and energy left over after that full time job. So, it's a relief to be able to count on certain pieces to take me from day to night.

 Still trying to get a handle of how to balance work and blog, but I think I'm starting to get back into the swing of things. Expect many, many more dresses to come for the next month or so...although Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has already got me picking up must-haves for fall! Will be sharing my picks and splurges soon, plus the sale opens up to the public this Friday! Mark your calendars, darlings.

With Much Love,

Photography by: Runaway In L.A.

{Dress} Reiss; Similar here

{Clutch} Clare V.; Similar here 

{Shoes} Banana Republic; Similar here & here

{Sunglasses} Similar here & here

{Bracelet} Loren Hope c/o RocksBox (Get your first month FREE with code "aretabchenxoxo")

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