I have had the hardest time finding a pair of mom jeans that not only fit me, but are flattering on me. I have short legs and curves so mom jeans have been a trend I have been TRYING to make happen for cathclaire but failing miserably. They either make my legs look stumpy or my hips look too large etc etc. The other day I found a pair from ASOS and I decided to give them jeans a try. My trick for ordering online in a time crunch? Order two clothing sizes that you think you are closest to. I ordered the 27 and 28 in these jeans and ended up going with the 27. Did I mention that I love them?
I know the vintage style mom jeans are traditionally a thick, truer denim but these have a little bit more give in them that I appreciate. You know, a little stretch. These ASOS jeans are more comfortable for me to wear than a truer denim and if I am being completely honest, I'd even wear them on a plane. And I hate wearing jeans on planes. Like, loathe.
I have implemented a lot of new habits in 2018 (yes, I know we are only 15 days in..) and I am so excited to share them with you guys.
First up: my new morning routine with bulletproof coffee.
I have become addicted to this bulletproof coffee recipe...so much so that yesterday morning I woke up to make it (I look forward to it every morning) and realized my husband had used the last of the butter for it. Solution? Head to Saadia's Juicebox in Jackson Ward to grab some! She has it on the menu, along with all kinds of delicious concoctions. (I also ordered a wellness shot and it was the perfect addition to my Sunday morning!)
I have always been a person who considers their mornings sacred (working out, meditation, and journaling with coffee are a must) but adding bulletproof coffee to the dock has been a game changer that I am very excited to tell you guys about in hopes that it can be just as much of a game changer for you as well.
If you're like me, you have probably heard the words bulletproof coffee tossed around over the past couple of years..but let me tell you - throwing MCT Oil, grass-fed unsalted butter, and your favorite coffee into a blender to start your morning is nothing short of magical. The crash that coffee usually comes with? Forget it. Starting your day off with pesky cravings that distract you from what you need to get done? Forget that ish as well.
As if it can't get any better, bulletproof coffee is just as frothy as your favorite latte and it doesn't have the dairy that goes along with it! This frothy, energy igniting concoction is a must-try and something that I have really enjoyed adding to my daily routine.
How do you do it? Here are some directions I got from the BYRDIE website:
Ingredients:
8 oz. filtered water
2 1/2 heaping tbsp. freshly ground Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee beans (or, if you don’t want to buy the Bulletproof brand of low-mold beans, just make an 8 oz. cup of regular coffee, ideally using fresh-roasted beans)
1 tsp. MCT Oil (coconut oil can work as a substitute)
*Asprey recommends graduating to two tbsp. once you acquire the taste for it.
Directions:
Combine the brewed hot coffee, teaspoon of MCT oil, and tablespoon of grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee in a blender to get a frothy, creamy mixture like that of a latte. If you just stir the butter and oil into the hot coffee, the oil won’t blend and will sit on the surface of the drink. Then drink up! Just remember, due to the calories and fat content, bulletproof coffee is intended to be your breakfast, not to be consumed in addition to your usual breakfast.
P.S Can we talk about how hard it is to look fierce when it's freezing out? I am so excited about this Lovers + Friends coat from Revolve because it does the trick WHILE keeping you oh-so-warm. Also, silver goes with anything, like literally anything. I see myself wearing this coat constantly, especially with the way the forecast is looking. What do you guys think? xo
Zippered High-Waist Jeans: Forever 21 / Silver Ankle Boots: Saint Laurent (sold out, similar here) / Tommy Jeans Collegiate T-shirt: Tommy Hilfiger / Calla Lily Belted Matte Silver Puffer: Lovers + Friends via Revolve / Cafe Racer Mirrored Sunglasses in White: Quay / Belt: Gucci (backordered, similar here )
We are less than a week away from Christmas. What the!
Yes, I have been watching Christmas movies basically every night since Thanksgiving (which I'm sure you guys have seen on my cathclaire instastory nonstop), but being so festive this year REALLY made time fly by super fast. Does anyone else feel this way?
1. Plan Ahead: This may sound like a no-brainer when it comes to packing tips, but if you ask me, it's even more important when packing for the holidays. Not only are you traveling with gifts so the extra space is key, but you are also probably traveling to spend time with family or friends. If you plan ahead and get clear about what you may need while on your trip, you will avoid forgetting an essential item and wasting precious time scrambling to get an outfit together or for something you need vs enjoying time carefree with your people!
2. Maximize Space in Your Suitcase: Towing gifts to your destination can take up a lot of space when packing, especially if you are flying. One of our favorite packing tips we just learned? To make the most room in your suitcase, roll your clothing. Not only does this maximize space but it also creates much less wrinkles. Doesn't that sound amazing?
3. Pick a Neutral Color Outfit Base: The Crystal Press is a huge fan of packing a neutral outfit base (think black, white, camel, navy), whether we are traveling to fashion week or home for the holidays. Packing with one main color in mind allows you to interchange pieces throughout your travels for different events without overstuffing your suitcase. Getting off the plane to meet friends for a fancy welcome dinner? Throw a blazer over your airplane get-up and trade out your flats for heels. My go-to neutral base for this trip (and pretty much always) is black. I am going to be packing everything in this outfit post for my holiday travels - these leather culottes from ASOS are the most versatile piece I own right now and not to mention super comfy. I love how they pair with this old skool Vans and also can be dressed up with black heels for a night out or church with the family
4. Keep Essential Items In Your Carry-On: If you are like me and can't seem to travel without checking a bag - be sure to use this packing tip when traveling! Holiday travel can get crazy because it is such a popular time to jet-set so be prepared. Nothing is worse than getting to your destination without your necessities and essential items and especially during such a special time like the holidays!
5. Find Your Favorite Luggage / Suitcase Brand: This is something Rebecca and I on The Crystal Press have been shopping alot for with all of the traveling we have been doing the past few years. Here are a few of my favorite suitcase and luggage brands we are shopping right now!
Whether you were blessed with Victoria Secret Angel long legs or blessed with shorter ones like myself (notice I called them both a blessing, it is Thanksgiving week after all..), the majority of people love a silhouette that elongates their legs. When it comes to dressing, I have found myself grabbing for my high-waisted jeans more than any other style lately! I can't get enough of how easy high waisted jeans are to lounge in and of course, I love how much length they give to my little legs.
Whether I am grabbing brunch with my husband for our 6 month anniversary around Richmond (yes it was yesterday, I can't believe it. Wedding photos here) or trying to hide how much food I will be eating this Thanksgiving week with family and friends, high-waisted jeans are your friend for all of the occasions!
Whether you need to add to your collection or get your first pair, I've got you covered with all kinds of price points from ASOS below in this blog post.
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.
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.
I have acknowledged on several occasions during the life of TCP that I am a self-help junkie. While some may dismiss self help literature as overindulgent and selfish, cathclaire (that's me) thinks the complete opposite. Is learning how to show up as the best version of yourself for everyone in your life really a selfish thing? If you become better, can't you help everyone around you in an improved, better way?
(If you have any further questions about my views on the subject or about my latest and greatest epiphanies as a result of my latest book, just ask Rebecca. She listens to me babble on about all of this self-help-universe stuff just about everyday and I have to say, it's a great combination over some good Stella's vino and instagram.)
My second point in this post is that my never ending journey down the self-help rabbit hole has brought me to some very unexpected (yet EFFING amazing) places. Exhibit A: I am one step away from becoming a Reiki master. What is Reiki? I think this is something better explained with your own research (it's worth a google) because lets be honest, it freaks some people out and I ain't getting into that here. #goodvibesonly
From self-help gurus like Simon Sinek to Danielle LaPorte ( P.S her new Desire Map Planner for 2017 is OUT and awesome as expected) to Joe Dispenza and oh so many more, the common thread that this wonderful journey has made very clear to me, is that we are all connected. When I first came across this concept, it was very foreign to me. Little me couldn't understand it and therefore my brain dismissed it completely. The more I dig and the more I learn, the more I believe this concept. After all, how awesome is it to think that we are connected to Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber on some level of this beautiful Universe?
Pretty freaking awesome.
We are all connected, so give someone a compliment or a hug. Pay it forward, loves, it counts.
*My compliment goes out to Reb for taking care of me yesterday during a ROUGH Thursday. Nobody gets me like you do!*
If there is the best time to be in fashion for a blogger duo like The Crystal Press, I would have to say it is Spring/Summer fashion week in September when the weather is just right in NYC. Rebecca and I are still learning the ropes of this enchanting time of year but, boy, what we have learned so far has fulfilled dreams we've had ever since we were little girls. Before I go any further, let me just say we wouldn't have been able to go on this trip without your support so thanks for following along with our adventures from the very beginning. Yes, that was a shout out to all of the TCP + Cathclaire OG's
Speaking of TCP OG's, here is another post courtesy of J+D Photography and Roan. This Tibi skirt was made to be lived in and if you feel the same way, be sure to email info@roanshop.com to get one for yourself! The team at Roan will hook you up. And as always, if you need wedding, boudoir, or general amazing photography- contact Jada and David at J + D Photography for photos that will never, ever disappoint. Fashion week is exhausting but that's about as far as the complaints go because let's face it, there is something so invigorating about trading your daily routine for fashion runways and events full of the most inspiring people in the industry. Why yes, I did walk up to Morgan Stewart at the Charlotte Tilbury Samsung event and profess my obsession with her. A little forward, yes, but sometimes you have to go full #fangirl and see what the Universe throws back. In this case, it was a delightful conversation with someone I wanted to talk to for years and worth every bit of possible embarrassment. Reb and I will have a full NYFW round up in the next couple posts, so stay tuned but until then I just wanted to say thank you from the both of us! We are so appreciative of your support!
PS Let us know if you have specific questions you want us to answer in our NYFW roundup by emailing us at thecrystalpress@gmail.com!
Nothing says Happy Hump Day quite like a good ole soliloquy on feeling stuck, because let's face it: everyone has times when this blah feeling creeps into their life. There are different remedies depending on the stickiness of the situation, and if I had to make a comparison between concrete, quicksand (a phobia of mine since The Jungle Book), and mud - I would compare my recent sticky situation to being stuck in the mud.
That being said, I did what any person stuck in said metaphorical mud would do, and flooded all of my friends'/family members' phones with questions asking for advice. While said advice was awesomely insightful, the conversations ended with me, myself, and that still very much stuck feeling (kind of like after a shopping therapy session at Barney’s). After a couple of tries at the getting-advice-game, I came to the realization that I was trying to get someone or something to pull me out of the mud. However, this time, I needed to use my own muscles to pull myselfout.
Rebecca and I will be the first to tell you that new (Celine) bags are what dreams are made of... I mean, how can you not stare at the colors on this bag? I rarely experiment with this much color in one outfit (yet alone an accessory) and I have to say, Celine makes coloring outside of my usual all-black-everything lines a ball of fun! One of the best things about fashion is that you can mix up your outfits whenever your heart desires with a tweak or a purchase and this bag did just thought for moi (see how Rebecca styled another Celine here).
Are you looking for a new handbag to change your style up a bit for the summer? Look no further than Trendlee for a beautiful selection of gently used bags! We even have a code "THECRYSTALPRESS" for 5% off of your purchase, folks!
Black 'Lilou' Choker: Are You Am I / Ruched Sleeve Top: Storets / Frayed Denim Culottes: Zara (similar here, here) / Heels: Merona (similar here, here) / Bag: Celine c/o Trendlee / Sunnies: Illesteva Leonard (sold out, similar here)
What goes through your head when you think of the month of May? I think of peonies blooming, The Temptations, The Met Gala, and (selfishly) my birthday. As I watch the looks roll in from the Red Carpet at The Met Gala tonight, I distract myself from not being in attendance (LOL) with the fact that it is my birthday week. A pretty logical pick-me-up if you ask me, especially when your birthday week is kicked off with photos from Reb and I's favorite photographers, J+D Photography (also shot with them here + here.) It is a true luxury to have such a talent located in the heart of Richmond and Rebecca and I are so grateful that J+D Photography could fit us into their busy schedule. These two and their team are in high demand and we have no doubt in our minds as to why. Shooting with David and Jada is nothing but enjoyable, if you can't tell from the pictures of Rebecca and I!
While it is going to be hard to live up to this birthday week's kick-off (thanks to Jada and David), Rebecca and I are going to end my bday week by officially celebrating my birthday on Saturday. You can follow along with our tour-de-Richmond on Bloglovin's snapchat (add them: BloglovinHQ.) As long time users and lovers of Bloglovin', Rebecca and I are a little too excited for The Crystal Press to takeover their snapchat on Saturday while we bee bop around the river city and clink glasses of Veuve Clicquot (it would be a birthday sin not to!) We can't promise anything revolutionary, but we can promise entertainment so don't forget to follow BloglovinHQ on snapchat so you don't miss out!
PS: I found this Rebecca Minkoff chambray Dev Dress at Monkees of Richmondand it is such a staple for Spring. Be sure to head there if you are in need of the latest Spring trends and stay tuned for Reb's look from Monkees later this week!
Denim Dress: