SOCIAL MEDIA

5.31.2017

Memorial Day Floral + Fashion Frenzy Link-Up!

Dress: Express (on sale under $40!!), Hat: South Moon Under, Bag: J. Crew, Mules: DV for Target
Happy Wednesday loves! Hope you had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend and are back in the swing of things. Our weekend was so much fun--lots of family time and we went into DC on Sunday! Even though it absolutely downpoured as soon as we got off the metro, it was still fun to wander the museums. We went to the National Gallery of Art which is my favorite and Steven had never been to that one before. Once the rain cleared we grabbed lunch and walked around for a bit before heading home. On Monday, we barbecued with family and enjoyed the awesome weather! On Saturday in the morning I actually filmed 2 new videos. One is uploaded and linked below! I hope y'all enjoy it.


This dress is absolutely ADORABLE. Not only is it so flattering but the floral print is so perfect for summer. Since Memorial Day is over, this would be an awesome dress for the 4th of July especially since it's typically SO hot. You will feel so comfortable and breezy in this!


5.26.2017

Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale Picks!

HeelsCleanserEarringsSwimsuitTopSunniesBeach Tote

Happy Friday loves! I don't know about y'all but I am SO excited for the long weekend. Even though the weather is supposed to be pretty crappy the whole time, it will be nice to relax. This is the first time in a while we haven't gone away for Memorial Day weekend but since we will be around we're planning to go into DC (if the weather isn't too crappy). I'm also planning to film some new videos so I'm hoping to have one uploaded next week at some point! I start my graphic design class next Friday so I feel like this weekend is going to sort of be the calm before the storm considering work has also been really busy. 

If you haven't already heard, the Nordstrom Half-Yearly sale is going on right now where you can save up to 40% off on a bunch of their inventory through June 4th. There are SO many goodies marked down right now it was hard to pick just a select few to feature. I have had my eye on this blush one-shoulder top forever and it's now marked down to under $50 so I think I might have to finally get it! Also, I met with the girls at our local Kendra Scott store a few months ago and saw these earrings in their store and fell in LOVE. I definitely need to have them now that they're marked down. They're even more gorgeous in-person!

Do y'all have any fun plans for the Memorial Day weekend?! I think I'm going to be skipping Monday's post so I can enjoy the day off but I'll see you guys on Wednesday with a new outfit post!
5.24.2017

The Jumpsuit You Need + Fashion Frenzy Link-Up!

Jumpsuit: Anthropologie, Hat: South Moon Under, Sandals: Sam Edelman
Happy Wednesday loves! Is it just me or does this week feel extra long? I feel like the week before a long weekend always drags on! The weather has also just been so dreary so I'm definitely looking forward to a sunnier weekend. Yesterday we got the rest of our wedding photos and I swear I probably looked at them for a total of 6 or so hours! I am absolutely in love. I'm planning to do a full wedding photo post on Friday of next week or the Monday of the following so stay tuned for that.

This jumpsuit is probably the COMFIEST item in my closet! It literally feels like I'm wearing pajamas and is so adorable! It comes in a few different colors and I really want it in every single one. I also love the halter neckline and the super wide legged bottoms. Even though it's so  billowy, I feel like it's very flattering!

5.22.2017

Flared Crops + New 'Do!

Top: Zara, Jeans: BlankNYC, Earrings: J. Crew, Mules: DV for Target, Bag: Marc Jacobs
Happy Monday loves! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Obviously mine consisted of a pretty big change. Saturday I chopped a TON of my hair off and let me just say that it has been a rollercoaster of emotions haha. I hated it, I loved it, I hated it, I loved it, I hated it again. I definitely really prefer my hair short but I think it's just a little TOO short for my preference. I did ask for it to be about an inch longer than this so I was sort of shocked when I saw the final result! Luckily enough, it will grow back and once it gets about an inch longer I think I'm going to be in love with it! Thanks to all of you who left SUCH sweet comments on my IG this weekend about it though!!

These flared crops are SO adorable and I'm really surprised by how much I love them and how  much I have worn them already. I have never owned a pair because I just didn't know if it was a trend I could get into but the flare is subtle enough! PS--if you haven't checked out Zara in a while, do yourself a favor and swing by their site. They have the CUTEST collection right now! Also--don't you love when you do a whole outfit shoot not realizing a giant parking sign is behind you?! That's what happens when your husband is your photographer ladies!

[Linking up with Biana from B Loved Boston and ByLaurenM]
5.19.2017

Summer Essentials--Black & Beige Edition

Tote, Hat, Earrings, Scarf, Gingham Top, Perfume, Sunscreen, Slides, Mules
Happy Friday lovies! Hope you had a fabulous week and have some fun weekend plans ahead. Tonight I'm going up to my aunt's house to help my cousin get ready for prom! So exciting--makes me miss those days for sure. Saturday, in the morning I'm chopping my hair off!! Woohoo! I have been so excited to go short again but I had to wait until the wedding was done. I'll definitely post pics on Insta! After that I'm grabbing dinner and drinks with my bestie and Sunday we have a bunch of stuff to do around the house + outfit shoots to get done.

Today I just wanted to share some summer trends that you definitely need in your closet! I am loving that straw bags are back and this one is SO adorable and under $110. Also, I just ordered these mules in tan but now I'm wanting the black too. I am mule obsessed right now (if you can't tell I wear my DV for Target ones almost every day) and the bows on these are to die for! Gingham is also a HUGE trend and this top combines the best of both worlds with the big statement sleeves and the adorable gingham print.

Have a great weekend y'all!

5.17.2017

Sunny Floral + Fashion Frenzy Link-Up!

Top: Zara, Jeans: BlankNYC, Mules: DV for Target (similar here), Bag: Marc Jacobs, Sunnies: Ray-Ban
Happy Wednesday loves! First, I just wanted to say thank you for all your super supportive comments on my last post. It really means a lot to me and also getting your feedback on the Blogger vs. Wordpress question was super helpful!

When I saw thisyellow floral top on Zara's site I instantly fell in love. I don't own much yellow but I love how sheer and understated this shade of yellow is! The big loose sleeves are so cute and definitely on trend right now plus when is floral not perfection for spring and summer?

These photos were taken at the CUTEST little shops in Corolla. If you're ever visiting make sure to swing by the Historic Corolla Village. We had some beach portraits taken while we were there so we swung by the photographer's studio which was located in the village and stumbled upon the yummiest smoothie/juice shop called "The Juice Jar." Everything is organic and super delicious. There's also an adorable little bookshop that I fell in love with along with a really good BBQ place!


5.15.2017

My Post-Wedding Goals + New Video!

My Beautiful Bouquet (by My Flower Box Events), photo via Kirsten Smith Photography
Happy Monday loves! This post is a little different than my usual Monday content but I thought it would be sort of fun to get more personal. With the wedding over, a lot of my recently married friends and family told me that you go through sort of a post-wedding "slump." That sounds kind of horrible taken out of context but I think most brides just get so heavily involved and consumed by the planning and excitement leading up to the wedding and then in the blink of an eye it's over! My wedding was recent enough that I haven't experienced the "slump" yet but to be honest, the planning process was really stressful so I might be the minority in that I'm pretty happy it's over! It was such a beautiful day and totally worth all the anxiety and stress that went into it, but I truly am relieved that it happened, it went perfectly, and now it's over and we're married!

I have a ton of upcoming plans in my personal life and also for the blog now that I have a world of free time with wedding done! These are just a few:
1.) Travel--number one on the list is to travel more. It's going to be hard to do it in the next few months because I'm still recovering from taking so much leave for the wedding but once I start accruing my vacation hours back, we have some really fun trips planned in the next year! We are going to Cape Cod in July then are hoping to do our actual honeymoon in October or November (most likely Mexico or Napa--btw thank you for suggestions on my last post!) and then my best friend and I are in the process of planning a trip to London and Paris and maybe one other European destination early next Spring! 
2.) Career/Professional--As some of you might know, I currently work in Human Resources and I really do enjoy it but with blogging and also just through pursuing other hobbies, I have found a true passion for graphic design. I am signed up for a 4 week online design course starting in June and then we will see where that leads! Grad school is a possibility but I want to take it one step at a time and see how this upcoming course goes.
3.) Make more video content--one of my 2017 resolutions was to start making YouTube videos and I have made about 5 I think since the start of the year. I actually REALLY enjoy it so now that I have more time I'm hoping to do videos more often. Maybe once every 2 weeks to start then eventually once a week? We'll see! I actually do have a new video to share with y'all today on my 4 easy go-to hairstyles when I have dirty hair or am in a rush! Hope you enjoy it!
4.) Home Improvement--we moved into our house in the midst of all the wedding planning so we frantically furnished the house but haven't put a lot of effort into design and some home improvement projects as the wedding got closer. We plan to add backsplash to our kitchen and do a few other DIY projects soon! 
5.) Take on more collaborations--I'll be totally honest in saying that I ignored a lot of collaboration requests that were sent to me over the last year--some I definitely regret not responding to or saying no to! I just couldn't handle more stress on top of planning so I'm definitely looking forward to saying YES to more collaborations (that fit the Rosy Outlook brand) moving forward!
6.) Move blog to WordPress (MAYBE)--this is a topic I would LOVE advice on. Blogger is the platform I use for Rosy Outlook but I have read about so many business benefits to using Wordpress instead. What do you guys think?! It gives me so much anxiety because it looks like a difficult process and I have read that you can lose so much data/photos/etc. If any of you have actually gone through the transfer from Blogger to WordPress I would love to hear how it went.
7.) Play Tourist in our Hometown More--Sometimes we get so caught up in our routine that we forget we live 25 minutes from the Nation's Capitol. We also live so close to beautiful places like Annapolis, Georgetown, Baltimore, etc. and we definitely do not take enough advantage. We will definitely be doing more day trips on the weekends. With Steven graduating his doctoral program later this year, we don't know how much longer we have in this city so we have to take advantage! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this different sort of post. I just felt like having more of a "conversation" with you guys and sharing a little bit more of a personal side! It's been such a whirlwind the last few months and I feel like it definitely has inspired me to take my newfound free time and pursue more!
xoxo
[Linking up with Biana from B Loved Boston]


5.12.2017

Battle of the Mascaras

Happy Friday loves! Hope you've had a great week and have some fun weekend plans ahead. It's crazy to have a weekend coming up and NOT have something already planned for the wedding. It's kind of sad but also pretty awesome at the same time! This afternoon I'm meeting up with my best friend Kate for shopping and dinner then the rest of the weekend my parents will be staying with us. We're planning to do a little Mother's Day brunch on Sunday!

If you had to pick one make-up item you couldn't live without, what would it be? For me, it's DEFINITELY mascara. Most of the time we were on our mini-moon I didn't wear make-up at all...except mascara. I feel like when your lashes are long your eyes look wide and open and it just changes your whole appearance.

I don't really like the hassle of false lashes and I also think that lash extensions are just way too much maintenance--plus thanks to my Italian heritage I have relatively full, dark, long lashes so I don't want the extensions to ruin my natural ones! In my mascara I am just looking for something that makes my lashes look even more full and definitely longer. I don't care as much about a "separating" mascara but obviously I don't want one that's extra clumpy.

I have searched high and low and I seriously feel like I have tried almost all of the mascaras sold at Sephora at one point or another! I also have tried a TON of drugstore mascaras. Below are my Top 5 narrowed down:

5.) Giorgio Armani "Eyes to Kill"--this mascara is SO beautiful and definitely gives a ton of length. I find it to be the least "volumizing" of the 5 but it definitely does give a lot! 
4.) Too Face "Better Than Sex"-- this has been a long-time favorite of mine and it DEFINITELY gives a lot of volume. The only reason this isn't higher on the list is because I find it to be the "clumpiest" formula of the 5.
3.) L'Oreal "Voluminous Carbon Black"-- if you are on a budget and looking for a good mascara, look no further! This one is not only the best drugstore mascara in my opinion--it also tops SO many higher end mascaras that are on the market. SUPER volumizing and I love the Carbon Black version for that extra drama.
2.) Marc Jacobs "Velvet Noir Major Volume"-- it was a REALLY hard decision between my first choice and second because they're both so amazing but this Marc Jacobs mascara was actually my most recent discovery so for that reason it gets second place. I find this mascara to be very similar to the Too Faced one (even the wands look almost the same) but without the clumpiness of the Too Faced formula. It's probably the most lengthening of the bunch in my opinion and very volumizing.
1.) Bobbi Brown "Smokey Eye"-- this mascara has been a favorite of mine for probably three or four years consistently. It is my HOLY GRAIL that I always have to have in my collection. I actually ran out of it last month and haven't had a chance to re-purchase and hate not to have it in my possession. It's volumizing, lengthening, literally NEVER gets clumpy no matter how many layers you build up. It's just perfection in a little tube. It might be pricey but it's worth every penny! I have zero complaints.

Hope y'all enjoyed this beauty post! If so, I definitely would love to add more beauty content in the future!
xoxo
5.10.2017

Printed Summer Pants + Fashion Frenzy Link-Up!

Tee: Madewell, Pants: Sady & Lu via South Moon Under, Sweater: Madewell (sold out, similar here), Hat: Everly Oak, Bracelet: David Yurman
Happy Hump Day y'all! Hope you're having a wonderful week so far. Monday and Tuesday were definitely very hectic after being off work for 2 weeks. That is the longest I have taken time off in my adult professional career! It was fabulous though! I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things especially getting back on the blogging and social media game. It was nice to take a little break and only post fun wedding photos for a while but I'm also happy to be back!

These pants are my latest obsession! I wore them multiple times while at the beach and also wore them when I went out for drinks before our rehearsal dinner with the bridal party. The slits on the side are SO cute and they're incredibly comfortable. I think all summer I'm going to be living in flowy pants like these.


5.08.2017

Striped OTS Top + Wedding Sneak Peak!

Top: J. Crew, Shorts: American Eagle, Earrings: J. Crew, Sandals: Rebecca Minkoff, Sunnies: Ray-Ban
I'm back!! Happy Monday loves! It seems like it's been SO long since I've posted but it also just flew by. Such a weird feeling. I'll definitely be doing a full post on the wedding once the rest of our pictures get back but just as a quick recap--the day was absolutely perfect. I was an anxious mess the night before because it kept saying it was going to thunderstorm from 5-8pm and our ceremony was at 5pm. Our ceremony was outside and it was right on the water so even though I promised myself not to get my hopes up, I was going to be SO disappointed if we had to move it indoors. We were so blessed because the weather was absolutely PERFECT the whole time. Not a drop of rain fell from the sky, it was mid 70's and the sunset was the most gorgeous I've ever seen. Praise God for giving us the most wonderful wedding day. Steven and I are in absolute newlywed bliss and can't wait to share more pictures with y'all when we get them. Here are a few little sneak peaks from my photographer for now:
Kirsten Smith Photography (cannot rave enough about how amazing she is!!)
Our little mini-moon was so relaxing and so much fun. The weather was gorgeous the whole time we were there and we just soaked it all in. We are in the process of starting to plan a bigger honeymoon later this year so I would love your suggestions on where to go. We originally were thinking Mexico but now we're sort of torn between Mexico and somewhere in the Caribbean. Or even Napa! Would love your tips!