On a dark and stormy night in December, my friend Jessy and I were wandering around Georgetown when we happened to walk past was felt like a calming oasis in the desert of holiday madness. She asked me what the shop was, I had no idea, but immediately noticed May Lindstrom on one of the shelves. And then of course I had to freak out a little and go inside, because DC doesn't really *do* brands like May Lindstrom in store, and other than Caroline Hirons glowing reviews, I'd never been able to get my hands on them. All that intro to say that today I'm very excited to share with you a new shop on my radar: Take Care.

(I know this post has lots of pictures, but I couldn't help myself. Beautiful shop + new camera = ALL THE PICTURES.)


According to their website, "Take Care Founder, Becky Waddell, created Take Care after seeing a need for a healthy skincare and lifestyle community in Washington, DC.

She passionately enjoyed plant-based skincare for years but always found it difficult to discover beautiful, effective brands in one place - so, she created a space herself! She relishes in bringing together special brands and sharing them with her community."


And while I know it sounds corny, Ms. Waddell has really created a beautiful showcase for some of the most premier all-natural brands I've ever heard of, in a really soothing atmosphere. Both times I've gone in the staff was approachable and knowledgeable, chatting with me about my skin concerns, things I've tried in the past, my routine, etc. etc., all without creating an atmosphere where I felt pressured to buy something. I went around the whole place touching and smelling and become familiar with brands I'd never expected to see outside online orders.

In addition to May Lindstrom, it was so fun and exciting to get my hands on brands like Josh Rosebrook, Mahalo, and the much talked about Vintner's Daughter. I tend to lean heavily towards the "made in a lab and tested under pristine conditions" type of skincare for the most part, so the sensory appeal and efficacy of their more "natural" counterparts are a bit of a mystery to me. For DC to have a store like this that allows me to really get in to the down and dirty of some very high end skincare is the kind of stuff dreams are made of.


I signed up for their newsletter because apparently they also do classes in the larger back space (yoga, face massage, etc.) so I'll keep you all updated how that goes! I also bought something (are we surprised?) but rather than make this mammoth post any larger I'll save the details of that for another day.

One of the other things I'd like to work on this year is doing a few more posts without sunglasses. I wear specs almost 100% of the time (contacts are a thing, but since it's not worth compensating for my astigmatism they're not a regular occurrence) and here with simple makeup and little to no lip is pretty much me.

Next step: perhaps looking at the camera. No promises though, haha.

I realize it's nearly the middle of January and who, you may ask, bothers to discuss resolutions in the middle of January? Apparently I do! I've been taking the past few weeks to think about where I left off wardrobe-wise in 2017, and what I wanted to tackle in 2018. Before moving forward though, let's take a look back at the resolutions I made last year:

1. I want clothes for the life I live now, not the one I have in my head. *50% Accomplished* Resolutions like these are always a bit of a work in progress, but I've steadily culled items from my wardrobe and replaced them with ones that make me happy. I still tend to think my style has little to no consistence other than solid colors (and even that goes out the window in the Summer) but it's much less stressful to me than it was.

2. I want to take every other month as a clothes buying breather, to assess where I am. *Not Accomplished* As I mentioned before, I was not very good at this goal, hahaha. I tried! I did! But shopping is one of my favorite hobbies outside of reading, and when you work a desk job it's almost impossible to not browse. Still, I do think the attempt taught me a lot about how I shop and why, so I'm not beating myself up too much about the failure.

3. Unsubscribe from mailing lists that stress me out. *Accomplished!* I unsubscribed to a lot of listserves last year, and even the new ones that have popped up due to online orders I've gone in and unsubscribed to. I've really enjoyed NOT getting all the background noise emails, even if they only went to my junk account.

4. Figure out why I don't want to wear what I have - and figure out what I want instead. *50% Accomplished* I realize that it might be a bit ridiculous to give a 50% completion rate to a very existential resolution, but I do honestly feel like I'm getting better at figuring out what I want to wear. Honestly and totally. At some point last year I commented on Alison Freer's Facebook posts about style overhauls, and her response boiled down to "it sounds like you've outgrown your closet". While that may not be particularly revolutionary of an idea, I think it was the beginning of opening my eyes to the decision that change is not bad. That no longer loving or feeling "you" in clothes you've owned for years - or months  - is not bad. I'm allowed to put aside what no longer serves me. I think work-wise I've still got some room for growth, I have just enough leeway that not wanting to look like an Ann Taylor models means I have so many options it makes my head spin, but this one I leave as a positive work in progress.

And with all that said, I guess it's time we start looking ahead right?  


1. Take every other month off from clothes shopping. A repeat from last year, but I learned enough from it that I think it deserves another go-round. Which is why I'm flipping it so that we're starting the year on a buy month, so I don't feel guilty if I end up making investment purchase during these "end of year" sales.

2. Figure out my corporate style. My friend nailed it, calling a lot of my weekend summer style "Kate Moss at Coachella", and while I realize that's not really viable long-term, I'm gonna go with that for now.  That still doesn't absolve me from elevating my at work look though, and finding a medium between business casual style and jeans/flats is my goal.

3. Continue to pursue more ethically made options when possible. I've explored ethical fashion here and there over the year, and I hit some roadblocks. First of them being that more than a statically probable number of times, the brand I'm interested in doesn't go above a size 10. Second, they often don't accept returns either. Learning more about Garmentory via Style Bee, I think as I identify serious holes in my closet or areas that deserve an upgrade, I might end up going in that direction (doesn't solve the size problem though, but nothing really does).

And I think that might be it? At home I hope to prioritize creating a happy living space, and I'd like to learn to at least make space and turn on my sewing machine, haha, but for specifically wardrobe-centric resolutions, those are the big ones. There might be some conversations later that delve a little deeper into my thoughts surrounding blogging, why I do it, what I hope to accomplish, etc. but I've already given you all a virtual book to get through so lets not get ahead of ourselves.

 I've been spending more time in and of stores lately, taking adventage of the holidays sales to do my window shopping in person. J.Crew and I have not always been the best of friends and honestly, it doesn't seem to have gotten any better. Oh and sorry for the off lighting in these pictures - the spotlights that J.Crew uses in their fitting rooms are notoriously difficult to get a true colored photo in (and let's just not talk about my hair at all, ok? Thanks.).

// "A Major Corporation Just Bought America’s Biggest Black Beauty Company" - it's hard to see black owned businesses get bought up, if only because it's hard to believe that the same customer it was founded to serve will continue to be the priority.

// Look how talented this woman I went to highschool with is! Kaitlin (cello) is living her dream like a f*cking BOSS.



// I'm not going to say that I have like, *full* royal wedding fever or anything, but damn if these two don't make a beautiful couple.



// Sephora built a makeup theme park in Dubai and I'm definitely jealous.

// I will probably never be the die-hard Cardi B fan my friend is, but I can always appreciate a woman's hustle.

wow cardi x steve madden collaboration is so fucking cute! she’s perfect for it.

“y’all giving me these, right?!” #me pic.twitter.com/fIRsFNojoa

— 𝓡𝓪𝓾𝓵 (@fauxdeity) December 13, 2017

// Pinch of Yum has me convinced that I can make brioche, which might be a terrible lie, but I'm going to use Bread in Five's recipe anyway.


// An important article from Racked:



// Not an article, but some animes have crept up on my "should watch" list that I wanted to mention: Little Witch Academia and The Royal Tutor


// Ssssshhhhh!



Fun Posts & Random Finds: Between Caroline Hirons & A Beautiful Mess I kind of feel like I have to try Leahlani Skincare. // Do I need a $69 hair mask? Or a $55 curl cream? The Magic 8 Ball says no but I can't deny that I'm tempted. // The morning cleanser I've got ear-marked to buy next. // Sydney and her daughter are the cutest.  // CHRISTMAS THEMED CONVENTION YOU SAY?!// I didn't know I needed this article about Sarah Paulson until I got it.

Clothing & Jewelry: Some beautiful necklaces on my personal wishlist: one and two. // I'm still looking for my perfect pair of jeans, and I'm intrigued by the options from Coco Cooper and Universal Standard - anyone out there have an opinion on either? // I think my next investment purchases are going to be a leather jacket (cropped, probably moto) and some Chelsea boots. I'm pretty sure I'll go with the Everlane version for the latter, but if you have any Shot From The Street-inspired options (one, two, three) that are under $300 mark let me know.

Starting the New Year off on a good - if cold - start, in some of my favorite pieces of 2017.


*Fit Note: Despite ASOS's "fit recommendation" that the XL was closer to a size 10, this coat fits very comfortably on me, even in the shoulders, with layers and without, so I say if you're in doubt and you see the size pop back up, go ahead and go for it.

Read & Have Opinions On:

The Queen and the Cure by Amy Harmon
Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He'd never envied his brother or wanted to be king. He was the bastard son of the late King Zoltev and a servant girl, and the ignominy of his birth had never bothered him.

But there is more to a man than his parentage. More to a man than his blade, his size, or his skills, and all that Kjell once knew has shifted and changed. He is no longer simply Kjell of Jeru, a warrior defending the crown. Now he is a healer, one of the Gifted, and a man completely at odds with his power.

Called upon to rid the country of the last vestiges of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior, beset by old enemies and new expectations. With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.

My Thoughts: Maybe it's because I'm more used to the rhythm Harmon writes by, but I was *so* *freaking* *engrossed* in this book when I was reading it. I would not say the story is all that unique (?) at some points, but the characters themselves make even familiar tropes new, and the words - oh my goodness, the words. I fall more in love with the words that authors use to describe the feelings between characters as time goes on, and there are passages in this book that are achingly beautiful and tugged on ALL my heartstrings. It's definitely not a stand alone - you read it after The Bird and the Sword or ...well I was going to say not at all but I guess you could be a REBEL and do whatever you want, though I think the strength of the emotional connections between the characters is lost a bit. But I highly recommend that you DO read them both, because combined they tell an incredible story of magic and love and the strength of the heart.

Amid the Winter Snow by Grace Draven, Thea Harrison, Elizabeth Hunter, and Jeffe Kennedy
As the snows fall and hearths burn, four stories of Midwinter beginnings prove that love can fight its way through the chillest night…

THE DARKEST MIDNIGHT, by Grace Draven
The mark Jahna Ulfrida was born with has made her a target of the cruel and idle all her life. During the long, crowded festivities of Deyalda, there’s nowhere to escape. Until a handsome stranger promises to teach her to save herself…

THE CHOSEN, by Thea Harrison
In her visions, Lily sees two men fighting for her tiny country’s allegiance: the wolf and the tiger, each deadly, each cunning. One will bring Ys chaos and death, one a gentler path—but she’s destined to love whichever she chooses. The midwinter Masque is upon them, and the wolf is at her door…

THE STORM, by Elizabeth Hunter
When her soul mate died in a massacre of the half-angelic Irin people, Renata thought she’d never feel happiness again. She’s retreated to the snowy Dolomites to remember her hurts—until determined, irrepressible Maxim arrives to insist on joy, too. And before she can throw him out, they discover a secret the Irin have to know…

THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN, by Jeffe Kennedy
As a blizzard threatens their mountain keep, the new Queen Amelia of the Twelve Kingdoms and her unofficial consort Ash face their own storm. Ash knows a scarred, jumpy ex-convict isn’t the companion his queen needs. But when a surprise attack confines them together in their isolated sanctuary, the feast of midwinter might tempt even Ash into childlike hope...

My Thoughts: It's a bit harder to review anthologies probably because I feel that it's inevitable that a reader will like some of the stories more than others.  I was in it for Grace Draven and Thea Harrison, two women whose series I've loved dearly, and feel like even if it was just those two stories I'd be fine with the $5 price. I was pleasantly enamored with Elizabeth Hunter's story, and since that's not always true for me with this author it was a strong bonus - and enough for me to pick up the beginning of a new series. Jeffe Kennedy seems like a good writer/person but even though I've read a couple short stories set in this realm it's not one that speaks to me on the whole (plus a bit too violent for me sometimes). All in all I think the anthology functions as a wonderful introduction to a quartet of women fantasy romance writers, and as such would recommend it easily.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.

No matter the cost.

My Thoughts: I love Seanan McGuire on the regular, so even though this sat on my virtual TBR pile for a while, I don't think it's particularly surprising to anyone when I say this is another well written and just flat-out interesting story. Again she's crafted these unique characters that after their individual journeys come together in a hopes of surviving in the "real" world. I'm hesitant to say too much in fear of spoilers, but it's a book that's not so much about the mystery as the people themselves, the good and the bad, and the ways in which our own assumptions color the ways in which as readers approach them. Very recommended.

I'm Looking Forward To:

Unraveled by Lauren Dane (January 30th, 2018)
Maybe Dolan has lived independent, free-spirited and unattached since leaving home at sixteen. Whiskey Sharp, Seattle’s sexy vintage-styled barbershop and whiskey bar, gave her a job—and a reason to put down roots. Cutting hair by day, losing herself drumming in a punk rock band by night, she’s got it good.

But a longtime crush that turns into a hot, edgy night with brooding and bearded Alexsei Petrov makes it a hell of a lot better.

Maybe’s blunt attitude and carnal smile hooked Alexsei from the start. Protecting people is part of his nature and Maybe is meant to be his…even if she doesn’t know it. Yet. He can’t help himself from wanting to protect and care for her.

But Maybe’s fiery independent spirit means pushing back when Alexsei goes too far. Still, he’s not afraid to do a little pushing of his own to get what he wants—her in his life, and his bed, for good. Maybe’s more intoxicating than all the liquor on his shelf…and he’s not afraid to ride the blade’s edge to bind her to him.

Shifting Dreams by Elizabeth Hunter (Out Now)
In Cambio Springs, everything--and everyone--changes.

Most days, widowed hawk shifter Jena Crowe cannot get a break. Work at her diner never ends, her two boys are bundles of energy, and she's pretty sure her oldest is about to turn into something furry or feathery.

Caleb Gilbert was looking for change, and the quiet desert town of Cambio Springs seemed like just the ticket for a more peaceful life. He never could have predicted just how crazy his new life would become.

When murder rocks their small community, Caleb and Jena will have to work together. And when Caleb isn't put off by any of Jena's usual defenses, she may be faced with the most frightening change of all: lowering the wall around her carefully guarded heart.

SHIFTING DREAMS is a stand-alone paranormal romance in the Cambio Springs Mysteries.

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (January 9th, 2018)
Beneath the Sugar Sky, the third book in McGuire's Wayward Children series, returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children in a standalone contemporary fantasy for fans of all ages. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the "real" world.

When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can’t let Reality get in the way of her quest – not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.)

If she can't find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to save: she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn’t have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquainted with quests...

A tale of friendship, baking, and derring-do.

Well everyone, here we are, the end 2017. It's been a shit year for the most of the world (with a few bright spots like Australia), and somehow I decided it was the perfect time to take on a clothing challenge unlike anything I'd done before. Was it successful? I guess it mostly depends on your definition of success.

I didn't hit my goal of not buying anything every other month - even if was just something here or there, or a replacement for an item, I only managed it maybe 3 or 4 months total. Does that mean the whole effort was a failure? I'm gonna vote no, because while I didn't end up doing exactly what I set out to do, I at least was able to start creating a buying pattern for purchasing items with intention. Each season I took a look at what I owned, the people who's style I was admiring, and attempted to bridge the gap in a way that worked with the body/life I have. It didn't result in anything I'd consider a totally radical departure from what I was wearing previously, but the tweaks have still made me feel better. Made me feel happier with what I have to choose from in the morning.

And it's still a work in progress. I am constantly reevaluating pieces and either reworking, selling, or donating them. I've seen my closet shrink significantly and I still feel like there are some pieces that could go - I just like to take my time with it. I was explaining to a friend that huge all-in-one-day closet examinations are exhausting, but slowly just pulling pieces out as I accept that I don't like them is incredibly manageable. I like to keep a pile going, or a bag if I'm being "fancy" and just pull out the things I don't want to wear. I say fuck it and goodbye to the money I spent on the item and allow myself the freedom to let it go. Which sounds super corny, but it is HARD to look at a piece of clothing you spent $50/$75/$100 on and accept that it's served its purpose, no matter what the final price per wear was.

I'd like to take what I've learned this year and apply it in 2018. I feel more settled in my Spring/Summer wardrobe than I do in my Fall/Winter, so even though the season is halfway over I'm going to try and pinpoint what I think I might be missing.

I plan to write a separate post with all of my 2018 closet goals, but thanks to all of you who stuck with me and read through this series of probably more emotional than interesting posts as I tried to work through my style block. It's not done, but the beginning was very promising.