My Story.

My energy burnout happened so subtly and slowly I didn’t realize it was happening at all. Most importantly, I didn’t even realize that I was the very one creating this path for myself until it was too late and I was sick and had completely run out of energy. It took me a while to feel ready to share this, but I think it’s time we women begin sharing more of the real, raw things. Keep in mind this is my own story, which means your experiences may be very different. I think that has been one of the most difficult things for me to accept after speaking with counselors and friends about this topic. We all have different needs, wants, and capacities; we are all on our own journeys in this beautiful thing called life. But I’ve learned that if you don’t like how you’re feeling, only you can change it. I’m sharing my experience with you and below that, I’m sharing the ways I’ve turned my health and wellness around in the hope it may help some of you as well. My journey isn’t complete, but I’ve been enjoying diving into books, articles, and documentaries that are helping me create a more healthful, balanced lifestyle. I’m looking forward to sharing these with you in the year ahead.

I launched this site and went full-time as a blogger after our marriage in the spring of 2015 and a whirlwind summer of destination weddings and lots of travel. I worked my tail off getting TCG up and running. It’s the kind of manic devotion only fellow entrepreneurs will know. The kind you doggedly pursue until you’ve risked your health, happiness, and any semblance of a social life. By the spring of 2016, a digital marketing analyst had reached out and let me know that (with all its 12k followers at the time) TCG was selling as much product as brands with 60k followers or more. I was beginning to work with brands I’d followed for years, sitting front row at fashion shows, and penciling in events almost every night of the week. I didn’t say ‘no’ to anything, but that wasn’t unusual for me. I was always the girl in school who secretly completed all the parts of a group project just in case anyone forgot theirs; I’m a detail-obsessed perfectionist by nature.

Of course, while I was getting my brand off the ground I was also navigating a new marriage. The truth is, we don’t really know how to be married until we are and even after that, both parties have so much to learn and must discover how to grow together as partners. At the beginning of our marriage, I asked my husband if he wanted someone with a career or a traditional housewife. He replied with, “Well… I’d like both. I think.” (I mean, wouldn’t we all?! I’m imagining someone that goes from the boardroom to the bedroom faster than you can say ‘Christian Grey’ and also looks as rugged and wild as Jason Momoa.) As TCG began to grow, both my husband and I agreed that I needed to devote my full 8-hour days to running TCG in 2016. The real problem? I didn’t know how to run a small business and be the housewife he needed. So I tried to be perfect at both.Continue Reading

Hair, Tan, Nails c/o Glamour Bar Denver

Miranda L. Sober Photography

Favorite Off-Shoulder Sweater Dresses

When I lived in the Midwest, the winters announced their presence around November with dark, dreary days and piles of snow and treacherous ice patches that didn’t leave until around March when the snow near sidewalks and streets had been tinged a depressing dark brown from dirt, sand, and car oil. Ever the determined sort, Midwesterners trudge through the snowy sludge and go about their business for months on end with minimal complaining. I’ve seen videos of Minnesotans cross country skiing to work atop feet of snow in the Minneapolis streets. I’ve witnessed Iowa farmers calmly shoveling their way through snow to take care of livestock every morning and evening. It’s just how we were raised; don’t complain too much, because there are fourteen days of beautiful spring weather ahead! (Before the sweltering, humid summer sets in.)

Imagine my surprise when I moved to Colorado, the state known for snow and skiing, and learned that Denver winters are usually mild with nonstop sunshine, temperatures that hover anywhere between 40°F and 70°F, and the rare monthly dumping of snow that melts the next day. “It’s so cold!” Coloradans will say, as they pull their parka tighter to shield themselves against the 35°F chill under the blazing Denver sun. Our average January temperature is 45°F. I’ve actually found myself missing the cold temperatures and snow this winter; I’m the type that loves burrowing in for a weekend next to the fire with a great book while the snow falls softly outside.

The past few years, Denver seems to reach its coldest in February and March, just when I’m trying to shoot Spring outfits. So because I’ve felt cheated out of my usual number of snow days and because it’s 32°F outside today, I am rebelling against the pressure to write about spring break ensembles and am writing this blog post as an ode to sweater dresses instead. These dresses are those versatile creatures that allow us to pile on furry vests, tights, and over-the-knee boots one chilly weekend in March and when the temperatures rise a few days later, they pair just as well with sunglasses, bare legs, and your favorite booties. Aside from versatility, I’ve found that men seem to especially like these dresses on women. After careful thought, I’ve decided it’s because the off-shoulder style appears as if it may fall off at any moment. (I’m sorry, but I’m always honest with you.) And as I mentioned in this blog post, I haven’t met a woman’s clavicle that isn’t beautiful.

So here’s to tricky weather, beautiful clavicles, and like our favorite groundhog, rebelling against Spring for a few more weeks.

Get the Look:

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Laulhère Beret.  Chelsea28 Sweater – Sold Out, See Selections Below.  Victoria Beckham Denim Flare.  Louis Vuitton Monogram Noé BB.

Off the shoulder. Yes, I’m still enjoying this trend. Why, you ask? Because everyone (and I do mean everyone) has great shoulders. Think about it; no one’s shoulders really age or gain weight or look awful. It’s a flattering body part that showcases a feminine clavicle, a beautiful necklace, or a new haircut. And you really can’t go wrong with an off-shoulder sweater like this during these tricky, transitional winter-spring months.

I’ve been thrilled that flared denim is back in the shops again; it’s the most flattering style for girls with curvy hips and thighs like me. Which brings me to another reason I’m snapping up all the off-shoulder sweaters recently. A wee little tip I learned in fashion school: off-shoulder tops accentuate shoulders, making the waist and hips appear smaller. So when off-shoulder sweaters like this are paired with flares, it creates a beautiful illusion; the shoulders and hemline appear largest and everything in between (waist/hips/thighs) seems smaller in comparison. For the most flattering cut, have jeans hemmed so they brush right at the knuckle of your toes in heels. I have yet to hem this pair I’m wearing; I usually wait until I see which shoes I wear a pair of denim with most before having them altered.

I had to have one of these Laulhère berets after seeing this segment about the quintessential French hat on CBS Sunday Morning. Laulhère is a French company that has been making berets for over 170 years; in fact, they’re the last French company hand-crafting berets. I was able to find my red beret (yes, it’s called ‘raspberry’) online, but it’s not easy to locate them stateside!

Fit Details:  Go up a full size in these jeans as they are very fitted! (Did we expect less from Victoria?!)

Pretty Little Off-The-Shoulder Sweaters