We are so excited you guys…this is the first edition of our newsletter, The Denim Files. After this, our newsletters will be for subscribers only and include exclusive content not on the blog or social media. If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, do it now! Sign-up here.
What you may have missed from this week…
Rachel’s Rambling
Camisole (wearing xs) | Jeans (similar – size up 1) | Heels | Bag
You know those weeks where you just feel off? I needed a haircut + my roots touched up, I was exhausted (travel + Nordstrom sale + recovering from a nasty cold). My house was a mess, I hadn’t been getting my workouts in…and then there were the teenagers (ha!). I’ve been in a mood shall we say.
My husband and I went out last weekend and everything I put on, I immediately took off and threw on the floor. I didn’t feel good in anything. When I’m having one of those moments, I almost always reach for this black camisole and jeans. (In colder months there is a sweater on top.) It feels effortlessly chic and “me”. It just works. I call it my fall-back outfit; everyone needs one.
Reflecting on my mood this past week… The goal of our blog is to help women feel good thru clothes and style. We firmly believe that if you take care of yourself on the outside, invest in clothes that make you feel confident, take time for self care, etc…you are happier and more productive. You are better to the people around you. We are all worthy of that!
And when one of “those weeks” strike, you grab the black camisole (or whatever makes you feel good) and wait for it to pass. Because it always does.
Two Non-‘Nordy Sale’ Items I Just Ordered…
The Mother Jeans – Ok, so you guys might remember Tammy posting a picture in a pair of boot cut jeans during our Nordstrom sale coverage. I had serious jean envy. She helped me find these, and they are on their way to me…fingers crossed. I ordered 1 size up and will report back. Loving the wash, mild distressing and especially the cut.
The Silver Veronica Beard Heels – I already ordered these once (store pickup). Left them at Nordstrom because I was trying to be “responsible” and have been dreaming about them ever since. Sizes are selling out fast and I couldn’t handle it – I love them so much. So, they are once again on their way to me.
There are a few more sizes available on the VB website as well. These heels make an outfit – will be good well into the Fall and also amazing for the holidays. I’m between a 6 and 6 1/2 and definitely needed the 6 1/2 in these.
And by the way silver heels, boots etc are trending for Fall! Although in my opinion, these heels are timeless. A great investment piece.
My Make-up Obsession
I’m obsessed with all things Westman Atelier…I went down a rabbit hole of Gucci Westman makeup tutorials a few months ago, and slowly but surely it’s totally replaced everything in my makeup case. If you love minimal, clean makeup – this!!
I am planning a blog post soon – it’s been on my list but I got a bit Nordy Sale distracted. The lit highlight is amazing, dewy perfection (I have the clear one). Tammy bought and loves it as well. (See Gucci’s video on how to apply lit – here.)
I have quite a few of the Baby Cheeks (multi-blush stick) colors…the biggest surprise is the color Brichette. This is not a color I would normally gravitate to but I watched a Gucci (I mean I act as if we are friends – haha) video where she described this as one of her favorites and giving a beautiful natural flush. And it does just that. It’s probably my most-used color. (See this video by Gucci where she talked about the color Brichette – here.)
I just recently ordered the contour stick in the color biscuit and I’m awaiting it’s arrival. I have never used any type of contouring makeup, but again, after watching Gucci videos, I’m excited to try it. It looks extremely natural in all of the videos I have watched (and the online reviews say the same). I will report back! (Gucci’s video – here.)
These are a few of my favorites – but I also love the eye pods, squeaky clean lip balm, mascara…ha! You get the picture. I basically love it all. Blog post coming!
Tammy’s Rambling
On Anxiety and Medication
Are you someone that is chill or someone that takes the weight of the world on their shoulders? I am most definitely not what one would call chill. I am intense, a little controlling, hard on myself, and I worry about everything. I have been wound exceptionally tight my entire life. And I’ve suffered anxiety for as long as I can remember.
It was approximately 3.5 years ago that I finally decided to try medication for the first time. My daughter had been having constant back pain from (we thought) dance. But after an x-ray, the technician had declared that the x-ray indicated she had Spina Bifida.
My husband immediately said “DO NOT TELL HER”. He didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily until she had an MRI and saw the specialist. But that was months away and in the meantime she was required to start physical therapy…and what if the physical therapist said something to her?!
Her freshman year of dance on the Varsity team. She’s been dancing since the age of 2! I was the team photographer!
Behind the scenes, I was having panic attacks alone in my bedroom. I was googling (first mistake) that maybe I didn’t have enough folic acid early on in the pregnancy. The internet said I should have been taking pre-natal vitamins long before I ever got pregnant…I hadn’t! My brain was on fire and all I could think of was the worst case scenario and that it was all my fault.
When we eventually got her MRI and saw the specialist, he immediately said “she’s fine, no spina bifida”. I got in the car and cried. Until then she hadn’t known what I had gone through in keeping this secret.
During all this time, my anxiety was at an all-time high. I was constantly teetering at the edge of a cliff, just barely hanging on. I made an appointment and told the Psychiatrist I was ready to try medication. She took me through the testing and said yes, I absolutely had Generalized Anxiety Disorder and she started me on a low dose of Lexapro. The results were life-changing. Eventually I did add in Wellbutrin to combat the side effects of extreme tiredness which turned out to be the perfect balance for me.
All of a sudden I felt like what a “normal” person must feel like. I can’t even describe the relief. And I just have to say that I am extremely grateful to this medication which has allowed me to live what I consider a much richer life. I honestly don’t think I would have even started this blog had I not taken this step. Everything was just too much back then. I’m so grateful and only wish I had been open to it earlier, but as they say, better late than never.
I suffered with stomach issues for YEARS. A GI Specialist couldn’t find any cause even after multiple invasive tests. Several weeks into Lexapro, I noticed my stomach issues also dissipating along with the crippling anxiety. My biggest wish is that the shame and stigma around anti-depressants and medication to treat anxiety would end. Too many people suffer in silence, fear, and self-doubt. There are solutions out there and I say explore all the options!
On My Girl Leaving For College
My girl is heading off to college in one month and I know it’s going to hit me hard, but she is only moving 40 minutes away and so I know I can see her almost any time I want. But life will never be the same with her living somewhere else. We’ve always been best friends and I know we will continue to be. But I don’t think we can ever be prepared for what it will feel like. I’m probably in denial.
No doubt I’ll spend a lot of time those first few months taking her out for lunch or dinner or shopping (her school just happens to be ten minutes from my favorite mall…couldn’t have planned that one better myself, haha!).
One thing I’m grateful for — all the pictures I took through the years. So many memories that I will cherish forever. Never underestimate the power of a photograph. Keeping snapping, friends!
What I’ve Been Watching
The Mysterious Benedict Society on Disney Plus – I homeschooled / unschooled both my kids through grade 7 and that meant a lot of reading together. One of our very favorite book series was The Mysterious Benedict Society. So many memories reading those books aloud multiple times. We used to say they needed to turn them into movies like Harry Potter. Well I was shocked to discover that Disney has turned this most incredible book series into a TV series! I’ve been watching these with my girl and LOVING.
Jim Gaffigan on Netflix – He has multiple stand up specials on Netflix and they are brilliant. Like laugh until my ribs hurt hysterical. All very clean comedy – highly recommend!
Bralettes for Us Curvy Girls!
Cosabella Never Say Never – Where have these been all my life? I have tried so many bralettes over the years (32DDD here!) and they always fell flat. I have finally discovered a bralette that is made especially for curvy girls.
I ordered medium, because I usually have to size up in bralettes but in fact I had to size down to small. These are kind of amazing and I’m so excited! I plan to wear them under my new Frame Crochet sweater. Between this bralette and my new Nippies obsession, I feel like I’m ready for almost anything life can throw my way!
Le Labo Fans
I am a Le Labo perfume addict. I have a particular love affair with Another 13 and Thé Noir 29, and Rachel also loves Santal 33.
I only started wearing perfume again a couple years ago (I stopped when I became pregnant with my first child). But I am so ridiculously picky when it comes to scents, and it wasn’t until I discovered niche perfumes that I found my love for perfume once again.
15 exclusive scents honoring 15 cities
City Exclusive scents are only available
in the cities they were created forBut once a year, all scents are available in our labs and online
AUGUST 1
City Exclusive samples and discovery set available online and in labsSEPTEMBER 1 – 30
City Exclusive full size fragrances available online and in labsYEAR-ROUNDCity Exclusive 50ml and 100ml bottles
can be refilled in select Le Labo labs, world-wide
A Le Labo store just opened at a local mall and I am so excited to head over there on August 1. I promise I will report back with my findings. I’m hoping to discover another amazing scent to add to my collection. Search for the location closest to you here and report back if you find something new you had to have!
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This is a taste of what our upcoming newsletter, The Denim Files, will look like – for subscribers only. We will share all the things we are considering or coveting, thoughts on upcoming trends, ramblings, basically anything and everything!
We cannot thank you guys enough for reading and supporting our blog – we are beyond thrilled that you are here and can’t wait for what’s to come!
