Y’all. I am so incredibly pumped for the next couple of months. Mostly because I’m going to have more time to focus on my blog. I was going through my content from last January and I’m really motivated to create more great content like I was producing this time last year. Between my rotations, I took a month off to create content and take a break after a taxing first semester of graduate school. I can’t lie it’s much easier to create stellar content when it’s your main priority.
That’s not the case for me now, but I definitely believe it’s possible to create great content even when it’s not your main focus. I’ve brainstormed content for the first quarter of 2020 and I’m really excited to get back to writing more lifestyle, health, and style content for you all.
A Year in Images
I always like recapping the year to see everything I accomplished and experienced. This year I’ll spare my Instagram followers from the drawn-out Instagram story content and I’ll walk you through my entire year here on the blog. You’ll also find some Instagram story inspiration if you want to up your game in 2020. Let’s get into it.
January
With the rocket-powered year of 2018 behind me, 2019 had a LOT to live up to. New Year’s Eve in the city was less than stellar. But, I don’t really love partying or going out that much, so I wasn’t super surprised. I was so smart on the first of the year and recuperated with Sweet Green and a stroll through Central Park. It’s one of my favorite things to do especially since the city was virtually empty.
One thing that I miss about the content I was creating at the beginning of the year was how useful it was. I released a customizable desktop organizer, shared a budget template, researched skincare {and somehow also got addicted} regimens. I was also extremely engaged with my audience. A 10-slide long segment that just consisted of me chopping peppers that people actually watched all the way through was one of the weird ones. I also got the best healthy, but sweet treat ideas.
My weekends in January were filled with mirror selfies, coffee snaps, museums, and of course, brunch. I bounced around all my favorite NYC neighborhoods {SoHo, East Village, Greenpoint}. It seems like I also managed to foreshadow my trip to Los Angeles. I tweeted and subsequently got reposted by my favorite LA coffee shop, Alfred. I also had a moment with eating more interesting meals at home.
February
February might be the shortest month of the year, but it definitely was action-packed. It started off with a trip to the Whitney Museum of Art to see the Andy Warhol exhibit. The limited-time exhibition was definitely one of my favorites of the season. The branded museum maps and tickets were also cute keepsakes that I keep in my memory box.
I also spent a lot of time in coffee shops working on content, school work, etc. I visited my favorite coffee shop Gotan for the first time and found the cutest nook in Flatiron at the Freehand hotel. Celebratory brunch with Michelle for our InfluenceHer Award nominations at Bubby’s was super delicious and absolutely guilt-free. We also had the first of many impromptu dinners with our friends Francesca, Kendall, and Emily.
2019 was the year I finally felt like I was being taken seriously as a content creator. It started with the opportunity to attend an event with HiChew at Forward Space for an amazing dance fitness class. Then, I went to my first official NYFW show to see Rebecca Minkoff’s collection. February also seemed to be the month of the beret for me. I was sporting one literally all the time on the weekends. It’s definitely one of my favorite ways to take a boring outfit to the next level.
March
March started as a laid back month with not much going on. I drank a lot of expensive yet delicious lattes. Lucked out at a Paula’s Choice event and got some of my favorite products. I also treated myself to some Chickfila. I also spent a lot of time making deliciously intricate yogurt and smoothie bowls that almost always made me late to work.
And then, I WON A BLOGGING AWARD. I’m still so shocked about it. I mean I think my content is great and deserving of the award. But, still! It was the email in your inbox that stops you dead in your tracks for a second. I also attended the wayv event and met one of my favorite YouTube gals, Danielle Carolan. DUMBO, Brooklyn saw a lot of me in 2019 and I made my first trek down there to shoot some content in March.
April
April started as all months should: with good food and a killer ootd. Juliette still has one fo the best brunches in town and the fact that it’s only a short ferry ride away from my apartment makes my heart happy. I also had finally figured out my go-to Trader Joe’s items. As long as my cart had baby spinach, raspberries & blackberries, a go macro bar or two, and Synergy kombucha, I was good to go.
I want to say I shoot content in DUMBO every couple of months. The weather was starting to shift from the dead of winter to the warmth of spring. It’s the perfect time to go to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was also one of the first acceptable days to grab an ice cream and so I had my first cup of Oddfellows and boy was it delicious.
I must have made back to back trips to DUMBO and I’m not complaining about it. A friend was in town and wanted to see some sights and naturally, I had to take her to see the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, and The Met.
I spent Easter in the city which is a first for me. I usually take a weekend trip or venture back to Virginia to see my family. Michelle and I brunched at the Egg Shop. It’s trendy but yummy and I’m surprised it took me so long to get to this spot. I loved the cute little Easter dress that I picked up from Old Navy too. We ended up journeying to Central Park and the leaves were just starting to bud off the trees. It was spectacular. I also ended up having an incredible slice of cheesecake from a vendor in The Plaza Food Hall.
Spring: My New Favorite Season
Autumn is pretty spectacular in the city, but I gotta say spring always makes sure to give it a run for its money in picturesque views. The Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom in April when I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I also had my first bite of the magnificent Bagel Pub bagel sandwiches. Lastly, I made my final trip to Chapel Hill for graduation photos in spring for my 2019 senior babes. It was such a blast seeing the campus after a whole year. Chapel Hill will always hold a special place in my heart.
May
May was a good in-between month. I got to explore more of my city and experience a new season. The weather was truly fantastic. A good time to come and visit if you want a warm-weather experience. I found a bunch of new spots that were relatively close to me. The Flatiron Devocion cafe is my new hidden gem and I’m frustrated that it took me so long to find.
I spent a lot of time in Brooklyn in May. That’s probably because the weather was tolerable enough to justify the long trek from Manhattan. My favorite spots in May were Homecoming, Golda, and Ample Hills.
I love those weekends where you just run around and accomplish mini tasks. I had several days like this in May. My favorite was when I popped into Ralph’s for the first time, bought two books from Barnes & Noble, and read for a bit in Madison Square Park. When it’s 75 and sunny with a slight breeze in NYC, you have to take advantage.
My favorite weekend in May was when I went to see the CAMP exhibit following the Met Gala. This year was spectacular. The fashion was incredible but also the layout and architecture were also fun and exactly what I would expect for an exhibit on CAMP. I’m already buzzing in anticipation for this year’s exhibit.
I had a lot of alone time during May as well. I explored more of the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, and Union Square. Levain cookies are also a must every couple of months… for morale or at least that’s what I tell myself.
June
June was actually insane. First, I traveled to Los Angeles for a weekend to accept my InfluenceHer Rising Star Award. It was a big moment for me and my blog. Very proud of this accomplishment to this day. I got to meet some of my favorite blogging gals too! It was a ton of fun. I got Lemonade, Alfred, Toast, and In N’ Out. So basically, I nailed the whole California thing.
In Between Days
I spent a few days in NYC in June. I was really only unpacking, packing, and finishing up the last rotation of my first year of graduate school. We had our end of the year semi-formal and I picked out one of my favorite fashion items of the year from Loft. I also made some time to pop into a pilates class with Crunch and Just Fab.
My First Europe Extravaganza
I’m sure most people are tired of me talking about this trip and sharing pictures from this trip. This was by far one of my favorite experiences ever. There were some hiccups when we were traveling to Lisbon. But, we made it to all our final destinations of Lisbon, Portugal [making some time to see Sintra too!], Madrid, Spain, and Barcelona, Spain. It was a blast. I am so glad I got to experience this trip with my favorite people in the world.
July
July was a good chance for me to regroup after a month of intense traveling. The month started with the cutest event in Bryant Park. Fran, Michelle, Emily, and I watched TATBILB in the park on a temperate Monday afternoon. A hefty Trader Joe’s picnic was a welcome addition. My first Fourth of July was pretty chill. Italian food at Aurora followed by fireworks from Domino Park in Williamsburg was a good change of pace from the “go, go, go” mood of Manhattan. A plethora of fun summer activities dotted the warm summer weekends. Lots of ice cream, brunch, and summer rooftop nights and drinks. One thing I miss was treating myself with fresh peonies from Trader Joe’s and cleaning out my wardrobe with the Marie Kondo method.
I also started doing my weekly challenges on Instagram stories. I started by sharing an OOTD every day. This was because I really just wanted to wear a t-shirt and jeans every day. It was hot and fashion was not my favorite thing in the world. I was bored with my clothes and feeling really uninspired. These continued for the next few months.
Lastly, Michelle and I also attended our first Aspire to Her event and met our friend Emma. It was such a fun way to meet some like-minded ladies in NYC. The launch party was so cute too!
August
My birthday month is always one fo my favorites. It’s really odd because as a Leo you would think I would be super pumped to celebrate my birthday. But, I still have no desire to make people celebrate me for being born. I don’t know. Either way, it was another month in the most brilliant city and that’s all I could hope for. I also celebrated my one year in NYC which is a true accomplishment. I feel like I can operate the subway and I have some really great friends who just get me. Amen. My main challenges this month were making breakfast in my apartment every morning and making my own coffee and using metal straws. I met my little sib, was on a podcast, and had a visitor!
September
September is another crazy month. The semester starts, summer activities start winding down, and fashion week comes back around. Notably, I also made time to perfect my DIY Sweetgreen harvest bowl, pick up a collaboration with CVS Beauty, and attend a dinner party for Mo Knows Hair. It was also a big month for me in the lab so I worked a lot of long nights with my cells.
October
October was a very busy month. I made a trip to Chapel Hill for homecoming, to Fishkill Farms to pick some apples, and to the gym to work on my fitness. I collaborated with Hulu in one of my favorite sponsored campaigns. October also birthed collaborations with HelloFresh, Tampax, and Girls Who Code. I also got my first Nuuly box in October and haven’t looked back since. My relationship with fashion is really good. I have loved some of the outfits I’ve put together. I also started some weekly collaborations with NYC influencers to work on Instagram content.
November
November is probably my favorite month in NYC. The weather is cool, but not cold. My parents came to visit, I took a trip to Washington D.C for a conference, and I finally saw Wicked. More brunch was had and karaoke happened. I also went to a Fossil event, visited the Mejuri Vault, and finished my two-part CVS Beauty collaboration. I designed a really fun Instagram story template, started a partnership with Madewell.
December
December was filled with all my favorite things: traveling, family, new goodies, good fashion, parties, and friends. I started the month with a new Nuuly box ft. the Rolling Stones tee that I don’t think I’ll be able to part ways with. The first cold spell of the winter set in and all the winter accessories came out in full force. I started sharing quick Instagram story reviews of movies that I saw in theaters. Knives Out was one of my absolute favorites. Attended some early Christmas parties hosted by Octoly and my gal pals, Michelle and Aline. I also curated some content for my last collaboration for the year with Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day.
I took my second international trip of the year with my family to Jamaica for a week. Then, I finished off the Christmas season in Virginia with my closest friends and family. I love this time of year so much. The last few days of the year will be filled with cleaning, reading, and enjoying the last few days of calm energy before the new year.
A Year of Memories
I created so many great memories this year. It was one of the most eventful, stressful, enlightening, and transformative years of my life. I’ve worked on myself, made new friends, tried new things, and seen parts of the world that I’ve always wanted to. I can’t wait for creative development in 2020 and to foster even stronger relationships. I can’t wait to continue to challenge myself. Hopefully, I will be able to see another corner of the world. Mostly, I hope that I continue to push myself to be better. Thank you 2019. Let’s get after it in 2020.
Keep on keepin’ on.
