St. Lucia Swimsuit Roundup

It’s been about seven months now. It was a rough start but I’ve made it through. Back in April, I started on a clean eating program. To be honest, I didn’t even know what that meant when I was starting…I just knew something had to give.

So I jumped aboard the 28 Day Challenge from The Fit Girls Guide on a whim when a coworker suggested we do it together. The PDF with the program recipes and workouts was only $25 so I thought, what the heck, I’ll give it a try.

And seven months later, and 20 pounds lighter, I’m seriously the happiest I’ve ever been. To be honest, I lost most of the weight within the first two months of the program and now I’m maintaining…and trying my hardest not to eat every cookie I see. ;)

It’s amazing to me - the amount of support and love from friends, from family and from you, my readers, through this whole ordeal. Each sweet text and each encouraging conversation has pushed me to become my best self…from someone who grew out her hair to hide her insecurities to someone who is confident, energetic and might I add, ballsy.

People love to ask, ‘What are you doing?! How many miles are you running each day?” And I laugh. YOU GUYS!! It’s all about what we’re eating. Seriously. I eat oatmeal or eggs for breakfast, opt almost exclusively for whole grains, limit my salt intake, drink all the water, and eat a YOU KNOW WHAT ton of cooked or roasted veggies. I have taco, pizza made on top of a whole wheat pita and pumpkin lasagna on the reg…and it’s actually super tasty. 

ANYWAY in honor and celebration of 6 months of healthy eating, I wanted to share a little roundup of my favorite swimsuits from our trip to St. Lucia! Tune in Wednesday, when I'll be sharing my last (and favorite!) look of the whole trip! XO!

Suite 1: Cocosand Swimwear
Suit 2: Mars Vida
Suit 3: Triangl Swimwear
Suit 4: Trina Turk (cover up version)

Loudoun County Style Launch Party

A few weeks ago, I attended the launch party for Loudoun County Style, a website curated for residents of LoCo looking for upscale and luxury events, services and shops. I’ve lived in Loudoun my entire life, so I’m totally stoked that it’s finally being recognized for all it has to offer! Founder and editor, Sara Llanes, is one of the sweetest girls in town and quite the party host. Here are some highlights from the night:

Local treats
My two favorite local vendors of the night were most definitely Stone Tower Winery (which I already knew I loved) and new-comer Catoctin Creek Distillery. They brought their Loudoun Lemonade with them, which I immediately fell in love with. It is SO GOOD.

The venue
When we arrived at the party, it was like a rustic dream. Shadow Creek had hanging lights, vintage furniture and a brand-new wood smell. If this was around when I had gotten married, it would have most definitely been a contender.

The flowers
I’m a sucker for a good bouquet, so when I saw these flowers from Taffy Floral, there was major swooning going on.

Friends
I attended the party with founder of Mars Vida, Maria! See our best selfie below.

For more info about the Loudoun County Style launch party, visit their website!

Mars Vida Launch

Springtime FINALLY feels like it's arrived! But as much as I love this newfound warmth, it's also a harsh reminder that bikini season is right around the corner. And that means the dreaded bathing suit shopping.

Thankfully, there's a new swimsuit player in town. Mars Vida, a local online swimwear boutique featuring designs from South America, just launched last week. You guys, the suits are so adorable! But don't take my word for it - check them out for yourself! 

I'll be doing a little interview in a few weeks with the creator of Mars Vida, Maria-Alejandra Avellaneda. (Spoiler alert: She's the sweetest!) In the meantime, check out the photos I snapped at the sold-out launch party she held at Smith Commons last week. Enjoy!