FRIDAY Q&A: THE COMPARISON GAME, MY GO-TO BRAS, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MOM, AND MORE

Happy Friday! We are en route to Dallas to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday and exchange a few early Christmas presents before our actual holiday festivities with both our families in Florida! We try to make it back to Dallas three or four times a year to see Will’s parents and catch up with friends we’ve missed so much since moving back to the east coast a couple years ago. I’m so happy to be living in Connecticut and not battling homesickness anymore but I’m pretty sure friendsickness is a thing because I miss Ali and Amy like crazy and don’t get to see them nearly as much as I’d like! Anyway I hope you all have a fun-filled weekend — would love to hear your thoughts on questions #3 and #10 in the comments if you have a moment!

design darling friday q&a

1. Any recommendations on everyday watch for my 22-year-old daughter? Would love to stay under $500. I looked through the shop section on your blog and didn’t see any!

An everyday watch is such a great gift idea! I remember my dad taking me shopping for my first pair of designer sunglasses when I turned 18 — it’s nice to receive something that’s both thoughtful and practical. I love the looks of this, this, this, and this — will add them to the accessories category of the shop page now! 

2. What are some great gifts you gave Will while you were dating (before you shared a home)?

I have the worst memory so I had to ask him! He says I gave him this record player, these boots, and this art print before we were engaged but it’s hard to remember everything! I know our first Christmas together we both kind of bought lots of little things to try to figure out which ones were the biggest hit so we’d know what to give going forward!

3. How do you combat comparing yourself to others on social media?

I try to remind myself that social media is a highlight reel so the same way people say you shouldn’t compare your middle to someone else’s end, you can’t compare a bad day in real life to someone else’s picture-perfect afternoon on Instagram. If something’s really getting under my skin, I get off my phone and take Rory for a walk or go hang out with my family to remind myself how much I have to be grateful for. Of course I’d love another 100,000 followers or a bigger house or whatever, but there are people who would kill for what I have and it’s important to stay mindful of that. The comparison game is probably something I will always struggle with in some capacity so if anyone has any words of wisdom, please weigh in in the comments!

4. What is your go-to for a good bra? Both everyday and strapless?

This is hands down my favorite everyday bra — it’s just flattering and pretty and I have multiple girlfriends who swear by it. For strapless bras, this is my go-to unless I want something more bandeau-like in which case I wear this. 

5. Any advice for cleaning out your closet?

It sounds so hokey but ever since reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I find myself asking whether an item actually sparks joy or I’m just holding onto it because I have guilt about never wearing it or think I may still want to wear it “someday.” I’d love to get to the point where every single thing in my closet falls into one of these categories:

a) I wear it all the time (button-down shirts, cable-knit sweaters, navy silk blouses)

b) I wear it less often but it makes me happy every time I do get to wear it (like this bow jumpsuit or this feather camisole)

c) I don’t wear it often but it holds a special memory that I’m reminded of when I see it (my rehearsal dinner dress, my welcome party dress, my wedding shoes)

I’m definitely not there yet but I try to clean out my closet at least a couple times a year and donate the items that I haven’t worn in a while. It makes me happy to think that something I rarely reach for could go to someone who will wear it all the time! 

P.S. You can see how I organize my closet here!

6. If you could invite anyone (alive or not) to your Christmas dinner, who would it be?

J.K. Rowling! Will and I just started listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks together and even though this is my third time reading the series, I’m still blown away by J.K. Rowling’s out-of-this-world creative genius.

7. What are your thoughts on mixing black and navy when putting together an outfit?

I love navy and black together! I don’t wear a ton of black (you can read why here!) but I love an unexpectedly chic color combination and to me it’s no different from wearing a black sweater with dark blue jeans. 

8. What are your top wedding planning tips?

Find ways to make your wedding uniquely yours! My favorite parts of weddings are always the personal touches — the invitations, the fun facts on cocktail napkins, the heartfelt toasts, etc. As you’re planning, decide on the things that are most important to you (for us, getting married where my parents got married, having our dog in the ceremony, having a band) and make a list of the areas where you’re willing to cut costs (I bought my wedding veil on Etsy, had a family friend make our super simple flower arrangements, and went with a very basic wedding cake). And if you’re on the fence, hire a videographer — our two wedding videos (here and here) are my favorite souvenir and the best way to relive every moment. 

9. Have you and your mom always been close? You have such a sweet relationship!

Aww thanks for saying that! My whole family is super close and my parents are the glue that keeps everyone together. My mom and I are very similar in a lot of ways (impatient and stubborn!) so we definitely know how to push each other’s buttons, but she is my ultimate role model and there’s no one on earth I trust more for advice on relationships, friendships, fashion, decorating… truly anything and everything. I was a pretty stubborn teenager my senior year of high school (seriously I look back and cringe at what a brat I was!) so there were probably times she couldn’t stand me back then, but thankfully we can look back and laugh about it now. I totally lucked out in the mom department — if I’m half as good a role model for our future kids, I’ll consider it a job well done!

10. What’s the next place on your bucket list you want to travel to?

I basically want to go everywhere on earth (how cool would it be to set foot on all seven continents?!) but at the same time I feel like I could go back to France and/or Italy every year for the rest of my life and be totally happy with that. I still haven’t booked anything for 2019 and I’m definitely getting the itch — would love to hear what’s next on your bucket lists in the comments!