Beach Bunny Body

I learned about Beach Bunny Swimwear last year when I saw one of their ads featuring Kate Upton.

Here is some of the current campaign featuring Kate (because we're on a first name basis):

[Sidenote: I love Kate Upton. I love that she doesn't hide her curves. I love that she isn't rail thin. I love that she embraces her body and rocks the hell out of a bikini.]

Anyway, ever since I discovered the brand, I've wanted to own one of their bathing suits. Though it's been almost over a year, I've not yet purchased one for myself for a few reasons:

1) The bathing suits are pretty pricey. They range from $109 - $250 for both pieces.
2) If I am going to spend that kind of money on a bathing suit, I would like my body to be in much better shape. If I am going to own it, I want to own it, and feel good about myself when I'm in it.
3) I've got no where to wear it. I feel like those bathing suits are a little... much... for your average neighborhood pool.

So, here's what I'm thinking:

I am going to challenge myself, with the reward being purchasing one of the Beach Bunny bathing suits.

If I lose 15-20 lbs., I will gift myself a bikini from Beach Bunny. I will also take a long weekend and go somewhere, whether it's the beach or a resort in Atlantic City. Just somewhere to break in my new suit other than the pool in my apartment community.

This is going to be tough for me. I don't get enough any exercise, which of course I take full responsibility for considering the fact I've been a huge slacker and haven't been to the gym in two, going on three, years. I need to get my behind back into shape, and the first step is obviously going to the gym. Secondly, I need to eat better. It's not that I go through fast food drive-thru's all the time, because actually, I don't eat fast food at all! (I don't consider Subway or Panera fast food, but for the sake of this challenge, I'll remove them from my diet for the time being). I do, however, snack. A lot. All the time. I am a BIG snacker, so I'll need to curb that habit pretty significantly for this to be successful.

For the record, the goal for this challenge is not to lose a ton of weight.  Realistically, I know that won't happen. However, I do need to lose 15-20 lbs. to be healthy. I need to gain lean muscle and tone up. Overall, I am proud of my body and am comfortable with the curves that I have. I am not proud, however, of the Pillsbury doughboy effect that has enveloped my stomach and thighs.

There's no deadline for this challenge, but I do hope to achieve it over the next couple of months. If it takes until the end of the summer, or if it takes until the end of Fall, I'll be happy with that (and go somewhere warm once it's colder here so I can better enjoy the sunny weather!).

Here are some of the suits I am eyeing right now:

Knitted Zig Zag Balconette Bikini, $215

Sexy Sequin Lace Bikini, $170

All Eyes on Me, $179

Yes. That's Chrissy Teigen. I love her as much as I love Kate Upton, probably more, mainly because I am jealous of her marriage with John Legend. They have to be the hottest couple on the planet. Have to be.

So wish me luck. It's going to be a tough couple months of trying to eat right, increase my activity levels, and get back on track. With your support, it will be much easier. Here we go!

Until next time,

GJU

Back from Beach Vaca!

Hi guys!

So sorry for the lack of posts recently! I just got back from a long weekend at the beach, and before that, I was super busy with work. Hope you can forgive me :)

I thought I'd share some of the photos from my vacation to Ocean City, MD. It was so great to take a weekend and get away. Laying on the beach is the ultimate form of relaxation and I am feeling so much more refreshed now that I had the chance to unwind.

Lots of great posts coming up, including announcing the winner of the Stella & Dot giveaway! Keep checking back in with GJU!

Outfit for the drive down to OC!

Got a little Captain?

Goofing off with these stunna shades on the boardwalk

Lunch on the water post-beach

Bloody Mary at lunch!

Dumser's soft serve with peanut butter sauce and sprinkles. 

Selfie before bed in my new bright pink Bethany Surf Shop tank

The beach in the morning

Post-beach selfie

Outfit for dinner and a night out

Close up of the top of the dress

Fractured Prune Doughnuts

Obligatory photo in front of the swordfish

At a bar on the beach

Beach sunset to kick off the drive back to Baltimore

Overall, my long weekend vacation to the beach was exactly what I needed. Rest, relaxing, sun, and lots of food and drink.

Make it your own:
Chambray Shirt: J. Crew
White Shorts: J. Crew
Brown Sandals: LOFT (similar)
Leopard Scarf: J. Crew
White Tank: Francesca's Collections (similar)
Skinny Jeans: Gap
Black Dress: American Eagle (Several years old!)
Orange Lace Tank: Target (similar)
Navy Blue Tie-Dye Dress: Target
Gold Bracelets: c/o Avon
Silver and Gold Necklace: Stella & Dot
Blue Striped Maxi Dress: LOFT (similar)
Bronzer (all pics): c/o Avon

How have you guys been? Update me!

<3 GJU

GJU Goes to Puerto Rico!

Arrrrrrribaaa! (Thought it was fitting)

Welcome back to GJU.. So sorry there's been a delay in posts. I was away in Puerto Rico for vacation, and for the sake of actually relaxing and taking advantage of the vacation, I didn't bring my computer. Now that I'm back in Baltimore, I'm ready to share some of the pics from my stay.

Here's a sampling of some of the photos we took. Let me know what you think! Also-- if you've ever been to Puerto Rico, you know the pics of the weather/beach don't even do it half justice. The island is GORGEOUS.

Anyway-- the photo summary:

Before going to Old San Juan for dinner.

Day one on the beach, I took a ton of scenic shots. Tried to pic a few to show on GJU!

Our footprints!

Seriously, the clouds here were perfect. Fluffy perfection.

Early morning on the beach. Never wanted to leave.

Sailor suit. Chips Ahoy!

 We went to the El Yunque National Park to go hiking, climb towers, and visit two beautiful waterfalls.

Right outside the visitor's center.

At Las Cocas Waterfall on El Yunque.

Obligatory Instagram Head Shot, yours truly.

Back to the beach!

Sun tan day! Obviously we found the beach side bar :)

Be gentle with the comments. I'm no model, nor do I even exercise a little bit haha.
But-- I went to the Caribbean.. and bathing suits are appropriate gear for the beach. 

This next group of photos is all from the same night. We went to the El San Juan hotel (absolutely stunning-- it's a Waldorf Astoria property). Even in our somewhat dressy outfits, we were far under dressed in comparison to a lot of the women at this one bar. They were donning floor length gowns-- I was in heaven. Loved the dresses.

Having some cocktails at the El San Juan before dinner at the next hotel.

We had dinner at BLT at the Ritz Carlton in Puerto Rico. Delicious.

This one painting outside of BLT was massive and beautiful. We needed to take a photo by it!

We went to the spa one morning full some serous pampering. I had to share the robe and slippers.

Compliments of Zen Spa in Contado, Puerto Rico.

A little blurry, but at dinner at Il Mulino at the Ritz. Best. Service. Ever.

I had the best time in Puerto Rico! This vacation is exactly what I've needed for a long time now. Way overdue. It's been a rough few weeks, and nothing is more relaxing than doing absolutely nothing while staring at waves.

Many thanks to @ChrisMinMD for allowing myself and my friend @Sushgirl to take over his beachside condo. I apologize if your home still smells like hair product, perfume, and sunscreen.

Excited for upcoming outfit posts. Keep on checking back :)

&lt;3 JP

Sunny Skirt

I'd like to move to the beach. Maybe not permanently, but for a month or two.. or three... I draw a lot of inspiration from beachy style - easy, simple pieces put together that look effortlessly chic. One of my favorite online boutiques to skim for outfit ideas is Hallelu. It's a shore-side boutique located in North Carolina that has unique clothing and accessory selections that totally embody beach-chic style.

One look I wear often is a tank tucked into a skirt. It's a good casual look, but it can also be dressed up and work-appropriate. This particular outfit from Hallelu, below, is a color combo that just makes me happy. I love this yellow skirt! My favorite part is the star pocket detail - super creative. The minimal jewelry keeps the outfit simple, and the messy top bun is cute-without-trying. She's ready for a walk on the beach (take me with you??).

Photo credits: Thank you, Katie Blaha, for snapping these great pics for me!

Jewelry close up: Right Hand - Sapphire and Opal family heirloom ring; Gold cut-out ring from Banana Republic; Left Hand- Antique tree ring from a London thrift store 

For my outfit, I wore a yellow skirt from the J.Crew factory store. I love that my skirt has pockets.. sadly they're not star-shaped like the Hallelu skirt, but still a fun detail! Tucked into the skirt, I wore a gray tank from Target that has thin gold horizontal stripes. Like I've said in previous posts, Target is a great place to find inexpensive, basic tops & tanks, like this one.  For my shoes, I wore multi-color t-strap sandals from Steve Madden (you can see these sandals in the close-up photo above).

To match the Hallelu photo, I wore a bangle and a few simple rings.  I also pulled my hair up into a messy top bun. I actually learned how to recreate this hairstyle from Jill Gott-Gleason through her blog Good Life For Less. You can watch Jill's video tutorial on how to achieve the messy top bun hairstyle here.




Make it your own:
Skirt: J.Crew Factory (Similar)
Tank:Target $8
Sandals:  Steve Madden $39.99
Ring: Aldo (Similar) $8
Gold bangles: Forever 21 (Similar) $5.80