Photo Rewind

Yeah, I know.

I said that this time would be different.

I said it would be the last time that I would go MIA and totally disappear from the blogosphere.

The truth it: that's just not a realistic promise for me. As much as I want to write on here every single day after work (and I really do), I just can't.

Another truth: Even when I am not blogging, the blog is always on my mind. I'm always thinking things like "OMG I need to put this on the blog" or "this is a great outfit for GJU" or "I should get this top and share it on the blog because every woman on earth should have this top in their closet"... you get the idea.

It's constant. I am always thinking of things to share with you guys. Recently, simply because it's much quicker (and quite frankly, more convenient) I've been posting outfit photos to Instagram, and just linking the pics to my personal Facebook page, and pushing some out to Twitter. I know it's a cop out. But the truth it, it's an easier way for me to still reach you guys when I am not able to write a complete post. Sometimes a quick pic says it all.

I want you to know: Although I've not been here... I've still been here. I am always getting jess'ed up. I am always thinking of you guys and what cool things I've purchased/found that I am dying to show you.

That said, let me catch you up on... let's see.. the last 3 months of my life. Per usual, I'll go the photo diary route.

The Fam on X-mas

Brother/Sister love during the Holidays

Out at the bar with friends

I cheered on the Ravens!

Welcomed in 2014 with the cutest little cousin on the planet.
P.S. we both have on animal print :)

I polar vortex'ed in style.

I cheered on my team. GO SYRACUSE!!

I picked up some pretty new accessories :)

Celebrated my birthday with all of my favorite people

I got a spray tan and did the Cupid's Undie Run again this year

Can you spot me?!

The run was on my birthday!! 

My spray tan wore off, but I still charged on! 

And then this was today, bringing you right up to date :)

So, that's where I am. That's what's up. 

I am going to do my best, my very best, to update GJU more often. I cannot promise every day. I cannot promise every week. But I can promise that I will get on here and shout out to you guys as much as I can moving forward.

This is severely belated... but nonetheless... I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and happy new year!

GJU Featured in the WSJ

Remember my blog post about bold and beautiful brows? (Here's a reminder: The Bold and The Beautiful: Brows) 

Well, on Halloween, my thoughts were included in a broader piece about the bold brow trend. Elizabeth Holmes, style reporter for the WSJ, found my blog while doing her research for the piece. I was so excited to share my opinions with her, and flattered to see that some of my comments made it into the article!

Here's the link to the article: http://t.co/rgMYxLaZXl

Bits and pieces of the article

Read up! This is some good stuff! And that includes you, man friends. "Guy-brows" are in. 

I'll leave you with this thought:

Decision made!

To those who voted on the two dresses, thanks for your input! 

If you saw any of the photos posted last night to my Facebook, you would have noticed that I went with Dress B! Ultimately, I fell in love the lace-covered bodice on the front, the deep V in the back, and sweet bow around the waist. 

Thanks again for weighing in!

The wedding I attended was beautiful! I was honored to be part of Dani and Amanda's special day. Here are some more photos from the ceremony and reception:

Every wedding should start with a selfie. Here's one of me and my mom!

Family photo before the ceremony

Two beautiful brides. What a lovely ceremony!

Mother/daughter photo, with an adorable flower girl photo bomb

With my friend Tiffany, my date for the evening :)

Mom and Dad

The cutest little flower girl I ever did see!

They're married! 

Their first dance as newlyweds. So sweet!

Make it your own:

Dress: Cache, $198

Heels: Jessica Simpson, $99

Earrings: Cache (Similar, $48)

Bracelet: Coldwater Creek (Similar $49.95)

Which LBD for the Wedding?

Hey guys.

I'm going to a wedding this Saturday, and I'm torn between two little black dresses! I posted the pics to my Instagram for some feedback, but figured I'd share the two options on GJU and get your thoughts.

Dress A:

Black Lace Back Dress, Cache $188

Dress B:

Black Lace Bow-Tied Dress, Cache $198

Which do you prefer? I love the cut out on the first dress, but I equally love the lace-covered sweetheart bodice on the second dress. Let me know what you think!

Pretty Little Midi

Midi rings are taking over. Well, they're taking over fashion blogs and Pinterest... and for me, that qualifies taking over.

The philosophy behind midi rings, if you will: why ignore the rest of your finger's joints? Beautifying the whole hand > beautifying only the top portion of your ring finger. It's about layering, and mixing/matching.

The midi ring can be done in many ways. Top three, from my observation:
1) Mix and match shapes/sizes of rings
2) Mix and match metals
3) Spell out a word

Here are some examples of what I mean:

Mix and match shapes/sizes

Mix and match metals

Say something

I like this combo

Photos- Pinterest: Midi Rings

This past weekend, I picked up two of these midi finger rings to try it out. I definitely like how they look, but I will say they took some getting used to. I kept feeling like they were going to fall off throughout the day.

Wings and Heart Midi Rings, $7, Poppy and Stella

For now, I'm starting with two. I'll play around with them and try them out on different fingers to see what I like best. Once I'm more comfortable with how they feel, I'd like to try adding on some more and see how it looks!

Is this something you would try? Would love to see any cool combo's you've come up with :)

pucker up

Like Lil' Mama says, my lipgloss is poppin'. #preach

On a related note, I'm an avid fan of Mac Cosmetics, especially their lipgloss and shadows. Even more, I'm a fan of their recycle program. I've mentioned this before on GJU, but here's a friendly reminder: When you bring in 6 empty Mac cosmetics cartridges (they can be anything- old lip glosses, eye shadows, blushes, whatever) they will gift you a free lipstick, lipgloss or eye shadow in return.

I'm a lipgloss girl. I like feeling shiny and, I don't know... supple. Therefore, I usually go for a lipgloss trade-in.

Today, however, I wanted to try something new. I went the lipstick route. I love how chic a red lip looks, but I have never felt that I could pull it off. After trying on a bunch of different shades to see which complemented my skin tone, I narrowed it down to one neutral tone, a peach tone, and a bright pink.

The girl at the counter convinced me to get the bright pink since it was most outside of my comfort zone. She made a good point that 1) it was a color I'd not usually pick for myself and 2) why not go with an adventurous color since I was getting it for free? Valid.

The color I chose was "Saint Germain."

And here it is, on...

It's a little "pinker" than I'd usually go for, but at the same time, I think it has a young, fresh look.

Do you prefer lip gloss or lipstick? Any good color suggestions? Shoot 'em my way :)

Throwing shade

I've been wanting to switch up my shade game for a while now, so after doing some research I decided on these:

Ray-Ban Clubmaster II, $150

Earrings, Seychelles Chandeliers by Stella & Dot, $44

This is now my second pair of Ray-Ban sunnies. As you've seen in other pics, I have a pair of classic Aviators, as well.

Ray-Ban Aviator Large Metal, $145

So far, it seems the Ray-Ban brand is a good fit for me and my personal style. Do you have a favorite pair of shades? What's your go-to brand when you need a new pair? I know some of my friends swear by Michael Kors, and others won't buy anything other than Coach. How about you?