V-Day Advice and fashion tips.

I’m not big on Valentine’s day. Mostly because of the way girls/ women make it a big deal, whether they are single or attached. If in a relationship it somehow becomes this big adieu about what their man will do for them this year. Will he get them jewelry, chocolates, a teddy bear or dare I say… something in the “little blue box”???? And if he doesn’t send you flowers at work he’s dead meat. From experience, it sucks to be the only lady not getting flowers at work on Valentine’s day, but that’s me playing into the hands of the holiday marketers.

Sad single women are even worse… the melancholy, doldrums of all the single ladies on Valentine’s day is pathetic, trite and quite frankly, puke worthy.

The best Valentine’s day participants are the single and ready to mingle types who don’t give a fuck. I loved going out with my girls, sometimes with the intent of having an “anti-Valentine’s day” celebration, but it was all in good fun and always humourous. Besides, there’s plenty of time to spend Valentine’s day with your true love once you actually find them. So what’s the point of going out with some lame guy just for the sake of not being alone?? Go out with the people you truly like and want to spend time with, have fun and who know’s, maybe you’ll get struck by cupids arrow.

Here are some of my fave pieces to where out this V-day from Revolve.

Aubrey off the shoulder red jumpsuit

Sort of obsessed with this sequin dress by Free People.

For a more casual look…

Fallen Hearts Tee paired with satin joggers, a mini skirt or your fave pair of going out jeans and some kick ass heels make for the perfect going out look.

I’d love to hear from you! Tell me about your favorite Valentine’s day.

xo,

Hilary

#motherchic

I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to experiment with different fashion trends. But on the regular, I’m in my “mom uniform” of leggings and a cute top. The reason for this is two-fold, it’s comfortable and I can workout in it. I don’t want to get dressed up when I’m chasing a toddler around who will most likely wipe his jelly hands on me at some point during the day.

Luckily there are a lot of fashionable and comfortable clothes choose from to make life a not just comfortable but fashionable. Here are some of my favorites from the ASOS web-site:
Puma sweatshirt, an ASOS exclusive:

Puma Exclusive To Asos Cutout Sweatshirt

Reebok Metallic High Rise Leggings. I live in black leggings, it may be considered boring but they’re always flattering, go with anything and the “metallic” on these give it a little something extra.

I love crop tops. I know there’s a fear of them, but you can always throw a cami underneath for a cute layered look if you’re scared to bare your midriff.

I love the look of a crop top with a baggy pant like this pair from Adidas.

adidas Mix Up Pants In Gray

I like a basic tank to workout in, nothing fancy. No weird loops or bows, keep it simple. Nothing says “suburban house wife” like a Lululeman top with a complicated tie back and cutouts on the side. I prefer something like this Converse high neck top.

Sneakers…

Adidas Prophere originals in black and pink.

Reebok Metals.

Adulting.

Yesterday was one of those days. It was a cold, snowy day here in New England and I certainly was not in the mood to “adult”. I rolled out of bed, got the kids ready and walked them up to the bus stop. Snow coming down as we walked quickly but steadily to the stop, as we were running late but also didn’t want to slip and fall.

The adults and kids are all there waiting in cold anticipation for the bus to arrive. Of course it’s late, it’s always late on the snowiest and coldest days. There’s a diverse group of adults, not in terms of skin color, my neighborhood is about 90% white Irish. I think I may be the most “ethnic” with my Eastern European background. But diverse in terms of career. Some in suits ready to rush to work after the bus arrives and others in much more casual attire, like myself who arrived in pajamas. I feel grateful that I don’t have to make the mad dash to an office but can’t help but feel a sense of shame as well.

I work part time and am home mostly with my children. I’m very blessed for that. It sometimes makes me uneasy when I feel as though others don’t understand what I “do all day.” I’m crazy about my children and love being home with them. Taking care of my kids certainly takes up most of my time! I struggle with telling people that I’m a “blogger” or a “stylist” in my spare time, since it’s not a steady office job with benefits. I enjoy everything I do, but most people don’t understand it and sometimes think I’m living in la la land hoping to make a living out of what I love doing. Especially at the tender age of 39.

Perhaps these feelings stem from my own insecurities. Do others suffer with this same feeling when they stand at the bus stop? That feeling of “what do all these people think of my life choices”? Sounds silly and I realize I’m not that important for everyone to be thinking about, but it crosses my mind at times when I’m feeling particularly glum and insecure.

In the meantime I’m going to keep updating my blog in my “spare time” and I’m going to shop for prettier pajamas to wear to the bus stop…

This is pretty much what I was wearing this morning. Except mine had a donuts and coffee print making me feel even more silly and pushing me further in a state of questioning my purpose in life. I love these, they remind me of the pajamas my grandfather used to wear.

vintagepajamasetjcrew

Jogger bottoms are the best, they’re comfortable and wearable in public. Make this a full outfit with a sweater and boots. Monotone is the look right now, so I picked a cream sweater and booties to complete the style.

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Would you feel comfortable wearing pajamas to the bus stop?

xo,

Hilary

What I learned from last night’s game…

Tom Brady is most definitely the G.O.A.T., Gronk’s head needs some serious T.L.C. and …Olivia Culpo is dating Danny Amendola. I should note that I had no idea who Danny Amendola was until I saw a picture posted by Culpo, a Rhode Island Native and former Miss Universe.

I don’t follow sports and sometimes get sort of demonized for that fact, living in New England where sports are such a big piece of its culture. I didn’t grow up watching much sports so to me the “fanatic” culture is quite foreign. Not to say that I don’t have a sense of pride toward New England sports teams having lived here for over 20 years now. Certainly watching Tom Brady seemingly work his magic in the last quarter of playoff games is quite intriguing and noteworthy.

I admittedly get a little more interested in the Patriots when I see that a strong, sophisticated, business savvy and fashionable woman is dating one of them. Of course Gisele Bundchen is the first to come to mind, who I have heard makes even more money than her very successful counterpart. And now being aware of the fact that Culpo is dating Amendola creates an even better story surrounding the team. I’m a true believer that having a strong partner is crucial to a persons success. I’m certain that Brady’s stable home life and mutually supportive relationship with Bundchen is a key component to his astounding success on the field.

Choosing a partner that is strong, smart and successful in their own way is crucial to creating an environment that helps you create and maintain success yourself. I certainly don’t know these folks personally but I know what I see on social media. Culpo is a force to be reckoned with having graduated from my alma-mater, Boston University, going on to win pageants, mastering the cello, creating a strong social media following, acquiring endorsements based on her fashion and beauty acumen as well as opening a restaurant in her home state of Rhode Island, Back Forty. The women’s got a lot going for her!

Speaking of her fashion sense, here are a few of my favorite looks…

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Dusters are in, and I’m not talking about the feather kind.

I’ve always loved extra long sweaters and jackets, or “dusters”. There’s something very elegant about this look and it’s been a really hot trend this season. I’m on the search for one that it unique, chic and edgy and here’s a few I came across that fit the mold…

This one from Shein.com is so elegant and cool! I love how they styled it with a head scarf and big sunnies. So chic.

2) Kimono’s are a great way to sport this look. This one is from Nordstrom and a perfect transition piece for spring.

3) Fit 3 trends into one with this gorgeous mustard yellow, velvet duster from Nasty Gal.

mustardyellowvelvetduster

Which ones your favorite?

Xo,

Hilary Lambert

Vacation mode

Vacation mode by welldressedboston featuring white sandals

Solid Striped striped one piece swimsuit
$225 – oxygenboutique.com

GRLFRND cut off shorts
nordstrom.com

White sandals
zulily.com

Miu Miu beige purse
farfetch.com

Cateye sunglasses
$0.12 – openingceremony.com

COOLA Suncare sun care
$36 – revolve.com

New Year, new me?

I was catching up on some of the fashion blogs I like to read and came across Brooke Hil’s, Notebrooke.com. I often see her beautiful photos pop up in my insta feed but hadn’t gone as far as to click on her blog thinking it would be the same as all the rest. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. I came across a very authentic, raw and wise post that really spoke to me as an aspiring … blogger?

I say that with a question mark as I’ve been in the fashion, fitness, lifestyle blogging game for a long time now with successes here and there, but nothing to write home about. In her latest post she talks about the strange world of celebrity fashion bloggers and what it takes to become one. One of the first mentions is how she was embarrassed to say she was a “fashion blogger” when she first started out and struggled to find meaning in it until she received a lovely letter from a reader who exclaimed her affinity for the realness and intellect in which Brooke’s blog is written. Writing not just about fashion but about things like career and depression as well.

I can appreciate this as I struggle to streamline what my blog is about. I love fashion as you all know, I’ve spent many hours honing my styling skills, working on fashion shows and magazine editorials, taking photos of myself and others in an #ootd that I find to be stylish and blog worthy. However I become a bit jaded and vapid when I find that most of my time is spent looking at the latest fashion mags, street style photos and as is with my job at Saks, being surrounded by designer wears. Besides the fact that I don’t want to be just another fashion blogger with the same content week after week, it doesn’t just bore my audience it bores me.

I strayed from my normal fashion posts when I had my first melt down of 2018 and posted it on my insta-feed. I had a crappy grocery shopping experience and gave a tirade about being nice and how common courtesy is not so common anymore. I questioned if I should have posted it as it shows a side to me I haven’t shared with my followers and wasn’t sure how it would be received. But then thought, this is real life and I like to see that real side of people not just the perfect outfit and mommy moment. I like to be relatable if I can and want to share that with people and make that connection that we are all human and have our good and bad days. Besides the fact that I am so far from perfect that I can’t possibly fake perfection for that long!

Finding balance between “realness” and aspiration is tough. I sell designer brands that are wonderful but generally speaking, not in my price point. I like to show off these beautiful clothes and shoes but don’t want to give the wrong perception that all I wear is designer. I am very much a “fashion within reach” stylist and blogger. It helps to see what the high-end designers are putting out to try and emulate it with pieces I might already have or are available for much less. I will continue to try and do that as I will branch out and share my love of family, fashion, fitness, and as the ups and downs of being a mother, women, wife, employee and human being.

What’s in store for 2018? I don’t know but I’m going to make the best of it and keep going… gotta go my middle child is whining at me to make him oatmeal.

xoxo,