the cashmere turtleneck dress

oh hey there cashmere.

this is a special piece because itā€™s my first cashmere item! living in TX, i never have the urge to purchase cashmere. itā€™s extremely luxe, keeps you super warm but itā€™s also one of those dry clean fabrics. and yā€™all know i donā€™t do dry cleaning (ainā€™t nobody got time for that!). well, i washed it. haha, yep. you can wash cashmere. i wash everything, even when it says dry clean, i know iā€™m a real rebel. i just donā€™t get how you can actually clean something without water?! i digress, it turned out fine. just google it. put it in a closed pillow case (use safety pins), use cold water, and donā€™t use softener. oh and if youā€™ve read this far, this dress is sold out #storyofmylife

wow oh wow 2018 FLEW BY! donā€™t you agree?! i can barely believe this is my last post for 2018. iā€™ve taken a lot of time to reflect on the last 12 months. reflection is always good and i encourage you to do the same. while this was one of the years i took the most breaks, experienced stagnant growth in terms of stats and salesā€¦ ironically, it is the year that stands out in terms of business/career, connections made, friendships cultivated and A LOT of pinch me moments where i clearly remember my adrenaline was running and i had to ask myself ā€œis this really happening to me right now?ā€ moments where i was so happy i wanted to cry (and actually did), when i would wake up and couldnā€™t believe this was my life i was living. when does this ever happen?! there were so many victories/happenings i can think of that put this huge grin on my face. and it all boils down toā€¦ (insert drum roll) it IS a glimpse of what is to come. this is the beginning. cheers to 2019, i hope you look forward to this year as much as i do. seize & create opportunities for yourself with this clean page. live a great story.

side ramblings: what a few weeks of events galore, oh and celebrating my fab self. haha, basically i stuffed my face and treated myself right! i attended a charity event hosted by @thehonestshruth #KeepAustinWarm2018 that benefited Austin Pets Alive, Safe Alliance, and Hope Food Pantry. the white elephant holiday party hosted by @shelbysorrell // @thehonestshruth // @onechelofanadventure // @rachelprochnow was a huge highlight because here i made a ton of friends who are doing so many great things; it inspires me to do even more. oh, and i snagged a HOWDY hat by @frankiejean so you know life is good. AND YES, iā€™ve worn it already! the gals are holding me accountable for wearing this hat since iā€™m usually dressed up, ā€œdo you own a baseball cap? do you even wear hats? janna, weā€™ve never seen you dressed down HAHAā€ christmas at my house was AWESOME! hostess with the mostess right here (jk, i only had muffins and pigs in a blanket to offer) but it was such a great feeling to have everyone over (and to be real, they were only here because i was the only one with the tree HAHA, thank you @kingofchristmas!). we also did an escape room at @lockoutatx, if yā€™all know me, i love doing these #nerdalert i think iā€™ve done about eight escape rooms across austin and havenā€™t escaped ONE (our first one so ya know). we barely made it out of this one but dang, the holidays were so fun. back to reality soon. whomp whomp, thank goodness for coffee! until next time xx.

currently on my playlist: sunday love by VALNTN, Naliya

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dress c/o | Ann Taylor cashmere turtleneck dress in warm neutral melange (wearing size small for reference) ā€” similar by Everlane // similar by J.Crew
bag | CHANEL 2.55 classic double flap bag in black lambskin ā€” good dupe
shoes | Banana Republic magda pointed toe boots in black suede (old) ā€” newer version // similar // similar with a kitten heel
sunglasses | DIFF eyewear ruby 54mm polarized sunglasses in black grey ā€” similar and love these for $55
rings | Gorjana amara ring set // Amanda Deer c/o CZ solitaire ring // Amanda Deer c/o CZ accents midi ring

bring it on 2019,
JD

photo credit: Madeline Harper


#2018bestnine

the cropped sweater & OTK boots

my first pair of OTKs. eeeppp. (not to be confused with office tool kit).

i finally got around to purchasing my first pair of over the knee (OTK) boots. i've avoided these because i have very large calves (but the suede offers stretch) and i'm pretty short (5' 2"), so i felt like these would make me look even shorter. what excuses! Stuart Weitzman is a huge influencer in terms of OTK boots, but i ain't got a money tree, so these Unisa OTKs were such a good dupe of the SW highland boot (retails for $798 USD)! these are a little high for me and there isn't much arch support but i definitely don't plan on wearing them long distances. i'll be purchasing some flat OTKs for a more comfy alternative. any suggestions?! 

i can't wait to try these OTKs with a skirt or a dress but it was cold, so i went with LAYERS for this shoot. this itchy cropped sweater never gets worn, so i solved that problem by layering it with a button down. the best part is that this is a NON-IRON button down (yes, please!). let me tell you how i am not a fan of ironing so thank goodness Banana Republic has a great line of non-iron shirts for people like me. honestly, i've never ironed so much in my life!! #bloggerlife #thestruggleisreal

i'm also trying out a new way to shop my posts visually. let me know your thoughts!

currently on my playlist: me, myself, and i by G-Eazy & Bebe Raexha
y'all, i am totally loving this song right now!! i often think that during the hardest times in our lives, we usually find ourselves alone. that's why it's so important to count on yourself to pull through #nomatterwhat #memyselfandi

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sweater | Banana Republic cropped cowl neck sweater (old) -- similar / similar
button down | Banana Republic non-iron windowpane shirt (old) -- similar in white / similar in black with polka dots / similar from Ann Taylor
jacket | Forever21 textured faux leather moto jacket 
denim | Hudson nico mid-rise skinny jeans in abbey (favorite wash and cut)
shoes | Unisa saranaa over the knee boot in black suede -- similar from Target!
bag | Celine micro luggage tote in navy -- good dupe 
sunglasses | Prada round oversized sunglasses in black -- good dupe
earrings | Kendra Scott alex earrings in black
rings | BaubleBar arrow wrap ring / BaubleBar diana midi ring / BaubleBar ice chevron midi ring / Kendra Scott martiza cocktail ring in ivory pearl (old) / Etsy stacking & midi rings
lips | Tom Ford lip color in casablanca
nails | essie nail polish in frock 'n roll

rock the OTK boots and day two of a blow out,
JD

the sleeveless turtleneck & grey jeans

sleeveless. turtleneck. yep, that just sounds #weirdbutnotweird !

this is a first of many things. first sleeveless turtleneck. first pair of grey jeans! what?!!! i know, it's a little crazy over here on JDC. i decided on a monochrome look with splashes of burgundy -- aka: THE BEST FALL COLOR! i think this is a GREAT color combo and i encourage you to try it! the material of this high low turtleneck is very soft and not at all itchy AND it is machine washable! however, it the armpit holes dip a little low on the sides as you can kind of see in the pictures. again, this bag was snagged from the Nordstrom anniversary sale a few months ago but i linked some similar options after the jump (oh and a cute crossbody clutch!). i have been wearing this bag lately and love it. but let's talk about these jeans shall we? WHOA, you need these in your life. they are my most ripped pair of denim skinny jeans and i don't think they will be my last!!! super comfy, mid-rise, hugs-you-in-all-the-right-places, distressed goodness. 

btw, this week i joined #stylecollective and i couldn't be more thirlled! i will always say this, but the best part about blogging is meeting inspiring/supportive/and extremely talented ladies! my heart is full. <3

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blogging notes: when there are stairs, you sit. 

top | Banana Republic high low sleeveless turtleneck in transition cream (it's really light grey) -- similar / love this one from Topshop in black
denim | Hudson shine mid-rise skinny jeans in obsidian (MUST-HAVE!) -- similar / similar non-distressed
shoes | Target Merona suede pumps in wine (old) -- similar Sole Society calder block heel pump in eggplant with gold details! / an anklestrap pointed toe option
bag | Rebecca Minkoff chevron quilted love crossbody bag in port (sold out) -- similar / love this Sole Society vaughn crossbody clutch in oxblood 
shades | Coach casey in dark tortoise (old) -- newer version
earrings | Kendra Scott tessa studs in clear crystal (love these studs, i also have them in iridescent drusy (which is a neutral sparkly gemstone!)
watch | Michael Kors darci watch in gold (favorite MK watch that is lightweight and has a flat face)  -- also loving the new one with a blue face!
bracelet | Vita Fede mini titan crystal bracelet in gold -- similar and on sale!similar from BaubleBar with arrows
rings | Etsy stacking & midi rings / BaubleBar tri bar ring (sold out) -- similar / BaubleBar arrow wrap ring / BaubleBar chevron ice midi ring (sold out) -- similar
lipstick | MAC amplifed creme lipstick in brick-o-la

rock sleeveless turtleneck,
JD