scenes from the weekend.

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Weekends are always a fun time, but they’re especially great now that I live within walking distance of most of my favorite places in the city.

…like St. Paul’s German Church, where we had an amazing Liberty Sisterhood gathering on Friday.

Followed by a cozy late night dinner at the Meatball Shop.

Then after a few hours of bopping around we ended up at the “neighborhood club.”

In case you missed everyone’s Instagram updates, the weather in the Northeast this weekend was per-fec-tion. No winter coat necessary!

And springy nails to match.

The West Village was doing all sorts of showing off.

We brunched 13 people strong at De Santos.

I’m thankful that Rachel likes splitting meals as much as I do. Why on earth get one entrée when you can have two?

We kicked the new week off right with a visit to the gym on Sunday morning.

(Sunglasses to cover up the post-gym roughness, ha.)

With a weekly Quest Bar restock on the way home, of course.

Spring-ish attire, day two.

Dinner of lazy folk champions.

(This was actually really good!)

Last but not last is the most special part of my weekend. This is Ayanda, the adorable little girl from Zimbabwe that I’m so blessed to sponsoring through Children’s Cup.

I’ll leave you with some inspiration for the week ahead…

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What was the highlight of your weekend?

all about layering {jewelry}.

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If Speakable doesn’t give enough of a hint, you should know that I’m a HUGE accessories girl. While I love clothes, my personal style is attributed mostly to how I accessorize my look(s) – be it handbags, scarfs, shoes- but especially jewelry.

Sometimes I like to keep my jewelry minimalistic, and other times I like it over the top. Layering is a great way to take simple pieces and combine them with others to turn your jewelry into an eye-catching statement.

some tips for layering jewelry:

1. DO mix it up. Styles, lengths, colors etc. Make it fun!

2. DON’T layer necklaces & bracelets at the same time – pick one to emphasize (unless they are subtle pieces).

3. DON’T wear big earrings if layering necklaces.

4. DO trust your own judgment. If it looks like it may be too much, it probably is.

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Do you like layering jewelry? What’s your favorite jewelry piece?

a productive monday.

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The other day I was chatting it up with Monica about blogging and picking her brain about what she likes/dislikes about blogs these days. She and I actually met inadvertently through GML, so I always like to hear her thoughts and advice.

One of the things Monica said she misses about blogs in general is the old school “day in the life” posts. I’ve definitely gotten away from them, mostly because I think who even cares? or that I should produce more “professional” content. But what Monica said really did make sense, especially considering I get a ton of email questions about what my daily routine looks like.

So, you asked…I’ll answer! I’m going to start giving more peeks into at what my daily routine(s) look like, which can really vary day by day.

So to follow up a lovely Saturday, here’s my productive Monday.

Mondays aren’t thee most exciting days for me, as they’re typically focused on getting a lot of work done and preparing for the week ahead. As always, I spend the first 45-60 minutes of my day reading, journaling, and praying.

Sometimes I’ll have time before work to go to the gym, but today I finished up some Speakable necklaces instead.

(For the new Valentine’s Collection, launching tomorrow!)

For breakfast I had a quick (and not photo-worthy) bowl of oatmeal with fruit before starting my “official” work day.

From 9-5 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays I work remotely for my dad’s real estate appraisal company doing office administration, client/appraiser relations, and some accounting.

On those days I’m usually in sweats or workout clothes. Today that looked like…trying to convince spring to come a few months early ;)

While I’m working I usually watch my favorite talk shows and catch up on blogging/social media here and there. Around lunch time I usually take a break to run errands or go to the gym, but today I spent about 30 minutes photographing the new Speakable collection.

Fineeee, I’ll give you a sneak peek!

(Be sure to check the Speakable website and Instagram tomorrow for the full collection!)

For lunch I made a salad of things I had leftover in the fridge, and it turned out to be delicious!

In a bowl combine 1 cup chickpeas, 1 cup chopped kale, 1 large ripe avocado (mashed), and salt & pepper to taste. The result is so tasty and really filling. Definitely a new favorite (and simple) meal of mine.

Throughout the day I also snack on roasted almonds, on a fancy paper towel.

I ended up finishing work 10 minutes early today so I could run to a jewelry supply store before it closed. That’s right – I’ve swapped shopping for clothes with shopping for…anti-tarnish lacquer.

When I got home I spent a few hours editing the new Speakable photos, and writing this post. I also made a dentist appointment, scheduled movers, and cleaned out my five email inboxes.

Finally, it was time to relax. I treated myself to Blossom Du Jour for dinner, then I kept things as girlie as possible by painting my nails and watching The Bachelor.

(I went with the 2nd and 4th ones – Nude topped with Gold Star)

At least this pic isn’t awkward at all…

And for a very #LEAN14 dessert, I took a lazy girl’s approach to PB Banana Bites. The coconut butter hiding under there is what takes this from a snack to a (quite rich) dessert.

So there you have it! My typical productive Monday.

What does your usual Monday routine look like? Anyone else have spring fever already?