Life Update: Settling in to Suburbia

Life updates are my favorite blog posts to write, I don’t know why I don’t do them more often! I sat down at my computer today wanting to write a blog post but I wasn’t feeling any particular spark of creativity, so I decided it would be best to just pour out some of the details on what we’ve been up to since we moved into our new house. Plus, I can tell by my analytics that you all love these posts best too!

It’s been about 3 months of living in suburbia in our new home. There are lots of things that I love about this place, we have a yard, more indoor space, a garage, no loud upstairs neighbors. There are also lots of things I miss about living in the city. We moved this direction for many reasons, a big one was that we wanted to be closer to family for Stella, we wanted a big yard, and we could get much more house for our money the further we moved from Portland. Although we do hope to own a home or condo downtown again in the future, it all weighs out in favor of our family living in this current setting during this season of our life.

If you’re following along on Instagram, you’ll have seen the home decor and updates we’ve been making on our new space! I’ve been having fun with paint, furniture and decor in pretty much every room of our home save for the kitchen. When we moved in we had the intention of tearing out the 80’s style kitchen and fully updating the space to our liking, check out my empty home tour to see what it looks like currently. Of course we have yet to touch the space besides removing a couple cabinets. BUT - we do have a structural engineer scheduled to come out next week to help us gauge where and how we can take down this massive wall dividing up our downstairs. Progress, am I right?! I feel excited to finally get the ball rolling on this huge project so we can start gaining momentum on the heart of our home. I need that wall out ASAP so I can see what my naughty toddler is up to while I’m cooking her meals. Who ever decided that a walled off room was a good idea for a kitchen?!

Other than the home stuff, my life has been pretty boring as of late. I feel like work has been picking up a ton and I’ve kept busy with the blog/Instagram. I even started working with an amazing local photographer lately to up my content game, and it has been a total game changer! Below is an outfit she shot for me last week, I can’t seem to stop wearing this lace cami from my friend’s boutique. I love this cardigan too, it’s a great Amazon find that could totally pass as Free People! The quality is amazing, and it’s under $30!

 
Lace Cami Fall Outfit @stylebyjulianne
Fringe Cardigan Fall Outfit @stylebyjulianne

Hat // Tank Top // Cardigan // Jeans // Shoes //

Dainty Layered Bracelets @stylebyjulianne

I can’t get enough of this HAT! It is seriously so gorgeous and I have gotten countless compliments on it! It’s super affordable too, definitely a must have for fall!

Tan Wide Brim Fedora Fall Outfit @stylebyjulianne
Fall Shoes @stylebyjulianne
 

These Target shoes look designer and I think everyone needs them! I have my eye on the cognac color since I wear them so much in the fall.

Thank you all for reading and following along with my life. I wish I had more to share today in this post, but for now my life has been pretty boring! Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any new home updates since there will be a lot happening in the near future (ie: kitchen remodel).

xo

Life Update: My Self-Tan and Breakfast at Tiffany's!

It’s Friday afternoon and almost 90 degree outside here in Portland! I think we full on skipped over Spring and went straight to Summer. I just went for a long walk and phew! It’s HOT!

This week in particular has been fun, and full and busy. I hate when people make excuses for not sticking to timelines or goals, but truly I have been SO busy, I missed my Wednesday post this week and barely got this post up here in time for the weekend! Honestly, I wasn’t even going to write a Friday post, but I’ve been getting lots of messages and questions on Instagram and I thought it would be best to answer them all on here as a permanent reference!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

I went to a couple amazing events this week, the first being a Tiffany and Co. event for customer appreciation, there was champs a flowin’ and I got to meet up with all of my friends and try on some amazing jewelry, we even convinced a security guard to go outside with us to do an impromptu photoshoot with the jewels! Here are some photos from the event, I also added videos from the day onto my “Event's” highlight on my Instagram! Dress and other outfit details linked in the carousel below! This dress was a last minute find under $50! It comes in a ton of other cute prints too, TTS.

 
Tiffany and Co.
Blogger Breakfast at Tiffany & Co
Blogger Friends Breakfast at Tiffany's
Tiffany's Jewelry and Blogger Event
The Best Affordable Floral Wrap Dress For Spring Event!
 

The Best Self-Tan Routine

I’m going to be doing a full post on my self tan, but after the Tiffany’s event I got more messages than EVER about what kind of self-tan products I use! I have been using Tanceuticals for YEARS, but I recently upgraded to using the “Dark” color because, girl, I am PALE. So first I use their exfoliator, (it also works really well to remove your tan when it starts to fade), it’s not available to link but you can really use anything to exfoliate! After exfoliating, I’ll use the Tanceuticals lotion all over, I get the special face one, also in the color “Dark.” I like to let the tan develop overnight and then rinse off in the morning and here is where my secret weapon comes in! Right before I leave for an event I will really amplify the tan on my legs and arms by using a “leg makeup.” My current (and super affordable) favorite is the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, I use the color “Medium Glow.” This stuff is amazing because it is water resistant, meaning you won’t sweat it off, and it has a teeny little but of shimmer so it looks great in photographs, on top of amplifying your tan and covering up imperfections!

Lancome Absolue Event

This was hands down one of the most well thought out and beautiful blogger events I have ever been to! Lancome really pulled out all of the stops for us, and it was such an honor to be included as they hand picked only a select few Portland bloggers to attend, no plus ones allowed! My good friend Gia was also invited so we went together and we barely made it into the event on time since the second we walked in the hotel it was phones up to insta story the whole beautiful venue! I had never been to the Hi-Lo hotel in downtown Portland before but I am already planning to go back to shoot some photos and explore. It was beautiful! Marble floors, mid-century light fixtures, blush pink accents and dark green velvet. It was BEAUTIFUL.

Inside the event space we got to learn all about Lancome as a company as well as their color matching technology and a new Monsieur Big Mascara. They had heart shaped macarons and blueberry mimosas, not to mention all of the beautiful wall decorations that were just begging for us to stop at take a picture at every step.

They have an amazing offer for you all too! If you take a screenshot of this blog post or any of the photos I share from the event on social media, you’ll get an amazing gift with purchase at any Macy’s Lancome counter!

It was hard to narrow down the photos but here are some of my favs, all outfit details are in the carousel below! I wore my favorite under $100 espadrilles that you’ll see on repeat all Spring and Summer, I could LIVE in them they’re so comfortable. They run TTS!

 
Food Buffet Provided by Lancome!
Rose Flower Arrangement Flatlay
Flower Wall Floral Romper and Bamboo Bag
How to Take The Perfect Mirror Pic Blogger Style
Floral Romper and Blush Blazer Outfit
Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara
Eyelet Dress outfit and Floral Romper with Blush Blazer Outfit
 

If you made it this far, thank you SO much for reading my ramblings, hopefully this wasn’t the most boring post in the world! I’m planning a lot of fun moving related posts and home decor content coming up soon since we move in just TWO. WEEKS. I can’t believe it.

xo

We Bought a House!

 
We Bought a House! @stylebyjulianne
We Bought a House! @stylebyjulianne
We Bought a House! @stylebyjulianne
We Bought a House! @stylebyjulianne
We Bought a House! @stylebyjulianne
 

I can’t even believe I’m saying this but we are officially home owners! Our story has been a long one, we’ve been renting for almost a decade and have moved even more times than that. Between school, jobs, having a baby, and everything else we’ve experienced as a family we’re finally settling into a permanent place and we are so excited, and honestly relieved. House hunting in the Portland, Oregon area is no joke! We started out looking at homes in a specific area that is notorious for being extremely competitive and was proving difficult to find what we needed within our budget. When we expanded out a few miles we found the perfect home for our family under budget that is still close enough to my parents as well as a quick drive to downtown.

Since we are saving some money on the house we have fun plans for the space! I’ve been pinning home decor inspo like CRAZY and I can’t wait to just get my hands on the space and get started. We’re going to re-do the entire kitchen and master bathroom and Stella will be getting her official “toddler room.” I’ll be sharing a whole series on the blog with before and after photos as well as the whole process of transformation! Home decor and design is a huge passion of mine, I used to draw and imagine home floor plans when I was little and constantly re-arranged the furniture in my bedroom. As a child I wanted to be an architect and then I got more into interior design as I got into High School and College age. Owning a home of my own has always been a dream of mine, to have my own space that I can mold into my own personal haven is a dream come true!

We won’t be moving in until the end of the month even though we’ve closed on the house and we are recorded as the owners, we’re actually renting the home back to the previous owners to give them time to complete the purchase on their new home, but I’m so excited to bring you all along on our moving journey in a few short weeks! get ready for all of the home decor posts over the next months!

Sign up below with your email so you don’t miss any of the updates!

xo

Life Update: House Hunting, My Miscarriage & New Fitness Routine

It has been far too long since I’ve sat down to write a “feelings” post, or even just share whats going on in my life. It’s hard to really get across every little detail in Instagram stories, and if you’re new around here (hi, welcome), I like to share these posts every once and a while so I can really dig into and share with you all what’s currently going on in my life!

The House Hunt

First of all, we’ve been on the hunt for the perfect house for our family for a few months now and it has been no easy process. Dustin and I have been renting various apartments in the decade that we’ve been together (we’ve moved a total of 14 times. Yes, 14) and now that Stella’s been added into the mix, we want a more permanent place to call home with a great yard and space for our little family to thrive and grow!

The areas we initially started looking in were highly competitive and we learned after four solid (some even over-asking) offers, accompanied with personalized letters and a photo of our family, that we most likely weren’t going to be able to get the perfect house for us with all of the items on our wish list. These include: 3+ bedrooms, yard, and open living space/kitchen area. We’re SOOOO picky *sarcasm.*

We’ve since expanded our search and I’m excited to say we just put an offer in on an amazing home only a few miles away from where we initially wanted to live, but in a much less competitive area. It has a huge yard, massive living space with a beautiful brick fireplace and 3 huge rooms with ample closet space for yours truly! It is everything we dreamed of and more in a house and it is so much below what we budgeted for a house that I’ll get to customize the entire kitchen if we get the home! Yes, I’ll be documenting the whole process on the blog if we get the home. Cross your fingers for us, and subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates!

The Miscarriage

I realized I never really closed the door on my pregnancy loss with you all and I wanted to finalize it here in this post. I got my blood tested one last time and had a small amount of HcG left, by the next week I took a pregnancy test and it came up negative which means I am clear of any of the chemical signs that I was pregnant.

Read About my Miscarriage Story here

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not going to have another baby for a while. I have been putting my energy into my business and growing my blog. When I first found out I was pregnant for a second time, the couple weeks following I became hopeless, sendentary and had feelings that my “life was over” since I’d be a mom of two little ones who’d be toddlers at the same time. How would I be able to blog? How would I have time for myself? How could I ever love another baby as much as my current baby, Stella?! I felt a little depressed because the whole thing was such a surprise and we didn’t plan to have another baby for at least a few years, if at all. That pregnancy also made me realize how little effort I had been putting into my blog. I love this platform, I love writing, photography, brainstorming ideas for content, and I love the endless to-do list of things that make me feel so productive (yet is never completed)! It also made me realize that I need to enjoy this time with my little girl. I am so fortunate that I get to be home with her every day and I don’t want to miss out on a thing. If I were to have another baby at this stage, I’d have to sacrifice half of my time, or more, for a needy newborn and I’m not ready to give up these precious moments with Stella yet!

I’m sure a lot of you noticed a visible change in my content during the time I was pregnant. My photos and content suffered, I hadn’t put up a blog post in MONTHS, and everything was just backsliding. Soon after recovering from my miscarriage, I kicked it into high gear. I decided to get into physical shape (we’ll get into that in a minute), I put myself on a blogging schedule and I made attainable goals for myself. Writing everything down really helped me. I wrote down my top 3 stretch goals for myself and my blog. I then broke those goals down into small parts that I could work on individually to help me chip away at my larger goals so I could see the progress and actually feel like I’m accomplishing things. This has worked so well for me, and I highly suggest this method if you are working to achieve some large goals too! I’ve been able to stick to my blogging schedule, I released my new Spring preset and I’ve been dedicating more of my time to Stella. I’ve gotten super efficient with my time!

Shop All of my Presets Here

My Health Journey

Early on this year I did a juice cleanse and I told myself I would stick to a healthy diet and workout routine following the cleanse. Of course a week after I finished I found out I was pregnant and my midwife urged me not to start any new fitness routine during my pregnancy (cue the feelings I wrote about above). I really got into some bad habits when I found out I was pregnant. I was eating whatever I wanted and felt so tired so I was doing a lot of sitting around. I did the same thing when I was pregnant with Stella but I was also very active and working full time in retail so I was on my feet all day getting good exercise! I tried to will myself to workout but I kept going back to “what’s the point?”

I have been really off and on with working out but Dustin and I are making a conscious effort to make all of our meals at home and creating opportunities for success by only buying food that is (mostly) good for our bodies. It has really helped that we both work from home so we can keep each other accountable easier. I recently found the Love Sweat Fitness workout app and I am hooked! I love their videos and the pace of the workouts. I’m hoping that sharing my fitness journey with you all that I’ll be able to make it stick this time! I have a feeling this Spring and Summer will be my healthiest yet!

Read About How I Only Drank Juice - No Food For One Whole Week!

The Blog

I am so thankful for making relationships and growing my network this year. I have been able to up my photography quality and amount of content I create by connecting with fellow local bloggers to trade taking pictures, and have also garnered some fantastic opportunities from those same contacts. I have always been pretty introverted so this is huge for me, I’ve made it a goal of mine to try to grow my network even more and create more relationships within my blogging niche this year!

I’m proud of where my blog is at currently and I see my blog growing into something really fantastic this year with the momentum I’ve gained in only a couple short months so far. I’ve re-done my blog theme, and customized it to make it my own. My newsletter goes out bi-monthly and will be full of fun exclusives for my loyal readers. My Spring preset is having even more success than my Winter one and I am so proud of my accomplishment of being able to figure out how to create, package and launch it all on my own. I’ve put myself on a schedule and have been a better mom because of it. My time is spent more wisely and I’ve been able to dedicate more time to Stella and still work toward achieving my goals faster than ever before

I look forward to pulling this post up at the end of the year to see how far I’ve come and what I’ve accomplished. I was looking back at the content I was putting out this time last year, when I was only really putting in half (or less) of the effort than I am now and the improvement and change is astronomical. I still can’t believe how far I’ve come since last year and with the momentum of the past few months this year will be full of many more accomplishments than ever before! I’m so excited that you chose to follow along my journey and I’m humbled by the support I receive on a daily basis. It truly means the world to me that you read my blog and allow me to share my life as a part of my job. I could not be more thankful for YOU!

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to subscribe below!

xo

All About My 5 Day Juice Cleanse

 
Raw+Generation+5+Day+Juice+Cleanse
 

I drank nothing but juice for five straight days this week! You read that right, FIVE. DAYS. I didn’t realize how interested you all would be on this topic, I was quite surprised at the curiosity and questions I received on Instagram (I saved the stories in a highlight if you’d like to watch), so I decided to make a dedicated post talking about my experiences and answering all of your questions. To start with, I did my research ahead of time and ordered the 5 day Skinny Cleanse from Raw Generation based off of the customer reviews, and results. I am not being paid for this post, nor did I receive this cleanse for free. All opinions are my own and everyone’s experience is sure to vary compared to mine, I’m sharing this solely by request of you all so I hope this answers any and all questions you may have about my juice cleanse experience! A couple of my friends also did the same cleanse at the same time so we we’re message each other every day comparing symptoms and results! Check out my friend Catherine’s blog post on her experience here!

*Always consult with your doctor prior to doing a juice cleanse. I am by no means a health expert, this is all just my personal experience and what I have learned from doing my own research!*

About This Cleanse

Raw Generation delivers your juice to you in a big cooler (you can see it in my Instagram highlight labeled “Juice Cleanse”). They are 100% raw fruit and vegetables, cold pressed and flash frozen to maintain ultimate nutritional benefits of the fruits and vegetables being used. Raw Generation’s juices are not pasteurized which means they are never heated up, this also allows the retention of maximum nutrition necessary to see the health benefits of a juice cleanse, this also means that if you are pregnant you should not do this cleanse.

Why I Did a Juice Cleanse

Last year I went from working full time on my feet all day, to being a full time work from home mom. I quickly fell into a sedentary lifestyle on my laptop most of the time that I wasn’t playing with Stella. I taught myself how to quickly eat out of convenience and snack when I got the chance because my baby was taking up most of my time during the day. In the evenings I would over indulge in sweets or salty snacks and I felt I was getting addicted to processed food and sugar. These very bad eating habits were only amplified over the holidays and by the end of the year I was feeling sick, tired, and bad about myself. Not only had I put on weight, I was feeling sluggish and tired all the time, no energy to do anything and just overall gross. I knew I needed a change.

I have always entertained the idea of doing a juice cleanse but they’re kind of pricey and if you know me you know I am FRUGAL. Especially when I have to spend money on something other than clothes (haha). I had been doing some research about how you can reset your body with fasting and different kinds of cleanses. Some of the benefits that come with a juice cleanse include but aren’t limited to: increased mental clarity, more energy, deeper sleep, clear skin, hydration, increased senses (sight/smell/taste), detoxification, and weight loss. Most importantly I read a lot about how a juice cleanse is a great jumping off point to start a healthier lifestyle.

The first time I heard about this brand was on my friend Catherine’s Instagram, she also did the cleanse at the same time and it was great to have an accountability partner! This cleanse also happened to be on sale for $99 at the beginning of the year which did influence my decision slightly (remember, frugal). Shipping was pricey, but they had to rush the frozen juices to me before they thawed and went bad so it was a price I was willing to pay (around $75).

I’m sharing all of the symptoms I experienced during my five day cleanse, so make sure to read about everything that happened to my body, including how much weight I lost, at the end of this post!

The Juices

For the five day cleanse you get 30 juices (six per day), in 5 different flavors to drink during your cleanse. The idea is that you can drink any flavor of juice you want whenever you feel hungry and you aren’t required to drink all 30 juices during the five days to achieve results. I decided to be more organized with my cleanse and planned to drink a juice every two to three hours during the time I was awake and drink 6 juices a day alternating through the flavors. I also drank them in order, not really sure why, it just happened that way consistently every day.

The juices are all very sweet and delicious I had no problem guzzling down all of the flavors during the day! I found them to be filling, refreshing and overall pleasant to consume. Here’s a list of each juice in the order that I drank them each day, their ingredients, and what they claim to do!

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“Energy & Endurance”

INGREDIENTS: apple, spinach, kale, collard, lemon, and filtered water

WHAT IS DOES: This juice is for “all day energy without jitters or the 3pm crash.” I started each day with this juice to give me energy and start my day strong. You get two of this flavor a day so I usually had the other one toward lunch time!

 
 
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“Heal & Hydrate”

INGREDIENTS: pineapple, cucumber, aloe vera, and filtered water

WHAT IS DOES: This juice is “the hydration your body is screaming for,” and is very refreshing. I drank this juice as a mid-morning snack. The cucumber, pineapple mixture is delicious!

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“Refresh & Revitalize”

INGREDIENTS: green apple, cucumber, spinach, celery, and filtered water.

WHAT IT DOES: This juice is for putting “nutrition in & toxins out.” Most days I drank this one around lunch time!

 
 
5+day+juice+fast

“Beauty & Brilliance”

INGREDIENTS: carrot, orange, lemon, ginger, filtered water.

WHAT IT DOES: This juice is for “beauty, brains, and a strong immune system.” This juice I drank around dinner time and was one of the more filling and satisfying juices. I love anything with ginger and lemon too, it was delicious!

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“Slim & Strong”

INGREDIENTS: carrot, green apple, beet, lemon, and filtered water.

WHAT IT DOES: This one “helps metabolize proteins so you stay strong and fit.” I love beets and this juice was one of my favorites of the bunch. It was also the sweetest tasting so I loved saving it for the end of the day, kind of like a dessert!

 

How I Felt & Symptoms

DAY ONE

The first day was tough. I thought it would be really fun to try and quit caffeine cold turkey today on day one, that lasted a whole 3 hours. Raw Generation actually recommends not cutting out coffee if you are a regular coffee drinker (like me). If you do continue to drink coffee during the cleanse it just can’t have anything added into it, which is totally fine since I drink my daily french presses straight up!

I got through most of the day okay, but once dinner time hit I had to gnaw on a carrot to get me through (they also said this was ok, you can also eat a couple raw almonds), it didn’t help that I was still cooking meals for my husband and daughter (the hubs offered to make meals for him and Stella following this tough first day). It is suggested that you prepare your body for a juice cleanse prior to starting, which I did not do and I think this also made it a more difficult start for me. If I had been healthier in the days leading up to my cleanse I may not have struggled so much on the first day.

DAY TWO

Day two was easier but I felt kind of heavy and bloated. I went from drinking a couple La Croix a day to drinking 6 bottles of juice accompanied by up to 80oz of water a day. This lead to substantial water weight by day 2, and I think the scale said I actually gained weight at this point, I chocked it up to water retention. Today I left the house during dinner time. Evenings were the hardest for me since my previous routine had been to mindlessly snack while I worked and juices didn’t seem to be cutting it for this gal’s sweet tooth. Somehow I stuck it out! Today I started out super hot and sweating and then at the end of the day I was freezing cold, I had to take a hot shower just to feel normal and when I went to bed I had to put on multiple layers and slipper socks with two blankets, I felt cold to the bone!

DAY THREE

Day three was even easier, the water weight had subsided and my stomach was feeling and looking flatter. My face was looking less puffy and my fine lines and wrinkles were actually GONE (thank you, h2O), which is crazy because normally I have one that’s like the damn grand canyon on my forehead! The scale was showing that I was down 5lbs and I was getting the best sleep I’d had since I was a teenager. I did notice today that although I wasn’t feeling hungry, I was having signs of low blood sugar such as lightheadedness and flutters in my chest. Each time I felt this I had a juice and it instantly subsided. In the evening I also noticed my legs and joints were cramping. This was due to either lack of potassium or not drinking enough water, I chugged a couple bottles of water and it was gone by the next morning.

DAY FOUR

Day four went by quickly since Stella and I had some errands to run. I really just wanted to chew anything at this point even though I wasn’t feeling hungry. I was starting to get bored of juice and I only drank five of the six I had allotted for the day.

DAY FIVE

The fifth day also went by pretty fast, but I only drank three of the six juices. I weighed myself at 6pm and was down 7lbs. Dustin took me to Marukin Ramen downtown Portland and that was the end of my five day cleanse!

 
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My Plans For After

Juice cleanses like this are quick and effective but the results are not permanent unless you choose to make a lifestyle change after. I knew going in to this cleanse that I had to make some major changes to my health habits and I really wanted to jump in with both feet. I’m not going on to a strict diet, but I do plan to limit sugar and dairy (I only eat meat rarely, that will stay the same), eat as few processed foods as possible, portion control and eat smaller more frequent meals, and lastly, stick to a weekly workout plan. I do well in workout classes vs. going to the gym alone so I’ve already signed up for my first StarCycle class. Paying for and attending a class will help to hold me accountable for my fitness goals, and I’ve also heard spin is fun and effective for getting into great shape!

Will I Do It Again?

Yes! Enthusiastically! In fact I am already planning to do another cleanse in a few months and my husband is interested in joining too. He kept complimenting me on how healthy I looked all week long and how he regretted my offer to include him on my juice journey.

Overall I feel amazing, I honestly don’t remember the last time I felt so good! I hope this post helped to answer some of your questions about juice fasting, also feel free to reach out via email or Instagram DM if you have questions that I didn’t answer in this post, I would be happy to chat more if you are considering doing a cleanse yourself!

thanks for reading

xo

pin this!

 
 

Life Update, Chit-Chat and What to Expect in October

It’s been a while since I’ve done an update and I wanted to share what’s been going on in my life, and what to expect with Style by Julianne going forward!

Outfit Details HERE

Outfit Details HERE

I created this blog as a portfolio of my fashion, and kept is secret for a long time. I am naturally introverted and have some anxiety which led me to feel that people would judge me or think I was weird for posting pictures of my outfits on a website that I created. Instagram helped me to come out of my shell, my blog began to evolve as I grew a following and I found a community of fellow bloggers and creatives on social media. I quickly realized there were so many others like me! Introverted, creative, maybe a little awkward in real-life but wanting to create and share their passion with other like-minded people. Blogging became the perfect outlet for me to get to know new friends and ultimately share my hobbies and passions with others! I am honing my entrepreneurial skills and learning so much about myself in the process. With much still to learn in this ever-changing industry, I look forward to what the future brings!

Style by Julianne as a brand is constantly evolving, I try my best to keep up with trends and fashion, but my main focus is to create meaningful content for the community of people who have grown to keep up with my journey. In September I decided to redirect my energy from Instagram to my physical blog page. Like we’ve seen with other popular social media channels (*cough* MySpace *cough*), one day Instagram will be gone. And with it, all of the content that I spent hours editing, researching hashtags, engaging on, scrolling though. Poof! The great thing about having my own website is that I own this website, I pay for it, it isn’t going anywhere until I make it go. I want to make my blog the best it can be for my readers (you) and as a creative outlet for me!

With all that being said, in October expect to see more lifestyle content, and local themed posts (Portland people, where you at?!). I want to get more personal in my posts, I enjoy writing and I haven’t done enough of it on here. Expect to see more topics that you can relate to on a deeper level vs. just outfit details, although I’ll still share a ton of fashion! I also plan to share blogging tips as this is a very common topic of conversation in the Insta DM’s. I am by no means an expert blogger but I am always happy to share tips for any topic that gets enough requests! I find it’s much easier to share in a blog post than reply to each individual message. Expect to see new posts every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 8AM. I will communicate via Instagram if anything changes but I’m really challenging myself to stay on top of this schedule. If you have any blog requests of topics you’d like to see comment them, DM them, Email them to me!

Ok now for a little life update, Dustin, Stella and I are moving! Surprise! We’ll be moving back to Portland at the end of this month and we could not be more excited. It took us moving out of the city to realize that we are not suburban living people, we love the city! The energy, the convenience, the walkability, there are so many things we enjoy about living downtown. We didn’t think we’d be able to find an apartment with the space we needed for a price we could afford but we got super lucky and snagged a townhouse at a great deal! If you want to see moving blogs/vlogs comment below.

Whew, if you got through that whole blog, you are AWESOME, and your support is what keeps me going! Thank you for taking the time to read, Hope you all have a fantastic week!

THANK YOU

xo

Lunch at Ways & Means Oyster House!

Listen up Portland, Oregon friends! This post is for you! I have been trying to incorporate more lifestyle content into my blog and what better way to start than with a quick recap of my visit to Ways & Means Oyster House at Bridgeport Shopping Center.

I got the opportunity to dine at Ways & Means Oyster House in Tigard this week. I had never been before but it is one of those places I had walked by a few times and been curious about and meaning to try, so when I got the chance to sneak away for lunch with my friend during a work day I couldn’t have been more excited for the break, and to try a new (to me) place.

I know that not everyone likes oysters, but if you do, ask your server to bring you an assortment of oysters. Be sure to try my favorite, the Amethyst which has a mineral-y taste and is amazing! There is a lot to choose from on the menu for those of you who don’t enjoy seafood like I do. My friend, Krysta got a delicious Caesar salad and some fries to rival all fries!

I had my server help me order so I could try the best items on the menu! I dug into a shrimp taco which I am still dreaming about, the shrimp were friend and crispy with a spicy mango slaw, SO good. Make sure to order at least three though, I’m regretting that I only had one! I got the lobster roll as well, which was so big it could have served as my whole meal, definitely worth trying.
One thing that Ways & Means does extraordinarily well is bringing a little flavor from the East Coast to our side of the country, while maintaining a feel for the casual West Coast vibes. I was really digging the atmosphere and I thought it was fun that they had some nods to the East Coast with posters and decor but kept it very beach-y and casual. I felt like I was on the coast in California!

 
Ways & Means Lunch: Style by Julianne
 
 
Style by Julianne Ways & Means Review
 
 
Ways & Means Oyster Spread Style by Julianne
 
 
Style by Julianne Ways & Means Happy Hour on the Patio
 

We had so much fun on their patio , it was one of those fall days that was crisp, but the sun was out and it was absolutely beautiful! The decor is casual, comfortable and minimal with red and blue accents, very nautical. They even have “happy lights” that diffuse vitamin D for those cloudy seasons that we know and love here. We tried the happy lights, not sure if it was the food, drinks, or extra Vitamin D but I was definitely feeling happy out here on their patio!

 
Ways & Means Happy Hour: Style by Julianne 2018
 

Overall I was blown away by the amazing service from the server, bartender and my new friend Aaron who seems to have the most important job of managing restaurant openings and upholding standards of the company, I have to come back ASAP to enjoy a glass of the Ways & Means Cab on their patio for happy hour! I am also excited to experience their brunch offerings one of these days, (hey Portland blogger babes is it time for another get together?!) It is clear that Ways & Means values quality, fresh ingredients, a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere and a knowledgeable and hospitable staff! Definitely a place you can bring the whole family for lunch, the bridal party (they even have a private room), or your date for some oysters and a quick night cap after your movie. I’ll be back in a few days, if you happen to see me there eating a shrimp taco on the patio, say hey!

xo

Cozy Home Favorites From The Nordstrom Sale!

I am honestly so shocked that there are still so many amazing home items that are available in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Don't forget, the prices on these items go up to full price at the end of the sale so grab them while you can for the sale price!

I picked out all of my favorites for you all to shop, maybe you can tell what my favorite colors are? Hehe I also linked all of this PLUS a bunch of other amazing items that I love in the carousel below! What is your favorite home item from the NSale? Let me know in the comments below!

Hover over and click on each item to shop!

As a reminder, items sell out extremely fast! If you see something you think you may like, swoop it up fast! You can always buy online to pick-up in store too. This is my preferred method as I can just return the item right then and there if I don't end up loving it in person, better safe than sorry! 

xo

How to Care for Your Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

french bistro chair decor

If you follow my Instagram, you're very familiar with my mirror pics from my previous apartment, and the famous fiddle leaf fig that was always in the background of these particular photos.

I have had a love hate relationship with this plant since I got it a few years ago. I spent the first two years of it's life just fighting to keep it from dying, it came close more than a couple times I'm sad to say (sorry tree)! When I moved to my apartment in said Instagram pictures, of course my little fiddle came with me, it had been going through a phase of extremely slow growth (but any growth at this point was a win in my book). We moved in the winter and I had already decided that first thing in the spring that I would re-pot it from the nursery planter that it came in to a more decorative looking and functional container (yeah, it took me two years to do this, oops?) since I had been decorating the new place from scratch. 

Fast forward to spring, I re-potted my tree, and it was like a sudden explosion of growth occurred! It was insane to see this sad little tree with four leaves start producing multiple buds followed by leaves over and over, and RAPIDLY at that! It got me so excited, , I didn't want my tree to lose momentum so I started to research how to care for these plants. I know they can be finicky and particular, so I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly to maintain this consistent growth. There is a lot I've picked up along the way, from friends and family and snippets of online articles. Here is what I've personally tried and what has worked well for my fiddle leaf fig tree! 

fiddle leaf fig tree

 

SUN EXPOSURE:

PLANT FOOD

The big difference between the new apartment and my old place was definitely the amount of light we were getting in the living space where my tree was kept. I think this made a HUGE difference and played a big part in the massive growth I had seen in such a short period of time. fiddle leaf fig trees love a good amount of light. Bright, indirect light is what I've heard they like best, and as long as they aren't getting any kind of extreme sun-rays for an extended period of time they should be happy by a window that get's good light for a majority of the day. With windows wrapping around three of the four sides of our unit, this little tree was one happy guy!

SOIL:

RE-POTTING and PLANT GROWTH

So, like I said, I re-potted my tree in the spring which was perfect timing as it was the beginning of it's growth season. I transferred it into a larger pot since I wanted it to be taller, I added some fertilized soil to the pot as well. I made sure to break up the root ball when I re-planted it but I did not remove any of the roots as this can be detrimental to growth. You can use this method if you'd like to keep you're tree from growing too large if you have a small space, just make sure to never remove more than 10% of the root or you risk your plant dying. This is when I noticed my plant really take off. I think the large pot in conjunction with the fertilizer and sun was the magic combo during its growth season for it to really take off, which brings me to my next topic.

PRUNING:

CREATING BRANCHES

So, my tree, as many others that I have seen purchased cheaply like mine (I got mine from Ikea for $20) are usually only one stalk to begin with, no branches. Me being un-familiar with plants, and never having grown a tree before I had no idea that it was up to me to make sure it branched if that was the look I preferred for it. My tree was exploding in growth so I was sure it would grow some branches soon... HAHA, was I wrong! Finally I hit up Google to see what the heck was wrong with my tree... it was growing almost a full leaf a day but it never branched! Google told me I needed to take matters into my own hands. It was time to prune my tree to create branches! A friend told me that this may temporarily stunt the growth of my tree, but it was the end of the summer at this point and I was prepared for my tree to slow down on the growth anyway as we headed into colder (and darker) months. I cut the top of my tree about an inch below the last new growth, expecting it to be stagnant until the next spring. Well.... about a week later there were 5 new buds which then grew more buds and then more and then leaves started sprouting and suddenly my one stalk skinny plant became a full bushy tree! It was an amazing transformation! Moral of the story, make sure to prune your tree if it doesn't have branches and you want it to! I should have done this earlier, and I would have had I known! Side note, the shorter your tree is when you prune it, the bushier it will be as it grows. Prune it higher up for a leaner more slender tree, like mine!

FERTILIZER:

TREATS FOR TREES

I try to fertilize my tree about once a month, sometimes less since the soil I added already has fertilizer in it. I only fertilize in the spring and summer when my tree is actively growing. 

LEAVES:

CLEANING YOUR PLANT

One of the most distinguishing and beautiful details of this plant is the magnificent, rich green leaves. They are shiny and a little bit waxy, and because of this they collect dirt and dust like a magnet. It is super important to clean this layer off consistently as it will inhibit the absorption of sunlight which makes it harder for photosynthesis to occur, aka it will make it harder for your tree to grow and be healthy. I took this for granted for a long time but when my little tree started growing quickly I became obsessed with making it look perfect, so I trimmed all of the sad brown parts and started regularly cleaning the leaves. I just use a microfiber cloth and a little water to softly remove any dust from the leaves. I've also heard you can use coconut oil to enhance their shininess, although I find this unnecessary since they are super shiny by nature and the oil can tend to attract more dust, but I think this is just a preference thing! 

TO SUM IT ALL UP:

I am definitely no expert and most of this I've just picked up along the way, trial and error style. If you have any tips that I haven't tried, leave them in the comments below! I'd love to hear what has worked (or not worked) for you and your fiddle leaf fig tree! 

Thank you all for reading!
xo

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Pin Style By Julianne
Fiddle Leaf Pinterest Style By Julianne

WELCOME TO STYLE BY JULIANNE!

Welcome back you guys! 

The site has only been off-line for about a week... it felt like the longest week EVER, but also the shortest week too as we've been working late nights perfecting the new look and planning new and amazing content for you all! I hope you are as excited to see what we have in store for you as we are to create and share it! 

Now you may be curious why we decided to do this big re-launch. I figured I'd explain that in this post. 

A couple years ago I launched this site as a fun and creative side project to work on while I also worked full time at Nordstrom. I branded my website as me, "Julianne Robinson." As the year passed I posted sporadically here and there and also tentatively Instagrammed here and there to go along with my blog posts. Fast forward to about a year ago... I had just found out I was pregnant with my now 6 month old daughter, Stella and I knew that at the time I had to figure out a way to be able to stay home with her once she was born. I had worked my way up into a career position at Nordstrom and was only continuing upward momentum which I, as a workaholic, am quite addicted to that game and I knew if I didn't get out quick I'd get stuck permanently. I decided to throw myself full time into blogging as well as working my day to day job, and by the time I was 6 months pregnant I was ready to quit my job at Nordstrom and officially pursue blogging as my career. At the time I wasn't making money blogging, but I knew it was to the point that I would be able to make something of it if I had the chance to put in the extra effort that I felt I was wasting elsewhere, and blogging was my passion so I left my job to blog and be a mom! Best. Feeling. Ever. 

Around this time I dove head first into Instagram and I re-branded myself as what you know me as now, "Style by Julianne." I didn't officially re-launch at this time, but I did really put a lot of energy into growing my Instagram and creating a network of amazing friends and an audience for my content, which felt great! There is nothing more exciting than effectively marketing yourself and having people genuinely love the content that you've spend so much time (and money) on. 

Fast forward to about 6 months later, it's around Christmas time at the end of 2017 and Instagram has been changing. This has been happening for a while now, but it is to the point that many content creators are so frustrated with the algorithm changes which seem to work in favor for paying customers, or those who already have a huge online presence. Even bloggers with a few hundred thousand followers were posting things like "are you seeing my posts in your feed?" and begging for their followers to "turn on post notifications" or "please, like and comment on my pictures." It started to get really depressing and feel very bleak. Instagram really just stopped showing content to followers who weren't interacting with the content. So, whether or not YOU actually like a picture, unless you hit "like" Instagram will assume you don't care to see any of that creators content in your feed, and essentially hide it from you. Numbers started dropping, bloggers became desperate and began over-using tactics like paying into loop giveaways and follow/un-follow trying to regain the followers that they were losing so quickly. 

I decided this was NOT for me. I was spending countless hours at night editing pictures and researching hashtags while spinning on this stupid hamster wheel of Instagram, where it felt no matter how much time I put in, or how AMAZING and curated my feed was, no one cared. Interaction from my followers was still dropping, I wasn't gaining any exposure and I also was neglecting the one part of my business that I actually OWN and have FULL control over.... my blog.

I am in some amazing chat groups with some super inspiring ladies who are fellow content creators locally and from all over the US. It was clear that many of us felt this way, Instagram is tanking for creators and it's not sinking slowly by any means. As scary as that is for some people who have made it their livelihood, I am lucky enough to have my blog as a platform to share on as well, and as long as I continue paying for my domain, this thing isn't going anywhere any time soon! 

So, here we are today. I'm not fully giving up any of my social networks, I am just going to use them as they are named, to network. Instagram is not a blog and I don't feel comfortable spending so much of my precious time and energy on content just to upload it to someone else's website, thus giving them the rights to my work and my namesake. Nu uh, no more! As of now my primary focus will be my blog effort and driving traffic here through other methods of marketing! I plan to use Instagram too, you just may notice a little less from me on that platform and a little more from me elsewhere. It's just a necessary shift that has to happen for my brand and for my sanity.

So welcome back to Style by Julianne! If you are not subscribed, make sure you sign up at the bottom of this page, I am always happy to see new faces on the email list! If not, make sure you check back weekly for new content. My schedule thus far is to have one new post up every week! As I work around my schedule of being a new mom I will be playing it by ear which day will be my day to post, but I will make sure to let you all know so even if you are not subscribed, you can expect to return on a specific day to see the new content.

I'd love to hear from you all in the comments below what kind of content you'd like to see me include in upcoming posts! More beauty? Youtube videos? Reviews? Sound off below! 

Once again,

thanks for reading!

xo

-Julianne

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My Riverfront Apartment Living Room Decor

It was definitely just as difficult to photograph my space as I thought it would be. A room never looks the same in a photograph as it does in real life and I struggled with that in these photos. I feel like it looks ten times better in real life, which is why I could only choose a few photos for this post. 

Since I'll be moving in just a couple weeks I figured its time to document this apartment before I pack everything up. This is by FAR my favorite place we've lived since Dustin and I have been together. We've moved a total of 6 times in the 6 years we've been together, we thought this would be our home base for at least two years but alas our yearly thanksgiving tradition has decided to continue with another move this year. See, we didn't know we were pregnant at the time when we moved into this apartment and now that Stella is here we've quickly outgrown our digs. Also now that we're down to just one income, we would like to decrease our cost of living to something a little more realistic for apartment living and continue saving for our dream home! Either way, I had fun buying all new furniture for this place when we moved in a year ago. I like to say I finally got my "grown up furniture". No more Ikea show room home for me! 

I bought all of this furniture to fit perfectly in this space and I'm hoping it translates as well in our new place, I can't wait to show you more decor posts after we move! I have plans to overhaul our master bedroom and of course Stella will eventually have her own room which will be a super fun project to document! 

Living Room With a View

LAMP // COUCH // CHAIR // MEDIA CONSOLE // COFFEE TABLE

This couch. I LOVE this couch so much! We originally left Crate and Barrel with a smaller more Mid Century Modern style, tufted couch originally. After sitting (uncomfortably) on it for a few months we decided it just wasn't going to work out for my pregnant self who needed something much more comfortable for lounging. Cue the Lounge II couch! It is soooo deep, perfect for prego naps, and also now for nursing comfortably and cuddling with my little babe. The fabric is super cleanable and durable for family wear and tear, and the neutral color goes with everything! We got the matching chair in a grey leather for a little textural contrast. The lamp we got for this room has got to be one of my favorite pieces that we own. We had some troubles with the first two that we got before we realized it was actually the electrical outlet that we we're plugging it into that was burning it out. Third time is the charm, and I'm so happy I didn't have to settle for a different lamp. This one has a dimmer and is on a beautiful marble base. 

Also I wish I could show you how small that Fiddle Leaf Fig tree was when we first moved in. I'm pretty sure it had two total leaves and didn't even come up to the windowsill. This apartment is like a greenhouse, it helps me pretend I have a green thumb, my plants thrive here! 

French Bistro Chairs Serena and Lily

TABLE // CHAIRS // PLACE MATS (similar) // RUG (similar)

I got these chairs before I moved in. Another blogger I follow had the same style in barstool form and although they are not my usual style, something drew me to them and I couldn't get them off my mind. As soon as they went on sale I scooped them up, and I have to say it was the greatest decision I could have made for kitchen chairs... they are so comfortable! And they look so chic. I couldn't be happier! 

I wanted a round white marble table, but had to compromise with Dustin for this more traditional one, which I have grown to love and it does go really well with the bistro chairs! I will get my marble table someday, though!

French Riviera Table

This Orchid is another example of a flourishing plant that I somehow brought back from the dead. I don't even know how it happened, no one I've ever known has been able to re-grow an orchid and this one is blooming for the second time this year now... I can't complain!

Dried Hydrangeas Living Room Decor

VASE

Fun fact: my mom comes over a few times a week and brings me flowers! She brought over fresh hydrangeas a few weeks ago and I dried them so they'd last through fall and winter. They're so beautiful and the colors preserved perfectly! 

I hope you all enjoyed a sneak peek of my living room! I'm excited to post the progress on my new place when we move in and begin to decorate and get settled. Keep an eye out on Instagram stories for moving updates and decor progress!

xo

Easter at Edgefield

For as long as I can remember, since I was little and participating in the Easter egg hunts, my family has gone to brunch for Easter in Troutdale at the Edgefield McMenamins. It's always so much fun, I feel like there's always something new to discover each year as this particular location is rather large and has a lot of really interesting history that is documented all over the hotel. There are many different small bars, a cute spa, golf course, distillery, and wine cellar, amongst many other interesting places to explore. I love this place, and it is one of my favorite annual traditions that my family partakes in! 

 

This year my sister and her boyfriend are doing a McMenamins tour, where they get different stamps in a cute little passport at each McMenamins location around Oregon, there are fun riddles to solve and sometimes small prizes depending on the location. We spent our day helping them gather stamps while we explored the hotel and had so much fun doing it! 

This was one of the cute little "sheds" that had a bar inside! They're all over the hotel property!

This particular bar/shed was in the Ruby spa and had some amazing sounding tea infused drinks. Unfortunately this prego couldn't enjoy any of the drinks, my sister got a special ginger vodka drink that sounded amazing! I'll have to go back and try one once I can drink again. 

I really wanted to wear white pants today, but I don't own a maternity option so I squeezed myself into some pre-pregnancy pants and had to leave them unbuttoned throughout the day! I used a hair tie to keep them fastened, but I definitely made sure my shirt was long enough to cover since it looked quite hilarious! What can I say? I was REALLY desperate to wear white jeans! My family thought it was amusing, I was just proud that I found a way to wear what I wanted and still be comfortable haha! Outfit details are linked at the bottom of the post, some of the items are old, but I linked lots of similar items for you all to check out! 

 

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone had an amazing Easter weekend, I'd love to hear about your favorite Easter traditions, let me know in the comments below!

 

xo

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift!

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If you all haven't noticed, this spring I've been all about a unique timepiece. I think a watch adds an element to your ensemble that you can't create with just jewelry alone. This unique watch makes such a statement without being too loud. I chose the Zebrawood and Maple option because I loved the different colors in the watch band. Although watches may not be used as much for function anymore they definitely make a statement and this Jord watch is no exception! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven't heard of Jord Watches yet, you HAVE to check them out! They have the most amazing all wood watches for men and women, and they're like no watch you've ever seen, you'll stand out with this one of a kind, unique watch! 

I decided to keep my accessories minimal when styling this look, the watch is the focal point of the outfit and I really wanted it to stand out, the beauty of the wood watch is that is can be worn casually or dressy because it is such a versatile material and looks amazing on it's own already! If you want a watch that tells more than time, check out Jord and let me know if you're as obsessed as I am. Shop women's watches here and men's watches here.

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**

I've teamed up with Jord Watches to offer one of my followers/subscribers $100 to spend on your own Jord watch! If you're like me and thinking you'll never win one of these giveaways, don't worry, every applicant wins a $25 credit to spend with Jord just for entering the giveaway! Love it! This giveaway is a great opportunity for one of you to get your own beautiful Jord watch to give as a unique Mother's Day gift, or a cool grad gift, or just to keep for yourself! They even do custom engraving to personalize your timepiece. 

Even the packaging is impeccable!

Even the packaging is impeccable!

Giveaway Rules:

First, make sure you're subscribed to my blog!

Second, follow this link -JORD Watch Giveaway- to complete your entry.

 

 

Downtown adventures

I got the chance to meet up with a good friend today. Someone who I rarely get to see due to busy schedules and conflicting availabilities. It was so great to catch up and explore the city with someone who it is easy to start off right where we left off, months ago, last time we saw each other. Today we got to try a new restaurant for lunch in downtown Portland called South of the Border. It was an amazing Mexican restaurant with an authentic feel, they have a simple menu with four choices that are customizable but they make everything by hand and it was definitely delicious!

 We shopped and caught up over cold brew and ice cream,  I found a boutique off of SW 23rd called Sloan, never shopped there before but walking by I couldn't help but peek in and see what they have to offer. It was amazing! Everything I picked up, I loved, and I ended up leaving with some amazing pieces. I'll definitely feature them in a post in the near future! I love exploring my city and finding gems like Sloan. It makes me love my hometown even more! Unfortunately they don't have a website to shop but you can click here for Sloan locations!

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Jacket here, shorts here, top similar here, shoes here, sunglasses similar here and here, watch here!

New beginnings

 

This is the first post on the third blog I've made. I've struggled to get the courage to actually publish an actual blog that I'm prepared for people to view and read. Although it took me some time to realize that I don't care what people think anyway, I'm finally pursuing this adventure just for the pure fact of my interest in writing, photography, and fashion (among many other hobbies). You might find it strange that I even cared to do this for anyone but myself initially, but that's just who I am. No apologies.

 

...So here it is, first post, and to many future posts!