We have a heat wave hitting DC right now... I walked home from work at 8:00 last night and it was still 91 degrees! Phew! Maybe blue jeans aren't the best for this heat but this top is perfect! It's technically a crop top so I got a size large so that it would be a bit longer. I love the loose fit and the material breathes really well - it was hot when I shot these photos and it didn't show anything! I knew I had to pair this shirt with these shoulder grazing tassels. They're the perfect accessory to draw even more attention to your shoulders. Y'all know I love turquoise and these are no exception (I can never have too much). Can we talk about my clutch too?! I got it at a SCOUT event last month and Inslee was there making custom monograms *insert heart eye emoji* I absolutely adore her work! How is everyone's week going? I have had an absolute insane two weeks at work so I haven't been able to keep up with my usual blog posts. I apologize for that! It seems the second I get a handle on things and get into a groove something else pops up. Perhaps I'll never be able to fully balance work, the blog, friendships, and my relationship... I'm not sure. It's frustrating to me that I can't do everything I want to do - I'm in trouble when I have to plan a wedding or when I have kids or when I get promoted again (PS none of those things are happening soon haha)! But, that seems to be how life is recently. I'm attempting to focus on the positive things and not stress out about the bad things. There's too much good in my life to allow the negative to take over. So on that note: I'm going to go buy more peonies (if you follow me on IG you know I've got them at work and at home @jennrog) and rock some turquoise tassel earrings ;) thanks for reading!!
Last weekend, Monica and I got together in Georgetown to shoot our trio of new SCOUT bags! Did you know that they were founded in DC in 2004? We had way too much fun walking along the gorgeous houses - Monica photographed every cute door for her cool insta series! - and carrying our bags (mine are actually filled with the things I had packed for a weekend haha). We loved all of the different patterns that you can choose from. It's fun to mix and match the prints to create your own aesthetic! We each have a little clutch with our monogram on it that we use on the weekends too :)
My first SCOUT bag was given to me in college. It was a small gift sized bag that a friend wrapped a bottle of wine in for my birthday. I'll never forget how clever I thought she was taking a nice bag that I could reuse for books or groceries and using it to put a present in. My next SCOUT bag was used as a pencil case and the third was used as a gift bag again carrying lots of goodies for a bachelorette party (it was so cute seeing them all lined up from the bride in our hotel room - it's still my primary grocery bag). You could say my addiction has been around for awhile now... 9 years to be exact, ha! The same tried and true, classic fabric bags (it's an all-weather woven fabric) now come in true wine bottle sizes - I always keep at least 4-5 in my coat closet to grab before I head to a house warming party, celebration, or need a quick thank you present - they're only $7.50! Putting a nice bottle of red or white in a cute cheery bag instantly ups the cool factor (I'm bringing one to my boyfriend's mom for MDW)!
A lot of the new SCOUT bags are made with coated cotton (hellooooo waterproof material, yes!) or coated polyester (for an insulated item) but they're still the same bright, vibrant bags you know and love. Knowing that you have a soft, colorful bag to take with you over the weekend and having it be waterproof is a total game changer y'all... I got caught in sideways rain leaving work for the train station a couple weekends ago and was so relieved that my clothes and shoes in the bag were dry... Even though I wasn't! If you use any of these bags at the beach it will keep sand and water away from your valuables.
When deciding what bags would be perfect for a weekend away we knew we needed a tote bag that could carry a lot of clothes but not be too overwhelming. The Weekender tote bag was an easy choice! It's super roomy, zips closed, has a little zipper side pocket for keeping things at hand, and the strap fit over our shoulders. What does every weekend bag need? A cosmetics case! There are lots of small pouches that SCOUT offers but the Packin' Heat makeup bag was just big enough without encouraging you to bring every hair product you own... weekends away are meant for spontaneity not pounds of products ;) And lastly... a cooler! We were dreaming of picnics at a winery or ice cold drinks and sandwiches on the beach! The Stiff One cooler is the perfect size for food AND drinks. It collapses really easily so you could pack it in your Weekender tote when it's not needed as well. Now for the FUN PART!! A GIVEAWAY!! One winner will receive our trio of SCOUT bags in a pattern(s) of their choice so they can travel in style: 1 "Stiff One" cooler, 1 "Weekender" tote bag, and 1 "Packin' Heat" makeup bag! Basically the necessities for a lake, beach, road trip, etc. Hop on over to instagram to enter and fill out the widget below for more entries! Be sure to also check out Monica's post!
Thank you to everyone who entered below and on Instagram! The giveaway is now closed, and we've contacted the winner, Brianna R.
