Galentine's Day

All outfits are Ramy Brook - All Jewels are Jennifer Miller

My Look

Top: Serena Top (also in red) / Pants: Allyn Pant / Bomber: Isabel Bomber Jacket

Christy's Look: Maggie Dress

Victoria's Look: Brittney Dress

Jenna's Look: Vivica Top

Lily's Look: London Dress

Alisha's Look: Marisa Top

Diana's Look: Paige Top

Photography by Meg Niemann | @MSNPhotography

From my article in The Huffington Post 

Valentine’s Day is just about here, and with it come the typical moans and groans of single and attached folks alike. This attitude is no surprise: traditionally a celebration of romantic love, Valentine’s Day comes with super high expectations, jacked-up dinner prices, and a commercial onslaught of cheesy cards and candy.

Don’t get me wrong... if someone handed me chocolate CVS candy, I wouldn’t deny it! But Valentine’s Day can be so much more than caramel-filled chocolate. Why not use it as an opportunity to celebrate love your way? Ideally, one that doesn’t fit into the cliche, heart-shaped box?

Frankly, I’m tired of hearing people—girls especially—say they hate Valentine’s Day because they don’t have a significant other. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers didn’t fight for our rights so we could center our lives around our relationships with men, after all.

That’s why I’m proposing us girls use Valentine’s Day to celebrate the types of love that don’t get holidays: namely, self love, and lady love. Here are some thoughts to get you started...

Take Ownership!

Want to take ownership of Valentine’s Day? The first step is to figure out exactly what it is you want to get out of it. At first, you may think you want to mope, or just go about business as usual. Dig a little deeper, though, and you may just find a treasure trove of possibilities.

Make a list of all the things you love. It could be fashion, food, or margaritas. Or maybe singing, reading, acting, photography… whatever it is that makes your heart smile.

Now, make a list of the things you love about yourself (Recommended soundtrack? “Love Myself” by Hailee Steinfeld). This may feel a little odd, especially in a society that seems to prey on female insecurity at all times. Try to put all that negativity on mute and focus on the amazing, unique assets that make you you.

Now, think about the external relationships in your life that are special, beyond just romance. For starters, consider the amazing women that support you through thick and thin. Your girlfriends, for example, are probably the ones that listen to you when you’re down, help you make tough decisions, and laugh with you at life’s silliest moments.

All reflected? Great. Now let’s move on to you.

Treat Yourself!

In the trenches of mid-February, treating yourself is vital. I really can’t express this enough: amidst winter’s dry skin plagues and gloomy days, taking the time to pamper your mind and body lifts will keep your spirits high.

Go on a little shopping spree. Have a favorite designer? Treat yourself to one or two items of clothing that you wouldn’t normally buy. Even better, get a fabulous blowout—I recommend using the app Vive to schedule one—or a luxurious mani-pedi.

Drink some wine and watch your favorite movie, whether by yourself or with friends. We can all get a little sad and frustrated during the wintertime. Taking some time to relax guilt-free will help melt all that stress away like yesterday’s blizzard.

Treat Your Girlfriends!

If you’ve ever seen Parks & Rec, you know that Leslie Knope is the queen of Galentine’s Day, a Valentine’s celebration of love between female friends. Whether you have a significant other or not, this is such a fun way to treat your girlfriends with fashion, food, and surprises!

This year, I decked out some of my favorite girlfriends in Ramy Brook outfits head to toe! If you read my blog you know how obsessed I have been with Ramy Brook since the brand’s inception. For this Galentine’s day I wanted to showcase how versatile the brand really is! Ramy Brook is truly made for every body type: short, tall, skinny, voluptuous, you name it Ramy Brook has something for everyone! I was so incredibly happy to see how fabulous, and confident my babes felt throughout the event in all their different looks! Ramy Brook has always made me feel confident, sexy, and strong, especially when starting my own blog so I was so ecstatic to share this special brand with my all my girls! To compliment the outfits, I styled everyone in dazzling Jennifer Miller jewels, of course!

For the décor I went a little wild. If your going to host a girly event why not go all out? I decorated the table with adorable Meri Meri party favors filled to the brim with candy, giant metallic vases, and a trunk load of fun pink balloons (36 balloons to be exact… ahhh)! Then Christy, of Crowns By Christy created the most stunning custom flower wall, and set up a super fun DIY flower crown station! It’s always fun to have activities at a party, and it doesn’t get better than crafting some gorgeous flower crowns!

To top it all off, we had the most scrumptious cake jars from only the best pastry chef, and girl boss Dani Beckerman of Jars by Dani, and of course I added American JuiceCompany’s Lady Lychee cocktail mixer to mix with a little something special, if you know what I mean!

 I had such a great time this year celebrating love and life with my favorite women. Putting together a party not only felt great, but spoke to everything I love about my life and those I share it with. And that’s what practicing self love means to me.

Valentine’s Day can make us all feel a little flustered and wistful, but at the end of the day us girls are in charge of who and what we love. We should feel empowered to celebrate however we want to!

X kt