Lilly Pulitzer & Target Break the Internet

Well, a cannonball hit the internet yesterday in the form of sunny pink, yellow and lime green florals and within minutes my instagram feed was covered with the next best thing at Target. That's right, in April, Target is unrolling it's latest collaboration with Lilly Pulitzer. Target is on a roll, from  Toms to Altuzarra to Alice and Olivia. The April collab is sure to sell out within seconds and you best believe that I'll be online right at 12:00. I'm eyeing the above swimsuit already and can't wait to see what else they have to offer. Rumors are everything from scarves to shoes to pillows and umbrellas. Cross your fingers, these preppy goods will be sold at a Target-price!

Here's to more sunny days to come in April! What do you think of the Lilly/Target collaboration?
Emily

Emily and Dot Turns 1!!!

Well can you believe it? It's officially been 1 year that I've been posting on this little corner of the web! For me, it's pretty hard to believe! It feels like just yesterday that I opened up my computer and started typing away hoping for a new kind of outlet. I mentioned in my first post that I've never been someone who was consistent at journaling or any kind of periodic reflection but somehow E&D has made it 365 days and I'm pretty proud.

It's been great getting to work with some fantastic companies, I've gotten to know and collaborate with an amazing community of bloggers and I have readers that make my day with every instagram like and post comment! I'm so happy where E&D has gone over the past year and I can't wait to see how my blog evolves!

To celebrate this day I picked out a few random posts that I thought highlighted the different aspects to Emily and Dot. Of course I had to start from my first post first two posts (E&D essentially started twice) and ended with my recent fashion posts that I finally got rolling! There has been everything in between from writing about unplugging {here}, a mid-week puppy break {here} and even working with Modcloth {here}! Check out some of my favorites below and, once again, a big big thank you to everyone that has stuck around! I'm thankful for your readership, your support and your inspiration! You guys are the best!

{So I'm Starting a Blog} // It all started from a very cheesy post as a New Year's resolution. Beware of the cheese. 

{An End to the Hiatus - I Need Blogging} // After a break from posting I found my way back and got E&D rolling again. This post sums up a lot of the reasons why I continue to blog!

{Emily's Guide to Creating a Custom Pinterest Hover Button} // The first blogger guide turned out to be a great success. It's been an adventure in the coding world but I've learned a lot and I'm happy to help!

{Emily's Guide to Centering Your Blog Header} // After seeing a lot of bloggers with headers left-aligned I figured I'd help some sistahs out! Look out for more coding help to come!

{See my Interview with Rachel from Seashells + Sparkle} // It was super fun getting to do this interview with Rachel! I'm always happy to see that people keep up with my little ramblings and I really loved her questions!

{The Liebster Award} // This award was making its way around the blogger world and I was excited when it landed on me! These awards are such a great way to connect with new bloggers!

{Find Your Sunset} // This post captures my mantra on paying attention to the little things around you

{Closure: It's All About You} // Whoo! Got personal on E&D! The blog has been a good outlet for showcasing my favorite fashion trends at the moment but also for processing events in my life. 

{My Go-To's with Marley Lilly} // I finally got an outfit post up! Thankful for the chance to get to work with Marley Lilly! I've already worn this scarf too many times to count!

{Keeping it Simple with Free People} // I loved the background of this post and I can't wait to keep rolling out more outfit posts in the future! 

Thank you, thank you to everyone and everything that has made 365 days possible! Here's to more to come!

Emily

New Years Resolutions / Reminders

The turning of a New Year is a great chance to sit down and reflect. It's known as a time to start fresh and clean and make new renowned change in your life. I mentioned in a post earlier {link here} about how this year I want to focus on continuing the change started in 2014. I'm happy where I am right now however there are things that I need to remember moving forward. I finally got a chance to sit down today and really think about these little reminders and it turned out to be quite a hefty list. Here they are!

Relationships

Write more notes // Good stationary and happy thoughts can make anyone's day

More one-on-one dinners // Friends and food and good conversation

Acknowledge thankfulness // Don't take relationships for granted

Plan a roadtrip // Take advantage of friends and a full tank of gas

Blogging

Reach 1,000 followers on Instagram // Hopeful to see where my new insta account will go!

Have blog posts scheduled two days in advance // Less stress and earlier posts!

Work on more blogging relationships // Get connected to this great web community

Consistent Link-Ups // What's better than one blogger? Two!

Look into guest posting // Mixing it up is always welcomed!

Fashion

Invest in high quality neutrals // Grey, black and camel will never go out of style

Wear more hats // I like hat people. Let's be hat people.

Take more risks // Be who you want to be that day. No apologies.

Nail an all-black outfit // It's classic and chic. It doesn't have to be emo. 

Beauty

Face mask once a week // Treat your skin as well as you want to be treated. 

Don't skip washing your face // No excuses.

Discover drug store products // Make up is good. Cheap good make up is better.

Diet

Don't drink your calories // Cake > Coke

Drink four glasses of water a day // Starting with realistic goals
Think Green // Green is good!

Fitness

Morning stretches // Start each day fresh.

Work out daily // Keep up with daily worksheets. Your body will thank you.

Rediscover running // Some addictions can be a good thing.

Spending

Curb spending // Any more to say?

Start saving  // Milan ain't cheap. 

School

Visit professors 3 times a piece during the semester // Even if it's for one question. Go. 

4 hour Off-Days // Four hours of work between Friday & Saturday. Sunday will thank you

Read the news // Break out of the bubble. Come out from under the rock.

Unplug

Tech-free days // Step away from it all for 24 hours at least once a month.

Walk to class without looking at your phone // De-clutter your mind before class.

Read for fun // This doesn't just have to be a break privilege.

2015 Jar // Collect the little things throughout the year. 

I hope to come back to this periodically. It's important to revisit and revise these little reminders. What's on your list of New Years reminders?
Emily

#FridayFinds: TSwift is One of a Kind

To be honest, I really tried to resist the Taylor Swift craze. I'll admit that I'm typically stubborn when it comes to jumping on a massive celebrity bandwagon like the followings of Miley Cyrus or OneDirection but I've fallen for TSwift. She really has it all - the album, the look the overall vibe and I'm digging it. I stumbled across this video yesterday and it's plain to see why people love her so much, she really cares about her fans. Her humble attitude, sincere excitement and genuine kindness is a different kind of celeb that we've seen in a while and I definitely support it. You go TSwift. Keep it up, girl.

What do you think of Taylor?
Emily

Years that Question & Years that Answer

Well, happy 2015 everyone! It's crazy thinking that another new year is upon us. Usually I see the new year as a fresh start, a blank page and a place to start completely from scratch but this year I see that last digit change in the date a little differently. I truly was happy with how last year turned out. I had a lot of changes that I did not see coming and they all had a funny way of really working out. So today, and this year, I only want to continue on that path of change and see where these opportunities take me. This year, my New Years Resolutions are more of New Years Reminders and when I finalize my list I'll share them but for now I'm just focusing on enjoying this bright new day. 

I did want to take the time to share something that I stumbled across the other day. I saw this quote while I was on Pinterest (of course) but it really stuck with me. There are years that go along steadily and then there are years that push us out of our comfort zones and make us make changes. Both are good and both are needed. I definitely experienced the latter in 2014 and I'm excited for an answering year to see how the questions raised in this past year are really going to play out. 

In the meantime, I will continue to be stubborn with my goals. I will continue to work hard, be kind, stay humble and laugh often. I will continue to keep trying to make the most out of my everyday. And I will continue to believe that life has a funny way of always working out. 

Here's to an answering new year. What's your favorite new year quote?

Emily