District Sparkle: January 2013

1.30.2013

cross country

I've never gotten comfortable with long travel days & nights. In an attempt to remedy this, I dress as comfy casual as I can, ensuring I have a bag of necessities, my favorite flats & an oversized scarf that doubles as a blanket.

1.29.2013

california here we come

If you follow me on twitter & instagram you might have noticed a little change of scenery over the past few days. Stay tuned for more west coast adventures all week!

1.25.2013

[this & that]

Valentine's Day is almost upon us & to celebrate I'm adding this gem to my collection.

After hitting the Presidential Inaugural Ball, I can't get enough of this gorgeous print.

Majorly lusting after these white stems. Officially on the hunt.

Missed my super easy tutorial on [everyday curls]? Head over to Glitter Guide for the 411.

I've fallen hard for these Opening Ceremony flats. Perfect to take your everyday up a notch.

My recent hair-do go-to when I'm in a bit of a rush.

Revamping my gallery wall starting with this piece. In love.

1.24.2013

[nyfw necessities]

As you've probably noticed, I've done away with the weekly [monday must-have] posts in order to make room for more outfit posts, fun tutorials, & inspirations. Today, we're talking NYFW cravings. In less than two weeks I'll be surrounded by the latest fashions & hottest trends which makes it only appropriate that I do a little shopping myself :)

What say you? Bring back [monday must-haves] or keep trucking along with the new format?

elizabeth & james obsession

nyfw perfection

nyc weather appropriate chic-wear

my go-to carry all. ideal for planes, trains, & conferences :)

newest closet staple

these have been on my wishlist far too long to not indulge. just blame nyfw :)

Love these NYFW must-haves? Make sure to check out all of my current favorites! & speaking of tutorials, check out my latest one on Glitter Guide today!

1.23.2013

an inauguration story

My hands were frozen, my feet were numb & I was on the brink of exhaustion but it was all worth it for one of the best nights in DC. I was fortunate enough to attend the Presidential Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center on Monday night & ~~rubbed shoulders with~~ saw from afar some fabulous attendees. With less than 12 hours to find the perfect dress, I spent Monday running all over the city in search. [I may or may not have also picked up some Chanel goodies & a few pairs of heels for NYFW] I shot over to chat with my favorite WUSA9 anchor about inaugural fashion, tried my hand at a hollywood-glam look, threw on some sparkle, & headed out for some POTUS Inauguration fun. Check out a few snaps from the evening & make sure to follow District Sparkle on Instragram for more behind-the-scenes peeks!

2013 Presidential Inauguration Seal | Brad Paisley

The golden ticket | Chanel indulgences

The Obama's first dance | Me & my date

Chatting with WUSA9 about the fab inaugural fashion | Coverage from earlier in the day

My favorite WUSA9 anchor, Debra Alfarone | Stevie Wonder [who rocked btw]

My bf, Darren Criss | End of ball mayhem

[Update: A lot of readers have been asking where my dress & bag are from: Dress: Macy's | Bag: Dareen Hakim via Signature | Shoes: Zara]

1.22.2013

navy tartan

Top: LPM [similar] | Skirt: JCrew [similar] [pant version] | Heels: SoleSociety [similar] | Bag: Zara | Shades: RayBan | Nails: Essie Wicked | Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelets: LouLou, Ani & Alex

This skirt has been one of my go-tos this winter simply for the great colors & pattern. Black, is of course, my favorite color but it's always nice to change it up a bit.

This past weekend my DC family & I celebrated the Inauguration in a number of ways. One of which included attending the Presidential Inaugural Ball Monday evening. Make sure you follow District Sparkle on Twitter & Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at the ball & catch some shots from my segment about Inaugural fashion with DC's WUSA9.

1.18.2013

this & that

[the sweetest barber shop in admo]

[city cactus]

[hidden treasures that make me smile]

[koi pond on 18th that Wendell so badly wanted to be a part of]

[my tv debut on DC WUSA9]

Happy Inauguration weekend, my loves. Stay safe, warm, & enjoy every patriotic minute of it!

xo Meaghan

1.17.2013

l'eau de dc

When I discovered Nomaterra I was instantly hooked. Not only are their fragrances fresh & one of a kind, the company is green conscious which is something that, as a hybrid owner, I can get on board with. As if that wasn't enough, they launched their brand with signature fragrance: Washington, DC. A match made in fragrance heaven.

Nomaterra's recyclable packaging is something I have yet to see in the fragrance industry & hope to see much more of in the future. Their current fragrances are produced right here in the US of A in Brooklyn, NY. Their bottles are part of a sustainability initiative—rather than tossing the bottle once you're through, you recycle the inner glass piece & replace it with the refill already included in your package. How cool?

As an avid traveler I cannot wait to try out their fragrance wipes available February 2013. Fragrances East Hampton & Miami will also be released next month as well. Although we all know which scent this DC native is sticking with.

photo via nomaterra

Interested in checking out Nomaterra first hand? Join me for their launch party on February 1 at Tabula Rasa. Co-host Lara Ramos, DJ Phenomenon & the Nomaterra crew will be kicking off the evening at 7pm. Please RSVP to admin@nomaterra.com

1.16.2013

[how to] everyday curls

One of the most requested tutorials has been for the loose curls I sport most days. While there are tons of ways to achieve this tousled look I'm sharing my go-to with you today. Once you get comfortable with your new styling methods this 'do should take you no more than 30 minutes & even less with second day hair.

Towel dry hair. Use a wide tooth comb to detangle. Use a quarter sized amount of shine serum & work through hair starting at the ends to the nape of your neck. Next, use a dime sized amount of heat protectant & work through hair starting at the ends.

Blow dry on the warm (not hot!) setting. I go a little crazy here - there's no rhyme or reason to how I dry my hair. When most of the moisture is gone use a large round brush for a good blow out. Make sure that you are working the brush through the ends of your hair.

Separate your hair into sections. I start at the bottom & work my way to the front. I also use a banana clip. Deal with it.

I do not use the clamp on my iron. Wrap the section of hair around the iron & away from your face.

Continue doing this until all sections are curled.

Use a dime sized amount of frizz control serum to break up the curls & smooth any flyaways.

Now for my most favorite step: grab that unnecessarily large can of L'Oreal Elnett & spray until your heart is content. For the record, I drive a hybrid so there's no way you can make me feel guilty for having a love obsession with aerosol hairspray. Good chat. Back to the hairspray. Once you have successfully contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer put. the. can. down.

Tidy up any stray pieces that may have gone rouge along the way...

& Voila! You've got yourself a head full of carefree curls.

*When working with second day hair, straight or curled, make sure you brush out the ends well & add a few sprays of dry shampoo & texturizing spray to your roots before curling. [Brunettes - make sure there is no white residue from the dry shampoo left on your roots - rub in thoroughly] Next, heat up your iron & get to styling!

Products used:

Shine serum, heat protectant, frizz control serum, hairspray, dry shampoo
[Not pictured: Texturizing spray]

Dryer [splurge] [save], round brush, curling iron [on sale!]

photos via Heidi

This is not a sponsored post. I simply have an affinity for ~~magical~~ life-changing hairspray.

1.15.2013

[dc moment] inauguration 2013

Every four years this city is invaded by swarms of tourists, motorcades, & more press than we know what to do with. & for hosting this hot mess, with good behavior, we get Inaugural Balls. POTUS & White House staff, among many other DC elite, get first dibs on the legitimate soirees while the rest of us are left deciding if we love our home or adopted state enough to drop $150 on a ticket plus the cost of the perfect dress & absolute necessary accessories. While I have not yet decided what my 2013 inaugural plans entail, I have a few of those perfect dresses in mind...just in case.

My favorite dress will be featured this morning on DC's WUSA9 Inauguration segment. Be sure to tune in to their morning show to catch me sporting the stunner from Carine's Bridal in Georgetown.

Below are some of my close-second favorites, any one of them will have you covered at any State Society or Unofficial Ball. & while black [my favorite color] is the overwhelming favorite here, there are a few colored options, as well :)