No. 14 buying trip day in Atlanta

Travel Style

Travel Outfit:
PIT -> ATL for No. 14's Spring buying trip

The sale continues...More favorites!

Shopbop Sale Continues!

Today is the second to last day to shop the shop bop sale & I swear my wallet is crying because I keep finding new things!

Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

1. Blushy Ballet Flats

These ballet inspired flats 

Wear with:

This velvet top & these skinnies

OR

This vest &  this dress

2. Killer Moss Moto Jacket 

This Moto Jacket in the prettiest shade of green.


Wear with: 

Black Skinnies, Booties, Basic Tee, Statement Bag

OR

Floral Dress, Over the Knee Boots, Cross body bag

3. The Colored Statement Coat

I am such a sucker for outerwear and this blushy salmon one takes the cake



Wear with: (other than everything ever in the world) 

Cozy up with this scarf and a hat

OR

A feminine sweater, leather skirt, and over the knee boots

4. A Comfortable Jumpsuit

Somedays you just aren't feeling it, and if you don't look good- you're going to feel worse. Enter the jumpsuit.  So comfy, but so cute. This one is the perfect addition to your wardrobe for that lazy day that looks like you tried.



Wear with:

Casual with sneakers or mules

Dress up in the evening with a strappy heel and a leather & a killer lip

Shopbop Sale 2017

It is the most wonderful sale of the yearrrrrrr!

She's here! The best sale of the fall season came a few weeks early and it is so so good!! I lined up a few of my favorite picks for you guys! Use the code at the bottom of this post to get 20% your purchase under $500 and 25% off your purchase over $500. This sale is dangerous- but so much fun!

Slides that make a statement: 

The shoe of the past year has been a slide or mule, with all of the trimmings.  Tassels, bows- you name it.  These statement pieces make your entire outfit.  My off duty look is always a white tee, jeans, and a statement shoe.  These bow ones definitely are in my cart right now... 

Brown Booties:
Brown booties are always my favorite fall shoe.  They make the perfect transitional outfit with any skirt or dress.  I love them with black or white jeans into winter with a chunky knit sweater.  I have honestly been waiting for this sale to purchase these booties that I missed last year in my size and today is the day that they are mine!! #ordered.

Black Boots:
The number one winter wardrobe staple, right?!  Black boots are a thing to invest in because they never go out of style.  I have had these Chelsea booties for almost three years and have never regretted the splurge.

Tops & Dresses: 
Super easy tops and sweaters that speak for themselves. No fuss, just throw on with some jeans and your outfit is made! I have this striped one, which I particularly love under all of the jumpsuits and slip dresses that are really in this season.  It completes the look and makes it look really put together.

Outerwear:
My biggest weakness is outwear.  In Pittsburgh, we have a solid 4-5 months of freezing cold.  Your outerwear IS your outfit & I have an entire closet dedicated to my outwear.  This army jacket is my favorite piece- We just got it in at No.14 and I am head over heels for it!

Accessories: 
Give me all of the velvet! Such killer accessories this year.  You can also stock up on your favorite sunnies that you've always wanted! I have had these sunnies since college and they are the sunglasses I reach for all year long.

Staples to stock up on:
Everyone loves a staple.  These Tory flip flops are my most worn sandals every single spring and summer.  I bought the nude color 3 or 4 years ago and still use the same pair.  They last forever and go with absolutely everything.




Use code EOTS17
20% your purchase under $500 and 25% off your purchase over $500

Happy shopping gals!! 

Let's Talk College....

Let's chat about college...

What did you go go school for? 

I knew I wanted to pursue something creative in college, but I wasn't sure what.  I first went to college for Interior design, which is how I ended up at High Point University.  Because High Point, NC is the furniture capital of the world, I felt I’d be better off experiencing the interiors world from there (& I was crazy about going to school there…I mean…have ya seen the place!? 

Click here to see more about High Point University #proudalumni

Anyway- a semester in to my freshman year, I realized interior design wasn't so much for me.  It was much more technical than I anticipated & I realized that I really just liked to decorate, not be an actual designer & engineer of homes and buildings (interior designers are no joke my friends!)  

I had always dreamed about being my own boss and wanted to prepare myself to be a business owner. But, math is not my forte and a business degree is filled with courses on accounting and the stock market.  As I’ve mentioned before, my dad and two of my brothers are accountants. I didn’t feel that my time would be best spent struggling academically in accounting courses when I knew that any future business I’d have would be very well taken care of.  I decided to major in Strategic Communications, something my university specialized in and it was SUCH a gift.  

Do you feel like you use a communications degree? It doesn’t seem very ‘creative’ 

I use my major every single day in my business.  I seriously enjoyed my workload and loved every single class I took throughout college.  I learned about public speaking, graphic design, social media, the works!  People often gasp to learn I didn’t go to school for fashion, but I wanted to major in something more broad than just fashion.  I am definitely not the design type, I cannot sew and I cannot draw (though I wish I could so so badly).  I wanted to pursue a degree that would allow me to do a lot of different things coming out of school in the case that fashion did not work out.  Communications is a really creative major believe it or not, you learn all about graphic design and it challenges you to get creative with your writing and speaking.  

Fun Fact: Joanna Gaines went to school for communications #creativesunite 

If you didn’t open up a boutique, what do you think you’d be doing?

hmmmm. I think being in charge of social for a creative company would be a ton of fun.  I love creating social content for No. 14 and I wish I had more time to devote to it.  I also love to meet new people, so I think I would’ve loved to work in HR.  Either way, I’d want to work for a creative company that celebrated style and clothing.  I love to get dressed in the morning, so I’d have liked to work for a company that was surrounded by other creatives who felt the same way! 

A bit off topic, but I know a lot of you come here to see some clothing!

A few recent purchases to start my fall wardrobe. 

Just bought these mules for fall, I am going to wear them with EVERYTHING. 

My go to outfit right now is: 

1. these mules
2. these jeans
3. this tee (Also love the V-Neck Version here) 
4. this neck scarf (just found this scalloped edge neck scarf and have to have it.)
5. A leather (or faux leather here) for the chilly mornings, 

I'm crazy for a neck scarf right now! They're so comfortable & lightweight (as opposed to a statement necklace) and they make a really simple outfit look more styled. I'm really happy the trend has continued into fall 

Have you guys been seeing white boots EVERYWHERE like me?!  

I just bought these and (admittedly) knew I’d receive them and either love them, or absolutely hate them. Well, I stinkin’ love them and they're the cutest.  The laces are actually pinkish and I love how comfortable the rubber heel makes them.

  I cannot wait to wear a 'shades of white outfit' 

1. these jeans (these are the same jeans as the green above & I absolutely love the fit, I have them in a few colors)
2. this chunky ivory sweater (size wayyy down- runs so big!) 
1. Also in love with this cardi (as seen from this instagram & this one too!) 
3. these booties (they also come in a chestnut color here)

A few other white boots that I'm loving....

1. These Balenciaga dupes 
2. A similar Balenciaga style, with a lower heel (shout out to my people who are always on their feet, like me!) 
3. Love the chunky heel on these
4. A classic Chelsea Boot in white! (I have these in black and love them!) 
5. These, with that killer heel detail, how could I not include them!? 

I always love to hear from you guys! Don't hesitate to reach out with ideas or questions for future posts!
xx

JGB Travels

What is in my cosmetic bag when I travel: 

Some people live to travel.  I on the other hand, am a creature of habit.  I love my morning routine, cooking at home, and sleeping on my own pillow way more than I'd like to admit.  I struggle letting go of control and getting on an airplane and I have never been an amazing packer.  I stress out over leaving my business when I'm away and I feel like I need to be attached to my iPad to catch up on emails hoping I'm not missing anything important for my business. 

Being that I am a creature of habit, I like to have #allofthethings with me on my trips, and I've quickly learned that this is excessive.  I have taught myself to just narrow it down to the basics because really, why the heck do I need my full size shampoo & conditioner for a weekend trip.  Am I REALLY going to run out of the travel size...le no.  

So, I have compiled a little list of my travel must haves. 

This shampoo & conditioner travel set (which also comes with a little pack of hair ties #clutch) 

Sheet masks: Great for your first night post flight & they mean that you don't have haul a big jar mask with you I like to use this moisture mask
I recently started wearing this moisture mask at home & have been really loving it!

This cloud paint that doubles as killer blush and killer lipstick.  I am obsessed with how dewey it makes your skin look.  I use PUFF during the day and HAZE in the evening. I apply them using this brush

Highlighter for a fresh look, I use color QUARTZ

Evian Spray for the flight to lock in some moisture.  These travel ones are so convenient to have!  When I am home & need a refresher, I use this rose spray (it is the best on the market and is only $7!) 

This 'chapstick' that triples as SPF & killer lip combo.  I use shade 'Bloom' & just had to go get more because my mom stole mine in Denver.... 

I also love using Burt's Bees tinted lip (I use Petunia)

A travel brush like this, I also keep this one in my bag at all times because it is so easy to store

Hair Oil to tame the mane...because I have really dry coarse hair.  I use this everyday before I blow-dry and every morning when I wake up (one pump goes a long way) 

STARTING NO. 14

Today I am starting a new series (name of series tbd) But,  most of my readers follow me because they have been to my boutique, No. 14.  I get emails from aspiring entrepreneurs every single day, which is something that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling because I love a determined young woman looking to better herself.  Never in a million years would I have thought that people would be asking business advice from me, but the more questions I get asked, the more I realized that there is really a need for open conversation about small business and I couldn’t wait to start something like that on this platform. 

So, let's start from the beginning

(selfies with my mom when we bought the building)

Q: How did you start your business? 

I started No. 14 right out of college.  In February of 2014, my parents decided to purchase a building in a bustling area of Pittsburgh called Lawrenceville.  It was ‘up and coming’ and my parents were interested in investing in the area, knowing that they’d have a tenant for the first floor retail space- US! The building was a run down bar in need of a full gut & rehab job.  

We were able to pick all of the finishings that we wanted customized to our desired aesthetic for our future business.  The renovation took about 6-7 months and on October 14, 2014, we opened our doors.  

In those nine months between February and October:

• I finished my senior year of college and Graduated from High Point University in North Carolina. (my major was Strategic Communications, but more on that in a future post)
• We created an LLC
• We oversaw the renovation of the building and spent a LOT of time in Home Depot 
• I did weeks of research on brands that would be good fit for us
• My mom and I went on a buying trip to purchase our inventory
• We purchased store fixtures, receipt rolls, a point-of-sales system, shopping bags, created a logo, and a zillion other tiny details that we never realized go into the process of shopping!

A little insight on juuuust how much renovating we did....

Q: Did you maintain a job while you were waiting to open your doors? What do you recommend for someone that needs to maintain their 9-5 before they start their business?

I did not ‘have a job’ in that, I was not on somebody else’s payroll.  When I graduated in May, my full time job was very much No. 14.  We had to go to the job site almost everyday to check in on the progress of the interior and I spent weeks researching brands and trying to get everything ‘perfect’ so I wouldn’t have to re-do anything.  I wanted to make the perfect decision the first time, so I wouldn’t have to go back and re-research how to do things later on.  (which FYI, isn't an effective method.  Because, all of those details I was fussing over are not even on our radar anymore). 

At this time, I was living at home with my parents, so I was able to take little to no paycheck which I am so grateful for.  A lot of girls ask me how to open a business while maintaining their 9-5 because they can't afford not to take a paycheck. This is definitely doable.  We live in a very 'instant' world where we are able to click on something and it's on our doorstep in two days #thankyouamazon (no complaining here, I couldn't live without PrimePantry). BUT, some things are worth waiting for. 

Rome wasn't built in a day.  

If you have a 9-5 that you aren't ready to give up, make your future business your side hustle.  Wake up an extra hour early and sit at your desk with your breakfast, sit at your desk after dinner, bring your laptop to the sofa with you and do research during commercials of the bachelorette. Continue to chip away at your dream and eventually you will be ready to take the leap.

I recommend setting weekly goals for yourself because you'll be disappointed with yourself when you can't check off your list. This weekly desk notepad could be a huge game changer for goal setting because it sits open on your desk & you can't ignore your tasks when they're staring you in the face!

I also love to have a few notebooks in my bag, I blow through notebooks so quickly because I love to jot things down.  Ideas, deliveries I am expecting, No. 14's daily numbers etc. I'm a sucker for all things cute and I want the contents of my tote to match. These sweet notebooks are perfect to start your collection and get your ideas flowing.

I am going to try to do posts like this as often as I can! I keep a document in my dropbox full of questions you guys are asking that I will eventually put into this series.  Have questions you'd like me to answer? Nothing is off the table! Drop me a line here!

Can't wait to chat!