Stepping Out of your Comfort Zone: My thoughts for 2015

December 29, 2014

This has been one incredible year and I can confidently say that it has been the best year of my life so far. I'm young but I've done a lot in my life, I've traveled, I've studied and I've met amazing people but 2014 changed my life. I didn't meet a celebrity, I didn't win the lottery but yet I feel as if I did. It wasn't just one person that made my year stupendous but its the many that I got to know over the past 12 months. It is the relationships that I formed, the countless conversations that I had and all the self reflections afterwards that made this year the best year of my life. Oh, and I started this blog! I can't forget that and that in itself has been a wonderful surprise. Had you asked me a year ago that I would have a blog I would've laughed in your face, I surely wouldn't have believed you but after the year I've had I am so glad that I had the courage to create this. 2014 was really about being courageous and trying new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. 
I guess you could say I'm somewhat predictable, I like routines and I thrive on having control over every aspect of my life. I recently learned how mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting that is. Like the song in Frozen says, "Let it Go" and I've finally learned how. I'm still learning of course and I will learn more every day but there's something bittersweet about breaking down the walls that you yourself have built and starting anew, with a fresh perspective and actual confidence. Stepping out of my comfort zone has been terrifying for me as I explained before I like knowing what is coming next but the best things happen when you back off and manipulate less. That was the biggest lesson I learned this year and boy was it life changing. It is such an incredible feeling when you just let things happen and I don't mean stop making plans for your future or not putting in work, hell no. You must put in work, lots of work and you must make a plan but don't worry if your plan doesn't work out the way you intended it to, trust and believe that it will only be better than you could've imagined. 
So what are my predictions and wishes for the new year? I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that the best is yet to come and that 2015 will be the best year yet. I wish for health, lots of happiness and endless laughter. I wish for friendly reunions, more fun photoshoots like the one seen above and for growth because we can never stop learning. 

Here's to an amazing 2015!

xo, Maia

Photos by Pedro Morales


Short and Sweet: Update!

December 26, 2014

What a busy two weeks it has been! I know, I know I really don’t have any excuses for not posting but the holiday season sure is busy so I bet you all understand. Hmm, so yes where have I been and what have I been up to? In my last post I let you all know about an awesome sweater party that I was hosting with 3 fantastic and stylish bloggers in NYC. It was my first time hosting any sort of event and it was such a wonderful experience. First of all I must say the 3 ladies Lynn, Fola and Tina are such dolls! It was so awesome to see our friends and family share this night with us and the drinks and snacks were a great bonus. It was so great chatting up with everyone and even strangers who walked in and were unfamiliar with the pop-up event. I must say thank you to Rosa from Young & Able for working with us and allowing us to share this fun evening with her. It really was SO.MUCH.FUN. Thanks again to everyone that came out and supported us! We had such a blast sipping, shopping and chatting with everyone. It was a full house and turned out so great despite the torrential down pour outside, the rain gods were still in our favor ;) See pics below and don’t forget to check out Young & Able online! 
The awesome hosts of the Sweater Party: Lynn, Fola, Tina & myself :)
The babes and Rosa from Young & Able

Also within the last two weeks I attended the #BehindtheBrand event sponsored by Be Moxie. They are a great platform for female entrepreneurs and petite fashion designer Carolina Alvo was one of the panelists speaking at the event. Carolina Alvo is a petite lady like myself and I randomly came across her instragram and website and was pleasantly surprised to see that petite fashion designers did exist. Her Kathleen dress is her speciality and ordering is super easy! Make sure when you order you include your exact measurements and every item you order will be make custom just for you :) amazing, right? See more photos below :)


with the lovely Carolina Alvo wearing the "Kathleen" Dress

That's all for the short and sweet update, I'm in Florida for the holidays so I will try my best to keep up with the daily IG posts :) 

xo, Maia

Photos by Tinaa Maria

YNA Series: Sweater Party!

December 14, 2014


So I have exciting news! Me and some fabulous bloggers are hosting a style event in NYC this upcoming Tuesday, December 16th and we would love to see you there. Who doesn't love sipping on some drinks and shopping with your girlfriends?! So come one, come all to a sweater party hosted by myself, Neckbreakin' Style, Fola of Love Fola and Tina Maria of Tinaa Maria and with the help of Young & Able it will be a fantastic event! 

Check out the details below!

We hope to see you there! 

Baby, it's cold outside...

December 3, 2014



I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! I spent Thanksgiving at my parents house in Delaware and luckily enough we weren't hit with any snow but I'm well aware of how confused our weather is especially on the east coast. It was just 70 degrees the other day and now it's in the mid 40's, le sigh. Anyway, here's a cozy look that I wore this past weekend. My chunky sweater and scarves collection has gotten out of control and I can't stop buying more, eeek! Thank you j.crew and the gap for feeding my obsession. This has been my go-to chunky sweater for a while now, it's so ridiculously warm and cozy. This American Eagle piece is from about 2 years ago but you can find similar (here) and (longer version). It's the perfect beige sweater that goes with everything. I've worn it with jeans, skirts, cargos - you name it and I've paired it with this sweater. The skirt is LOFT from last fall, you can find similar (here) and the plaid scarf is you guessed it - J.Crew Factory. While I did some Black Friday shopping last week I saw that J.Crew Factory also had matching earmuffs, so cute!

My coat is Land's End last year and you can find similar (here) but my favorites part of the outfit is my boots. Thanks to Jean from extrapetite.com, I saw these in a post she did last month and loved them instantly. I had been searching for weeks and weeks for a brown or taupe pair of knee high boots and purchased ones from Vince Camuto but ended up returning them because they weren't exactly what I wanted. Then I saw Jean's post and thought "those are it!" I order them immediately from the Nordstrom website and when they arrived at my house a few days later I knew they were a perfect match. They have been my go-to boots this season and I've gotten so many compliments on them :). I purchased then in taupe but they are also available in brown and black.

Thanks for reading!

Xo, Maia

Photos by Sandra Cristina

These are a few of my favorite things...

December 1, 2014


It's the most wonderful timeeeee of the year! Indeed it is and it's my favorite time of the year so I figured why not share a few of my favorite things ;)  There were a few beauty and fashion items that I discovered this year that have become staples in my daily life and I wanted to share. I think these will make wonderful gifts for a friend or even for yourself! 

This year I decided to make beauty/fashion resolution in addition to my usual "exercise more" resolution. The beauty resolutions have been much easier to keep  I made two beauty/fashion resolutions, 1. Wear bold lipstick and 2. accessorize more. My reason for both were that I wanted to liven up my style and wardrobe. I have always had a simple style and wore minimum accessories but I wanted to change it up a bit in 2014. Some of the items I have listed below were new fun additions to my beauty routine and closet. I think they would make great gifts this holiday season. Check them out!

1.) NARS - Audacious Lipstick: The creamiest lipsticks and the colors are so opaque! They are a bit more on the pricer side but if you're willing to splurge they are worth it. 

2.) Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Wiz: I was lucky enough to get my good eyebrow shape from my grandma, thanks abuela! but I do fill them in a little with this brow pencil and it has been a staple in my daily makeup routine. I use the color Dark Brown which was previously called Brunette and a little goes a long way for me. 

3.) Josie Maran - Argan Oil Hair Serum: I discovered this gem at the beginning of 2014 and have recommended it to many of my friends! I like it even more than Moroccan Oil and I swore by Moroccan Oil. It makes my hair so incredibly soft and I apply just a small dab in damp hair and then blow dry. It really saved my hair, I never get split ends anymore!

4.) Banana Republic - Sloan Sheath Dress: Seen here and here. Clearly I love this dress and can you blame me? It is so figure flattering and can be styled in many ways. It would make a great dress for a holiday party and now they have even more colors to choose from.

5.) Lyla&Bo - The Bleecker Hat: OBSESSED with this hat. Actually obsessed might be an understatement. I get complimented so much every time I wear it and I must say the quality is so great. I was lucky enough to meet the lovely Australian ladies from Lyla&Bo and there entire hat selection is incredible. 

6.) Statement Necklaces: I couldn't just feature one because I've become statement necklace obsessed this year! 

7.) Sonix - iPhone 6 Case: I order mine through Nordstrom's website before my phone even arrived because I thought it was so cute. I originally discovered them through Instagram and they have a great selection of iPhone and Android cases. 

8.) Hot Tools Curling Iron 1 in. barrel: Obsessed with this curling iron, it leaves me with the perfect curls every time!

9.) Kate Space iPad Mini Case: Such a handy find and it's so cute. I'm a big fan of all things Kate Space, I love the cute and classic styles.

10.) J.Crew Jewelry Tray: I have bought 2 of these within the last year, and they are great. They are lovely decorative pieces and make great gifts.
Here's another tray I picked up on Black Friday! Love it!

I hope you enjoy my suggestions. Happy Shopping!

xo, Maia

From Day at the Office to Date Night

November 12, 2014

It was just a little chilly outside :)

Here's a look that I wore to work the other day and after adding some colorful accessories to my little black dress I thought "wait, this would make for a perfect date outfit!" So I pondered more on the topic and realized how often us ladies have date night after a long day of work and don't always have the time to primp ourselves before a night out. Personally, I like to have some fun accessories handy to spice up the outfit!

The Sloan dress from Banana Republic is a must have. I have it in Red and I figured why not buy it in black? You can never have too many black dresses. The stretchy dress (60% cotton, 35% rayon and 5% spandex) is very figured flattering. It's a great option for work with a blazer or scarf overtop and for date night, add a bright necklace and fun heels. :)

I just got this necklace from Jewelmint, I'm in love with the colored jewels and the fan design. I've been a member of Jewelmint for about a year now and I have had a love/hate relationship with it. It's a great service that creates a personalized jewelry wardrobe based on your style answers for a monthly fee of $29.99. The $29.99 membership fee equals 1 credit and with that 1 credit you can purchase any piece of jewelry valued at the same price, not limited to just your collection.  Every month your personalized jewelry collection changes and to be honest there have been months that I've loved a few pieces and there have been months where I haven't liked anything at all and skip the month. If you skip within the first 6 days of the month, you won't get charged the monthly $29.99 membership fee. There have been many months that I have considered canceling the membership because I favor other jewelry websites such as Bauble Bar and Stella & Dot more. We will see how I feel next month!

Also just an FYI - The Sloan Sheath Dress is on sale now for $100 with an extra 40% off - check it out!

 Thanks for reading! Have a great rest of the week :)

xo, Maia

Photos by Sandra Cristina

Weekend Wear: A little bit of pleather

November 7, 2014


Top: Spacedye Faux Leather Sleeve Tee / Jeans: Straight and Narrow Jeans / Necklace: Layered Circle Necklace / Boots: old / Handbag: Newbury Double Zip Shopper / Watch: Fossil (old) / Lipstick: Diva



Oh what a longggg week it has been; TGIF! I hope you all have had a lovely week so far and not as stressful as mine but yay! The weekend has arrived. Here's a casual look just in time for the weekend. LOFT had an amazing 50% everything sale so I picked up a couple goodies and this top was one of them. I love the leather trend but have been skeptical to try it on myself. I'd say I'm stylish but I'm not always willing to try the latest trends. I prefer classic pieces that you can use and reuse for years. Every once in a while I'm brave and incorporate a trendy piece in my wardrobe. So here's my trendy piece haha! This grey top has pleather sleeves, it's just enough trend for me and I love it! I paired it with my favorite J.Crew Factory dark jeans, a mirrored necklace and laced up combat boots. Another new addition to my closet is my new Ralph Lauren structured bag in this amazing wine color. Like I stated before I'm obsessed with this maroon/burgundy/wine color - loveeeee it! I purchased it at Lord & Taylor and it reminded me of a Prada bag that I've been seeing everywhere (here). I'm a fashionista on a budget I couldn't afford the Prada but found this lovely option online from Ralph Lauren and it was love at first sight. A friend of mine also has the large version in black and it is such a classic bag that I know I will wear for years to come (or at least until I can get my Prada :))

Hope you lovelies have a great weekend & thanks for reading!

Xo, Maia

Photos by Sandra Cristina

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