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Hey, y’all! While the New Year is all about the year ahead and looking forward to new goals and endeavors, I also love looking back at the previous year and seeing what worked, what didn’t successes and data. Working in marketing I use data all the time to inform the strategy of campaigns, budgeting, content and everything in between, so doing the same for The Creative Brief is just as important. I thought it would be fun to share a bit of an inside look at what The Creative Brief Community bought the most this past year from what I shared!

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Before I share, I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported me this past year and always. While it might seem like fun pictures and clothes, this is a small business you’re supporting and I couldn’t be more grateful for those of you that shop with me and use my links. When I started the blog, I didn’t do so with the intention of making money or taking it as far as it has come, but I’m so proud of the little community we have and the amazing friends I’ve made along the way through this corner of the internet. I’m so grateful you’re here and wouldn’t have a lot of this without y’all so, again, thank you!

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Through affiliate marketing platforms like LTK I can see what people click on, what item leads them to buy something, and how many pieces they ordered. I can’t see who the customer is or any personal information, but seeing what items readers like most is really fun and interesting. So, the above graphic is showing the top 10 items that sold this year through the blog.

I’m breaking down the categories and best-selling pieces amongst the TCB community and why I personally love them!

Boots on Boots on Boots

This year was the year of boots! I sold more Billini Urson White Cowboy Boots than anything I’ve ever sold on the blog! This somewhat amazes me because I honestly didn’t think too much of my audience would like them, but y’all LOVED them! But, also not super surprised because they are so cute, very comfortable, and a huge trend this year. They are currently sold out, but I’ll be on the lookout for them so be sure to follow me on Instagram and I’ll keep you posted!

Y’all also loved Steve Madden this year! Much of my audience are millennials so it makes sense that we gravitate toward the shoe brand that ruled the 90s and 00s. The top-selling pair? The Tackle Bootie. I first wore these booties at the end of 2019 and they’ve been a staple in my wardrobe ever since. The unique block heel and pointed toe make for a very chic shoe and they go with just about everything! While they are a bit on the higher end of price points for the rest of the blog’s best-selling items, I can promise you they are worth the investment. After just over 2 years of wearing them, they still look incredible and are some of my most worn booties!

TEXTURED FABRICS AND ACCESSORIES

This past year I really focused on incorporating different textures and fabrics into my looks and y’all did the same in yours with outfit staples like faux leather shorts and fun accessories. These Abercrombie Faux Leather Shorts (currently on clearance!) were worn at least once a week for me and are so versatile. I even wore them into winter with tights a few times. These are definitely here to stay in 2022 and beyond so finding a pair that works for you and even a pair of faux leather pants or a skirt (both available at Abercrombie and on clearance) are great pieces to add to your closet this year.

Another textured item y’all loved this year? Tweed handbags. Actually, y’all have loved the Gabby Tweed Monogram Handbag for THREE years in a row. It has been in the top 10 for three consecutive years and I couldn’t agree more that it is one of the best products I’ve shared! It is affordable, great quality, and comes in several colors. Most sales are for the fun pink color, but I also love the gray and black! You can also get it without the monogram if you prefer! Right behind this bag was a black and white tweed look-a-like bag to the Chanel 19 Tweed Handbag that I found on Amazon. It definitely has the look for A LOT less! I don’t personally own this one so I can’t speak to the quality, but it is pretty popular in my Amazon analytics, and haven’t seen any returns so that tells me y’all like it!

DRESSES AND CHIC TOPS

2021 was the return of weddings and I was seeing a lot of that in my reporting! Wedding guest dresses were consistently coming up in search data and sales and this pink showstopper from Red Dress was a popular choice! I think it would be flattering on anyone and it is a great color! Y’all also loved this sweater dress from Nordstrom. Its cut is amazing and I think a great staple for your closet for years to come!

I wore this corset top from Amazon to The Jonas Brothers concert this summer and it was one of my top-performing posts in 2021! I paired it with the leather shorts above and the cowboy boots y’all went crazy for! Was this the outfit of 2021?! Anyways, it doesn’t look like much when it arrives and with your girl not being very well-equipped in the top half area, I was worried it wouldn’t be flattering, but I loved it! I think it would look good on anyone! Be sure to size up one size if you have a larger chest as I think it could be tight and doesn’t have a ton of stretch.

KENTUCKY ROOTS

Having moved quite a bit since starting the blog, I was worried that my home state following would dwindle, but Kentucky remains one of my highest concentrated areas of readers to this day and I’m so grateful for y’all! I’m not sure if it’s my UK girls alone or friends and family, but either way, y’all loved these UK vintage sweatshirts this year. I love vintage sports pieces and haven’t personally ever loved much from the “women’s section” at sports stores. I think the vintage look adds a cool, chic aspect to your outfit and I got so many compliments when I wore mine to a UK football game this year (Go Cats!). Just a side note - they are not actual vintage sweatshirts - they’re designed to look vintage - but, there are some Etsy sellers who sell authentic vintage pieces that are super cool!

HAT GIRL SUMMER (EVERY SEASON REALLY LOL)

Personally, I always felt weird in hats when they came into style in the early 20-teens so I didn’t really purchase any. When we moved to Nashville they were, understandably, everywhere. As the city of country music, you’re hard-pressed to walk a block without seeing a few Stetsons before the next intersection. After shopping in person a few times here, I finally tried one on at the store and the rest was history. It was officially Hat Girl Summer. My first hat came from Altar’d State and then I got a more neutral one from Urban Outfitters. I rounded out my 2021 collection with a bit of a splurge from Lack of Color with the Palma Hat (obsessed). Needless to say, I am loving hats and think they are such a fun accessory to add to your closet. Y’all loved this Urband Outfitters one and it comes in a bunch of colors for a great price! I also received this one from Mint Julep Boutique as a gift from my mom (hi, mom!) and love it!

Hey, y’all! I’m so excited to share the 2022 Books and Bubbly Reading list with you! One of my goals this year is to read 25 books by year-end. In 2020, I started the #BooksandBubbly Reading Club on Instagram and had great feedback from the community there that I wanted to officially bring it to the blog!

Here’s how it’ll work! Each month, I’ll share the two books listed below and everyone will vote on their pick for the month. I’ll be reading both to meet my goal so if yours doesn’t get picked, myself and maybe some others will still be reading it! The winner will be the Books and Bubbly Book of the Month and then we can find time to discuss (maybe a Zoom or group message?) and then I’ll share an overall review of the book!

To make it easy, I’ve added all the books for the year on this Amazon list! There are links for paperback, Kindle, Hardcover, etc. depending on how you like to read!

So, January’s Book of the Month is: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

• Over 39,000 five-star reviews: from Anthony Doerr, the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning author of Cloud Cuckoo Land, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. *Soon to be a Netflix limited series from the producers of Stranger Things*

I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book! I’ve recently been wanting to expand my reading outside of mystery and murder/crime stories so this felt like a great transition given the history aspect, intertwining of stories and an opportunity to learn about a time that was so impactful for the world. I hope you’ll read it with me!

Check out the rest of the list below and let me know if you’ve read any of them! Can’t wait to have y’all in the #BooksandBubbly Book Club! Be sure to follow me over on Instagram to keep up with the group and check out reviews of past books.

SHOP THE LOOK

Hey, y’all! Happy New Year! There is always something special about the start of a new year and the fresh start motivation it can give. One of my goals this year is to become a morning person. I’ve tried a lot of different things and without fail (especially because of the pandemic and working from home), it doesn’t pan out.

My husband has always been a morning person and is the type that the alarm goes off and he’s up, cheerful, and ready to go to the gym at 5 am. I married a crazy person, I know. Jk, he is just one of the most disciplined people I know and that is what was lacking for me when it came to being a functioning human in the morning. It really is hard for everyone to an extent, but practicing that discipline is what makes it successful. Over the last year and a half, we have spent a lot of time learning from the world’s top leaders, business owners, content creators, and influencers on what we can do to better the many aspects of our life and one common theme between them all? Their morning routine.

One of my favorite podcasts: The Skinny Confidential: Him & Her, asks most guests what their mornings look like and their keys to success. I’m going to share what we’ve heard, what works for us, and some ideas to help you make your morning routine amazing and valuable. Of course, I’m not an expert and just sharing our experience in the hope that it will help someone take the step they’d like to toward making a better morning.

Step One: Make a list of everything you want to accomplish in the morning.

Rather than sticking to a set time or schedule upfront, think about what you actually want to do in the morning to fill the time. You need to fill that time with something you’ll learn or that will create value in your life. Who cares if someone wakes up at 5 am if they aren’t doing anything with their time?

For me, this looked like this:

• Caffeine and out of the bedroom

• Devotional & Journal, gratitude list (3 things minimum)

• Walk Wrigley (our cute corgi if you’re new here) with Kollin (my husband, again, if you’re new - also, hi!)

• Review weekly priorities and schedule for the day

• Prep and publish content if a posting day / engage with TCB community

In order to better understand what time I needed to wake up, I worked backward from my last priority, (a tip I loved: refer to this list as our priority list rather than a to-do list. These are things you’re investing in rather than something you’re checking off). For example, my best posting time on Instagram is 9 am central so I worked backward from that priority and allotted time to each other priority (20 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, etc). Add it all together and see how much time you need in the morning to conquer your list. Personally, this is about an hour to an hour and a half, but it can range depending on what you want to do. Kollin likes to spend at least 45 minutes in the gym in the morning so he has to wake up earlier than I do to accomplish his entire list. There isn’t a set time any of these successful people agree on - it’s just about being productive in what you want and need to be successful. So, for me, it’s 6:45 am and for Kollin, it’s 5 am. I’m sure if you have kids or a different lifestyle than we do this can look totally different, which is the point!

Here are some ideas of what the world’s most successful people start their day with (in no particular order):

• 90% highly recommend meditation

• NOT being on your phone & eliminating decision-making tasks in the morning.

  • Avoid email, text messages, the need to be reactive right away. This can pull you from your mindset and derail your morning. This has really helped me feel calm and collected in the morning. I personally do check to make sure no one has called or texted with an emergency, but then I leave my phone in the bedroom while in my routine.

• Journaling / Morning Pages (I have a post on that here and really loved it when I did it).

• Gratitude exercise

• A devotional or prayer/religious/spiritual routine you prefer if you practice

• Affirmations

• Listen to a podcast

• Exercise / go to the gym / yoga

• Go outside - spend time on your balcony, sit in the sunshine, take a walk. For my cold weather friends, look into a sunlight lamp. Many people also recommend grounding - check out this article for more on the science and research behind it.

• Short, cold showers (helps with inflammation, focus, circulation and sore muscles).

• Hydrate (models like Kendall Jenner and Christy Brinkley credit their gorgeous skin to at least 8 oz of water before they get out of bed).

Step Two: Have a Set Space

One of my downfalls, when I had tried this before, was staying in our bedroom. By staying in bed and not physically getting up, I would get tired again and the thought process we all go through in the morning of wanting to hit snooze or go back to sleep took over. This time, I designated a space in our living room where I kept everything I needed for my priorities together and made it a rule that it had to be done there. It has helped so much. I also recommend this if you’re living with other people because it signals that you’re in your priority space and others can identify that what you’re doing is important to you. For example, Kollin and I both have different morning routines and what we find enjoyable in the morning. I have my space to cultivate the vibe I like and he does the same. If you and your partner have similar priorities in the morning then doing this together could be helpful in terms of accountability!

Step Three: Write down your routine

I personally work best with a planner and lists, but if you like tech better, put these things in your calendar and follow them that way or set timers if you find you get distracted. Even something as simple as a checklist is helpful. I recently bought The Full Focus Planner and have found it extremely helpful in outlining what I want to accomplish. You can also find it on Amazon here. It is goal-oriented and works by creating your best practices based on your annual goals, then breaks those down into quarterly goals, weekly goals, and then daily habits needed to accomplish them. I’ve linked several different planners at the bottom of this post, but find one that works for you and your routine!

Step Four: Track Your Progress & Use s.m.a.r.t. goals

Like anything in life, there is always room for growth and I’m sure my routine will change over time, but the notion of waking up and accomplishing what I want that morning shouldn’t. A great way to keep yourself accountable is to track your priorities and assign S.M.A.R.T. goals to them (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Sensitive). For example, an annual goal of mine in 2022 is to read 25 books in 2022 by December 31st. This can be broken down a few different ways, but I know at the end of the year I need to be at 25. So, is that one book every two weeks? Reading a certain amount of time each day? Break it down with what you’re comfortable with, but add these into your morning or evening routine so that you’re accountable to the bigger picture each day. What this looks like for me is setting a reading goal each day and month (at least 30 min a day and 2 books a month). These are tangible, actionable goals I can reach to help me understand my progress.

Step Five: Get Your Tools

In order to accomplish your right routine, you need the tools that work best for you. For my routine, I need a devotional to follow, a journal to write in, my favorite pens, a planner, highlighters, and some form of caffeine. I’ll link all my favorites at the end if you’re interested, but look at your list and determine what you need to accomplish it every day, and stock up. If you have the resources you need at an arms-length, it makes it much easier to continue to reach for them each day.

I’ve been in my current morning routine consistently for about a week now and have really seen a difference in how it impacts my day. I’m clearer, more focused, have less anxiety, and I am overall more productive. I’m sure that the newness is attractive at first so I’ll be sure to keep y’all updated with my progress because it will definitely take discipline and accountability to continue to show up each day.

So, what did I miss? What do you do in your morning routine that the TCB community needs to know? Comment below and share! Thanks so much for reading and check out my favorite tools below!

SHOP THE POST

PLANNERS, JOURNALS & GRATITUDE

PENS, HIGHLIGHTERS AND EXTRAS

FAITH RESOURCES

SHOP THE POST

If you’re still looking for last minute gifts or something to round out their stocking, these items should arrive quickly and while the budget may not be big, the impact will be great! From a few different categories and items that I think anyone would like, these won’t steer you wrong.

MEET LAUREN Grandinetti OF SUNDAY SKIN

Founder of Sunday Skin, Lauren is a Family Nurse Practitioner with a background in emergency and critical care medicine. Originally from Chicago, Lauren moved to Nashville over six years ago and officially made it her permanent home! After working in a Level 1 Trauma Center in Nashville, TN, she decided to get her master's degree and become a Family Nurse Practitioner, specializing in aesthetics. She founded Sunday Skin in November of 2020 and loves to serve the community by providing affordable, accessible, and approachable aesthetic services.

Hey, y’all! First, I can’t believe it is December and that 2021 is almost behind us. Looking back at this year, I realized I’ve done a lot of firsts - I visited new places, picked up snowboarding, tried new foods, and even got my first aesthetics treatment. The latter is what I want to share with you on this issue of The Brand Brief! Today, I am sharing the story of Lauren Grandinetti and her aesthetics office, Sunday Skin, located just south of Nashville in Brentwood.

Lauren and her team graciously offered to gift me a treatment of Morpheus8 with radiofrequency and PRF. If you’re anything like me and had never stepped foot in an aesthetics office, I’ll translate. The treatment is micro-needling (think tattoo gun with gold needles #fancy) that puncture the skin to promote collagen, and reduce fine lines and acne scars. But, the fun part (in my opinion) is that they pair this treatment with PRF (platelet-rich fibrin), which is extracted from your blood and placed on the skin prior to microneedling. No worries, though… if you aren’t into the PRF aspect, you can always do the treatment without it. The radiofrequency adds heat to the treatment (you can’t really feel actual heat) that helps penetrate the layers of your skin to your dermis where all the magic happens.

If you’re interested in seeing the treatment from start to finish head over to my Instagram to see the Reel I shared about the experience (there is a giveaway you DO NOT want to miss)! I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren about her story and how Sunday Skin got started. Check out our chat below and if you’re in Nashville or surrounding areas (it’s worth the trip, y’all) then be sure to check out Sunday Skin! You can mention my name for 10% off your first appointment!

How did you get started in aesthetics and skincare? What are you passionate about in the industry? 

I had an extensive history of acne starting in adolescence.  By college, I had spent more time in a dermatologist's office, completing 2 rounds of Accutane, than at my primary care doctor.  Skin health has always been a priority to me, and I learned early on how to take good care of it in an effort to have a clear complexion.  After nursing school and several years in the emergency department, I sought to find an area where I could combine my passion for skin with a long-term career.  I went back to school to obtain my Family Nurse Practitioner degree and started specializing in dermatology and aesthetics. I understand all the comes with not having clear skin frustration, embarrassment, etc., and find that I can relate to my patients on a level that is real. Helping people to feel good and confident in their skin is what drives me every day.

Share something about starting your company that most people don’t know.

I was a one-woman show for the first six months! I answered the phone, did all the scheduling, treated patients, followed up, and kept up all operations on the back end including social media! I started in one room with one chair and grew my patient base quickly by providing an approachable, individualized experience for each patient!

What would you tell someone who is looking to start aesthetic treatments or procedures? Where should they start and what do they need to look for? 

I would definitely start with a free consultation!  This is a pressure-free 30 minutes to chat about everything! Sometimes it is as simple as starting with skincare and sometimes we have treatments that are better for certain patients.  We can create a customized treatment plan and provide recommendations after talking through their concerns. Look for a clinic that is approachable and an injector who comes recommended and has experience. 

In 5 years, I hope… 

I hope that Sunday Skin is known for providing an approachable and affordable aesthetic experience to patients in a variety of locations! I hope to have a skincare line to compliment the brand help more patients who are not able to visit us.

How has your perspective of skincare, aesthetics, etc. changed from when you first started to now?

I am even more passionate now that aesthetics can be for everyone-no matter what you look like, how much money you make, what car you drive, or how old you are! It’s never too late or too early to start taking care of your skin and feeling good about yourself.  I also have found that the majority of patients really are looking for subtle, natural results regardless of what you are seeing on Instagram.

What advice would you give women reading this who are wanting to start something new?

Your friends are great for restaurant recommendations, not necessarily skincare.  Reach out to a professional.  Find someone you are comfortable with and feel free to ask as many questions as you’d like. Aesthetics is a far cry from plastic surgery but we now have so many options when it comes to treatments-there truly is something for everyone.

Describe Sunday Skin in 3 words.

Approachable, accessible, affordable.

You can only use three skincare products for the rest of your life. What are they? Secondly, what 3 basics should beginners start with?

RETINOL, sunscreen, and a good exfoliator like our complexion renewal pads!

I always say less is more when it comes to skincare.  A gentle cleanser, a good moisturizer that does not clog pores and sunscreen is where everyone should start! After we can add on things like retinol, vitamin c, or brightening lotions.

Starting your own business is challenging. What challenges did you run into that you would’ve done differently? 

Trusting my gut more and to not feel pressured to do things just because others want me to.  I’m always learning and fine-tuning processes! I’ve been lucky that we were so successful so quickly, but growth and success do not happen overnight. Understanding that it takes time to build a business is essential and sets up proper expectations.

I asked you this question while at Sunday Skin and found it really helpful. Can you share the difference between an aesthetics office, a dermatologist, and what you offer at Sunday Skin?

An aesthetic office typically offers treatments such as injectables, laser, and facials.  A dermatology office will diagnose and treat skin conditions including assessing for skin cancer and removing moles.  Think of Sunday Skin as a marriage of the two.  We offer aesthetic treatments individualized to the patient while also being able to treat common skin conditions such as acne and melasma in an approachable and aesthetic setting!

Where can everyone find you? Share your website, Insta, anything!

You can follow Sunday Skin on Instagram here and my Instagram here. Visit the Sunday Skin website for all of our services and location. You can also call or email us at info@sundayskinaesthetics.com and (615) 749-6367

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