Au Revoir 2022: What's Making The Cut To '23?

I wanted to reflect on my year in more ways than just the psychoanalysis of my listening habits that the lovely Spotify employees provided. Yes, I did listen to Motion Sickness seventeen times one day, but why were they counting? Anyways... here's my Spotify Wrapped inspired end of the year post! Spoiler alert: this one is a bit more fun than the typical unpacking of my shower thoughts :)

Now that you have your attention, hopefully you'll be forced to stick around for five minutes and be influenced by the "influencee". Chronically online, I've tried every viral TikTok product, recipe, and podcast. This post is like a modern day take on Julie Andrews "Favorite Things". Here we go.

The best chocolate chip cookie I've had in years. Thank you, Max Brenner!

Starting with the most important things, clearly. On a girls trip to New York City this past month with my sister Samantha and best friend Emily, we all made a list of our "non-negotiables" for the trip before we went to ensure we had the best, most cheesy-tourist Christmas in New York experience. Obviously, acquiring a chocolate chip cookie that met my standards was high priority. With that we headed to Bryant Park's Winter Village that is filled with local businesses' pop up shops, an ice skating rink, and Hallmark worthy photo backdrops. In conclusion, find a Max Brenner cookie, and visit Bryant Park's Winter Village during Christmas.

Fashion Trends: My Year of Style Exploration!

2022, the year I realized you are free to experiment with your style whenever you want and in whatever manner you want! Fashion has progressed throughout history to compliment societal trends and different cultures, what a beautiful thing! Here's where it took me...

• BOWS! Timeless and elegant, yet playful. Draped on dresses, tied in your hair, and stitched onto sweaters... I've been hung up on bows all year! Look at Eva Franco's "Sequined Plaid Mini Dress" if you're looking to make a grand entrance somewhere.

• SUBSCRIPTIONS! Nuuly, FashionPass, Rent The Runway, etc. Personally, Nuuly has been my drug of choice but I see the value in them all. When you rent, you can kiss the guilt of only wearing things once goodbye! Here's my referral link for money off if you're giving Nuuly a try this new year! http://fbuy.me/uiYdA

• INVESTMENT BASICS! Brands like Skims, Aritzia, and Djerf Avenue have certainly had their moment this year and for good reason. After years of fast fashion dominating the marketplace, I think we finally realized the value of a staple wardrobe.

Music: My 2022 Soundtrack!

I'll save my Taylor Swift Is The Music Industry thesis for another time, but for now I will just leave you with the artists and songs that have taken me through all of my "eras" these past twelve months.

• ZACH BRYAN! This one was obvious, but it'd feel wrong to exclude him. From getting a crowd dancing in the snow at Red Rocks to rallying the troops around Ticketmaster slander, Zach has had one of the biggest years in music history. If you're unfamiliar with his music, listen to Blue and let me know what you think!

• ALL THAT AND MORE (SAILBOAT) by Rainbow Kitten Surprise! What did they put in this song?!?? My most played song of 2022! I'm just as confused as you are!

• MILK! All creds to my sweet friend Caroline for introducing me to this one. After just one listen, it's wildly obvious The 1975 has influenced this band, which is a pretty clear indication that I'll like their work. Listen to A Little More.

• CAAMP! A Lumineers protégé. Just trust. They've never made a skippable track. I've already dedicated an entire blog post to By and By, but give Snowshoes a listen.

Miscellaneous: Just Have to Share!

• LONDON! Absolutely fell in love with this place. It's not often that approximately two hours after de-boarding the plane I'm scrolling Zillow ready to cancel my flight back home. Full of historic buildings, charming street corners, and the kindest people.. it is truly such a special place. No language barrier, and contrary to popular belief...AMAZING food. There is truly nothing to not love about London. Hint: more recommendations and stories to come on London and other cities in the UK :)

• LOW IMPACT WORKOUTS! Once again, not revolutionary of course but finding a routine that works for me and makes me feel good from the inside out is probably the biggest gift I've given myself this year. I've completely transformed my relationship with working out which wasn't something I ever saw in my cards. Having been an athlete my entire life and always feeling burnt out, looking at workouts as something I get to do, rather than a have to do has improved my health greatly! Check out Sami Clarke on Youtube for some great workouts, add Bala hand weights to your walks, and don't be afraid to try a new class! Who said being a beginner was a bad thing?

• FRENCH! This one sounds silly, but seriously! After watching Emily in Paris, don't we all want to learn? This year I finished up my third semester of French and what a fun experience its been! I had an amazing professor who taught us far more than the language. French culture and its history is worth researching if you feel so inclined. I'm not fluent by any means, but it's a work in progress ;)

• YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE! Top tier skincare! Super clean and natural ingredients. Enough said!

• DINNER PARTIES! A tell tale sign I'm getting older. Although my friends and I rarely executed the aesthetic version of these that have gained so much popularity this year, something about a pasta dish paired with an assortment of Trader Joes desserts and time with your girls is truly healing. The art of entertaining was off limits for a couple years so the revival of having people over, dressing up for no occasion, and sharing family recipes makes my heart happy. Tip: candles change every setting, and farmers markets are your best friend.

And That's All She Wrote!

See ya never 2022!

Xo, Maddie