A Memory Of Us

It has been 7 years since I have posted on the blog regularly and 2 since I've posted at all. Wow - a lot of time has passed. Each year when my hosting service came up for renewal, I briefly considered giving up claim to www.amemoryofus.com. But, my heart always kept be from doing so.

Today, I am so glad that I never canceled my hosting service as I am happy to say I'm bringing the blog back! It will be pretty different from my old content, but I hope you'll stick around.

When I first started blogging, it was really focused on fashion. What I was wearing, what I was shopping for, trends... things like that. I loved my blog at the time. It was a creative outlet, let me put my writing skills to use, connected me with fun people, and was all around a great experience.

Eventually, my interests changed. While I loved shopping and products, the consumerism was overwhelming at times. For awhile, it was fun to receive PR packages almost daily. Eventually, I could not keep up with the amount of stuff. It felt wasteful! The amount of time I was spending on my computer or phone was alarming. I kept thinking to myself, "Put your money and time where your morals are." Even though it once brought me endless joy, it didn't align with what was importat to me anymore. For that reason, I walked away from the space in 2016.

Seven or so years alter, I find myself drawn to writing and sharing my life again.. just in a different way. Instead of thinking about sales and outfits (things I still enjoy, don't get me wrong!!), I am now focused on finding the simplicity in life and getting the most out of my time. If I am brining someting new into my life or into my home, it needs to be something I absolutely love.

I became a mom in 2020 and now have two amazing little boys (ages 3.5 and 1.5). My love language is quality time. I want quality time with my husand, with my family, with my friends, and with myself. This year I have made a big effort to do more things for me as an individual. I want to have a hobby and something just for me -- so we will see if this blog become just that!

Moving forward on the blog, you can look forward to content centered around general personal topics (things I'm loving, doing, etc.), mom life, books I'm reading, minimalism/organization/cleaning tips, and travel. (Okay, so with 2 little kids we aren't traveling often so this category will also include fun things to do in Kansas City!) I also have a passion for health + wellness and love to learn about changes I can make to my home, routine, and products to keep myself and my family healthy. I'll include you all in my journey to make my home low in toxicity.

I am excited for this new chapter in the life of A Memory of Us. My blog was always supposed to serve as a place to be my online diary... that's why the name was chosen rather than something very interest specific like "What Darcy is Wearing" ;).

Dare I say there may even be a return to Instagram in the near future? Follow along there if you aren't already!

Good dress for family pictures, green long dress, women's elbow-sleeved tiered maxi dress

Cute green dress for family photos | 3/4 sleeve green dress

||My Dress* (affiliate link)||

Looking forward to chatting and reconnecting with you all!

Darcy

about the blog - Thursday, November 02, 2023

Bringing the Blog Back?

It has been 7 years since I have posted on the blog regularly and 2 since I've posted at all. Wow - a lot of time has passed. Each year ...

Hi everyone! It's been awhile is quite the understatement but... it's been awhile! If you were (and still are) subscribed to this blog then you probably know that I haven't posted on here in a very long time - over 18 months.

show me your mumu blossom hacienda maxi dress | floral off the shoulder dress | a memory of us blog

||Show Me Your Mumu Hacienda Maxi Dress (same dress, different colors available here)||

I could go into a long explanation of why I stepped away from this little space on the internet, but to put it simply it just wasn't making me happy anymore. When I first started blogging, I was so incredibly passionate about it. I would go to work and basically just think about my blog and ideas I had for it all day. I could spend four hours every night working on my blog and not get bored. There were never enough hours in the day or week - I always wanted to devote more time to my blog.

skiing in winter park colorado | a memory of us blog

||skiing at Winter Park - March 2018||

However, towards the end I honesty had to force myself to blog. Instead of blogging being something that I wanted to do, it was something that I had to do. When I stepped away from my blog, I also stepped away from basically everything else blog related. I don't think I read another blog for like 3-4 months and I had zero interest in Instagram. (I even got an email from Instagram saying they missed me because I hadn't opened the app in so long... who knew they would do that ha?!) By the end just all the fun and joy was gone. I could go way more into details about what pushed me this way, but I'll spare you them for now.

Anastasia the musical in NYC | A Memory of Us Blog

||Seeing Anastasia the Musical in NYC - May 2017||

Ever since December I have been toying with the idea of bringing my blog back. I have missed having a place to document exciting things happening in my life...so here we are! The blog will be way less structured and more life focused than fashion focused. I want the blog to include all the things I'm interested in -- traveling, reading, skin care, cooking, decorating, and some fashion.

faux leather mini skirt with over the knee boots | a memory of us blog

||Over the Knee Boots (under $100) | Free People Faux Leather Mini Skirt | similar white turtleneck | Kendra Scott Alex Earrings||

Next week's post is going to be a recap of a Texas road trip we took last year. I have some other fun post ideas that I can't wait to share too -- such as my favorite books I've read, a review of Rent The Runway Unlimited, how I framed my wedding dress, etc.

This post is filled with pictures of Tyler and I from vacations, weddings and family events during the time I wasn't blogging. I am looking forward to documenting important and fun moments again! I hope you will follow along! : )

about the blog - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Hello World

Hi everyone! It's been awhile is quite the understatement but... it's been awhile! If you were (and still are) subscribed to this bl...

Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day Weekend. Tyler and I spent ours at Lake Las Vegas and on the Las Vegas Strip!

{before the fountain show at the Bellagio)

I wanted to take today to let you all know about a couple new things happening on A Memory of Us! If you are on Instagram, then I am sure you have heard of LIKEtoKNOW.it. It is such a cool website that lets you shop your favorite Instagram looks. Once you sign up for LIKEtoKNOW.it, every time you 'LIKE' one of my photos you will receive an email detailing my outfit for that photo. At first I was worried I would get hundreds of emails a day because I 'LIKE' so many photos, but you can set your email preferences to be only once a day, weekly, etc. I have mine set to once a day so that at the end of the day I can scroll through all the photos I have 'LIKED' and shop the posts! It is honestly awesome and makes it so easy to find the items you love. You can sign up here.

It can be really hard to stay on top of everyone's posts unless you are checking Instagram constantly. To make it easier for you, I have added a snapshot of my LIKEtoKNOW.it to my side bar. It will show you my three most recent posts! You can click one of those pictures and it will take you right to shop!

I have also added an Instagrams page so you can see my 20 latest posts. This way if you like something I am wearing but are waiting for payday or something, you don't have to search aimlessly for it. You can just go straight to the page and find everything you are looking for in one spot. I also think this page is really visually, appealing haha! :)

Lastly, I have added a shop with me page. Here I will be sharing items I have recently purchased that I love, or items on my wish list! It will be updated frequently, so be sure to check it out!

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That about does it for the update on things happening here at A Memory of Us! Regular posting will resume tomorrow. Also, keep your eyes on my Instagram account today! I will be sharing an awesome giveaway later ;).

I would love it if you would follow me on GFC or Bloglovin'!

about the blog - Tuesday, September 02, 2014

LIKEtoKNOW.it

Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day Weekend. Tyler and I spent ours at Lake Las Vegas and on the Las Vegas Stri...

about the blog - Wednesday, August 20, 2014

a memory of us turns one

||J.Crew Factory pleated shift dress | CL by Laundry Nina Pump wedges purchased at DSW | Francesca's Amira ...

||Oasap Candy Color Sleeveless Top c/o | Brina Box Cobalt Statement Necklace (on sale!) | Swell Rogue Soft Short c/o | DSW wedges | Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac Clutch | Marc Jacobs watch | Target tortoise sunnies||

One of my favorite things about where we live is the trails all around us! (To be fair, Tyler uses them way more than I do.) This one here is a two mile walk to a Sonic. We have a plan to walk the two miles to Sonic, get some ice cream, and walk back to our house! Maybe now that it is in writing we will actually accomplish it, ha! Nevertheless, it makes for gorgeous outfit photos!

A little over a week ago, I was tagged by Sally of Pressing Flowers (you may know her as SallyMander9) to do the Virtual Blog Tour! I have not done a tag on my blog for awhile now, so I thought this one would be fun to do! Here we go : ).

What am I currently working on?
I have so much I want to do with this blog! First, my one year anniversary is nearing. I am trying to think of something fun to do to celebrate! Additionally, I have very recently started my Youtube Channel. I have only uploaded two videos so far, but I am obsessed! I did not even know a beauty + fashion committee existed on Youtube until last August, and I was hooked instantly! I really would like to grow my channel and produce more videos. (Psst... a new video is coming tomorrow!)

How does my work differ from others in this genre?
My blog is different in that I have a Youtube channel to accompany it.Other than that I am just your typical fashion-loving girl, who after years of reading blogs decided to start her own as a creative outlet from my job as a System Engineer!

Why do I write what I write?
My posts are typically just OOTDs with a little information about the clothes, or where I wore them. I like to include a little bit of my personal life in my blog; which is why I do vacation recaps, wedding planning updates, etc. Some of my favorite blogs that I "read" are all just outfit pictures. I always want to know more about what is going on in the posts -- so I try to include details in my own posts!

How does my writing process work?
When I first started writing this blog, I took outfit pictures in the morning before work and inserted them into a post I wrote the night before. That didn't work very well because ~~sometimes~~ a lot of the time I was running late and didn't have time to take more than one picture! I do a couple outfit pictures on the weekends and some during the week. I normally write at night while Tyler is working in the garage : ). However, as my blog is just a hobby I did not want to put so much time in it that I missed out on other things. At the start of the Summer, I switched to only four posts a week (instead of five). I feel like it has let me put better quality out there, stay on top of responding to comments, and helps balance out my time between work + life + blog.

That was a lot more text than I normally do -- so if you are still reading, thank you aha! And thank you Sally for the tag!

If you answer these questions on your blog, please let me know! I would love to read the post.

I would love it if you would follow me on GFC or Bloglovin'!

about the blog - Tuesday, August 05, 2014

virtual blog tour

||Oasap Candy Color Sleeveless Top c/o | Brina Box Cobalt Statement Necklace (on sale!) | Swell Rogue Soft Short c/o...

about the blog - Monday, July 07, 2014

my domain

||J.Crew Factory short-sleeve chambray blouse | Oasap Faceted Faux Stone Bib Necklace c/o | Persunmall Exaggerated Openi...

Today is a pretty exciting day for me because I am celebrating two big accomplishments. Today marks my 100th blog post and one year as a full time associate! Both seem crazy to me that they are already here. How have I already been blogging long enough for today to be my 100th post? How have I been out of college long enough for today to be my one year working at my first real job? Today, I'm talking about things I've learned over the course of each.

Lessons From My First Job

//Pretty Little Interns out celebrating after we got our job offers!//

1. Work is way more enjoyable when you like the people you work with.
Above is a picture of a group of girls who I interned with the summer before my senior year of college. Obviously your first priority at work should be to work. However, the day goes by much faster if you have someone to chat with, email fun links to, and meet up with for lunch! I'm lucky enough to have interned for my current job with some pretty amazing people and to work with great people now. Can you imagine how boring work would be if you didn't have a single person to talk to?!
2. Be on time and don't skip out of work early.
I think this "rule" definitely loosens up the longer you've been with a company, but in your first year you most likely haven't earned the right to work 9:00-4:30 each day. Yes, there are days when we all are running behind or need to leave early. Just don't make it a habit. My manager said something one day that stuck with me: "I want to impress my boss so I want to be here before her and later than her each day." This is not honestly always possible for me, but I do make sure to be to my desk on time and to stay until five. (Okay 4:50 because I want to beat traffic ;)).I never thought this is something other people noticed, but as soon as he mentioned it I started noticing it, too.
3. "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."
Zig Ziglar (and my high school marketing teacher) knew what he was talking about with this quote. Your attitude is more important than your skill set. Anybody can be trained to do anything. If they actually want to do it is another story. A hard working person, who is still learning, is of greater value to a company than a person who is rude, smug, or lazy but very smart. Consider the two... who would you rather work with?

Lessons From My First Blog

1. It takes way more time than you think.
When I first started this blog, I was expecting it to take maybe an hour or two out of each day. (Ha!) I could honestly spend 8 hours a day brainstorming ideas, taking pictures, writing blog posts, networking, etc. It's not exactly possible with a full time job, though! I think I do a pretty good job of managing my time and making sure I'm not constantly staring at a computer screen, but I feel like I could always do more!
2. You need to be present in the blogging community.
No matter how much we all wish it could happen, readers do not just magically find your blog. If you want people to know you have a blog, you need to promote yourself and comment on other blogs to get your name/face out there. Also, if people are taking the time to come to your blog, have the courtesy to respond to their comments either on your own blog or on theirs. Someone is taking time out of their day to read and comment on your blog. They won't keep that up if they never hear back from you!
3. There is always, always something to learn.
I knew that blogging would be something new to learn, but I was not expecting to feel behind in my learning! I feel pretty tech-savvy, but the amount of time it took for me to figure out how to install a "Pin It!" button on my blog was embarrassing. Now I'm looking into growing my blog and the things I want to do are overwhelming to say the least. I have learned a lot from the book, Blog Inc., but after reading it I have a huge list of things to do and learn! In addition to this, don't be afraid to reach out to other bloggers you look up to. If you have a question, someone out there can answer it! I have reached out to some of my favorites in the past with questions and all have responded! Use your resources ;).

AND LASTLY (what you're all probably here for) THE WINNER OF THE BRINA BOX GIVEAWAY IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations, Emily! Check your inbox later today for more information!

Thank you all for reading this super text heavy post. I promise to be back with outfits on Monday ;).
Have a good weekend!

I would love it if you would follow me on GFC or BlogLovin'!

about the blog - Friday, January 31, 2014

one year and one hundreth.

Today is a pretty exciting day for me because I am celebrating two big accomplishments. Today marks my 100th blog post and one year as a f...

This past week, I was nominated for two Liebster Awards! Alexa of Bright City Brunette and Gina of Classy Ever After both nominated me. Thank you Alexa and Gina for the nomination!

The Liebster Award is an award given by bloggers to other fellow bloggers. The purpose of the award is to encourage new bloggers to continue blogging.

Alexa provided me with 11 questions to answer to go along with the award. Here are my answers to her questions!

1. Who are your fashion icons?
Lauren Conrad and Selena Gomez
2. What is the name of your favorite lip gloss?
NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu
3. Do you prefer baking or cooking?
Cooking
4. Where is your favorite place that you have ever traveled to?
Riviera Maya, Mexico or New York City
5. How would you describe your style?
A mix of classic and trendy with a hit of prep
6. What is your favorite trend of all time?
Leopard as a neutral
7. What can you not leave the house without?
my iPhone
8. What are your three favorite blogs?
The Sweetest Thing, Life With Emily, and Pink Peonies
9. If you could meet one designer who would it be?
Kate Spade
10. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
London, England or Bora Bora
11. How long have you been blogging?
Almost five months!

Gina also gave her nominees 11 questions to answer. Some of her questions were along the same lines as Alexa's so I won't include those twice. Here are my answers to her other questions!

1. At what point in your life did you realize you are more into style than the average person, and how did this transition into starting a life and style blog?
I have always had an interest in fashion but it was in college when I started playing around with my wardrobe
2. Do you have any pets?
Yes! A cocker-spaniel named Jesse
3. If you could make a living doing what you love most, what would that be?
If I could do anything and get paid for it I would travel!
4. What are the top three items on your wishlist right now? How would this list differ in money were less of a concern?
A pink gingham shirt, new skinny jeans, urban decay palette
But if money weren't an option I would buy a Burberry jacket and a Kate Spade beau bag
5. What has been your greatest blogging challenge so far?
Making time for it!
6. If you could only shop at one store from now on, which one would it be?
Nordstrom
7. What is your number one goal for your blog in 2014? Beyond 2014?
I want to grow my subscribers and offer my readers giveaways!

Thank you so much to both Gina and Alexa for the nominations!
I feel like this award is really circulating around right now so it's hard for me to keep track of who has received it and who hasn't. If you haven't received it yet, then I nominate you! Answer your favorite questions from above and let me know if you do so I can read your post!

Come back tomorrow to see if you won the Erin Condren giveaway!

I would love it if you would follow me on GFC or BlogLovin'!

about the blog - Thursday, January 16, 2014

Liebster Award X 2

This past week, I was nominated for two Liebster Awards! Alexa of Bright City Brunette and Gina of Classy Ever After both nominated me...

about the blog - Monday, January 06, 2014

new year, new look

//Ringing in the New Year with my main squeeze// Today is the final day of the Holiday Link Up with More Pieces of Me and On the Da...

about the blog - Tuesday, October 08, 2013

What's new with A Memory of Us!

Hello, everyone! You may have noticed that I have been making some changes here at A Memory of Us. I have been working on the layout, addin...

Good morning, everyone! Exciting news: Andrea from Fabulous Torture nominated me for the Liebster Award! This award is given to new bloggers with less than 200 followers to encourage the new blogger to continue blogging.

The rules are the following:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you thanking them.

2. Answer the 10 questions you've been asked from the person who nominated you.

3. Create 10 questions of your own to ask some other bloggers.

4. Share the love: Choose 10 other bloggers, with less than 200 followers, to nominate and send them a comment or message letting them know you've nominated them.

Thank you Andrea for the nomination! So sweet of you :)

Here are Andrea's questions:

My 10 questions:1. When did you start blogging? I actually had another blog that I started in February of 2013, but I shut it down after a couple months. I kept everything private and it just wasn't any fun for me. This blog is much more personal and has been around since August 20th!

2. What 3 words describe your blog? Fashion, Lifestyle, Random

3. What or who inspired you to start blogging? I wanted to blog to keep track of my outfits and to inspire myself to be more creative in my outfits. (And who knows, maybe inspire other people too!) I also wanted a way to document fun thing I was doing in my life.

4. Describe your style! Girly, preppy, colorful, classic,

5. What are your hobbies beside blogging? Yoga, painting my nails, watching Beauty Gurus on Youtube ;)

6. Name 3 bloggers you like to follow and why? Life With Emily, The Sweetest Thing, Pinterest Told Me To

7. What is your favorite article of clothing? It's not "technically" clothes... but my Tory Burch leopard flats

8. Name three favorite stores you like to shop and why? Express, J Crew, DSW

9. What’s your short term goal? My short term goal is to start really building an identity for my blog. Right now, since I have such few posts, it is very sporadic and random. I want it to be a lifestyle and fashion blog. I want to wear and showcase outfits that other people can actually afford and see themselves wearing! I want to document my life so I can read this blog years down the road and remember some great times I had.

10. What’s your long term goal? I'm not really sure what my long term goal is. I just want to keep blogging as long as I enjoy it. I don't want to ever "force" myself to blog. I want to do it because I want to do it and be happy!

*I will link up those who I nominate later -- I am on a time crunch right now!*

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If you read on Friday you know that I went to the Michael Buble concert this weekend. It was FANTASTIC. You can see my pictures and videos I took on my Instagram: _darcyylynn_ OR search the hashtag #MBWorldTour to completely fall in love with Michael. If you have the chance to go see him -- do it! You won't be disappointed. He puts on a great show, is an amazing singer, and is hilarious! Below is what I wore to the show:

// Target Blouse / J Crew Skirt / Guess Sandals / GroopDealz Necklace//

P.S. He finished his show with "A Song For You" and sang the last lines of it sans microphone. It was raw and beautiful. Below is a clip of him doing the song in New York.