J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-31

20 percent off and free shipping with code “GETSHOPPING”: J.Crew Gingham Trench (Sizing tip: Go up a size or two! It’s particularly tight in the shoulders), White Skinny Jeans and Chambray ShirtMZ Wallace Tote (Size Medium, but also comes in a size Large) / Lands End Booties c/o (Also love these!) / Moon and Lola Earrings c/o / Similar Bracelet / Similar Sunglasses / Logan Richard black watch plaid dog collar (Use code “KELLY” to take 15 percent off your order.) / Daniel Wellington Watch c/o — Take 15 percent off your next order with code “KELLYINTHECITY.” You can also find the watch here, and more Daniel Wellington at Nordstrom.)

I somehow neglected to mention that I was flying home this week! I just arrived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and I’m so happy about it. (Though these photos were taken in Chicago last weekend.)

As you may have noticed, I typically drive to and from the East Coast. (We have a Prius, so driving is far cheaper than flying, and I don’t like to be tied down by flights as such a big portion of my income comes from last-minute freelance work.) But the past couple of drives were nothing short of disastrous: flat tire in Indiana; sinus infection on the 2,375-mile Christmas excursion to Pennsylvania, Long Island, New York City, Vermont and Central Illinois. So because we had a bunch of Southwest points saved up, I decided to “take it easy” and fly.

The Shopbop Spring Sale is on! Use code “BIGEVENT16” for major savings and free shipping, and see my favorites here!

Sheesh. I think I just hate flying. I love arriving at and enjoying the destination; it’s just the “getting there” part that I could do without. I hate struggling with bags, fumbling through over-stuffed totes, and dealing with the idiot convention that is nearly every single airport in this country. (Oops. Clearly still raging over here, haha.)

And I particularly hate long baggage check/security lines that nearly make me miss my flight. (Seriously had to run “Home Alone”-style to my gate.) OH. AND WHEN MY SUITCASE GETS LOST. Second time in a year! Though the first time was totally my fault. Left it on the subway in New York. But I got it back. You know, after my bag—stuffed with monogrammed clothing only—was confused with a bomb.

Sigh. ;)

Still, it was really nice not having to sacrifice an entire day to driving. And let’s be serious: the world is a much safer place without Kelly Larkin on the road. And I’m home! With my suitcase, which was quickly located. (I’ll give ’em that.)

I have quite the jam-packed schedule over the next few days: dinner with Grammie and my brother tonight, a family dinner in Princeton tomorrow night, a bridal shower for my best friend from childhood on Saturday (Eeee!), and Ocean City for the rest of the weekend. But this little getaway couldn’t have come at a better time for me. For one, I’ve been missing my family like crazy lately, and I’m in need of some quality time with them. Two, I had a rough couple of weeks with work (I hinted at this yesterday, but I just keep messing up!) and I’m in desperate need of a break.

Burnout risk = so real.

While I know I’ve been talking about my 2016 goals waaaay too much, they’ve been incredibly helpful over the last couple of months. I reference that post frequently, as it serves as a reminder of what I really want to get out of this year. While I’ve definitely made little improvements in most areas, I still get down on myself pretty frequently. I simply find it incredibly difficult to gauge whether I’m doing a good job, considering I don’t really have a boss anymore.

Things I need to remember:

I am human.

I mess up.

Some weeks will be more productive than others.

Sometimes I’ll lack motivation and inspiration, and this will impact things. Other times, I’ll have a lot of it. And this, too, will impact things.

Sometimes I’ll be tired and accomplish less than originally planned.

…Just like what happened while I wasn’t self-employed. Just because I work for myself doesn’t mean I can always be 100-percent “on,” right?!

So the next few days will be spent recharging my batteries. Most of my content has been prescheduled, and instead of working on projects, handling construction woes, and blogging, I’m going to sleep, enjoy my family, and take some nice, long walks on the beach. And next week, I’ll hit the ground running. ;)

Recharge in process…

Note: I LOVE the gingham jacket I’m wearing in this post! I bought it immediately after it came out, and finally got to break it out last weekend on a 60-degree day. So nice! But know that the jacket runs extremely small in the shoulders. I recommend going up a size or two. I have particularly small shoulders and usually wear a size 0 in J.Crew coats, and I took a 4 in this one. Hope this helps!

J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-24
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-26
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-11
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-19
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-15
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-201
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-27
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-101
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-20
J.Crew Red Chateau Gingham Trench-35

Shop the Post:

20 percent off and free shipping with code “GETSHOPPING”: J.Crew Gingham Trench (Sizing tip: Go up a size or two! It’s particularly tight in the shoulders), White Skinny Jeans and Chambray ShirtMZ Wallace Tote (Size Medium, but also comes in a size Large) / Lands End Booties c/o (Also love these!) / Moon and Lola Earrings c/o / Similar Bracelet / Similar Sunglasses / Logan Richard black watch plaid dog collar (Use code “KELLY” to take 15 percent off your order.) / Daniel Wellington Watch c/o — Take 15 percent off your next order with code “KELLYINTHECITY.” You can also find the watch here, and more Daniel Wellington at Nordstrom.)

The Shopbop Spring Sale is on! Use code “BIGEVENT16” for major savings and free shipping, and see my favorites here!