The Edition: The Best of 2019

Dec 31, 2019

May you never forget how far you have come and the miles it took just to get to this place. — Morgan Harper Nichols

Top-Five Blog Posts of 2019.

+ Styling Leopard Pumps Four Ways

+ What to Wear When You Work From Home

+ 27 Easy Pieces: A Capsule Collection for Fall/Winter

+ How to Style a Camel Blazer

+ Beauty Product Follow-up: The Products I Still Love

The Ten Most Read Articles of 2019. 

+Baby Weight: The Heavy Truth of Motherhood

+To Be Happier at Work, Invest More in Your Relationships

+Why the ‘Wellness Industry’ is Making Women Sick

+Which Beauty Products You Should and Should Not Layer

+Helpful Advice for Making Friends as an Adult.

+You Deserve to Take Up Space; How to Make It a Habit

+The Subtle Toxicity of the Phrase “No Worries, If Not.” 

+Stephen Colbert on Grief.

+The Persistent Myth of Female Office Rivalries.

+’My Boss Lectured Me About Arriving on Time, and I’m Furious!’

The Ten Most Purchased Items of 2019.

  1. Free People Ottoman Tunic (Not a surprise. I wear mine 3x per week.)
  2. Nordstrom Lingerie Moonlight Pajamas (Wearing them now.)
  3. Harriet Tubman Self-Inking Stamp (Get your $20 bills out!)
  4. J.Crew Regent Blazer in Camel (A classic.)
  5. Daily Ritual Striped Sweatshirt (Perfect for weekends.)
  6. Ann Taylor Knit Wide Leg Pants (Hopefully they restock sizes, but $16 right now!)
  7. Halogen Long Sleeve Midi Dress (Awesome for weddings or dinner dates.)
  8. Artis Elite Palm Foundation Brush (Flawless application.)
  9. LL. Bean Classic Utility Jacket (Layering Essential.)
  10. (tie) Superga Women’s Leopard Sneaker  AND Botanic Acne Healing Dots

And so it ends.

Another year.

Another decade.

There are more grey hairs and wrinkles and stretch marks and pounds on my body in 2019 than there were in 2009.  But what my Mother said to me often growing up, when talking about aging, has proven true: I don’t feel any different on the inside.

I started off the year working for the Montana State Legislature.  I was so hesitant to take that job, to move away from Kyle, to commit to making a new start.  But it was the best decision that I made all year.

My professional self-confidence is completely shot.  Looking back on the career decisions that I made in the last decade, the bad outweighs the good.  I struggle to make decisions about what comes next because the stakes feel so high.  But for five blissful months in 2019, I was myself again.

I fought for legislation that I cared about.  I mentored young politicos.  I served my home state with pride.  I walked into work every morning grateful and happy.  I just have to figure out how to have that every day.

I am currently consulting on a handful of campaigns — both statewide and local.  2020 should be a busy year of being on the road in Montana and D.C..  I looked for full-time legal work for several months, but nothing panned out.  I’m committed to working the 2021 Legislative Session in Montana, so I’m in a bit of a holding pattern.  But I’m aware that my plans could change at any moment because nothing is certain.

Kyle and I got married.  Or as our parents would say, finally got married.  Everything that people say is true, marriage is hard work.  As a person who loved being fully independent, choosing to bind myself to another person — to his life, to his choices — and unite our futures is really hard.  But you put in the work because it’s worth it.

This blog continues to be a constant source of joy in my life.  When the decade started, it was just a fulfilling hobby.  Now, it’s a thriving community of women that made it possible for me to go back to school and get my law degree.

This year, was something of a rebirth for the blog.  I rebranded as Capitol Hill Style, because no matter where I live or work, this blog will always be CHS.  I brought back the outfit posts that everyone missed.  And I can’t wait to keep growing and working on it in the new year and the new decade.

To start 2020 out on the right note, I’m taking a short blog hiatus.  I will be back on January 6th.  Enjoy a safe and happy New Year.

{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}

Workday Reading

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  1. rhianna says:

    Happy New Year. I’ve been reading for a decade since shortly after I started a professional career. Thank you for the content and community. I’m confident you will find joyful work again.

    • Diane says:

      Same here. I started reading sometime in the fall of 2008 or fall of 2009. I stumbled upon this blog while Googling what color tights to wear with cognac boots and have followed ever since.

    • AB says:

      Me too! Same time frame, and I believe it was a search related to nude pumps.

      So happy you are keeping it up! Love it so much xoxo

  2. Leigh Shea says:

    Same! I was single, lived in Penn Quarter and found the blog 2008ish looking for restaurant recommendations. One decade later, two kids, a move to the Midwest and I still read. Thanks for all you do! Happy New Year!

  3. Kirstin says:

    Happy New Year! Thanks for all the work you put into this community!

  4. LC says:

    Same here. Fall 2010 at my first job through my own work, geography, and life changes (and nude pump, ottoman tunic, dagne dover, and serum purchases). Very happy to watch the blog evolve and mature while staying authentic to you!

  5. Colleen says:

    I’ve been reading for more than a decade as well. Even now, while I’m staying home with my toddler, I still read every day. The blog keeps me connected to who I was before my son was born and I appreciate it with all my heart. You have taught me so much about professionalism, life, and of course, style.

    This New Year is poignant for me because I’ve realized my life has not turned out the way I’ve planned. In my late 30s and after having experienced professional and personal setbacks and loss it’s hard to maintain the wide-eyed optimism of my 20s and early 30s. Like you said, decisions feel like they have more weight and there’s more at stake and therefore, more pressure to get it “right.” All that time say, you’re not alone and I’m grateful for the space you provide to discuss these issues.

    Here’s to a fabulous 2020 filled with joy and contentment.

  6. Sarah says:

    Love this so, so much. Excited to see where the next decade takes us both! <3

  7. TheLOOP says:

    Happy New Year! Glad to have started and ended the decade with this blog.

  8. Rachel says:

    I’ve been reading since 2009, and I’m so thankful for your tasteful content, your refusal to promote products you don’t believe in, and your willingness to share what you’re going through personally and professionally. Your perspective is always relevant and intriguing, and your passion for this blog is always evident. Thank you for giving your readers such high quality material for so long.

  9. Jess says:

    I’ve also been reading since 2009 – still love the blog and flock of kind readers. You reap what you sow. You’re doing something right.

  10. Jules says:

    all of this. I can’t entirely remember how I stumbled upon the blog way back in 2010 (likely an older/wiser scheduler in my Capitol Hill office who knew I needed as much style advice as possible). And I have been faithfully reading ever since. This blog is my favorite mid-day reading and over and over again I purchase your reviewed items. Thank you.

  11. Megan says:

    Happy New Year! My sentiments echo those of the other commenters. Thank you for all of the work that you do to make this blog happen. I have been reading for several years now, and know that I can count on you for sound, balanced, professional advice and excellent style recommendations. I wish you success in 2020, in whatever you choose to pursue!

  12. Monica T says:

    Happy New Year! Thank you so much for everything you do, CHS really helped me define my personal style in this formative decade. Now that I’m nearing 40, it feels good to have my look established and it makes me feel more “me” than I ever have. Thank you for also providing women a place to be all of ourselves, where we can talk about style one day, and mental health issues another. Not just another curated lifestyle blog, but one with substance, integrity and honesty.

  13. Ana says:

    Can you do a 27 piece capsule collection for spring/summer too?

  14. Lexy says:

    Slightly OT but I just read the baby weight article and combine that with the Michelle William’s speech at the Golden Globes I’m just… I’m sorry, but I have no other conclusion to draw other than women are stupid. Like, deeply stupid, to continue with these policies (*or worse* as the work day gets longer, benefits and our pay checks shrink, etc.) and then just throw our hands up and say “don’t have kids” rather than demand more from their government, their employers, and their partners.

    Also I now think “supportive partner” is a phrase about as useless as “I’m not racist.”

    • Belle says:

      I wouldn’t use the word stupid. Thousands of years of subservience will code into your DNA the ability to accept things you shouldn’t, because you never question that you should. Also, supportive partner is a stupid phrase, because if someone is your “partner,” truly your partner, the support should come with the package.

  15. Jenn says:

    Happy New Year Abra! Congrats on all the achievements this decade–the pounds, the lobs, the blog, the degrees.. and congrats on the failures too because you’ve handled them with grace. It will be a great decade and a great 2020!

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