This past weekend I attended a black tie wedding in St.Pete, Florida. The event was stunning and after sharing this shot I got tons of messages from you guys saying you have trouble finding dresses for black tie events. I always go with black, I feel it’s the classiest and most flattering. At this wedding most guests wore black or darker colors, although this isn’t to say that I’m opposed to a brighter color, just remember that it’s the bride’s day and you don’t want to wear anything that’ll take away from her.

I’ve also linked the new makeup products I bought for this event, and am now completely obsessed with!

Kisses and cheers,

This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own. First things first, I have a playlist on Spotify if you search my name, Madison Messer. The playlist is named “Tea Time” and that’s where I keep most of my favorite songs that are 90% upbeat, aka the perfect list to get ready to. Am I the only one who dances around and pretends I’m in a music video when getting ready for a shoot or girls night out? Here are some of my MUST play songs while getting ready:

1. Lost in Japan – Remix
2. Burn The House Down
3. Who Do You Love?
4. Sucker
5. 2002
6. Electricity with Dua Lipa
7. Remedy
8. Ruin My Life
9. Side Effects
10. How Can I Forget

Now that you’ve got a bomb playlist ready to go, it’s time to start getting ready. Whether it’s a quick spray for extra hold or a dry shampoo to add
volume, TRESemme, Dove and Suave products are there, and CVS makes it so easy by helping you find all of these products in one place. You guys know I’m a huge fan of CVS… like seriously, I get most of my hair and some of my beauty products there. My favorite hair products as of lately include, TRESemme Between Washes Volumizing Dry Shampoo​, TRESemme TRES Two Extra Hold Hairspray​, Dove Refresh + Care Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo​ and Suave Max Hold Unscented Hairspray​. It’s the perfect lineup for styling your hair any which way!

Head in to CVS soon because they’re running a great offer where you BUY 1 GET 1 50% + Spend $15 Get $5 ExtraBucks Rewards WITH CARD. Select TRESemme, Dove, Suave or Nexxus products.

This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own. I told myself that I need to start giving my mind and body the self-care it deserves. Life is so fast lately and I get the feeling that I need to force it to slow down so I can be more present. It sounds silly, but my new bath time routine has really forced me to unplug and relax! Here are some of my tried and true tips to creating your own personal bath oasis:

Pick up Dove Shower Foam Deep Moisture Foaming Body Wash at your nearest CVS, which I somehow find myself at every week… I can’t help it you guys, they have everything!

There’s actually a stackable CVS offer on select Dove products: Buy 2 get the 3rd free select
Dove personal wash products, Valid 3/17-3/23, so don’t miss out on that! The Dove Shower Foam Deep Moisture Foaming Body Wash instantly foams for a light, airy lather. I love that it helps protect your skins natural moisture barrier and you can use it daily. Best part? You can get over 250 pumps per bottle!

I also love their other products which include, Dove Coconut Oil Mousse, Dove Lemon and Gojiberry Hand Wash and Dove Purely Pampering Relaxing Lavender Body Wash! All of these make for great bath time additions.

Once you’ve stocked up on your Dove products it’s time to get started. First of all, I leave my phone in another room, because let’s be real, my oasis does NOT include social media. Then I grab my favorite book, preferably a chick flick. For extra ambiance I like to light a few of my favorite candles, dim the lights and put on some chill music. I’m getting relaxed just thinking about this. Lastly, throw in some essential oils and check out mentally!

**Through Q&As and DMs this is one of the most commonly asked about topics**

The relationship-ed me:

Let me give you a little history so you can better understand my relationship journey up until this point. I dated someone pretty seriously the last half of college and things ended shortly after graduation. I would say this was my first real love and I can only say great things about him, I didn’t realize then that all boys/boyfriends aren’t as genuine or kind. From there I was single for a hot second and somehow stumbled into my next/last serious relationship. This one lasted three years and was what I then thought would surely end in marriage. Things ended badly and it was at this point that I learned the tough lesson that not all men are good. The reason I give you this back story is for you to understand that I had very little independence before last year. I went to college 30 minutes from home, so there wasn’t much going out of my comfort zone there. I had never personally paid rent on my apartment, I had never lived in a new state and let’s just call it what it was, sheltered. I also went through an unfortunate situation where I was burned and that has affected how I go about meeting men today.

How I went from Florida to DC:

In the fall of 2017 I went through my breakup and knew I needed a BIG change. It just so happened that my little brother, Riley, was in the process of moving to DC from grad school. Riley had a roommate all lined up, when out of nowhere things fell through and he found himself on the apartment hunt again from square one. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason and this just felt like it was meant to be. So one week post-breakup, and having visited DC two times in my entire life, Riley and I signed a lease on an apartment, sight unseen. This was SO not my personality, I’m usually type A and can’t even decide where to eat, let alone move! At this point I think I was still in shock mode so nothing really phased me. Looking back, I am so thankful for that moment of insanity because it forced me to step out of my comfort zone, something I may have never done otherwise.

There I was, moving to DC on (literally the same day as) my 26th birthday. It still blows my mind how effing calm I was. One week earlier I was living with my boyfriend in Winter Park, FL and now here I was single as could be in a new city, new apartment and hundreds of miles from home. WTF. Still… I was in so much shock that I was cool as a cucumber. It took about 3 months for things to really hit me, I remember waking up one morning and thinking wow, this is my life now, not some dreamy little vacation. Thankfully I had great friends, family and a brother who all supported me through the first few rough months. I ended up falling in love with DC and building a great life here.

The single me:

Now that you know all the gory details, let’s get to the good stuff… dating and being single, in DC, in my late 20’s. I hadn’t truly experienced life being single in 7 years, if you add up my last two relationships, which backed up close together. When I was last single dating apps weren’t a thing, I had just been able to legally drink and I even think low-rise jeans might have still been on trend. So ya, it had been a hot minute. I forgot how fun, awkward and terrifying it could be to meet new people. Right off the bat I started dating but quickly realized I wasn’t fully ready. At the same time, I’m glad I hit the ground running because with dating I think practice makes perfect. I had to re-learn how to enjoy dating for what it was, meeting people. I think the older we get as women, and I’ve been guilty of this too, we become focused on the end goal of marriage and stop enjoying the act of dating. This will make you crazy!!!

I had to rewire my brain to appreciate the things that come with being single, like having NO ONE to answer to. Being able to travel when, wherever and with whoever I want to. If I want to work out at 7 pm, I go. If I want cereal for dinner I grab a bowl and a spoon. Full control of the remote? Yes, please. There was, and is, something so freeing about having the ability to worry about just yourself. I’ve learned to enjoy the fact that I had no idea where my life is going. Nothing is set or planned for me, I can literally choose whatever path comes my way, or go make an entirely new one. That’s fun! I have my entire life to get married, have kids and a shit ton of responsibilities… why would I rush into that? I also learned to appreciate my friends on a whole new level. One good thing that comes from a breakup is seeing how many people love you. I had friends come to the table harder than I ever would’ve imagined. Now in this new stage of my life I learned to appreciate those people and make more time for them. There is NOTHING better than a girls night with wine, a good movie, takeout food and gossip.

I also started saying yes, to everything that came my way, no matter how uncomfortable it made me. In 2018 I went on 4-5 trips where I had never met most of the people going, if any. Was that scary? Hell yes!! Did it turn out to be fun each and every time? Hell yes!! I put myself out there, and continue to, as much as I could. I went out to meet friends, even when I was super comfortable sitting on the couch. I tried new workout classes. I tried (key word) to learn how to cook. I started making my bed every morning. I found shows that I loved and learned to love watching them, alone, with a glass of red wine on a Friday night. I stopped letting things into my life that made me anything less than happy. If an Instagram account left me feeling bad about myself, I unfollowed it. If a person wasn’t giving me the effort back that I gave them, I fizzled it. I started being unapologetically myself and it’s been the best thing that ever happened to me. I started posting how and what I wanted on my blog/ social channels. Side note, my ex was incredibly controlling in that way and always left me feeling monitored and censored on my social media. NOT good. Was I scared people wouldn’t accept it? Yes! Did I learn to not care? Yes!

The truth about dating in a big city, from my perspective:

If you’re actively dating, you’re going to get rejected. Everyone is not everyone’s cup of tea, that’s why Starbucks has so many coffee options! People have different things they’re looking for and just because one guy decides you’re not doing it for him doesn’t mean you won’t set someone else’s world on fire. If someone wants to see you, talk to you or date you… they will. Men are a lot less complicated than we think.

Ghosting is something I’m still baffled by, but in DC it seems to happen far too often. I have tons of single friends so I’m taking from their experiences as well. Listen here, if a guy ghosts you, he just did you a huge favor!! You’ve officially avoided being with someone who lacks normal human decency. Call it a win that you found that out now, and not a year in. My biggest advice when dating, and really in all relationships, is leave your door open and let people come and go as they please. If they want to come in, let them, and if they want to leave, show them the quickest way out, hell, grab their stuff and help them to the nearest exit.

I’d be lying if I said that I’ve mastered this whole dating thing. I’ve had my moments, just like any other dating girl has. I’ve gone out with the playboy, the frat boy, the mamas boy, the jealous boy and all the other kooky types in between. I’ve also had incredible first dates and I’ve met some really amazing people. The biggest thing I’ve learned through experience is to go slow and don’t put all your eggs in one basket too quickly. For some reason, I tend to date people who go crazy fast and I’ve found that it’s best to force things to go slower. By this I mean, don’t go straight to playing house and seeing each other 24/7. Don’t be overly available and let the boy miss you a little, especially in those first few months. This may not apply to everyone, but I do feel like in the beginning taking it slow will allow you to get to know someone better and it keeps them on their toes.

I have to throw in here the harsh truth that yes, there are moments where being single kind of sucks… I’m not going to sugar coat this whole post. When I’m invited to a wedding, for example, and have to think about going alone and the logistics of that it can be a bit of a bummer. So yes, if you’re reading this and in the same boat as me… lots of friends getting married and feeling like an outsider, I get it and I hear you. Let’s just remember that there are opportunities in there to make the best of it and at the end of the day your day will come and when it does you’ll want your friends to be happy for you. Try to stop comparing yourself with other people your age, there’s nothing good that’ll come from that.

Remember that everyone has their own timelines and they all look different. Here’s the thing, I’m sure I could go to a bar tomorrow and find someone who’d be willing to date me, but I have high standards and am far from ready to settle. It KILLS me when people on Instagram comment something like, how are you still single…. seriously? I am single because I (emphasize the I) haven’t found someone who checks all of MY boxes. Let’s stop acting like dating is a one way street where the women are standing on the side of the road hoping a car will pick them up, like a pathetic hitchhiker. We have our own cars that we too are driving.

Right now I’m focused on the blog, fitness and a million little personal things going on in my life, so I’m not really looking or trying too hard. I’m a firm believer that what’s meant to be will be so when it’s my turn it’ll happen. Until then, I’m going to enjoy the flirting and first kisses, which I LOVE! Like I said before, I have my entire life to be married and only kiss that one person so I’m going to revel in this unattached stage while I can.

Happy dating to all my single babes out there! Let’s have fun!!

Will you accept this rose? No no, this isn’t for Colton, these roses are for my best babes! I’m all about Galentine’s Day and here are some simple steps to make your night with your BFFs even BETTER!

1. Take off all your makeup with Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes available at CVS
2. Cleanse your skin with Simple Micellar Water also available at CVS **Girls nights are better when you don’t have to worry about being all made up! Celebrate the natural beauty of you all being yourselves**
3. Grab a few bottles of wine
4. Rent your favorite chick-flicks
5. Stock up on ALL the sweets you can fit in your cart
6. Call all your best babes

As for me and my friends, we’ll be watching “It’s Complicated” while drinking pinot noir and eating ALL the chocolate!

Why do I use these products from Simple at CVS?

You guys know I’m highly invested in my skin and skincare routine. Our skin is ours forever so we should take good care of it! I NEVER go to bed or workout with makeup on, and honestly I try to only put on makeup when I really need to. These Simple wipes are perfect for me, they’re small enough to be thrown in my purse, gym bag or car to have on hand at all times. The Simple facial cleansing wipes contain NO artificial perfume or dyes and NO harsh chemicals. Then there’s the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water, which cleanses makeup, dirt oil and impurities while unclogging pores! My favorite part is that it instantly boosts skins hydration by 90%! After using both of these Simple products together my skin feels refreshed and clear.

Buy One Get One 50% Off WITH CARD Select Simple products at CVS. Offer Valid
2/10/19 – 2/16/19

“This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own.”

I’m a jewelry fanatic, from my oversized gold hoops and everyday rings, to the tons of necklaces I’m constantly layering. I feel totally naked without my jewelry!! You guys are constantly replying to IG stories, @sweetteawithmadi, asking where different pieces are from so here’s the full rundown of my main jewelry lineup.

M.A.D.I necklace:

Rings:

Jeweled diamond ring

Gold hoops:

Chokers:

Celine initial dupe necklace:

Cheers && kisses,

I’m in California for the holidays and my UGG slides have been on REPEAT since I arrived!! Prior to my trip I was packing and realized I was seriously lacking in my shoe department, so I teamed up with my friends at Zappos.com. I’ve always been a huge fan of Zappos.com, they promise fast, free shipping, a 365 day return policy and world class customer service. With all the online shopping I do it’s important to go with a site I trust and know will make returns easy, because let’s be real, it’s tough to know exactly how something will fit from simple pictures online.

When I used to think of UGG as a brand, my mind went straight to the classic style. When I started working with Zappos.com I saw all of these trendy UGG shoes I’d never seen before. I first fell in love with the slides, then I saw these AMAZING black boots and knew I needed them for my trip to Mammoth mountain post-Christmas. Honestly, these shoes ended up being the perfect additions to my California wardrobe and the slides have been on my feet almost all day/everyday.

DC is ALWAYS a good idea, but it definitely goes to a whole new level during the holidays. Nothing is better than grabbing a hot chocolate from Laduree Paris (I know…calories, but like, calories don’t count at Christmas), followed by shopping, down the streets of Georgetown (M street), and checking out the holiday decor scattered around. I’m giving you guys the ultimate guide on how to do DC in the month of December, but what’s even better than a simple guide, a guide that gives you the BEST spots to get THE pic for IG.

Grab your Instagram husband, boyfriend… or in my case brother, and get ready to see DC like you’ve never seen it before. Oh, and be fully prepared to get a little tipsy along the way. After all, this is MY guide to the city, so drinks…DUH. Places with * are extra instagrammable.

Zoo lights at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Nov.23- Jan.1, except 24, 25 and 31

CityCenterDC – catch the always changing breezeway decor and tour the perfectly curated Christmas windows. CityCenter is themed year round, so if you miss the holidays don’t worry, this is still a great spot.

*Ice skating at the Top of the Gate bar – located above the famous The Watergate Hotel, this is an experience you’ll IG story the hell out of.

2650 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037

Wednesday & Thursday: 5PM – 10PM
Friday: 4PM – 10PM
Saturday & Sunday: 1PM – 10PM
Monday & Tuesday: Closed

*Miracle on Seventh Street – Be ready to get blitzened at this holiday themed pop-up bar. Have a shot for me.

1843 7th Street NW

November 23-December 31

Martin’s Tavern – The exact spot where JFK proposed to Jackie, you may even be sat in the same booth where he popped the question. Dinner is always amazing, but make sure you snag a reservation as this hot spot is always slammed.

264 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

*Four Seasons DC; Bourbon Steak – Drink champagne in style at the Four Seasons seasonal igloos all decorated to different themes. My recommendation, go earlier and they’ll let you in for a picture. Feeling crazy? Reserve the full igloo for you and friends, it’ll deff up your street cred.

2800 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

Holiday Tea at the Willard InterContinental Washington – This is a good activity for the girls. Show your mom you know how to be a lady, she’ll forgive the drunken IG stories she previously rolled her eyes at. Nope? Just mine? OK.

1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004

1PM- 4PM

Catch a classic Christmas movie:

It’s A Wonderful Life
AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; Dec. 16-22, various times and prices.
Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington; Dec. 12-15 and Dec. 17-21, various times, $6.50

Elf
Alamo Drafthouse, 20575 East Hampton Plaza, Ashburn, Va.; Dec. 19 & 20, 7:30 p.m., $14. AFI Silver; Dec. 10, 11 a.m., free

Home Alone
Angelika Mosaic, 2911 District Ave., Fairfax; Sat., 10 a.m., $7

National Christmas Tree – The display is free to visit and open from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. while the National Christmas Tree is lit each day from 4:30-10 p.m

Garden District – A Christmas Beer Garden. Yes the boy who’s been taking all your pics can now be rewarded, but still like… 1 more pic.

1801 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Happy Holidays, babes!

Sometimes I get in these moods where I find an outfit combo I love and run with it. Maybe a little too much, where I end up wearing the same style outfit weeks in a row. This is one of those looks that I’m SERIOUSLY digging right now. The best part of this look is the ease and affordability of it. Grab your boyfriend, dad or brothers oversized t-shirt, add over-the-knee boots and you will no doubt feel like the trendiest chick on the block. For reference, I bought this shirt in an XL. Some of the pieces I linked below are meant to be dresses so no need to size up.