Remembering Mayor Thomas Menino, 1924-2014

We lost a great one yesterday.  Former Mayor Thomas Menino was our city's longest-serving leader, from 1993-2013.  He epitomized strength long before the Boston Strong movement.  Likely the Mayor that we JUGs will remember most since we all grew up in the area, he truly made a huge impact on the lives of most Bostonians.  He has passed on as a legend and we send only happy memories and support to his family.  We are glad he is no longer in pain and will continue to smile thinking of him and seeing his name sprinkled throughout the city, a visionary that changed Boston for the better.

- Meredith


all photos from boston.com

Ain't Nothin' Wrong With Feelin' Blue

Yesterday a friend of mine Instagramed a picture of her new home office with the most gorgeous bright blue walls...and now I'm totally jealous! I can't get this vibrant color off my mind! It feels so cozy and adds such a dynamic pop to a room, don't you think? 

Would you or have you painted a room bright blue? What do you think?

- Suzanne

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Garance Doré for Zara

I was doing a little online shopping and stumbled across these photos of Garance Doré on Zara's latest fall lookbook. How cute is she? We saw her speak at Alt two years ago and I have since been a big fan of her and just had to share.

- Suzanne

Week of October 6th

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Happy Monday, gals!  Are you also still on a high from the Pats win last night?  We are chock full of updates today:

I N T E R I O R S

I've always been somewhat obsessed with home decor and renovations.  After following Genevieve for years (no, really, remember her from Trading Spaces?!), she is constantly evolving.  I listened to this podcast the other day and she is truly an inspiration.

Tomorrow marks the release of Elements of Style, written by local blogger Erin Gates.  I pre-ordered my copy six months ago, and can't wait to explore what must be as special as her blog!  I'll say it now, it will be an affordable hit holiday gift this year!

L O C A L

Soooo we have not yet seen Gone Girl, but can't wait!  We're glad Ben remains to be a faithful hometown guy!  Let's be honest, not many (true) Bostonians would be any other way...

I don't always looks at these home tours, but this charming RI cottage is too cute to miss!

It seems like Faneuil Hall will be catching up to other retailers with a modern makeover.  We wonder what will stay!

Cameron, Suzanne and I are stoked to help celebrate the launch of this start-up's expansion in Boston Thursday night!  Updates to follow!

S E L F

Here are some great pieces of advice regarding success from some of the most successful women out there!

I love finding a new blog with a refreshing take on reality.  This is complete with applicable suggestions on how to embrace adulthood and all of its (fun and not-so-fun) responsibilities.

Ever need motivation to not skip that morning workout?  I gotta start taking my own advice, and I found a great list of how to not make excuses.


S H O P P I N G
Us city girls won't be buying a new car anytime soon, but this is an interesting list to see what is recommended to buy this month for savvy shoppers.

Speaking of smart shopping, here is what is in season right now for fresh produce.

Did you know that Madewell is not a newer brand?  The history of this retailer is an interesting one, from right here in New England.


Wishing you a great week!!

- Meredith

Mini Daily Read: Free People Pinterest Boards

In case you've been stuck in the office all day, NEWSFLASH: fall is here. While it is hard to see summer go, its fun to look to pinterest as the seasons change and get inspired for the months to come. One of the most uplifting accounts the JUGs follow is Free People. We love their women in nature theme that borders bohemian, outdoorsy, and feminine. Their "crisp air" board is a great reminder that just because the temps are lower than 60, doesn't mean we need to shutter ourselves inside. All of their boards are perfectly curated with photos from other retailers and bloggers - we love that their boards aren't too sales-y. Free People are definitely some of Pinterest's best tastemakers! 

- Cameron

The Week of September 15th

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Fall is in the air!  Here are some updates you need to know about this week:


C E L E B R I T Y
LC got married this past weekend!

Martha has some fighting words.


L I F E  A D V I C E
Emily outlines some great money-related tips good to know sooner than later.

How to find the best foundation for your skin.


L O C A L
The new RMV branch opens at Haymarket today.  Definitely more convenient than the Chinatown location, but how do we think this will change the area?


M I S C E L L A N Y
Our lovely blogging neighbor to the north, Stephanie Sterjovski, relaunched her printshop today and she really did not miss a detail; everything looks so cheery and cohesive!

One of the secrets behind Disney movies.

A new hit song made better by this lovable video.

An amazing Drake cover ballad.

The things about life that dogs teach us that no one should take for granted!

Altuzarra for Target just launched and has some great pieces for work.

Something that no one can stop talking about, Apple's keynote last week.  That Apple Watch is just unreal.  What was your favorite part of the big announcements?


Have a great week, everyone!

- Meredith

Networking

As Boston is a front-runner for innovation and entrepreneurship, we are lucky to be in a city where there are many influential women all around us. Since starting our blog, Cam, Meredith and myself have found ourselves attending many women-only networking groups that I feel completely grateful to have stumbled into by accident. 

They started as a space for us to go out, grab a drink and promote our blog, and have grown into a network of peers we ask not only about blog advice, but life, health and career advice. Many of the women we have met have participated in our Who's That Gal series and have become long term friends that inspire us in so many ways, which is something I know we are all three very amazed by.

As we like to share inspiring stories in our Who's That Gal series, we also aim to provide our readers with the best resources we know of. Below is the list of groups we have attended and found to be great spaces for learning, connecting and brainstorming, and we hope you accept this list as an invite to join the Boston networks of hustling gals that we have fortunately found ourselves in.  

If anyone has other networking resources for women they'd like to share, please send them along as we are always looking for input!

- Suzanne

Young Women in Digital

Young Women in Digital is a networking group for professionals working, or interested in working in digital marketing, social media, experiential and online marketing.  Typically events are held twice a month and vary from cocktail meet ups to panel led discussions or workshops. 

Bos Lady Project

The BOS Lady Project is the sister chapter to Providence based group, The Lady Project, and hosts monthly events for women looking to connect and get inspired by other entrepreneurial women around the bean.  Each event features the BOS 3×3, three local women of different backgrounds, industries and career levels share their story in three minutes.

Bonus - since they are a non-profit organization,  each event benefits a local charity or organization that is either run by women or benefits women in our community.

Wonder Women in Boston

Wonder Women of Boston is an open community of ambitious, accomplished women of all ages and backgrounds in the greater Boston area. Whether you work are an entrepreneur, job-seeker, or student, Wonder Women in Boston is a network that aims to help build helpful relationships and skills for rewarding life work for the female community in and around Boston.

Ladies Lounge (via General Assembly & WeWork)

Ladies Lounge is a monthly event hosted by General Assembly and WeWork that features women entrepreneurs. Each event is focused around one theme and generally has up to three speakers as well as time for mingling.

Apartment Envy: Dreams + Jeans

How adorable is this East Village apartment? It belongs to Alex Yeske, blogger behind Dreams+Jeans and graphic designer for Madewell. As her first shared apartment with her boyfriend, I think they do an excellent job of creating a clean and open gender neutral living space, don't you? Check out the full apartment tour on Design*Sponge here.

- Suzanne

Daily Read: House of Turquoise

Cape Cod, MA

Great Island, RI

Great Island, RI

Great Island, RI

Portland, ME

Portland, ME

SC

SC

SC

CC, MA

CC, MA

CC, MA

I have been waiting in anticipation for a while to post about one of my favorite daily reads, House of Turquoise, by turquoise-lover Erin Moser out of Minnesota.  As a fellow admirer of home decor and also one somewhat turquoise-obsessed, I am constantly bookmarking Erin's posts that feature various homes and design projects across the globe.  She offers some serious inspiration and the oceanic theme is one that always draws me in.  Too much of a good thing is a great thing in this case!

It sure doesn't hurt that a good amount of posts are in New England and/or have that New England influence.  Call me sheltered (no pun intended), but I will swoon over shingled siding any day!  To boot, Erin's Pinterest page welcomes countless visual candy, with a full dose of turquoise, just the way I prefer it to be!

- Meredith

Giveaway: The $50 Home Makeover

Win this book!

Just Us Gals is giving away Shaunna West's new book, The $50 Home Makeover. West is the writer and designer behind one of my favorite DIY and decor blogs, Perfectly Imperfect, a blog full of tutorials and decorating tips for creating the perfect and livable home.

Shaunna also writes for Country Living and for Houzz.com. She and her blog have been featured on The Nate Berkus Show, as well as in  Flea Market Style, HouseBeautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Design Sponge.

The $50 Home Makeover offers 75 fun and creative projects (all under $50) that will help give any space a stylish, modern look—without having to blow your budget, including:
• Step-by-step instructions with full-color photographs.
• A key to denote how long a project takes, how much it costs, and the level of difficulty.
• Before-and-after photos of the finished product.

From an Antique Door Table to Reclaimed Wood Wall Art, each DIY project will beautify your space in unexpected ways, and you'll finally get to make those big improvements that you've wanting to.

H O W   T O   W I N

• Follow JustUsGals on Instagram and Twitter.
• Leave a comment below! Tell us what your latest DIY home makeover project was.

Good luck!
The contest winner will be announced via Twitter on Tuesday, July 22 at noon.

Daily Read: Sequins & Stripes

There's so much I want to share with you about Liz Schneider, creator of the popular blog Sequins and Stripes, but for everyones sake I'll keep this Daily Read short. 

I've been following Sequins and Stripes since I first started reading blogs back in 2011, right around the time when Liz first launched her first post. She started on the scene with a cute blog that posted outfit ideas she put together for clients from her newly emerging stylist business, and I thought that was so incredibly inspiring and brave. It wasn't everyday that I heard about someone my age starting their own fashion business, especially when the blogging and stylist arena had not reached the popularity and level of respect that it has today.

Over the past three years Liz has continued to be an inspiration. We have watched her blossom from a small business to a virtual friend and style advisor to thousands. It's honestly remarkable how she still finds time to keep up with her blog and frequently contribute to some of the most respected brands like Refinery29 and Kate Spade. 

Trust us when we say that you should add Liz to your Daily Read list. Not only is she a fierce business woman and career inspiration, but she has impeccable taste and will help you refine your everyday glam. You can find her amazing fashion picks on her blog here and get even more updates on her instagram here. And of course, watch out for her upciming collaborations!

- Suzanne

Images via Sequins & Stripes and Refinery29.

Daily Read: Ecorazzi

As much as we hate to admit it, we all love celebrity gossip. Whether you flip through a People at the nail salon or are a daily-watcher of E! News, celebrity tidbits add a bit of drama to our everyday real people lives. Unfortunately, celebrities are often highlighted for negative things - breakups, fights, inappropriate tweets, and questionable fashion choices. So it may be offputting to hear that some celebrities are actually doing good things with their time! One of my favorite blogs, Ecorazzi, shares stories of celebs that are environmentalists, animal rights activists, and human rights advocates. This is gossip you can truly feel good about reading. It promotes accomplishments rather than failures, and is often inspiring to read.

Enjoy!

- Cameron