As I sit here on my flight to the East Coast, where I’ll be spending the rest of 2019 and ringing in the New Year, I’m reminiscing on the incredible year I’ve had. At the end of 2018, Nara and I did a “year in review” where we highlighted our favorite moments, trends, and what we wanted to remember. I started this tradition a few years ago and kept my thoughts in a journal, but last December I published them for the first time. A couple of days ago I revisited the questionnaire by filling out the same series of questions that pertain to fashion, beauty, career, pop culture, self-care, lifestyle, and favorite places. It’s a great way to say goodbye to 2019 and to document your cherished memories while also measuring your growth.

Fashion

Trend of 2019: Bold animal prints, neo-gothic, plaid, micro bags, and t-shirt dresses paired with thigh-high boots.

Worst trend of 2019: Like last year, I’m still saying bicycle shorts and dad sneakers need to disappear.

Trend revamped: Platform sandals, high-cut one-piece swimsuits, and I love the refashioned 90s trends like mom jeans and cargo pants.

The item in your closet you wore the most: My Opening Ceremony hoodie I got for Christmas last year, or my deconstructed Superdown denim shorts.

The most ridiculous thing you bought: I splurged on a pair of Gucci mules and Golden Goose sneakers.

Best gift: An AESOP travel kit, my Ban.do planner and stickers, a necklace from the M Jewelers, and the L’Academie trench coat I asked for this Christmas. (It’s too big, but I’m planning on ordering a size down.) Also, Billy and my parents taking me to NYC for my Birthday!

Favorite overall purchase: There are a few and they’re mostly shoes—Golden Goose Mid Star sneakers, Gucci Princetown mules, Kurt Geiger glitter holographic wedges, and Alice and Olivia bell-bottoms.

Favorite pieces of jewelry: The various bracelets that I’ve acquired on my recent trips, and the Old English “K” necklace my mom got me for Christmas.

Celebrity style: Vanessa Hudgens, Ashlee Simpson, and AnnaLynne McCord.

Designer/label: Superdown, One Teaspoon, and Amuse Society.

Shopping website: Revolve and Bloomingdale’s.

Christmas Eve in Brooklyn.

I bought this dress and purse on a whim when I was in Arizona and it was the ideal outfit for touring Jerome.

At the hotel in Vegas, before heading out for the day.

Taking pics on my balcony.

Mixing animal prints and textures in Central Park.

My favorite outfit of the summer!

Shopping in Vegas.

The Superdown shorts I lived in this summer.

Beauty

Beauty buy: Anastasia Beverly Hills “Riviera” eye palette. I purchased it before my trip this summer and the colors are quintessential for a beach vacation.

Makeup brand: Nars, Lime Crime, Pat McGrath, and Eyeko.

Beauty brand: Drunk Elephant, Dermalogica, and Kiehls.

Haircare products: Kevin Murphy shampoo/conditioner, Cake Beauty leave-in conditioner, OlaPlex No. 3, R+Co. soothing oil, and Not Your Mother’s sea salt spray.

(Here’s my in-depth list of beauty recommendations and where to save and where to splurge).

Beauty trend you became obsessed with: Coloring my hair violet and Korean skincare. Also, I kept up with derma-rolling, chemical peels, and using an LED light.

Some of my favorite makeup products of 2019.

My derma-roller and go-to skincare products.

Pop Culture, Books, Music, and Movies

TV shows: Euphoria, The Deuce, Big Little Lies, The Affair, and City on a Hill. Three of them just ended so I’m on a quest to discover new shows for 2020. PS: You can read about my favorites for the first half of 2019 here.

Movie: Hustlers, Joker, and The Dirt.

Documentary: See Know Evil.

Online Magazine: Nylon, or Domino.

Artist: Post Malone, Meek Mill.

Album: Danny Brown, uknowhatimsayin¿; Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!; and Post Malone, Hollywood’s Bleeding.

Band: Magic City Hippies

Youtube video: Impeachment Cold Open on SNL.

Song: Hot Girl Summer by Megan Thee Stallion and Tropical Rain by Social House.

Book: Bringing Out The Dead, The Love and Lemons Cookbook, and The New Yorker’s Guide to LA, The Angeleno’s Guide to NYC.

Game: Fake News and Totally 90s Trivia.

App: I use a ton of apps every day, but the ones that stand out are Citizen (for neighborhood alerts), and Instagram.

Pop culture moment: Nipsey Hussle’s death and Greta Thunberg’s climate change activism.

Most influential voice: Nancy Pelosi.

Saddest moment: Hearing about all the mass shootings; 2019 had the most on record.

Instagram account: @MsVegan, @TravelandLeisure, @MindBodyGreen, @SupremeNewYork, and @EveryOutfitOnSATC. Then I have a few favorite accounts that represent 90s nostalgia and my go-tos for crystals, jewelry, and bohemian lifestyle inspo.

Blog: A Girl in LA!

News website: CNN, Vice News, The LA Times, and The New York Times.

How do you feel about the direction the country is headed?: The 2020 election can’t come soon enough!

My binge-worthy TV shows for the first half of 2019.

I came across this Nipsey Hussle mural on Figueroa and had to snap a pic.

Career

Biggest career challenge you overcame: Nara had to leave A Girl in LA at the beginning of 2019. Rather than hire just anyone to replace her, I turned down many applicants because she set the bar so high. This meant that I had to create more content than in the previous years, which made for a lot of late nights and hardly any free time. However, that’s okay because I’d rather hire someone who is just as passionate about blogging as I am.

New skills you learned: Continued learning techniques on Lightroom and Photoshop.

Favorite blog post you wrote: Summer Nostalgia which brought back memories of my childhood and growing up at the beach. Then, My Trip To The Connecticut Shoreline where I wrote about reliving those memories in August when I vacationed on the same street I grew up on. Also, I really enjoyed creating a Sugarfina charcuterie board and loved documenting (and photographing) my new planner while giving tips to staying organized.

Favorite brand you worked with this year: Wlnss.

Your most time-consuming project: The Best Travel Size Products For Your Carry-on and Beach Bag. This one took a while because I had a lot of products to test out.

I loved creating this V-Day Sugarfina charcuterie board (almost as much as I enjoyed eating it)!

Getting ready for 2019 with my Ban.do planner, stickers, and accessories.

Fitness, Health, and Self-Care

Recipe that you mastered: I did a ton of cooking in 2019 so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. If I had to pick, I’d say making my mom’s delicious (and easy to make) hor’dourves. They remind me of the holidays since she served them at Christmas parties throughout my childhood. (I ended up switching out the bacon for garlic though.)

Biggest fitness accomplishment: Since I last wrote about my fitness routine, I made a lot of changes. In the spring, I switched up my workouts by getting a gym membership (instead of using the gym inside my apartment building) and began using a meal delivery service called Thistle. The combination of the two helped me to lose weight and gain more muscle. This has long been a goal of mine and it felt amazing to finally achieve it.

What did you do in your free time?: I took a lot of vacations this year (which I’m eternally grateful for). There’s nothing like exploring a new state or visiting one that holds so many special memories.

How did you practice self-care?: When I was feeling run down, overwhelmed or exhausted, I ordered a vitamin drip.

I used to do this exact pose on the balance beam.

Yoga on the beach.

Life Lessons

Biggest challenge you faced: As far as 2019 went-—it was a pretty good year for me. My biggest challenge ties in with my career and overworking myself.

A new positive habit you adopted: I stopped drinking Red Bull. (I used to drink 3+ cans every day).

The most important goal you achieved: Working out and seeing my body changing in such a positive way from hard work and dedication.

Your best memory of this year: One of my family vacations—Arizona, Las Vegas, Connecticut shore, or my annual holiday trip to New York City.

Your biggest regret: This one is related to blogging. I get email proposals from companies all the time, however, I’m extremely selective in who I collaborate with. I ask myself a series of questions like does this company align with A Girl in LA’s brand/values? Can I see my readers liking the product/service? What can A Girl in LA do for the company and vice versa. This helps me narrow down who I choose to collab with. Usually, even when I pass on an opportunity, I still wonder to myself, could I have made this work? Are my readers missing out on something?

The most important lesson you learned: Sometimes it’s better to bite your tongue, so to speak, when it comes to social media.

A view of Phoenix Arizona.

The front porch of the cottage my family and I stayed in, in Westbrook, Connecticut.

My first Vegas trip was a success!

I snapped this photo of Times Square last week and it’s one of my favorites.

Favorite Places

*All locations are based in Los Angeles unless otherwise noted.

Store: The shops at Gallery Row (Arts District), or the beachside stores in Block Island.

Vintage store: Hidden Treasures in Topanga Canyon, Wasteland on Melrose, and What Goes Around Comes Around.

Bookstore: The Last Bookstore.

Flea market: Smorgasburg or The Rose Bowl.

Food truck: The Hello Kitty food truck in Las Vegas.

Farmers’ market: The Original Farmers Market.

Neighborhood: DTLA, Venice, and The Upper East Side (Manhattan).

Place with a view: Billy and I’s apartment in DTLA, the cottage we stayed at in Connecticut, or Jerome, Arizona.

Beach: Westbrook, CT.

Brunch spot: Perch LA.

Cocktails with friends: Beauty & Essex or The Rainbow Bar and Grill (for that classic rock n roll feel).

Date night spot: The Chateau Marmont, The Stinking Rose, Gnoccheria (NYC), or The Wharf at The Madison Beach Hotel (CT).

Go-to dish: Tres Signature Dish at Gnoccheria and French Toast from Perch.

Go-to drink: The Christmas morning mimosas I made with Moët & Chandon.

Place to get a quick bite to eat: Localita or Monty’s Good Burger (both are vegan), or the delicious pasta at Funculo inside the Corporation Food Hall.

Friday night restaurant: Café Gratitude. (Some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had!)

Saturday night bar or club: No Vacancy or Avalon Hollywood.

Dessert spot: Ladurée.

Restaurant that delivers: Localita—The Sir Nasty.

Music venue: The El Rey Theatre.

Gym or place to workout: LA Fitness and hiking in Runyon Canyon or Griffith Park.

Out of the office work spot: The rooftop pool at my apartment.

Vacation spot: Arizona, Las Vegas, Connecticut shore, and NYC.

Museum: The Broad.

Art gallery: Radiant Space.

Pop-up: 29 Rooms by Refinery29.

Salon: RA_Loft.