With Thanksgiving just a day away, I want to tell you all how thankful I am for your readership and continued support!  I so appreciate every time you read my blog posts, every click on my links, visits to my website, and follows on Instagram!  You have made my little blog a happy success, and I have all of you to thank for that!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing with you one of the things I enjoy most: that is, all things related to fashion: bargain shopping, style, clothes, shoes, beauty products, you name it!!

I have to tell you, it has been a scary process making this blog public and putting myself out there for the world to judge.  I thought: What will people think? Will they like what I write? Will they find my content interesting or even worth reading?

Then, I read Sheryl Sandberg’s recent book, Lean In.  Have you read it?  If not, keep reading for a chance to win your very own copy!  One of the things she mentions in the book is that as women, we are often afraid to ‘lean in’ and take chances.  To take steps that may scare us, but that can lead us to success.  So I decided, why not??  In the words of Sheryl Sandberg, “There is no perfect fit when you’re looking for the next big thing to do. You have to take opportunities and make an opportunity fit for you, rather than the other way around.”

And so began the adventure.  Sure, some of you may have read my blog posts, or even just noticed that I was posting on Facebook about frilly topics and wondered, “Why, with a doctorate, does she have the need to talk about such superficial, non-important things?!”  Well, my intention was dual-purposed:

1.  I enjoy fashion.  I do.  I love to see it on runways, in magazines, to wear it, to talk about it…I just truly enjoy it!  As a result, I have also always wanted to go to New York Fashion Week.  I learned, however, that to get invited to one of those shows, you either have to know someone in the business (I don’t), have a ton of money to buy tickets outright (according to my husband, we don’t, lol), OR be part of the press (aha!!)!!  And, guess, what??  If you’re a blogger, you are considered ‘press’!  So, I began a blog!!

2. Second, it is important to me for people to know that, as a woman – specifically a woman scientist – it is more than okay to like fashion; no, to love fashion, and that it in no way takes away from who I am as a researcher, as an intellectual, or as a professional.  It is simply an added bonus. 😉 Afterall, since when did being fashionable and being intelligent become mutually exclusive??  Perhaps even considered contradictory by some?  I am here to tell you, and show you, that they are not.

On most traditional fashion/lifestyle blogs, you will see pictures of women posing in amazing clothes, shoes, etc.  I LOVE to follow these blogs, and often wished that my blog would take on that form one day as well.  Then I realized, if that were to happen, my blog would no longer be MY blog, but merely a reflection of other blogs out there.

So, for this blog post, I wanted to present you with my vision.  To show you that intelligence can be a fashionable accessory – our BEST accessory.

To achieve this task, I recruited the very talented, young (literally, young…I’m talking high school student young!), Mariana Pimiento, to take my pictures.  We ‘leaned in’ together and this was the result.

A  few last thoughts to close. This blog, as well as related content on Instagram and Twitter, are a reflection of my life, and the things that interest me as a woman – a mother, a wife, a scientist, a ‘fashionista’, and a newbie blogger. Thus far, it has provided a fun, creative outlet; a hobby that doesn’t require leaving the house, and that I can work on after the kids have gone to bed.  Further, writing this blog appears to even be helping my scientific writing!  Score!!  I do hope that you will continue to join me as I venture on this journey, where fashion and smarts harmoniously co-exist.  It has been a fun ride thus far!!

Finally, to reward my readers for getting through this super wordy blog post – but to also stay true to my mission, and keep you smart and informed – I am giving away a copy of the book Lean In!  Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything crazy!  Simply, comment on this post with your thoughts on my blog in general, what you thought of this particular blog post, or anything else that you may fancy!  A winner will be selected at random, one week from today.  Good luck to you all and thanks again for reading!!

Stay Chic!

A lover of fashion from a young age, Maria Pimiento began her business at the age of 15.  Her favorite things to shoot include, fashion runways and editorials.  She also loves to travel and take road trips with family!  Born in Medellin, Colombia, Mariana enjoys photographing people of diverse backgrounds.  Mariana captures the essence of beauty through film.  Sneak peak of photos on Instagram and on her personal website.  Make sure to also check out her Youtube channel, The Mstudio, as well as her latest project, ProjectBare!