Welcome To My New Site!

Hi! I’m so glad you’re here and so happy to welcome you to my new site. I feel like my last post marked the end of an era and this post is the start of a new beginning!

I absolutely love the look and feel of the new site and I hope you do, too!

DC Girl in Pearls has brought me such joy. But from both a brand identity and an aesthetic point of view, it just was time for an update.

My wonderful brand designer, Monica, has been incredibly thorough, thoughtful, and intentional during this process. I’ve known Monica for ages and fully and completely trusted her knowledge, insights, and talent to make this a reality. A site refresh had been on my mind for awhile so when she announced she was launching her business, The Berkshire Press, for graphic design, branding, and stationary needs, it felt like the universe was aligning.

Refreshing this site has been a true labor of love months in the making. First on the task list was figuring out what to call it. I didn’t want another “name” because I wanted a site name that wouldn’t need to be changed again. My name made the most sense to use and passed the gut instinct test and with that we were on our way!

Highlights of The New Design

The Color Palette

I wanted colors that would be classic, timeless, and work well with my colorful outfits and photos without being overwhelming. I also wanted my site to be a spot on the internet where you can unwind, relax from the sometimes hectic feeling of everyday life, and feel like you’re catching up with a friend.

I was drawn to the serene, calm shade of green you see in my logo and throughout the site months ago when I was paint color shopping for our coffee table. This was before I reached out to Monica and I kept the paint swatch on hand because I knew I wanted that hue to be part of my new site.

The New Navigation Bar

Once Monica and I kicked this project off, she encouraged me to take this opportunity to really review my site and look at it holistically.

I have so much content here from over the years (after all, I’ve been blogging since 2011!) and I knew my top priority was to make sure my site was functional and easy to navigate. Whether the post was from 5 months ago or 5 years ago, I wanted it to be simple for you to find!

I spent a long time thinking through the types of posts written over the years and how to organize the categories to be as helpful as possible. Ultimately, the more categories I added, the less helpful it felt. So I kept it as simple as possible.

I’m really excited in particular about the “Series” tab on the navigation bar. The “DC Girl Guide” posts are some of my personal favorites to write because you guys always have such great responses to my questions – from favorite workwear pants to happy, uplifting reads. I wanted to keep sharing those posts and with the site’s refresh and pivoting away from “DC Girl,” those posts will now live under Series as “Friends’ Recommendations.”

Trader Joe’s Hauls and Reviews are some of the most popular posts on my site of all time. I love how you guys are just as enthusiastic about TJ’s as I am! Making these posts easy to locate was a priority so giving that a prominent spot on the navigation bar was a must.

Shop My Seasonal Staples & Shop The Post

The “Shop My Seasonal Staples” will be updated regularly with items that I’m loving and wearing that season or month. If it’s caught my eye, you can find it there! I also love that my site allows me to link items there aren’t a part of LTK. I have plenty of recommendations that aren’t compatible with LTK so I’m excited to be able to broaden my recs.

I hope you love this new site as much as I do! It feels wonderful to be back to writing here again 💙