I hope ya’ll are having a happy + healthy 4th! We are BBQing, hanging by the pool + heading out to watch some fireworks later on this evening (honestly fireworks is my favorite part of the 4th of July besides celebrating America’s independence + birth of this great country hehe :p). Isn’t it crazy to think this amazing country all started on this date in 1776 with the Declaration Of Independence? I don’t know about you but I am a little bit of a history nerd + thinking back to what made America America is beyond cool. We have come such a long way, accomplished so much + have really made America the country everyone wants to be apart of which makes me proud to be an American each + everyday!
I love this country. I love everything about America. The ability to accomplish your goals, make your dreams come true + be whoever you want to be without anyone telling you what you can or can’t do. It’s the country of the entrepreneur, the hard worker, the patriot + the go getter.
To celebrate America’s Birthday, I opted for a fun red, white + blue patriotic look starring this fun American Flag tee from Pink Lily boutique (I’ve been loving their patriotic collection lately). I paired it with a simple red skater skirt from Amazon, this skirt is so flattering + comes in so many fun colors!
I accessorized with a fun red bow headband, I have been loving headbands lately + rounded up some of my favorite hair accessoriesHERE (ICYMI hehe :p)
My bag is a red Gucci because I am all about collecting investment bags that have a POP of color. I have been collecting neutral designer bags for years so now is finally time to add some pretty colors to the collection like red, blue, pink, yellow + more! I rounded up various red Gucci bags below since my current style is no longer available.
For my heels I had to add a little BLUE to this ensemble with these blue ankle strap heels. I love a chunky heel + any shoe that adds some color to any outfit. Just a great pair of heels to brighten up any outfit for work or play.
It’s not very often you get to match one of your childhood favorite summer treats but today I get to! When I was a kiddo I loved the summer time because we would stock up on all the best ice cream + popsicles. My favorite? Rocket Pops! Not only are these red, white + blue treats perfect to kick off 4th of July festivities, they are beyond tasty with their mix of lemon lime, cherry + blueberry flavors. Naturally when I discovered this fun rocket pop inspired bag from Shop Harvey’s I knew I needed it + knew it was perfect for the upcoming July 4th holiday!
While this look may be a tad bit dressy for your average backyard BBQ, I am a firm believer in go big or go home haha And there is no such thing as ‘too dressy’. The perfect outfit is the one you feel most confident in, and that is this patriotic look for me!
This Rocket Pop inspired bag is the perfect handbag for the 4th of July. It has room for your phone, keys and all your other firework watching essentials. I love the material (it’s made from recycled seat belts, how cool right?!) + I am obsessed with the bright + bold look.
I built my outfit around this bag so I styled it with a chic white wrap dress from SHEIN. They honestly have the best dresses at great prices, that’s a combination you just can’t beat! I am linking to a few of my favorites below!
My shoes are also perfect for the 4th (and anytime in between) because they add a bold pop of color to any ensemble + they are also super comfortable!
Investing in some bright + colorful heels is always a good idea because they can be so versatile to style with various looks year round. Pair these beauties with dresses, skirts, white jeans, black slacks + so much more for work or play!
A little fun fact, my BF thought shooting with an actual Rocket Pop would make the photos more fun (which it definitely did!) BUT it was melting down my hand the entire time 😛 haha The things we go through for the perfect photos…can you see it melting in my hand?
Whether you are heading on vacay, the beach, a fun backyard BBQ or going to check out some fireworks, showing your patriotism is always a must when it comes to the 4th of July! Everyday I am beyond grateful to live here in the land of the free, land of opportunity + land where you can be anything you want to be. While I’m always been proud to be an American, more so now than ever before I have been feeling even stronger about my patriotism to this amazing country. I cherish all of the things that makes America great + showing that off by embracing our country’s colors feels better than ever!
From stylish swimwear to fun accessories to great graphic tees, I am rounding up all of the style essentials you need to embrace your inner Red, White + Blue this July 4th ♥
Summer is in full swing + that means time to stock up on some cute new pieces! My go to boutique? Pink Lily! They have such great styles at affordable prices from pretty dresses to the perfect 4th of July gear to great swimwear + more. I’m rounding up some of my fav picks below so you can stock up on your summer must-haves (ya’ll will LOVE these I promise ya)!
Here we are…back where it all started, Madison Avenue! A few weeks ago I headed back to NY for business + while shooting new looks around the city I just so happened to be near my old stomping grounds + the basis for my blog name ‘Missy On Madison‘, Madison Avenue.
I figured since it’s been a while since I shared the story of how ‘Missy On Madison‘ came about, now would be the perfect time to give you all the 411 on how I began blogging, why I moved to LA + reflect back on what an amazing journey it’s been!
Isn’t it crazy to go back to where you grew up or where you first started your career + realize how life takes you on such a crazy ride whether you expected it or not?! Well, that is definitely what I was experiencing when I was back in NYC for this most recent trip. I reflected back on how I started my career, what NYC life was like + how I never in a million years thought now, years later I would be living in LA with my partner in crime living my best life…still in disbelief this is my life sometimes haha.
Before I reflect on NY vs LA, let’s get into how I got here today!
So here’s little about me…
I went to Hunter College in NYC where I graduated with a degree in Media Communications. During my time in college I was completely OBSESSED with the NYC lifestyle (I watched way too much Sex & The City and was basically Carrie Bradshaw right down to my dating stories hehe :p).
I spent my afternoon lunch breaks shopping at Bloomgindales + Saks, walking through Central Park, visiting the Met + trying countless hot spots around the city. It was beyond energizing, motivating me to hustle + really accelerate my career. I had always intended on being the next Anna Wintour + be Editor In Chief of Vogue, but that changed once I took an Online Journalism class where I was assigned to make a blog on TUMBLR which I of course made about finding ‘chic finds for less’ which I named ‘Looks 4 Less’ + there in that class is where my passion for blogging + social media really began.
I saw the editorial world was quickly changing so rather than trying to break in to an already competitive market that had an unknown future due to technological advancements, I decided to try something I had never thought could be a career path before, social media marketing.
What really kicked things off was my social media marketing internship at WWD. While most girls were dying to work in the editorial office where you start off in the fashion closet organizing samples, running errands + conducting research, I worked in the digital marketing department running the WWD TUMBLR (which is how I found out about + applied to the internship since my blog was still solely on TUMBLR), Twitter, Pinterest + Facebook (this was PRE Instagram, crazy to think right?!)
I absolutely LOVED it + realized hey this can be a career and I enjoy doing it. It was a way to get into the industry I love with a different angle. Shortly after I began interning at WWD I came across various business in NYC that needed social media assistance so I began consulting while still in college handling social media strategy for various brands + companies in the fashion industry.
I learned that the more I went to events, networked + talked to people on social, the more opportunities came my way + blogging really helped with that. Sharing my fashion tips, style finds etc has always been a creative outlet for me but the added bonus was building a community of like minded individuals that soon enough became my really good friends + colleagues.
After graduating college I continued blogging + continued working in social media marketing which lead me to Madison Avenue…where Missy On Madison started. My first full time job out of college was on Madison Avenue + during that time I was learning more and more about blogging, more specifically the process of setting up + running an independent website, monetizing creating content etc. I had to migrate from TUMBLR to my actual domain name + site and that meant it was time to build my own brand.
For weeks I sat wracking my brain trying to come up with a name for the blog + BAM one day I was walking to my office and my dad texted me and said ‘How about MissyOnMadison?’ GENIUS! My nickname since childhood has been Missy + I was now on Madison Ave and that is how MissyOnMadison was born!
Crazy to think that was 2012 + here we are in 2019. After spending years in NYC working + blogging, I began meeting more + more bloggers from LA and finally visited California for the first time. I instantly fell in love + decided endless sunshine and palm trees was for me + if I didn’t like it NY would always be home. So I got a job offer, packed up + road tripped cross country with my dad (FULL STORY HERE).
Years later + here we are! I have lived in different parts of LA, had my fair share of ups + downs and met my best friend + partner in crime that I’ve been with for 2 1/2 years now. If only the Missy on Madison ave knew how life would turn out years later, she would be in disbelief + being back on Madison Ave near my original office was honestly surreal but super nostalgic + exciting to reflect on the direction life takes you + how unexpected it could be!
♥ Do you ever reflect back on the journey your life has taken? Does it make you appreciate where you are + how you got there? ♥
