The 2026 Edit & Rebrand
Hi friends & Happy New Year!
If you’re as chronically online as I am, you’ve probably seen the 2026 rebrand trend making its rounds. New Year’s has always been my favorite time of year — it’s full of fresh starts, dreaming sessions, reflection, and that quiet anticipation of what the next year might hold.
In true New Year fashion, I wanted to share my 2026 edit & rebrand — both for myself and for What’s Em Style — in hopes of inspiring you to try something new, step out boldly, and start the year with intention. I also created a New Year inspiration board on my Pinterest if you’d like to follow along there 🤍
What’s Em Style: 2026 Rebrand
In Q4 of 2025, I began dreaming about what I wanted 2026 to look like for What’s Em Style. With the help of ChatGPT, I developed a full 2026 brand strategy — including content pillars, monetization goals, and a platform model that helps me better utilize opportunities across different spaces.
One of the biggest parts of this rebrand was creating a brand guide: a logo, fonts, and color palette that bring cohesion and consistency to my content. Everything is now rooted in my new brand anchor:
“Effortless chic style curated for real everyday life.”
This phrase has become the driving force behind my content and blog posts moving forward.
To pull the curtain back a bit more, the purpose of creating a brand anchor and strategy was to intentionally narrow my focus — reaching people who are genuinely interested in and connected to the same things I love. From that clarity, three core content buckets emerged:
Effortless Chic Style | Elevated, stylish outfits that feel easy, wearable, and affordable — without sacrificing confidence or breaking the bank.
Curated Lifestyle | Sharing my real, everyday life as a 24-year-old wife in Dallas who loves hosting, writing, embroidering, and creating — all with the goal of building an authentic community.
Home & Hosting | Romanticizing realism through thrifted and affordable home décor, cozy spaces, and warm, welcoming hosting environments.
These buckets don’t just guide my blog and content — they’ve also shaped my personal 2026 edit.
My Personal 2026 Edit
In 2026, I want to create more space for the things that genuinely give me life and bring joy. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions that sound good on paper but never come to fruition — however, I am a believer in setting tangible, attainable goals.
As I reflected on what I wanted to grow and improve this year, I organized my goals into a few key areas: my marriage, my faith, my home, and my style.
Let’s break them down.
My Marriage
Andy and I have been married for almost a year and a half, and one thing we’ve learned is how valuable open and specific communication is in avoiding missed expectations or misunderstandings.
We recently sat down to do a little “marriage audit,” discussing goals for the year ahead. We created buckets for the conversation — finances, intimacy, travel, family/marriage, home, and health — which helped us prioritize different aspects of our relationship as we look to 2026.
Some conversations were practical, like discussing what percentage we want to tithe, how we can be more generous, and how we want to save and invest. Others were light-hearted and fun — dreaming about traveling to Europe or Hawaii, and envisioning how we want to transform our backyard into a space that better fits our lifestyle.
If you’re married, I’d encourage you to sit down with your spouse and do something similar. Make it intentional, but don’t forget to make it enjoyable too — go on a date beforehand or grab a sweet treat to talk it all through.
My Faith
My faith is the most important part of who I am, yet I haven’t shared much about it on this blog since my content has traditionally focused on fashion, home, and lifestyle. In 2026, I want to be more intentional about weaving my faith into my content in an authentic and natural way.
My church in Dallas recently began a year-long study through the book of Acts, and I’m excited to spend an entire year reading and praying through one book of the Bible — trusting the Lord with what He might do through that.
If you’re like me and appreciate structure when it comes to Bible reading, here are a few suggestions if faith is one of your 2026 goals:
The Bible Recap | A full-Bible-in-a-year plan that breaks Scripture into manageable portions and pairs daily readings with a short podcast for added context.
The YouVersion App | Offers countless Bible reading plans no matter where you are in your faith journey.
One chapter a day | A simple, attainable place to start. I recommend beginning with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) or reading through Psalms.
My Home
At the end of December, I shared the story of purchasing our home and renovating both bathrooms. In 2026, my goal is to continue curating our home into a space that feels cozy, restful, and genuinely hospitable — for both Andy and our friends.
This looks like small, intentional updates: swapping doorknobs for cohesion, thrifting timeless décor that fits the age and character of our home, and leaning into details that make a space feel finished.
Another big goal is hosting more. I’d love to host at least one themed dinner party a month — creating meaningful moments around a table. I also want to grow more confident in the kitchen by trying new recipes from the cookbooks we already own and sharing my favorites here with you all.
My Style
Living in Dallas, I’ve definitely felt the pull of overconsumption, materialism, and dressing for approval rather than for myself. Somewhere along the way, I realized I was dressing more for the city than for me.
In 2026, my mission is to fully embrace my personal style — keeping it effortless (because I’m realistic) and chic (because I love feeling put together). I want to get creative with outfits that feel true to who I am while pulling myself out of the constant athleisure rut.
If you want to follow along as I continue curating effortless chic style this year, you can find me on Instagram at @whatsemstyle.
A Note to Close
As we step into a new year, I hope this encourages you to pause and take inventory — not in a way that feels heavy or overwhelming, but in a way that feels hopeful. You don’t need a total overhaul to move forward with intention. Sometimes clarity comes from refining what already matters to you and giving it more room to grow.
Whether you’re reworking your style, your rhythms, your home, or your heart, my hope is that 2026 is a year marked by purpose, creativity, and contentment — one small, intentional step at a time.
Here’s to fresh starts, thoughtful edits, and a year rooted in what truly matters. 🤍
2026 Mood Board Curated by What’s Em Style
What’s Em Style Wrapped: Reflecting on 2025
Hi friends!
As we head into the New Year, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on this past year and all of the changes, growth, and lessons that came with 2025. While I could make an endless list of the ways I’ve grown personally and professionally, I want to take a moment to focus specifically on how What’s Em Style is wrapping up the year.
If you’re new here — welcome! My name is Emily McCaffrey, and I am the author and creator of What’s Em Style, a lifestyle, home, and fashion blog that I originally began as a creative outlet while working a full-time job. What started as a passion project has slowly turned into something I care deeply about and feel incredibly grateful to continue building. For more about me, you can visit the About Me page — but for now, let’s take a look back at What’s Em Style Wrapped.
March 2025
At the end of March, my husband and I traveled to Fayetteville, AR for an engagement party and stayed with close friends. One night, as we stayed up talking, they began asking thoughtful questions about my heart, my goals, and what I felt called to pursue creatively. Those conversations helped me see more clearly that I had a deep desire not only to create, but to create something meaningful — both for myself and for others. That weekend quietly shifted my perspective and planted seeds that would continue to grow throughout the year. The following week, I launched What's Em Style!
July 2025
In July, I was given the opportunity to interview with Voyage Dallas, an online magazine that highlights creatives and entrepreneurs. Through that interview, I was able to share the story behind What’s Em Style, why I started it, and where I hope to take it in the future. Seeing my work and story shared on a larger platform was both humbling and affirming, and it reminded me that stepping out and sharing your work really does matter. Here is the link to my interview!
August 2025
As the “school year” kicked off, so did a new chapter in my social media journey. I was invited to participate in an accelerated creator program through LTK, an online creator commission platform. While I had used similar platforms before, this four-week program was uniquely intentional — filled with webinars, challenges, goal-setting, and guidance directly from the LTK creator success team. I felt genuinely supported, poured into, and encouraged to treat content creation with purpose and consistency, which gave me renewed motivation moving forward.
October 2025
October marked a big creative milestone — I launched my very first recurring series on the blog and social media: Monthly Edits. This series became a way to intentionally curate fashion and home inspiration month by month, rather than falling into a style rut (which I am very guilty of). It challenged me to try new silhouettes, colors, nail styles, and décor pieces, and it pushed me creatively in the best way. More than anything, it helped me create content that felt thoughtful, practical, and true to my personal style.
November 2025
November was a huge business and monetary win — and one that couldn’t have happened without the support of family, friends, and everyone who has followed along and supported What’s Em Style. This month marked my highest sales revenue to date from both commissionable links and my What’s Em Style Embroidery business. It was incredibly rewarding to see hard work and consistency pay off, especially during a busy season. You could say Q4 was a success — and I’m so thankful.
December 2025
December closed out the year with some truly exciting opportunities, including working with my first few larger brand collaborations. I still can’t believe I had the chance to partner with brands like Quince, Day Designer, Sol & Selene, and MDSolarSciences. These collaborations felt like a full-circle moment and a glimpse into what could be possible moving forward. Ending the year on such a strong and encouraging note has left me feeling excited, motivated, and incredibly grateful as I look ahead to 2026.
As I look back on 2025, I’m reminded that growth rarely happens all at once — it’s built through small, consistent steps, showing up even when it feels quiet, and staying committed to creating content that feels authentic and meaningful. This year shaped What’s Em Style into more than just a lifestyle blog; it became a space for intentional living, approachable fashion, thoughtful home inspiration, and honest creativity.
Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just recently found your way here, I’m truly thankful you’re part of this community. Your support allows me to continue growing this blog, expanding my social media presence, and pursuing content creation in a way that aligns with my values. As I head into 2026, I’m excited to continue building What’s Em Style with even more purpose, creativity, and heart — and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead.
Thank you for being here 🤍
XO, Em
Holiday Happies!
Hi friends!!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy almost New Year! I hope everyone is soaking up this sweet holiday season. There’s just something about this time of year that feels so magical and whimsical — maybe it’s the twinkling Christmas lights, the familiar carols, or the nostalgic Christmas movies we return to year after year.
The holiday season is one I look forward to all year long, yet it always seems to pass by far too quickly. As I write this, I’m currently on a plane headed to see my in-laws for Christmas part two, and the quiet travel time has given me space to reflect on all of the holiday happies from this season. My hope is that as you read this holiday recap, you’re reminded of the joy this season brings and feel refreshed as we head into the new year.
The Reason for the Season
It wouldn’t feel like a true Christmas season without pausing to reflect on the reason for the season (a cliché, but a meaningful one nonetheless). Jesus Christ is the greatest gift and the greatest joy of this world. One of my favorite ways to intentionally slow down during Advent is by reading the Paul David Tripp Everyday Devotional for Christmas. This daily devotional begins on December 1 and continues through December 25, walking through Scripture from both the Old and New Testament that announces, prophesies, and displays the incarnation — the birth of Christ.
Spending time in these passages reminds me of the miraculous way Jesus came into the world and why He came. On Christmas Eve, I attended our church’s Christmas service, which always recenters my heart on the meaning of Christmas. With how busy and material-focused the season can become, it’s so important for me to intentionally pause and worship — remembering that Jesus is truly the reason we celebrate.
Holiday Happies
Along with that grounding perspective, this season was also filled with so many joyful, cozy, and memory-filled moments that I couldn’t wait to share. This holiday season was marked by festive gatherings, slow mornings, good drinks, and quality time with friends and family — the kind of moments that make Christmas feel extra special.
My sister and I kicked off the season a little early with a trip to New York City at Christmastime, which instantly set the tone for the holidays. From the awe of the Rockettes, to the whimsy of Macy’s Christmas window displays, to simply walking through the city surrounded by lights and holiday cheer — it truly felt magical. When I returned home, I jumped right into decorating our home for Christmas, one of my favorite seasonal traditions.
This year, I leaned into a Ralph Lauren–inspired Christmas aesthetic — classic, cozy, warm, and collected with timeless charm. Much of our Christmas home decor was thrifted or passed down from my mom, which made the space feel even more intentional and meaningful. Of the few pieces we did purchase, I have to highlight our needlepoint Christmas stockings from Lands’ End. I love that they’re traditional, well-made, and timeless — and that we can easily add to our collection as our family grows.
Festive Gatherings & Seasonal Traditions
Andy and I attended several holiday parties this season, each bringing its own kind of joy. Both of our companies hosted holiday events — my company’s celebration was a large-scale holiday party at the Dallas Symphony, complete with hors d’oeuvres, live music, festive drinks, and holiday fashion galore. In contrast, Andy’s company treated employees and spouses to an intimate and elegant Italian dinner in Uptown Dallas, which felt equally special in its own way.
I also attended a holiday party that doubled as a friend’s birthday celebration — a night filled with cheery red decor, bubbly drinks, and the most delicious spread of appetizers and desserts. Seeing everyone dressed up in festive holiday outfits made the night even sweeter as we celebrated together.
A family tradition for the women in my family is getting dolled up & going to see the Nutcracker at the Fort Worth Bass Performance Hall. Every year, we are dazzled by the dancers & their graceful athleticism. This year we also went to dinner at Hudson House and left no crumbs! 10/10 recommend starting this tradition with your family!
Other honorable mentions from this season’s holiday happies include the Plano Town Square tree lighting ceremony, Christmas movie nights with close friends, hosting holiday dinners in our new home, and spending Christmas Day with my family — moments I’ll cherish for years to come.
As I reflect on this holiday season, every single happy moment comes back to one thing: quality time with the people I love most. Whether it was with my husband, my family, or dear friends, these memories wouldn’t be nearly as meaningful without the people who shared them with us.
As we close out the holiday season and step into the new year, my hope is that we carry this same intentionality with us — continuing to prioritize togetherness, gratitude, and joy in the everyday moments.
I hope you have the happiest New Year 🤍
XO, Em
My First Time in NYC — Here’s Everything I Did in 48 Hours
Hi friends!
What a time this past weekend was — I finally checked the Big Apple off my bucket list! I originally planned this trip with two friends, but plans changed and I ended up traveling solo… and then rendezvousing with my sister, who also happened to be in NYC the same weekend. Couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Buckle up for my New York travel diary, including all the sights, sounds, and (yes) smells of NYC!
Day One — Central Park, The Met, Chelsea Market & Time Square
We kicked off our first day in New York at a bagel shop called Broad Nosh Bagels. I ordered a classic bagel with blueberry cream cheese, and quickly learned that New York bagels come loaded with cream cheese. No complaints here!
After breakfast, we took a long walk through Central Park, stopping at ponds, fountains, and those dreamy fall trees. We made our way to The Met so I could finally take the iconic Gossip Girl photo on the steps — a must for any first-time NYC itinerary.
Once we wrapped up at The Met, we wandered around a bit before needing a coffee pick-me-up. So we walked over to Ralph’s Coffee inside the Ralph Lauren store, and needless to say, I was obsessed. The line was so long — it literally wrapped around the store — so we popped into J.Crew and Ralph Lauren while we waited. Once we finally ordered, I got the most delicious peppermint hot chocolate, and it genuinely tasted like Christmas in a cup.
Then we took the subway to Chelsea Market for lunch, where we tried the famous tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 — genuinely the best tacos I’ve ever had. After strolling through Chelsea Market, the Starbucks Roastery, & Anthro, we headed to Brooklyn to see the Brooklyn Bridge.
For dinner, we went uptown to Harlem to eat at a shareable-plates restaurant called The Good Good. The whole premise is that you order a bunch of shareable plates and literally just snack for dinner — the most ideal girl dinner ever. We finished the night with a Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity, walked through Rockefeller Center, and ended the night in Times Square — and somehow hit 30,000 steps on day one.
Day Two — Midtown Christmas Magic, West Village & The Rockettes
Day two felt like stepping straight into a Christmas in New York City movie. We grabbed breakfast at Liberty Bagels, coffee at Culture Coffee, and then spent the morning exploring the iconic Macy’s Herald Square Christmas displays and Santaland. I left with the cutest NYC ornament featuring a taxi, the Big Apple, and the Statue of Liberty.
Next, we headed to West Village for lunch at John’s Pizzeria on Bleecker Street. Their cheese pizza absolutely lived up to the hype — one of the best slices I’ve ever had. After wandering through the neighborhood, we walked down to SoHo to shop. This is when I got the viral NYC Abercrombie taxi sweater that TikTok is obsessed with (you can only get it in NYC stores!).
Later, we subway-hopped to Grand Central Terminal, which completely blew me away. I’m a sucker for historical architecture, and between Grand Central and the New York Public Library, I was in absolute heaven. We also passed by The Plaza Hotel and the viral Louis Vuitton building — peak NYC aesthetic. My little Eloise-at-Christmas dreams came true!
For dinner, we went over to Bryant Park and walked through their Christmas Village, where food trucks line the park. We grabbed fried Oreos (a must), and browsed all the cozy holiday pop-ups.
We ended the night separately — my sister and her friend saw Mamma Mia!, and I went to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. I cried multiple times (in the best way!). Truly worth every penny.
My New York Travel Tips & What I’d Recommend
This NYC weekend trip was everything I’d hoped for and so much more. Between the incredible food, Christmas displays, historic architecture, and nonstop energy of the city, it’s a destination that absolutely lives up to the hype.
If you’re planning a New York City holiday trip, here are my quick takeaways:
Walk as much as you can — you’ll see so much more.
Subway > Uber. It's fast, easy, and way cheaper.
Don’t sleep on tacos, bagels, or a good slice of NYC pizza. (Calories don’t count in NYC… you just walk them off)
If you're visiting during the holidays, prioritize Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, Macy’s, and the Rockettes — they’re magical.
And yes… you need the Abercrombie taxi sweater.
New York completely stole my heart, and I already can’t wait to go back.
You can visit my Instagram & TikTok for more NYC travel content, outfit inspo, and recommendations from our trip. And if you try any of the spots I mentioned, let me know — I love hearing your recs too!
XO, Em
Romanticizing Daylight Savings
Hi friends!
The daylight savings time change has officially happened — we’ve gained an hour of sleep, and the evenings are officially darker earlier. If you’re anything like me, you feel the most productive when the sun is up, not necessarily based on the time of day. The last couple of mornings have been brutal for my husband and I — it’s been so much easier to sleep in with how dark and cozy the mornings have been. Needless to say, I’m excited to have bright mornings back again! But that doesn’t mean I love the early dark evenings either.
I know the majority of people don’t love this time change (except for that extra hour of sleep), since it means darker evenings and fewer late-night sunset walks like in the summer. But I thought it would be fun to write a blog post about ways to romanticize this seasonal shift in daylight.
I think the best way to make the most of this daylight savings time is to truly embrace both — the hours when the sun is awake and the cozy hours when the moon is up. Even though it’s brighter earlier and darker earlier, shifting your rhythms can be such a refreshing way to reset your routine and find new cozy moments to look forward to.
Romanticizing the Early Mornings
To kick off, let’s start with the mornings that now get brighter earlier! Personally, I’m a morning person and living for this early daylight.
A few ways to utilize the early sunlight: get up and move your body earlier to energize yourself and start the day strong! Like I said, it was hard to feel motivated when it was still dark out around 6:30 or 7 a.m., but now that the sun’s out, it makes me want to go for an early morning walk or workout.
Research shows that getting sunlight first thing in the morning is amazing for your circadian rhythm — and that’s definitely something I want to include more of during this time change.
Continuing that thought, waking up earlier gives you more time in the morning to do things for yourself before heading to your 9–5 or class. Some cozy morning ideas? Go on a coffee date with a friend or grab your Bible and head to a local coffee shop. I naturally think that reading your Bible is one of the best morning rhythms, but there’s just something extra romantic about doing it in a cute café with a fun latte in hand. Plus, caffeine first thing? Always a bonus!
As you can tell, mornings are my favorite — so I’m very much in favor of these new early sunrise times!
Cozying Up in the Evenings
Now for the evenings — this is where people tend to lose excitement about daylight savings because it means our nights get darker sooner. Depending on your schedule, you can still squeeze in a quick sunset walk right after work, around 5 or 5:30 p.m., depending on your time zone.
As the air gets crisper and the weather cooler, your evenings can get cozier too! Since it gets dark earlier, this is the perfect time to add cozy rhythms to your nighttime routine.
For example — welcome to soup and s’mores season! One of my favorite things to do as fall transitions to winter is to put a big pot of soup on the stove — whether it’s tortellini soup, taco soup, chili… you get the idea. There’s just something so warm and comforting about a bowl of soup, and it’s so easy to make. When I eat something warm like that, all I want to do is stay in and curl up under a blanket — which leads me to my next point.
Cozy at-home movie nights are the way to go once it’s dark outside! You can even start them as early as 7 p.m. If you have kids, it’s such a fun way to bond before bedtime since it’s already dark out. Curling up with a blanket, a bowl of soup, and your best friends or husband? That sounds like a dream winter evening to me.
Some of my go-to cozy movies: the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Holiday, and of course, any classic Hallmark Christmas movie. There’s just something about them that screams cozy.
Even though it’s only November, as Christmas approaches and people start putting up their lights, that’s another magical way to enjoy the darker evenings — hot chocolate in hand, Christmas music playing in the car, driving around to see the twinkling lights. Simple, sweet, and full of joy!!
I hope this post brings some light (pun intended!) to what many see as the downside of the time change. Saying goodbye to those long summer nights can feel bittersweet, but there’s so much to romanticize about this season. Hopefully, this gave you a few cozy ideas for embracing your mornings and evenings with the new daylight rhythm.
For more inspiration on cozy morning routines and romanticizing your “5-to-9 after your 9-to-5,” head over to my Instagram and TikTok — I post daily!
XO, Em
Cheers to Something New - Introducing Weddings Em Style
This post may be a shorter one, but it’s an exciting one — I’m so thrilled to officially share that my newest creative venture, Weddings Em Style, has launched on Instagram!
If you’ve followed along on TikTok or Instagram for a while, you know that content creation has become one of my favorite creative outlets. It’s where I get to dream up ideas, bring them to life, and share little pieces of my day-to-day online. It’s storytelling through video — capturing the ordinary, the beautiful, and everything in between. It might seem like a funny little hobby to some, but for me, it’s pure joy.
How Weddings Em Style Began
Weddings Em Style actually started from a simple “yes.” Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to create content alongside my wedding photographer, Morgan Gribble Photography, and I instantly fell in love with the experience. Spending the day capturing the sweet, candid, in-between moments — the laughter, nerves, happy tears, and quiet pauses — reminded me just how special it is to preserve a wedding day in motion.
By the end of that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I loved it. So after talking with some friends, I thought, why not start something of my own? That’s when Weddings Em Style came to life — a space where I can combine my love for storytelling and creativity with my passion for capturing life’s most meaningful celebrations.
The Heart Behind It
Weddings Em Style was created to coexist with my lifestyle brand, What’s Em Style, but with a focus on weddings and sharing love stories. My goal is to be a peaceful, joyful presence on a bride’s wedding day — someone who can capture all the raw, heartfelt moments through short-form video content.
From the first look to the last dance, my hope is to help couples relive those emotions again and again. Every laugh, every tear, every happy blur of the day — captured in a way that feels genuine and true to who they are.
What’s Next
I am beyond excited for this new adventure and all the stories it will bring. If you’d like to follow along, you can find me on Instagram at @weddingsemstyle!
And if you’re a bride or soon-to-be bride, I’d love to chat about how I can help capture your wedding day through short-form content that lets you truly relive the magic.
Here’s to new beginnings, love stories, and creating something beautiful — Weddings Em Style is just getting started.
Dealing With Unmet Expectations
Andy & I just celebrated our first year of marriage last weekend, and what a sweet and growing last year it was! A common misconception about your first year of marriage is that it will be the hardest year of your marriage… that wasn’t the case for us! Hard is not a word I would use to describe our marriage, even though we did walk through hard seasons and lots of unmet expectations.
Today, as I am further reflecting on our first year of marriage, I wanted to write a blog post normalizing how marriage can be SO fun, but come with hard seasons, growth, and unmet expectations.
Let’s rewind!! My husband and I participated in a premarital class called Merge where we learned to identify our unmet expectations in 3 categories: unrealistic, unaware, & unspoken. Unrealistic expectations are exactly as they sound - expectations that are unrealistic thus go unmet. Unaware expectations are often where I find myself as I won’t realize that I had an expectation on XYZ until it doesn't happen that way and I am disappointed or discouraged. Unspoken expectations are ones where you don’t say them because you are wanting to “keep the peace” or you assume the other person knows exactly what you're thinking… newsflash! No one can read someone else’s mind. My caveat to this is that not every expectation that is unmet will fit into these categories; sometimes life happens and things just don’t go as you expected.
This is one of the biggest lessons and areas of growth in our first year of marriage. Starting with our wedding day and our honeymoon. As one could imagine, any bride and groom would expect to have the most perfect wedding day (maybe a bit unrealistic). No bride would imagine that her groom would have COVID or some sort of nasty cold and a fever on her wedding day. Nor would she imagine guests would RSVP yes but not come. Nor would she imagine that the speakers wouldn’t work properly for her reception. All these things were true of our wedding day, but at the of the day, I got to marry my best friend. We were joined in oneness to glorify the Lord together for life, and that has been something that has well-exceded our expectations. Looking back, hindsight is 20/20, and we still got married even though our wedding day wasn’t exactly as we expected.
The same goes for our honeymoon. Not all things went as we had expected. Andy was still sick, I got sick later in the week, and we ended the week with my new husband having food poisoning… not the ideal honeymoon let me tell you! Even though the honeymoon wasn’t as we expected healthwise, we were still able to relish in our marriage and enjoy our time together. For most of our time, we were able to push through being sick and go on some pretty cool excursions! We went swimming with whale sharks, scuba diving with sea turtles and sharks, adventuring into underwater caves, and so much more! Our time spent in our resort was nothing short of restful! On days where we weren’t on an excursion, we were 24/7 at the poolside! Regardless of how the honeymoon ended, we cultivated memories as husband and wife that we will never forget & now get to look back and laugh at!
When we tell our honeymoon story, a common response I get from people is, “I’m so sorry!” But honestly, I’m not because I feel like it set us up with the right expectations in marriage that we will have unmet expectations, but that doesn’t mean that our lives are over or that God is any less faithful. Instead, we were able to build a foundation of working through unmet expectations that allowed us to have a better perspective when others came up in the first year of marriage, such as, travel expenses, learning new rhythms, things breaking once you own a house, unexpected health diagnoses, etc. So many things have come up this year that we would both say were not what we expected to experience in our first year of marriage, and yet we look back and are so grateful for how the Lord grew us individually and together.
In every unmet expectation, I am reminded of the sovereignty of God. He is never panicked or caught off guard when things don’t go as we planned. He is all-knowing, and he has every ounce of our lives planned out. He is in control of all things, and we can trust him. A blog post for another day is my struggle with control, but what a gift of a year to be reminded that it is good for God to be in control and not me. “He goes before all things and by Him, all things go together.” Colossians 1:17
XO, Em
Our Hydrangea Wedding - Details That Made Our Day Special
My husband and I got married in August of 2024 - almost a year ago! It is a little wild how it has almost been a year. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting different blogs about my wedding as a walk down memory lane.
We planned the wedding ourselves, and let me tell you, it was quite the endeavor! I found myself often stressed a little too much about the little things and intricate details. Take it from me, an overachieving perfectionist, that your wedding day will be perfect no matter what happens because you are getting to marry your best friend and enter into a covenant with him forever! Not to get too sappy, but looking back, so many things went wrong on our wedding day, and yet I remember all the little details that made the day special for Andy and I. I want to share the personalized details from our special day in hopes of inspiring you for your special day :)
10 Details That Made August 11th Feel Special
First look with my husband, my dad, and my bridesmaids |
This was something that was super important for me! I knew I wanted a special moment with everyone involved in our wedding. We opted to do first looks with my dad and bridesmaids, as well as my husband.
I did the first look with my dad first, and he sobbed. It was a sweet moment I got to share with him as I gave him his Father of the Bride gift. See #5 for inspo! Next I did a first look in my dress with my bridesmaids! I hadn’t shown them what it looked like yet, and let’s just say this dress is not what they thought I’d pick out! Finally, I did my first look with Andy. We did this in the chapel where we got married, and it was intimate and sweet. We got about an hour together to sit and relish in the fact that we were about to become husband and wife, pray together, and share our personal vows to one another. 11/10 recommend doing a first look with your spouse!
All of our first looks!
Our written details |
I love a good letter! Especially to the people who we love deeply. For each of our guests, we had a place card letter thanking them for how they have invested in our relationship and in our walks with the Lord. This letter greeted each of our guests as they sat at their seats for the reception. We also decided to handwrite our bridal party letters to have them as their place cards at the head table. At the moment, it felt tedious because we had 9 girls and 9 guys, but it was a meaningful detail we don’t regret as we got to express to each of them what they mean to us :)
Upon entering the wedding ceremony, I had two friends handing out our programs which I designed to look like a newspaper. This was a simple and creative addition to our wedding day that allowed us to share our story, our hope for marriage, and the details of the day with our guests.
Canva was my friend when it came to the written wedding details. I created these place card letters using Canva. It made it easy to match my colors and fonts in every aspect of our written details to look cohesive and streamline. It was a fun creative outlet that meant a lot to us!
Having a friend photographing & filming our wedding |
We had good friends of ours photographing & filming our wedding day which was 11/10 the best decision! We had Morgan Gribble Photography & Noah Transeau Weddings capturing our wedding. It was so meaningful and important to Andy and I that we would have friends with us on our wedding day for every part. They made the day feel so effortless & comfortable from start to finish. If you’re in the DFW area or not – you should go with Morgan & Noah! They’re amazing!
Creating a theme for the wedding specific to us - hydrangeas |
This was honestly a last minute decision I made after changing my florals a few weeks before my wedding - OOPS! I decided that I wanted to add in a splash of color and chose to do so with blue hydrangeas! This informed the rest of my details I chose for the table scapes, guest notes, & color scheme. Once I added the hydrangeas to my bouquet, I went to the internet to find hydrangea napkins for my table scapes - I found the dreamiest set on Amazon from Two’s Company. From here, I tried to incorporate hydrangeas in as much as I could. This was one of my favorite details of the day, and one that I was able to carry past our wedding day into our home decor & design!
Personalized gifts |
If you’ve found yourself wondering “What should I get for my bridesmaids?” or Googling “Father of the bride gifts,” say no more—I’ve got you covered!
I didn’t want to give our friends and family generic thank-you gifts for our wedding. I wanted each one to feel thoughtful, personal, and representative of Andy and me.
For my bridesmaids, I gave them matching hydrangea-print pajamas (to tie in with our theme, of course!) and a pair of gold hoop earrings with a delicate knot detail. It may seem simple, but I loved that I got to wear the same earrings on our big day. Now, whenever they wear theirs, I hope they think of our friendship and the special moment we shared.
I did something similar for my mom—she received beautiful pearl drop earrings with a knotted accent that matched mine. It was such a sweet, meaningful touch for just the two of us.
For my dad, I wanted to give him something deeply personal. I had a custom tie made with a childhood photo of the two of us and our special phrase: “I love everything about you.” We both sobbed during our first look when I gave it to him—it was such an sweet moment.
Andy’s mom received a necklace with the initials of both her sons and their wives—her two boys mean the world to her, and the gift meant so much. For Andy’s dad, we gifted an engraved Bible, which included a heartfelt letter from Andy inside.
And to make sure everyone felt appreciated, every single person in our wedding received a handwritten letter from us. There have been countless moments where Andy and I have felt cared for, celebrated, and cherished by our friends, and we wanted to return the favor.
Incorporating our “phrase” into the details of our wedding |
Last, but certainly not least, the most meaningful detail from our wedding day that made it feel special was the different ways we were able to incorporate our phrase “day by day” into our wedding.
The phrase “day by day” began when Andy & I were dating long distance, and we committed to one another to take our relationship one day at a time. We knew long distance was no small feat, and we wanted to pursue one another daily. Little did we know that this phrase would hold a two-fold meaning - not only were we continuing to pursue one another daily, but we were also practicing daily dependence on the Lord - doing day by day with HIM.
Since this phrase has always been a part of our relationship, we knew it needed to be a part of our wedding day too. We incorporated this phrase on our wedding handouts, letters to our guests, and custom banner on that hung on our head table at our reception.
Not only did we include it in the decor, but we also included it in small gifts to our family, such as a workout towel for my mom and a blanket for Andy’s mom. Of all the gifts, though, Andy’s wedding band was my favorite incorporation of this detail. As a surprise, I had Andy’s wedding band engraved with our wedding date & our phrase. Now every time he puts on his ring, he gets to be reminded that his wife is choosing day by day with him & daily dependence on the Lord.
I could go on and on about our wedding day & the many reasons it was special… but I’ll stop for now! If you’re in the thick of wedding planning, soak it all in!! It goes by quickly!!! If you’re just getting started & need some inspo, head over to my Pinterest & Amazon Storefront!
XO,
Em
Los Angeles - Travel Diaries
Hi friends!
Welcome to the newest segment on What’s Em Style! Travel Diaries – where I take you through all of the details of my stays and plays!
In June, my husband and I played in Los Angeles, California! This was a bucket list item because I have never been to the West Coast, let alone California - man was it perfect! We stayed three days and three nights in the hustle and bustle of downtown LA, commonly referred to as DTLA. We stayed at an eclectic, moody, and serene boutique hotel called Hotel Per La. This hotel was a prime location for walking to restaurants, patisseries, coffee shops, and lounges. The suite we stayed in was ornately decorated with lively colors, collected artwork and photographs, and traditionally charming bathroom designs. We had a courtyard facing room with a romantically large bathtub in the main room. This room provided deep contrasts in the dark green and navy trim and doorways compared to the white walls and bedding. The natural light was impeccable.
One reason we chose to stay in this hotel was the additional amenities it offered. There were multiple benefits packages to choose from, but the one we chose included a daily food & beverage stipend, access to the LA Athletic Club, and other amenities. The daily food & drink stipend came in handy as we got coffees from the hotel’s coffee shop, Cafe Ora, daily! Iced oat milk latte with sugar-free vanilla please!!!
For most of the days, I played solo as Andy was working. The hotel had plenty of things for me to explore. In the mornings, I parked myself in a comfy and stylish booth in their lobby/restaurant area to get some emails and What’s Em Style things done… as well as people watching. If you enjoy people watching as much as I do, 10/10 recommend going to a new state, sitting in your hotel lobby, and just observing those around you. It was so captivating to hear different accents, observe different styles, and watch different interactions.
On day 2 of being in LA, I explored the rooftop pool area. It was quaint, quiet, & serene. Men and women sat with drinks in their hands and chatted about all the things. The women to my left gossiped about their friend’s new relationship, the gentleman to my right sat reading a book quietly, and the mother & daughter duo in front of me laughed and giggled with each sip of their drinks. I sat at the poolside for hours… again people watching, but also reading on my kindle. I am currently reading Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hildebrand. It was a slow start, but now I am invested in the lives of the employees at the Hotel Nantucket!
Once Andy wrapped up his work for the day, we’d rendezvous at the hotel and head out on our nightly adventure!
Night 1 led us just one block down to the ever-charming Bottega Louie, a restaurant and patisserie that felt straight out of a movie. From the moment we were seated, we were welcomed with a warm basket of bread, a sleek glass bottle of water, and a softly glowing candle that set the mood perfectly. The ambiance was effortlessly elegant, and the food? Impeccable. We ordered their pepperoni pizza, and I’m not being dramatic when I say it was one of the best pizzas we’ve ever had—thin crust, just the right amount of spice, and bubbling with flavor.
After dinner, we made our way to the iconic Griffith Observatory, nestled high above the city. It was bustling with people—clearly a favorite among both tourists and locals—and parking took a bit of patience. But once we arrived, we learned the observatory was celebrating 90 years of stargazing! We even got to look through the largest telescope on-site and saw the moon. It was such a surreal, memorable moment. If you’re ever in LA, 10/10 recommend carving out time to visit the Griffith Observatory.
Night 2 was whimsical & joyous! We ventured out to Santa Monica, where we caught the sunset with our toes in the sand and the ocean breeze tangled in our hair. As we waded into the waves, Andy turned to me and asked what I thought—and all I could think was, “It smells different than the Gulf…” How Texas of me, right?
But truly, that night was the highlight of our entire trip. We giggled & laughed, splashed in the water, and strolled along the famous Santa Monica Pier. At the very end of the pier, we paused to take it all in: the glittering lights behind us, the dark blue horizon ahead, dotted with distant ships and rolling waves. It was absolutely breathtaking. Looking back, I think it’s safe to say… I miss Santa Monica the most.
I hope this post gave you inspiration & must-sees for your next visit to Los Angeles! For more on our time in California, head over to my TikTok for my day in the lifes & outfit of the days! For more on my outfits from our trip, take a look at my “Los Angeles Outfits” shelf on my ShopMy.
XO,
Em
5 Things I’m Taking into Summer
Maybe it’s the weather getting warmer in Dallas or my craving for a salad with strawberries, but I’ve got a good feeling about this summer! This summer is marked by a lot of new and exciting things for me and my husband. We will finally get to move into our house, the renovations will be complete, friends will have their babies, continuing to grow and create with What’s Em Style, and the celebration of one year of marriage!
As I was on my morning walk this morning, I started to scroll on pinterest for my moodboard for the summer. I posted some of these photos on TikTok as a visual to the energy I am hoping to carry into the summer. I felt so inspired to think through things I want to take into the summer - some of which are tangible items and others are skills I want to develop! Nevertheless, this summer will be one of growth!
Atomic Habits by James Clear lays out an idea that we should strive to become 2% better weekly. These are small deposits made over a period of time that after a year, you should look back and see 104% growth in yourself. I hope this inspires you to think of ways you want to improve this summer.
5 Things I’m Taking Into Summer 2025 ~
Summer Staples |
Summer is all about the simple things! The style staples of summer are necessary when you are on vacation with your family or make a spontaneous decision to go get ice cream with your friends. I feel like my style has evolved over the last year from “College Emily” to “Summer Camp Emily” to “Young Professional Emily.” In my journey to find my style, I went back to the basics, and this summer shall be no different.
When dressing during the summer, it should feel effortless… especially when you have your staples. My first staple to have in my closet this summer are dresses! I have declared this summer to be a dress summer! Functional, stylish, flowy, and easy. Some of my favorite dresses are from ASOS and Amazon! I have linked a couple on my wishlist on my Amazon Storefront. In the same vein of feeling effortless, I feel like a summer staple needs to be a throw-on-whenever pair of shoes. For me this year, I have decided those shoes will be my Birkenstock Boston clogs. Simple & easy… perfect for summer!
Lastly, I feel like it is important to have your summer go-to outfit for if you and your friends are going out to dinner, you and your spouse are going on a froyo date, or you have a game night! My go-to outfit this summer are my jean shorts and classic white tee. I feel like I feel the most myself in this outfit, and as a bonus– I can just throw on my clogs!
Summer Stripes |
While we’re on the topic of style… STRIPES! Stripes everywhere please!!!
The pattern for this summer… well year round for me… is stripes. I have been eyeballing some striped dresses on Amazon that I can’t wait to purchase! Additionally, I have loved incorporating more stripes into my home decor in our new house (more content to come on that soon)!
When we’re talking stripes, I’m talking about the quiet luxury stripes… you know the ones–the pin stripe, thin, classy ones. Stripes feel effortless and chic! They shouldn’t be too dramatic and loud, but quiet and gentle.
Summer Simplicity |
Next thing I am taking into summer is a clean and simple makeup routine! If you follow me on Tiktok, you have seen my makeup routine. I love my clean makeup products! This summer I want to lean more into simplifying it.
Currently, I am obsessed with Merit’s minimalist stick in dune, flush balm in cheeky, and bronzing balm in quince. Additionally, I love using Saie’s tinted moisturizer and glowy super gel – all of these products are linked in my storefront under “Summer Essentials”.
I feel like summer is also all about simple jewelry. I have always been a simple jewelry girl, and my go-to places to get jewelry are GLDN, enewton, and a small business called Shop Jenna Brooke.
Summer Sundays |
In the hustle & bustle of my everyday life here in Dallas, I feel like I have lost the art of resting and slowness with the Lord. This summer, my goal is to set aside my Sundays to intentionally rest with the Lord. I don’t just mean sleep in and go to the late service at church, but to truly take time to enjoy being in his presence. Psalm 16:11 has popped up a lot over the last couple of weeks reminding me that “In His presence, there is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.” This is a truth I want to experience in more depth this summer.
Some practical and tangible ways I want to do this is to start memorizing scripture. I used to be more disciplined in this area, but I have lost some of my steam here. Additionally, I want to continue journaling my prayers and inviting God into all that I am dreaming, desiring, and thinking–he cares! Lastly, as I already mentioned, I want to prioritize and capitalize on Sundays being my day of sabbath and slowness with the Lord.
Summer Specialty |
Objectively, this is the thing I am most excited to take into the summer! I have never really been a hobby girl, but I am determined for this summer to be a hobby summer!!! Starting strong with this blog, I want to grow and develop this blog more this summer. I have always loved writing, but now I just have so many creative juices flowing, and I am eager to keep creating. Same goes for TikTok, I have loved having my TikTok as a creative outlet for me!
In the general theme of slowing down this summer, I want to read more. I received a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas last year, and I have so many books I am excited to read on it. I also want to get into embroidery. I love the classy look of a monogram on everything, and I am craving the art of learning a new skill. I’m thinking towels, wreath sashes, cocktail napkins, you name it!!!
The common theme in all of this is evident, I crave slowness and simplicity. This summer is all about that for me. Whether it's through learning hobbies that naturally create slowness or styling clothes that feel effortless, I am all about it for this summer. If you want to join me in this journey, follow me on TikTok, come back to this blog every Friday, and visit my Amazon Storefront for a list of all the essentials and staples I mentioned in today’s blog.
XO,
Em
As seen on Pinterest!
Making a Dream into a Reality
It all begins with an idea.
Hi there!
Thanks for stopping by! Welcome to What’s Em Style – my little corner of the internet to explore my more creative side. With what began as an idea, led to a dream, and is now launching into a reality. I am overjoyed at the opportunity to write and express, in words, all the things I love.
This blog is for the girl who enjoys the finer things in life, who relishes in the Nancy Myers aesthetic, who could spend hours scrolling on Pinterest, who finds joy in taking care of her body, and who finds life in Jesus.
Ever since I was a little girl, I enjoyed writing. I would write short stories for my parents in elementary school. I wrote personal narratives, poems, and short stories in high school (I even won some awards - my claim to fame). In 2020, when the world shut down, I took to the internet to write on a different blog than this one, another blog named Grace Abounds to encourage others in a time where there was so much uncertainty and fear. I stopped writing in college out of a lack of time, not desire. Recently, the desire has been stirred more as I have been seeking to find an outlet to be creative as a young adult, newly married, trying to navigate post-grad… how hard could that be? Well, as I continued to crave creativity, I began to dream about writing for a personal blog again, and this is how I turned my dream into a reality! And you can too!
Here are 5 practical ways I made this dream a reality:
01. Capture the dream
Start big or start small, but just start! I began dreaming of What’s Em Style during a season of immense stress and drain in my life. A friend pointed out a craving for slowness and creativity in my life that I hadn’t yet recognized. Upon this revelation, I sat down to journal out my thoughts, prayers, and desires.
I am a visual person, so I began to draw out my thoughts with circles and arrows and squiggly lines. I noticed patterns in my time of journaling all pointing to a creative platform to express my thoughts about topics that I love. Thus, the idea of What’s Em Style was born.
What was once started as a silly Instagram page for posting my neutral outfits, became a place to post content that I found joy in as a creative outlet, which is not developing into a dream of having a space to write about topics that I love!
02. Cast a vision, direction, and goal
There are a lot of things I could say here. When I started dreaming, I had many squirrly thoughts about what I could do, where I could go, how would this work, etc. I could see the potential, but not the direction. I went back to my journal, to my prayers and to my dreaming thoughts to develop a vision and goals for What’s Em Style.
I knew I wanted this blog to mean something to people. I thought to myself, “what do I enjoy reading?” and “what content do I enjoy seeing?” These questions bred my direction and vision for this platform. Think of it like a cupcake. I wanted to create a space for people to read simple blog entries that would be sweet and rich simultaneously. Rather than choosing a niche to write about, I am choosing to write for myself on topics I love. This would be the base of the cupcake. My personal life and faith would be the sprinkles on top. My ultimate goal in all of this is to use a gift that I have, writing, to communicate to others my joy for life, homemaking, design, health, and style.
03. Consider those who have gone before you
Naturally, I didn’t even know where to begin… I mean I kind of did, but not on the scale that I was dreaming of. So, I went to Pinterest (as one does) to seek out advice from those who have gone before me in creating a digital media platform. What I found was more than just the “how to’s” of starting a blog, but the heart behind why you would start it. Sure, it’s nice to have the best website and growing platforms, but that means nothing if your heart isn’t in it fully.
I read so many blog posts on starting a blog, developing a brand, what to do & what not to do, how to invest your time to promote growth etc. Purposeful Dreamers, Taylor Stanford, & PHMillenia were only a few who inspired me to take the next few steps in making my dream into a reality.
04. Create a platform
Now it’s time to get practical. I had the dream, the research, and the direction I wanted to go with What’s Em Style, and it was time to bring it all together. When creating this blog, I looked into multiple different blogging platforms, what they offered, and ultimately, I decided to use SquareSpace as my platform.
As I developed the website, I also wanted to consider the brand I was creating as well. I considered what colors to use, the fonts I would stick with, and the style of the website. I wanted to make sure every detail was streamlined across every platform. What I mean by this is that I wanted my blog to match my Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, etc. I used Canva to streamline all of these platforms to create my branding for What’s Em Style.
I found a lot of joy in this part of the process because I was able to see all of the pieces coming together… finally! I loved playing around with blues and greens to find the shades I was looking for. I cared deeply about which fonts I used to communicate the feminism, sophistication, authenticity, and approachability of this space for all readers alike. I learned that there can be a lot that is communicated in the colors, fonts, wording, and images I chose to use on this blog. Every decision and detail was intentionally made to create a platform I am proud of & eager to share!
05. Cultivate your reality
Post. Publish. Promote. This is the final step in making this dream a reality. Its as simple as just doing what you set out to do. What this looks like for me is simply writing. Planning blog posts. Creating matching Instagram main grid posts and stories. Publishing to Pinterest. All the above to cultivate this reality!
I hope this blog meets you where you’re at everytime you visit this page. Whether in your drought of life or your wellspring of creativity and wellness. Let’s be friends and take on this dream together!
XO,
Em