Jess Lively

Today I’m honored to announce that I’ve been asked to be a contributor for The Everygirl! The plan is to dish out life/balance/work/intention advice once a month. Hop over to The Everygirl to see my three tips on balancing your work and personal life.

Today I’m proud to announce a new series on MML called Keeping it Real. Inspired by the applause from my humbling bikini photo, I knew that I needed to wipe away the “blog gloss” a bit. But rather than show you a gross-ish picture of me every week, I thought you might like a little [...]

When I moved to Chicago and started Jess LC from scratch in a studio apartment in 2007 I didn’t have a lot. I was self-funded by my part-time efforts from Jess LC in college and spent a lot of time thrifting for my decor and shopping at inexpensive “fast fashion” stores. It was wonderful because [...]

Recently a few people have asked what my daily routine looks like. And though I’m a person who loves a pretty decent amount of normalcy in my life, I don’t have a very tight structure on what I do each workday. Because I work for myself, I am the only person to blame if I [...]

At long last, the Nate Show segment has aired! I know I’ve been secretive about what the segment was about, but the truth can now be revealed: My apartment was selected for a House Proud tour. In addition, they asked me to come to the studio in NYC and show everyone how to make three [...]

In order to stay more present and grateful throughout the week, my intention is to take snapshots of moments or things in my life that I’m thankful for. Whew! What a week. To be honest, I have to say that I spent most of it working (I’ve started my own Midnight Hustle getting the business [...]

Just a reminder that I’ll be on tomorrow’s Nate Show on NBC in case you want to catch it!

On the coat tails of my post about my abs, I think there’s something I’d like to discuss a bit more. The idea of being authentic online.  There were many people who mentioned on that post that they enjoyed my authenticity here on MML. And I appreciate that so much. Those who may not have [...]

I cannot thank you all enough for the overwhelming response from my post about my abs. Holy cow. It was kind of a love fest that was so strong it had me buzzing until 1AM. Thank you for that, now I’m really tired. I kid, I kid. Seriously though, I cannot say thank you enough [...]

Okay. Remember this photo? It’s caused a few waves and I want to do a little follow up. I’ve recently realized through reading and some offhand comments by friends that a few people have been impressed/surprised/envious of my abs. And after a recent (very kind) post about them, I wanted to share my comment in [...]

For the start of 2012 we are looking back in time for inspiration for our new Jess LC FLEA collection. We have gone treasure hunting for vintage items to re-work into our signature Jess LC style. It was incredibly fun to experiment with new colors, textures, and materials that you just can’t find these days. Here [...]

For those who are also obsessed with Downton Abbey and are now experiencing withdrawal symptoms waiting for season three… I will be on The Nate Show this Friday (February 24th) on NBC. I know, I know, I’m not nearly as exciting as Mary and Matthew’s will they / won’t they saga. But hey, I’m all ya got [...]

Recently I shared this TED talk about how being in a positive, thankful attitude makes our brains function 30% better. I’m taking his suggestions to heart and I’m making an intention to snap photos throughout the week of things (or moments) that I’m thankful for. Then, I intend to share them here on MML. By crafting [...]

Be responsible, be courteous, respond thoughtfully. But don’t assume that you have to look at every email you receive the second it hits your inbox. The present moment brings peace and joy. A screen does not.

  … And in other news, congrats to Jenny for winning the $50 credit giveaway from Elembee Creative!

One of the new projects I have alluded to recently involves live business workshops across the country. What was originally just a lofty idea in my mind quickly became more realistic after mentioning it in my new vision for my career. I got a surprising amount of encouraging feedback on the concept. So I’ve been [...]

Tonight is the next Business in the City event! It is at 6:30-8:00 at 659 W. Diversey in Next Door’s back open space. I can’t wait to see everyone there! For those who may not be familiar with Business in the City, it’s a meet up group I started in Chicago’s Lincoln Park/Lakeview area to provide business [...]

This handsome guy…. Loves this gorgeous gal….   A whole lot…   Happy Valentines day Jess. I look forward to many more.

First of all, I wasn’t sure about just what to say about this Valentine’s Day. Like many, I’ve had extremely good and bad experiences with February 14th. Over the years I’ve been adored, surprised, and spoiled. Like my recent trip to Cabo. And I’ve also spent the holiday single eating an entire box of Samoas [...]

My career is building momentum quickly now that I’ve declared my new intention. Lots of projects are in the works with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. I’m so excited to share the newness as things get completed. In the meantime, there is one intention that needs to be addressed: a new [...]

Before the holidays I did a little straw poll on MML about color combinations for the new release of iPad cases (which are back in stock!). The vote was between gold with a gray interior or gold with an aqua interior. The result was about 60 to 1. Aqua was the clear winner. Now that [...]

When I was a junior in college I had what I consider to be an emotional meltdown. It was one of those years where things snowballed from bad to worse, largely due to my own thinking. I binge ate candy bars, was in therapy facing a lot of old demons, and burned down all of [...]

I don’t know about you, but this week has been looong. For me, Mexico was immediately replaced with ups and downs and some not so nice mood swings (thanks, PMS). But today is Friday. Amen. And I’d like to do a bit of positive reflection. I’m choosing to celebrate my progress on my intention for [...]

Yesterday my friend Amy sent me a great TED Talk. It is so funny, insightful, and helpful, that it is one of my favorites of all time. In the talk about positive psychology, Shawn Achor explains how to get more success at work, intentionally. (Since WordPress isn’t letting me upload the video in this screen [...]

Yep, that’s right. I’ve found a way to make chocolate intentional. Though I will say right off the bat this is not your chocolate lover’s fantasy… this is more of a health intention turned more enjoyable. Since I’m not that fond of dairy beyond cheese (I love me some cheese), I realize that my calcium [...]

Hop over to the Jess LC FB page to post your pic!

This morning I woke up with a feeling of excitement for the many new projects I’m working on for Jess LC. And at the same time, I also had a knot of dread bigger than an Ann Sather’s cinnamon roll in my stomach. You see, we have been in the process of getting our new [...]

¡Hola! Mr. Lively and I are back from our long weekend in Cabo, Mexico. We had a great time. I didn’t realize how much we needed the trip … until I hit the hot tub. With just four hours of sleep and fourteen hours of travel, I had bickered with Mr. Lively most of the [...]

Today’s sponsor post is from Lisa, a MML reader and Midnight Hustler. She’s a huge asset to anyone thinking of starting an online business and need help branding, getting their shop designed, and making sure they make a great impression on their future customers. I love her work and can’t recommend her more! Be sure [...]

Today I am traveling back to Chicago from Cabo. And while I do so, I’d like to take a moment and dedicate my intention this week to thinking bigger. I had a great talk last week with Claudia which really got my mind churning. And while a week ago I was feeling kinda lost, I [...]