8 TIPS TO LONGLASTING FRIENDSHIPS

Did you know Jacey of Damsel in Dior was my very first friend in LA?! We met while working at E! together in 2007!  We got together for this cute shoot and an amazing lunch at one of our favorite places in Beverly Hills, Culina. It’s a must-try if you haven’t been before!

So you may or may not know my/our story, but here goes an abriviated version (for more on me, head to my About page or watch my About Me Video HERE)!  I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and studied Journalism at the University of Louisville. I always wanted to be a host on E! News, which led me to transfer to LA my junior year of college where I eventually landed an internship at E!. After going back to Louisville for my senior year, I got a call about a job opening for the Exec Assistant position at E! News a week before graduation, so I packed my bags after my last final and headed to LA on a Thursday to interview and started the job at E! that next Monday!  I was so ecstatic – it was an absolute dream come true.  The only downside, I left all of my friends and family behind in Louisville. The only person I knew in LA at the time was my boyfriend, aka now husband (whom I had met in LA during my internship) so I needed to make some girlfriends.  There was a young cute blonde sitting across from me in the office at E! – she had impeccable style and a southern accent, her name was Jacey.  It turned out she had just moved to LA a bit before me and had also just started at E! as the Exec Assistant for the show The Daily 10!  It was pretty much love at first sight!  We bonded over our love of queso, family, fashion, we had similar values and we both wanted to be talent on E!  Before long, Jacey went on to pursue a few other gigs and eventually her blog full-time, while I stayed at E!, but that didn’t affect our friendship.  We always made time for each other and loved hanging out.  Our boyfriends (now husbands) became fast friends, we traveled the world together, I was a bridesmaid in her wedding and she in mine!  The rest is history and ten years later, we are still good friends!

Jacey is actually the one who convinced me to start my own blog after I left E! almost four years ago and felt lost.  I was the Fashion Producer for years at E! and after seeing how much Jacey loved blogging and how successful she was, I felt I might be able to make it work too!  She guided me  on which camera to use and how to do wordpress; paired with my contacts and content ideas, I was off!  Since Jacey and I have such a storied friendship, one that probably doesn’t happen often these days unless you grew up together, especially in LA, we thought we would each share our tips to long-lasting friendship!  Check out my four tips below and head to Jacey’s blog Damsel in Dior for the other four!

Tips to Longlasting Friendship:

1.  Loyalty – I always have my friends backs and am very protective.  My friends have always said they admire this quality in me and know they can count on me to be there and support them.  I treat my friends like family.

2.  Communication – communication is key to any relationship and it’s the same for friendships.  Sometimes we have different needs as individuals or our feelings get hurt, etc, whatever the case may be, it’s always better to be open and communicate your feelings and needs to the other person. There is a reason in my opinion that a lot of friends grow apart and at the root, it probably boils down to lack of communication.

3.  Do Girls Nights Sans Kids – my mom always told me no matter who I was dating, make time for your girlfriends.  Be a girl’s girl because they will be there through thick and thin and I have always heeded that advice. Even with a hectic job and balancing being a wife and mom, I think it’s super important to still make time for my girlfriends and put in the effort. It actually makes me a better mom and wife being able to get out alone and blow off some steam with my crew of strong women. And you don’t have to do it every night or every week, but once a month or so is VERY healthy!

4.  Consideration – It’s hard work being a friend. The saying ‘nothing in life worth having comes easy’ is certainly true for friendships and relationships. While you are an individual first and foremost, you also have to really invest in your friendships and keep your friends in mind when it comes to making decisions that may affect them. Whether it has to do with guys, work or other friends, be a considerate, loving friend in order to have and keep considerate loving friends.

For more tips head to DamselinDior.com. Thanks for stopping by and make sure to follow along with me on Instagram @thestyleeditrix

Shop My Look:  Tolani Eva Ebony Dress // Sole Society Lace-Up Heels (similar HERE) // Sonix Lafayette Sunglasses // Gucci Crossbody Disco Bag

Photos by Valorie Darling