Peplum vest, plus size wide leg cropped pants, slingback flats and Celine Phantom worn by Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves. Peplum vest, collared blouse, wide leg cropped pants, slingback flats and Celine Phantom worn by Tanesha Awasthi of Girl With Curves.

OUTFIT DETAILS

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As I reflect on the past couple days and write this post, everything seems so surreal. Just yesterday I was in the White House garden planting herbs and vegetables, followed by a private meeting with Michelle Obama, discussing her Let’s Move! initiative. In case you aren’t familiar, The First Lady is on a mission to improve the health of kids across the nation by giving more schools access to healthy foods, providing healthy living resources for parents, modernizing nutrition fact labels and so much more.

When I received an invite through ShopStyle and PopSugar from the Office of the First Lady, I almost sent the email to my spam folder because I didn’t believe it was real! Luckily I didn’t, because after sorting through a few details, I was on my way to DC just five days later for one of the most memorable experiences in my career as a blogger. 

Aside from preparing questions to ask the First Lady, I kept thinking, what will she be wearing?! as I prepared my own looks for the trip.

On the first day of my visit, I was given a tour of the White House Kitchen Garden established by Michelle Obama in 2009 “with the hope of growing a healthier nation for our children.” Over the course of the Obama Administration, the White House Kitchen Garden has supplied fruits and vegetables to the First Family, guests at State Dinners, and for those in need in the local community. In 2014, a pollinator garden was planted to provide habitat for bees, butterflies, and birds as part of the Administration’s efforts to promote pollinator health. White House chefs use honey from those bees as a sugar substitute in the White House bakery, and Mrs. Obama often gifts honey to friends and family- I also got to take a bottle home! The garden spans approximately 2,800 square feet, often tended by students from across the country, planting and harvesting. 

I wasn’t aware beforehand that I’d have the chance to actually garden during my visit so I wasn’t dressed for the occasion, but I put my hair up, picked up a shovel and got to work anyway! I’ve never gardened before, but having one in my own backyard has been a dream of mine for as long as I remember, so learning in the White House garden was a once in a lifetime opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. 

Stay tuned next week for details and images from my second day at the White House, when I got to sit down with the First Lady to discuss my mission for the blog and how I think she can help!