Seasonal Changes

polish // sweater // lipstick // jeans // bag // booties // vest // necklace

Today is unseasonable cold and inspired me to post some fall favorite that I cannot wait to throw on! I love everything about fall but especially the colors, the chill in the air, dark nails, boots, sweaters, and of course hot beverages. Luckily, I picked up the herringbone vest last year but they are back in stock at J.Crew Factory so if you want one you better hop to it. I have fought the idea of booties for so long, but I think I'm willing to try some out this year. Also, how amazing is that tube of lipstick? Yes I'm lipstick-phobic, but the packaging and the color are swoon-worthy!

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Light Reading

It's been a while since I've done a post about blogs I am loving lately. The wonderful thing about blogs is that there are so many out there you could literally read new ones each day. I do have a list of standards that I ALWAYS visit, but then I come across new ones that really catch my attention and resonate with me. So today I would like to share with you four very different blogs that I am currently loving.

Elements of Style by Erin Gates. I have blogged about Erin and her blog before, but I wanted to tell you why I love this gal so much. When you read Elements of Style, it reads almost like an email from your best friend (your best friend with impeccable taste, a fabulous eye for style, and cracks you up all at the same time). She is very open and honest about her personal struggles as a woman, blogger, interior designer, and just as a person. This chick is real, and that is so hard to find in the blogging world. Yes she has gorgeous pictures of her home, her outfits, and her projects, but then she'll tell you about her insecurities and how harsh she is on herself. We can ALL relate to that. This gem of a blog gives you everything you want and then some. If you love great style, design, and to laugh with your best gal pal, Erin is right up your alley!

Designer Bags & Dirty Diapers by Natalie Mason. Ok so at first I'll be honest I lumped this into the mommy blog/nothing I could ever relate to blog categories. I was so wrong. First, Natalie has some amazing recipes. I have made several and they are always hits (her Korean Beef Bowl and stuffed meatballs are on regular rotation in my home). Second, her children are adorable. I like kids and it's just enough kid stuff without being too much if that makes sense. Also, homegirl always alerts me to great sales. I like seeing a glimpse into the life of a successful blogger that juggles her blog, social, and family life in an attainable manner.

The Peak of Tres Chic by Sam Penner. I really like Sam's blog for a few reasons. First, Sam didn't initially start out her professional life as an interior designer, but gave in to her passion and left her career to start one she loved. Her blog started out like many other do, a creative outlet and passion project and you can really see the evolution of it in her posts. Sam also blogs about fashion, beauty, travel, entertaining, and organization (gotta a love a lady who loves organization in a non-sterile way). I enjoy her attainable aesthetic, which is kind of hard to come by in the blog world.

It's the Little Things by Taylor O'Shaughnessy (sorry don't know her newly married last name). This girl cracks me up. She is so funny, I find myself laughing uncontrollably when I read her posts. My absolute favorite is her Thursday "Coffee Talk" post where she comments on everything from reality tv, current events, etc. Seriously I get an ab workout for this lady. Again, she seems to be 100% herself, and like someone you are dying to hangout with. She posts about everything and it's so refreshing from many other fashion and lifestyle blogs. Definitely top 5 blog crushes.

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite blogs at the moment? I am always looking for new ones to check out.


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Weekend + Links

Hallelujah it's Friday! The week coming back from a getaway is always rough so the weekend is very much welcomed around here. I have my dear friend, former roommate, and sorority sister's wedding this weekend and it's sure to be a blast. Hope everyone has an amazing weekend, see you Monday!


What style icon Reese Witherspoon's has taught us about modern American style.

The good folks at Garden & Gun have recreated the food pyramid with their Southern Food Groups. Which one is your favorite?

Tips from a pro on how to transform your closet. Needed this badly.

Have you entered to win your trip to Hawaii along with other great prizes?

A trendy foods pesto that looks so so good!

Dream House

Once in a blue moon I'll come across a design project that really just knocks my socks off. Typically I will like one component of a home but not another. Loving each part that I see is a rarity for me (I'm picky and difficult just so you know). I recently started following Rach Parcell on Instagram (yes yes very very late to the game), and as I scrolled through many pretty pictures I kept stopping on the ones of her newly built and decorated home.

First, the house is grand. It has huge ceiling, tons of light, and gorgeous natural elements throughout like exposed wood beams and Calcutta gold marble. Second, the attention to detail is spectacular. I love the serene palette of whites and grays, neutrals never looked so good! The kitchen is to die for, I could literally do several posts on just that. The real stunner though, at least for me, is her closet/office space.

This is no ordinary closet. This is the stuff of dreams. Yes it is enormous and so beautifully designed, but oh my gawd Becky that leopard carpet is B-A-N-A-N-A-S! You say you like gold, white lacquer, and animal print? It's all there ladies. I too would hang out in my closet if it came close to this one. Also that puppy is gorgeous and makes me that much more jealous.

I'm assuming there is so much more fabulousness left to this home, but my stalking abilities/time I want to spend stalking only go so far. I do suggest you check out Rach's blog Pink Peonies and Instagram, and also the Alice Lane Home as they did the install. Hopefully if Rach ever saw this post she would think it was nice to have such home/style admiration and not utterly creepy. Fingers crossed!

The light in this home is unreal and the entire wall of windows is spectacular. Don't get me started on the chaise...

 Holy kitchen! Where do I even begin? Maybe the brass fixtures, marble, open shelving, island, or range. I can't. It's too much pressure!

Glorious table and chairs as if they weren't going to be on point, puhlease. The light fixtures are no joke either. Each is gorgeous and different. Also I'm really digging that beam in the bedroom. 

The powder room makes my master bathroom look like a gas station restroom. If I never have anything else in my home but a soaking tub I can die a happy woman.

I'm doing my best not to write too much but come on this the most ridiculously amazing closet I've ever seen. I'm smitten with everything in it, including that lab. Note to future husband: if you can deal with leopard carpet in the home, you may have anything you want..ANYTHING!

Getting Lippy

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There are a few things I am really bad at. Applying lipstick happens to be one of them. I love the look of a bold lip, but to be honest I am terrified of the application process, the bleeding, and the potential for lipstick all over my teeth. I can't tell you how many times I have put it on to go out, only to wipe it all off before I step through the door.

So what's a crazy anxious lipstick-phobic gal like me to do? Find products that mimic the pigment and staying power of a lipstick, without the traditional tube and slanted tip. I've rounded up a few of my favorite alternatives and some ones I'd really like to try out. The new chubby crayon shape many brands are coming out with give me the precision I need in rich, velvety shades I actually want to wear. 

I mainly stick to balms during the week, and I have to give a shout out to Fresh's Sugar treatment in "Cherry" because this is one of the most pigmented lightweight balms out there. It seamlessly transitions from day to night. I am pretty intrigued by the concept of liquid lipstick as that is very much in my comfort zone. Also, there are some wonderful alternatives available at your local drugstores so don't forget to check those out as well (I'm looking at you Burt's Bees and Revlon). 

Does anyone else relate to my lipstick phobia? Any products you swear by to give you the same look without the anxiety of traditional lipstick?

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National Relaxation Day

Relax. We're all familiar with the term, but most of us have a hard time actually doing just that. Whether it's the rat race, our families, or busy social lives, the idea of slowing down and taking time for ourselves is almost foreign. Relaxing is so important to our health, well being, and attitudes.

I have a hard time with relaxing for many reasons, mostly the glorified idea that being busy is a positive. Then something almost serendipitous happened; I was asked to participate in spreading the word about National Relaxation Day and my boyfriend insisted on a last minute extra long weekend of total relaxation. Sadly, we both know that in order for us to take that much time to relax we have to get out of town.

Our weekend was spent in true Tommy Bahama fashion by fully embracing the resort lifestyle. We lounged and napped poolside, enjoyed cocktails, spent time at the spa, dined al fresco, sipped wine by a fire, and even spent a night in our hotel room in bath robes. It was blissful and surprisingly easy to be fully present in the moment once our usual distractions were gone. I came back after five days feeling rejuvenated, well rested, and ready to tackle another week.

Relaxation doesn't have to mean a vacation, a trip to the spa, or spending money at all. It can be as simple as carving out some time for yourself to de-stress and do the things that you enjoy. That could be as easy as sitting on your balcony or porch with a glass of wine, taking a bath with your favorite candle lit, or even reading a book before bed. Anything that makes YOU feel good and less stressed is all you need. Tommy Bahama wants you to feel as relaxed as I did over the weekend with their Summer of Go Sweepstakes. Each week until August 18th, Tommy Bahama will be giving away a fabulous travel packages each week with the Grand Prize Winner receiving a Hawaiian vacation for four (this prize includes a ton of other goodies valuing the prize at over $7,000!). Make sure you enter to win, and check out your local Tommy Bahama for in-store events and giveaways. And lastly, make Relaxation Day part of your weekly routine!

Many thanks to Tommy Bahama for sponsoring today's post and encouraging me to "make life one long weekend!" 

Weekend + Links

I'm writing this post Wednesday because we're off on a very last minute long weekend to The Homestead in Virginia. Three and a half days of hot springs, spa visits, hiking, and skeet shooting does a body so so good! Hope everyone had a great week!

A list of several thriller books to feed your Gillian Flynn addiction.

Mrs. Lilien's million dollar cobbler recipe looks like a total knockout!

Gardenia body serum? Sign me up!

An easy DIY to feed your pom pom obsession!

The mistress of pain and gain shares an ab workout, they will make you hurt so good.

Have an amazing weekend! xx