Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

January 29, 2013

Fashion post {1/29/13}








  •  Dress: Lilly Pulitzer (December 2012)
  • Boots: DSW (December 2012)
  • Earrings: Gift from my grandma (November 2012)
  • Bracelets: An airport jewelry kiosk (July 2012)    


      I want to start things off with a shout-out to the BEAUTIFUL weather! The South is had an unusually warm day today, and temperatures  neared the 70s. This is a huge winter blessing for this Maine girl!  
Now, onto my outfit. This post will be my first (of probably many) declarations of my love for Lilly. Lilly Pulizer that is! I was never really a big Lilly fan in high school, but I think the main reason for this is simply I didn't know much about it. I checked the Lilly website and it appears that there's only one boutique in the whole state of Maine that sells it... but the South is totally different! Lilly Pulitzer items are the rage down here, and there are many more Lilly stores to shop at. The only problem with Lilly Pulitzer is that their items tend to be very expensive. This dress that I bought in December was very marked down, and still cost me over $100. Don't get me wrong- I typically don't spend that much money on my clothes! I'm all about bargain shopping. But I fell in love when I tried it on, and it was an end-of-semester gift to myself for getting all A's and surviving my first semester of college. :-)
     This dress is called "Jeannie." I adore the pretty colors and floral print (If I haven't said before I'm obsessed with anything floral), but my favorite part of this dress is the modesty factor. It's high cut with a flattering neckline and adorable 3/4 legnth sleeves, and it's definitely long enough, so these factors combined prevent me from showing anything unnecessary. ;-) But what I really like is that even though it's modest in cut it doesn't just hang on me like a sack, it's fitted in all the right places and shows off my chest and hips in a ladylike way! Seriously ladies, this is a win-win situation going on.
     Yes, the boots that I'm wearing here are the same ones that I've worn in my last few posts. At least I warned y'all that they'd be appearing a lot. When I get a pair of shoes or boots that I really like, I tend to wear them all the time. My freshman year of high school it was that way with my first pair of Uggs. I wore those poor things out so much that by the time they were unwearable the soles of them were almost nonexistant and they had many stains and scratches. Let's hope I never take these poor boots to those extremes!
     My grandma gave me these earrings a little after Thanksgiving. For the holiday she had flown down to Virginia to spend time with my uncle and aunt who live there, and she had found these at a little jewelry boutique while she was there. They're simple, so they blend in well with this bright dress, instead of taking away from it.
     Yes, I really did get these 2 stretch bangles at an aiport kiosk! To be specific it was Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. On my trip to visit my college for orientation last summer my dad and I had some time to kill in the airport on the way down, and I found my way to a jewelry kiosk. They were having some sort of deal if you bought two. I love how one of them says "PRAY" on it, what a great reminder to thank God all the time! And the pretty stones in the other bracelet match almost everything I wear. Moral of this little story: cute jewelry can be found almost anywhere! Even in airports. :-)


     What was the weather like where you live today? I'm sad that it will again be turning cold here later in the week.


     xoxo Miss ALK
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January 27, 2013

On humbleness.

     If you pick up any Christian fiction book, chances are there will be a moment in the story when one of the main characters hears or reads a bible verse that really speaks to them and encourages them in that moment. The character will always thank the Lord for showing them what they needed to hear in right then, and then usually try and apply whatever they learned to their life. Before a few days ago, I was pretty convinced that this only happened in books, or to people that were much deeper into their faith then I was.

     One of my dreams since when I was little was that I wanted to be famous. It's a very unspecific dream, and I was never really quite sure what I wanted to be famous for. For example I was 5 I decided that I wanted to be the next Britney Spears after watching one of her televised concerts. That dream died a few years later when I realized that singing high pitched pop songs wasn't my specialty, so I tried to find other things that I could be famous for. My ideas for fame have varried over the years, and my point isn't so much specifically about what I want to be famous for, but why I have had this obsession with fame. I think that a lot of it comes from the fact that most of my high school years weren't that great, and I have this empty place in my heart from that where I just want to prove myself to people, and show them that I am capable of doing great things. But this week God showed me that this dream isn't healthy.

     Every night since New Years' I've been reading a chapter of my bible right before bed. I'm starting with Matthew, the first book in the New Testament. This past Wednesday, the 23rd, my nightly reading was in the 23rd chapter. This one verse in particular stuck out to me:

     "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." -Matthew 23:12 NIV

     And then suddenly, I was experiencing that God moment! I knew God was speaking to me through this very passage. He was reminding me that my goal of living my life shouldn't be about me getting the admiration of other people... it should be about bringing the glory to Him! He reminded me that even though there is nothign wrong with wanting to be accepted by my peers and by being well liked, "fame" shouldn't be a goal on my radar. After reading this verse I gave some thought to my chosen career path. I'm a communications major in college, hoping to someday be a DJ on a radio station. While this is still what I want to do, I started thinking about how I can use radio someday as a positive outlet to stand up for my Christian faith, instead of just promoting myself and secular views.

     Humbleness is such a powerful trait. Being humble doesn't mean that you have to be 100% submissive to those around your or let other people take credit for work that you did, but it does mean that your main goal in life is to strive for godliness and giving the credit of the things that you do to Him.  

     I'm sorry if this post was really jumbled. It took me 3 days just to be able to write out all my thoughts. They make perfect sense in my head, but were hard to type out. I'm always a little nervous in sharing my thoughts on disciplines on the faith (maybe that's why it's a little easier for me to stick to having a primarily fashion blog), but I pray that this post encouraged you.


     Have you read any bible verses that have stuck out to you lately?


     xoxo Miss ALK
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January 25, 2013

Fun Fact Friday {1}.

     Today I'm linking up to my real-life and blogging friend Emily's blog The Adventures of Rosie. She's been doing "Fun Fact Friday" posts for the past couple weeks and I thought I'd join in on the fun! I used to occasionally do "Facts" type posts on my old blog, but I like the idea of having a set day and number of fun facts to post per week! I'll try and make my fun facts pretty unique and interesting.

January 25th, 2013

  1. 25 is actually one of my lucky numbers! I've just always liked it, not really sure why. :-)
  2. At college I sleep with a jar of Nutella on the nightstand next to my bed. It's been there for months. I don't eat it very often but I think it adds a unique aspect of "decor" to my bed area!
  3. I love Pasty Cline's music. My mom used to play a cassette of her greatest hits in the car when I was little. It was one of the few types of music mom and I could agree on. ;-) I now have a special playlist for her songs on Spotify.
  4. I refuse to get a Pinterest account. It looks like a lot of fun, but Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and blogging take up too much of time already. My college is big on Twitter so I'm on there a lot.
  5. My mom keeps asking me if I've gotten a flu shot yet this year, and I keep telling her I will... but shots scare me! The thought of taking myself to a flu shot clinic by myself is quite terrifying.

     If you would like to participate in Fun Fact Friday please give credit to Emily in your post and follow her blog! It's a private blog to the public, so shoot her a friendly e-mail at theadventuresofrosieblog@gmail.com and she'll gladly approve you as a follower!


     xoxo Miss ALK
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January 24, 2013

I'm so "Sperry" excited.










     Please ignore the corny post title, but I'm way too giddy to show y'all my new shoes. I'm probably a little late to get in on the Sperry trend, but that can't curb my enthusiasm. :-) I'm sure you noticed that after seeing the bad bathroom picture/selfie of me holding my Sperry box.
      During my senior year of high school (aka last year) a ton of girls at my high school had Sperrys. I thought about getting a pair for awhile, but at the time the Sperry was mostly just making boat shoes with more plain designs. I'm all about the bling, so I didn't want to waste a ton of money on a shoe that I dubbed "boring." Also, Maine has really weird weather. It's pretty much snow boot weather for 9 months out of the year, and then it quickly turns into flip-flop conditions for a good few months, and then back to cold.
      But this Spring break I'll be off (along with my mom!) with a tour group from my college to Italy, and I needed some good closed toed walking shoes. I aboslutely despise wearing athletic sneakers unless I'm working out, so these weren't an option. My mom and I went to Dillard's last weekend when she was visiting me at school and the shoe clerk reccomended Sperrys. I was delighted when I found this brand new style! I'm in love with the pink and green flower design, and the fact that it has a layer of sequins over it made me so happy. These shoes are wicked comfortable and I can't wait to take them around the world (literally)!


     Have any of you gotten any new shoes lately?


     xoxo Miss ALK


     P.S. I'm so excited about the great feedback that I've been getting on my fashion posts lately! I'll defintely be keeping those going for a long while, but expect a post on a more personal note soon. :-)
   
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January 22, 2013

Fashion post {1/22/13}










  • Dress: TJ Maxx (Summer 2008)
  • Blazer: Forever 21 (January 2013)
  • Boots: DSW (December 2012)
  • Earrings: Gift from a relative (2011)
  • Bangles: Charming Charlie (January 2013)

     My outfit may look "springy" and green, but don't let that fool you into thinking the weather was nice when my college friend M took these pictures! It was a chilly day here in the South. I was wearing pantyhose with this outfit to keep my legs from freezing off, and I had to take off my big bulky black parka to take these pictures. It may have been sunny out, but that didn't stop the wind from blowing! :-)
     I've had this green dress forever. Literally. I got it at the end of 8th grade, and it still fits like a glove! It's made of a super stretchy material, so it's accomodated my body (since I've definitely grown from then!). It was a TJ Maxx find and has definitely paid off! I've worn it to family parties, warm fall and summer (and now winter) days in school, days out with friends, vacations...etc.  My mom says that this dark green color compliments my hazel eyes and hair color very well. And she's an artist- so I trust her opinion!
     Can I just say that I'm IN LOVE with this black blazer that I have on?! Like seriously, I'd be wearing it every day if I could. I found it a couple weeks ago when I was in New York City with my dad over winter break. There is a Forever 21 flagship store in Times Square, and I got a bunch of new clothes and jewelry there. This was definitely my favorite purchase though! I'd reccomend that all ladies get themselves a basic blazer. You can pair it with everything from jeans to cocktail dresses. I think that it adds a classic dressy vibe to any outfit! Forever 21 is a great place to find blazers, because all of their clothes are so affordable and trendy, and they had a ton of different styles, this is just the one that fit me the best.
     I'm sure that y'all are familiar with these brown boots by now. :-) They've been in my last 2 other fashion posts! At least I warned everyone that they'd be appearing a lot. 
      I love the bright bangle bracelts that I'm wearing in this post almost as much as my blazer! I got them at the chain jewelry store Charming Charlie. If you have a Charming Charlie near you and you've never been... drop everything and get over there! It's the best costume jewelry store and one of my all-time favorite stores. There aren't any in Maine but I've been to one in Connecticut a few times and that's where I bought these. My dad was so kind as to make Charming Charlie our reststop coming home from New York City. :-) Seriously, I want to buy everything they sell. I wish I could move into the store- everything is so sparkly and pretty! My earrings were a gift from one of my uncles a couple years ago.
     I like wearing dresses as much as I can because I think they're so feminine and fun. I also think that it's a sign of respect to dress up for my classes at college. I mean, I don't wear like evening gowns or anything, but I like to look professional and classy. You know that I've had a night of little to no sleep and a bad day if you see me in yoga pants with no make-up on in my classes. 


     xoxo Miss ALK
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January 21, 2013

Fashion post {1/21/13}









  • Shirt: dElia*s (July 2012)
  • Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters (Fall 2011)
  • Boots: DSW (December 2012)
  • Headband: Goody (Gift from my mom-January 2013)
  • Neckalce: Handmade by yours truly! <3 (January 2012)
  • Bracelet: Handmade by yours truly! <3 (Summer 2011)
  • Nail Polish: Nina Ultra Pro (Can be bought at Sally Beauty Supply)
  • Earrings: Forever 21 (Sorry that y'all can't really see them! June 2012)

     I'll start off by saying I'm not usually a fan of stripes. It's not that I think they're ugly, I'd just rather wear something with a floral design or wild print. Stripes are just a little refined for my taste. But this past July my aunt had taken me shopping for college clothes, and I fell in love with this shirt. I don't own a lot in pale pink, and I thought that the color of the shirt mixed in with navy stripes, sheer lace sleeves and the feminine cut was adorable! It's very versitile, and I could see myself pairing it with a black bodycon skirt, or jean shorts in the summertime. A black scarf might also look very classy with it! However, I will say that I only bought this shirt because it was on clearance- dElia*s tends to be pretty expensive for what you get. I like their clothes but can often find much better deals at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe.
     My jeans and boots have been featured in previous fashion posts on this blog, and you'll probably be seeing them again soon. They're definitely staples of my closet! My mom came down to visit me at school last weekend as I mentioned in a recent post, and she brought some new headbands for me in her suitcase. The simple black one that I'm wearing here is one of them. I rarely wear my hair in a bun like this because a.) I have a ton of hair and it takes time getting it to stay up and b.) I think I look better with my hair down, but I wanted to mix it up a little on this Monday. :-)
     Now for my favorite part of this post- my handmade jewelry! My high school offered metalsmithing classes, which were about 95% jewelry making. I was blessed to be able to be in 2 semesters of this, one my junior year and one senior year. While we got to experiement with some cool stuff as a class like making glass beads over a torch and sautering metal, my favorite projects involved beading. I actually made both of these projects at home using skills that I learned in class! The necklace idea came from this project book that was a Christmas gift from a cousin of mine a couple years ago. The beads and wire supplies used in both of these items were purchased at A.C. Moore, Michael's and Walmart.


     Do any of you like to make jewelry? I wish that I'd had room to bring all of my supplies to school, but sadly I didn't. Maybe I can make some more wire beading projects this summer! I think handmade jewelry is the best, because every piece is unique. 


     xoxo Miss ALK
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January 19, 2013

Why you *should* enter giveaways.







     In September or October 2012 I entered a giveaway on a blog that has many more followers and readers than my little blog. The blogger was having a giveaway where a few winners would get gift certificates to In Pink, which is an online jewelry website. I didn't expect to win anything since I was one of hundreds (if not thousands) of people entering. But low and behold I was one of the winners for a gift certificate, and one of the items that I got to pick out was this beautiful bracelet! My point in short is that anyone can score big on a blog giveaway, so don't let the fact that you're one person out of many scare you away from entering. This is just one out of many things that I've won through blogging! :-)

     What's the coolest thing you've ever won from a blog giveaway?


xoxo Miss ALK
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Fashion Post {1/18/13}








  • Sweater: Christmas 2012 present (I think the tag on it said it was from Kohl's!)
  • Jeans: Hollister (August 2012)
  • Coat: Lands' End (Winter 2011)
  • Boots: DSW (December 2012)
  • Earrings: Local jewelry boutique in Maine 
  • Purse: Vera Bradley (December 2012)
  • Ring: Lia Sophia (June 2012)
  • Nail Polish: Wet n' Wild (Christmas 2012 present)

     This is a perfect example of what a winter casual outfit would look like for me. My mom was down from Maine visiting me at school the past couple days so I didn't have as much time as I usually do to get ready. The past few days I've worn more simple outfits. I wore this one to my Friday classes at school, and then on an evening excursion with my mom for dinner and shoe shopping. 
     The sweater was a Christmas gift from my mom. To be honest, argyle isn't usually my taste. I like it because it's preppy, but it doesn't have quote enough "bling" for me to wear on a regular basis. However, it's a very warm and comfortable sweater that's perfect for days like yesterday when I didn't have a ton of time to get dressed. The south has had a chilly spell this week so it kept me nice and warm. I also like the combo of the colors in it- dark pink and grey looks very chic!
     I accesorized the sweater with one of my favorite pairs of hoop earrings. They add enough excitement to make the sweater seem less "mom like" and a little more youthful, but without being too flashy. The ring that I'm wearing on my right hand is from Lia Sophia, a direct selling jewelry company. A lady at my church at home was hosting a Lia Sophia party last spring. I was unable to attend, but she had given me a catalogue and I found this beautiful ring. I had never gotten a class ring in high school because those were so expensive, so my parents bought me this as a graduation gift. It's much more my taste and colors, and it was a lot cheaper then the class rings that my school sold. I don't wear it very often, but it I thought it complimented the sweater well.
     My jeans are from Hollister. Typically their jeans are expensive, but you can get really good deals when they go on sale! I don't remember exactly how much I paid for these, but I know it was under $25. You'll probably be seeing them in a lot more of my upcoming posts sicne I wear them all the time! I love how they have a skinny fit but aren't so skinny that they cling to my body and become immodest. 
     And the beautiful brown leather boots will also be making many more appearances! Some of you might remember my old black boots. I once dedicated a whole post to them on my old blog. I had planned to wear them until I couldn't anymore, and that's what happened. In December when I was home in Maine for break I wore them all day on a cold, rainy day. When I came home that night my feet were soaking wet, and I saw that my beloved boots had reached their end. A trip to DSW (my favorite show store!) was in order and I picked out these brown beauties. Hopefully they'll last even longer then my last pair of leather boots (which lasted over 3 years!).
     At some point I'll do a post on how much I'm obsessed with Vera Bradley, but for now I'm just excited about my new purse. The one shown in this post is the "Glenna" style in the Ribbons pattern, which was brand new for Winter 2012.


     What are your essential outfit pieces for cold winter days?


     xoxo Miss ALK
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January 17, 2013

An exciting announcement!

     Ladies (and whatever gentlemen there are reading this), you're going to be hearing a lot more from me in the next couple months! :-)

     I've been saying pretty much since I started this blog that I'd like to get on a regular post schedule. I wanted blogging to be a part of my daily life, like how it was in high school with my old blog. But even though I've kept busy in college, I could never find that much to write about and I'd forget to ask my friends to take photos of me for fashion posts. That's all about to change though, because...

     I'm going to be graded on maintaining this blog for my intro to communications class! How cool is that?! A big chunk of my homework grade for the semester is based on me keeping a blog. I was thrilled when my teacher said that I could use this blog as my project instead of starting a new one just for school! We have to post a minimum of 3 times a week, so that's a lot of posts coming your way.

     The one catch was that every student's blog has to have a specific focus. As y'all probably know my posts tend to be a little all over the place, so I had to do some thinking on what I want the majority of my posts to be about from now on. I thought about sticking with general posts about college life, but honestly my life here at school isn't too exciting. While I do make time to have fun with my friends, I mostly just stay busy with homework, church and clubs. I feel as though this would get old really quickly for me to keep blogging about. Soooo that means that the official focus of Southern Belle in Training is that it's now a (predominantly)...

     ...Fashion blog! I know that it's been forever since I've done a fashion post, but I've always gotten great feedback on my fashion posts and they're the most fun for me to do. Not to toot my own horn, but I think that I have a very classy and slightly unique sense of style, and I can't wait to be sharing more about it with y'all a few times a week! I like to mix cheap bargain pieces with nicer splurge items, and you'll learn quickly that I like bright colors and I love sparkles!

     From time to time I'll give updates on my college life and share thoughts on my faith, but be prepared for a large dose of fashion in the next few months! I'm so excited that you are reading this post, and I hope that you stick with me!


xoxo Miss ALK





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January 6, 2013

Giveaway winner!

     Thank-you to everyone who entered my giveaway sponsored by fellow blogger Miss Raquel! I'm excited to announce who won their choice of a custom made hairclip:

ENTRY #1: Sarah

     Sarah, I'll be passing your e-mail information onto the sponsor so you can recieve your hairclip!

     My winter break from school ends in 2 days and I'll be heading back down south. My goal is to make blogging a regular part of my weekly schedule this semester! Expect more fashion posts soon. :-)


     xoxo Miss ALK
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