Southern Belle in Training

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

November 16, 2017

New Must-Have Cardigan + The Hype With Plattsburgh.

    Confession time: my new favorite cardigan came to me by way of LiketoKnow.it! As a fashion blogger, I encourage my Instagram followers to use this to shop my outfits often. In full honesty- I can't say that I use LTK that much to shop other bloggers' looks. (I think LiketoKnow.it is awesome, I just try and put together more unique outfits for my blog!) However- I couldn't like to know the outfit details fast enough when I saw this adorable leopard print cardigan featured on Stephanie from A Sparkle Factor's Instagram a few weeks ago! Thank goodness for LTK - and the cardigan was on its way to me soon. 😊 I'm styling it in today's blog post, and sharing a bit about why Vermonters like to venture over to the region of New York called the "North Country," and to Plattsburgh, which is the biggest town there!









This post contains affilliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!






      First up- the details about this cardigan. It totally exceeded my expectations, which is always something great to have happen with an online purchase!! It's thick, soft, and super warm and comfy. And I love the darling leopard print!! Wearing this cardigan with jeans and riding boots would be like my ideal winter work outfit over the upcoming months. If you're looking for a cute and casual cardigan, I definitely recommend this one! I styled it for this weekend look with my favorite faux leather leggings, fun jewelry, and one of my favorite coats (which I've had since 9th grade and still adore!). 



      On my Instagram Stories and in past blog posts, you might have heard me mention taking a ferry, or going to a place called Plattsburgh in New York. These photos were taken in Plattsburgh, so I though it would be fun to share a bit about this town on the blog today, as it's quite an important place to most people who live in the Burlington Vermont area! As I've shared before, one thing that really frustrates me about Vermont is the huge lack of retail presence here. One of the malls in the area is currently undergoing a renovation project that will take a couple of years, so pretty much all of the stores closed and vacated for the time being. The other mall in the area is supposedly the largest mall in Vermont... but it makes me so sad every time I say that, haha. The shopping options there are really quite dismal (I really only go there for Bath and Body Works candles, lol!). Vermont will be getting the state's very first Target next fall, in October 2018, which will be a new anchor store in the larger mall. But up until then, we don't have Target, and the Burlington area doesn't even have a Super Walmart! Other things that Vermont doesn't have that I love: Ulta, a full-sized Sephora, LOFT (it closed since I moved here), Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, Forever 21, DSW, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, Hobby Lobby, At Home... and many, many more retailers. 


      Plattsburgh, New York to the rescue for the Vermonters! The Adirondacks region and the area north of it that borders Canada in (very) Upstate New York is considered the "North Country" region, and Plattsburgh is the largest town/small city in this area. It is a little bit smaller than Burlington. New York state however has a lot less regulations about retail and development, so they have a lot more shopping options! Plattsburgh is home to a large Target, a super Walmart, DSW, and as of recently, a HOBBY LOBBY (my very favorite store). It is weekend day trip-worthy to do some shopping at the big box stores across the lake. The only hard part is crossing the lake! The only bridges that go over Lake Champlain are at the Northern and Southern ends of the lake, neither which are near Plattsburgh or Burlington. The Lake Champlain Ferry system is really the only method to cross with. The most convenient ferry is the one that runs from the Champlain Islands (which you drive to) right across the Plattsburgh. There's so much traffic and commerce between the two states that the ferry amazingly runs 24/7! I've never had to wait more than 5 mins to board one. You drive right on with your car, and the perk is that you get to see some amazing lake views from the boat. The major downside is the cost. For one person, round trip ferry service is about $20, and for two people it's about $30. Plus factoring in the gas to Plattsburgh (the whole trip is just under an hour from Burlington, ferry and driving included), that's not the cheapest day trip! But it can be worth it every once in a while- especially if you're a big shopper like myself! I think Plattsburgh also has a kind of cute downtown, there's a river that runs through it (where some of these photos were taken), and I always have a soft spot for downtowns of cities and towns with rivers! 


     
     Anyways, if you live in a place where you don't have to pay $20+ to access Target, Hobby Lobby, and more, know that a lot of Vermont people are jealous of you!! I definitely took a lot for granted when I lived in Charlotte... and heck, even Maine. Haha!





      

God Bless,



      xoxo Annaliese 

      


      
      
     


Share:

35 comments

  1. oh my!!! You look so cute, I love love love that cardigan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That cardigan is adorable. That's crazy it's such a hassle to get to the stores. I guess I take that for granted in Charlotte.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A girl after my own heart - Hobby Lobby is my favorite store too! That's so unfortunate that you have to take a ferry ride just to get some decent shopping in. I don't like online shopping much, but I would probably get used to it if I was in that situation. I love your coat!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That cardigan is super cute! Love the print
    http://stopdropandvogue.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. That leopard cardi is so cute! Happy Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That cardigan is so cute! Totally my style.

    xoxo, Paige

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such a cute cardigan! And thankfully there's online shopping for all those times you don't want to drive haha

    ReplyDelete
  8. I can see why you "had" to have this cardigan- it's adorable & I love the hint of pink in it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm loving that cardigan and your jacket! So cute for fall :)

    -xo, Azanique | https://www.lotsofsass.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. So funny to hear you talk about Plattsburgh! I live 45 minutes south of the start of the adirondacks and know Plattsburgh well! I had no clue Vermont was so strict with their shopping regulations.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Girl, you have to go through a lot to get to some good shopping-it makes me thankful that even though I live in a little rural town in Alabama we have decent shopping about 30 minutes away and even better shopping an hour away!

    xoxo, SS


    Southern and Style

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh I totally get why you got that cardigan - it's so cute, I'm tempted to get it myself!

    xo Deborah
    Coffee, Prose, and Pretty Clothes

    ReplyDelete
  13. that little leopard cardi is so adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is the cutest leopard print cardi! I love how you styled it!

    April | http://thebluehydrangeas.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. what a cute cardigan! love your outfit

    ReplyDelete
  16. fabulous photos!!! That cardigan is the cutest!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a cute cardigan on you! Those TB boots are awesome too!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Such a cute cardigan and I love your gray bag!

    ReplyDelete
  19. That is the cutest cardigan! And I agree, I never really use LTK myself!

    xo Alicia | AliciaTenise.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Such a cute cardi!! You look super cute!

    Liz
    Www.lizzieinlace.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. GORGEOUS!! Love a pop of leopard!!!!!!!!!!

    xoxo,
    Angelle
    www.dashingdarlin.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a cute cardigan. I bet its super cozy too.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love that cardigan! Plattsburgh is not too far from where I'm from. So pretty up there!

    ReplyDelete
  24. How cute is this cardigan! I love the way you styled it!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I've been seeing similar sweaters everywhere and I love them

    ReplyDelete
  26. The cardi is SO cute and I am LOVING those boots!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm obsessed with those riding boots!

    ReplyDelete
  28. This time of year I love a good cardigan! And these boots are perfection! XO

    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  29. That sweater and cardi are so cute for the season!

    ReplyDelete
  30. If we didn't have Target in Plattsburgh I would be so sad!! Can't wait for it to come to VT!
    -Nicholle
    www.nichollesophia.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Absolutely love this cardigan for cooler days! Leopard print is lovely.

    Tori || Victori Media
    https://www.victorimedia.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm obsessed with cardigans and I love this print!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for reading Southern Belle in Training! Comments make my day- so feel free to share your thoughts on this post! I read each and every comment.
If you have a question in regards to one of my posts, or just want to say hi, the best way to get ahold of me is by e-mailing me directly at: rainbowflash94@yahoo.com. I am better about responding to e-mails than blog comments sometimes!
Xoxo

Blog Design Created by pipdig