Midweek Ramblings (on a Thursday!)

{A beautiful afternoon at a beach in Norfolk yesterday! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

LILLY PULITZER SUNSHINE SALE: Day 2 New Arrivals!!

      The second day batch of new arrivals have just dropped in the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale! 🌞 Some of my favorite Lilly styles are included in this round- run don't walk on these!

LILLY PULITZER SUNSHINE SALE: Shop Now!!! ☀️

     As of 8am EST this morning, the first-ever Lilly Pulitzer  Sunshine Sale (formerly known as the After Party Sale) is open for business! Fellow Lilly lovers- let's get shopping! 

LILLY PULITZER AFTER PARTY SALE: Fall 2021 Sale Dates + Lilly Try-On/Size Guides

      September is one of my favorite months of the year- the weather here in the South is usually perfect in the 70s and 80s, it's my birthday month, and also my blogging anniversary month. Another reason to love it? September is when the biggest Lilly Pulitzer sale of the year is held!! So excited to share some information and shopping tips with you. And the biggest news of all... the sale has a NEW NAME this year and is now being called the Sunshine Sale!! 🌞

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{A snap from a kayak and wine tour that I went on this past weekend! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

Southern Belle in Training Turns 9 Today!!

      This blog turns nine years old today!! I can't even believe it. I've been posts here for the entirety of my college years, early and mid 20s, and now I'm still continuing into my late 20s, which also start today. Yes, my blogiversary and birthday are the same day! Today I also turn 27. 

TRAVEL GUIDE: Ultimate Charlottesville VA Guide

     I'm so excited to finally share all of my Charlottesville recommendations in one place on the blog! I lived in Charlottesville for about three and a half years between 2018-2021. I am kind of in the minority for living in Cville in that I didn't attend the University of Virginia, or move to the area for a job associated with UVA. But despite that, I was absolutely charmed by the area, and had a great experience making Charlottesville my home for part of my 20s. Charlottesville is a great destination for a weekend trip for wine lovers, history lovers, food lovers, nature lovers.... it's true, Virginia is for Lovers! 

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{A snap from a beautiful recent weekday afternoon at the beach! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

What I Wore to Work: August 2021

     It feels so good to be back sharing a month's worth of work outfits with y'all! I skipped the month of July as it was a whirlwind month with wrapping up at my old job, moving and unpacking in Virginia Beach and starting my new job. Things definitely feel a bit more "normal" being able to document my work outfits for the blog again. 

     My work style hasn't changed too much at my new job. Radio is overall a casual industry, and I do tend to dress up a little more than needed for all the jobs I've had. It was a hot month here in Virginia Beach, so I tried to wear a decent amount of summer Lilly Pulitzer pieces and some of my other favorite summer dresses and tops! As always- outfits are always linked on my LIKEtoKNOW.it page!

Midweek Ramblings.

{Enjoying dinner recently in the Vibe Creative District in Virginia Beach! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

DIY Peel and Stick Kitchen Backsplash!

      The week after I moved to Virginia Beach, I did the most fun and relatively easy DIY project that transformed my basic little apartment kitchen! It'll be a little while before my new apartment is 100% decorated and I can share a full tour with you, but I did want to get this post up sooner as I'm still so excited about it. Here's everything you need to know about my peel and stick kitchen backsplash!

   

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{Exploring Norfolk with my mom over the weekend. Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk!}

5 Instagrammable Murals in Charlottesville, VA

      I'm not sure if it's because I am a blogger and always looking for cool spots to take photos, or just that I'm a fan of color and street art, but I sure do love a good mural! I've enjoyed finding them in the various places that I've lived over the years: Charlotte NC, Burlington VT, and of course my most recent former home, Charlottesville VA! 

     For a small city, Charlottesville has a really good amount of street art. I enjoyed finding my favorite murals over the past three years, and today I wanted to round them all up for you! If you're visiting Charlottesville, here are the best murals for Instagrammable photos.

Inspiring Woman Interview: Meet Rebecca of Caravan Sonnet.

       It's time for another Inspiring Woman interview, and today's guest is not only an incredible woman, but a wonderful friend of mine through the blogging world! I first found Rebecca's blog Caravan Sonnet in 2013, when I had only been blogging here at Southern Belle in Training for less then a year. I was immediately captivated by reading her blog posts. Rebecca's genuine Christian faith shined bright in everything she posted, and I especially enjoyed her raw honesty in writing about her journey with singleness and health struggles. 

     In 2017, I actually had the chance to meet Rebecca and call her a real-life friend as well! She was living in the North Country of New York when I was living in Vermont, and we didn't live too far away from each other. We got to meet up a few times that year, and it was a joy to become in-person friends! When I brainstormed the idea to start this interview series at the start of 2021, I knew I needed to have Rebecca as one of my featured bloggers later this year. Without further ado, meet Rebecca!

Midweek Ramblings.

{My first Orange Crush in Virginia Beach- a local favorite that a lot of bars in the area serve! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

4th of July Wedding Outfit.

     Originally I was planning to share two 4th of July themed red, white and blue outfits on the blog before the holiday this year... this casual patriotic outfit, and today's outfit! But the quick timing of my unexpected new job and move to Virginia Beach had me get behind on blog things. Today's is dressier and I feel like it would be the perfect thing to wear to a 4th of July weekend wedding. Anyways- better late than never to share this right?! Maybe some inspiration for next year? Haha!

Midweek Ramblings.

{A beautiful beach day last Friday at Sandbridge Beach! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

What I Purchased for My New Apartment.

      As difficult as moving can be, it can also come with some fun perks. The excuse to purchase new house related items is definitely one of the positives! A new space is a great reason to start fresh with some new furniture or decor. Here are all of the miscellaneous items that I purchased last month for my new Virginia Beach apartment.

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Charlottesville Going Away Party.

      As much as I wanted to leave Charlottesville and move on to a new radio job in a larger city, I knew that leaving would certainly be bittersweet. During my almost 3.5 years in Charlottesville, I was so blessed beyond measure with incredible people in my life. Never in my life have I had such a close-knit group of friends.

     There was no way that I was saying goodbye to Charlottesville without a proper going away party. I'm excited to share a little recap and some photos with you today! I also wanted to share about the special bucket list for Virginia Beach that my Charlottesville friends helped me make.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2021: The One Thing I Got + Things I Love in the Sale.

      The 2021 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale opens for the general public to shop today! (For the past couple weeks, it's been Nordstrom cardholders only that could shop.) I know that a lot of people find the Nordstrom Sale to be very overhyped in the blogging world. I agree that it can get a little overwhelming the way that some bloggers and influencers post about it extensively. Hopefully my one post today (my only post about it this year) won't be too much for you! 😉

Virginia Beach Move + New Job Q&A

     It's so great to be back with a new blog post today after taking most of the month of July off! While I do take the occasional few days or week or so off from blogging, taking the past three weeks off was the longest blogging break that I've done in years! But it was definitely necessary with all of the craziness that was my July 2021 so far.

LIFE UPDATE: MOVING TO VIRGINIA BEACH + NEW JOB!!! 🎉

      I have felt like I've been keeping the biggest secret lately. The big news: I am moving out to Virginia Beach and I have accepted a new job in radio!! Oh and I should probably add... this is all happening ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!! Moving Day is Wednesday, July 14th! 

My Interview on the Like a Local Podcast!

       Popping in quickly today with some fun news: I was interviewed last week on a podcast! If you've ever wanted to visit Charlottesville or are curious about local attractions in the area, this episode is for you.

4th of July Gingham Outfit.

      Happy July 1st! (Side note: where did this year go?! How is July 4th literally just a few days away?) I haven't shared 4th of July outfits every summer on the blog, but out of the years that I have done one I think today's look might be one of my favorites yet! 

Midweek Ramblings.

 {My new favorite pair of summer sandals! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

What I Wore to Work: June 2021

     My summer clothes have been out in full swing with this month's work outfits! I'm loving all of the dress and skirt opportunities. Summer fashion just makes me so happy! It's been a pretty standard month of weather for June in Charlottesville this year- lots of hot and humid days with a few cooler ones mixed in randomly. As always, I share all of my work outfits here on my LIKEtoKNOW.it! 

Let's Travel Again! Vera Bradley Luggage Review.

      I've shared this before on the blog, but 2020 was supposed to be my big year of travel. I had tons of plans last year- from two international trips with my parents to tons of weekend trips all over the US. Obviously most of that didn't end up happening, but now it's finally time for all of us to have missed plans to be rescheduled or new plans to happen! It's finally time to welcome back travel into our lives!

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{A snap from Cara's (Caralina Style) beautiful wedding this weekend! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

National Wear Your Lilly Day 2021.

       Happy National Wear Your Lilly Day! We have officially entered the season for Lilly Pulitzer. Summer 2021 is looking to be much more normal than Summer 2020, and I am bursting with excitement for all the fun social events coming up that I can wear Lilly for (and none of them include Zoom!). This year's outfit for National Wear Your Lilly day is certainly extra special.... if you saw this blog post you might be able to guess why. 💓

Monticello Wine Trail: Merrie Mill Farm

      I love visiting local Virginia wineries, and it's always a treat to visit one that's brand new to the Charlottesville area. I was so charmed on my first visit Merrie Mill Farm that I knew it needed its own winery review blog post!

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{Enjoying some delicious tacos from vendor at the farmers market this weekend! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

Virginia + Carolinas Beaches Travel Diary: Ones I've Visited + Ones To Visit

     T-minus less than a week until the official start of summer! Think about how different this summer is going to look from last year... it's just so exciting! I sure am hoping to spend a lot more time in a bathing suit in 2021 then I did in 2020. Part of that will hopefully be enjoying my apartment pool (which is open this year!!), and I am also hoping for some quality beach weekends. Virginia and the Carolinas are home to hundreds of miles of coastline and beaches. 

     

Lilly Pulitzer Summer 2021: Try-On + Sizing Guide! 💗🌴

     Here's a sunny way to end the week! Time for another try-on of the latest and greatest Lilly Pulitzer styles, from the fitting room at the Lilly Pulitzer River Road store in Richmond. Lilly Pulitzer is also doing free gifts with purchase today, so if you see anything you like get it ASAP!

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{Enjoying soft serve last week at one of my favorite ice cream spots in Maine! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

Under $20 Target Dress + Favorite Podcasts of The Year (so far).

     Hi there! Let's start of this new week with a sunny little yellow dress (that's also very affordable!), and some podcast recommendations! 

3 May Weekends Away.

      Happy Friday! I didn't mean to take a week off from blog posts, but I ended up being busier than I thought this past week while traveling. My mantra with blogging for the past couple of years especially has really been to keep it to something that's fun, and that means trying to stop pressuring myself to get posts written during very busy times. Easier said than done, but I'm glad I did allow myself a little impromptu break for the past week!

     I'm just getting back to Charlottesville after three consecutive weekends away. The last month that I spent three weekends out of town was February 2020... right before everything shut down! I had a feeling that it would be fun to get back to this type of back-to-back busy weekend schedule, but I had no idea just how much I would really need it. While I do enjoy time at home to recharge on occasion, I love being on the go and I feel my best and most motivated self when I have places to frequently be and explore. Staying home for almost the entirety of the past year was so monotonous to me! 

     I had my second dose of the vaccine in early May, and spent the first weekend of the month in bed with bad side effects. But I then had three weekends in a row out of town to look forward to! Here's where I've been lately:

What I Wore to Work: May 2021.

       Lots to cover today: my May work outfits and a round-up of Memorial Day Weekend Sales! April and May are definitely some of my favorite months out of the year for work outfits. I just love spring fashion so much! May has been the busiest month that I've had in a long time, thanks to the fact that I'm now fully vaccinated. I went to bed later than I prefer to a lot of nights this month, so you'll notice that I had more very casual or athleisure outfits for work than normal. Ah well! 

Midweek Ramblings.

{A snapshot from the charming little town of Edenton, NC! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

Happiest in Lilly.

    Oh my goodness- I am so excited to share today's Lilly Pulitzer outfit with you! I styled this darling new dress style two different ways, and I really like them both. Keep reading to see why today's Lilly look is extra special! 

Results of My 2021 Blog Reader Survey!

     For the past few years, I've always looked so forward to doing my blog reader survey each spring. The feedback that I get from those of you that read my blog is so valuable to me! I always revisit the survey responses throughout the year for inspiration and ideas with my content. Here are the results from my 2021 blog reader survey!

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{A fun snap from my friend Sierra's bachelorette weekend in Richmond! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

Dressed Up Jeans for Spring.

     Hey friends- happy Monday! I've been super busy lately and there's a few things happening behind-the-scenes in life right now... so starting off the week with a lighthearted outfit post sounds good to me. This look was so much fun to put together, and it's honestly making me happy to see a cute outfit like this on a Monday.

    This is also the first outfit post in a long time where I'm using a mix of iPhone and camera photos!! The first three are from my DSLR camera, and the last two are phone snaps. I'd love to know if there's one you prefer or if you can tell the difference!

A Week in My Life: What I Do With My Free Afternoons.

      Some of the most frequent questions that I get asked from both real life friends and blog readers alike are about time management. With my unique M-F work schedule as a morning show host, people are often curious how I spend my time with having mostly free afternoons after work. I also often get questions about how I balance blogging and working full-time. I've now been on the crazy morning radio work schedule for two and a half years, and it's become second nature to me. I honestly don't think what I do most days in the afternoons is very exciting at all haha! But on the contrary, I love seeing day or week in the life type posts from other bloggers and influencers, so I decided to go ahead and share mine.

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

Midweek Ramblings.

{Wore Lilly Pulitzer for getting my second shot on Friday! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

Inspiring Woman Interview: Meet Carla Marie of The Carla Marie and Anthony Show

 I am so excited about this month's Inspiring Woman interview guest- I've followed and looked up to her since I became a morning show host in 2018, and she became an even bigger inspiration to me in 2020 when I saw how well she and her co-host Anthony pivoted their content and kept hustling after losing their radio jobs. 

     After they lost their morning show jobs last summer, Carla Marie and Anthony embarked on a cross-country road trip! They held socially distanced outdoor meet-ups for fans of their podcast in many cities across the country. When I found out they were going to be in Richmond one weekend, I knew I had to be there. I went down for the meet-up, and it was a blast!! In addition to meeting Carla Marie and Anthony, I met a new friend! Cara lives just an hour away from me in Harrisonburg, works in radio, and also has a blog! We had so much in common! We stayed in touch after that day and have since done a few fun winery days together. So I thank Carla Marie and Anthony for also introducing me to an awesome new friend! 

    If you're new to my Inspiring Woman interviews, this is a new blog post series that I started at the beginning of 2021. Every two months I'll be sharing an interview on the blog with a woman who inspires me and that I think you should know about! I'll be alternating between women in radio and bloggers/content creators, although in the future I might share women in other industries as well.

    Anyways, without further ado - time to meet the amazing Carla Marie!

Spring 2021 Purchases Try-On + Review.

     It is pretty overdue for me to share a round-up of recent purchases and a try-on with you! In full transparency, I didn't do as much personal shopping this past fall and winter as I normally do. Part of that was wanting to save money with a few increased monthly expenses, and part of it was that with COVID going strong and cold weather making it tough to socialize outside, I wasn't going many places for several months. And that didn't really motivate me to buy many new clothes and accessories.

     I have recently picked up a few things for spring that I'm excited about! One of the most common requests I had in my blog reader survey last month was to share more try-ons, so with making some recent spring purchases I thought this was overdue! In addition to share things I'm keeping, in the spirit of full honesty I'm also sharing a few things I bought and have returned. 

     For sizing info, I am just shy of 5'7, and I am typically a size 6, or a S or M depending on the clothing line.

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{Enjoyed spending Saturday in Baltimore! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}

10 Things to Do For Professional & Career Development.

      Last month marked four years since I entered the workforce full-time! My professional career thus far has been entirely spent in the radio industry, which definitely can be a bit unique compared to other career paths (even others in communications and media). But one thing that working in radio does have in common with any full-time job? The ongoing opportunity to advance your career and professional knowledge by seeking out career development and networking opportunities! 

     While employers in some industries are really intentional with paying for or helping their employees seek out professional development education opportunities, that isn't the case at every job or company. I'm a firm believer that there are always things that you can be doing on your own to help yourself network with those in your industry, or gain more knowledge about your field. While not all of these are free ideas, a lot of them are! Since I know most of you aren't in radio, I am going to try to make sure most of these ideas aren't just things that would apply to the radio industry. Most of these are things that I have done (a couple I haven't gotten to yet)... but out of the ones that I have done I've found them to be very beneficial!

What I Wore to Work: April 2021.

       Happy Friday! Welcome to this month's work outfits. Spring is definitely here in Charlottesville. It sure is nice to be able to wear dresses and skirts without tights again. As always, I link either exact or similar details for all of my monthly work outfits on my LIKEtoKNOW.it profile, so be sure to follow me there if you aren't yet!

Midweek Ramblings.

 

{A snapshot from a perfect Sunday at Maymont in Richmond a few weekends ago! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}