Southern Belle in Training

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

June 30, 2021

Midweek Ramblings.


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

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Ramblings: 
  • US Geography culture shock: I found this article while doing show prep research at work, and it made me smile! There's a guy named Frank who is a born and raised New Yorker. He's from Long Island but now lives in Manhattan. He recently took his first-ever trip to the Midwest, and wrote down all of his observations about the nuances of Midwestern culture. It is so interesting how much local culture varies state to state and region to region in the US.
  • No Midweek Ramblings in July: I've been writing these Midweek Rambling posts for a good 5-6 years now (definitely over half the time that I've been blogging!). I remember when I first tried them I had no clue if people would enjoy reading them, but year after year these simple weekly updates continue to be my some of my most read posts! Crazy. While I do skip the occasional week or two, I've tried to be very consistent with these each month on Wednesdays. For the first time ever, I'll be taking all of July off from new Midweek Ramblings posts! I won't be doing a full-on blogging break and I still have a couple posts on deck to publish for the month, but I will greatly be cutting down the amount of blog content that I normally produce. Why you might ask? Well... I can't tell you just yet. But I will be able to share soon, and hopefully the fact I'm cutting back on blog stuff will make more sense! 😉I am already looking forward to sharing weekly Ramblings with you again in August.

Weekend recaps:
  • Last weekend: On Friday evening, some friends at I went to Glass House Winery for my friend Annika's birthday celebration. Glass House is one of my absolute favorite local wineries, so I always enjoy spending time there. The rest of my weekend was a blur of errands and time-sensitive things I had to do!
  • This weekend: I was supposed to be out of town Friday-Monday visiting a friend for 4th of July weekend, but sadly I had to cancel that due to craziness happening for me in the next few weeks (see the Ramblings section if this post!). I am meeting a couple friends at a winery earlier in the day on the 4th which I'm looking forward to as a break from everything else I have going on.

Purchases: 
  • This week I made a couple of splurge purchases. First up: this belt! I've never owned a super nice belt before, and I know this is an investment purchase that will last for years and years. I had gift cards which helped cover most of the cost!
  • I ordered this fun floral blouse that I can't wait to style! I think it'll look great with my favorite white jeans as well as my beloved denim mini skirt
  • Dipping my toes into the wild world of Gen Z fashion trends with this crop top! Not sure how I'll like it but figured it would be fun to style and I should give it a try. 
  • And finally, a very special second splurge purchase to celebrate a personal/career milestone as well as a special blogging milestone that I've hit in 2021. I've wanted this bracelet since freshman year of college, and it was so special to finally buy it as a celebratory purchase!

Wishlist: 
  • A ruffled wrap dress in a beautiful color for under $50.
  • Speaking of wrap dresses- Lilly Pulitzer has a new wrap dress style that I love!! This might be my favorite one they've done. 
  • I'm waiting for them to go a little more on sale before buying (hoping that might happen over the holiday weekend!), but I want to grab a few more of my favorite cardigans in some new colors. 
  • This romper is so flirty and comes in a few cute color and print options.

Currently reading: The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren - I'm about one third of the way done this one and really enjoying it! This book is about a famous couple,  that has risen to prominence in the home decor and home renovation world (I think it's pretty clear the characters of Melissa and Rusty Tripp were inspired by Joanna and Chip Gaines!). The Tripps are unfortunately having marital problems right before they're supposed to embark on a tour for their newest book. Their two personal assistants, Carrie and James, have to join them on the book tour to make sure their marriage doesn't totally deteriorate in the public eye. The big question: will sparks start to fly between Carrie and James? 

Recipe of the week: I haven't had any time to try new recipes this week- the type of crazy week where I've lived off of various Trader Joe's pre-made meals to be honest!

Song of the week: Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran - I have to be honest, this might be an unpopular opinion but I'm hit or miss on Ed Sheeran's music. I think it's incredibly talented, but not all his songs are my personal vibe (and a lot of them are overplayed on the radio). With that said- I cannot get enough of his new single Bad Habits! I think it's such a fun and different sound for him. 

Favorite blog posts of the week:
  • Bright On a Budget - Tif shared the most darling way to style a Lilly Pulitzer skort. One of my favorite blogger outfits of 2021 so far!!
  • Extra Petite - Jean and her family recently took a trip to Cape Cod and I loved reading her travel guide! The restaurants they went to sound amazing. I went to Cape Cod a couple times growing up, most recently nine years ago for my last high school spring break in 2012!
  • Color & Chic - I love a good gallery wall! I have had one in my current Charlottesville apartment, and in past apartments as well. I always love seeing when bloggers share their gallery walls in home tours. I think though that Hoang-Kim's new photo gallery wall is one of the most chic that I've seen- it looks so great in her home! 

On the blog this week:



     God Bless,


     xoxo Annaliese 

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