Midweek Ramblings.

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

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Ramblings:

• Slowly settling in: I talked about this a bit on IG Stories already, but last week was a bit of a hard one for me. I had a wonderful first couple weeks in Virginia Beach after my move in July, but last week I hit that awkward point where the newness is fading a bit, but I still don't really have a regular social life or know too many people yet. I had a great personal life in Charlottesville, and I was sad last week that my life here doesn't match that yet. I know it's only been five weeks (as of today!), and building a life somewhere new doesn't happen overnight. Fortunately, I had a good weekend and this week I'm in a much better state of mind about everything! I love moving and am so grateful to have lived in different places, but with all the good definitely does come some hard moments, especially when you're new. 
• September with my best friends: Something that's putting me in a good mood is my plans for the first part of September! My high school best friend Julia is visiting for Labor Day weekend, which is also my birthday weekend! She's been in past years to visit me in North Carolina and Vermont before, but hasn't been to Virginia yet. And two days after Julia leaves, I fly out to Texas to see my college best friend / former roommate Ciera, who I haven't seen in almost three years!! I know that having this special time to look forward to with two of my long distance best friends is coming at exactly the right time after all the craziness of moving this summer. 

Weekend recaps:

• Last weekend: After a kind of rough week, I had a really nice weekend which I'm so thankful for! On Saturday afternoon, I got to meet up with my friend Caroline and her husband Shawn at a brewery in the nearby city of Chesapeake. They were on their way back from the Outer Banks and were able to stop by to meet up, and it was so good to see familiar faces. On Saturday night, I went to dinner with a new friend who I connected with on Instagram! So thankful for all the great connections that have come my way over the years from IG. 😊On Sunday I went to church, and then to brunch with a coworker. 
• This weekend: A very busy weekend with work! I have work events both Saturday and Sunday. I also want to start getting ready for one of my best friend's visits here the following weekend, and my Texas trip which will be the weekend after.

Purchases:

• My beloved pair of Nine West nude leather pumps that I'd had for a few years finally reached their end this spring, and I finally got a replacement pair from this brand.
• I checked out the local Style Encore store (upscale consignment shop chain) this weekend and found a few things! I was able to get a pair of these jeans for under $10. 
• I also found one of the cute shirts from the famous Lilly Pulitzer for Target collab in my size! It was like-new and I can't wait to wear it. 
• Do you remember the Gigi New York clutches that were all the rage on Instagram and fashion blogs maybe six or seven years ago? I never had one since the $100+ price point was a bit too high for me as a college student. I couldn't believe I found one of these clutches in amazing condition at Style Encore for just $10!

Wishlist:

• One of my favorite designers is Tory Burch, and I definitely have a crush on some of the new bag styles and colors for fall (out of my budget at this time- but dreaming for sure!). 
• If you need a cocktail dress for a fall event, this one is under $100 and so classy!
• I love the look of a long sleeved puff sleeve top for fall! I had one in college that I wore all the time. 
• This is one of the cutest white sweaters I've seen in awhile! Pair this with white jeans and you have a perfect late summer evening outfit.
• I'm starting to think of items that I might like to use my Kendra Scott birthday discount on next month. This ring in the green color looks beautiful for fall!

Currently reading: A Wedding on the Beach by Holly Chamberlin - I actually just finished this reading this one. I just went to the library on Monday and picked up several new reads which I'm excited to get into. 

Recipe of the week: Roasted Garlic Couscous - A delicious and easy side dish that I enjoyed with some salmon for dinner this week. 

Song of the week: Cold Heart by Dua Lipa & Elton John - Didn't expect that one of my new favorite songs of 2021 would be new music from Elton John, but here we are! This new song by him and Dua Lipa is groovy and catchy. I also love how Dua Lipa samples his song Rocket Man in the lyrics to this. This is the first time Elton John has had a song on the Hot 100 chart in over 20 years. 

Favorite blog posts of the week:

• Living Shae - I love Lilly Pulitzer inspired craft projects (I shared my own post about this last year here!), and Ebonee did a great job with this craft tutorial.
  
• Sarah's Love List - Sarah shared a post about all of the special details that she and her husband put into their wedding day last year to make it more fun for guests. How thoughtful!
• Southern Curls and Pearls - Caitlin coming through with the fall dupes! She found almost identical pieces for clothing and shoes that were in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last month.

On the blog this week: 

• DIY Peel and Stick Kitchen Backsplash

 

     God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese