Pink + Gray Outfit + Blog Plans for 2019!

     Fun fact: the pictures in today's blog post were taken way back in October! (As you can probably tell from the green grass and green trees behind me.) Fortunately, this dress is an easy one to transition into winter outfits, so I still wanted to share this look with you today. I'm also sharing today about a fun blog series idea that I'll be launching in 2019!

Photography by Kate Greer

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

Dress // Jacket {old, similar here} // Shoes // Necklace {old, similar here} // Purse // Bracelet // Lipstick c/o 

     I think this is the first time that I've ever done an entire outfit of gray and pink, but I'm kind of liking the end result! I think this was a really fun color combo to wear for fall- a bit different than the usual earth tone colors that are popular in fall, but pink and gray still totally works together. I bought this dress at LOFT a couple of months ago and I just love it! There is a subtle leopard print in the fabric, but it isn't overwhelming. This is a perfect versatile fall/winter dress. It's actually what I'll be wearing to my work Christmas party later this week! I'm going to pair it with tights, heels, and a sparkly necklace instead of the pops of pink like I did in this outfit. 

    

     Switching gears- I wanted to share one of my ideas for blog content for 2019! The start of a new year is a perfect time to try something new when it comes to what's on the blog. All throughout 2019, I'm planning to do a different monthly series one day a week here on the blog. This is inspired by the moving out-of-state blog post series that I did last spring! I had so much fun writing those posts, and over the past few months I've realized there are a lot more topics that I'd like to go in-depth on with y'all. I decided Tuesday will be the day for these posts, and each month the topic will change! The first Tuesday series for January will be sharing a tour of my Virginia apartment- I'll share a different room each Tuesday during that month. I already have series topics picked for February and March as well! I'm excited really excited about this! Since this is my 6th year blogging, it's so important to me that I keep challenging myself as a blogger and finding ideas for content. 

     One last note not related to today's outfit or future blog content- thanks to everyone who checked in on me and sent such kind messages after I shared on Instagram Stories yesterday that I was in a weather related car accident! I will share the full story of what happened in Wednesday's post, but for now I am just so touched by everyone who reached out! I'm thankful I am okay and that there were no injuries- accidents are always scary. No blog post tomorrow as having that happen this weekend shook up my schedule a bit, but I'll talk to y'all Wednesday!

      God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese 

Fine Jewelry Shopping For The 20-Something With Diamonds Direct!

     I headed down to Richmond this weekend for the most fun event that I'm so excited to share about with y'all today! I attended the Diamonds Direct Designer Holiday Trunk Show. It was an afternoon filled with the prettiest jewelry and lots of sparkle, and I also was able to seriously brush on up on my find jewelry education. Let me show you all of the stunning jewelry pieces and jewelry designers that I got to know on Saturday: 

Today's post is sponsored by Diamonds Direct. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Southern Belle in Training!

     Diamonds Direct has stores across most Southern states and a few midwest/western states as well. I remember hearing a lot of radio advertising for their Charlotte, NC store during the years that I lived there! I was absolutely thrilled when the Short Pump location reached out to me to partner with them. Short Pump is a high-end retail neighborhood in the west part of the Richmond metro area, and it's become one of my favorite destinations for weekend trips, as it's very convenient to get there from Charlottesville! Their annual Designer Holiday Trunk Show is a grand event, with representatives from some of the most popular fine jewelry lines visiting participating stores with special merchandise. Almost everything in the store was 20% off over this weekend's event. What an amazing deal to purchase a fine jewelry gift for someone or yourself Christmas, or an engagement or wedding ring! 

     I had a couple goals in mind for attending the Designer Holiday Trunk Show event. 1.) I thought it would be really fun to try on a few engagement rings! I've never even given much thought to the type of ring that I'd like someday if I get engaged, so I thought it would be cool to try a few on and see what types of styles that I like, for when that time comes someday! 2.) I was really excited to check out their selection of gemstone pieces, and especially hunt for those under $500. As I'm getting into my mid 20s, I'm realizing that while I have a huge collection of fashion and costume jewelry, I have just a couple of fine jewelry pieces. With the years to come, I'd like to save up for more fine jewelry that will last through the years, rather than just cheap trendy pieces. I was excited to see the types of gemstone pieces that Diamonds Direct had in-store.

    First- a recap of the engagement ring "search" process. (So funny to type that as I'm very single!) First up was a ring sizing! I learned that I'm in between a 6.5 and 7 (6.75? Haha!). My friend Abigail, who came with me to help with the photography in this post, had her ring finger sized as well. She learned her finger was smaller than she thought- which shows how important it is to know your accurate ring size!

     I tried on beautiful engagement rings from Tacori and A. Jaffe. Another line that I absolutely loved looking at were the engagement rings from Henri Daussi. I think that as of now, my dream enagement ring would be either a halo, or a solitaire with a larger karat diamond!

    

     Good news for us single ladies or anyone already married- Diamonds Direct has many more varieties of diamonds than just engagement rings! They had the most stunning diamond earrings, right hand rings, bracelets, necklaces... everything diamond that you could possibly think of, and more! Many of the stunning diamond jewelry pieces are from the store house brands.

     I wanted to try on a pair of diamond hoop earrings, and I was just in love with the ones that were suggested for me to try! Such a timeless and classy piece. The current silver hoop earrings that I own I purchased at least 10 years ago in high school, and I'm 99% certain they were under $10. So it's safe to say these gorgeous hoops from Diamonds Direct were a big step up for me!

     You can see here that there are diamonds on the inside of the earrings as well- Diamonds Direct goes the extra mile to make sure their hoops have the most sparkle!

     As stunning as all of the Diamonds Direct diamonds are, this store has so many gemstone jewelry pieces as well! I couldn't wait to head over to those cases and explore.

     My birth stone is sapphire, so I adored getting to try on these two pieces! The brand on these is Real Gems. The bracelet is pink sapphire and diamond, and the ring is classic blue sapphire. These might be two of my favorite things that I got to try on!

     The next ring, pictured below, is an incredible morganite stone. I love the rose gold tones of this amazing gem! Now I really want something with morganite. 

     As I shared earlier in this blog post, one of my goals for my store visit was to find several gemstone jewelry pieces that would be perfect "treat yourself" gifts, or nice gifts for a special woman, like your mom, sister, or best friend. It became pretty clear to me that Tacori is a fabulous jewelry line for these types of pieces! Tacori is sold at fine jewelry retailers nationwide, and Diamonds Direct Short Pump had a fabulous in-store selection. I loved these amethyst drop earrings and the long gemstone necklace, shown below! 

     I also loved this gemstone bracelet from Tacori. Look at how it's adjustable so that it's easy to put on and take off your hand! 

     And finally, this stunning gemstone ring from Tacori. Ahh! I love pretty much anything that is teal or aqua in color, so this ring was definitely one of my favorite pieces in the entire store. This would make a beautiful right hand ring, or cocktail ring! 

    The Tacori selection at Diamonds Direct Short Pump includes many pieces that are under $1000, and a fair amount that are under $500 as well! One beautiful ring that I tried on was $325. This is a great price point for one of your first pieces of fine jewelry- it's definitely an investment, but if you save up for it you won't break the bank! 

     The Designer Holiday Trunk Show also featured some delicious treats (think gourmet mini cupcakes!), and they even had a photo-booth company on-sight for the later part of Saturday afternoon! The whole store was bustling with activity during the time I was there. It's clear that the Diamonds Direct team goes all out for this annual event, and there was definitely excitement in the air! 

     To my Virginia friends- if you have any engagement ring or fine jewelry needs during this holiday season, I highly suggest an in-store visit to Diamonds Direct Short Pump! If you're a Charlotte reader friend, they have a store there as well.  And if you're not in Virginia or North Carolina- don't fear, as Diamonds Direct has stores in 12 states! Thank you so much to Diamonds Direct Short Pump for the invitation to this holiday event, and for letting me play dress-up with such beautiful jewelry! I'm already dreaming of so many pieces to start saving for.

     God Bless,


     xoxo Annaliese

Sparkly Holiday Party Dresses On a Budget!

     I'm taking a break from outfits in fall earth tones and neutrals for today... and adding a little SPARKLE to your Monday. Talking all about sparkly holiday and NYE party dresses that are all under $40!

Photography by Kate Greer

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

Dress c/o // Heels {sold out, similar here} // Earrings c/o // Bracelets {old style, similar here} // Ring // Purse c/o // Lipstick c/o //  

     Every Monday needs some sparkle right? I thought today would be the perfect time to share this darling dress. Sure, mid-November is still a little early to be thinking about New Years' style... but at the same time, why not buy your outfit for NYE early, and then not have to think about it until then? Plus, this fun dress could also work for other dressy holiday occasions before then.

    Can you believe that this beautiful dress is a Shein find?! I'm very happy with the quality- look how bright and beautiful the sequins are! I ordered a M in this (I typically size up and order M in Shein), however this dress runs a bit large for them! I probably could've gotten away with a S, my normal size for other retailers. But the fact that it is a little loose on me makes it more comfortable to wear, so I guess that's a win. 😊The colors in this dress make me think of Las Vegas- one of my favorite cities!

   My mom bought me these super cute heels for a wedding that I went to this summer! Sadly my pair is sold out now, but these are really similar. Since this dress is so colorful and eye-catching, I wanted my accessories to compliment it, and not compete with it. I love these crystal drop earrings from Sugarfix, and I added in some of my favorite Kendra Scott bracelets as well. 

    I hope y'all are having a good Monday! Last week was a really long week at work. I love working in radio because I genuinely love what I do and I really do have fun most days at my job, but last week was a (rare) week that my job felt more like stress and less like fun. I'm hoping this week will be off to a great start!

     Linking my dress below, and some other cute sequin ones from Shein!!

   

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese 

Fall Transition Look + 3 Things I've Been Loving in September.

     Now that the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is behind us, I'm officially making the transition to fall fashion on the blog today. This outfit is a great transition look for living in the South- it's fall colors and super trendy, but it won't make you too hot for the days that it's still in the 70s or 80s outside!

Photography by Kate Greer

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

Top c/o // Skirt {old, identical here} // Shoes // Purse // Earrings c/o // Bracelets // Necklace {old, similar here} // Lipstick c/o //  

     I am really excited about how this outfit turned out, and I see myself repeating it a lot this fall. If you've been reading here awhile, you know that my favorite outfits in all seasons are ones with a lot of color, but sometimes I do wear darker colors or neutrals, and sometimes I even like it! 😉The gold jewelry that I've accessorized with here makes this outfit a little brighter. I've had my skirt since college, but plaid skirts are always trendy in the fall, so I've found an almost identical one here! My t-shirt is from Mott&Bow. They make premium denim, and just expanded into t-shirts as well. The shirt I'm wearing is called the Marcy. It's fitted very well and extremely comfortable to wear! A well-made, solid colored t-shirt that you'll get tons of wear out of in all seasons can be a worthwhile investment. 

     I've had my Tory Burch Parker tote (pictured) for just over a year now. Since I got mine, the Parker style has been discontinued, but they're selling the Robinson tote instead, which is very similar (and available in the same color as mine!). I'm curious if y'all would like a dedicated blog post review on this bag? I know that some bloggers do designer bag reviews, and I always find those interesting to read. Even though my exact bag isn't available anymore, the Robinson tote is really similar. This is my work bag, and it's served me very well for that! 

     Wrapping up today's outfit post with three things that I've been loving this month! September has been off to a rough start for me. I know that I've been teasing that on social media and in past blog posts without much detail... hopefully by October I'll have enough information to be able to share what's been going on in my life outside of blogging. Anyways, even though the past few weeks have brought a lot of anxiety into my life, I've been trying to make a conscious decision each day to choose joy and take delight in the little things. Here are three random things I've loved this month! 

     *Superstore (NBC TV show): I know I've mentioned this show in a few other blog posts already, but I gotta give it even more love. This is 100% the funniest and most relatable comedy that I've found in 2018. The show follows the work adventures of various employees at a fictional megastore called Cloud 9. I am obsessed with the show- I only wish I'd started watching this when it was new on TV a few years ago! I adore the characters especially, and since I've worked a retail job in the past, I can relate to some of the situations in the show. All of the jokes are just hilarious, and watching this show on demand has really been a bright spot for me these past few weeks.

      *Peppermint tea: I drink a cup of hot tea every afternoon at work in the 1pm hour, before I go on-air for my afternoon show! Up until recently, I'd usually pick something caffeinated for that afternoon boost, like Earl Grey or English Breakfast. Over the past few weeks, I've started bringing caffeine-free peppermint tea to enjoy at work. I've found that most days I'm find without the afternoon caffeine, and peppermint tea is just so delicious either sweetened or unsweetened! This type of tea leaves me feeling even more refreshed to conquer the busy part of my workday. 

     *SNS nails: I got bi-monthly gel manicures during last year when I lived in Vermont, and when I first moved to Virginia I tried SNS dip nails instead. I LOVED SNS manicures initially- it lasts longer than gel, and there aren't any UV rays involved! A couple months ago I let the SNS grow off my nails though and started painting my nails myself again- as much as I love going to the nail salon, it gets pricy, and that seemed like an easy way to cut my budget. Anyways, for my birthday weekend in Charlotte, I finally got an SNS manicure again, and now I'm hooked! These past couple weeks have been very stressful, but one thing that hasn't been is the beautiful color that is lasting so well on my nails. I think I'm hooked back into salon visits for now! 

     Before I go- a quick Hurricane Florence update! A few of you checked in with me last week as the hurricane neared the East Coast, and that was so sweet. Thankfully the path of the hurricane went away from Central Virginia, so while it was a rainy weekend here, there wasn't any life threatening damage in this area. I still stayed indoors for the majority of the weekend. I am still praying for those in the NC/SC coasts who ended up having a lot of damage- so sad to see the news coverage.

      Thank you so much for reading Southern Belle in Training today, and making this post apart of your Monday! I do appreciate everyone who reads here. No blog post tomorrow as I have some busy stuff going on at work- but I'll talk to you Wednesday for this week's Midweek Ramblings!

     God Bless,

     

      

     xoxo Annaliese 

Late Summer Lilly Pulitzer.

      I've been trying to share my lifestyle posts lately on Southern Belle in Training, but today we're keeping it simple with an outfit post for this Monday! I live in casual cotton Lilly Pulitzer dress styles in the summer, and I'm excited to share this pretty dress on the blog today.

Photography by Meredith Sledge 

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

Dress {from last year's After Party Sale, similar linked} // Shoes // Gold Ring // Blue Bracelets c/o // Gold Bracelets // Purse {from a local store in Maine, similar linked} // Lipstick c/o // 

     First things first- let's address the elephant in the room for Lilly Pulitzer lovers. When oh when are the late-summer After Party Sale dates going to be announced? My fingers are crossed that the news will drop this week. You can count on me for keeping you informed on when that will be as soon as I know!! (Not sure what the magical After Party Sale is? Check out this blog post of mine! 😊) 

     Alright- onto this outfit. I've been absolutely living in my casual Lilly dresses like this one during this whole summer. I love how this dress looks paired with chunky wedges and some coordinating jewelry! It's an adorable summer look that could be worn anywhere from a casual office to church to date night. It's the type of outfit that makes you feel pretty and put together, but not over-the-top dressed up. Win win!

    I share recaps of my weekends in my weekly Midweek Ramblings posts on Wednesdays, but I want to finish today's post by talking about something I did last week (before the weekend). I went to see CRAZY RICH ASIANS!!! I bought a ticket for premiere night, and I think that's the first time in my life that I've ever intentionally bought a movie ticket for the premiere (I saw Mamma Mia! 2 on premiere night this summer, but I didn't realize it had opened that day.) I've mentioned more than a few times on the blog how much I enjoyed reading the full Crazy Rich Asians trilogy this spring. The movie definitely did the first book justice, and it was a magical experience to see everything played out on the big screen. Wow wow wow. Who else saw it on premiere night or over the weekend? My fingers are crossed that the success of this movie means that more romantic comedies will finally be heading to theaters into 2019! I feel like it's been a dry couple years for them- thank goodness for Hallmark and Lifetime movies. 😉

     

   
     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese 

Tassel T-Shirt Outfit + My Blog's Mission Statement.

     Last week I shared and styled a sundress from Shein that was a total win- and today I have another great Shein find for y'all! It's the most adorable top, and it's so perfect for late summer. Also chatting a bit about my blog's mission statement, and looking for your feedback!

Photography by Kate Greer

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

Top c/o // Jeans {from Zara, similar here} // Sandals {old, similar here} // Earrings {old, similar here} // Purse // Bracelets // Lip Gloss // 

     How cute is this striped tassel top?! Definitely another Shein win. I ordered an M, and it has a nice and loose relaxed fit on me. It's a great way to add a pop of fun to my late summer work outfits. I wore this exact look to work a couple weeks ago, and it was the type of outfit that brightened my entire day. For hair talk- I've recently started doing my messy buns a bit differently than I used to, and I love this end result! Plus- it's truly one of the most simple hairstyles. I found this type of messy bun tutorial through Emily at The Sweetest Thing in this blog post of hers!! 

     So- I'd love y'all's feedback on something! I never formally introduced this, but a few months ago I created Southern Belle in Training's first mission statement. I figured that with my six year blogiversary coming in September, it was about time to do this! I have this listed on my Instagram, Twitter, and my blog's About page. My personal mission with this blog is to provide content that is "Affordable Fashion // Attainable Travel // Authentic Living." The first two are kind of self-explanatory- for "Affordable Fashion" I strive to feature outfits on my blog with affordable pieces, and I also enjoy regularly showing how I re-style things from my closet. A love of fashion can encourage someone to pursue materialism- but I want my blog and style to show that doesn't have to be the case! You can love clothes and all things girly and stick to a budget and not buy into every single trend. "Attainable Travel" is along the same lines. I love to travel and discover new places, but in my young 20s I know that I don't have unlimited funds to go on luxurious and exotic vacations. I want to show y'all how you can discover new places in your own state or region, and how when I do take bigger trips, I do them while being financially smart. 

      The last part of the mission statement, "Authentic Living" - is the part that I'm still trying to figure out how to fairly represent in my blog posts and social media. This would comprise the posts on Southern Belle in Training that aren't fashion or travel related. Posts about my faith, career, and relationships.  You might have read my Grocery Store Wars posts from this spring and summer- that's a perfect example of this topic. In my real life, I love grocery shopping and always have (every since I was little!). It's a mundane everyday thing that actually brings me a lot of joy, so I wanted to share that on my blog, even though it has nothing to do with fashion or travel. Another blog post series under this category would be my Relationship Monday posts where I talk about dating and singleness. The last time that I wrote one of these I lived in Vermont (and a lot of them were written back when I still lived in North Carolina!), but it's a blog post series that I'd really like to start doing more often on Mondays again. My heart really lies in writing longer blog posts about personal topics. I am finally at a place in my life where I'm loving being single, but it took years to get myself in that mindset! I want to share more about relationship-based topics, and especially how my faith and morals play into how I view dating (and someday marriage). 

     Anyways- now that I have formally shared my blog's mission statement, I want to know what you think!! Do you like my style of sharing fashion and travel content? Would you like to see more posts each week in the "Authentic Living" category? What past posts on Southern Belle in Training have you loved or found notable? If you want to give your thoughts on any of those questions- leave me a comment on this post! 😊

      God Bless,

     

      xoxo Annaliese 

Blue Gingham Sundress + Carytown Adventures.

     Kicking of the week on the blog by sharing a very summery outfit, and one of my favorite murals that I've ever taken blog photos with! The images for this post were shot a couple weeks ago on my weekend adventure in the nearby city of Richmond. 

Photography by Deeana Kourtney

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

Dress c/o {sold out in blue, still available in black!} //  Hat {old, similar here} // Heels // Bracelets // Earrings // Lip Gloss // 

     To me, this sundress radiates all things summer! The gingham pattern mixed with the black and white flowers are such a cute combination. This dress falls just below my knees (I'm almost 5'7 for heigh reference), and I love the slightly longer length! I actually ended up cutting off the little tie straps, as it fit me perfectly and stayed up fine as an off-the-shoulder dress. You know this dress is a keeper because it already sold out in the blue gingham! It is still available in black though, which is also very cute. 

     My mom bought me these cute heels when I was home in Maine last month! I thought they were a fun twist on the popular block heel trend. I got them with the wedding that I'm going to in a few weeks in mind... but I couldn't resist pulling them out for my weekend in Richmond and giving them a little test run.

     Deeana and I took these photos in Richmond's Carytown neighborhood during our weekend there a few weeks ago. Some of my coworkers had recommended that I spend some time exploring Carytown, and I'm so glad that we did! It was such a lively part of the city, filled with cool shopping options like distinctive boutiques and consignment shops, and lots of unique restaurants. We also found the beautiful mural that these photos were taken in front of. I'd definitely like to return to Carytown on future Richmond trips- I seriously can't get enough of the fact that Richmond is so accessible from Charlottesville for day trips. To read more about my recent Richmond weekend, check out this blog post! 

     Switching gears- I wanted to remind y'all that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale gift card giveaway that I'm hosting with other bloggers continues this week! The sale will be here before you know it- I'll have more info about that coming soon. 

 I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to give YOU a chance to win: a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time to shop the Anniversary Sale!

Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter. You’ll receive one entry per completion. This giveaway is open to the U.S. and Canada only and runs until 7/9. Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!

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      God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese