Organizing My Earring Collection + My Favorite Places to Buy Earrings!

      Confession: I am an earring hoarder. I suppose in fully honesty I'm kind of an all-jewelry hoarder... but earrings are by far my favorite type of jewelry. I am rarely seen without earrings. (I usually only take them out for workouts, and even then will often wear small studs.) Despite the fact that I only have one hole in each ear, I have an extremely  large earring collection! From tiny studs to big statement earrings, I love them all. I recently started storing my earrings differently thanks to a great organizational find from Amazon- and I love this new method so much that I wanted to do a quick blog post about it. 

My 2020 Socially Distanced Summer Bucket List.

     Hey Friends! This blog post was supposed to go live on Monday, but I took the rest of the work week off from new blog and IG content to honor everything going on right now. I used the time weekday afternoons that I normally spend working on my blog to instead be having some tough but meaningful conversations with dear friends about the current events, racism, politics, and more. I'm also excited for some library books about racism that I put on hold to come in for me.

    Anyways- I will definitely still be educating myself and having these tough conversations in the weeks and months to come (this week has truly changed some things for me), but it is time now to get back to business here on the blog! 😊

     This marks my third annual Summer Bucket List! I started publishing these on the blog in 2018, which was my first summer here in Virginia. The past two have been fun ways to challenge myself to make the most of this fleeting season, and to enjoy activities and experiences new and old that I wouldn't get to do at other times of the year.

    I wasn't sure if I should still make a list for this year, thanks to COVID-19. The truth is this summer will be looking a lot different than the last two. 😬 Even if some of the activities that I'd hoped to do this year won't be open or safe, that doesn't mean I should let this season go to waste! If anything, I want to be even more intentional with how I'm spending my time. Stay-at-home orders will be over and it will be safer to go out and explore certain types of local spots, but that doesn't mean social distancing and general safety are over as well. 

    So here we go- my third annual Summer Bucket List and first ever one created with social distancing in mind!

Pink & Green Outfit: Day + Night.

     Nothing says "classic summer preppy outfit" to me like the color combination of pink and green! These two colors when worn together just make me so happy. Anyone else? 😊

    I purchased this retro looking green gingham shift dress a couple months ago, and I knew that when I styled it I wanted to add hot pink accessories. I came up with two different pink accessorized outfits... and I liked them both so much that I shot both for today's blog post! One is more of a daytime look, and the other I think would be cute for a fun evening out or a date night. So here's one of my new favorite dresses, styled two ways!

Lilly Pulitzer for Girl's Night Out.

    Happy Monday Friends! It has still been pretty warm outside most days in Virginia, so it feels appropriate to share one final summery outfit featuring a cute Lilly Pulitzer top. 

My Favorite Time of Year + White Lace Dress.

     It's the most wonderful time of the year... all of the flowering trees of the South are in full bloom! There's just no time of year to me as beautiful as this. Fall is nice and all I suppose, but I'd take a blooming tree over fall foliage any day. This weekend, I was supposed to be going up to DC to see their famous cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, the trees up there reached peak bloom a little earlier than normal this year (last weekend), and on Friday there were heavy rains in that area... so I ended up cancelling my day trip as there wouldn't have been that much to see. 😓 Fortunately- I found these beautiful flowering trees here in Charlottesville to still take pictures with!

Affordable & Glamorous Sequin Outfit.

     Even though Fashion Week is associated with expensive designer clothing pieces, I didn't let that deter me from my favorite affordable retailers when I was packing my outfits! Today's blog post features my very favorite outfit that I wore for NYFW, and you won't believe the price point.
     ALSO- sharing a fun spring themed Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post that I'm participating in with some other bloggers, don't miss your chance to enter!

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

Sweater Dress in Shenandoah...

     I am so excited about today's fall outfit and these pictures! I normally write Monday's blog posts on the Thursday or Friday before, but this one is getting written at 10:45 pm on Sunday night (last night)- so forgive this for being a shorter post than normal. Hopefully these photos will speak for themselves!

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

Sweater dress {from Zara, similar here} // Scarf {old, similar here} // Boots c/o // Earrings {mine not online, similar here}

     A fall day trip into the mountains called for an outfit featuring warm and earthy autumn tones. I was so excited to find this dress in-store at Zara in DC last month! It's simple yet chic, and the burnt orange color made it both 1) perfect for fall fashion and 2) unique in my closet, as I don't own many clothing items in this hue! I paired it with a favorite paisley scarf, and the tan boots that I've been wearing on repeat this month. Navy tassel earrings finished the look, and I love how it turned out!

     I'm sure you're wondering if I wore this outfit all day during the day trip my dad and I went on into Shenandoah National Park. The answer is no! Right after these pictures were taken, I changed in the backseat of my car (in true blogger fashion) into casual hiking clothes. 😉 I just had a feeling that Shenandoah would offer some gorgeous backdrops to shoot this outfit against, and I was right! I love the fall vibes in these photos- I think my dad did a great job taking them. My parents are both so kind and always help me out with my blog and Instagram photos when we are together!

     This was my first visit to Shenandoah National Park and on Skyline Drive (the 100+ mile scenic road that runs through the park), and I have a separate blog post planned soon all about visiting Shenandoah in the fall, and the hike that we did! Stay tuned for that soon. My dad and I also took some video footage during our day trip so I'm hoping to make a short video to share once that blog post goes up. Youtube videos aren't something that I'm super talented at, but I'm having fun every few months making one for the Southern Belle in Training channel. You can check out my most recent video here!

      Have a great Monday- I have a CRAZY week ahead and it starts today!

      God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese

The Perfect Tourist Outfit Is...

     Last weekend I was in Washington DC for a quick 48-hour trip. DC is quickly becoming my favorite city to play tourist in on Saturdays and Sundays! There are endless fun things to do, and always something new to see. It's hard to get tired of visiting there! One thing I will say about DC is that it is a "go go go" type of town. This isn't the best tourist destination for a relaxing weekend, but instead it's one to check out if you like having a full itinerary and tons of stuff to do. Putting together outfits for being a busy weekend tourist can be challenging. Athletic clothing and sneakers might be the most comfortable to wear, but if you're anything like me, you still want to look cute and fashionable in all the photos you'll be taking. In today's post, I'm sharing the simple but chic outfit that I wore in DC last weekend!

     And here's a couple fun photos in front of the White House!!

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

Jumpsuit c/o {under $30!} // Sandals // Earrings {old, very similar here} // Sunglasses c/o // Purse // Lipstick //

      After this past weekend, I am convinced that jumpsuits are the ideal outfit choice for tourist activities! They're so easy to wear, and yet you look like you spent a lot more time getting ready. 😉I also get cold very easily, so I like the fact that most jumpsuits cover more of your legs than dresses. The only hassle with jumpsuits is of course that they're really annoying to take off if you have to go to the bathroom... but hey, I'll take that in exchange for how cute they look on! This orange floral jumpsuit is gorgeous, and I loved wearing it for a morning of sightseeing in DC. I ordered a size M, and it fit me perfectly. 

     I have fallen in love with visiting DC for weekend trips! The DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia) area has an exorbitant cost of living and a bit of a fast paced and intense lifestyle, so while I'm not sure I'd ever want to live and work there, it's the absolute best to visit on weekends!! Without traffic, I live just under two hours from some of the Virginia DC suburb towns (like Tyson's Corner, a big shopping district), and about two and a half hours from DC proper and the Maryland suburbs. It's a really easy drive to get up there from Charlottesville, and I intend to keep taking full advantage of this!

     The plethora of amazing free things to do in DC continues to blow my mind. In addition to all of the museums and attractions, there is world class shopping and dining. DC is such a beautiful city to visit as well; the architecture styles and unique charm of all the different areas is wonderful. My favorite DC weekend was still my first trip up last spring, when my friend Mercedes and I saw all things cherry blossoms! I also wrote a blog post after that weekend detailing some fun and free things to do in DC, which you can check out here. I'm planning another weekend in DC around the holidays to see the city all decorated, but truth be told I'm most excited for cherry blossoms in 2019! 

     Have a wonderful weekend! My mom is here visiting me in Virginia, and I'm looking forward to hopefully doing some exploring with her on Sunday after church. A new Relationship Monday is coming to the blog next week! 

    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 

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 

Preppy 4th of July Outfit.

     Some holidays I manage to hit every year on the blog in terms of content and outfits based around them... and some just escape me. The 4th of July is weirdly one that usually blows right past me each year- it's already happened by the time I remember that I should have shared an outfit related to it! Luckily, I didn't let that happen this year. I'm sharing this simple and preppy 4th of July look in today's post, and also talking about my plans for the holiday this year; my first one in Virginia!

Photography by Meredith Sledge 


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




Top {mine not online, very similar here} // Shorts // Shoes // Earrings // Gold Bracelet Stack // Rose Gold Bracelet // Ring // Lipstick // 

     I realized when putting this outfit together that while I have a plethora of white and bold blue items in my closet and accessories collections... solid red fashion items are something I'm lacking a little bit. I actually just ordered these red earrings (which I'm hoping will be here in time for the 4th next week!), but until then, I opted when styling this outfit for a bold red lipstick to make sure I had all three colors of the flag represented!


     I've been loyal to J. Crew Factory shorts for many years now- and this blue scalloped pair is no exception! They're so cute for all types of summer outfits, and of course absolutely perfect for the 4th of July. I paired them with this favorite tie-front white top, and fun blue statement earrings to finish off this preppy look. This outfit is simple, but definitely still patriotic for the 4th!



      What are your plans for the 4th of July this year? Do you have any traditions, or do something new each year? Since graduating college, I've done different things each 4th! Two years ago, I went to a fun pool party in Charlotte, and then watched the fireworks with friends in Tega Cay, SC. Last year I was in Vermont, and I had to work in the morning. Later that day, my friend Ciera flew in for her summer visit, and we spent the rest of the day at a state park on Lake Champlain (and then I think went to bed before any fireworks shows- lol!). This year, Ciera is coming back to visit me for the week of the 4th! Our friend Priyanka (also from Charlotte) is coming up with her, and I can't wait to have the girls here with me in Charlottesville for a few days. They're both arriving on the 4th, so I think we will keep things mellow that day, and try and check out one of the fireworks shows in Charlottesville that night! I'm still asking around of where the best place is to catch them here.

   

     God Bless,


   
      xoxo Annaliese