Fashion trends come and go, and I do my best to keep up with them. I think my personal style is like 50% classic (preppy, timeless and feminine), and 50% trendy. While there are usually some trends each year that I love, I've found that in recent years there's more and more that I'm not into. (Maybe that means I'm getting old?! 😉Haha.) Let's start off this week on the blog by chatting about the three current trends that I personally *don't get*. And I'll also share one that I've been surprisingly loving! That one is is something I'm wearing in these photos- can you guess it?
Happy Thursday! Today I'm sharing an outfit that I wore in Nashville a few weeks ago. I normally only share camera photos for outfit posts on the blog, but today I'm mixing things up a little bit as these are actually all iPhone photos.
Hello and Happy Tuesday! I hope that y'all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Did you get any good deals for Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday? I passed on both this year since I was traveling (and my suitcase was already filled to the brim with Black Friday purchases!), but it looked like the whole weekend was full of great deals. In December I'll have only three more Christmas gifts left to purchase- then I am doing my shopping! I think that's pretty good to be like 80-90% done after Black Friday.
In today's blog post, I'm sharing what I think might be the top of my dreams, and also a bit about why the boutique that it's from is extra special to me!
So way back in 2012/2013, I started following Nicole from Nicole V. Cole (her blog used to be called Bloom back in the day). I started Southern Belle in Training in September 2012, and after my first few months of blogging I started looking for lots of other bloggers to follow! Nicole instantly became one of my favorites from the day that I found her blog. At the time she was engaged, and I remember anxiously following along with all of her wedding updates until her Big Day. Nicole's faith inspired me so much, and her posts on the bible or Christian lifestyle topics were such a blessing to me in my college years.
Fast forward to 2018! I've still been following Nicole all these years- she's now a mom of two adorable littles (one through adoption- her family has the sweetest story on that!). Earlier this year, Nicole and her younger sister Anna began an online women's boutique called Holly & Co. When Nicole reached out to me about styling a piece from their website on my blog, I was delighted! I just think it's so cool that all these years later, I'm not only still reading a blog that inspired me years ago, but also getting to collaborate with the blogger herself on her newest venture. 😊
Nicole and Anna first got the idea to start Holly & Co. in 2017, and it came to life this past year! They wanted to create an online boutique with everyday girls in mind. (You know how some online boutiques carry a lot of clothing that's a little flashy, too trendy, or just too "out there"? You won't find any of that with Holly & Co.!) Modesty, comfort, and style are their priorities when they select items for their boutique. When I first took a look at the Holly & Co. website, I immediately thought to myself It's literally a boutique built off of my work wardrobe! At the radio company that I work for, there isn't a dress code for on-air staff. It would be pretty weird if I showed up to work in a suit and heels! But at the same time, event though it is a casual environment, I never want to look too laid back. I like looking casual yet stylish for work, and literally everything in their shop is something that I'd wear to work! Another perk? It's always free shipping at Holly & Co.!
For this blog post, there was no question that I'd style the Dark Rose Blouse! As soon as I saw this I knew that I had to have it. It's the most darling preppy blouse! I love the pussy bow combined with the layered pleats. Typically I don't actually love pleated clothing items, but I feel like it works perfectly on this top. The color of this blouse is ideal for fall and winter- it's not too bright, but still adds some color to your outfit. I'm wearing a size S and it fit perfectly.
I hope that you enjoyed learning more about Holly & Co. today! You can keep up with the boutique on Instagram here.
Tomorrow I'll be back with a new Midweek Ramblings post, and on Thursday I'll be doing a try-on blog post about all of my Black Friday purchases!
TGIF my friends! Today I'm sharing what might be one of my favorite fall dresses ever in today's post! I'm also sharing an announcement related to upcoming holiday content on the blog- I'd love your thoughts on it.
In just a couple years, Shein has quickly become one of my top online retailers to shop at! I first started shopping there during my junior or senior year of college. At first it was just a destination that I'd buy really trendy pieces at (things that probably wouldn't be in style six months later), but I think in the last couple years that they've really upped the quality of products on the website! The items with slightly higher price points ($25-40) usually are very well made and have a nice fit. I've become so impressed with many of my recent Shein purchases, that I now rarely shop at fast fashion retailers like H&M and Forever 21.
This gorgeous floral bell-sleeve dress might just be one of my very favorite Shein purchases! I ordered the M (I'm normally an S in other retailers, but always order M at Shein), and it fits live a glove! It stretchy and so comfortable, and I think the length and bell-sleeves are so flattering! The best part about this dress is the fabric won't wrinkle! That's what makes this a perfect pick to pack for Thanksgiving travels next week. You won't have to worry about ironing or steaming it after it comes out of your suitcase! This dress is 100% coming with me on my Thanksgiving trip.
Shein has given me a discount code for y'all to use on their website!! If you decide to buy this dress, that'll make the already under $30 price tag even better! Use code HIMISSALK20 for 20% off your purchase.
Now for a brief update on holiday content on the blog. Drumroll please.... I've officially decided... not to do any gift guides this year! I know, I know... that's like breaking the blogger code of ethics to completely bypass Christmas gift guides right? A few weeks ago on Instagram Stories I did a little survey asking about what types of gift guides y'all wanted to see. So many of you responded with creative answers, so I really hope I'm not letting you down too much by deciding not to do them. There's a few factors that inspired my decision.
First and foremost... they take a lot of time to put together! Probably 2-3x the amount that it takes me to write any other type of blog post. Assembling the images of all the products and then making one large graphic takes a lot of time. And time is something that I don't have a ton of right now! Work has been absolutely insane lately, as what I thought would be a few days of filling in on my station's morning show has become a few weeks. In addition to work changes, I've had very full weekends (and have more on the way) and I'll be out of town for the next two weekends, so I have to really maximize the more limited time that I have to work on my blog.
Secondly... in addition to being time consuming to make, in past years I haven't seen the commissions that I'd like to be seeing from gift guides. (If you're not familiar with blogging affiliate programs - I use affiliate links in my blog posts to make commission on purchases made through my blog links!) Over the years, gift guides have never a high source of income for my blog, and with the time commitment involved I'm just not sure that it's worth it this year. Lastly- they seem to be very oversaturated in the blog industry right now! Just about every other blogger is doing many of them this season, so if you do like shopping through gift guides, there won't be a shortage to choose from!
So what does this mean for my blog in the next several weeks? Don't worry, even with the craziness at my job I'll still be blogging 4x a week! 😊I look forward to bringing you holiday-specific fashion and travel content, as well as everything else that you normally enjoy on Southern Belle in Training. If you are curious about the items that I'd recommend for gifts this year, feel free to DM or email me!! I'd love to provide you with personalized gift recommendations.
Have a great weekend! Stay tuned to my Instagram Stories tomorrow for a fun event.
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.
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!
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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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What are the top three things that I associate with the state I've been calling home since the spring of 2017? Maple products, cheddar cheese, and classic red barns. I've done my fair share since moving to Vermont of consuming the first two, but the I hadn't had much exposure to that third item: the red barns! Vermont as a state has tons and tons of beautiful and classic red barns, some being used for traditional purposes as farming barns, and some restored into event venues, like the one you'll see in today's photos. The thing about finding a classic red barn is that the majority of them are in other parts of the state, either in the NEK (slang term for "Northeast Kingdom") or in Southern Vermont- both of these regions are about 2-ish hours from the Burlington area. I told one of my photographers, Melissa, that I wanted to try and find a beautiful red barn to visit within an hour radius to Burlington, and we were able to do just that!! I'm excited to share our visit to West Monitor Barn with you in today's post:
It was a mere six degrees outside when these photos were taken!! Hopefully I don't look too frozen here. 😊 I was so excited to finally do a photoshoot near a big red barn that I think my joy kept the freezing cold at bay at least for a little bit! I decided to style this classic white sweater and vest combo with bright pops of color in my accessories. I had fun pairing my pink Hunters and favorite blue DIFF sunglasses with this bold striped pom pom scarf. I think everything came out well for the finished product! That's the great thing about wearing "winter whites" like sweaters and vests, you can have so much fun adding color with your accessories. I've said this before on the blog, I am one of those people who follows the traditional rules about not wearing white after Labor Day. However- that applies to summer whites! Winter whites are awesome, I love my white sweaters especially.
The barn that Melissa and I went to is called West Monitor Barn, and it's about 45-ish minutes from the Burlington area. It's owned by the Vermont Youth Conversation Corps, but it can be rented out in the warmer months for weddings and other functions. This is literally the image I've had in my mind when I think of "classic Vermont barns," so I loved getting to visit here.
I'm keeping today's post short and sweet, but I'm looking forward to the other posts that are coming up on Southern Belle in Training this week! I've been having a lot of fun this month with different types of lifestyle content. With the cold weather this winter, it's reduced the amount that I've been shooting fashion posts for the blog, so it's challenged me creatively in other ways to still provide the same amounts of weekly blog posts for y'all. I hope you have enjoyed what I've been putting together, and as always I love blog post suggestions!
I might have mentally prepared myself for the snow in Vermont, but no amount of preparation got me ready for the cold! Brrrrr- it has been one chilly start to winter here in the Northeast. In my defense, record low temperatures have been reported in just about all states on the East Coast to start off 2018, not just Vermont, so I probably didn't pick the best year to take a job in New England! Ah well. One of my coping mechanisms for the sub-zero temperatures and plethora of snow has been to put together cute winter outfits! Today I'm sharing a recent favorite outfit of mine, and also talking about one of my favorite retailers for finding warm sweaters that have been helping me survive this cold season!
Despite what a lot of Vermonters think, North Carolina definitely had a winter season. There were a good few months of cold there, so I built up quite a sweater and coat collection during my college years. HOWEVER- "cold" and "winter weather" in the South means 30s and 40s, so it's mild enough for cute sweaters and coats! Here in Vermont, I seriously have started thinking it's a heat wave if I see temperatures beginning with 3s in the winter forecast. It is so darn cold up here in the mountains in the wintertime! A lot of my Southern appropriate sweaters and coats just will not cut it. This past weekend, the high temperatures didn't even get out of the negatives!! While that is a bit colder than average, winter days in the teens and single digits still aren't unusual for Vermont in January.
In the search for finding sweaters that are actually thick enough to keep me warm in this frozen state, I discovered how amazing the cold weather apparel is from Chicwish. I cannot get enough of their sweaters! Chicwish is an online international retailer that I just started shopping at last year. I had no idea what the quality of their sweaters would be like, but I styled one for this blog post in September. I was absolutely amazed at how warm and soft it was, and all around so impressed with the quality. The blue turtleneck sweater that I'm wearing in today's post is from Chicwish as well. I love how it is stylishy oversized. It's loose enough that I can layer extra tshirts under it for even more warmth on really cold days, but it's not too big that it looks frumpy. Sadly the color I'm wearing is sold out, but it's still available in this cream color!
Today's post isn't sponsored, I'm just really excited about finding a retailer that has cute and fashionable sweaters that are warm enough to help me survive Vermont winter!! 😊 I'm sharing a bunch more cute Chicwish sweaters below:
Speaking of Vermont's weather- it is warming up slightly this week, and it'll be back in the 30s in a couple days. I've never been so happy to see 30 degree temperatures!!
I haven't lived in Vermont very long, or experienced too much of the winter season yet, but I already can already say I know for a fact that snow is a very different experience in Northern New England than in the South! Kylie and I were expecting mild temperatures during our trip last weekend to Georgetown, Kentucky, but surprisingly we were treated to a dusting of bitter weather and Southern snow. The snow stuck around overnight and lasted for our Sunday morning excursion to Georgetown's Japanese garden, Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, and in today's blog post I'll be sharing what I wore for the garden visit, and more about Yuko-En on the Elkhorn!
Yuko-En on the Elkhorn is Georgetown Kentucky's free public Japanese inspired garden, open daily from dawn until dusk. The garden was founded in partnership with Georgetown's sister-city, Tahara, Japan. Their is a Japanese inspired villa that sits on the garden pond, and Georgetown residents are free to rent out the villa for local events. I thought the garden looked beautiful covered with freshly fallen snow- but on the garden website I saw some pictures of how it looks in the spring and summer months, and oh my gosh, it looks absolutely magical when things are blooming and the sun is warm and shining! You can learn more information about Yuko-En on the Elkhorn by visiting their website here! I have such a soft spot in my heart for public gardens- I really wish there were more of them here in the part of Vermont that I live in.
The cold weather during our trip to Kentucky threw off some of my outfit plans at the last minute, but I went with it! Luckily life in Vermont has prepped my closet well in terms of sweaters, scarves, and other winter accessories, so I still had some other things to choose from to pack. My blanket scarf is from Zara last year, but this one is kind of similar! My specific scarf is SO big and cozy that I actually find it a bit overwhelming to wear as a neck scarf, so I usually wear it more as a warm shawl, as I'm doing here in these photos!
A quick note on my pearl strand necklace- it's from J. Crew Factory, and it was one the top items on my Christmas wishlist three years ago. My mom got it for me that year, and it's been one of my most worn jewelry pieces ever since! Seriously, I wear this weekly, and bring it with me on almost every trip that I take, since it's such a versatile piece. It's on sale right now, and it would make a lovely Christmas present for a fellow preppy fashionista!
I'm so excited to share my complete holiday travel guide to Georgetown, Kentucky coming up later this week on the blog! Thank you for following along so far for the outfits and recaps from the trip. Hoping that your Monday is off to a great start today!
I'm finally sharing this cute fall look that I wore during my visit to The Vermont Country Store a few weeks back! The Vermont Country Store is located in Southern Vermont, and I did a day trip there with a new blogger friend, Rebecca from Caravan Sonnet, who came over to Vermont for the day. (You can read more about our visit to the store and the rest of our day exploring Vermont in this blog post!) This outfit would be like my ideal look for a weekend of fall fun, a mini road trip, and blogging adventures. Read on through the post to also find out my top three short series podcast recommendations that are perfect for road trips or upcoming fall or holiday travels!
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First off- a disclaimer that most of the things I'm wearing here are a bit older! I did try and link similar items for everything. In the earlier days of my blog when I was on a student budget, I used to restyle my favorite tops, bottoms, and accessories much more often. Honestly it is more realistic to re-wear favorite outfit pieces, and maybe I should try and start doing restyled outfits more regularly again! Let me know what you think? This suede skirt is something that's been on my blog several times for example (here and here are two favorite posts), and I still find new ways to wear it each season. Even though I work in a very casual office/radio setting, this outfit is still a little bit too casual for what I'd wear to work, but it's like my ideal fall weekend outfit! I knew it was the perfect choice for my day trip to The Vermont Country Store with Rebecca from Caravan Sonnet.
In the spirit of fun fall day trips as well as the approaching holiday road trip season, I thought it would be fun to share three of my favorite mini-series podcasts that are perfect to listen to on a road trip! I admit that I was a bit late to get into the podcast game. I actually didn't get into them until I was beginning to pack this spring for my move to Vermont! Now I love podcasts and almost every morning before work I listen to the latest episodes of one of my favorite ones. I think that regular series podcasts are great to listen to on a regular weekday basis, but shorter series podcasts are perfect to dive into during a road trip, and they can also be a great intro into what podcasts are! Here are three of my favorites which would be perfect for any upcoming road trips or long flights:
1. Missing Richard Simmons: This podcast came out in early spring 2017, and is the one that turned me onto podcasts in general! I started listening when I was packing for Vermont, and actually finished it on the bus trip portions of my mom and I's Italy trip in March! There were a few days of the trip that we were on the bus for hours at a time, and this podcast made the bus time fly by. This podcast is just six episodes long, and each one is extremely interesting and captivating. It follows the mysterious disappearance from public society of fitness guru Richard Simmons. I actually had a good friend in high school who was a big Richard Simmons fan, but I hadn't realized that he had "gone missing" in recent years. I got super into this podcast, and like I said, this was the one that turned me onto podcasting in general!
2. S-Town: This podcast was was produced by This American Life, which is the public radio program that's also behind the smash hit podcast Serial (The first season of Serial is another one of my favorite podcasts!). S-Town is the podcast that I listened to on my solo drive when I moved from NC to Vermont. The subject matter is a bit deep and heavy- it's definitely a podcast for mature audiences, but I enjoyed listening to it on my drive. S-Town is seven episodes, and tells the true biographical story of a man from a rural town in Alabama who is extremely dissatisfied with small town Southern life, and is also convinced that someone he knows in the town is a murderer, and that the murder was covered up. The murder in question doesn't end up to be quite true, but there is a death that occurs in the podcast, and the story really explores the hidden hardships of rural Southern life.
3. Dirty John: Dirty John just released this fall from The Los Angeles Times, and I knew from the first episode that I was hooked! It is six episodes, and the first episode was especially compelling. Dirty John tells the tale of an accomplished and well-to-do single middle aged woman named Debra Newell, who turns to online dating to try and have another chance at love. She meets a man named John online who seems like the ideal catch, he claims to be an anesthesiologist who just returned from Iraq with Doctors With Borders. However, very quickly Debra's family is extremely vary of some of John's concerning behaviors, and the podcast then dives into the truth behind his past. You won't believe the ending!
If y'all enjoyed these podcast recommendations, I'm happy to do another post soon with my recommendations of my favorite recurring series ones that I listen to weekly! It has been really fun to get into listening to podcasts here in Vermont. 😊
