Casual Holiday Outfit + Christmas Plans This Season!

      Happy December! I wanted to share this casual holiday look with y'all today, and a few thoughts about this holiday season being a lot more normal than 2020. So much to be thankful for and excited about this month!

Dressed Up Jeans for Spring.

     Hey friends- happy Monday! I've been super busy lately and there's a few things happening behind-the-scenes in life right now... so starting off the week with a lighthearted outfit post sounds good to me. This look was so much fun to put together, and it's honestly making me happy to see a cute outfit like this on a Monday.

    This is also the first outfit post in a long time where I'm using a mix of iPhone and camera photos!! The first three are from my DSLR camera, and the last two are phone snaps. I'd love to know if there's one you prefer or if you can tell the difference!

10 Things to Do For Professional & Career Development.

      Last month marked four years since I entered the workforce full-time! My professional career thus far has been entirely spent in the radio industry, which definitely can be a bit unique compared to other career paths (even others in communications and media). But one thing that working in radio does have in common with any full-time job? The ongoing opportunity to advance your career and professional knowledge by seeking out career development and networking opportunities! 

     While employers in some industries are really intentional with paying for or helping their employees seek out professional development education opportunities, that isn't the case at every job or company. I'm a firm believer that there are always things that you can be doing on your own to help yourself network with those in your industry, or gain more knowledge about your field. While not all of these are free ideas, a lot of them are! Since I know most of you aren't in radio, I am going to try to make sure most of these ideas aren't just things that would apply to the radio industry. Most of these are things that I have done (a couple I haven't gotten to yet)... but out of the ones that I have done I've found them to be very beneficial!

Pink With a Side of Heart Balloons... 🎈💖

     What's the cure to a long and cold winter season during a pandemic? A.) lots of PINK, and B.) heart balloons! Am I wearing this outfit anywhere soon that's not this Richmond parking decor for these photos? No. But did it bring me so much joy to wear it for the sake of the blog and share it with you today? YES! And I think we all need more joy right now... 😊      

2020 NYE Outfit Fail.

      Although I have no plans for New Year's Eve this year, I still wanted to dress up in a pretty and sparkly outfit at home to celebrate the end of 2020. But in true fashion for this year, there was a bit of a mishap with the outfit I was hoping to wear at home. Fortunately, I got these outfit pictures before that happened, so I can at least share what I planned to wear with you today! 

Barrington Gifts St. Anne Tote vs. Savannah Tote: Which Is Better?

     Over the past year, I have become a big fan of Barrington Gifts bags! They sell many items in their online boutique from luggage to accessories for him and her to diaper bags, but I feel their signature item and what they're best known for are their monogrammed and customized totes. And when it comes to Barrington totes, it really breaks down to two styles: the St. Anne and the Savannah. Today I'm comparing and contrasting both, and sharing why both are wonderful bags in their own right, yet also a little different from each other! There is an amazing Barrington promo happening right now, so I wanted to get this post up ASAP so you can take advantage.

I Found It! (The Perfect Shirtdress, That Is)

     As the title of this blog post says, the hunt is over! I've been searching for a basic but chic shirtdress to have a closet staple for the last two or three years, and I'm so excited to finally share this one with you today.  

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!

10 of My Unpopular Opinions.

     My blogger friends Nicole from What Nicole Wore and Cara from Caralina Style both shared blog post versions of the 10 Unpopular Things tag that started on Facebook a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed reading both their posts to see which of their list items I agreed and disagreed with. I thought thought it would be fun to make this a post on my blog too- I can't wait to see which of my list y'all agree and disagree with! 

Vera Bradley x New Hope Girls.

     Starting off this new week by sharing my first spring outfit of 2020, and introducing y'all to some cute bags for a great cause. Happy Monday!

Purse Review: Why I Love My Barrington Gifts St. Anne Tote!

    If you follow other bloggers (especially other preppy bloggers), chances are you have seen others style and share about Barrington Gifts totes before. I found out about Barrington Gifts from other bloggers years ago! I was immediately captivated by how classic their tote styles are, and I loved the fact that they could be so customized. I've now been using my first Barrington Gifts St. Anne tote for about a month, and I'm excited to share a full review of this bag with y'all today!

Guess Where My Entire Outfit is From! (& a great Cyber Week Sale!)

     Cyber Monday may have officially been yesterday, but a lot of the best deals and sales are still continuing into this week. The dress, coat, shoes, purse and earrings I'm wearing are all from the same retailer, and they currently have thousands of items marked down for their extended Cyber Monday sale, which is continuing today. Ready to learn where this outfit is from?

Midi Skirt with Sneakers: The 2019 Trend I'm On Board With.

     The older I get, I feel like the less likely I am to try certain trends. In high school and college, I was all about it. I knew that I loved wearing bright colors and fun prints, but I didn't have much of a sense of my personal style yet aside from that.  Now I'm pretty selective about trying new trends- I don't feel pressured anymore to try ones that aren't something I'd wear if they weren't "in." Today's post though features one big 2019 trend that I'm glad I have finally come around and embraced: midi skirts with sneakers!

Colorful and Preppy Early Fall Look + Summer Bucket List Recap.

     It definitely doesn't feel like the first week of fall in Virginia this week- as the temperatures have been back in the mid-high 80s. A couple weeks ago we had a little taste of fall weather though- it got all the way down to the low 70s. Today I wanted to share this outfit that I wore during those cooler days, and I also wanted to recap my summer bucket list for this year- I was curious to see how many goals I accomplished!

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!

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 

The Preppy Blouse Your Closet Needs.

     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!

Photography by Kate Greer 

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

Top c/o Holly & Co. // Jeans {from Zara, similar here} // Hat {old, similar here} // Boots c/o // Earrings c/o // Purse c/o // 

     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!

     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