Results of My 2020 Blog Reader Survey!

     Last month, I held my annual blog reader survey. I've been doing these for a few years now, and every year I learn so much for the responses and insights! I also like to share the results publicly after the fact, and share some thoughts on blogging for the rest of the year head. Let's get to it!

Edgy Lilly Pulitzer Look for NYFW.

    The color black and the brand Lilly Pulitzer probably aren't two things that you associate together, right? When I hear "Lilly Pulitzer," I immediately think of palm trees, flamingos, and the brightest hues- and I especially think of varying shades of pink! But surprise surprise, the Lilly Pulitzer brand is always mixing things up a little bit, and after today's blog post you might positively associate the color black with Lilly as well!

     Gentry and I were so happy to team up with Pink Colony, a Lilly Pulitzer specialty boutique in Stowe, VT. I first connected with store owner Jessica and the Pink Colony team when I lived in Vermont! (You might remember this blog post that I did with the store!) I've loved following along with the growth of the store in the months following, and it was so much fun to partner with Pink Colony for Fashion Week. Kind of like how the color black isn't usually associated with Lilly, NYFW probably isn't either! But Gentry and I are both huge Lilly girls, and we wanted to change that. 😉 If you truly love your Lilly Pulitzer, I guarantee you can find a Lilly clothing item to work for any type of fashion situation!

    You'll notice in today's photos that I have two different hairstyles- we took photos both before and after our hair appointments at Palms Salon! (Side note: I highly recommend Palms Salon for a blow out or other hairstyle if you're in NYC!)

End of Summer Style at Basin Harbor Club.

     Hello September! Fall comes a bit earlier to Vermont since it's such a northern state, so it's time to kiss summer goodbye until 2018. This is one of my last favorite summer looks to share on the blog for the end of this season! 

Photography by Amanda Rose Photography

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

Romper (sold out, similar on sale from same retailer) // Sandals (old, similar here) // Clutch (old, similar here) // Earrings (Not online, identical here) // Bracelets c/o // Lipstick c/o Avon 

     Keeping today's post of the shorter and sweeter variety! It is finally Friday and TGIF!! (Although I work Saturdays still so TGIS tomorrow...? Haha.) If you follow my Instagram, then you know that last week the main radio station that I work for, what was formally known as Planet 96.7, rebranded and relaunched as The New Hot 96.7! Relaunching a radio station is a huge effort, and my bosses pulled it all together in amazingly just a few weeks, so work has been quite crazy to say the least. I'll try and have a new Radio 101 post up for September sometime in a couple weeks! 

      Even though today is only September 1st, cooler weather has already returned to Vermont! This Labor Day Weekend I'll be switching out my summer to fall closet and also starting to decorate my apartment for fall. Sadly, that means it's time to put away pieces for the season like this cute romper!! I found this on clearance earlier in August and fell in love with it. It seems rare that I find something on a clearance rack that fits like a glove, but this did! Rompers can be hard to buy... I feel like so many of them are too skimpy and inappropriate to wear for most situations, but this one covered both my butt and chest (and was still cute!) so I knew I had to have it! It is unfortunately sold out online, but this one is similar and on sale and from the same retailer. I know I'll look back on these photos and smile in months to come when it is way too cold to even think about wearing a romper!



      These pictures were taken by the lovely Amanda from Amanda Rose Photography! (She also shot the yellow dress outfit from this post.) I connected with Amanda through social media and was excited to shoot with her a few weeks ago! We met at the beautiful Basin Harbor Club lake resort in Vergennes, Vermont, which you can get a little taste of in these pictures. I was definitely nervous moving to Vermont about finding new blog photographers after having such a great relationship with Deeana, but I've been so lucky as to find not one, but two here! 

     Just wanted to give y'all a reminder as well to enter my blogiversary giveaways on Instagram! Southern Belle in Training turns FIVE next Wednesday (also my 23rd birthday)! There will be a special post that day to celebrate here on the blog, but all this week to get ready for that I've been hosting a different giveaway each night on my Instagram. They're all still open for entries and very easy to enter- you can do so here! 

     Happy Labor Day Weekend! I'll try and update y'all on Sunday or Monday with the best long weekend sales! Also remember to keep the victims of Hurricane Harvey still in your thoughts and prayers, and donate if you haven't yet to relief efforts!

      God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese (or Charlotte XO on-air!)

Party Outfit Under $50.

Crop Top Set {$30!} // Shoes {old, similar here} // Necklace {$10!} // Bracelets c/o // Purse {similar} // Lipstick // Nail Polish 

     I sure am happy that I had some vacations and relaxing weekends earlier in September- because this weekend was not one of those! I spent almost all of my weekend working, and the remaining hours were spent attending a blogging event at one of the local malls on Saturday, and then shooting more blog photos for this month with Deanna on Sunday! Whew. That didn't leave a lot of time left for writing blog posts- hence why this post is going up today instead of yesterday! 

     This was the outfit that I was supposed to wear for the show that I attended when I was in NYC during NYFW! It is definitely different from my normal style, but I figured that Fashion Week is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying new trends. :-) Unfortunately it didn't arrive in the mail in time for me to wear it, but I still love it nonetheless, and it will definitely still get lots of wear! Most of all I love the fact that for both this adorable top and pants set AND the pretty necklace- I spent less than $50! 

     My outfit details are below, and I'm also sharing some other favorite pieces of mine from the same retailer!! Their clothes and accessories are so affordable, but still trendy and chic: 

     xoxo Miss ALK

Romping through Charleston.

Romper c/o {old.. similar here!} // Shoes // Tank {borrowed from Cara!} // Purse {vintage, similar cheaper option here} // Earrings c/o {old, similar here} // Bracelets c/o // Lipstick 

      Happy Monday! Today I'm sharing my Day Two outfit that I wore as apart of The Blog Societies Conference, which I attended two weekends ago. Day Two was the longest day, which featured a morning full of workshops, lunch back at the Belmond Hotel, and then the highlight of the whole event: the branding suite! Once the official photos from the event are given to everyone who attended, I will definitely be posting a full recap and more detailed posts about the conference. 

     Let me tell you, as incredible as TBSCon was.... there are definitely some aspects to blogging conference in many ways felt to me like going through sorority recruitment again. You're constantly in a room with dozens (if not hundreds) of other beautiful, confident and most importantly, impeccably dressed women, and if you think about it too much it can be easy to feel overshadowed. Not to mention that all of you that are there want to get the same collaboration spots with brands... see how it really is like recruitment! So that's why I felt that it was especially crucial to pick outfits that made me feel the most "me." I didn't want outfits that caused me any fuss or stress, just something that made me feel pretty and that I felt showed off my personal style well.
   
      That's where this flirty and fun romper came in for the day of the meeting the brand reps! I adore the beautiful blue and green hues and the fun print, and it was easy to accessorize with some bright cluster earrings and my favorite purse. Y'all have been seeing these shoes a lot in recent months on the blog- it's because they are simply the most practical heels! I've worn them with everything from casual outfits to formal looks to going out attire! Truly a great pair of heels. 

     Fast forwarding from TBSCon to this past weekend.... I had absolutely the best few days with my blogger bestie Dana from Seersucker Sass! I visited Dana at her home in Tennessee last year, and finally got to come and see me in Charlotte over this weekend. We had the most wonderful weekend and I'll be posting more about it tomorrow and later this week!

     xoxo Miss ALK

The Ideal Summer Romper for Under $15!

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Romper {exact one in-stores only, but I love this print and this print!} // Shoes: {Similar here} // Necklace: {Last season, very similar here} // Bracelets c/o // Lipstick 

     One type of outfit inspiration that I really enjoy sharing on my blog are budget friendly yet trendy and fun looking for nights out. As I've said in past posts, nightlife attire is a very certain look, but you don't have to spend a lot to look great! Nor should you- anything can happen during nights out (from drinks being spilled to God forbid more serious situations!), so the way to go is by finding the best bargain pieces that still fit your style. My personal style for going-out also tends to be a little bit more conservative... if I do decide to highlight a feature such as my legs or chest, I tend to be covered up in other areas! I personally think that showing less skin, or being tasteful about what you do show, is always the classiest way to go. :-) For example, since this romper is a little bit shorter, I chose to pair it with jeweled flat sandals instead of heels or wedges! 

     Summer nightlife attire is a bit more flexible and you can often put together a whole outfit around a cute dress or romper! I am just obsessed with the romper that I'm wearing in today's post. It is bright and fun, comfortable and lightweight to wear (so perfect for those hot summer nights), and it is under $15!! What what! 

     Unfortunately the print that I'm wearing here was an in-store exclusive only, but it is available online in some other fun options. How gorgeous is this print? 

     I haven't been going-out too much in post grad life, but I do have a dear friend (from blogging! Can you guess who?) coming to visit me in August, so I'm looking forward to showing her some of my favorite Charlotte nightlife spots then. 

    I hope that everyone is having a great start to your weekend! Thanks as always for reading! 

    xoxo Miss ALK

Back At It Again (With a Black Romper).

Romper c/o // Shoes {old, very similar here} // Sunglasses c/o // Purse {vintage Chanel, similar and more affordable style here} // Earrings c/o // {Bracelet old} // Lipstick 

     Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

     A few weeks ago, I shared an outfit post on the blog that featured a fun black lace romper from Tobi, which is a great online shopping destination, especially if you're looking for cocktail or nightlife attire! I loved the first look so much that I'm so excited today to be back at it again and styling another fun black romper from Tobi! This specific romper is definitely out of my comfort zone... both with the bold cut-outs in the front, and the openness in the back. But hey- you're only in your early 20s once, and I am a firm believer that as long as you're saving more revealing outfits for appropriate settings (i.e. not school, church, or a job interview ;-) ), there's nothing wrong with stepping out of your fashion comfort zone sometimes! 

     

     I've really enjoyed styling some rompers here on the blog from Tobi, and coming up soon I've also be styling a fun Tobi bodycon dress! (You may have already seen it in this post as I wore it to a blogging event that I attended a few weeks ago.) Just a reminder- all new customers to Tobi.com receive 50% off their first order. 

     Something else that I want to make note of in this post are these gorgeous Prada sunnies that I'm wearing. Yes- I did say Prada! This is the first pair of designer sunglasses that I have ever gotten the chance to wear. I am all for saving and splurging on a few luxury items, but up until now, those items for me have always been purses, jewelry, or shoes. When I was growing up I was always very hard on my sunglasses, and broke or lost every pair that I had. (Insert emoji of embarrassed monkey with hands over eyes- you know the one!) The fear of still breaking sunglasses stayed with me as I got older and it means that through the years I've only ever purchased cheap sunglasses, or styles that are dupes for designer looks. 

     Luckily for me though, I was recently introduced to Shop Ditto! This is a sunglasses subscription service that allows cheap sunglasses hoarders like myself to rent and sample different designer sunnies. And the best part is that if you end up falling in love with a pair, you can purchase them directly through Ditto! Use my code MISSALK to receive a free month's subscription. :-) 

     

     

      Unrelated to all of the outfit talk in this post- but if any of you are reading this post first thing in the morning when it is first published, I would truly appreciate any prayers this morning! I have been posting a lot of tweets on Twitter lately asking for prayers for an unspoken request. This request is not unspoken by my choosing, but due to a situation currently beyond my control. It is something that I do hope to be honest about with all of you when I can in the future, I'm just not sure when exactly the future will be. In the meantime, all I can say is that on days to come when I am posting tweets about requests for prayers, it would mean the world to me if you could keep me in your thoughts! <3 Love you all.

     xoxo Miss ALK



     Tobi provided gifted product for this blog post. All opinions are honest and my own. Thank-you for supporting the brands that support Southern Belle in Training!

Black Lace Romper.

Romper: c/o Tobi // Shoes: Michael Kors // Sunglasses: {old} // Earrings: c/o Micha Store // Bracelet: c/o Stella and Dot {old} // Lips: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink Velvet 

Photo Credit:  Deeana Kourtney Photography

     I was never much for nightlife before I turned 21. The few 18+ bars and clubs in Charlotte never really appealed to me, and still don't to be honest. I never had a fake ID for a number of reasons, but first and foremost because it is illegal. And since my college was so small, it didn't have a great party scene. (Plus the whole idea of college house parties kind of creeps me out- too much can go wrong!) This is a very long way of saying that it wasn't until last fall, after my birthday, that I started enjoying the late night scene and seeing a different side of Charlotte.

     With a change in my nightlife agenda came a need for new items in my wardrobe, specifically good "going out" clothes. In the winter, I usually just wear a pair of skinny jeans and a cute long sleeved top to go out in, but during the warmer months, the outfit potential is endless! The perfect going out outfit is one that is a touch sexy, a touch classy, and lightweight to move in for dancing purposes, while still looking trendy and super cute! 

     Enter online retailer Tobi as my new shopping destination for nightlife attire. They sell more cute rompers, dresses, (and skirts and pants and tops... etc!) than I even knew existed, and most would be just perfect for a night out on the town! I knew as soon as I saw this beautiful black lace romper listed on their website that I had to have it. Is it out of my comfort zone? Yes. But is it also one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing that I've ever put on my body? Yes again! The fabric is so soft and breathable, and it is so flattering on! I am wearing a size Small for sizing reference. I cannot wait to wear this fun romper for my next night out! Also FYI: New customers to Tobi get 50% off of their first order! 

     Speaking of nights out.... I actually haven't gone out since before getting my concussion last month! I am doing very well in concussion recovery- I went back to work the week after graduation, and I have been doing just about everything else in my normal life by this point. But my doctor encouraged me to stay away from both alcohol and loud environments for a longer period of time, as both of these things can give someone recovering from a concussion a set-back. :/ I am hoping that in the next week or so I might be able to enjoy going out again. Until then- I have a beautiful Tobi romper in my closet that cannot wait to be worn! 

     

     Hope that y'all are having a great start to your Memorial Day Weekend! I'll be back tomorrow posting a recap of the best sales to shop for the long weekend. I am excited today to be spending the afternoon out at a pool with some college friends- the weather in Charlotte has been lovely this week and I haven't really gotten to enjoy it yet! 

    xoxo Miss ALK