Easy DIY Halloween Couples Costume: Love is Blind

     Popping in just before Halloween to share a pop culturally trendy and very easy couples costume that I came up with: Love is Blind!

5 Must-Watch Bollywood Movies for Americans.

     One thing you might not know about me? I'm a huge fan of Bollywood movies! Back in March and April when we were all staying home and running out of things to watch on TV, I first got the idea to do a blog post with some of my Bollywood recommendations. Time got away from me a bit and I'm publishing this a bit later than I thought I would, but better late than never right? Get ready to discover your new favorite film genre.

MY 10 ALL-TIME FAVORITE TV SHOWS.

   
     Time to talk one of my favorite subjects on the blog: favorite TV shows! For the past couple years, I've been writing a Fall TV Picks blog post at the beginning of the annual TV season. As much as I look forward writing that post each year, I realize that I've never done a post rounding up my absolute favorite TV shows. A few of these have been off the air for many years, so it's fun to have a place to round them all up together. All but one of these are available on popular streaming services, so if there's one you haven't seen it should be easy to find! Make sure you read to the end of the post- I'm also participating in a fun Rafflecopter giveaway with other bloggers today!

Fall TV Returns!! My 2018 Fall TV Guide.

     On average, if you ask someone what their favorite thing is about fall, they will probably say something along the lines of the chill in the air/foliage, the annual traditions like pumpkin carving or apple picking, or maybe the fact that it's college and NFL football season. My favorite thing about fall? None of the above! It's the return of fall TV! Summer is a wonderful season, but it sure is a long time to go without favorite shows. Tonight is the official kick-off for fall TV on the major networks, and there will be more premieres over the next couple weeks!


     Last September, I wrote a similar blog post to this one where I shared the returning shows that I was excited about, as well as new premieres that I was planning to watch. I love fall TV so much that I thought I'd make this post an annual tradition here on SBIT! You'll see from the list below that I prefer sitcoms the most, but there are a couple of dramas mixed in as well. Without further ado, let's talk TV:

     Returning Shows:


     The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9/24): Oh man- my heart is broken that this is the 12th and final season of The Big Bang Theory! This show will forever be one of my all-time favorites. Amazingly, I still think that it's just as funny and enjoyable as the early seasons, even though it's been on TV for so long! Last season ended with Amy and Sheldon's much awaited wedding, so I'm expecting the premiere to pick up from there. The Big Bang Theory is a show that you can just watch random episodes of, but a few years ago I watched all the early seasons consecutively, and I think it's so much better to do it that way! I hope that once this season finishes next year that it'll finally go on Netflix. 😊


     Star (Fox, 9/25): I'm really excited for Star's third season. I thought the second season was a bit rough at points, but I'm still sticking with this show. If you're unfamiliar with Star, it follows the story of three young women (one of them named Star) that move to Atlanta to pursue their dreams of becoming a successful singing group. It might sound like a light and fluffy show from that description, but there is a lot of heavy themes and plotlines in this show- everything from racism to domestic abuse to alcoholism, and much more. The trailer for the new season shows that Star is pregnant, so I'm interested to see how this plotline will develop around.


     Superstore (NBC, 10/4): If you've read any of my blog posts from the past month, this show should sound familiar to you... I love it so much that I CAN'T shut up about it!! I had seen a couple of random Superstore episodes over the last couple years, but the first three seasons finally went on demand with my cable provider this summer, so I started it at the beginning. Y'all... this show might just be in my top five best shows of all time now! I can't believe I'm saying this... but I think this show is funnier than The Big Bang Theory. (😱) Superstore follows the adventures of a group of employees at the fictional Cloud 9 superstore, and the funny situations that they get into. Most of the show is set inside of Cloud 9! The characters are absolutely fantastic in this show, and since I have worked in retail in the past I can relate to some of the situations that happen in the store! Season three ended with a hilarious cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see where the show picks up.


     Young Sheldon (CBS, 9/24): The Big Bang Theory has been so incredibly successful that last year CBS premiered a prequel to the show, which is set in the 1980s and shows how Big Bang main character and genius Sheldon Cooper grew up. I originally watched this show simply because I love Big Bang, but Young Sheldon is a delightful show in its own right! It is so fun to see Sheldon's backstory, and how he was a childhood genius attending high school as a nine year old. The cast that plays Sheldon's family is wonderful, and this show is both funny and feel-good at the same time! Even though Big Bang is ending this season, I hope Young Sheldon sticks around for awhile.




     New Shows:



     The Cool Kids (Fox, 9/28): This is a new comedy that follows a group of friends that are constantly breaking the rules and trying to have a little fun. The catch? They're living in a retirement community! I think this show sounds funny, and I'm looking forward to the premiere!


     Happy Together (CBS, 10/1): Claire and Peter are married and enjoy their normal, busy routine. Life gets turned upside-down when a music superstore has to hide out in their apartment! This is another sitcom that sounds like it could be hit or miss, but I'm curious about it.


     God Friended Me (CBS, 9/30): This show is described as an "uplifting drama" and is already getting some good reviews from TV critics. It follows self-proclaimed atheist and podcast host Miles, who is "friended" by God himself on his social media. Miles believes the whole thing is a hoax, but his life begins to change through the mysterious God account. When I first heard the summary of this show, I thought it sounded too absurd. But after reading some early reviews about it, I'm curious for the pilot now!


     Manifest (NBC, 9/24): I never got into the Lost phenomenon when that show was popular years ago, but this show kind of sounds like the new version of that! A plane filled with passengers goes missing for five years, yet no time has passed for the people on the plane. A mystery begins to unfold as the passengers begin life after the flight. I feel like this show will be a huge success, and I can't wait for the premiere this evening.


     A Million Little Things (ABC, 9/26): Confession time: I'm not a fan of This Is Us! I gave it a solid try during the first season, but couldn't keep up. A Million Little Things is being compared as ABC's version of a This Is Us type show, but I personally think this plot sounds a little better. It focuses on the stories of a group of adult friends who bond again over tragic circumstances, and the stories that bring them back together. Planning to give this one a try!


     The Neighborhood (CBS, 10/1): When a friendly Midwesterner and his family move to Los Angeles, they are in for quite a culture shock! They have an interesting time adjusting to their new neighborhood. After trying to hit it off with their new neighbors- will the Johnson family be able to make LA feel like home? Kind of like the other new CBS sitcom Happy Together, this show sounds hit or miss. But I do tend to like CBS sitcoms so hopefully it'll be good!





     I'm not expecting to keep up with all of these new shows, but hopefully I'll find one or two new ones to love after seeing all of the pilots! I also have to share that one other returning show that I can't wait for is the final season of Jane the Virgin, but that isn't returning until winter! I'll definitely be excited for that too.



    Are you as excited for fall TV as I am? Which new network shows are you planning to watch, or excited to see return? (Or are you pumped for a new show on Netflix or another streaming service?) Normally I share an outfit or fashion related post on Mondays on my blog, but since today is the start of the fall TV season that took precedence today! Outfit posts coming tomorrow and Thursday instead for this week.




    God Bless,



    xoxo Annaliese







      

What I've Been Watching on Netflix / On Demand This Summer.

     It sounds so cliche I'm sure, but it's the truth that watching TV is one of my favorite ways to de-stress and relax! Summer is one of my favorite times of the year, but one of the few things that I dislike about summer is that almost all of my favorite TV shows are on hiatus. Part of that is good I suppose- as it gives me more free time to do summer activities. But I also really miss my regular shows!

     This summer I've been on the hunt for fun new things to watch, and I've also been enjoying some older favorites. Sharing what I've been watching in my free time this summer- I'd love to hear in the comments if you've seen any of these shows or movies!

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

Living Room Details: Floor Light // Pineapple Decor Piece // Similar Blue Agate Artwork // Similar Chevron Frame

     What TV I've Been Watching: Live TV

•      TODAY (NBC): I could probably count on one hand the times that I'd seen the TODAY show before I moved to Vermont. When my work hours at my job there switched from being on-air middays to afternoons (last August), I suddenly had a lot more free time at home in the mornings. I started watching TODAY off and on some mornings, but became a religious watcher this winter following Matt Lauer's departure. I love the fact that TODAY is currently a female-lead morning show, and each one of the ladies kill it every morning! Watching TODAY before work just puts me in a great mood, and I sometimes use the stories that I hear about on the show in my radio show later that afternoon! Plus watching TODAY in the summer means that you get to see the amazing performances in the weekly summer concert series!

•      Megyn Kelly TODAY (NBC): I wasn't too familiar with Megyn or her style of journalism when she worked at Fox for several years. I have however grown to love her NBC show, which airs following the first two hours of TODAY. Megyn starts off each episode with a roundtable discussion with other NBC reporters (or sometimes people in other professions, like lawyers), to discuss the news of the day. It feels like a table of smart friends discussing current events, and I love it! Megyn also brings guests with absolutely amazing personal stories onto her show for interviews in the second half, and I am always mind blown at the types of stories featured on her show. This is one that I'd love to get tickets for the next time I'm in NYC! 

•      Live! With Kelly and Ryan (Check local listings): This was my favorite daily show to watch in Vermont!! Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest have such fun chemistry as hosts. I want to be BFFs with Kelly- she is just the cutest and funniest person. My cable in Vermont aired NBC morning programming at slightly different times, so I used to be able to watch all of Kelly and Ryan before work. Now in Virginia I usually leave for work about 20 minutes into the show, but most weekdays now I still try and catch their fun opening monologue! 

•     Younger (TV Land): This is the only scripted show I watch that has new episodes in the summer, instead of the traditional TV season. Younger is such a guilty pleasure show, and I love it. It's currently in season five. Sutton Foster stars as Liza Miller, a 40 something recently divorced New Jersey woman, who finds that getting back in the workforce after being out of it for years is harder than she anticipated. She lies about her age on a resume to get a job in NYC, and the TV show follows her city adventures playing the role of a late 20s single girl. Hilary Duff also stars in Younger as Liza's coworker and friend Kelsey! 

     What TV I've Been Watching: Streaming

•     Friends (Netflix): Okay I know I'm the absolute last person on earth to watch Friends in full, but I'm committed to doing it! I started watching the first season a couple years ago when it first went on Netflix.... don't hate me but I just couldn't get into it! This winter I decided to pick back up with Friends and see if it got better further along. I'm currently in season four- it's definitely better now than it was at the beginning... but I still don't know if I love it? I'm a huge HIMYM fan and I keep comparing the humor in Friends to that, so maybe that's the problem. Either way I do want to eventually finish this. I put Friends on a lot when I'm working on my computer- it's a good "background noise" show.

•      Dynasty (CW, on Netflix): This is a newer CW drama that finally went on Netflix! I've always enjoyed the CW shows that aren't superhero or supernaturally based, so I thought I'd give this one a try. It has somewhat similar vibes to Gossip Girl, in that it follows characters that are extremely rich, and there is a lot of drama thrown in as well. I love the fashion and costuming in Dynasty. The two female leads, Crystal and Fallon, always have stunning outfits! As far as the show itself, I'm about halfway through season one and still can't decide if I like it. Maybe it's like Friends and I have to keep going? I'll probably finish the first season eventually in my free time, but it would have to get a lot better for me to watch it live this fall. 

•     Teachers (TV Land, On Demand): This is another TV Land comedy, and the third season is currently airing on Tuesday nights following Younger. I'd seen the commercials for this show so many times when watching Younger, so I finally decided to give it a try when I saw the entire show was available with Xfinity On Demand. I finished the first season, and got about halfway through the second before I gave up on it. Teachers is a sitcom that follows the lives in and out of the classroom of six elementary school teachers. There were some really funny moments in season one (I love the "Sex Ed" episode especially), but in season two I felt that the plot lines and jokes were getting too absurd and unrealistic, so I stopped watching.

•      Superstore (NBC, On Demand): I'd been wanting to see Superstore pretty much since it premiered, but I missed the first several episodes of the show, and I hate to start watching sitcoms midway through. So I waited patiently for it to go On Demand or a streaming platform. The complete series so far finally went on Xfinity On Demand this summer!! So far I'm about halfway through season one and I LOVE THIS SHOW!!! Every episode that I've seen so far makes me laugh so hard that I cry. I can't wait to finish season one, and I hope the show stays good! 

•      It Takes a Church (Game Show Network, on Netflix): Oh man... if you're having a Girls' Night anytime soon, this is a MUST-WATCH! I feel like this would be an odd show to watch alone, but it's made to be watched in groups. It Takes a Church is the Christian version of The Bachelorette! Christian pop star Natalie Grant serves as the host, and each episode is stand-alone and set in a different church community around the country. (The first episode is actually set in Charlotte, although I wasn't familiar with the church it was set at.) I don't want to spoil a lot of the magic of this absolutely ridiculous show, but I'll just tell you this. Each episode's "Bachelorette" is surprised by her church congregation and nominated to be on the show in the middle of a church service (truth), trade out Fantasy Suite Dates.... for very chaperoned and awkward group dates, and the pastor of the church is always very involved in deciding which Bachelors stay and which leave. This show is a train wreck. I watched a random episode during a Girl's Night last week and we were all laughing so hard that we cried! 

     What Movies I've Been Watching: Theaters

• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: This movie was one of the biggest delights of my summer! I've seen the first Mamma Mia! a couple of times throughout the years, and where I enjoyed it, I wouldn't say it was one of my all-time favorite movies. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again might have just changed that. I absolutely loved the sequel, and I thought the music was much better in this movie! This is truly the most delightful film to see on the big screen, and if you haven't seen it yet, try and catch it before it leaves!

• Crazy Rich Asians: Okay technically this doesn't premiere until later in the week, but I already have my ticket pre-purchased so I'm counting this anyways. I know it's going to be amazing! The Crazy Rich Asians trilogy were some of my favorite reads of 2018, and I am just over the top excited for this movie to come out. 

      What Movies I've Been Watching: Streaming

•      Ibiza (on Netflix): I haven't seen a ton of Netflix original movies, and I wanted to try a couple this summer. I saw the preview for Ibiza, and it looked like a cute film about a girls' trip to Europe. I'm not even sure I made it halfway through before turning it off. This movie is filled with over the top sexual content and drug references and use. I don't mind mature content if it makes sense with a plot, but this movie seemed like it added all of these things solely for shock value. Not a fan. 

•      Set It Up (on Netflix): I enjoyed this much more than Ibiza (and I did watch it all the way through!). Set It Up is a 2018 millennial centric romcom, made exclusively for Netflix. It tells the story of Harper and Charlie, two 20 something NYC workers, struggling to advance in their careers due to having terrible bosses. Harper and Charlie meet by chance one night, and get the idea to try and set up their bosses on dates. Their plan doesn't exactly go as they'd like, but the ending of the movie is cute. 

 

     If you have any watching recommendations for me, please let me know! Comedies and sitcoms are my favorite types of shows to watch (I'm not into any shows that are too scary or violent), but I'm open to watching other things as well!

      God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese 

FALL TV IS BACK!! My 2017 Fall TV Guide.

     Next Monday begins the thing that I was most excited for about this fall season... FALL.TV.IS.BACK!!! I have never been a big movie buff- TV has always been more my thing! Ever since I was a little girl, I've always had "my shows" that I get very loyal to. Funny story- up until when I was in high school, my parents only had the most basic cable package, so we only got about 20 channels (just the networks, public access, and a few shopping channels). For years, I used to get so frustrated that I couldn't watch all of the cable shows that my friends were, and I would beg my parents to upgrade our cable package. My wish finally came true during Christmas 2009! On Christmas Eve day, a cable guy showed up at our door holding a brand new cable box. I was the one who opened the door for him, and when I saw what he was holding I started screaming and crying. I think I scared the poor guy- I don't think he usually had a reaction like that when he arrived to houses! 😉 Anyways- that was one of my favorite Christmases that I can ever remember. 

     Needless to say, I'm a TV girl through and through, but with that said, I can be picky about the types of shows that I get hooked on. Minus the Bachelor/ette, I don't really watch reality TV as I think most of it is kind of mindless. The shows that I do fall in love with I generally stay very loyal to. So I'm excited to day to bring you my first (annual?) Fall TV Guide! Sharing my favorite returning shows, and new ones that I'm interested to watch. Most of these shows are just on the major networks as that's the majority of what I watch now (my early high school cable obsessed self would be quite disappointed with me- ha!), but perhaps at some point I'll share some cable picks as well. 

 
     I decided to organize this post by first writing in a bit of detail about the shows that I'm excited to watch that are both returning and new, and then sharing when they're on with a schedule graphic!


Returning Shows:

     The Big Bang Theory (CBS): Not at all ashamed to admit that my love for this show is endless. I've seen every single episode, and it's a rare show that I can watch endless reruns for, and never get sick of. This year the show is returning for Season 11, and amazingly I don't think that it has "jumped the shark" yet! While the earlier seasons hold a special place in my heart, many of my personal favorite episodes are from later seasons.
     If you're unfamiliar with the premise of The Big Bang Theory, the show originally centered around two scientist roommates, Sheldon and Leonard, and their interactions with their next-door neighbor Penny, who was a new California transplant pursuing a career in acting. The show has definitely seen some changes since Season 1 and also introduced great new characters, but thankfully for comedic purposes Sheldon's eccentric personality and sense of humor has remained the same!


     Great News (NBC): This was a new show on NBC that debuted in Winter 2017 for a short season, and I was delighted to see that it was renewed for Season 2! This quirky comedy is produced by Tina Fey, and now that I've started watching 30 Rock on Netflix I can see some similarities in the humor between the two shows. Great News focuses on Katie Wendelson, who is a news producer for an evening news program in New Jersey. Her mother is going back to school and ends up taking an interest in communications, and takes an internship at Katie's station. The other news people that Katie works with are quite the characters to begin with, and all in all this is a very cute comedy. I especially get a kick out of it since I went to broadcasting school last year, and a lot of the curriculum was focused on TV news, so I feel like while the situations that the characters are in during the show are exaggerated for comedic affect, the way that the newsroom functions in the show is actually quite accurate and brings back some broadcasting school memories!


     Jane the Virgin: (The CW): Normally I can tell pretty quickly if I like or dislike a TV show. Jane was quite an exception to my normal viewing habits, and I'm so happy that I gave it a second try! I finished the first season on Netflix a couple years ago and actually didn't like it. I liked the idea behind the show, but I found the plot twists to be too hard to follow and weirdly unrealistic. However, I gave Season 2 a try... and fell in love!! Season 3 was just as good, and now it's one of my favorite shows!
     As you can probably guess from the title, Jane the Virgin follows the life of a young woman named Jane, who has chosen to wait until she's married to have sex (and I love seeing a character on a network TV show in 2017 with these beliefs!). In the first episode of the show, due to an extreme medical mishap she becomes artificially inseminated. In short, the show follows Jane's journey to motherhood... but also the crazy drama between the baby's father's family, Jane's love life, her family, and also a whole crime mystery plot with other characters as well!


      Star (Fox): I think this is probably the most underrated show on TV right now, and if I can do anything to change this I absolutely will! Like Great News, this show premiered midseason last year. Star follows three young women who move to Atlanta to pursue their dreams of making it in the music industry as a girl group (think a modern-day TLC). The show might sound a bit fluffy from its basic description, but that couldn't be further from the truth! Star is extremely raw and gritty, and tackles a lot of issues head-on such as rape, racial tensions, poverty, LGBTQ issues, drug addiction, and much, much more! The lead actresses in this show are also very gifted musically, and I think they do an incredible job with the songs featured in the show (I've added many of them to my Spotify playlists!).
     I think this show does a great job of portraying serious issues that are affecting our culture today, while also keeping viewers' interest with the underlying theme of the girls trying to succeed and break into the music industry. I'm so happy that Star got a second season, and I hope it'll be just as good as the first!



New Shows:

     Young Sheldon (CBS): I love The Big Bang Theory so much that I was absolute delighted to hear that it was getting a PREQUEL for the 2017/2018 season! Ahh!! Young Sheldon will follow the adventures of Sheldon Cooper as a child genius growing up in small-town Texas. On The Big Bang Theory, we've been given little insights into Sheldon's childhood over the seasons, so as an enthusiastic fan of the main show, I can't wait to go "all-in" in the spin-off! I hope that it will be just as funny and entertaining. The first episode premieres next week, but the second won't air until November, when The Big Bang Theory moves to its normal Thursday time slot!


     The Mayor (ABC): This is a new comedy which I'm excited about! A struggling small-town hip hop artists decides to run for mayor to promote his latest mixtape... which seems like a great promotion strategy until he wins the election! I was a big Parks and Rec fan after watching that on Netflix last year, so I hope The Mayor will deliver similar small town political laughs! (Plus- just reading the words "small town hip hop artist" brings back memories of that one aspiring rapper from my high school.... wonder how his career turned out? 😉)


     9JKL (CBS): This comedy will follow a newly divorced actor, who moves home to New York City, and into an apartment that's next-door to both his parents, and his brother's family. I obviously love The Big Bang Theory which is a CBS comedy, and I am also a huge How I Met Your Mother fan, which aired on the same network, so I'm willing to give this new CBS comedy a try for a few episodes!




     

     Now I want to hear from you! Which new or returning TV shows are you excited for this fall? Do we share any TV loves in common? I'd also love to hear if you love a TV show that I'm not watching!! In addition to my own TV favorites, I read a lot online about TV to talk about on the radio, so this is a subject that I love to discuss. 😊 If y'all enjoyed this blog post, I'm happy to do a Midseason TV Guide type post when some new shows premiere in early 2018!

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese (or Charlotte XO on-air!)

     


     

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases + Current Wishlist.

Sharing this weekly post on Thursday instead of Wednesday this week since National Wear Your Lilly Day was yesterday! {Follow me on social media @miss_alk!}


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

Ramblings:

• Father's Day Weekend: Those of you who follow my IG stories know that my dad spent Father's Day Weekend with me here in Vermont! We had a great visit together. He hadn't been up to Vermont other than moving me into my apartment a couple months ago, so he was excited to see more of the Burlington area. He got to come visit me at work, we ate out a lot (which I don't get to do most weeks!), and then I planned a special Father's day surprise for him! My family actually vacationed in Vermont when I was growing up (not near Burlington- the Northeastern part of the state), and I surprised my dad with a day trip to the bed and breakfast and lake that we used to vacation on. It was a special day and brought back a lot of childhood memories- the last time that we were there for vacation was 2003!
• Boyband: WHO ELSE is way too excited for this new show that premieres on ABC tonight? Boyband is a new reality competition that as you probably guessed from the name... is putting together America's next great boyband! As someone who had one of the best nights of her life seeing the Backstreet Boys in concert a few years ago, and who still mourns the loss of *NSYNC on a daily basis... let's just say I'm pumped for this show!! 

Purchases:

• I restocked on some of my drugstore beauty essentials this week! This mascara is one of three that I wear everyday- I love the primer on it.
• I also bought more of my favorite drugstore eyeliner. This one is amazing for the price!

Wishlist:

• A high quality work tote/large purse is starting to become a need and not just a want! I'm really starting to have eyes for this bag. I use a cute tote bag for work currently, but it's a bit flimsy and doesn't have any pockets inside, and it isn't really fitting my needs well.
• This cute top looks perfect to wear to work at my casual radio office environment! It comes in five colors.
• A polka dot, monogrammed umbrella for under $30? Say no more! This would also make a great birthday gift!
• I can never resist anything hot pink, especially not a pretty top! 
• Coral is one of my favorite colors to wear in the warmer months, so I was naturally drawn to this skirt! 

On the blog this week:

• Celebrating Graduation With Announcements
• Your Guide to Summer Black Tie Wear
• New Job, New City, New Planner!
• National Wear Your Lilly Day 2017.

     God Bless,



     xoxo Annaliese (or Charlotte XO on the radio!)

Bold White Dress + My Spring TV Schedule.

     I'm styling this fun little white dress today, and also telling y'all about what I'm enjoying watching on TV this spring! I shared my winter TV picks a few months ago, so I thought I was due for an update in my currently watching department. 

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

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Dress c/o {under $20} // Shoes // Earrings {not online, but similar pair here} // Bow Bracelet // Tassel Bracelet {not online, but similar here} // Ring // Lipstick c/o // 

    First thing's first- this dress. If you're getting married anytime soon, this would be the ideal bachelorette party dress! It's sassy and fun, and with the under $20 price point, you won't be that sad if it got a little bit ruined during the festivities that bachelorette parties can bring! 😉 And if you're far away from being a bride or bachelorette for the time being (like myself!), you can still rock this cute white dress all summer long. Since it makes such a dramatic statement with the ruffles and the cold-shoulder detailing, I chose not to wear a necklace with it. Instead I opted for fun statement earrings, and I put my hair up to highlight the shoulders!

    Now as promised, my spring TV watching schedule. Since moving, I have probably been watching more TV than I ever have in my life, haha! My rent in my new apartment included a cable package, which I've been trying to take advantage of. I've been really trying to get most blogging work done in the mornings before work and also during my lunch break after my on-air shift is done, so that way at night after work I can be computer-free and decompress after the workday by cooking dinner, reading, and watching TV! Anyways, while a few of my favorite shows just had their season finales last week (The Big Bang Theory and Jane the Virgin) these are the shows that I'm enjoying currently: 

• The Bachelorette (ABC): Okay I feel like every blogger and their mother watches this, so this one probably isn't a shocker, lol! I have been watching the shows in this franchise since the winter 2010 season, which was Brad 2.0's Bachelor season (and the intro of Emily Maynard- everyone's favorite Charlotte Bachelorette!). I used to be a diehard fan during the rest of my high school and early college years, but over the past couple years I've only been watching The Bachelorette and not The Bachelor. Personally I think it's a lot more fun to see the dynamic of all the guys in the house, I think it's so much more funny and when it's all the girls competing for one guy I think the drama gets really out of hand. (I also had my morning radio internship while The Bachelor was on during this past season, so there was no chance I was staying up to watching that! Haha.) Anyways- I'm looking forward to Rachel's season as it continues. Where so many people watch The Bachelorette, this is a show that I'm hoping to talk about on-air with my work, and hopefully get some radio listeners excited about the show too.
• Great News (NBC): This is a brand new NBC comedy that follows that follows the adventures of a news producer at an evening news program... whose mom starts interning for her TV station! This show has a similar comedic flavor to other past NBC comedies like 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, but I especially love it since I just graduated from broadcasting school. Even though I ended up working in radio, I studied a lot about television news in school, and I can say that although the characters in Great News are a bit wacky, the way that the newsroom actually runs is pretty accurate! This show was just renewed for a second season, which I'm really excited about.
• Hollywood Darlings (POP TV): If there's one female celebrity who I have and have always had the biggest girl crush on... it's Beverley Mitchell! She's best known for playing Lucy from 7th Heaven. Beverley in real life is an absolute sweetheart just like Lucy. Unlike most child stars, she managed to stay away from the crazy lifestyles and bad decisions of a lot of starlets, and instead settled down and got married, and now is a mom to two beautiful children! Beverley also has a lifestyle blog which is one of my favorite reads. Anyways, she is back on TV now, in an adorable comedy called Hollywood Darlings, which also stars fellow former child stars Jody Sweetin and Christine Larkin! This show is scripted, but it's done in the style of a reality show, and all three women play themselves. I watch it of course because I'd watch anything Beverley Mitchell was apart of, but I really have fallen in love with the show! It's really cute and fun, and a highlight of my week to watch these ladies' adventures in Hollywood.

     Are you watching any of these shows this spring? Are there any TV shows (either live or on Netflix) that I need to check out? And what are your thoughts on little white dresses for spring? 

     Hope y'all are having a great week!

     xoxo Annaliese (or Charlotte XO on the radio!)

4 Places To Visit In Rome From The Lizzie McGuire Movie!

     I've always been more of a TV girl then a movie girl, but with that being said there are exactly five movies that I can binge watch over and over, share quotes from to no end, and all in all never get sick of watching. One of which I saw for the first time in a movie theatre with my parents back in 2003, and my life has never been same since that night. The movie of course is none other than The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Me.

      It has been amazing to see my blog grow so much over the past year, and with growth has come lots of new reader-friends! I have gotten to meet (both virtually and in person!) so many incredible bloggers in recent months, and this is absolutely one of my favorite parts of blogging. Getting to know the incredible women behind the blogs that I love to read is such a treat.

     Since we're all friends here, I thought that I would mix things up a little bit for today's post and share 10 facts that you might not know about yours truly!

Photo credit: Meredith Sledge Photography

1. I've had a recent change in career goals: Ever since I was young, my dream career was always to work in radio broadcasting. After I went to college, that dream started to become a reality. During my freshman year at my former college, I spent the whole year as a student volunteer in the school's radio station, and even got to host my own show in the spring semester. Since I've been in the city, I was an intern for four semesters at Charlotte's location of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (which places radio stations in children's hospitals). I absolutely loved all of the internship experience that I had in the field during the time that I've been in school, and I truly thought that's what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
However, with graduation steadily approaching, I have started to realize in recent months that I have different career goals for myself following college. My passions lie within blogging, social media, event planning, promotions, and possibly even hospitality or tourism. The city of Charlotte (and the South in general) are huge loves of mine as well. If I can find some sort of a communications job that can combine all of these things, then I would be so thrilled! I also do wonder if I will move to another city in the South after graduation, to work in a job something like what I described above. I have pretty much ruled out ever moving home to Maine at this point (God willing! Haha.)

2. Independently extroverted. I like to call myself an independent extrovert. I am fiercely independent (going to college so far from home has absolutely contributed to this), but at the same time, I hate being alone for too long. I thrive off of time spent with others.

3. The #1 way to make my day: For me to hear a favorite throwback song on the radio. Seriously! Let me be surfing the channels in the car and come across some *NSYNC or an old Britney track, and I'll be a happy camper for the rest of the day.

4.  I'm constantly on a quest for cheap gas: Whenever it comes time to fill-up my tank, I'm always on the hunt for the cheapest gas in the area! The GasBuddy app is my BFF, and I'm known to drive quite long distances for a few cents difference in gas prices. A fun fact about the Charlotte area: in South Carolina, which is just a few miles south, gas taxes are much different so gas prices can range from .20-.50 cheaper! My friends know me as the girl who ventures quite far into South Carolina to find the cheapest gas around.

5. Lightest sleeper on earth: I am one of the lightest sleepers that you will ever meet. I sleep (and travel with) a white noise machine, and during most semesters in college when I had roommates I had to sleep with earplugs.

6. I'm a huge makeup junkie: This is something that I don't actually blog about that often, but hope to change in 2016! I am kind of makeup obsessed. I never feel like my day has fully started or like I can hit the full extent of my productivity until I've done my face each morning! I love buying makeup, experimenting with new looks, and watching tutorials. I have certain holy grail products (such as this and this) which I've been loyal to for years, but I'm always up for trying new items as well!
Later this year, I hope to either shoot or record some makeup and hair tutorials for my blog! The reason that I've waited so long to do this is because all of the dorms that I've lived in during college have had the worst lighting ever. That's why I barely even take photos for Instagram in my room this year, much less shoot a tutorial! (Sad but the truth- ha!)

7. I'm still rocking a dying iPhone 5S: I was one of the first to get the 5S back in 2013... in fact I preordered it before it came out! However, two and a half years later and I'm still with the same phone. Everyday I get a minimum of three different notifications telling me that my storage is just about full, but my faithful phone hasn't crashed and burned yet! My goal is to try and make the poor thing last until the next iPhone (7?) comes out this fall!

8. Give me some goofy comedies: I much prefer TV shows to movies, but I am picky about the types of TV shows that I'll get hooked on. More often then not, they're comedies. Three of my absolute favorite shows are That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory. Give me shows like these over something scary or dramatic any day!

9. I am the opposite of a neat freak: Something that people often say they're surprised to learn about me is how messy I am. It's something that I've been trying to work on this year, especially with adulthood and having an apartment coming up in my near future. But I still have a long ways to go for improvement! I've been messy since as long as I can remember. I hate making my bed, and more often then not I throw stuff on my floor. I am however a nut about keeping my clothing neat and organized, and I never leave old food out (some college students do that and it just disgusts me to no end! HOW?!).

10. The craziest thing I've ever done... is a tie between going swimming in a cave or kissing a frog! (...Techincally it was a toad- I was elementary school aged at a friend's birthday party and did it on a dare.)



     Do we share anything in common? :-) Leave me a comment letting me know a fun fact about you!


     Have a wonderful weekend! Here in Charlotte we are actually getting snow and ice this weekend... not quite sure how I feel about that yet!


      xoxo Miss ALK


     P.S. Be sure to check out the new "Currently Craving" widget at the top of my blog! I'm sharing some of my favorite early spring fashion picks, including this bag (which I am totally dying over- can't get over that beautiful color!), and this pretty dress- how perfect would this be for my graduation dress?!

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases.

{Follow on Instagram & Snapchat @miss_alk!}

     My goodness, do I have a lot to ramble about today! Bear with me. :-)


Ramblings:

• Savings plan: One of my goals for 2016 was to build up my savings account again. I had done a great job in 2014 of putting several hundred dollars in it which was untouched, but in 2015 I traveled a lot, and pulled from it a couple times to cover travel expenses. My new goal for my savings account is to have over $1000 in savings, and to use it only for emergencies! I found an awesome savings plan for 2016 that a sorority sister of mine shared on Facebook. It is so simple- it runs over the course of the 52 weeks in a year, and for each week of the year, you put that amount in dollars into your savings account! For example, the first week in January you put in $1, and by the 52nd week of the year at the end of December, you put in $52. You're supposed to have over $1000 by the year's end! So far I've been doing good, and have already doubled up on a couple weeks of the plan since I've been working a lot lately. Did any of you have any financial goals for 2016?
• The BIG Question on The Big Bang Theory: Something that you may or may not know about me is that I'm about 150% obsessed with the television show The Big Bang Theory. (You would definitely know this if you follow me on Snapchat because since I have no life I generally post snaps when I watch the show live! Ha.) I think that this show is one of the funniest on television, and has only gotten better as the seasons go on. If you've been watching this current season, you might enjoy this commentary on last week's episode! It discusses a question which most viewers were wondering... I know I was! 
• Job searching: As y'all know: one of the biggest passions currently is the city of Charlotte. I have absolutely fallen in love with this place since I started school here a few years ago. At this stage in my life, I know that I have to do whatever it takes to find a job that will keep me in Charlotte post-graduation, since this is where I have found my happiness. However, I do also realize how competitive the job market is right now for new graduates! This is why I am already taking steps now to start my job search, as I know that my semester will only continue to get busier as graduation approaches. So far since this semester has started I have finalized my resume, begun tidying up my LinkedIn account, met with my career advisor to develop a plan of action for the next few months, and tried to set up some networking opportunities with business people whose careers I admire! I only want to continue to do more as well. Recent college graduates: do you have any additional tips for me on things I could be doing this semester to proactively help my job search?

Purchases:

• I purchased this fun necklace this week... it already has me in the Spring Break mindset! 
• Speaking of Spring Break... something that I did purchase this week though was flights for my upcoming (and final) Spring Break trip!! For the past two years, my dad and I have gone to the Dominican Republic for Spring Break. We absolutely love the DR and hope to return again someday, but I didn't want to be traveling for the whole week this year, as it's such a busy semester for me! I am SO excited about where we are going to though- and also so excited about the super cheap flights that I was able to find! Would y'all be interested in me sharing a blog post sometime soon about how I book flights / look for cheap travel? 

     xoxo Miss ALK

Easy DIY Halloween Costume: The Bachelorette.

      Happy Halloween! I am so excited to be sharing all about one of the costumes that I wore for this year's festivities. Last year, I only dressed up for a party at my internship, and didn't really go out or celebrate other then that. Since I had such a mellow year last year, I knew that I wanted to go all out for my senior year of college Halloween!! I started planning out this costume around this time last year, and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

   

      I'm the Bachelorette! Would you accept my rose...?

Dress: H&M {similar here!} // Shoes: Nine West // Earrings: {old} // Lips: Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

      I have been a fan of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette for quite a few years now. I wasn't able to watch the most recent season this summer due to my travels abroad (and the fact that I worked every Monday night after I came home), but in the past I've always enjoyed keeping up with the show. Fun fact: former Bachelorette Emily Maynard lives here in Charlotte, and actually met her new husband not on the show, but at the church that I go to here!! How cute is that.

      This costume was so easy to create! I've had this gorgeous sequin H&M dress for awhile (Update: the dress is back in stock for Fall 2016!), so I was excited to have an occasion to wear it again. The only thing that I had to buy for this costume was a dozen roses, and then I just printed out a logo and image from the show and super glued it onto a name-tag pin. This is a flirty, fun, and no maintenance costume for any of my fellow single ladies to put together! 

      Hope that all of you are having a wonderful Halloween weekend so far! I had a lot of fun yesterday wearing this costume for the annual party at my internship, and also to go out with a couple sorority sisters last night. Tonight is actual Halloween and round two for us! I don't go out very often so this is a big weekend for me.

       I'm actually more excited about what I'm wearing tonight than I even was about my Bachelorette costume.... in a Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases post a couple of weeks ago, I shared that I purchased something very similar to this for my costume. That was my only hint!! I'll be sharing on Instagram tonight though what my second costume is, so be sure that you're following me @miss_alk if you aren't yet! 

      Here is the dress that I wore for this costume, and some other dresses that I think would be perfect for any Bachelorette: 

      xoxo Miss ALK

Gossip Girl Fashion Inspiration: Blair or Serena?

     I've said in a few of my posts over the past week that I am desperately seeking a new show to become addicted to on Netflix. That is because during the first part of my study abroad trip here in France, I finally finished watching Gossip Girl! I've posted a couple times before about my thoughts on the show, because I had such a love/hate relationship with it throughout the months that I watched it (Yes... months. I had the busiest past semester so that meant little time for Netflix again until Summer Break!). I participated in the fashion bloggers' National Gossip Girl Day link-up back in January, and then wrote some more on my thoughts about the show, specifically on actress Blake Lively vs. the character of Serena Van der Woodsen more recently.


     I will say that my thoughts on the show completely changed somewhere in season four. That's when I really became addicted! I liked season one, was iffy on season two, didn't like season three so much that I almost quit watching the show altogether (I thought a lot of the content in season three was disturbing)... but season four is when the real excitement begins! From season four until the very final episode, I could not put Netflix down!


     But what ultimately kept me watching the show even during the seasons that I didn't like as much was the incredible fashion. All of the female leads on the show have the most incredible style, as do some of the supporting characters as well. I have never seen such a well-dressed cast! It was so fun for me too to see how the fashion of each character evolved a bit as the show went on.


     Many girls like to pick a character in Gossip Girl as their style icon, but after finishing the show I realized that I had a little problem! I truly believe that fashion-wise, I am 50% inspired by Blair Waldorf and 50% inspired by Serena Van der Woodsen! Both leading ladies had such amazing fashion senses, that are similar yet different. I love all of the chic and feminine cut dresses that Blair wears throughout the show, and sometimes I can be spotted with a large headband as well! But like Serena, I also love all anything sequined or statement jewelry, and I adore some of her other signature styles as well (although I have yet to try the "cleavage rhombus"... haha!) Take a look at some of my past favorite blog outfits to see my point!


     Blair Inspired Outfits:

     Serena Inspired outfits

This is one of my all-time favorite blog outfits, and reminds me of the start of Season 5, when Serena is out in LA! 

    So- do y'all think that I am a Blair or a Serena (fashion-wise)? As I said before, I honestly don't think that I can pick! I do think that I prefer Serena's outfits in the show as a whole slightly over Blair's... but Blair had some killer style as well of course!

     Who else watched Gossip Girl for the fashion?! :-)


     To see a whole outfit that I styled earlier this year based completely on another favorite TV show of mine, check out this post!



     xoxo Miss ALK

eShakti Summer Style Favs + DISCOUNT CODE!!

     Some of you might remember that last summer I did a product review with a fun online dress retailer called eShakti. What sets eShakti apart from so many other clothing retailers is that all of their dresses can be personalized exactly for you! When you order an eShakti dress, you fill out a special order form giving them all of your own unique measurments. So instead of taking a gamble that the dress that you purchased online may or may not look good, you're guarenteed to have a perfectly fitting dress! And I don't even think that I mentioned how fun, classic, and even whimsical all of eShakti's dresses are!! Take a look at the dress that I got to review and style last year- it's still one of my favorite sundresses:

     eShakti recently reached out to me (and some awesome other bloggers!) to talk about their new collection for Summer 2015. In addition to their signature line of customizable dresses, they have added so many fun new clothing items to their website, including skirts, tops, shorts, and all sorts of fun things! Take a look at some of my favorite picks that are currently on the site below: 

    And the best news for all of you is that eShakti is offering all Southern Belle in Training readers an exclusive discount code through July 10th for $35 off your purchase! Yes- $35!! Just use code SOUTHBELL35 on any of these cute items, or on anything that your little heart desires from eShakti! All of their clothing is so fun and unique, and you know that you won't be seeing everyone that you know wearing the same thing!!



     In totally unrelated news, as I mentioned in yesterday's blog post (which you should definitely check out if you haven't- it's an update on my study abroad trip!) that I finished Gossip Girl last week! I definitely got emotionally invested in the show by the end, and I need to start something new on Netflix ASAP! While being here in France I really enjoy watching a couple episodes of American TV shows after coming from home long days at language immersion school.

      Anyways- do y'all have any Netflix suggestions for me? I also tweeted last night asking for suggestions... a few that were suggested to me there include One Tree Hill, Reign and Grey's Anatomy! Just being honest but I don't plan to watch Grey's anytime soon though... I have never met a group of TV fans that are more obsessed with a show then those who love Grey's and I'm sure that it's good but honestly the extreme level of the fandom scares me away! Haha. (Granted Gossip Girl has crazy fans too but in a different way.) Anyways- please suggest away!



     xoxo Miss ALK
   

    The product reviewed was gifted to me for review purposes on my blog by eShakti. All opinions are honest and my own.