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!

#IHaveThisThingWithPink: Winter Edition

     Confession time: my favorite color is blue, and if we're getting specific it's the gorgeous aqua hue that is Tiffany Blue. However- you'd probably never know that based on how much I enjoy incorporating pink in my wardrobe! Last summer, one of my favorite outfit posts that I shared I entitled #IHaveThisThingWithPink. Today's outfit reminds me of a winterized version of that look! 

Photography by Melissa Lynn Studios 

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

Sweater dress {not online, similar colored one here} // Vest {old, similar here} // Boots // Purse // Necklace {very similar linked} // Earrings // Ring // Lipstick c/o // 

     I found this sweater dress during my New Year's trip to Indiana, marked down for just $10!! I didn't even think twice before snatching it up. I'm all about adding color into my Vermont winter wardrobe, and if I can do it for just $10 that's even better. My exact sweater dress sadly isn't online, but this one is and it's pretty similar! My new Hunter boots are a shade darker than the sweater dress, but I love styling different coordinating shades of pink together. This was such a fun winter way to wear a bright hue, and it sure brightened my day to wear this outfit! For photography purposes I didn't wear tights or leg warmers with this outfit, but for wearing an outfit like this to work in the winter I probably wouldn't have bare legs! 😉

     I hope that you enjoyed your President's Day weekend! My company does observe the holiday, so since I had the day off yesterday I decided to take the day off from the blog as well. I also want to give a reminder that today is your last opportunity to take my blog's annual reader survey if you haven't yet! You can take it here.

     God Bless,

  

     xoxo Annaliese

Subscribe to Southern Belle in Training's Monthly Newsletter!

      

Vermont Red Barn + Wearing White in Winter.

     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:

Photography by Melissa Lynn Studios. Thank you to West Monitor Barn for letting us shoot here! 

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

Sweater {not online, very similar linked} // Vest {not online, very similar linked} // Scarf {Not online, very similar linked} // Jeans // Boots // Sunglasses c/o // Coat {old, this year's version linked} // Gloves {sold out, similar linked} // Lip Gloss //

      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!

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese  

   

"Han Solo" Season...

     Have y'all seen the memes floating around the internet about how fall is also becoming known as "Han Solo" season? As in Han Solo from Star Wars (I'm not much of a Star Wars fan myself, so I'm kind of proud of myself for understanding the reference- ha!) He is famous of course for wearing boots, a vest, and a white blouse throughout the films, and the joke of the memes of course is that fall is #basic season for girls, and many a girl is spotted wearing this same outfit during the autumn months!! I was so excited to wear this look for a day of shooting during peak foliage week in Vermont a few weeks back... and it didn't really hit me until going through these photos for the post that I unintentionally became the meme!

Photography by Amanda Rose Photography

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

Top // Vest // Jeans // Boots // Purse // Necklace c/o {mine not online, identical here} // Bracelets c/o {sold out, similar here} // Lipstick c/o // 

      Vermont is so famous for its radiant fall season. I knew that I had to do my best to take advantage of that this year, especially since I'm a blogger! Peak foliage season hit a little bit later than usual for all of New England this year, since September was quite warm. It began to dawn on me around the time that the leaves were at their fullest, that I had a bit of a conundrum regarding my blog photoshoots. I was so hoping to be shooting for some outfit posts this fall in peak foliage, but I schedule my shoots based on upcoming collaborations, and the dates of my collabs were not matching up with the week that ended up being peak foliage, since it was a little later than I expected. Eeek! 

      Thankfully, one of my Vermont photographers, Amanda, responded to a frantic text from me asking if she had any time to do a very quick shoot, with the purpose of mainly getting pretty leaves pictures and capturing a glimpse of foliage beauty. She was happy to oblige, and that's how today's post came to be! This blog post is a bit more photo-heavy than normal, but I couldn't pick just a few favorites. 😊 (The spots that we shot these photos in are nearby the ones featured also in this post.)

     It's finally cool enough here to wear this Lauren James vest which I'm styling in this post! (I might refer to it as my Han Solo vest from here on out though...) I purchased it during Lauren James's Pink Friday sale this summer when I was able to score a great deal on it, but thankfully it is still in stock!! And it comes in a few colors.

     Sadly Vermont's foliage is just about gone now and the pretty leaves from these pictures have long since fallen, but I am so happy I was able to get a few blog photos this year when it was at its brightest! I'll treasure these- Vermont really was magical to experience and drive around in during peak week in October this year.

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese 

How to Wear Lilly Pulitzer in the Fall.

     It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Lilly Pulitzer, and the iconic bright colors and preppy styles that has made the brand famous. Of course my love for Lilly does intensify a bit during the warmer months, but it doesn't mean that I stop loving Lilly in the fall and winter!! Today I'll be sharing a fall-appropriate Lilly outfit, and a few tips that I use when putting together preppy looks to keep my Lilly love going strong all year long (even here in Vermont!).

Photography by Melissa Lynn Studios 

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

Dress {from the last After Party Sale, similar here!} // Vest {old, this year's version here} // Boots // Purse // Earrings c/o // Necklace {similar} // Gold Bracelets c/o // Beaded Bracelets c/o // 

     Lilly Pulitzer can absolutely be worn in the fall, and even some pieces in the winter months!! As long as it's the right Lilly items. The main reason that I ordered the day dress that I'm wearing in today's post is because I knew it was the perfect Lilly dress to transition from summer to fall. The navy stripes and purple design on it are a bit of a contrast from some of the pinks, greens, and bright neon hues that are present in a lot of Lilly's summer shift designs. It was so easy to make this outfit ideal for fall by adding a vest and riding boots! If looking for Lilly dresses to wear in the cooler months, look for ones that might be short sleeved or have 3/4 length sleeves like this one did, and in darker colors than Lilly's traditional summer color palette. 

      Other Lilly items that I enjoy wearing in the cooler months are scarves, athleisure (I adore my workout leggings that I have!), and Elsa tops. A bright Elsa top is a great way to add a pop of color to a fall or winter business casual look. I don't personally own any Lilly Pulitzer sweaters yet, but I do know that they make some gorgeous sweater and cardigan options as well! 

     And of course I can't forget... the best way to add a pop of Lilly to your look during fall and winter is to bring a Lilly travel mug with you for your hot beverage! I bought my Lilly travel mug during freshman or sophomore year of college, I still use it multiple times a week, and it's held up so well!! I want to ask for another one for Christmas this year since I use my first one so much. 

     Today's outfit post is the last of my Stowe, Vermont photoshoots with my photographer Melissa! We did a Stowe day trip a few weeks back, and were able to get some really fun photoshoots in (this post, this post, and this post were also done that day!!). Unfortunately we were there a few days before the foliage really started to turn, but I was still happy to spend an afternoon there shooting! Stowe is a very quaint little resort town deep in the Green Mountains of Vermont. It's about an hour south of Burlington, and although it's very drivable for a day trip, I think it feels much further away! Just from browsing my Instagram and Blog Lovin' this fall season, it seems like a lot of bloggers from all over the country have been vacationing in Stowe during foliage season. I think Stowe would be a cute place to visit if you're unfamiliar with New England and want a taste of small town life for a few days! 

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese 

Top 5 Fall Fashion Essentials.

      The weekend welcomed the fall season, and also officially welcomed all of the beloved fall fashion trends which return each year at this time! (Well "unofficially" welcomed here in Vermont... this weekend and today brought record breaking high temperatures to the Champlain Valley... today is in the high 80s and this girl is NOT complaining! But alas, back to regularly scheduled fall blog programming. 😉) It shouldn't be too much of a surprise based on my love of color and the trends that I gravitate towards that spring and summer fashion as my personal favorites, however living back in New England, I've decided to fully embrace fall style this year!

     In today's blog post, I wanted to share my five personal favorite fall trends with y'all! There are examples of how I've styled these trends from past blog posts. Some pictures are from this year/last year, and some from a few years ago! I thought it would be fun to take a little peak back down blog memory lane, and many of these fall items are still staples in my closet, which goes to show  and current items are linked so that you can shop similar versions that are in stock now!

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

1. Riding Boots 

{From blog post: "OOTD: J. Crew Pleated Mini Skirt Collab" October 2014}

   
     Most definitely my #1 fall wardrobe favorite- riding boots! Specifically Tory Burch riding boots- which really are a preppy essential. Y'all know that I am very much about affordable fashion on this blog, and there aren't a lot of things that I splurge on. However, Tory Burch riding boots are an absolute splurge! There's just nothing like them. I currently have two pairs, and the pair above I've had since summer 2014, and this past spring (before I moved) they were looking a bit well loved. I brought them to a cobbler in Charlotte to have them touched up, paid about $50... and it was like I had a brand new pair of boots!! All set now for fall in Vermont. If you're able to get a pair of these and invest in them every couple of years, they will last and last and last! So worth it. However, if you aren't quite ready to make the TB investment, I have a few other more affordable pairs linked as well!

2. Ponchos / Capes

{From blog post: "Poncho for Fall" October 2015}

     Fun story about how I fell in love with ponchos and capes! So some of you might remember that I worked in retail back home in Maine over summers and holiday breaks every year of college. One Christmas break that I worked at the store, it was exceptionally chilly at work everyday. I get cold very easily, and despite wearing sweaters to work I was still cold. One of my coworkers had this super soft and cozy black cape that she kept in the work closet, and she leant it to me to wear everyday that I had shifts that week. I fell in love with it- not only for the warmth factor, but also because I thought it looked so chic! This was about a year before ponchos and capes really started popping up again as a fashion trend, but I was so excited when they did! I now own a few and love wearing them as an easy addition to wall and winter outfits. Some are linked below, I really love this one and this one! 

3. Floppy Hats 

{From blog post: "One Top Two Ways: OTS Top for Fall" September 2016"}

     As a little girl, I loved wearing all sorts of crazy hats and headbands. My childhood bestie, Katie, and I have a running joke that it's impossible to find a photo of us as kids where I'm not wearing something interesting on my head! (In one of the best photos of us as little girls, I'm wearing a 1700's style pilgrim bonnet from a history museum gift shop with my capri pants and sparkly t-shirt...? Who would have guessed I'd become a fashion blogger someday?!) Anyways, I think my hat obsession as a younger kid scared me away from them in high school, and I was pretty anti-hats for many years. 

     But then in college, my love for them returned in full force, and I'm so glad it did (just not for the pilgrim bonnets)! I think a nice floppy hat for fall looks so chic and can easily elevate even a casual outfit. I buy most of my fall hats at Forever 21. They have a wide variety every season, they're priced very well, and the quality isn't bad at all! Sadly there aren't any F21's near Vermont, but luckily for me I have a ton of fall hats from previous seasons. 😉 I've linked many of my current favorites from there and other stores below: 

4. Fall Statement Earrings

{From blog post "Black Lace Romper" June 2016}

     First off- I just realized the above photo is from a past summer blog post instead of fall-oops. Clearly I need to get better about taking close-up pictures of the statement earrings that I wear, haha! Anyways, hot summer days sometimes makes it hard to break out heavy jewelry, so as the weather gets cooler again, it gets easier to be bolder with accessories! I absolutely love wearing fun and bold statement earrings. Sadly it's harder for me to wear them to work, as heavy earrings and radio headphones don't match too well as far as earlobe pressure goes, but I love wearing them outside of work, and it's even more of a win when I can find a lightweight pair that doesn't bother me with headphones on! For this fall, I'm really loving these and these.

5. Puffer Vest 

{From blog post: "OOTD: Evening at the Orchard...} October 2014}

     

     Another throwback SBIT post right here!! (#TBT to my little digital camera... it was a good two year run together for blog photos!) Anyways, this is a closet essential of mine that I don't wear too much in my blog outfits, hence why I had to dig back three years for a photo! But nonetheless, I do often wear throughout the fall and winter in everyday or athleisure looks. A good puffer vest is great to have for layering and warmth purposes! These days they come in so many colors and patterns, and they can add a fun touch. I purchased this really cute one for this season, and I'm hardcore crushing on this pink vest! 

     Now I want to hear from you! Year after year, what are your favorite fall trends that you keep wearing? Do we share any in common? 

     Hope you're having a great Monday! Even though today's post was all about fall fashion, today I'm feeling late summer vibes! This morning before work I'm headed to the lake with a friend to enjoy the warmth and sunshine and I CAN'T WAIT! 

     God Bless,

      xoxo Annaliese (aka Charlotte XO on-air!)

Coziest Sweater Dress.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Dress {under $40 right now!} // Vest {old, very similar here} // Boots {this year's version linked} // Purse {similar} // Short Necklace {under $15} // Tassel Necklace {similar} // Lipstick

      

     Deeana and I shot this outfit this same day that we also did this look.... and as I wrote about in the previous blog post, it was 29 degrees while we were out shooting! Brrrrr! Amazingly though, this sweater dress is comfy and cozy enough that it was able to keep me (semi) warm while we were out and about. I own several sweater dresses, and I enjoy wearing them a lot in the winter months. Dresses are what I live in during the spring and summer, so sweater dresses are still a way to keep a feminine and girly look even in the cold. But out of all the sweater dresses that I have, I've never had one that's so comfortable to wear! This dress literally feels like it's made of pajama material, but it's also so flattering and form-fitting on- can we talk about a win-win? And best of all, it's under $35 right now! 

     The weather has been quite strange in Charlotte this week. Last weekend, it snowed throughout the Carolinas. The part of Charlotte that I lived in barely had any snow, but there was a significant amount of ice. However snowfall was significant enough in other parts of the county to cancel local public schools on Monday (and my broadcasting school was closed as well). All week though temperatures have been warming up... and tomorrow the high is 70 degrees! What the heck. I would much rather take 70 over snow any day, but but my body is having trouble keeping up with these weird weather changes! Has the weather been weird where you live as well?

     xoxo Annaliese