Katie Gallagher Presentation at NYFW.

     I was in New York City for a quick and last minute trip this past weekend for a family reunion on my dad's side. The timing of this just so happened to coincide with the biggest week in fashion, aka New York Fashion Week! I knew that I would never forgive myself for being in the city during such a momentous time and not trying to attend any of the events or shows.


     A long story made short for the sake of this blog post, thanks to some kind blogger friends who had already long planned their NYFW trips, I was able to find some PR contacts and start sending out email inquiries about attending events. Many of the events that I heard back on unfortunately conflicted with the family reunion, or were being held after I would have already gone back to Charlotte, but luckily one presentation worked perfectly with my schedule!


     I had the pleasure of attending my very first NYFW event on Friday, September 9th. It was a presentation for the Katie Gallagher Spring/Summer 2017 line. This line was called "Eclipse," and was Katie's third all-black line. The program that I received at the presentation stated that she  is "constantly inspired by this hue that has no hue." A phrase like that definitely makes me see the color black in a new light! 


     The presentation was held at an intimate venue in an open room. Guests stood lined the walls and stood on both sides of the room, and the models walked right down the center of the room. I ended up being closer to the wall so it was harder for me to get close up photos with my phone with some of the people in front of me, but since it was a small enough event I still felt that I could see all of the models quickly! First up I will share some presentation photos from my phone, and next I will share some images of the collection which I was provided after the event, so that y'all can get a better view of the designs.

      The last dress pictured was my favorite item from the collection. Few things are as elegant as a simple yet chic black dress, and the one that Katie Gallagher designed for the Eclipse collection was just stunning.



     It was such an exciting experience and honor to be able to attend my very first New York Fashion Week event! I still can't believe that everything worked out for me to attend this show with the family reunion that I went to- God sure is full of many blessings! :-) I will be sharing in Friday's blog post more details on how I was able to find out about the NYFW presentations and shows open to bloggers in the first place... this will definitely be useful information to anyone who is thinking about going in the future! I didn't know anything about how to attend, and had to pull everything together in just a few weeks to spare. 



     I attended the Katie Gallagher presentation with my friend Audrey from Audrey Madison Stowe - so great to finally meet her IRL! We took blog photos beforehand of our outfits and I can't wait to share mine on Friday! At the show we met up with her NYFW roommates- Amanda from For the Love of Glitter, Taylor from Style is Everything and Brooke from In a World of Bees. I also got to very briefly meet one blogger who I've been dying to finally meet, Alicia from Alicia Tenise (I hope the next time we meet will be for longer!), and get to see Brooke from KBStyled again, who I first met in Charleston at TBSCon. 


    

     I also got to meet one of my favorite fashion bloggers, the lovely Katey McFarlan from Chronicles of Frivolity! Through reading her blog (and obsessing over her Snapchats #guilty), I absolutely adore her personal style and knack for home decor, and I also admire her huge heart for Christ! Katey is even sweeter in person, and it was just a delight to meet her. 

     All in all, I think that my first taste of NYFW was a huge success! Again I will be sharing this coming Friday all of the details on my outfit (and the story of how I had to put it together last minute!), and some tips for networking and finding NYFW events to attend. For those of you who can't wait for outfit details, I'm linking similar items below:

      xoxo Miss ALK

     

One Top Two Ways (Day Look): OTS Top for Fall.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

     Top c/o (under $20!) // Jeans // Shoes // Bracelets // Hat (from last year, almost identical and under $15 here!) // Lipstick

     Whenever I make a purchase - large or small - I always try and figure out mentally first if the item is something that I could style multiple ways, and dress up or down. I love restyling pieces and figuring out new outfits with them- it's all part of living stylishly but within my means!


     When I saw this off-the-shoulder top, I knew immediately that I had to have it! It makes a perfect top to wear for early fall especially. This dark red color is extremely versatile with all sorts of all outfits. I can't wait to pair this with my favorite suede skirt or black jeggings for different looks. Off-the-shoulder tops were such a fashion staple this summer, but just because it's fall doesn't mean that the trend has to go away just yet.


     For today's look, I wanted to show how a way to wear an off-the-shoulder top for "daytime," or any sort of occasion when it might not be appropriate to show full shoulder. This top also fits very comfortably when worn with the sleeves up as a smocked top. I paired it with flats and a floppy hat, and there you go- a super cute casual fall look!



       In other news- I have never been happier to see Monday and the start of my work/school week! If you follow me on social media, then you know that I have been traveling for the past two weeks. I absolutely adore traveling, and it was so much fun to get to re-visit two of my favorite cities (more on both of these trips coming to the blog soon!). But as much as I adore vacations, I also can be a bit of a homebody for Charlotte and crave my normal routine. I'm definitely happy to be back in the Queen City for awhile now. :-) 

      xoxo Miss ALK



      Today's post was sponsored by Make Me Chic. All opinions are honest and my own. Thank-you for supporting the brands that support Southern Belle in Training!

4th Blogiversary Q&A.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

     Today I am celebrating Southern Belle in Training's 4th blogiversary! Technically this day was actually yesterday, as my blogiversary falls on my birthday. But this year I felt that I had a lot of thoughts to write out on my birthday, so I decided to separate the day into two separate blog posts. (Be sure to check out yesterday's post if you haven't yet!) I usually share my favorite blog posts from the past 12 months and talk about the highlights of the year in blogging at the end of December of each year. But in honor of this blogiversary, I thought it would be fun to do a Q&A with questions from all of you! I've read similar Q&A's to this one on many of my favorite blogs throughout the past year. Here are all of the fun questions that y'all tweeted to me! 

     A big thank-you again to City Lights Rooftop bar at Le Meridien hotel for generously allowing me to use the venue for this photoshoot! Shooting in this space was an absolute dream.

Beach or mountains? Beach 100%! Being from a coastal town in Maine, I grew up on the ocean year round, and it is the one thing that I do really miss here in Charlotte. Charlotte is a great location in that it is easily accessible to different beaches for vacations or even short weekend trips, but doing a day trip to the beach is a little bit far. I truly miss the luxury of being from a town that was literally on the ocean! Although I don't miss the cold Maine winters one bit...
     With that said, I do also appreciate the mountains! While I don't think I'd like to live in the mountains, I do love to hike, and I enjoy day trips to mountains in both New England and the Carolinas.


Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Wow- what a question!! Hopefully still living in the greatest city on earth- Charlotte! If I don't live in Charlotte, then I see myself living in another wonderful Southern locale, or possibly somewhere in the middle of the country. I don't see myself returning to the North anytime in the future.
     I hope to be a syndicated radio show host by this point in my life. Or perhaps my broadcasting career will take a different turn, and I might end up in TV. We'll see! I really hope that blogging is still a thing in 10 years, because my little corner of the internet means so very much to me, and at this point I can't really imagine my life without Southern Belle in Training!
     Oh- and I hope to be married to an incredible guy as well by this point in my life! But this part of my story will be all in God's timing of course. :-)


Favorite item in your closet? My senior prom dress (which I re-wore this year to my last sorority formal), or my vintage Chanel purse from my grandmother.


Early bird or night owl? 100% diehard night owl. College didn't help this at all. However with my current work and broadcasting school schedule, I am really trying to break this habit and maybe not become an early bird, but at least be more productive in the mornings!


What's the best/most important thing you've learned when it comes to blogging? The most important thing that I've learned in 4 years of blogging relates to the blogging community itself. This is a phrase that's used in a lot of creative communities, but I think that it applies to the blogging community very well also. "Community over competition." I have met some of the most incredible women through blogging, some of whom have become my nearest and dearest real life friends as well! Open yourself up to the possibility of community in this world, and don't become stuck in compare your journey to someone else's. Blogging is such a unique platform and industry, and everyone's blog and social media grows at different rates, no matter how much effort you put into it. Being happy for your friends' successes and encouraging them is always the way to go! If you have a blog- don't just use it for your own growth, use it for the networking and social aspects too, and get involved in the blogging community!


Favorite milkshake flavor? Haha I LOVE this question! I like to consider myself a self-proclaimed milkshake connoisseur. But when it comes down to it, my all-time favorite milkshakes are the simple ones. In my opinion, nothing beats a delicious chocolate malt shake! It's timeless, and very hard to mess up. I'm planning to write a blog post this fall or winter where I rank my favorite spots to get a milkshake in Charlotte (both chain restaurants and local hotspots)!


 How would you describe your style? 50% trendy, 50% classic! And 100% colorful and bright. It's rare that I wear an outfit comprised of all dark colors, and when I do I usually make sure to over-accessorize or wear bold makeup to compensate, haha! Sometimes I wear very girly outfits, but I wouldn't say that my style is girly all of the time,


What advice would you give to a friend who wanted to start a blog? I was so excited when this question was asked because my high school best friend is actually considering starting a crafting and lifestyle blog currently (shout-out to you Jules!). Probably the biggest piece of advice that I would give to anyone wanting to start a blog is to be aware of the time commitment involved with blogging! Obviously if you are only writing as a hobby and not to monetize (like I did for the first year of having this blog), then you don't technically have to post on any sort of a schedule. But if you are trying to gain followers and work towards a point when you can be accepted to affiliate networks or take on sponsored posts, then new and consistent content is so important!
     I would also suggest to launch social media channels for your blog when you start it. While I did start my blog's FB page fairly early on, one thing that I wish I had done differently is that I only had one Instagram account for almost the first three years of blogging! I wish that I had separated my personal and blog Instagram accounts sooner. (However something that I still keep combined is my Snapchat- I like for followers on there to see a more down to earth side of me!)


What is your favorite Britney Spears song? Gold star award to my girl Amy from Pastel n Pink for the best question of all- haha!! Many of you know from my social media that I was in Vegas this past weekend to both celebrate my birthday and also fulfill my lifelong dream of seeing Britney Spears in concert. I'll be sharing more about the concert soon... but for now I will leave things at the fact that I've been a ginormous Britney fan since age 5, when my parents (made the mistake) let me see part of her nationally televised Hawaiian concert. One look at those dance moves and one list to those songs and I was hooked!
     It's honestly very hard for me to pick my favorite Britney song. Different songs of hers have been my favorite at varying points in my life, and I also have associations to some songs for different memories.
      If I had to pick an absolute, all-time ffaaavvvooorrriiittteeeeeee Britney song, I would have to go with Oops!... I Did It Again. The Oops! album was actually my first Britney album (I got that one before Baby One More Time...). And let's be real- nothing beats the famous red jumpsuit from the music video!
      (Also- now I am listening to Britney as I finish this post! Thank-you Amy!)



    I hope that all of you enjoyed this Q&A! I would love to do another one in the future if y'all enjoyed.


     And from the bottom of my heart - thank-you to every reader, social media follower, brand that I've worked with, and everyone in my personal life who has supported my blog over the last four years! This little space on the internet has become so dear to me, and I have big dreams for it in the coming years. I am planning to do my first ever reader-survey in December during my yearly review posts, to see what types of content y'all will be wanting in 2017 and future years to come!



     The skirt that I'm wearing in this blog post is from a local Charlotte shop (the same that the dress was from that I wore in yesterday's post), but this is a very similar skirt! My custom made Southern Belle in Training t-shirt was created by a friend of my photographer, Deeana! She is preparing to launch a shop soon, but for now you can check her on on Instagram @lastearns.



     Cheers to four years, and here's to many more!



     xoxo Miss ALK

Feelin' 22!

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

     As a blogger, one of the reasons that I look forward now to my birthday each year is because it's an excuse to do a special photoshoot! (#bloggerprobs? Or maybe #bloggerperks haha!) My blogiversary also falls on the same day, so to me that's an excuse just to make things bigger and better each year. :-) I'm so excited this year to have done my birthday/blogiversary photoshoot at my new favorite place in Charlotte, City Lights Rooftop bar at Le Meridien hotel in Uptown Charlotte! Some of you might remember that I've attended a few events this summer at both City Lights and neighboring pool club Craft City Social. I am absolutely obsessed with the panoramic views that City Lights offers of the skyline, so doing this photoshoot there was an absolute dream. 

     I can hardly believe that today is my 22^nd birthday. When I take the time to think about it, my four years in college went by in a blur. Each year brought its own highs and lows, but overall college was an incredible time of growth and new experiences for me.

     When I was growing up and used to think about my future, it was hard for me to see beyond my college years. I always dreamed about pursuing a career in radio broadcasting (which I’m currently doing since I’m now enrolled in broadcasting school), but other then that, I didn’t see my future very clearly. When I was young, I certainly never excepted that I would go to college so far from home and end up falling in love with another part of the country! Life is full of surprises, and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for me. One thing that I did always think about when I was younger is that I always saw myself getting married young, and assumed I would meet my future husband either in college or before. Clearly that wasn't in the cards for me, but I feel like 21 was the first year where I finally felt confident and content as a young single woman. I'm hoping 22 might be the year where I find someone special, but if that's still not in God's plan for me just yet, then I know that I'll be fine. 

     This week I made a bucket list of things that I would like to accomplish before I turn 30. I have a bucket list page here on my blog, but it is long due to be updated. I might re-do that soon with some of the goals and aspirations that I recently came up with! It is an exciting time to be thinking about what my 20s might bring for me. 

      21 was a truly whirlwind year. I'll do a bigger recap of some of the highlights in both blogging and my personal life this December when I do my annual yearly recap posts here on the blog, but for now I do want to stress one thing. I have an image pinned to the top of my Twitter timeline right now, and it will probably stay pinned up there for awhile. The picture reads "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" and the tweet that goes along with it reads "Not everything in someone's life is shared on their blog and/or social media... just something to think about." This rings extremely true for me as I have been through some things in my life this year which I have not been able to discuss here on my blog. It pains be more than y'all know not to be able to talk about it, as I like to share my life with all of you (I think of each of my readers as a friend!), and also because writing on my blog is the ultimate stress relief for me. But alas, sometimes situations in the real world arise which need to be resolved before they can be spoken about. And sometimes things take a very, very long time to resolve. 

     Not to kind of hit a downer note in that last paragraph- but I just wanted to say that I'm sure I speak for a lot of bloggers when I make the point that sometimes people go through traumatic experiences and might not be able to blog about them. As the quote says, "everyone is fighting a hard battle." Definitely a life lesson that I learned at 21. 

    Anyways, on a lighter note, today is also Southern Belle in Training's 4th anniversary!! Happy Blogiversary to my special little corner of the internet! Yes- I did start my blog on my birthday, my 18th birthday to be exact. Normally I do a combined birthday and blogiversary blog post, but this year I decided to break them up. You can check out another part of my special City Lights photoshoot with Deeanna here on the blog tomorrow, as well as a 4th blogiversary Q&A! Thanks to everyone who tweeted me questions for it. :-)


     My dress that I wore for this photo shoot is from a local Charlotte shop! They are moving to a new location and were having a huge clearance sale, so I picked this up, as well as the skirt that I'm wearing in the photos that I'll be sharing tomorrow. I do love shopping local from time to time! I have found some other super and similar cute pink dresses though which I am linking below:

     Thank-you all for reading this little blog of mine for the past four years, and for helping me to celebrate 22! Here's to another fabulous year.



     xoxo Miss ALK

Making Dark Colors Fun to Wear.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Top {old, very similar from same retailer here} // Shorts // Shoes {old, similar here} // Necklace {old, similar here} // Bracelet Right Hand // Bracelets Left Hand  // Lipstick 

      It isn't often that I wear an outfit comprised of all dark colors (especially all black!), but when I do, I want to make sure that it still reflects my personality. I love wearing bold accessories, or fashion pieces that have a fun twist to them. This flirty peplum top pairs so well with a bright statement necklace! You could easily wear this with dark skinny jeans and a leather jacket in the cooler months, but since it's currently still very warm out, I chose to pair it with these cute and comfortable J. Crew Factory shorts. These are what I think are the ideal summer shorts- they can easily be dressed up or down!


     I leave today for the birthday weekend getaway of a lifetime! I'll be back on Monday with a new post, but be sure int the meantime that you're following me on social media to keep up with my trip. (Especially on Instagram and Snapchat @miss_alk). :-) Today also marks one week away until I turn 22, and the 4 year blogiversary for my blog! Yes- I started my blog on my birthday... great planning back in 2012. Ha!

    xoxo Miss ALK