Fun and Affordable Business Casual Look.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Dress c/o {under $20!} // Blazer {old, similar here under $25} // Shoes {old, similar here} // Purse {newer style linked} // Pom Pom (on purse) // Watch // Nails // Lipstick //

     I've been attending broadcasting school since mid-July, and choosing to enroll in this program has been one of the best decisions that I've ever made. I'm having so many incredible experiences, and furthering my education so much in my chosen career field. In addition to being a student, I also began an internship working for my broadcasting school in August, so I spend a good deal of time there each week! The school enforces a business casual dress code amongst students and staff. I always enjoyed dressing up for class in college, but that was always at my leisure, and there were definitely some days when I would sometimes roll out of bed and head to class with bedhead and in a wrinkled sweatshirt. But in post-grad life, I don't have that luxury anymore! I've really had to build my business casual wardrobe in the last few months.

      While some investment pieces are necessary (such as some well-fitting dress pants, good pairs of heels, and a good work tote- like one that I'm carrying here!), I'm finding that you can also snatch up some more "fun" business casual pieces that both add flair to your workwear a little bit, and also don't break the bank.  

    This eye-catching floral dress is such a great way to mix up your business casual attire! The higher neckline and short sleeves give it a stylish modesty factor that make it office appropriate. And the stretchy fabric makes it comfortable and breathable for long days. And the best part of all is that it's UNDER $20! 

     This floral dress is another great buy from SheIn. While SheIn might typically be thought of as a shopping destination for trendy pieces or the perfect spot for weekend-wear, I've realized that there are actually some great picks to be found that could be great for work-wear also! Some people have asked me before on my thoughts about buying from SheIn- since their prices are insanely low, it can sometimes be hard to judge the quality of the items online and you can be left wondering if things will look the same when they arrive to you! So far, my experiences with SheIn have been only positive. My #1 tip is to order items from them that have been already purchased by other shoppers, and have pictures posted in the style gallery for the item (where real purchasers share how they wore the item, so you don't just see it on the models!). This is a great way to get a feel for if you would like an item or not. 

     My outfit details are below, and after that I'm also sharing some other great SheIn picks that I think would be perfect business casual attire for the upcoming fall months! 

 



     I hope that y'all have a great start to your weekends! Thank-you to everyone who has been keeping the city of Charlotte in your prayers this week in regards to the tensions and violent riots that have erupted throughout the city during this week. I feel very thankful that the area of the city that I live in is not near where any of these events have occurred, but it is still a very sad week to live in Charlotte. Praying that everything will be resolved soon and peace and love will cover the city!



  xoxo Miss ALK

Eating For Cheap on the Las Vegas Strip.

     I spent Labor Day Weekend of this year in one of my favorite cities on earth, Las Vegas! I have been there once before, three years ago for a girls' week with my mom. (Trip recaps from 2013 here, here and here.) Traveling with friends in Vegas is a very different experience then traveling there with parents. It's also different to be there at 21 versus underage. So it was definitely a lot of fun to be back!


     Although Vegas is famous for some of the best restaurants in the country, it is also an expensive destination in terms of food and beverage. Prices for dinners at some of the hotels' better restaurants can quickly get up in the hundreds of dollars (!!), and it's not uncommon for lunch prices to be ranging between $20-$40. Despite the fact that just about all food in Vegas is out of this world, the average price points can be very hard for anyone on a budget to fathom for a multi-day vacation. I'm currently on a fairly strict budget as I'm in broadcasting school this year, and I'm also working to pay for school loan-free! Anyone who is also on a student budget, or anyone who might be on a budget in general could have a hard time paying that much for food on vacation.


    But luckily, Vegas does have lots and lots of affordable restaurant options as well! They just take a little digging to find. I am rounding up all of the places that I enjoyed eating at during my Labor Day Weekend in Vegas that didn't break the bank- I would definitely recommend each one of these spots to anyone who might be traveling to Vegas in the future!

*Sambalatte at Monte Carlo: I have to give credit to one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Emily Gemma from The Sweetest Thing, for how I found out about this darling spot! Emily and her husband visited Vegas earlier this summer, and after she instagrammed a picture of a latte from this coffee shop I knew that this was a must-visit for me. Sambalatte has the menu of a typical coffee shop: they serve the typical iced and hot coffee and tea beverages, and since it's Vegas they also have some adult beverages on the menu too. But what sets this coffee shop apart is the incredible colored latte art that they're able to do on some of the foam beverages! I have never seen anything like this, and getting to see the beverages in person was even more amazing. I ordered my standard hot beverage, a chai latte, and not only was it incredibly delicious,  but was also the prettiest drink that I've ever had! My chai latte was $6 and I think most of the Sambalatte latte art beverages range from $5-8. Definitely worth it in my opinion though!

*The Buffet at Aria: This was the one "splurge" meal of the trip. My roommate really wanted to visit a classic Las Vegas buffet while on our trip- which let's be real, if you're going to Vegas then you have to do at least one buffet on the Strip! I spent literally weeks researching all of the buffets at the various Strip hotels, and comparing Trip Advisor reviews, sample menus and prices. I ended up deciding that Buffet at Aria was the one that I wanted us to visit.
      It did not disappoint! We decided to go for lunch instead of dinner to save money (Lunch is $25.99 and dinner is closer to $40), but the lunch buffet is still full of amazing options. They had a huge section of different Asian cuisines which made me very happy, since those are my favorite type of foods! The build-your-own pho bar and fresh naan bread were definitely hits. And the dessert bar... don't even get me started on that! I am sad that I was already quite full from lunch so I didn't get to try a lot of the desserts that I wanted to, but the few that I did sample were incredible.
     The next time that I'm in Vegas for a longer period of time, I might buy the "Buffet of Buffets" pass from Caesar's. It gives you unlimited access to buffets at five or more Strip hotels for as many days as you would like on your trip. This package was a bit expensive for what were were looking for during this trip, but definitely something to think about during future travels since buffets are a hit!

Build your own Pho station, and sampling the different hummus varieties. 

More yummy Asian delicacies from the Buffet.

Just a few of the great desserts!

*In-N-Out: There are plenty of affordable chain restaurants with convenient locations on the Vegas Strip. Everything from fast food such as Burger King and McDonald's, to popular sit-down chains like Outback and PF Chang's. We wanted to eat at places that we might not have access to back here on the East Coast, so although eating at these chains would have definitely been affordable, we chose not to visit any while in Vegas. But one chain restaurant broke our rule: In-N-Out! (Although we don't have this on the East Coast... so technically it didn't break any rules about chains that we have access to at home. ;-) )
     If you're not familiar with In-N-Out, it's a West Coast burger chain with a sort of similar restaurant structure to Five Guys, and it definitely has a large following. My first time eating at In-N-Out was when my mom and I went to Vegas three years ago, and I couldn't wait to eat there again! Their burgers are definitely worth the hype. And best of all, just about everything is under $10, if not under $5!
    There currently isn't an In-N-Out on the Strip, so we ate at the one closest to. It was about a 10 minute drive from our hotel. I read online though that there should be an In-N-Out built right on the Strip before the end of 2016, which is exciting!

*The Food Court at the Grand Canal Shops at The Venetian: Amazingly, every strip hotel in Vegas is large enough to have its own food court. The variety in the types of restaurants that are found in the food courts vary from hotel to hotel though. The best food court experience that we found was at the Venetian/Palazzo, in their Grand Canal Shops mall area. The Food Court had some chain favorites like Johnny Rockets and Chipotle, and also some really creative eateries such as a quick-serve Indian restaurant, and a European-style cafe which served crepes! I enjoyed a dessert crepe for lunch and can honestly say that it compared to the crepes that I ate when I studied abroad last summer. The Grand Canal Shops Food Court is a very affordable option for eating compared to the sit-down restaurants in the shopping area, but it still provides a lot of variety in terms of food choices!

*Hexx Chocolate and Confexxions at Paris (for dessert): Each day when we would walk past the Paris hotel on the strip, I would notice large signs in the windows for Hexx candy store that advertised their gourmet ice cream sandwiches. They take homemade cookies in a variety of flavors and pair them with your choice of any of their homemade ice creams! The pictures on the signs looked incredibly amazing, and I knew I had to experience this treat at least once before leaving Vegas. We finally made it over here on our very last morning in Vegas before heading to the airport and waited for Hexx to open- I was actually the first customer of the day! I had my ice cream sandwich made on two sugar cookies, and with half cinnamon ice cream and half banana chocolate. It was divine. Possibly one of the best desserts I've ever had! So rich though that I could not finish it.... I guess that just means I'll have to go back for another someday!
   

   


      I already can't wait to be back in Vegas again in the future! One of my favorite cities ever... I could definitely write a very long blog post on all of the reasons that I love Vegas as a vacation destination. I'm already planning to write a recap of the Britney Spears concert that I saw while there for the blog soon!



     Have you ever been to Vegas? If so- where were your favorite places to eat for cheap?



     xoxo Miss ALK

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

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Top {under $20!} c/o// Jeans // Shoes {similar and on sale} // Earrings {Mine are from a local boutique, similar here} // Purse {old style, similar here} // Lipstick 

     

     Today I'm sharing the part two for how to style this fun fall top. I first shared a casual daytime look last week, and today I'm sharing a nighttime look! This top is technically an off-the-shoulder top, so I figured it was about time I styled it properly here on the blog. I really like how this is an OTS top that is also very fall appropriate. OTS tops and dresses were such a huge trend this past summer, but who says that the trend has to go away just because it's fall? I think this outfit would be perfect for a fun date night, or also for a night out with girlfriends. To give the top some attention, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, and opted for big earrings instead of a necklace. Wedges and a bold lip finished off this look. 

     I really enjoy putting together blog posts where I either bring back older items from my closet and give them a new twist and re-style, or take a newer item like this top and show y'all multiple ways to wear it! To me, fashion is all about versatility and creativity, and it's always a plus if you can do this while sticking to a budget! Do y'all enjoy seeing posts like these? 

     Thanks again to City Lights Rooftop at Le Meridien Hotel for letting me do a photoshoot for this post (and this post and this post)! Speaking of Le Meridien, I stayed at the hotel this weekend for a fun Charlotte staycation with three of my friends - I can't wait to share more about that later this week here on the blog.

     Hope everyone is having a great start to the week! 

     xoxo Miss ALK




      Thank-you to Make Me Chic for sponsoring today's post. All opinions are honest and my own. Thank-you for supporting the brands that support Southern Belle in Training.

What I Wore for NYFW.

Photography by Audrey from Audrey Madison Stowe

Top {old, almost identical here though!} // Skirt {obsessed!} //  Shoes {old, similar here} // Necklace {old, similar} // Purse {similar and under $100} // {Other Jewelry old} //  Nails // Lipstick //

     This is the outfit that I wore when I attended my very first NYFW show last weekend! (Read all about my experience at the Katie Gallagher Presentation in this post.) I originally had a completely different outfit in mind- this one which I ordered online and paid for rush shipping on so that it would get to me in time. However, it still didn't arrive before I left for NYC, so the night before my trip I ran to the mall and was desperate to find something! I have a whole closet full of clothes, but of course I was worried none of them would "do" for something like NYFW - you feel me ladies?! ;-)

   

     Luckily I found this skirt at the mall! It is both super comfortable and very flattering, and also kind of makes me look like I have a little bit of a booty, which is a win-win since a booty is not something that I was really blessed with - haha!! After trying on a bunch of tops in the mall, I ended up deciding to pair it with a sequin top and jewelry that I already had. I didn't have any idea if it all would come together - but thank goodness it did! 

      I had planned to share some tips for attending NYFW and networking to attend shows and parties at the end of this post, since this was my first experience with Fashion Week. However- I am super tired and it is past my bedtime as I am finishing this post (#honesty), so that blog post might be coming next week! Is this something y'all would like to read more about? 

     Hope that y'all are having a great start to your weekends! I am having a staycation as a belated birthday celebration with three of my best Charlotte girlfriends this weekend, and I can't wait. :-) 

     xoxo Miss ALK

     

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases.

( Outfit: Top // Sports Bra // Shorts // - Follow me on Instagram + Snapchat @miss_alk!)

Ramblings:

• Recent Travels: After spending the past two weekends out of state, I am finally back home in Charlotte for awhile. I spent Labor Day Weekend in Las Vegas- my roommate and another friend and I traveled out there mainly to see Britney Spears perform, and she was absolutely incredible! Would you guys like a full blog post recap of the concert? And then this past weekend I was in New York City, primarily for a family reunion, but I also met up with a friend from college who lives there now and got to attend a NYFW event! I recapped that in yesterday's post, and I'll be sharing more about it this Friday. 
• Birthday part 3: Since I have been away for the past couple of weekends and also worked a full day on my actual 22nd birthday, I am finally getting a chance to celebrate with some of my Charlotte girlfriends this weekend! I'm having a staycation in the heart of Uptown Charlotte this weekend, and I can't wait to share more about it on the blog next week. It is so fun to play tourist in your own city sometimes, especially with your best friends! 
• Switching My Closets: So here's something funny... during my college years here in NC, I would dread the arrival of cooler fall weather, and would wear my summer clothes as long as physically possibly! In Maine we always had such a fleeting summer season, and I wasn't quite ready to give it up despite the start of the school year. But now that I've survived my first summer in NC (with full-on insane humidity levels), I think I'm more than ready to welcome fall! I'm thinking about packing up my spring and summer clothes this weekend and switching over the my fall and winter wardrobe. I'm just chuckling at myself because I never would have done this until almost Final Exams time back in college- my how times change!

Purchases: 

• This technically isn't a new purchase, but something in my closet that I've rediscovered my love for is this tank top. I wore it in an earlier blog post this summer when I talked about atheletic wear, but I recently learned that it also makes the perfect top for traveling! I wore it on three out of my four flights in the past two weeks- it's comfortable, lightweight, and perfect for layering. Would definitely recommend! 
• This next item makes me feel slightly guilty... so I will admit that I totally used to hate on the blanket scarf trend when it first came out! I thought that it was a fad item that would blow up and then go away the next season. Clearly I was wrong, and blanket scarves have also grown on me. I officially picked up my first Zara blanket scarf while in NYC... they're pretty much the store behind the trend, so I guess I can't hate anymore!
• I was supposed to wear this outfit for the NYFW presentation that I attended last weekend, but despite paying for rush shipping, it didn't arrive to me until after I got home from the trip. Luckily, it's still a super cute outfit and I can wear it for my Charlotte staycation this weekend!
• I also bought this fun necklace that didn't arrive in time for NYFW, but I'll be wearing it this weekend as well. 

     My weekly question for y'all: have you ever taken a staycation in your town or city before? :-)



    xoxo Miss ALK