Off-the-shoulder Sweater + My 3 Must-Watch Winter TV Shows.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Sweater {under $20!} // Jeans {similar} // Shoes // Earrings {old, similar here} // Necklace {similar} // Rings {middle finger criss cross ring, ring finger silver ring} // Lipstick // 

     It took awhile for the off-the-shoulder trend to grow on me. First it was summer tops and dresses, and I will admit I was a little bit surprised when the trend stuck around for fall and winter styles as well! I have broad shoulders for my body's frame, so I never thought that this style of clothing would look very good on me. Little did I know that I just had to find the right OTS pieces! I did end up finding some that I liked a lot last summer, and I finally had to bit the bullet and try an OTS sweater for winter as well. The one that I'm wearing here is so comfortable, and could be styled many different ways. Best of all - it's under $20! It is a Shein find... I have been finding more things from there in recent months. Would y'all like to see a blog post soon where I share some buying tips to shopping from Shein? It's definitely a unique retailer since their price points are so low and they are internationally based, but gems are to be found on their website! 

     To mix things up for this Monday's outfit post, I thought it would be fun to also share my three must-watch television shows for this winter! Since I am going to bed so early now on weeknights for my new radio internship, I don't actually watch any of these live right now, but I look forward to catching up on them all throughout the week. (And my roommate and I don't have DVR- so all of these are available to watch *for free* on each of the station's websites each week! Woot woot!)

• Jane the Virgin (CW): This show is currently midway through its third season- and I have to be honest- it took me awhile to fall in love with it! I began the first season on Netflix when I was in college, and at that point I couldn't get into it. This show is supposed to be an American version of Spanish-style telenovelas, which are a certain type of soap-opera. I just couldn't get into the crazy plot in the first season though, and stopped watching. When the second season when on Netflix, I decided to pick up on where I'd left off and give it another try, and I'm SO glad I did!! I got used to the humor and insane plot of the show, and now I'm obsessed with it. Jane the Virgin is about a 20-something college student named Jane, who is also a virgin, who in a freak accident becomes artificially inseminated and pregnant after a visit to the gynecologist. But the show is about so much more then that, and there is also an exciting crime plot woven into the story which is unrelated to Jane's pregnancy! I like this show more with each season that goes by, and I'd highly recommend it. 
• Star (Fox): This is a brand new show which just premiered this winter, and honestly it's quite different from any other TV show that I've loved before. It's about three young girls who move to Atlanta to try and start a girl band (think TLC meets Fifth Harmony), which might make it sound like a fun and upbeat show, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's actually quite dark and every episode is very graphic with both language, subject matter and sexual content. Honestly I don't normally watch TV shows with content like this, but there's something about Star that's keeping me hooked week after week! This show features original music performed by the cast which I love, and I've even been listening to some of the music between episodes on Spotify. 
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS): This show is on it's 10th season so it's definitely not new, but it remains one of my favorites! I fell in love with this show in college,  and The Big Bang Theory still never ceases to make me laugh. The cast has grown up a lot since the beginning of the show, and this season brings on parenthood for Howard and Bernadette, life as newlyweds for Leonard and Penny, and most shockingly of all, Sheldon and Amy are living together! And of course Raj is still doing alright too. I've seen every season and episode of this show, and I'm so happy that it's still doing well into season 10. 

     Are you loving the off-the-shoulder trend for winter? And what TV shows are you hooked on this winter?

     Also- instead of a Midweek Ramblings post this week, my first-ever reader survey will be up in Wednesday's post!! I'm really excited about this and can't wait to see the feedback that y'all leave for me! 

     xoxo Annaliese 

The Cutest Bow Top.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography 

Top {60% off right now!} // Skirt {old, similar here for under $15} // Boots // Purse {similar style} // Rings {middle finger criss cross ring, ring finger silver ring} // Bracelets // Earrings // Lipstick //

     Happy Friday, friends! This outfit is definitely a tribute to the incredible weather that Charlotte has been experiencing during this January. We have had quite an interesting winter season so far. Typically Decembers are a mild month (I remember many Decembers in college where I would be sunbathing on a beach towel outside during Finals week!), but this year the holiday season was extremely cold. Most mornings I would wake up to my car being completely iced over, and midday temperatures weren't that much better. But the warmth and sunshine has returned after the holidays! This month has had lots of days seeing temperatures into the 60s, and even a few 70+ degree days. I can't ever remember a January like this as along as I've lived in NC, and as a warm-weather lover I'm not complaining a bit!


     This top was one of my Black Friday purchases a couple of months ago, and I couldn't love it more. It was such a chic addition to my closet, and I love the beautiful floral pattern and the bow detail at the neckline! I adored this top so much that I actually had to get it in another color as well (styled in this post). It's currently on sale for an extra 60% off, so check it out while you can!



     Wishing all of you a fantastic weekend ahead!

     xoxo Annaliese



   

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases + Current Wishlist.

{Follow me on social media @miss_alk!}

Ramblings:

• Best inauguration memes: While I have no problem discussing faith on my blog, politics is something that I don't enjoy writing about (or even discussing that much to be quite honest). I think a person's political views is a very personal matter, and I'm happy to say that I have friends and family whose views fall on all ends of the political spectrum. The inauguration last week was a day for some Americans to celebrate and some to mourn. HOWEVER: something that we all should be able to rejoice over, no matter our political affiliations, is this round-up of the most hilarious inauguration day memes! I'm always down for a good meme, and you have to admit that all of the election/inauguration ones were pretty spectacular. 
• My photographer: Last May, I started working with the fabulous Deeana Kourtney Photography for my photo needs on Southern Belle in Training. Deeana has been an absolute joy to work with, and many of our photoshoots were some of my highlights of 2016. She has her own photography blog as apart of her website, and yesterday she wrote the sweetest post all about how she began wanting to photograph bloggers. Check it out, and you'll also get to see some images from the very first shoot we did together! 
• Once a sister, always a sister: This past weekend, I went back to my alma mater for the day and attended an alumni social event for my sorority! Despite being very involved in Greek life in college, ADPi is something that I've taken a bit of a break from since graduation college (for various reasons in my life). But I was indeed reminded this weekend that sisterhood isn't just a college commitment, but instead truly a lifetime bond! It was really nice to see some of my sisters and catch up, and also fun to be back on my college campus for a bit. Despite still living in Charlotte, I can count on one hand the number of times that I've been back to my university since graduation.

Recent Purchases:

• This retailer is having free shipping all week, so I couldn't resist the chance to pick up these pretty earrings! I've had my eye on these for months, my preference just goes back and forth between different colors. I eventually settled on black- partly because it will match so much of my winter wardrobe during the rest of this month and next, and partly because it coordinates well with a dress that I'm wearing to a rehearsal dinner this spring. Win-win! 

Current Wishlist: 

• I went to the mall this week to try on something that I saw online (this dress!) - but I'm glad that I did as it ended up not fitting as well on me in person as I thought. ANYWAYS- while in store, I fell in love with these heels. They're so simple but so chic, and really a closet staple! (The color I want isn't currently on sale but I think I'm going to buy them as soon as they are.)
• I think this pretty set would be so cute for attending a bridal shower, tea party, Galentine's celebration, or other upcoming spring events! And you can't beat the fact that it's currently on sale for under $40. 
• This chic blouse would go from work to weekend outfits so effortlessly. 
• I love warm weather so much that I always start browsing swimwear online as soon as the holidays are over. Even though I don't have any warm weather vacation plans coming up, I'm crushing on this bikini hardcore!

     I hope that y'all are having a great week! No special question for y'all this week... but thanks as always for reading. 

     xoxo Annaliese 

Why I Think Church Attendance Is So Important.

     I still have yet to officially define my blogging goals for 2017 (I really need to get on that, as the first month of the year is almost halfway done!), but I know that one of them will be to get back to some of my "core content." When I first started this blog as a freshman in college, I wanted it to be a place for faith and fashion to come together. While the fashion side of my blog has really started to flourish, the faith posts have gotten to be less and less each year. I'm hoping to bring back at the very minimum, one faith/Christianity related post a month in 2017! I hope that y'all will hold me accountable to that to. I don't claim by any means to be an "expert" on faith, or to live a "perfect" Christian lifestyle. But what I can say for certain is that the foundation of my faith is what has kept me grounded, hopeful, and confident in Christ since my middle school years, when I first accepted Jesus as my savior. And for something to be such a big part of my life, I think it deserves a little bit more of a place on my blog. :-)

     I will also say that this post has taken me a really long time to put together! Normally writing on my blog comes to easily to me... but I've been drafting and editing this post since the beginning of January. Anything faith related can definitely be tougher topics to write about.


     Today's topic is something that I actually guest posted about on a different blog a few years ago, but I'm not sure that I've ever shared my thoughts on here at Southern Belle in Training. But it's a faith related issue that has really been a personal conviction in my own life, during my college years and in 2016 especially. It's the topic of church attendance.


      What is the purpose of church, and why is attendance so important? First and foremost, it's not my views that really matter on this subject... but what comes from God's Word itself! Let's look a few verses together:


     *Ephesians 2:19: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens of God's people and also members of His household (NIV)
      Once someone becomes a Christian, they enter into fellowship not only with the Lord, but also with other believers. As this verse says, once you have Christ in your heart, you aren't a "stranger" anymore, but a "citizen" in God's household! God's representation of his household on earth is His church. A household doesn't function properly if each member lives their own separate life- a household is built on the foundation of community. The church should be the same way with believers.


   *Colossians 3:16: Let the message of Christ dwell among you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (NIV)
     God's word commands His followers to praise him through music, reading His word, and of course prayer. And this is all supposed to be done together, with encouragement and fellowship!


   So the concept of church is something that is clearly biblically rooted. The body of Christ finds its strength in numbers, and church is often the best place to begin that!


    To avoid this post from getting too long and too much about me, I'm going to save my personal background on church (churches I've attended past and present, and my own faith journey through church) for a separate blog post about my testimony, which I've already started working on. But instead, I'll just share a few reasons in addition to those verses why I think church attendance is so important:


     *God will speak through the messages and worship at church: It can be extremely hard to hear the voice of God. I've only heard His voice distinctly commanding me to do something a couple of times in my life. With all of the business and distractions of our everyday lives, He is often the first thing that we tune out. By coming to church each week, and dedicating an hour or two out of our time just to praise God and focus on Him, you will be amazed by how He can speak to you. Sometimes it's through the sermon... the topic might be exactly what your heart needed to hear. Or sometimes you might have a very personal God moment during the worship music, or a time of silent prayer. But coming into a place of worship amongst other believers and dedicating that time to Him- so important!


     *For the community aspect: As the verses above reiterated, God loves when His people come together to worship Him. Part of a relationship with God is the individual relationship, but another large component is sharing that relationship with us. Spending time with other like-minded believers helps you to stay on track morally and spiritually, can provide immense encouragement, and also can help you to grow in your knowledge of faith. Plus- who says that a church community can't be fun every once in awhile?! (If your church isn't providing these things- it might be time to find a new church home. Not every church is the right fit for everyone... that's the beauty of having different denominations and types of churches!)


      *Personal enrichment: This kind of relates back to the first point about hearing God's voice, but I always feel like I get something out of a church service. Certainly there are some weeks where I relate more to the worship and others where I get more out of the sermon itself, but there's always something about going that either makes me feel better about a situation that I'm going through, I learn something new about God or the bible that I didn't before, or I leave with a feeling of just plain joy and gratitude! And who can ever complain about that? In the culture that we live in today, it can be so easy to let negative influences or people into our lives, and let these things drift us further and further away from Jesus. Attending regular church services is a great way to stay grounded and remind yourself of your principles.



     These are my reasons behind wanting to attend church. God doesn't love you any more or any less depending on how often you're in church... but those who love Him should want to have that special time each week to worship and learn more about Him. I have not always been great at church attendance- in 2016 it was definitely getting more sporadic for me. Again I'll talk more about that in another faith-related blog post... but for this year, I decided to make church attendance an absolute priority in my life again, and already I'm so happy that I did!



     And for those wondering, I attend one of the campuses of  Forest Hill Church, a large non-denominational church here in Charlotte. I have been going there since my sophomore year of college.



     Do share with me your thoughts on this post! I just ask that you're respectful in your comments. :-) I hope that you enjoyed this faith-based post- I really do look forward to more faith posts to come this year!



    xoxo Annaliese

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases + Current Wishlist.

{Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat! @miss_alk}

Ramblings:

• Riding the Funny Bus: This past weekend was the first meet-up of 2017 for my regional group for the InfluenceHer Collective Blogger Network! (I'm the Charlotte area regional chair for the IHC group, which means that I get to plan fun blogger meet-ups a few times a year!) We kicked off our first 2017 meet-up by taking a ride on Charlotte's Funny Bus. This is a comedy bus tour which takes you through Uptown Charlotte, and some surrounding notable neighborhoods. I've been wanting to do this for the last several months, and thought it would make a really fun blogger meet-up event. Well- this completely exceeded my expectations! Our comedian tour of Charlotte was absolutely hilarious, and he had me laughing during the whole experience. Even though I've lived in Charlotte for a few years now, the bus went down streets that I didn't know were there, and I learned so many new fun facts about the city! I would definitely recommend this as a fun weekend activity for anyone who is both a Charlotte local, or any out-of-town visitors. 
•  Bridesmaid Humor: I'm going to be a bridesmaid for the first time this spring, in my sorority sister Perrin's wedding. This week the bride-to-be sent all of us bridesmaids this hilarious Buzzfeed article... if any of you have been in a wedding or are also preparing to be in one, I think you will enjoy this!! 
• Faith posts! At least once a month this year, I'm hoping to share more personal/relatable content here on the blog. By this, I mean blog posts that are on topics about faith, relationships, or some other topics that might be a bit heavier than my normal fashion posts. These are the types of posts that I used to write a lot in the early days of my blog, but with each year that goes by they seem to be phased out more and more. Hopefully this year they can come back. Stay tuned for the first one on Friday! 

Purchases:

• Super lame for a fashion blogger... but I didn't do any shopping this week! Unless you count filling up my gas tank and a couple of chai latte runs. ;-) Where I am still on a student budget, there are some weeks where other not-so-fun expenses do have to come before the fun ones. #honesty

Wishlist:

• This top is so cute, I can't get over the sleeve details! And it's on SALE right now! :-) (It reminds me a lot of the top which I wore in this blog post last month.)
• How pretty is this pink dress? It's amazingly under $20, and would be a perfect Valentine's Day look. 
• In last Wednesday's post, I shared the laptop case that I'm currently crushing on. Sharing that got me thinking how I'm actually in dire need of a new iPhone case! I haven't upgraded my case since I got my most recent phone in May... and every day more and more of the decoration on my case peels off- ha! How cute is this pretty iPhone case? Would be so perfect with spring coming soon! 

     My question for y'all this week: what was something fun that you did this weekend? Share with me in the comments!

     xoxo Annaliese