Well, this weekend was every bit as busy and exhausting as I expected it to be! But it was so so much fun! I thought I would go ahead and share the details of our bridesmaids dresses because they were just too perfect. On top of that, the bride gifted us the most adorable glitter clutches, and if that wasn't good in and of itself, she gave me the green light to wear my matching heels! (The original plan was to wear silver shoes.)
Sorry for being MIA on Friday. It was a very long week, and I think two weeks of back to back weekend trips have left me both physically and emotionally exhausted. Not to be a Debbie Downer or anything, sorry! But traveling has forced me to blog during the week, and when I finally sat down to write my Friday post on Thursday at 9:30pm, I simply had no strength. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, so I won't dwell on it, but I'm hoping to make it up to you with this photo-heavy post!
I was sooo excited to find this skirt! I feel like I've been looking for a blush colored, pleated skirt like this for a long time, but they all seem to be more midi length, which isn't flattering on me. This ends up falling perfectly on me, and I love that the pleats don't start right at the waist. It's a perfect fit! I decided instantly that it would go with me to NYC!
You've been seeing a lot of Kendra Scottstuff on the blog lately, and I figured it was about time for me to properly post about it. Unless you don't have Instagram or you never read blogs, you've probably seen Kendra Scott pieces even if you didn't realize it. The signature and most recognizable pieces are theRayne necklaceand theDanielle earrings. These pieces have saturated social media to the point where I was just meh about them. They didn't bother me, but I didn't seek them out either.
A new Kendra Scott store is opening at Plaza Frontenac here in St. Louis, so to build awareness, a local Community Relations and Event Manager reached out to me to see if she could meet with me to discuss blogger opportunities. Needless to say, Kendra Scott is the biggest brand that has ever reached out to me, so I was definitely interested to hear what they had to say, and figured that for a company with this much clout, I should come prepared. I checked out all their other jewelry offerings on their website and was surprised to see more edgy pieces than their signature stuff. I even put together a social media kit thinking I was really going to have to sell myself to them and how I could provide value to their brand.
The meeting was amazing, and to be honest, I felt like she was trying to sell Kendra Scott to ME verses the other way around. She explained that although they're sold at big box retailers like Nordstrom, they had less than 20 of their own brick and mortar stores around the country. And while the number of stores will over double this year, there will still be less than 50 by next year. Small company but big success.
I feel like a lot of their success is thanks to how much they give back to the community, which is another thing I didn't know about the brand. Twenty percent of the proceeds made from these charms go towards various causes. They are also happy to host any charitable event whether on an individual or a national level. Part of the reason why I work at the current company I'm with is because they have these same cultural values on top of the good products they sell. So, it's great to be able to partner with another role model of a concept in my blog life as well.
At the end of the day, I found out that Kendra Scott has so much more to offer than colorful jewelry! And I'm not just talking about their edgier or more delicate pieces, I'm really referring to what they stand for as a brand. I was certainly enamored by their story. The jewelry they offer is really just a means to get their positive message out there!
After Jenna and I made our last minute plans to spend the weekend in NYC, I emailed our local brand rep to see if there were any Kendra Scott events we could attend while we were there. As I was sitting on the plane waiting to take off for NYC, I got an email back that there was an open house that very day to debut their winter collection called Mirror Mirror. We were so excited that the timing worked out!
I wish I could share photos from the designer showroom with you, but the collection will not be released until mid-October and they asked that we not post any photos on our blogs or Instagram accounts until after October 1st. You'll just have to believe me when I say there are a LOT of things I am going to need.
We snapped a ton of photos and mingled with the Kendra Scott girls, who were just so much fun. I'm pretty sure I want to be a Kendra Scott employee when I grow up. They act like such a close knit family and were extremely welcoming - I definitely felt at home.
I have to end the post with a disclaimer that while Kendra Scott has gifted me several pieces, it was made clear to me that I had zero obligation to even post about them. All of my opinions expressed in this post are my own and are sincere. If you don't know much about the Kendra Scott brand, I highly recommend reading up on them and seeing all that they have to offer! You won't be disappointed!
Disclosure: CS Gems gifted me some jewelry along with these photos and The Fashion Lane provided me a discount to shop in exchange for these blog posts. All opinions expressed are my own.
Welcome to part two of the fun shoot with The Fashion Lane and CS Gems! If you missed part one, you can catch yourself up here. This top was the first thing I was drawn to the second I stepped foot on the truck! It's striped. It's a faux wrap. It has the adorable tassel ties. I decided to leave the tassels untied, which worked perfectly with the layered necklaces from CS Gems. Having the tassels hang loose makes for an unexpected but pleasant detail.
I have to tell you that these photos were taken after I got rained on. I let my hair air dry as much as possible, but since I didn't have a flat iron, I just had to let it hang au naturel. I was a teeny bit terrified to see how these photos turned out, but they're actually pretty great. Stacy does very well for me behind the camera!
One of my most favorite things to do is take a shorter, multi-strand necklace and layer it with a long pendant or tassel necklace. Proportionally, these worked great with the neckline of this wrap top, and the pops of turquoise in my ring and the pendant play well off the blue clutch! I decided to pair the flares with this top since the top has such a laid back, easy going vibe, much like these jeans do.
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklaces: CS Gems (exact HERE and HERE - use code CARYLEE15 for 15% off!) | Clutch: The Fashion Lane | Ring: CS Gems (exact HERE) | Top: The Fashion Lane (exact HERE) | Bracelets: Nadri | Jeans: Express (similar) | Heels:Kate Spade
In honor of the What's Up Wednesday linkup with Mel, Shay, and Sheaffer, I decided to play along and answer the questions to finish off this post! Enjoy!
What we're eating this week:
So far we are 0 for 2 in terms of cooking at home. The husband has been traveling this week, which makes the schedule a bit hectic. We ended up having Raising Cane's last night for dinner and tacos and wings tonight. So so bad. Don't judge.
What I'm reminiscing about:
Today after work, we had a happy hour celebration for a co-worker who is retiring. There were a couple of poster boards worth of photos from work functions over the last few years and it's crazy to look back and see how young we all were. It's awesome that so many of us have been with the company for so long, and it's equal parts awesome slash eery that we are all growing old together!
What I'm loving:
The Fashion Lane and CS Gems, duh! I got so many goodies over the weekend that I'm obsessed about. And these ladies are just the sweetest, most supportive ones you will ever meet!
What we've been up to:
We just signed a lease with new renters for our old house. It's our third set of renters, but it's a relief to have it rented again so quickly, and without having to market the house!
What I'm dreading:
My debit card expires at the end of the next month. The one I have memorized for ease of online purchasing. I am dreading getting a new card because I don't want to have to memorize new numbers! Hopefully it's just the 3 digit security code I need to remember!! It's so nice to have your card memorized, am I right?
What I'm working on:
My blog posts for the rest of the week. I'm so behind on life. I remember the good old days when I was able to actually get them done over the weekends! One day it will get back to that!
What I'm excited about:
Seeing my nephew in a couple of weeks for his one year birthday! Time flies! Can't wait to squish the little cutie!
What I'm watching:
The Cardinals play the Diamondbacks on TV. The answer to this question is really always the Cardinals. I very rarely watch TV otherwise.
What I'm listening to:
The husband snoring on the couch. He cannot lay on that thing for more than 2.5 minutes before falling sleep!
What I'm wearing:
A hoodie! Because it feels like fall outside all of a sudden! Where did summer go?!
What I'm doing this weekend:
Celebrating the father in law's 60th birthday! Funny because I was just telling a coworker that my father in law was in his early 50s. Uh, yeah, when me and the husband first started dating! Ha!
What I'm looking forward to next month:
The cousin's wedding is at the end of next month! Cannot wait! Which reminds me…. I need to get my dress altered and book a hotel room!
What else is new:
I got some new Nike Internationalists headed their way to me thanks to Jenna and her heads up about a crazy sale. Wooo! Oh, and please head over to the CS Gems blog for a little question and answer session with yours truly!
Sunnies: Ray Ban (other colors here) | Earrings: Express | Necklace: Kate Spade (couldn't really find anything similar, but found some pretty pink options here and here) | Bag: Tory Burch (option here) | Top: Express (option, option, option) | Bracelets: Nadri (option), Kendra Scott, Stella and Dot | Bottoms: Express (similar) | Shoes:Louise et Cie (option)
It's hard to believe I'm celebrating my third birthday on the blog! That's a lot of outfit photos, folks! Since my birthday falls on a random Tuesday, we had some pre-celebrations over the weekend as a warm up! And if the pre-celebrations are any indication of how today will be, I have absolutely nothing to complain about and only more wonderful things to look forward to!
If you follow me on Snapchat (carylee07), you've already seen bits and pieces of the weekend events! It started on Saturday. We had tickets to the Cardinals game as part of our quarter season passes, but the husband had to let me in on part of my gift before this game because he was supposed to pick up the tickets that night! He got me Commissioner's Box tickets to the game tonight against the Giants! For those not familiar - this puts me in seats right next to the Cardinals dugout AND they're all inclusive seats, which means all the food and drinks I can manage as well. Perhaps it's because of my lady time right now, but I happy cried when he told me about the tickets. I'M SO EXCITED.
Saturday night at the game, the husband left in the 7th inning to get us some cocktails. The lady on the other side of me left as well, so picture me sitting in between two empty seats. Well, Peralta, our shortstop, was up at bat and hit a foul ball. I've been to plenty of games to know that people will climb over you for these balls, and they typically end up bouncing anyway - so even if you think they're coming at you, the chances of you actually getting one are pretty slim. Well, this night, I look up and see this ball directly over my head. I usually duck, even if the ball is two sections over, but I was unusually calm. A second later, I feel the ball hit me pretty hard in my hip. I expected it to bounce, but when it didn't, I reached down in my seat and sure enough, there was the ball.
I was ridiculously excited, and random strangers were asking to take pictures of me. Haha! Naturally, since the husband was gone, I had to put it on Snapchat first and foremost, and then Facebook. It was pretty amazing and I didn't let go of the ball for the rest of the night. The husband had to grab it from me before I went to the bathroom. Ha! (Yes, I'm a crazy fan, I can't help it!)
Sunday we met Beth and her hubby and kids for brunch at Chophouse. The chicken and biscuits changed my life. Just saying. Afterwards, the husband agreed to take me shopping wherever I wanted. He ordered me a little something that's supposed to arrive today, but apparently there was room leftover in his birthday budget for me to pick something out myself. I mean. I can't say no to that! I always feel so pressured to pick ANYTHING I want. Those are the times when I have no idea what I'll end up with! I decided to go with the Rag and Bone Sullivan booties.
I'm a sucker for a good suede bootie, and my Sam Edelman Petty booties could use a backup since I wear them to death! And the caption is totally true - they really do feel like butter. Two wildly enthusiastic thumbs up from me!
Since we weren't doing anything super fancy on Sunday, I wanted to be comfortable, so I didn't go as dressy as I've done for past birthdays. Just some grey skinnies and this lace top that's been calling my name to wear all summer! I did end up changing into flat sandals for shopping because I wanted to shop without having to worry about how long my feet would last! I'll have to fill you in on how tonight's game went later!
It's always fun to look back at old posts, so I dug up the last two birthday posts for you to read with me! I just LOL'd putting these photos into the post because in 2014 I'm wearing the same tunic from this year's birthday post, just in black. Some things never change, eh? I always used to dread my birthday every year because I end up disappointed, but the last few years have been pretty amazing. I am nothing but thankful!
Mindy Mae's Market has slowly become my new favorite place to shop online. Their stuff is adorable and affordable, and their Instagram account is one of my favorites because of their real life outfit inspiration and not-overly-spammy content even though they're a shop! They're one of the only shops I actually follow on Instagram for this reason. As my collection of their pieces begins to grow, I thought I should give you a heads up about their current sale (Aug 1- Aug 5) so you could shop for yourself in case there are some things you've been stalking!
Yesterday all of their tees were on sale, so I was inspired to wear my new track tee. The stock photo doesn't do it justice at all. It's got a relaxed fit and a high-low hem. It was the perfect outfit to wear to brunch and then errands yesterday.
We took these photos on the way to brunch yesterday. The husband picked the location, and I get just a little too excited to take any photos that aren't right in front of our house! And then he was getting all into it - telling me where to stand and how to pose. Oh, it's the little things that count the most, right?
But back to this tee! I ended up ordering a medium, which seems to be my typical size with everything I have bought from them so far. It has a bit of a trapeze shape to it, so I may have been ok sizing down, but I don't think I am drowning in it as is. The length makes it perfect to wear with leggings, though I thought about knotting it and wearing it with a skirt also. Maybe next time! Perhaps I went a little literal with this outfit, pairing the top with with leggings and my new Nikes, but I was feeling lazy and needed something easy. Gina said that Rachelle described anyone wearing these shoes as looking like an off duty model, so now it's all I think about when I slip them on! Haha
If the track tee isn't your thing, there are plenty of other things that I can hopefully tempt you with! It brings me joy when people buy things that I love and actually love them also! Today, the sale is all about dresses, and I'm pretty sure you all NEED this floral sleeved striped dress.
After I posted a flat lay of this dress on Instagram last week, I received a few requests for try-on photos. I took it one step further and actually styled the dress for other seasons, documenting each look with a selfie. Any kind of striped dress is a staple. And when you can layer over it AND under it, it then becomes invaluable. This one with the adorable floral sleeves makes it a little more special!
Whew! Lots of information in this post - sorry, I really didn't mean for it to be this long and the husband is mad dogging me to go get dinner, so I should go! If you missed the announcement on Thursday, Jenna and I have decided to make her a permanent linkup host! She is discontinuing her Thursday linkup so she can be a permanent host for Hello Monday. Yay! Thanks for convincing us that we needed to team up by making our first week such a success!
Whether it's fashion, lifestyle, fitness, food, or DIY, share your latest musings with the Hello Monday Linkup!We just ask that you link back to the hosts within your exact blog post and throw a follow our way on Bloglovin or Instagram. Thanks for linking up!
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace: CS Gems (c/o) (option and option - use code CARYLEE15 for 15% off!) | Bag: Tory Burch (option) | Top: Express (similar color here) | Bracelet:Banana Republic, Nadri (similar) | Skirt:LOFT (extra 70% off - use code HOTSTUFF) | Shoes:Louise et Cie
This skirt is pretty breathtaking, isn't it? I cannot believe what a ridiculous price it is right now either! Sizes are limited, but if you can snag it - I totally would. I am wearing a size 6 in this - I have a 28" waist and 36" hips. I would say it runs just a teeny bit small for LOFT sizing, but like I said, I'm wearing a 6. Normally, I could go down to a 4 at LOFT.
I was so flattered because Heather totally made my flat lay from yesterday's post come to life in her Instagram post here. How great does she look? I told you that you need it!
Ok, I really should be sleeping. Tomorrow I am flying into Baltimore just to drive through Central PA, into Jersey, and then hopefully make it to Manhattan by dinner! I spend the day in NYC on Thursday, fly home, then go straight to a lash appointment! So yeah! Why am I still awake?! Wish me luck and sleep!!
…from some other beginning's end. - "Closing Time" by Semisonic
If you read Gina's post today, you'll see that she is retiring from Manic Monday. When she asked if we could phone talk last week, I had a feeling she was going to be cutting back on blogging and letting go of Manic Monday. While naturally I am sad about losing the collaboration with her, I wholeheartedly understand. I can't imagine what she's been through, what she is still healing from, and how much different of a lens through which she is now seeing life. I one thousand percent respect her decision. It's certainly not good-bye - I'm sure there will be many collaborations between the two of us in the future, and this is definitely nothing personal nor any indication of a flawed friendship.
I am so thankful that we decided to start Manic Monday as we've made so many friends along the way; I've learned so much and have been inspired by so many. I've decided to continue on with a Monday linkup, but under a different name. Manic Monday was Gina's and my thing, and I want to keep it that way! So, I hope you'll be back with me next week as I kick off something new, and since it's easier to not go it alone, Jenna has graciously agreed to co-host with me next week, so you will see the linkup on her page as well. Thank you for everyone's support!!
I love my heels, don't get me wrong, but the anniversary sale has put me in a little love affair with flat shoes. I'm pretty sure I will need more pairs of these Nike Internationalist sneakers. They're comfy, nice to look at, and sporty chic.
Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace:Stella and Dot | Bag: Kate Spade (option) | Top: Express (option, option) | Bracelet: Nadri (similar) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Shoes:NikeSale: $62.90After sale: $85
This weekend was pretty family filled! We had a cousin's wedding to go to on Saturday night and then a 2-year old birthday party for a nephew yesterday! I wore this to the birthday party and really just wanted something super easy and comfortable. The heat has been ridiculous, but so has the rain, hence the long pants and closed toe shoes - I absolutely hate wet feet and wet legs in the rain.
Hope everyone has a great week! Please be sure to continue to follow along on Tuesdays and Fridays with Gina and check back with me and Jenna on Monday for something new to link to!
