Fall Sneakers

 Shoes!

I am so excited about these shoes! I first saw them on one of the Target instagrams a couple weeks ago and immediately ordered them.

I have been on such a sneaker kick lately and these are the perfect addition for Fall. I typically lean towards white pairs so this is a fun addition to my collection. I love the print and the zipper details. (The inside one is functioning. It's how you get the shoes on and off. The outside one is non-functioning.) They are also a high top cut, which I don't really have. 

I will literally be wearing them all season long. 

I paired them here with a sweater and denim for a pretty basic Fall look. This sweater is also my new favorite. It comes in a ton of colors if camel isn't your thing. This would be a great outfit for the pumpkin patch. We are actually headed to one this weekend, but it will probably be a little too warm for this look. I am going to try and wear these shoes though.

Sweater: Target | Denim: Free People (currently on sale!!) | Shoes: Target | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Lipstick: Still Stay All Day Shimmer Liquid Lipstick in Miele

What are your favorite shoes? Are you more of a heels or sneaker gal? I'm definitely both depending on my mood! 

Why You Shouldn't Put All Your Eggs In Instagrams Basket

 3 weeks ago my Instagram was hacked. 

I never lost full access, but I did loose certain capabilities. 

STORY TIME:

It was a Sunday and we were driving home from our friends trip in NC. Naturally, I was scrolling Instagram and engaging with content. I quickly noticed every time I tried to like a photo I got an error that read "Try Again Later We restrict certain activity to protect our community. Tell us if you think we made a mistake." At first I just thought maybe Instagram was having a glitch. However, it kept happening. I closed the app and reopened... still happening. I updated the app... still happening. I logged out and logged back in... still happening. I finally decided to give it time and tried again later that night. When I was still getting that error I started googling. Everything I found said there were a few things that could be getting me this error. 1. I liked too many photos. I knew this  couldn't have been the case because I was barely on my phone that weekend. 2. I commented the same comment multiple times. Again I wasn't on my phone much and I wouldn't do that. 3. I followed and unfollowed too many accounts in a short time. I don't play the follow/unfollow game so I knew that wasn't it. 4. You have a 3rd party app that makes likes/comments/follows on your behalf. I believe in growing my Instagram following organically so I have never had one of those apps. 

As I kept googling how to fix this people said just give it a few days/week for it to work itself out. I also noticed during this time there was a login near Nashville the day before. I have never been to Nashville in my entire life. (That's why I think I was hacked. And because I know I didn't do any of the above things.) 

I decided to go to bed and vowed to try my hardest to stay off Instagram the next day. (Some of the things I found said you could get access back quicker if you stayed off the app and didn't like, comment or post anything.)

 I'm not going to lie Monday was really hard staying off the app. Tuesday same thing. Wednesday I decided to see if I had my access back. I didn't. Mind you I could post, but I couldn't comment or like things and the Instagram algorithm does not like when you don't engage. By Friday I still didn't have access back and had tried reaching out to Instagram via the help section on the app to no avail. 

Here's where things get really "bad" for me.

Friday I had a sponsored post that was due. I wasn't really freaking out because I could still post to my grid and stories. I shoot my content and post my grid photo only to realize that a caption is a comment and Instagram deleted it. I also couldn't tag my business partner or use the # I needed in stories. At this point I have a full on breakdown! This is now going to not only loose me money, but I have to reach out to the brand and potentially look really bad to them as well. After bawling/hyperventilating  for 30 minutes I try reaching out to the help email for Instagram/Facebook that everyone says no one will reply to. Shocking... I got an automated response telling me the email is no longer valid and to reach out in the help section of the app. (Been there done that.)

Not sure if that worked or enough time had passed, but 2 hours later I was able to post my branded content to my grid & my stories with all tags, captions, etc. 

I'm sure you're wondering why I told you this extremely long story? Well, it's to tell you (and myself) that as a creator you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. At least not one you don't own. 

What if I didn't get my access back? Sure, I could make a new Instagram, but growth can be really hard and slow. This is why as a blogger your blog should be your top priority.

Dana from It's Casual Blog talked about it in this post after Instagrams blackout last year. I remember thinking "WOW! She is so right"! I didn't really take action though.

I'm not going to lie, I don't always put my full focus on my blog. I can say after that scare I do plan to make my blog my NUMBER ONE! It's not going to happen over night, but I do have some thoughts on how I'm going to do this. 

 What if these apps just went away? What would you have left? This isn't just about Instagram. Tik Tok is another PRIME example with everything that's going on right now. What are these Tik Tok stars going to do when/if the app is truly banned in the US? 

This is why you need something you "own" or at least a platform you can actually get help from if something happens. 

I can't speak from all perspectives, but as a blogger this is why your number one priority should be your blog. 

If you're a creator where do you put most of your focus? I would love to hear your feedback/opinions in the comments! 

Denim

 If you have followed me for a while then you know I’m V picky about my denim! I used to DREAD shopping for new jeans. I have definitely gotten much better in the last few years because I wear them so much more. I recently found a new favorite brand... Abercrombie & Fitch.

I know they have made a pretty big comeback in the last few years, but up until a month or 2 ago I had not shopped there since I was a senior in high school.

I actually decided to try their denim shorts first. (If you think I hate shopping for jeans I REALLY hate shopping for denim shorts.) I had been contemplating pulling the trigger on a pair of Agolde shorts, but decided to try a few other brands before dropping that kind of cash.

I bought a pair of their curve love denim mom shorts and fell in love! After ordering a second pair I decided to try their jeans when they did a big denim sale. I went with the mom jean because I always have a really hard time with that style. It took me two tries because I didn't do curve love, but once I found my size I was obsessed. There are so many great things about their jeans. 

The first thing is their Curve Love line. If you are unfamiliar this line gives you 2 extra inches in the hip area. This helps to prevent a gap. The problem with high waisted jeans is accommodating your hips and sometimes you have to size up creating the gap. Enter Curve Love. This prevents that because you can order your normal size and still have extra room in the hip area. This is seriously a game changer. The next jeans I order will definitely be in the Curve Love line.

The second great thing about their denim is the variety. They have so many different styles and washes. There's literally something for everyone. 

I also love that there are no labels or stitching on the booty. It's weird but I prefer when you can't tell what brand of denim I'm wearing. (Unless it's Levi's because they are a classic.) 

If you haven't tried Abercrombie jeans in a while (or ever) I highly suggest you check them out the next time you're in the market for new denim.

Top: Vici Collection (similar here) | Denim: Abercrombie & Fitch (also have these) | Sandals: Steve Madden | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Walk of Shame

Leather Leggings

 Today I'm really excited to share these leather leggings with y'all. 

I'm sure you have heard about and seen the Spanx leather leggings a million times. I have a pair and LOVE them. Today I'm sharing a much more affordable pair that I picked up during the Nsale. They aren't still that price but still much cheaper than the Spanx version.

I do want to preface with I still LOVE my Spanx leggings. 

I feel like I wear leather leggings more than the average person. With that in mind, I set out to find a similar but more affordable option this year. I saw these last year and thought about buying them, but never pulled the trigger. I think they were less than $30 during the sale so I thought why not.

They are so great, albeit a little different from the Spanx version. The main thing is they are much shinier. Some people don't like that about them, but I don't mind it. I think it also gives a different look which I love. They also don't suck you in the way the Spanx version does. Obviously the Spanx leather leggings have the same technology as their shape wear. I knew going into buying these that they wouldn't have the same effect. Again, this is something that I don't mind because they are a great option for going out to dinner where you might be eating a lot. 

Overall I think these are a great addition if you already own the Spanx version or a good alternative if you don't want to spend the $$ on Spanx. 

I also need a minute to tell y'all that I will be wearing this outfit non-stop!! It was 85+ degrees the day I shot this, but I didn't want to change after. I did because I was SWEATING to death, but I can't wait for some cooler weather to throw this outfit on and go out for coffee. 

Leggings: Nordstrom (also available in plus) | T-shirt: Nordstrom | Sweater: Topshop | Shoes: Steve Madden | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Lips: NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brûlée

If you live in the Northeast I have to tell you I am so jealous of your weather. My BFF lives in NYC and it's been in the 60's there. He said it's supposed to be freezing this weekend, but I would honestly take that right now. I am so over this heat! I hope everyone is having a great week and thanks for stopping by! 

Knit Set

 I'm back!!! 

I got my MacBook back last week all fixed up. While I had planned to get posts up last week it just didn't happen. 

This week I am back and ready to go. 

Monday was Labor Day which is the unofficial end of summer. (Summer is officially over in just a few weeks though.) While I am more than ready for fall, it's hard to post sweaters and boots when it is still 90+ degrees here by 9am. 

I feel like this set is a great way to start transitioning to cooler temps. The color is definitely in the fall color pallet and knit pieces always make me think of colder temps. (Although these pieces are super lightweight.) Y'all know I'm a sucker for sets too because you can style them so many different ways. I obviously love the pieces together, but I can think of a million different ways to wear them separately too. I can't wait to wear the tank with a pair of jeans and booties when the temps drop below 80. 

What are your thoughts on this set? I feel like I have been seeing a lot of these knit sets lately. Mine is available in limited sizing, but I've also linked some similar options for you. 

Top: Vici Collection (similar here) | Shorts: Vici Collection (similar here) Full Set here | Hat: Sold out (similar here & here) | Purse: Amazon | Shoes: Target | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Walk of No Shame

I hope everyone is having a great week. I love a short work week. I had off Monday for Labor Day and I'm also taking a quick trip on Thursday so only 3 days of work for me.