Athleisure in the Park

Happy Tuesday!!

Today I’m sharing one of the outfits I actually got to shoot while I was in NYC. This was on Friday when we decided to check out the botanical gardens in central park. My friend and I had never been and it was actually really pretty and peaceful. After that we walked about 40+ blocks to lay out in Sheep Meadow. I was so glad I wore these shorts and not denim or running shorts.  I’ve been living in these shorts since I got them about a month ago. (I think I wore them 3 times on my trip!!) In this post I talked about how I’ve been on the hunt for ALL the soft shorts this summer; and when I went into Aerie before my trip they had a HUGE selection! I think what I love about these is that you can throw on a t-shirt and sneakers, and you have a really cute casual/athleisure look for running around in. Plus it took zero thought or effort to look somewhat put together. They are also a great option to throw in your beach/pool bag this summer.

Top: Target | Shorts: Aerie sold out (similar here also love these) | Shoes: New Balance | Sunnies: Nordstrom | Purse: 3.1 Phillip Lim | Hat: New Era

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things after being sick last week. Yuck!

Nsale Repeat Offenders aka Basics & Necessities

Back with another Nordstrom update.
I thought I would share some great basics/staples that they continue to bring back year after year for this sale. Don't forget the sales goes public tonight at midnight.

Raw Edge T-shirt
(I own this in white and pink)
Cocoon Cardigan
(Comes in a ton of colors)
Camel Booties
Faux Leather Moto Jacket
Candle Set
(Great for Christmas gifts)
Lace Trim Cami
(I bought the cream last year)
Denim
Suede Jacket
(Love this brand)
Spanx
(I've heard GREAT things about these)
Dry Bar Set
(Love DryBar)
Curve Hem Cardigan
(Bought this in cream & black last year)
Long Sleeve Stripe Tee
(The stripe is a NEED)
Nars Pallet
OTK Boots
(Amazing price on these)
Zella Leggings
Leopard Print Blanket
(The softest thing EVER)

Will you be shopping the sale when it goes public or have you already done all your shopping? I still have one more order to make and then this girl is DONE!!

Nsale First Take

Alright y'all it's everyone's favorite time of the year: The Nsale!

I'm sure most of y'all have already done some shopping, but if you haven't I've put together my favorite pieces from a first look. I'm sure I will be buying much more and I will be putting together other posts with home, beauty, bags and more, but this is just the apparel and shoes that initially caught my eye.

 

Shearling Jacket (Comes in a tan color too)

Baker Boy Hat (Love blush for fall)

Mules (Comes in 3 other colors)

Spanx Leggings (I've heard these are amazing)

Floral Dress (I think this will be so cute with brown booties in fall)

Camel Coat

Wine Chunky Cardigan 

Suede Boots 

Distressed Denim (Love this brand of denim)

Lace-up Tank 

Black High Waist Denim 

Oat Chunky Sweater (This is the coziest thing EVER! I will never take it off)

Colorblock Sweater (Comes in a neutral color option too)

So what are you purchasing from the Nsale? Are you even shopping it? I know it can be extremely over saturated, but I am truly shopping the sale so I think it's important to share that. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase through the links. All opinions are my own. 

Engagement Story

Hi friends!!

I’m sorry I have been MIA for the last 2 weeks. If you follow me on Instagram you probably know why. If you don’t, I have some BIG news to share! About 2 weeks ago J completely surprised me and got down on one knee and we are officially engaged!!!! I could not be happier and today I thought I would share the full story with y’all! (Because who doesn’t love a good engagement story? I know this gal does.) So, let’s get to it shall we?

As most of you know I went to NYC a few weeks ago, and spent the first weekend in the Hamptons. J was out there working so, my bestie & I thought we would take full advantage of a Summer House moment. Fast forward to Wednesday, and I was back in the city; and J was heading home to Florida. (Or so I thought) He was texting me all day standard texts like "made it to the airport” & “just boarded my flight”. My best friend had also texted me around 11am that day and said “Change of plans tonight. I’m skipping my volleyball practice, and we are going to this rooftop in Brooklyn. My co-worker told me about it, and they do live music on Wednesdays! Dress cute and we’ll do a shoot for the blog then head there. I’m also getting off early so meet me at my office at 4:30.” I literally thought nothing of it, and just said, “Sounds good. See ya at 4:30.” I went about my day then went home to get ready and meet my friend. On the way to Brooklyn I was starving and really wanted Shake Shack. There’s a Shake Shack right there so, I kept begging my friend to go when we got off the train. He kept saying no which I thought was kind of weird, but finally he was like "Let’s just eat at the rooftop. My co-worker said the food is good." I agreed and dropped my Shake Shack crusade. (I think I skipped lunch that day.) When we got to Brooklyn we headed straight to the water and walking around the dock for a few. We decided the other side would be better for a shoot and made our way to the other side of the bridge by the carousal. There were a ton of prom kids taking photos so; we finally found a more secluded spot, so I could take blog pics without anyone in the background. We started shooting and maybe 5 minutes in, I saw a guy out of the corner of my eye that looked like J. I immediately did a double take and confirmed it was him. As soon as I knew it was him I looked at my best friend and said "What the $@*! is J doing here?!?" He just smiled at me and put down my DSLR camera and whipped out his phone. I started to walk towards J and lost it. Full on ugly cry with hyperventilating included. He walked me back toward the water got down on one knee and I could not even begin to tell you what he said other than I was his best friend and "Katie Helena Baird will you marry me?". I immediately said yes and the crying continued. Thankfully I was wearing sunglasses, so we were able to snap a few pics together before we toasted with a bottle of rosé, (J snagged a bottle right before he met us. Such a sweetheart!) and FaceTimed/called all our family & friends. J only told his parents, my dad and my best friend so it was really nice to tell my mom, brother and friends and have them be in total shock as well. It was a day I will never forget and I'm actually tearing up as I write this. (I can't watch the video without crying.)

I have dreamed of this day for so long, and it could not have been more perfect. New York is my favorite city in the entire world, and to have the skyline as the backdrop to my proposal was something I have always wished for. To say it was one of the most overwhelming feelings (in the best way) is an understatement. I think I was shaking for a solid 30 minutes after it happened. I was totally not expecting it which makes it that much sweeter.

As for the ring he proposed with his grandmother’s ring, which was absolutely beautiful. I did decide to get it reset and I have included a photo of both below.

Original ring

New ring

Dress: Target old (similar here & here) | Shoes: Target | Purse: 3.1 Phillip Lim (currently on sale) | Sunnies: Lulu's | Earrings: Target | Lip Color: NYX Butter Gloss in Praline 

P.S. J still isn't ready to make his debut on the blog. These were the photos we were taking before he got there.

P.P.S. The last 2 photos are when I realized J was there.