Cozy Sweater

How was everyone's first day back to reality yesterday? Mine was ok. Pretty unproductive at work (just being honest) and then worked out and knocked out some wedding stuff. (Wedding update coming soon since Thursday is officially 1 month out!! What?!?)

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and shopped their little heart out this past weekend. There were definitely some amazing deals! 

Today I'm sharing what I would consider a staple winter outfit! 

I'm sure you have heard of the Spanx leggings. If you haven't I'm here to tell you that they are the absolute best. I bought them 2 years ago during the Nsale and they are one of the best things I've ever bought from that sale! They were on sale this past weekend, but I would pay full price for them any day. I'll see if I can find them on sale anywhere still.  Anyway, if you don't have a pair yet, do yourself a favor and get some! 

I paired them with this cozy sweater that I have been dying to wear since I bought it this summer. (Another Nsale purchase.) It's super cozy and kept me really warm even without a tank underneath. I also love that it's long but has slits on the side. I always need a longer sweater with leggings. It's still in stock in a few sizes and is 50% off!! I think that's even cheaper than what I paid. I also linked a few similar styles in case it's sold out in your size.

Sweater: Nordstrom (similar here & here also love this) | Leggings: Spanx | Boots: JustFab old (similar here & here) | Sunnies: Amazon | Lipgloss: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre Lip Gloss in Pillow Talk

What did everyone buy this past weekend? I didn't get too much. I actually got some decent deals on Etsy for our wedding yesterday. 

If you didn't finish all your shopping what are you still looking for? I'm going to do a few more gift guides this week. I'm thinking Under $25, Under $50, The Dog Mom (or Dad) and Gifts for Her. 

Let me know if there's anything else you would like to see and thanks so much for stopping by! I really appreciate each and every reader! 

Floral Transition

TGIT! (Thank God it's Thursday!)

This week has been pretty long for this gal.

It's also been EXTREMELY hot here in Florida. I'm talking temps in the mid 80's! Like what? It's February. With this heat wave, it has me grabbing for some lighter pieces, but I'm not ready to fully give up my winter wardrobe for spring just yet. This kimono is perfect for this time of year; because the floral print embodies springtime, but the black background lends itself to a more wintery look. Here I paired it with a tank, jeans and fur loafers. However, when the temps really sky rocket I can throw it on with shorts and some espadrilles or sandals. I really love pieces like this because I am not the girl to wear things once. The best part is this kimono is currently on sale. There is also a pair of matching pants (on sale too) that I am thinking about purchasing to try out the full pajama look. Not 100% sure I can pull it off, but we'll see.

Tank: Topshop old (similar here & here) | Kimono: Dillard's |  Jeans: Lulu's old (normally I would wear these, but they were dirty) | Loafers: Target (similar here) | Sunnies: Sonix | Lipstick: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Hideaway

How is the weather where you are? I can't believe it's in the 80's here; as it snowed in the mid-west earlier this week. I'm hoping we get a few more cold days before we fully head into spring. I like the cold more than the heat, and that be because I live in FL and its hot 90% of the year. 

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a great Thursday! I will actually have a Five on Friday post tomorrow, so make sure you come back and check that out! 

Travel Diary: Raleigh

Happy Thursday!

I'm finally getting around to my Raleigh travel diary. (J and I went there over the Holidays and I'm actually from a small town just outside of Raleigh.) I was debating if I would even do a travel guide/diary but a girl reached out on Instagram asking for recommendations for her trip. So, I thought why not do a post?

I will say I don't have a ton of insight on where to stay (I always stay at my dads house; however, I can give you lots of places to eat, drink and things to do.

EAT

Beasley's Chicken +Honey: This is a restaurant owned by Ashley Christensen, who you might recognize from Iron Chef. I got the chicken & waffles; since that's one of their staples and it did not disappoint!  The waffle was the size of the plate, crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside! They also gave me two huge pieces of chicken, which I definitely didn't finish. J got the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and it was definitely HOT!! Luckily he loves spicy, however,  I did notice a table next to us struggling to eat theirs. Our server did warn him before he ordered that it was going to be very hot so, he knew what he was getting himself into. We also ordered the Mac-N-Cheese custard and whipped potatoes. Both were very good. If you can go on Saturday or Sunday the brunch menu looked even better than the regular menu. They also have lots of specialty cocktails.

DuckDonuts: These are some of my favorite donuts!! This is a chain restaurant, and if you are from the north east you have probably seen one. I however, am not lucky enough to have one in Florida yet. They have flavors to choose from or you can customize your own. I usually get vanilla with Oreos & fudge drizzle or Lemon icing with coconut. The best part is they make the donuts fresh when you order, and then they are nice and warm if you eat them in the shop.

Brigs: This is a breakfast place with a couple locations in the area. They have all your normal breakfast items: eggs, pancakes, waffles, omelets, bacon, etc. and everything is really good. My dad and I usually go there for breakfast when I visit.

Trophy Tap& Table: We popped in here for a drink but the food looked amazing. They even had a beer called Trophy Wife, which I found hilarious and had to get. (It was really good!) Trophy is a brewery and they have 3 different concepts: The brewery, Tap & Table and a pizza place. I would definitely check them out.

Drink

Bond Brothers: There is no shortage of breweries in the area that is for sure. This on is located near downtown and my dad always ravs about it. It's pretty big and they have a nice outdoor area, which would be perfect in the summer. 

Fortnight BrewingCompany: This is another brewery and it's actually located in Cary just right outside of Raleigh. They are all English inspired beers, which makes them a little different. They have lots of games and you can order in food if you're hungry. 

Landmark Tavern: We stopped in here for a quick drink while walking around downtown. Nothing super special but, the bartender was nice and the drinks were pretty cheap.

If breweries aren't your thing or you want a livelier bar, there are a dime a dozen downtown! You're sure to find something you'll enjoy. 

Things To Do

Cameron Village: This place has grown so much since I was younger. There are a ton of shops, dinning, and boutique fitness studios here. I would definitely recommend spending the day walking around and doing some shopping and grabbing lunch at one of the restaurants. If you want to keep up your workout routine while visiting you can definitely find something here.

Streets of Southpoint: This is the big shopping mall in the area. It's actually in Durham, and  if you want shops your more familiar with (Nordstrom, Apple, Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware, Sephora, etc.), this is where you want to go. Most places are inside but they do have a little outside section too.

Downtown Raleigh: Downtown Raleigh is very walkable and there's a ton of things to do. With lots of restaurants and bars and even some shops you could spend a whole day walking around. There's also a lot of history since it's the capitol. Even though I've been 100 times I like to walk around the capitol building and read all the different statues & plaques. They also have a history and science museum with free admission. (Donations recommended)

Parks: Raleigh and the surrounding areas have really great parks and trails. Whether you want a place for your kids to play, a nice mild hike or even a long bike ride there is something for everyone. I suggest checking out their site here.

Sweater: Loft old (similar here & here) | Jeans: Old Navy | Boots: Steve Madden old (identical here) | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Bag: Nordstrom old (similar here same bag just no longer offered in my color) | Earrings: BaubleBar | Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood

There are so many other things I love to do when I visit. These are just the ones we did on our visit in December. If you are planning a trip soon and want some other suggestions please shoot me an email and I would be more than happy to give you suggestions tailored to you.

I hope you enjoyed this travel diary. I want to get better about actually putting these together for all the places I visit. 

I hope you have a great rest of your Thursday and an even better weekend! 

Pearl Details

Tuesday I talked about the ruffle trend, and I thought I would keep the theme of trends rolling this Thursday with another favorite trend of mine…pearl detail!

Just like ruffles, pearl detail is everywhere. I’ve seen it on jeans, tops, hats, dresses, I means it’s literally everywhere. (I’ll link some of my favorites below.) I started seeing these jeans at the beginning of fall, but all of them had a very hefty price tag. When I found these on Nordstrom.com for under $50 it was a no brainer, so I immediately ordered them. I think they have the perfect amount of pearls without being too over the top. It’s girly bu, subtle. I paired them with my favorite white booties and this super warm chunky knit sweater for a cold day of walking around DT Raleigh with J. I also love them with a leather jacket because y’all know I love mixing girly with edgy.

Sweater: Forever21 old (similar here, here, & here) | Jeans: Nordstrom (other pearl pieces more denim, shoes, sweater, beanie, sweater, denim, dress just search pearl detail on any of these websites and so much will come up) | Booties: Lulus | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Earrings: BaubleBar old (similar here) | Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood

What do you think of this trend? Do you like ruffles or pearl detail better? (I think it’s a tie for me!) I hope you have a great weekend. Check back on Tuesday for a fun project I’ve been working on plus a GIVEAWAY!!

Winter Color Pallet

Hello lovelies!

Is everyone back in his or her routine yet after the holiday? I’m still trying to get there; since it’s freezing here, and I worked from home yesterday. If you’re not there yet, at least the weekend is almost here.

Today’s look is usually perfect for winter in Florida however; I would absolutely FREEZE if I wore this with the current weather. Even though January is pretty much the dead of winter, I always love to wear pinks, blues, grays, and whites this time of year. It’s usually dreary and gray outside; and something about this color pallet really just works this time of year in my opinion. This jacket is great to wear now over a sweater or long sleeve, and then when springtime rolls around it will be PERFECT to throw on over a tank or dress. I got mine from TJ Maxx for a total steal; however, I’ve linked some other great options below. 

Jacket: TJ Maxx (similar here here, here, & here love this) | Tank: Topshop old (similar here, & here) | Denim: Nordstrom | Booties: Lulu's | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Earrings: BaubleBar old (similar here love these) | Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood with NYX Butter Gloss in Praline layered on top 

How’s the weather where you live? I think pretty much the whole country is experiencing these frigid temps. I hope everyone stays warm and has a wonderful and relaxing weekend!