festive favorites

MARY Christmas everyone! As I sit next to one of my mom's 17 (literally) Christmas trees, I'm really feeling the holiday spirit. So, obviously, I will translate those feelings into clothing and accessories. Here are a few of my favorites this holiday season. If only I had some fancy Christmas shindigs so that I could utilize them... Safe travels and happy holidays to all!

PS: I'm using a new photo editor ... #struggles

MeiraT // LC by Lauren Conrad // ASOS // Tory Burch // Gap // Tibi // C. Wonder // 

Altuzarra for Target // Vintage Rolex // ASOS // ASOS // J. Crew // 

Topshop // Marc Jacobs // White Christmas... a holiday MUST! // Essie 'Head Mistress'

give em the boot

FALL. It's here! I couldn't be more excited. I enjoyed every drop of a pumpkin spice latte today. It was glorious! With the dropping temperatures and dropping leaves comes the desperate need for a/THE perfect pair(s) of boots. Here are some pairs I'm falling for lately (see what I did there?). Check out low booties this season. My mom literally told me to BOLO (be on look out) for the perfect pair of booties. Thank you for always keeping my wardrobe up to date, Momma. I'm obeying... and you say I never listen to you.

coach // kelsi dagger // dolce vita // madewell // aldo //

aldo // frye // dolce vita // frye // madewell

currently obsessed

HELLO! I know I've been totally MIA. Whoops! Crazy, crazy time getting in the swing of school. Anyways, I may have been slacking on my blogging but I haven't been slacking on my obsessing..... So here are a few of the things I am loving these days:

1. The Sephora by OPI GelShine kit my mom got me.

Y'all. It is literally AMAZING. It took me about 15-20 minutes total and I am not lying when I say it looks like I got it done at a salon. I am SO excited! I am wearing "High Maintenance," a bright orange-red color. I cannot WAIT to buy "caffeine fix," "seeing pink elephants," and "I only shop vintage." Below is a picture of my nails immediately after I finished. It is a bit pricey but TOTALLY worth it, and at $30 a pop, you'll get your money's worth in no time! 

2. My little sister cheering at her first Georgia Tech game. 

HOW CUTE IS SHE?! You're right, she's adorable. It is hard for me to listen to ignorant Tech fans for hours on end, but watching her is SO awesome. Can't wait to watch her for the rest of the season.

3. Miley Cyrus's OLD Haircut

Okay I'm mainly obsessed with the cut but the color is amazing, too. I'm pretty sad that right when she started looking put-together and ladylike, she cuts it ALL off! I wish my hair would look like this :(

4. Foley + Corinna Mid City Tote in Lilac

ON SALE on Piperlime! $150+ cheaper!! Maybe not the #1 color this fall but still adorable! 

5. Rebecca Taylor Spring 2013 Fashion Show

 

SoOoOOooO pretty and feminine!! Go ahead and buy the lilac bag and plan to have it in the spring! :) See the rest of the show here. I would DIE to be at NYFW right now. All of the shows have been breathtaking!

I promise to post a little more often now that things are slowing down!

stars and stripes

I love. love. love. love. July 4th! Such a fun day. I will be in London this year, and I will miss the time spent on my parents' Lake Tuscaloosa dock, but I have promised myself that every person that passes me will know I'm American (not only through my embarrassing accent, either).  Here are some wonderful things that scream "AMERICAAAA"

 {nautical} {strawberry mimosas} {DIY jorts, similar tutorial here} {red maxi} 

{blair ritchey} {DKNY} {blueberry-buttermilk tart} {sweater}

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday next week! Soak up the sun for me!

friday finds

Doing my usual internet hunting and stumbled across a few cool things today:

An amazing collection of shoes on The Outnet 

(most of which I still cannot afford)

Vionnet; Calvin Klein; Diane von Furstenburg (see them again here); 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent ($65!); Sergio Rossi; Elizabeth and James; Marni; Pour La Victoire ($112!); Pour La Victoire ($99!); Pour La Victoire ($112!); Jack Rogers ($81!); 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent

The Blog On Our Tab

I stumbled upon the blog of Molly and Hadley while I was creeping entirely too hard checking out the choice 99 twitter accounts that the one and only Man Repeller chose to follow. They are funny and witty and they had me at the phrase "Avocados Anonymous" (see here) and a reference to an old N'Sync song (see here). They also said that their BA degrees were "relatively useless (though incredibly expensive)," a statement that I am sure everyone thinks and doesn't say outright (check with me in a few years when I'm done with mine).  

The Etsy Shop I See Noise

Not real sure how I came across this gem today, but I am sure glad I did. I am fully convinced that this person is a more artistic version of myself. Take some time and look through all the amazing prints here. And get me some while you're at it. 

  

Everyone have a happy, happy weekend! Tell your daddys how much you love them! I know I don't tell mine enough. He takes such good care of me and puts up with SO much of my crap supports me in everything that I do. He is also a real ray of SUNSHINE in my life. (See below:)

JUST KIDDING! I really do have a sweet, smiling daddy. Most scowls are unintentional and unfortunately I have inherited the unattractive daddy-squint.

LOVE you daddy. Thank you for always being there. 

catching flies

Just a quick post of my various pictures (mainly Instagrams) from NYC. I am horrible about taking pictures and didn't do a very good job because I was too busy walking around with my mouth open "catching flies" at all the AMAZING things to see. I just couldn't believe it. It was a whole different place from my south Georgia small town. The mindset and way of life is just so completely different. I appreciate them both and would be more than happy to be in either place, as long as I had easy access to the other! ha! 

Prada and Dior on 5th Avenue

Central Park. Gorgeous!

Pretty buildings everywhere. (Madame Tussaud's on the 

right and Trump Tower on the bottom)

Goodies in Grand Central Station

Tortellini from Langan's Irish Pub and AMAZING vanilla macarons from Bouchon Bakery

A stuffed portobello burger (you heard right.. you can stop drooling now)

from the Shake Shack. Maybe my favorite meal the whole trip. There was a 30 minute long line. The only actual line I saw the entire time I was in NYC. Literally PHENOMENAL.

Mouth-watering treats are from Eataly, opened by Mario Batali and other culinary geniuses. The PESTO fries (!!!) are from Pop Burger. The pretty bar is at Broome Street Bar in SoHo.

 

Pretty drinks and flowers at Chelsea Market --- such an fun place. I got some life-changing coconut white balsamic vinegar from The Filling Station that I am dying to try on fruit! 

And, of course, a trip to the Carnegie Deli! This picture doesn't even do that monster justice. It was SO GOOD and I couldn't even finish half, although I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't put a huge dent in it! 

And of course, what trip would be complete without totally unhealthy, artery-clogging/mouth-watering gyros from the street fair? So tasty and so messy and so unladylike to eat. 

 Colorful things found in the UN building and the Museum of Natural History

Me, very excited to be at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tragically, it was closed on Monday when we went and we never made our way back. Another time, for sure. 

Shopping at Kate Spade, Topshop, and Saks, among many others. 

I was in heaven, to say the least.

A pretty chandelier at the Waldorf-Astoria

A Statue of Liberty photoshoot. The boys were pretty convincing. 

Connor got a light-up torch later on so he was even more legit. 

Me and my babies at the top of the Empire State Building. Gorgeous. 

My silly boys! And Connor Mraz himself. 

Breathtaking skylines everywhere. I spent the entire week bumping into 

people because I was too busy looking up.

Our trip to the 9/11 Memorial was surreal to me. I have been to my share of memorials, and they have all made me very sad, but this one just touched me in a whole new way. Maybe because it is the only real tragedy I have ever witnessed. It just felt so real to be standing in that place. Later on we visited a FDNY museum, and this board was hanging at the entrance. It is the actual board from 9/11, in the actual handwriting. The names had been painted over to preserve them. It is such a sad thing to see. I am so extremely thankful for those people that risk their lives daily to take care of others. The list of names from the actual memorial are also names of service men and women the lost their lives that day. 

After strolling down 42nd Street one day, the boys spotted Dave & Busters and were dying to go, of course. The adults (sans me. I guess I'm an adult? no?...okay, I'm not) went to a comedy club on Friday Night and left the boys with me. So obviously, we went to Dave & Busters! Braxton won 1000 tickets on an Ice Age game and almost cried tears of joy. My purse came in handy as a means of transportation for his glorious winnings.

Of course, no trip to NYC is complete without ridiculous performers making fools of themselves. Here, we have the infamous Naked Cowboy himself and I guess his grandmother maybe? Unsure. But you're welcome for the image that will never leave your mind :) 

I was SO incredibly sad to be leaving NYC. I had such an amazing time! This was taken from the plane as we took off. Breathtaking! We will meet again.