Strollin' and Sippin'

Let's be honest friends... sometimes shopping can be exhausting! When I'm looking for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up, nothing quite hits the spot like a yummy iced coffee! Last weekend was so beautiful that I couldn't resist poking around into all the fun local shops downtown and checking out all the fun treasures to be found. There is something magical about a sunny afternoon filled with shopping + coffee isn't there... days like these are just good for the soul :)

Sidenote... I just bought my first J.Crew city mini and can I just tell you how obsessed I am?! The perfect fit, the perfect length- this will not be my last city mini my friends!

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Sunshine Ahead

The weather down here in the Sunshine State has been just gorgeous lately; sunny and 75 is not just the name of a fun country song, but also the perfect description of our recent forecast! When the weatherman calls for sunshine, I can't help but break out my sunniest clothing in response! I'm so very ready for the Spring season- my brights are here to stay!

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Organize Me Monday: One-Offs

I can't believe it is Monday already- it seems like this weekend went by way too fast! I'm so excited that today I start my new role as an Assistant Buyer- it's going to be a really exciting new adventure and I can't wait to learn all that it entails!

I thought today was the perfect days to talk about a few "one-off" ideas- simple things that I do around my house to help keep it a little more organized and put together.

I love cooking and trying new recipes, and I am also an old-fashioned girl that still loves cookbooks and recipe cards (tips on that coming soon). To keep my cookbooks organized my mom found me this cheery yellow basket that I keep on my counter so my books are always within reach. This is the perfect way to add color and a personal touch to my kitchen.

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Workweek Chic: Part 3

Well friends, we've made it to Friday so it's time to talk about my favorite occasion to dress for- Casual Friday! When you work in an office as fashion-forward and flexible as mine, everyday can seem like casual Friday, but I still have specific outfits I set aside for these days.

This outfit just make me happy and is the perfect way to end a workweek. It's casual (but not underdressed for the workplace), there are pearls involved, and I can talk for hours about my love for these blinded out sparkly loafers!! Not only can you work hard in this look, but you can play hard after hours too ;)

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Workweek Chic: Part 2

Today is Part 2 of my "Workweek Chic" series about what I wear to work. The occasion I am dressed for today is a vendor meeting. As part of my new position (that I start on Monday- eek!) I will now get a lot more interaction with our vendors and will get to meet with them on a fairly regular basis.  As you can imagine these meetings can often be quite long- so being comfortable is just as important as looking great! I think of this as a "semi-formal" occasion- wanting to look great, but again knowing comfort is key.

I found this tweed top at the Loft a few weeks ago (and on super sale) and when I put it on it felt as comfortable as your favorite sweatshirt! That is sure a win in my book :) To "fancy" it up, I piled on the pearls and the bangles- you can't go wrong with a little bling right?!

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Workweek Chic: Part 1

I haven't made any secret of the fact that I have a fabulous career in corporate retail that I just love! I can't complain about being surrounded by fashion- specifically gorgeous jewels- every day! I am the rare story of a girl who is actually living out her dream career. I've always know that I wanted to work in fashion, and the more I learned in college about corporate retail, the more I knew that was where I wanted to be. Four years in and I don't regret for a day that I have made my dreams come true- I know that this is exactly where the Lord wanted me to be! 

However, working in an office 5 days a week means a certain "dress code". Since I work for a fashion-forward retailer I definitely have a lot more flexibility in my clothes than if I worked for a traditional corporate office (for example, we always have the option to wear jeans to work), but that doesn't mean I'm immune to those days when I need to be more "traditional". 

So, I thought it would be fun to do a little "mini-series" on workweek chick outfits and show you three different looks for three different work scenarios that I encounter in my job. If you like it we can definitely do some more in the future! :) 

Today I tackle an "Executive Presentation" - or what I would wear when making a presentation to our executive committee. I love this outfit because it bows to the traditional while keeping my personality in it with the pop of bright coral. For occasions like this I think it's important to keep your jewelry simple and classic- you don't want to distract from the great things that you have to say! 

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Organize Me Monday: Closet Tour

Friends, it has taken awhile for me to pull all my tips together for organizing your closet- because there are so many ways! I'm excited to share my closet with you today and I hope that this at least gives you some ideas to make yours a little more orderly.

It seems fitting that as we prepare for spring, many of us are turning our attention to our closets and ways to make that part of our lives easier! Nothing is worse than running late in the morning and not being able to find the pieces you need because your closet is a mess! Well ladies, let's clean up those closets shall we?!

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Olive You

There is nothing like a bright pop of pink to make any day brighter. With Valentine's Day just around the corner (ahem... TOMORROW!) I am feeling full of l-o-v-e and craving dressing in pink - which isn't much different than a normal day :)

Lately I have been challenging myself to think of new combinations with my closet- whether it be mixing pieces together in a new way, or in today's case, mixing colors that I wouldn't normally. I loved the classic look of this olive vest, but it hung in my closet for awhile as I couldn't figure out what to pair it with. All of a sudden it came to me... "think pink!" The juxtaposition of bright pink + olive is the perfect combination for this bright, sunny, cool weather.

Now that I have the outfit, I'm ready to say "Olive you" to all the special people who fill my life with love every day! If you are not in love at the moment (you're in good company :) ) remember that it doesn't stop you from spreading love tomorrow, and every day of the week!

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Event Recap: Junior League Winter Conference

First of all, I am so sorry for the delay in posting this! Life has been a little bit of a whirlwind lately, and I really wanted to be able to gather my thoughts before I shared this incredible trip with you.

At the end of January I was so very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend The Association of Junior League's International Winter Leadership Conference (say that three times fast) in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was the most amazing weekend of leadership training and learning and left me more excited than ever for the next two years of serving my league! I got so many valuable ideas that I can't wait to share with my league ladies and really saw the incredible impact that a dedicated group of women can make in their community, state, nation, and world!

I think the most incredible part of the trip was realizing that this was exactly where I was supposed to be. This journey of mine has been so covered in prayer, not only by me but by some phenomenal women in my life. And when you pray about something so much, and then you see it all come together and see the Lord's purpose at work... well it's a pretty special feeling and it has left me completely humbled more than once (and probably will many more times).

I hope these personal pictures give you a sneak peek into my fun trip! I can't wait to share more with you (and my league) as the year unfolds!

I was so excited to use my Florida tote at conference!

All my supplies ready to go- I was set for note taking and thought-gathering all weekend!

Fun Junior League goodies for sale

I LOVED this session on servant leadership- I will never look at my leadership role the same way again!

Life is so funny (in the best way)- Me and Kelly-Ann met years ago at a summer camp... fast forward almost 10 years later and now we are both President-Elect's of our Junior League! What a wonderful surprise!

A fun reception at the Children's Museum that the JL of Phoenix founded

Such a fun time catching up!

A bunch of the Florida league ladies at dinner- so fun to make new friends!

Excuse the terrible selfie... but I was SO excited about my Lilly Pulitzer Junior League scarf- I had to wear it home on the plane :) 

Well there you have it! My wonderful whirlwind weekend!

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Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

I don't think I've made any secret of my nautical obsession! About 80% of my wardrobe is covered in a motif related to the sea. With a few hints of spring in the air, I am ready to break out all my sea-faring gear in full force. This fun sweater from Old Navy (my go-to store) is the perfect combination of warmth (since it is still winter in Florida) and a sea-side Spring!

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Organize-Me Monday: Juggling It All

I recently interviewed with some very successful women in my company, and I asked each of them the same question, "How do you maintain the ever elusive work-life balance?" I loved the answers that I received!

Each of these women told me that everyday is a juggling act, some days we juggle more heavily to work, some days our personal lives, and some days our community engagements. As successful women we will not often get those days that are perfectly proportionate - each day is about prioritizing.

It is easy to get overwhelmed by all that I have going on, but I am trying to focus on my priorities each day. I know that some days are going to juggle towards work, some days are going to lean towards my personal life, and some days are going to pull me into my community work. And every day I am going to work hard for each of these areas of my life- because they are all important and they all make me who I am.

Do you ever feel that life is a juggling act? How do you balance it all?

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Event Recap: Bobby + Andrea #thereadwedding

Alright friends, you're going to have to bear with me today- the wedding of my sweet friend Andrea was so much fun! I have tons of pictures to recap this wonderful evening of celebrating the love of Andrea + Bobby.

The wedding was held at Weeki Wachee Springs (home of the live mermaids!) and it was such a pretty location- we even saw a live peacock wandering through the ceremony site!

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I Want to Ride My Bicycle

For a long time {years} I was terrified to ride a bike. I had a terrible fall on one as a little girl and that scared me senseless. About a year ago I decided to conquer my fear and try riding a bike again. I'm no expert, but I am finally regaining a sense of confidence on a bike. It's been fun to ride around and explore my new city!

Enter The Bicycle Store of St Petersburg- an adorable bike rental shop in downtown St Pete that happens to be run by one awesome and kind woman (thank you Lisa for letting me play in your shop)! Lisa believes that everyone should have a chance to explore our beautiful city on a bike so her business helps our tourists and local clientele rent a bike that is perfect for making memories. I happen to love how many pink choices there are! The shop is also full of fun graphic tees and cute bike-themed outfits that will compliment your rental perfectly.

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Organize Me Monday: Putting Your Baubles In Order

When I was in college, I was no accessory queen. I liked spending my shopping money on fabulous clothes, and jewelry just detracted from that budget, so I always kept it simple with solitaire pendants and studs and let my brightly patterned clothes take center stage. Then, I hit the real world and got a fabulous job in corporate retail working in jewelry. And everything changed!

All of  a sudden statement necklaces made perfect sense (how had I lived without them?!) and "do you bangle" became part of my everyday vernacular. In a matter of months my jewelry collection was bursting at the seams of my formerly small organization system. So what is a girl with an over-sized jewelry collection to do?

It was time to get crafty! My college roommate (and bestie) Asha had created one of these boards and I thought it was the perfect time to create my very own! All you need is a pegboard (you can get one super cheap at your local Lowes or Home Depot) and hooks (which you can buy in the same aisle). I painted mine with acrylic paint to match the colors in my room and make it a little more like "art" then just a utilitarian organization system.

I absolutely love how it turned out- and it is perfect for keeping all my baubles in order!

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Happy Wedding Day Andrea! #thereadwedding

 HAPPY WEDDING DAY to my gorgeous girlfriend, Andrea {soon-to-be} Read!

This sweet girl came into my life while we were half-way though the University of Florida and I could not be happier to have her in my life. She is a true encourager and constantly lifts each of her girlfriends up, always letting us know how special we are. Well today it is her turn to be the center of attention and know how amazing she is! She has met the love of her life and best friend in Bobby and I couldn't be happier to help her celebrate today!

Here are a few pics from her Bachelorette dinner at the Columbia (the yummiest restaurant in town)!

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