Spring Picks

Hello loves! It's now officially spring! Even though it doesn't feel quite like it where I am. We will finally be in the 50s this week and I'm hoping it only gets warmer and doesn't go back down again. I am so sick of the cold and ready to break out my spring wear! There are a lot of things on my list that I want to get such as these fabulous finds! What's on your list??

1.  Cashmere Sweater ~ I loved this cashmere sweater when I saw it. Being that I had to put the collage together hours before I could link it, the sweater was gone by then which to me is crazy because it was a new arrival and it sold out that quick! So I am linking a different one than what is above in the collage. This one is just as pretty and comes in many other colors if pink is not your style. This is such a great layering piece for cooler days when you need to stay a little warmer. 

2. Tiered-Sleeve Belted Shirt ~ So this Gingham top that is pictured above is sadly gone as well--I can't even find it on the site--and it's only been a few hours! However, I linked the same shirt but in this gorgeous pink! I love the detail of the sleeves and thick belt. This top would be perfect for brunch with the girls. The color is so pretty...I don't think I'll be getting over the blush tones any time soon! 

3. Denim Skirt ~ I love nothing more than a good ole denim skirt! To me it will always be a staple of the 80s when I was growing up which is why I probably love it! I'm a fan of all 80s stuff!  I love four things about this skirt: the color, that it's distressed, that it's lower in the back, and the fact that it's AG which is one of my fave designers! I think it would look so cute with some sneakers and a tank when you're out and about. 

4. Tie Front Off the Shoulder Blouse ~ I can't get enough of the off-the-shoulder trend! So glad it's still popular. I actually don't have a white one so I really need to get this pronto! I like that it has the longer sleeves because we still get some cool days and nights in the spring time. I love the added detail of the tie front. It sets it apart from other tops and makes it that much prettier! 

5. Jenni Saddle Bag ~ I am obsessed with this bag! The Periwinkle color is perfection! I've also been on a kick with saddle bags so I am partial to this kind. If this color isn't for you, there are six other colors to choose from! This bag reminds me of the Chloe Marcie which I have also been obsessing over but at half the price! 

6. Ear Climbers ~ Another thing I've been wanting for awhile are ear crawlers or in this case climbers. I love Kendra Scott's jewelry and already have two pieces to start my collection. I think these need to be next on the list. They come in three other colors but I think I'm loving the Antique Silver. 

7. Jax Knee Short ~ So I already own two pairs of shorts like this and could not be happier that this style is coming back. Does anyone else think of the movie My Girl when seeing these?! Ha! I think this style is very flattering especially for me because my hips/thighs is where I gain weight so I don't always feel comfortable in short shorts. The medium indigo wash is perfect for an even more slimming effect.

8. Velvet Cami ~ How pretty is this?!! The color is Vintage Pink. So perfect for layering under a blazer or sweater. I love that it's velvet! I think it just gives an outfit a luxurous look to it and the pink keeps the velvet from looking to wintery. I'm sure this will sell out fast! 

9. Ruffle Cold Shoulder Shirt ~ Yes, I know...another pink top...but it also comes in a soft ivory. It was just too pretty not to put it on the list. Ruffles are a hot trend this season and I'm loving the detail on this top. The way the ruffles come down on the arm makes it look so feminine and delicate. Love it! 

10. Ribbed Sweater Dress ~ I love me some Michael Kors and not to mention ribbed sweater dresses! This also comes in the color mandarin, but I feel navy is an easier color to pull off for most people. I think the length is perfect for a slimming effect. You can put on some sneakers and a denim jacket for a casual look when running errands or some heels and a blazer for work or a night out! You also can't beat the price for under $200! 

11. Steve Madden Carrson Heels ~ I have been wanting these for months and finally ordered them last week. I got the taupe suede because I wanted a neutral that will go with everything. I got a block heel last summer and it was easy to stand around and walk in so I'm hoping these are similar and that they fit! I'm always nervous ordering shoes online without trying them on because I can go up or down on size depending on the make of the shoe. I'll just have to see when they come! 

12. Karint Layered Necklace ~  I love this look! So pretty and now you don't have to decide on just one necklace--you can pile a few on and it looks fabulous. I love all the details and the gold is such a classic color. The best part is that this one is still available (as of me writing this). My first pick is out of stock and now I'm on a waiting list. Hopefully it comes back soon! 

13. Paige Verdugo Ankle ~ What can I say....another pink item. These are so perfect for spring! A pretty white top with a neutral heel and you are good to go!  

Thanks so much for reading!

~ Michelle 

Southern C Summit Conference Review

 Hello there!

I know I have been a horrible blogger lately. Again, I apologize for my inconsistent schedule. It will get better, I promise! We are slowly moving along with the house but currently still living out of some boxes. Still painting, cleaning, steam-cleaning the carpet, etc. Never ends! Ha! I just want to be on a normal schedule. I don't have a routine down yet (I'm a very routine person so a disruption in it throws me off) so until we have completely settled down, things will still be chaotic for a bit. My mirrored dresser came last week but when we opened it, it was broken in several places. Sooo I had to order a replacement and that doesn't come until next week. Once that it is in, I will be a little more organized which will make me feel a little bit better. :)

So now that I updated you guys, I wanted to talk about the conference I attended in February. Before I begin, I will say that I originally wanted to attend the Alt Summit because I thought it would be a really good conference for me to attend as a beginner blogger. Sadly, the tickets went on sale and sold out before I could buy them. I didn't want to wait until 2018 to attend a conference so I searched for upcoming ones and found this one. The ticket price was a lot but I was dead set on attending a conference and the description of events and speakers seemed like it would benefit me.  The Southern C Summit is a 3-day conference limited to 250 attendees. It took place at The Cloister on Sea Island, Georgia. To say the place was beautiful would be an understatement. The details were incredible along with the views! However, even with the discount because of the conference, the hotel was pricey for me at the time, so I stayed at The Inn at Sea Island. It was nice but there weren't many amenities such as room service and there is no restaurant in the hotel. There are some restaurants within walking distance so I was at least happy about that.

 I was initally excited for some of the speakers such as Darcy Miller, author of Celebrate Everything!, Monica Lavin, Founder of Lavin Label, Fine-art photographer Gray Malin, and Nikki Bazzani, Creative Strategist for Pinterest. Monica and Nikki definitely had some great info that I could use in what I am doing and plan to do with my blog. Another speaker that I didn't know about but found very useful was James Nord, Co-Founder and CEO of Fohr Card.  There were a few workshops that you could attend if you wanted to pay extra. I chose "Standing Out-How to Make your Media Pitch Pop" with Brian Hoffman and Brooke Bell. It was informative and had some good points. There were many other seminars and lunches/dinners, and networking opportunities during cocktail parties. I will say that I was a little upset during the cocktail parties because there was nothing but alcohol. I don't drink much because 1) I'm picky about what I like and 2) alcohol can bother my stomach and I didn't want to feel sick during the party. So I couldn't get a soda or even water. If I wanted that I had to go all the way down to the other side of the hotel and buy a soda or water to drink at the bar of a restaurant. Not for nothing but not everyone likes to drink and on top of that what if I or someone else was pregnant? I feel water should have been served along with the alcohol.

So here's my personal opinion: while overall I think the conference was nice and I learned a little bit and met some very nice people, I felt that the conference was more for people who sell something. I didn't meet one blogger who does what I do. There could have been one there but I didn't meet her. There was an abundance of interior designers, artists, and jewelry designers. So I guess I was a little disappointed that I didn't get more of what I wanted out of the conference especially paying what I paid. When I got back I actually compared my agenda for the conference compared to the agenda for the Alt Summit conference. Probably shouldn't have done that because it just made me more upset and po'd and I'll tell ya why.

First, did I mention that after the Alt Summit sold out, I got put on a waiting list just in case someone backed out and I could attend before I found another conference? So I had booked the Southern C Summit at the end of October and got an email in December or I think the beginning of January that a space opened up for the Alt Summit. Ugghhh! <Insert angry face emoji> Being that I had already booked my flight, hotel, and purchased the conference ticket nor did I have the extra money or vacay time from work to attend both, I had no choice but to decline! So yeah, pretty upset. Anyways, here are the reasons why I was more upset. The Alt Summit was not only an extra day longer but the ticket was cheaper than mine. $255 LESS than what I paid! And I thought the schedule was more in depth  and had a lot more of seminars that I needed and wanted to take and pertained more to what I do with this blog. If you go to the links I provided you can go to the agenda/schedule tabs and see the difference. It may not seem like a lot of reasons but for me the price and what is offered makes a huge difference for me.

So I try to look at it this way. It was a learning experience. I took what I could out of it. I'm not saying the conference was bad in any way, just that it wasn't what I thought in terms of MY expectations and what I need or am looking for. I still got to meet nice people, eat some great food, and got a nice grab bag full of stuff!

Scroll down to see some pics!

This is the back view of The Cloister

Inside The Cloister

Love fireplaces!

I have a thing for lights--look at the design of this! Love it!

Had these AMAZING nachos at the River Bar inside the hotel

I will surly miss eating these!

The nicest waiters/waitresses I have ever had! 

Some of our seminars/parties were here at the Sea Island Beach Club

It's a short walk from The Cloister 

Look at that view! 

 The grab bags that everyone got! They weighed a ton!!

This was at one of the luches we had. 

That's a dish towel we got to keep! It's so cute! 

One night there was a party and as you can see...Kendra Scott jewelry! 

Each person that came could take a box and there was either jewelry or a gift card in there.

 I got a $150 gift card!! One of my fave things of this conference! Love Kendra Scott jewelry! 

(It was a little dark in there--sorry--I tried to lighten up the pics as far as I could)

Dying over this chandelier! It had a disco ball inside of it that turned! 

It was gorgeous! 

Let me know if you guys have been to this conference or any others! What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!!

~Michelle

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Morning Lavender Dress

Hi guys! So sorry I haven't posted in a week. If you read my last post, you will know that I moved in with my boyfriend last Wednesday. It has been crazy trying to pack/unpack and organize. Not to mention that we are fixing up the house at the same time and working full time. I'm still living out of boxes! Ahhh!! Hopefully in the next month or so things will be a little more settled. There is never enough hours in a day to get things done! My goal is to at least get one post out per week until things calm down a bit and then I can do more. I appreciate everyone stopping by to read this and patiently waiting for my next posts! 

Moving on to the dress now! It is from Morning Lavender which I am obsessed with! If you have not visited this site, please go now! Their clothing is so beautiful and reasonanbly priced. Sadly, I don't see this dress on the site anymore but have linked similar options below. Also, I should note that in person this dress is actually more of a burgundy but looks more red in these pictures because of the lighting. I wore this dress out to dinner on Valentine's Day and I thought it was perfect! Even though it is off-the-shoulder (which is my fave part) the material is thick so it still kept me warm. I love the length and fit of it. I also love the fact that it has long sleeves for winter! Anyone else not fond of winter dresses that have short sleeves?? Winter is cold and I need to stay warm! You can dress this up even more by wearing heels but I wanted a little more easy-going look so I went with the grey boots.  A cute little leather or suede jacket would look amazing with this too!


Dress ~ Morning Lavender ~ similar here and here  and here

Boots ~ DSW

Bag ~ Inzi ~ similar here 

Sunglasses ~ Ray-Ban


Hope you guys have a terrific week!

~Michelle