High-Rise Denim – J.Crew

J.Crew finally came out with a high-rise denim. And, they come in Tall.  I’ve been a denim loyalist to 7 For All Mankind for over 10 years now, because they fit me so well. But, I’ve had my eye on this pair for quite some time (I’m talking almost a year). I know they’re back ordered, but I may have to just buy this pair. They would look great year round. I know if I buy them that they will be on repeat a lot. I love wearing crisp, white denim in the fall/winter, too. I think wearing white in the winter makes me feel like sort of a rebel. I know, I am dork, and I’m happy to admit it.

Have you tried their high-rise denim? These sold out really quickly, so they’ve gotta be good, right?

Tall Lookout High-Rise Crop Jeans

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 I’m off to celebrate my birthday now! I’m looking forward to a fun day filled with playing with my little one, and then topping off my birthday with Italian takeout & my Mom’s homemade chocolate cake & chocolate frosting with my husband and family tonight! I have been so incredibly blessed so far in life, and I’m excited to see what the next year ahead has in store for me!

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Enjoy your Tuesday friends!
~KSSBelle

Boden – The June/July Edit

Can you believe it’s almost July? I can’t. Maybe that’s because I’m in denial that I’ll be a year older in just a few short days (Eek!). Either way, I have a lot to be grateful for, and that’s how I intend to look at this birthday!

Moving right along, I decided to do a “June/July Edit” for Boden, mainly because it’s Monday, and I thought I’d brighten the day up a bit for you. Their styles are always so colorful and fun. I have a few dresses from them, and still love them years later. Their stuff is so well made, too. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m tall, so a longer dress is necessary. The good news for all of you tall girls out there, the majority of their dresses are also available in long! You don’t have to order a size larger (like I do in most places that don’t offer tall/long styles) to get the right length. That to me is worth a few extra dollars for sure.

Here are my current favorites at Boden. Do you love Boden as much as I do?

Sarah Ponte Dress

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This dress is gorgeous. It comes in several colors. I love this color and the navy.

 Sandra Sundress

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What a great Summer frock, right? I could wear this on a date night, girls night out and church! It’s so pretty and screams “have fun!”

 Kiera Ottoman Dress

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This stripe dress is just classic. I don’t need any convincing to add this to my shopping cart. Do you?

Pretty Embroidered Shorts

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Pretty embroidered shorts. The name says it all. They would look great with a tee or dressed up with a pretty blouse! These are a Summer must.

Chic All in One

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I am not a fan of the rompers (not yet anyway), but this jumpsuit looks chic. Even better, it comes in long. I would wear a blazer/cardigan for day with flats. And for night, I’d wear it with a pair of cute heels, and throw a pashmina in my handbag in case it gets cold.

Festival Scarf

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This is a “wear with everything” kind of scarf. It would look great with a pretty much any outfit you own. Plus, how can you ignore these pom-poms?

Alice Flat

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These flats are darling. I’d wear them year round…just one of the beautiful things about being Southern…we love color, and our weather allows us to wear them year round.

Happy Monday, Friends!

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~KSSBelle

My Skincare Favorites

There are a few things in my skincare routine that I cannot live without. My routine is pretty simple these days, and I like it that way. I used to get the $92.00 jars of “magic” night creams, etc., but I really could not tell that much of a difference from the basic items that I use now. I am a big believer in “you get what you pay for;” however, in skincare, I cannot tell the difference. Taking care of your skin so important (Thanks to my Mom who instilled that in me many moons ago), but shelling out big bucks for something you don’t see that much of a difference in, is hard to justify. I haven’t jumped on the oil bandwagon yet, but it’s tempting me. Do oils work for you? Do you really notice a difference? If so, do you have any recommendations?

I also have a few beauty items that I have been thinking about trying for awhile now, but just can’t seem to take that leap, mostly because my skin is extremely sensitive, and trying new products is exciting, but scary for me at the same time. I would hate to spend a ton of money on something, and then have it make me breakout, etc.

So, here’s what I use everyday in my current skincare routine. It works. And as they say “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” right?

Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes 

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These wipes are so convenient. I use them at night, and right after I workout as well. They are really good at removing my eye makeup.

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

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I have to use a moisturizer with an SPF in it. My Mom introduced me to this one. I’ve been using this for several years now, and it doesn’t leave your face feeling greasy at all.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream

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I sometimes alternate between this and the Aveeno daily moisturizer, especially if I know I am staying mostly indoors that day. It really soaks into your skin, and I think it’s a really great moisturizer.

 Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Hydraswirl

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Raise your hand if you’re not getting quite as much beauty sleep as you used to before you had kids? Yup, me too. This is great for the now ever so obvious dark circles under my eyes. It works.

Olay Regenerist Regenerating Night Recovery Moisturizer Cream

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 I use this at night. It feels amazing. It honestly feels like silk on your skin. It is incredibly moisturizing and has my face feeling refreshed by morning.

So, in writing this post, I also realized I’ve been paying WAY too much for these products. Like a few dollars difference for each one, so instead of shopping at Target for these beauties, I’m buying them off of amazon.com!

I would love to hear of any beauty products you love, especially if you have sensitive skin like me.

Happy Thursday friends!

~KSSBelle

Chocolate Brownie Bread

While I was browsing on Pinterest a few days ago, I stumbled across this Chocolate Brownie bread recipe. I haven’t made it yet, but I did make the Kentucky Butter Cake this past weekend (mentioned in this post), and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect finish to our Father’s Day brunch.

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I have some buttermilk leftover from making the Kentucky butter cake, (who has buttermilk on hand all of the time, unless it’s in a recipe? No one I know.) and of course I don’t want the buttermilk to go to waste, so I’m going to try my hand at making this Chocolate Brownie Bread. I’ll let you know how it turns out, unless of course you make it before me!

It looks absolutely amazing!

~KSSBelle

 

Anthropologie – Top Picks

Anthropologie is what I would call “boho chic.” I really love some of their styles. I prefer shopping in the store more than online, because no matter what direction you turn there’s always something incredibly pretty to see. It’s a peaceful and inspiring store.  Sometimes the mainstream gets boring, so Anthropologie fills my closet with the creative/unique pieces that I sometimes crave to have instead of the traditional pieces (which I still love).

They’re currently running a summer tag sale (select items up to 50% off), so I thought I would give you my top picks from the sale.

 Mitered Stripe Peplum Top

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This top is simply gorgeous. Love the bow finish.

Eyelet Empire Blouse

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You can never have too many eyelet tops in the Summer. The pleated empire drop waist is a pretty twist on what would be an otherwise ordinary top.

 Pomfrey Pullover

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This pullover would be welcome in my closet. Perfect paired with white denim, and would be great for traveling year round.

Lauren Moffatt Ruffled Maillot

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I literally love this suit. The ruffle detail sold me. I haven’t had a new swimsuit since our honeymoon in Aruba (eek – that was 5 years ago). The one piece would be great now that I am a Mom.

 Vasanti Peasant Top

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I think this top is so pretty. I love the peasant style in the Summer months.

 Anapest Peasant Top

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Another pretty peasant top. It would look great with jeans, black skinny pants or white denim/pants.

 Foil Dot iPhone 6 Case

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Gold foil polka dots? Yes, please! So cute…

 Cut Crystal Drops

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These earrings are gorgeous and would go with everything.

 Kerala Embroidered Shift

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This navy, scalloped dress. Need I say more? Nope.

Happy Shopping!

And, now I will leave you with these wise words on this lovely Monday!

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Until tomorrow friends!
~KSSBelle

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday/Weekend!

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This week was the exact opposite of last week for me. Did it fly by for you? I cannot believe it’s already Friday, but I’m not complaining. I do apologize for the lack of blog posts…the time just simply got away from me this week. I had great intentions of sitting down during my second cup of coffee (once my little one was asleep during naptime), and other things just kept taking my attention away from blogging. I’ll be back next week, and have tons of great posts for you.

If you’re searching for a great recipe to make this weekend, make this Mexican casserole. It is amazing, and everyone gobbled it up (even the little one!). I also may try and make this Kentucky Butter Cake recipe for our Father’s Day celebration/brunch on Sunday.

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Have a happy weekend!

Southern Frock

A few years ago, I discovered “Southern Frock.” I have several tops of hers, and I just love them. They fit my frame really well (I’m 5’10), and give me that bright, preppy patterned top that I crave to wear in the Summer. I think one of my favorite outfits to wear in the Summer is a pair of crisp, white jeans and a bright, happy top. Who’s with me? Southern Frock in my opinion is just a pretty as Lilly Pulitzer, but is more budget friendly, especially when you buy some of her pieces on sale.

Below are my current favorites from the Southern Frock line right now.

 Milly Blouse

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I love everything about this blouse. The ruffle collar, the navy & pink print, the gold buttons, an the list goes on. I would wear this pretty blouse year round.

 Gardner Blouse

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This is another pretty top. The pattern is really cute, and the detail is on point.

Carolina Seersucker Dress

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This dress is gorgeous, and perfect for the Summer. Love the pink, but the blue and white seersucker would be cute, too.

Did I mention that these are machine washable? That’s right, no dry cleaning. A lot of my tops are dry clean only from my working days. And, if you have a little one, machine washable just makes the most sense, at least right now – this line is both chic and machine washable.

Happy Weekend!

T.G.I.F.

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Who’s glad to see Friday? I know I sure am. I was all mixed up on my days this week for some odd reason. Yesterday, I thought it was Friday almost all day – talk about a major let down when I realized it was only Thursday.

I am kicking off my weekend with a hair appointment this morning (yay!), then planning on having a low key weekend with my little family! I do have a few t0-do’s like planting a few pretty hydrangeas, finishing up some thank you notes, as well as taking care of some other odds and ends around the house. Either way, it will be a fun, fun weekend spent with the ones I love.

I hope y’all have a happy weekend!

 

The Perfect Summer/Fall Dresses

The one thing I love most about a great Summer dress is the fact that all you have to do is figure out what shoes you’re going to wear, and add some pretty jewelry and you’re done. What makes a great Summer dress even better? Being able to wear it through the Fall, too. Now that I am at home with my little one, it’s easier for me to wear a cotton dress, add a pair of sandals, and we’re off to play in the sun. Add a vest and rain boots in the Fall, and you’ve got one versatile dress.

I’ve rounded up a few casual Summer dresses for you that you can also wear in the Fall when the temperatures start to get cooler. I love a dress that can work a lot of overtime.

Factory Textured Cotton Dress

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This is great to wear now while the temps are hot, and later with a crisp button up underneath and some boots in the Fall.

 Factory Printed Tee Dress

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Another great dress to wear now with some cute, neutral sandals, and then later with a blazer, tights and boots.

Women’s Stripe Ponte Knit Dress

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This dress is a classic now, and later with a cardigan and boots or booties in the Fall.

Lilly Pulitzer Christie Print T-Shirt Dress

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The perfect T-Shirt dress. I love the 3/4 sleeves. It would be great now, and then later with a puffer vest and some cute rain boots. The Elephants…too cute for words.

Minor Obsession – Throw Pillows

If I had to say the one thing I change out at our house décor-wise quite frequently would be throw pillows. I will admit I have a teensy weensy obsession with throw pillows. I simply chalk it up to the fact that you can literally make an inexpensive update instantly to a room with a new set of throw pillows. If that cures my boredom with a room, then I’ll keep the obsession going. All in all, if you find a great pair of throw pillows it will probably run you close to $50.00, but that’s a lot cheaper than updating an entire couch or other furniture in a room, am I right? If you have a neutral base (like couches and chairs) then you can add pattern and poppy throw pillows into the mix easily. I love accessorizing with color in both fashion and décor. In my opinion, it’s all in the details. I have a few other obsessions like lamps, handbags, coats and shoes (we can chat about those in another post later), but for the most part décor-wise, my weakness is a cute set of throw pillows.

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Some of my favorite places to find these beauties is at Target (of course), Homegoods, and I have even found a few at Etsy that I like, too.

Here’s a round up of some fun throw pillows I have my eyes on right now.

Monogrammed Pink Gingham

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I fell in love with this throw pillow a few months ago. These may just have to be a birthday present to myself. Pink and white gingham and pom poms? I’m in L.O.V.E.

Greek Key Pillows

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These are classic. They come in several colors too.

Jute Braid Pillow

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This is a timeless, neutral pillow that you can mix colorful throw pillows with to create a layered throw pillow collection on a couch, etc.

What are some of your décor obsession change outs? Do you love a good throw pillow as much as I do?