My first Chanel Bag

Hi Friends,

Ever since I got into fashion as a little girl, I have always loved Chanel. The bag is timeless for a reason! The cost of one just continues to go up substantially each year, I wanted to have a big accomplishment in order to get my first Chanel bag to make it even more special for me.

When I got the job at the CPA firm as an HR department of one, it was a big jump for me in my career and I decided then and there that I would work to get promoted to HR Manager. It took a lot of hard work, attending a couple leadership programs, and hiring my own business coach to get me to HR Manager! I decided before I got the promotion, that when it happened for me, I was going to celebrate by getting my Chanel bag.

Chanel doesn’t exactly make it easy to buy one, you can’t buy one online (and honestly I wouldn’t want to). Chicago was the closest boutique to Louisville, so Josh and I drove up there for a weekend trip to get my bag.

On the way, we stopped at Moontown Brewing Co. to grab a bite to eat. It was a good halfway point for us, and it did not disappoint! We shared their pretzel, and sausage with mac n cheese. We drank the tripel, maibock, and porter. The beer was good, the space was cool, and the food was good enough. All in all, we rate it a 7/10.

Josh wanted to try Frontera Grill while we were in Chicago, and it was very good! We had the El Tigre Verde and Michelada to drink. For food, we had their guacamole and chips and then split the shrimp green garlic mojo. We would rate it an 8/10.

Now.. back to Chanel, upon entering the store, the sales associates were very nice and as they should be.. as most items in the store are well over $1,000. The whole store is just beautiful, and I tried to dress up for the occasion. It was rather nerve-wracking to me paying that much money for one purse, I was nervous my credit card was going to decline it just by the sheer amount I was trying to purchase at once. But once it went through, the sales associate wrapped it up in it’s pretty box and I was the official owner of a Chanel classic bag. I was nervous carrying the Chanel shopping bag around Chicago walking back to our hotel. When we got back, I did a little mini photoshoot with my bag.

I still can’t believe I own one to this day. One of my happiest moments in fashion, I’d say. I love it, and hope to one day get another one!

Nashville Boutiques

Howdy friends! My bestie Maria and I took a girls trip to Nashville in March, and our main priority was SHOPPING! We hit up so many cute boutiques, I wanted to list them all out for you!

Apple + Oak - a home store specializing in rugs, jewelry, and funny cards and stickers. It was an interesting store, I bought a funny Schitt’s Creek magnet and sticker along with some pretty pink cups that look super fancy but they are plastic.

Alexis + Bolt - a store specializing in home accessories and men’s and women’s clothing. The store was super cute inside, but prepared to drop some major cash if you want to shop here, especially clothing wise.

VICI - Maria and I have a shared love of all things VICI, we have been following them on instagram for quite some time and we were so excited to go in and try stuff on! Both of us walked into the dressing room with SO MUCH stuff.. but did we buy anything? Unfortunately not, because nothing fit us! This is a recurring problem I have with boutiques, I love and adore boutique style but the larges almost never fit me. It is a very frustrating problem. We were both disappointed.

SVM - this is such a cute store! I’d say it was middle of the road priced, they sold clothing and accessories and I really enjoyed their beaded accessories. I ended up finding a CC and LV keychains and Maria and I decided to buy them to have matching ones. I bought a cute color block mint and pink sweater, the CC keychain, and a super cute black hat!

Hollie Ray - this was a cute store, but way overpriced in my opinion. I didn’t spend much time looking around because I knew I wouldn’t be able to buy anything. I did find some cute shoes, but of course they stopped at size 10, another problem I have!!

e. Allen - this boutique might have been the most expensive we had seen. It had quite a lot of cute stuff in it, but I was afraid to look at anything because I didn’t want to spend a boat load of money on something that I didn’t think was worth it.

Kittenish - ok so this might have been the cutest store I had been in.. they had several murals inside the store that you could take photos in front of! I also enjoyed how different their clothing selection was, I walked out with a really cute Barbie pink sweater and a super fun tan suede fringe jacket!

Draper James - I had no idea this store was created by Reese Witherspoon, it had a totally different vibe than most the stores we had gone in, but it had a bit of an older lady vibe. I appreciated the store, but not much was Maria or I’s type of clothing.

Emerson Grace - I loved the clothes in here, however, it was $$$ price point. Maria and I were surprised at the amount of boutiques that were so expensive in Nashville!

LunaWear- this was a cute little pop up shop we stumbled across, it didn’t have much inside but I ended up buying a cream bralette and a super cute cowboy necklace.

Dress Up Nashville - we ended our shopping trip in this store, and they had so much cute clothes to pick from! And the best part was they weren’t charging an arm and a leg for their stuff.. Maria and I both walked out with something from here! The atmosphere reminded me of a Dress Up store I went to in Charleston, SC and I came to realize that I’m 99% sure they are the same store - which is pretty cool!

Valentine's Day Amazon Try-On Haul

Hello Loves! I did a try on today of some pieces I think would work great for Valentine’s Day, some are dressy and some are super casual (hello pajamas). I didn’t have as much time today, so don’t judge me too much on these pictures I snapped of me talking in my stories as I forgot to actually stop and take posed pics in each outfit. I was hoping I would be able to add the links to my actual story on my Instagram page but I couldn’t easily figure it out so here we are :)

Below is my general sizing for reference, I like to share with you so that way you know my true sizing.

Starting off with this snazzy, super soft maxi dress. I absolutely love this dress and believe it’s a keeper for any event you need to be a bit dressy for. It’s super comfortable, the only downside I’d have on this is the lack of pockets. The arms are very comfortable which is a big plus in my book! I’m wearing a large in this (TTS), it comes in sizes XS-3XL and 8 different colors.

Next up we have this super cute, super light weight red ruffle dress that is a perfect option for Valentine’s Day! I just think it’s a bit short on me, I am 5’7”. It does have a hidden zipper in the back. Wearing the L (TTS), it comes in sizes XS-2X and a bunch of different color options!

Our third dressier option is this pretty embroidered floral option. I really like this one on, I think it’s a great length for me personally. I sized up (XL) due to the material on the arms, I have slightly larger than average arms. The arms are a tad tight if I move my arms, but it’s definitely manageable in my opinion. Sizes for this come in S-2X and a few different colors. This one has a zipper in the back also.

Going into my 2 more casual options - we have this grey sweater that has super cute white heats on the elbows! I think it runs TTS and the best thing is it’s not itchy!! You can totally wear this year round in my opinion! It comes in sizes S-XL and several different colors. I’ve copied a screenshot showing a better picture of the hearts on the elbows.

My other casual option is this tunic, I really liked the pattern and the ruffled lace section. I just don’t think I have the right figure for this one in particular. I think it looks nice with leggings though, and it’s a good length for us tall gals. It runs TTS, I ordered a L but it comes in sizes S-4X and a bunch of different colors and patterns!

Moving into my most casual items are these 2 adorable PJ options! I absolutely love the avocado short PJs, they are super comfy and soft!! Definitely a keeper in my opinion, runs TTS and comes in sizes XS-2X and a bunch of different patterns. The other option I have here is a LS and pants option if you don’t like wearing shorts or get cold easily, these are also very comfortable and run TTS. They come in a few different color options and sizes S-XL.

Belle Isabella Boutique

Bonjour friends!

December always seems to fly by in my opinion, it could be because it has my favorite holiday in it (Christmas, duh!) or it also could be because I’m always swamped with my HR job at this time!! Are you guys ready for Christmas?

Anyway… I have to rave about the latest boutique I’ve found recently! Belle Isabella Boutique is run by this super sweet lady named Iffat Jarin, she’s located in MS but ships anywhere in the US! She recently launched her collection that is inspired off of Netflix’s show Emily in Paris (if you haven’t watched it…. WATCH IT NOW!). I instantly fell in love with this tweed blazer and loved the way Iffat styled it with the black belt and black beret, I mean if I can’t physically be in Paris right now I can at least dress like I am! I was so excited to receive it and I instantly wanted to play around with different ways I could wear it. See my styling outfits below, Iffat was also generous enough to give me a 15% off code for my followers to use anytime it’s: MTBT15.

Shopping from Charleston and Atlanta Trip

Hey Loves,

Josh and I recently took a trip to Charleston, SC and Atlanta, GA and they both had some super cute shops so I thought I’d make a shopping post for them! If you are intrigued and want to know more about Charleston click here and if you want to know more about Atlanta click here.

Charleston Boutiques

Charleston has a super cute and trendy street that most shops are located on, it’s called King Street. I asked a blogger that is based in Charleston (her blog page is here, check her out she is the sweetest) for recommendations and she told me to check out Two Cumberland and Beckett Boutiques. I loved Two Cumberland, even though I didn’t buy any clothes I ended up buying this super pretty painted oyster that is now sitting on my desk! Beckett was a cool store, but it was personally not in my budget (dresses were $200+ each). I ended up finding The Copper Closet on King St as well and they had super cute stuff for really a bargain in my opinion, I bought some shorts and a super cute leopard print dress (pictured).

Atlanta Boutiques

The only boutique I had planned on shopping at was Red Dress Boutique, the other ones I ended up finding were a pleasant surprise! At Red Dress, I bought the fun white fringe sweater and the super pretty sparkly top. I shopped at Dress Up and Vestique and I bought quite a lot at Dress Up, they were a little cheaper than most boutiques but had the same quality which I loved! I bought the super cute midi dress (pictured) from Vestique, and I bought the Leopard jacket, the green dress paired with the leopard jacket, the light brown top, and the olive green maxi at Dress Up. I was really happy with all of my finds. Josh also found a really great men’s boutique in the Ponce City Market, it is called Elk Head Clothing. They had very good quality shirts and we also bought him a new pair of dress shoes.

Wattemar

Hi Friends!!

About a month ago I teamed up to be an ambassador for Wattemar, and I received my items I ordered from them last week and they are so cute I wanted to show you! Sadly, my dress that I selected is sold out but I do have my cardigan linked here!

The items ship out of Spain so they take roughly 2-3 weeks to get to your address, but they are good quality from what I can tell and the best news I have for you is I have a discount code you can use on their site! My code to get you 30% off their site is MTBT30. They also offer free shipping which is always a big plus!!

Dede and Emily's BFF Collection Try On Session

Hi Lovelies!

I have been such a fan of Emily (Champagne and Chanel) and Dede (dressupbuttercup) for quite some time and when they announced they were doing a BFF collection with WAYF and Nordstrom I was over the moon excited for them! The collection launched in September of 2020 and I knew I had to snag a few of my favorite pieces!! Luckily for you, they still have some items in stock. Everything comes in sizes XS - XL. I decided to pair them together (don’t they look cute?!) and I also styled a few outfits with both pieces.

So I bought the Natalie Lace Camisole Bodysuit in the dark green lace but it also comes in a pretty pink color. I ordered the size XL, I’m a C cup and am 5’7” for reference. I also bought the Maddie Paperbag Waist Culottes in size XL in black but it also comes in a small cheetah print. I feel the Bodysuit fit me great and the Culottes were maybe a tad big on me, but I also don’t like things to be tight on me personally.

Here are some styled outfits with the Bodysuit as the star. In the first photo my tan coat I bought when I was visiting Canada last year, my red skirt is Amazon - my exact one is not available but I found a similar one linked, my black boots are Donna Karen from Macy’s a few years ago. In the second photo my hat is from Vici, jeans are my favorite brand Madewell, boots are also old from Dillard’s. In my third photo my blazer is from Kohls and my nude heels are old from Maurices.

Below are a few styled outfits where my Culottes are the star! In the first photo my headband is Dress and Dwell, my sweater is Loft, and boots are the same as above and from Dillard’s a few years ago. In the second photo my dressy tshirt is from Loft, and my heels are the same as above from Maurices.

Dress and Dwell - Fall Try On Session

Happy fall, ya’ll! I did a try on session on my instagram and my facebook blog page today and as promised, I have linked all shirts I bought on here! I went to one of my favorite local boutiques Dress and Dwell to shop all of these tops, they are located in New Albany, IN and have so many cute clothing options along with some cute home decorations! If you are local, I highly recommend checking them out! They also have most of their stuff on their website!

Look 1: I really love this top, the gold glittery thread throughout is just soooo pretty!! I also love the ruffles, definitely a cute date night option! I do wish it was just a tad longer, but I’m also on the taller side at 5’7”.

Look 2: I am such a fan of anything leopard/cheetah print, and I really loved this top! I think it’s a bit more subtle on the print than most leopard/cheetah prints. I liked the collared look and the sleeves on this as well! I also wanted to mention that it does come with this cami that I’m wearing underneath.

Look 3: This is such a cute little top! I love the dainty little details and I think it could be a great top to style either for spring/summer or for fall/winter! This one was super popular in my stories on my instagram :)

Look 4: I love this sweater, I really liked the colors and the colors are a bit different than what I normally go for. I think it’s a nice length and it’s pretty soft. Unfortunately I believe this sweater is already sold out as I couldn’t find it on Dress and Dwell’s website.

Look 5: This is my final look for my try on session. Maybe I saved best for last? I’ll let you decide! I love this sweater, I loved the color and I also love how soft this is! It could easily be worn as a tunic with leggings or you could dress it up with some boots!

Transition from Summer to Fall

Ya’ll I just love this outfit! I wore it when we took a weekend trip up to Columbus OH last year for a concert. Hat is from VICI Dolls, Dress is LOFT, Jacket is Madewell, and cheetah loafers are Steve Madden!

Summer Photos of 2019

Don’t ya’ll love when life gets in the way? I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to post these wonderful photos that my lovely friend Kesley took of me… but here we are! We shot in the picture perfect Prospect Area. Unfortunately most of my items are older. My mint earrings I got from Forever 21, hot pink earrings are Amazon, my beloved hot pink heels are SJP Fawn, my black Eiffel tower sweater is LOFT and my tulle skirt is from an online website!