#BloggersLoveLuLus Giveaway

Today I am super excited to announce a giveaway & collaboration with LuLus.com & many other lovely bloggers. Rather than simply announce the giveaway on our blogs, we wanted to be more authentic so we can show you how much bloggers really love LuLu's. These ladies are all amazingly stylish & have really shown their inner fashionista through these items. Be sure to visit their blogs when you get a chance for some serious inspiration!

{ What I Wore out: ASOS tube top (size up, this puppy is tiny) // skirt ℅ Lulu's // Target lace-up heels, sold out (similar 1, 2, 3) // boutique belt (similar) // necklace ℅ Moon & Lola }

All Photos | Alyssa Torrech Photography

hashtag, this necklace is awesome.

I selected this lilac midi skirt from Lulu's because I knew it would be a great addition to my teacher wardrobe, but like all things in my closet must do, it transitions easily to night-time activities too.

A black tube top, studded belt & lace up heels add a sassy twist, but I can't wait to show you how I wore it to work too (stay tuned for next week!)

Interested in building your Midi Skirt Collection? 

I'm crushing hard on these colorful options from Lulu's: teal, yellow, pink window pane, red & white print, floral midi.

I really enjoyed this collaboration because each blogger picked out a piece from LuLu's website & styled it for this post! This way, when you enter our $200 giveaway, you'll have lots of inspiration for how to style LuLu's clothing. See more information on how to enter the giveaway below:

                                        Hosted by LuLus.com, Living in Color, & some of your (soon to be) favorite bloggers.

                                        Living in Color Style   |  Walking in Memphis in High Heels  |  The Sweetest Thing

               O' My Heart      |        Here & Now        |         The Fashion Canvas     |     Twenties Girl Style

Sincerely Truly Scrumptious    |    Sunshine & Stilettos    |    McKenna Bleu   |   Southern Curls and Pearls

Enter to win a $200 gift card to LuLus.com

Details: The giveaway begins July 30th & will run for one week, ending on August 6th! Entries will be verified, so please be honest! This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canada residents only. Have fun & good luck!

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P.S. If you are into giveaways, I have another $50 gift card giveaway going here (ends Thursday at midnight).

Bloggers Who Budget: White Out

July is flying by & if there is one thing I have learned about Nashville in my 5 years here, is that the Summer heat hasn't even started yet. I'm excited that this month's Bloggers Who Budget theme is all about staying fresh with Summer whites. 

I am also linking up with my friend Julie Leah for her Style Files series - we are both styling up this fun Fresh Produce tee. Check out her post here. 

Sharing My Sole | The Style Letters | Let It Be Beautiful | Here & Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color | The Pumpkin Spot

{ What I Wore to the Flea Market: tee ℅ Fresh Produce // J.Crew denim & Panama Hat (just ordered a second Panama hat as I have loved this one a little too hard over the last 2 Summers!)  // Jack Rogers sandals // Ray Ban sunglasses}

all photos | Alyssa Torrech Photography

When I saw this Fresh Produce tee (a limited edition item celebrating 30 years of color) I knew it was made for a white out. The loose fit & fun graphic print is perfect for warm Summer afternoons. bonus: the Panama Hat hides the sweat.

 

Sunday Shopping: (PLĀ) BEAUTY

Exited to share a new line of cosmetics with you! I had the great pleasure of meeting the founder of (PLĀ) BEAUTY at the Southern Blog Society Conference, and was blown away by her incredible story & the high quality, and eco-friendly line of products. The line contains paraben-free, hypoallergenic products, and uses refillable products and magnetic compacts, cutting down on wasteful packaging. I love that they support being kind to the planet and capturing the essence of every woman

Read more about the company including their partnership with Children's Heathcare of Atlanta here.

Nashville ladies, you can shop these amazing products at Woo in Green Hills. 

1 BB cream // 2 glam lipgloss - this stuff is legit! // 3 bronzer - the product I can't live without // 4 lip primer - next on my list to try! // 5 makeup remover // 6 get cheeky - blush // 7 sheer tint - all I need during the Summer // 8 color stick

weekend reading: 07.26.14

1 // 2 // 3

This weekend why don't you :: dress up your denim!

{what you might have missed on Here&Now}

{1.}  Blogger Spotlight + $50 gift card giveaway 

{2.} Conscious Consumerism: International Princess Project 

{3.} Summer romp sesh. 

{4.} Getting my work out on in style. 

{5.}  Shopping the latest collection from Kendra Scott. 

{posts I'm loving around the internets}

{1.} I will definitely be buying this style book. 

{2.} What are your "rules"? 

{3.} Is it worth the investment? 

{4.} I love seeing Nashville through other people's eyes. 

{5.} Why I'm reading your blog.

Blogger Spotlight: Mascara Melodies

We made it! Happy Friday to all! I am excited to be filling this space with a joyful interview from my friend Kim, of Mascara Melodies, today. Again, I have had the great pleasure of getting to know this pretty lady via blogging & I can't wait to introduce her to you! She has a job that requires lots of travel & is currently stationed in my town - Nashville! Be sure to check her out & scroll down for a sweet giveaway too!

Find more of these fabulous outfits:

white sweater // distressed denim // striped dress // boho babe // pug life

Comments are turned off today, so please go say HI to Kim, & tell her I sent ya ;)

Also, as a welcome gift, she has a super awesome giveaway for everyone as well!

Good luck! A random entry will be chosen next week.

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Conscious Consumerism: International Princess Project

Brands practicing conscious consumerism is something very close to my heart. It is one thing to make a eye-catching, quality product, it is something quite different to do so, & support your local or global community though it as well. I love that socially just companies are becoming more prevalent & am excited to have added another one to my radar - International Princess Project. (Check out all of the Conscious Consumerism posts too!)

The International Princess Project is using beautiful products to help solve a very ugly reality in the world - human sex trafficking & slavery. They estimate that in India alone, this could sadly be the reality for more than 3 million women & girls.

The International Princess Project partners with indigenous organizations to create pathways to freedom. Women learn a new trade (sewing these gorgeous sleep pants!) & receives an above fair trade wage for her craft. The company returns all profits to ensuring that more women & girls can escape their lives of slavery & have the chance of a fresh start.

Read more about their inspiring story & shop their gorgeous collection of quality sleepwear, Punjammies

I love following this brand on social media, because they effortlessly remix the gorgeous pants for beachwear, and out & about!

Follow the International Princess Project on Instagram // Twitter // Facebook

all photos | Alyssa Torrech Photography

because I'm happy

Alternative titles: my mother was right, getting older sucks, my pants are too tight

So, I have talked about it on here before, but I absolutely hate working out. I dislike sweating, I think it is a waste of time, & gyms completely intimidate me! But just like my mother warned me, the second half of my 20s means that what I eat quickly shows up on my body (to be honest, my diet is not super healthy, but that is a story of beer, burgers, & chips for another day). Le metabolism isn't quite what it used to be.

And the 5-10 pounds of "happy weight" that I have put on since the wedding isn't going anywhere on its own!

I really want to enter the next chapter of my life (hello 30s) with healthier habits, so by darn I am GOING to become a morning person who loves to work out. While these lofty goals might take a while to manifest, I am starting with some baby steps.

1. I now have a job that requires me to be up around 5:30 (I hate the physical act of getting out of bed, but once I'm up I really do enjoy it)

2. My former excuse for not working out was "I have nothing to wear" - so my sweet sweet husband bought me these pants (not so subtle hint babe) & I have been collecting cute tanks to sport as well.

3. I found a un-gym to join. I am not getting paid to say this, but I love Koko Fit Club. It is unlike anything I've ever done before, & I'm actually becoming someone who looks forward to working out. The workouts are only 30 minutes long & are all on 1 machine. The routines are personalized for you, & are different every time! My favorite thing (because I am a stubborn perfectionist) is that you get points for the quality of your workout (kinda like Wii fit), these are not only for your personal satisfaction, but can be used to get sweet Koko gear too!  (Koko if you need a new spokesperson, hit me up!)

{ What I wore to work out: Style Lately tank // Hanes sports bras (love 'em) // Nike capris & sneakers (see below for similar options) }

all photos | Alyssa Torrech Photography

What motivations have you used to change your lifestyle? 

Anyone else using the "I've got no cute workout clothes" excuse like me?

Blogger Life: #SBScon

{ What I Wore to a pool party: Nordstrom romper (see more of my favorite rompers below!) // Steve Madden heels ℅ Macy's // Michael Kors cross body bag // Ray Ban aviators // snake ring ℅ Jami // name plate necklace ℅ TAudrey }

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have already seen my travels down to Atlanta for the Southern Blog Society Conference. This was their second annual conference, & my second time attending. 

The Southern Blog Society co-founders, Jessica of My Style Vita and Cathy of Poor Little It Girl, went above and beyond to make this weekend not only fun but productive too! I got to finally chat with bloggers that I have been following for years, meet many new bloggers, interact with brands (I love hearing their stories), and also gain fresh tips & tricks for making this blog run smoothly!

And a big huge hug to my fabulous roommates for the weekend as well (thank you for the laugh induced ab workout!) - Julie of Julie Leah, Katie of Pearls & Twirls, and Shelby of Glitter & Gingham.

Good news for everyone - the Southern Blog Society is expanded to new regions! Find your region and sign up today. (Be sure too tell them I sent you!)

I recently spotted this romper at Nordstrom & it was love at first site. I adore the tropical print & thought that the long sleeves add an extra element of glam! Even though I was in love, I wasn't sure if I needed it, so I posed the question on Instagram. Luckily you ladies were just as obsessed as me, so I quickly went back to snatch it up! 

If you are looking for your own romper to love, check out my top picks below:

Sunday Shopping: Glam Rocks

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

Oh my glam! Kendra Scott is bring 70s rocker glam back with her new "Glam Rocks" Fall collection. Shop my favorites below & see the entire drool worthy round up here.

weekend reading: 07.19.14

1 // 2 // 3

This weekend why don't you :: pack your bags & take a trip (just down to the new restaurant, to the next town over, or to your girlfriend's house for a sleep over!)

{what you might have missed on Here&Now}

{1.}  Interviewed: See the report by Grown Up Truth. 

{2.} Teacher Style - Summer Inspiration Files. 

{3.} 2 Summer looks with a favorite Nashville boutique. 

{4.} Matched Separates, stripe edition. 

{5.}  I just joined StyleList, find out 5 things about me! 

{posts I'm loving around the internets}

{1.} Do I want to be a blogger?

{2.} Honesty about Instagram. 

{3.} Get on my level - matching separates. 

{4.} Have you tried this new app? I hear it is a party. 

Teacher Style: Summer Inspiration

I am now a teacher. I used to be a graduate student. The landscape of my wardrobe has changed. While I am still figuring out what a "teacher wardrobe" looks like, I'm am definitely drawing on previous outfits that I enjoyed to guide my new style… these are the ones inspiring my Summer to Fall teacher outfits:

Cardigans are my friend. Full outfit post {here}.

Pencil skirts in every color are a good idea. Full outfit post {here}. 

Remixing is key! Full outfit post {here}. 

Keeping a color story in mind is helpful. Full outfit post {here}. 

All about the accessories. Full outfit pose {here}. 

My favorite print - polka dots! Full outfit post {here}. 

Making pants work for me. Full outfit post {here}.

Dresses + blazers! Full outfit post {here}. 

Black pants are a stylish base for a multitude of looks. Full outfit post {here}. 

Color is just fun! Full outfit post {here}.  

Taking weekend/casual wear to teacher town with a blazer. Full outfit post {here}. 

Chambray is a life saver. Full outfit post {here}. 

Unexpected but monochromatic pattern mixes. Full outfit post {here}.

Upgraded basics. Full outfit post {here}. 

Scarves are a quick way to up the style ante! Full outfit post {here}. 

Dresses are easy outfits to throw on in the early morning! Full outfit post {here}.

How has your style evolved recently?

Do you draw inspiration from past outfits that both worked and failed?