Layered Sandstone Maxi in Charleston

Dress: Sandstone Layered Maxi Dress || Shoes: Cece Platform c/o Rebecca Minkoff || Hat: Floppy Wool Hat || Watch: Round Leather Strap Watch

Things are about to be a little bit quieter around here for the rest of the week while I prep for a few website updates so I'll leave you with this oh so perfect layered maxi dress I packed last weekend for Charleston. I'm actually headed back to the same place at the end of this week for one of my favorite conferences ever! Follow along on Instagram to see what I'll be up to!

XO, Shelby

Belmond Charleston Place: Hotel Review

If you follow along on Instagram, you might have already seen that I stayed at a beautiful hotel in downtown Charleston last weekend, Belmond Charleston Place. This was my second visit to this gorgeous place and I already booked my third! Since it is becoming a favorite of mine, I figured I would do a hotel review post and share my thoughts on everything about it, especially for those of you who might be planning a special Charleston getaway in the future! I'll break things down to the room, the hotel in general, food, location, and yes, even the price.  

The Hotel

Ryan Sides Photos

As soon as you walk into this hotel, you know you are in for a luxurious escape! You're treated so well and there is stunning decor everywhere you turn. Inside of the lobby, you will find restaurants and shops that will lead you directly out onto Market St. and Meeting St. only to find even more restaurants and shops. I'll get into the location more a bit later but just know it gets an A+!

On the 4th floor, you'll find a relaxing spa complete with the most peaceful pool underneath a retractable roof and rooftop lounge chairs by a poolside bar. You can get a 360 degree view here.

The Room

Ryan Sides Photos

Ryan Sides Photos

As you can imagine, the room was more than I was expecting! The way it was felt so cozy and clean yet astoundingly luxurious, it made me never want to leave! The bathroom was my personal favorite part of the room, built in nothing but white and grey marble. The entire room had a calming color scheme of soft greys, blues, tans, and white... basically all of my favorite colors in one room. There was no way anybody could complain when they walked into one of these beautiful rooms. 

The Location

Ryan Sides Photos

If you're visiting downtown Charleston, you can't beat the location of Belmond Charleston Place. It is located right on Meeting St. and if you plan things the right way, you may never even have to move your car during your stay! It's within walking distance to basically everything downtown which saves a lot of headaches as trying to find parking around there can be frustrating. When taking into account how much the cost of the rooms are, it's best to keep in mind the location which is key! We even walked to Rainbow Row in the 95 degree heat although the charm and beauty of the city was totally worth it. 

The Staff

Every staff member we met at this hotel was on top of it! They treated you like royalty, made sure you didn't need anything else, kept your room clean (our housekeeping lady even lined up my hair products in a perfect row....need her at my apartment!), offered the best recommendations on wine, and were so friendly. 

The Food

Ryan Sides Photos

I considered writing an entire post solely on food. It was my #1 favorite part of the hotel, no joke! First of all, we stayed on the Club Level floors (top 2 floors) where they have complimentary heavy hors d'oeuvres, snacks, and drinks at all times. No matter what time it was during the day, you could walk to the snack bar and have complimentary cake, crab, meatballs, cheese, macarons, quiche, and the list would never end. This is the 2nd thing to keep in mind when booking a room at Belmond Charleston Place since it really saved a lot of money rather than going to a restaurant for every meal. Those Charleston restaurants can get to be pricey so this snack bar took treat yo'self to another level, literally.

Overview

Ryan Sides Photos

Overall, this hotel was a dream! The rooms are definitely way pricier than your average hotel though so, personally, I would only book it for a special occasion such as an anniversary trip, girls weekend (split the cost), wedding, conference, etc. You could probably find a deluxe room for somewhere in the $400's but it could definitely range. When noting the location, club level food/drink perks, quality of everything, it may just be worth the extra cost though! 

I cannot wait to share some more photos of our stay with my friends Molly, Holly, and Marianne! We had a girls day and took some photos while getting ready for dinner one night so check back for those next week! 

XO, Shelby

This post is in partnership with Belmond Charleston Place. All opinions are my own. 

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Stripes in the City

I spent the past few days visiting Charleston and it, honestly, never gets old. I love finding new spots each visit, staying in a new hotel each time, or trying a new restaurant. One of my favorite things to do in this charming city, hands down, is to simply take walks. Walks around the quiet sections of the city where it's a bit more residential is my favorite, favorite thing to do! I feel like I'm in another country and I never get tired of it, even when it's 95 degrees like this past weekend. 

Shop the Look:

Dress: Striped Bell-sleeve Dress c/o || Shoes: Grey Wedge Sandal, similar option || Sunglasses: Fitzroy  Sunglasses c/o  || Watch: Black/Brown Leather Watch c/o Kapten & Son || Bag: Mini Suki Crossbody

Summer in New England

Today I'm sharing some photos from early last month when we traveled up to Rhode Island to pay tribute to my Uncle Pete along with my mom's entire side of the family. Our family planned a gathering and it was so nice to be able to catch up with all of them in the same place. We had a cookout in the perfect 70 degree New England summer weather and I was able to snap some fun photos that evening! It's always nice to contribute something to this type of gathering to say thanks so I decided to bring over a couple bottles of Sequoia Grove wine. My family loves wine. They love drinking wine and my parents even have their own little vineyard! So, needless to say, these bottles were a hit. 

The Best Shoes To Buy This Week

Dress: Bell Sleeve Woven Shift Dress || Shoes: 'Noble' Over the Knee Boot in Grey Suede

Shop The Shoes:
1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14

If you haven't had a chance to take a look at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, you should head over there right now! Out of all of the sale sections in the entire store, the shoes would have to be my absolute fave. Why is it best to buy them this week? At the end of the week, the sale will open up to non-cardholders and things will sell out very quickly, if not already! Good quality shoes that will last and get you through the fall and winter are the best thing to buy in this sale, in my opinion. These are all of my top favorites and these & these both came home with me this weekend.

Happy Monday!

xo, Shelby

A Quick Trip to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Dress: Bell Sleeve Woven Shift Dress (Sale Price: $31.90; Price after August 8: $48 ) || Booties: Rudie Studded Fringe Bootie (Sale Price: $99.90; Price after August 8: $170)

Over the past few years, I've grown to be an avid Nordstrom Anniversary Sale shopper. There isn't any other sale of its kind in the way it offers brand new fall merchandise at marked down prices before fall even starts. Yesterday was the first day the sale was open to cardholders so I took a quick trip after work to see what it had in store for us this year (literally). It was SO good! I didn't expect to buy a ton last night but I did want to get an overall feel for what I might buy online in the coming days/weeks. You can bet I went home with these fringe booties though and plan on wearing them all fall & winter long! 

Summer Date Night Ideas

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Santa Margherita Wines for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every now and then, I like to go on a fun date with TJ and summer is the perfect time! It's a great time to be outside in the evening (don't forget bug spray!) and there are so many fun activities to do this time of year. For a perfect date night, simple is always a good idea. Today, I'm sharing some simple summer date night ideas with Santa Margherita Prosecco, the perfect quality wine for any occasion. 

Little Swing Dress

I'm popping in for a quick post today because this week has gotten the best of me. I feel like the entire next month of July will fly by and I have approximately 80 things to do before August! Not complaining though. Just slowly but surely learning time management while still learning how to get to bed at a decent hour. I just had to share this favorite dress of mine, though. The intricate linen & cotton details caught my eye as soon as I saw it in the store and I love how the swing shape could flatter any body type!

Get the Look:

Dress: Cottonwood Swing Dress || Shoes: Jules Platform Wedges || Watch: Kapten & Son c/o || Earrings: similar

The Outer Banks: Rainy Day Edition

I'm back with one last OBX post for you. If you follow along on my blog, you might have read my top favorite things to do in the Outer Banks a few weeks ago. The majority of that list revolved around outdoor activities because after all, it is the beach! But you never know if you'll have a rainy day or two on your vacation and there are a lot of hidden spots you'll want to know about in times like those.

Wear Now and Later

Today I'm sharing a couple looks featuring J. McLaughlin's new Wear Now collection, inspired by high quality and timeless pieces that'll take you from cool summer nights to those breezy fall mornings. With how fast time flies, it'll be fall before you know it and I don't know about you but I've recently been going through my closet and seeing what I need/don't need/etc. One thing that every girl should have in her closet: a sweater that will last!

Get the look:

Sweater: Bora Sweater c/o || Pants: 'Jamie' High Waist Skinny Jeans || Hat: Straw Fedora || Scarf: Reese Striped Scarf c/o || Shoes: White Wedges || Earrings: Kendra Scott || Watch: Classic York 36mm c/o

Tuft and Needle Review

I'm slowly but surely becoming more adult-ish (with the exception of the above photo). When you find yourself looking for a new mattress, you know you've entered adulthood. As someone who can only function after a good night's sleep, I knew I needed a quality mattress! I had no idea how expensive they are though, not to mention how bulky and inconvenient most are. Enter: Tuft and Needle. A twenty-something girl's mattress dream come true! 

Embroidered Summer Blouse

This flowy blouse caught my eye almost immediately upon walking into one of my favorite stores a few weeks ago. This periwinkle color is one of my favorites to wear and I love the detail of the bell-sleeves! I paired it with some of my favorite skinny jeans that just so happen to have the most adorable but subtle stripes. Scroll down to see more details of this blue on blue summer look that can be transitioned into fall perfectly.

Get This Look:

Top: Embroidered Adena Top || Pants: Striped Denim || Shoes: White Wedges || Clutch: All-in-One Clutch || Earrings: Margaret Elizabeth || Watch: Kapten & Son c/o

At-Home Teeth Whitening

I knew once June rolled around, I'd be a lot more busy with wedding planning and other special occasions. With that said, there are always a few must-do's I have before those types of events. I like to try to get in my best shape fitness-wise, drink more water to clear my skin, and last but not least, whiten my teeth. As someone who spent six years working in dental offices, I take my dental health and whitening pretty seriously. With our engagement photos recently, I wanted to make sure that TJ and I both had some pearly whites. After all, we'll have those photos forever and they aren't the cheapest things so we might as well look our best in them! While my teeth were already fairly white, I was still interested in seeing how the product would work. 

Hello July + $600 Nordstrom Giveaway

Hello July!

I want to give July the proper welcome and to do that, I have to say adios to June the right way! June was delightful as it always is. Here are a little bit of my favorite memories from this past month of adventure, family, friends, and fun. BUT FIRST, haven't you heard about the best sale of the year? Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is right around the corner and today you can WIN $600 to Nordstrom by entering the giveaway at the bottom of this post! Scroll down to find out how to win just in time for July 14th (the day the sale opens to cardholders). This is a sale you definitely don't want to miss! It's the perfect time to stock up on new, high quality, fall pretties!

My Favorite View in Rhode Island

Top: Meadowbrook Blouse || Pants: Pilcro Hyphen Chinos || Shoes: Slide Sandal || Hat: Straw Fedora || Sunglasses: Aviators || Watch: Classic York 36mm || Earrings

I grew up visiting my mom's side of the family up in Rhode Island each summer and this past weekend we were able to visit for just a short time! It's such a unique place. You have to visit to really understand how beautiful it is. You get a panoramic view of the ocean there are rock cliffs overlooking the water. Last Saturday, we woke up extra early before family gatherings and we drove out to one of our favorite views!

Coastal Summer Wear

maxi cover-up: c/o Jarrett Bay || hat: straw fedora (similar)

A few weeks ago, we took a quick trip down to Isle of Palms and spent a little time at the beach on the most gorgeous sunny day. June is, by far, my favorite month of the year to visit the beaches of NC and SC. Why? Not everyone is out of school and the beaches aren't quite as crowded as July and early August! Plus, the weather is just right. As I was packing for a day at the beach, I made sure to pack a cover-up and a hat to keep me from getting burned the day before our engagement photos (that would've been bad). I packed this maxi cover-up from Jarrett Bay, a company based in North Carolina! 

A Peek Into Our Living Room + Gallery Wall

One of my favorite things to do in my free time (what is that?) is decorate my apartment. As much as I love going out to eat, seeing friends, and going to events around town, I will never get tired of a relaxing night at home and a home cooked meal followed by a movie with TJ and Colbie. I've wanted to completely redecorate our living room for quite some time since it never really had a solid theme or color scheme going on. As you look through these photos, you'll see a new gallery wall I created with Minted framed art, a whole lot of white and grey, with a bunch of pops of blue. 

What To Do In The Outer Banks

As I mentioned last week, I visited The Outer Banks a couple weeks ago with TJ and we were determined to become OBXperts! You can follow along on the hashtag #DareYouToOBX on Instagram to see more photos of what the entire group did that week. The Outer Banks is truly a special place that is not only rich in history but also rich in adventure! These beautiful islands off the coast of NC are home to several unique landmarks including numerous lighthouses and fishing piers, Jockey's Ridge, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, wild horses in Corolla, and beautiful beaches to relax or do all types of water sports. It really is the perfect summer spot for just about anyone whether you like to relax and not move from your beach chair, explore, swim, fish, drive on the beach, see horses, ride horses, or eat some really good seafood.

Today I am sharing a list of things I would consider some of the best activities to do while visiting The Outer Banks. All of these activities are outdoors so they'd be perfect for a sunny day. It rained a couple days we were there so maybe next week, I'll talk about my favorite things to do on a rainy day!

How To Wrap a Bouquet of Fresh Flowers

Dress: Tasseled Halter Maxi Dress (on sale!) || Shoes: Slide Sandals || Bag: Coach Dinky Crossbody in Chalk c/o || Watch: Daniel Wellington c/o (get 15% off with code 'PRETTYINTHEPINES) || Sunglasses: Aviator Sunglasses in Gold

It seems the older I get, the more I become more like my mom in the way that we love flowers. I usually have to control myself in the grocery stores (especially Trader Joe's!) but I just can't say no to soft pink roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and all the greenery! It is the best piece of home decor you can find... thanks Mother Earth! Fresh flowers also are a perfect gift to bring to a friend or loved one but the plastic wrapping at the grocery store can sometimes take away from the natural/earthy vibes. So, today I'm showing you a super quick tutorial on how to wrap your flower bouquets to make them look even more beautiful! 

Ocean Blue Beach Essentials

When I was packing for the beach a couple weeks ago, I made a list of a few important things I didn't want to forget: a beach-cover up, swimsuit, hat, casual sandals, sunscreen... the list goes on. I like to try to plan well in advance and also try to throw in a couple new summer pieces for fun! When I came across this blue banana leaf cover-up by Escapada Living, I knew it had to come with me along with this blue high-waisted bikini. 

Summer Day in Manteo, Nags Head, and Kitty Hawk

June has always been one of my favorite months of the year. It usually involves the most traveling, boat rides, beach trips, marks the start of summer, and I go into a summertime state of mind. I feel the most alive this time of year, while the anxious thoughts of work and life fade away. So, you could probably imagine I was beyond excited to partner with The Outer Banks this month and become an #OBXpert!

Friday Favorites

Swim Top: Floral Border Print Top || Swim Bottom: Floral Border High Waisted Bottoms || Hat: Straw Fedora || Umbrella: Striped Beach Umbrella

It's Friday and today I'm sharing a few recent favorites in all things fashion and life! I got back from the Outer Banks last night and had the best time. I'll share more photos from the trip next week. 

Let's get started...

1) Dillard's Swimsuits. When I was searching for a cute swimsuit to bring to the OBX, I stumbled upon the cutest high waisted swimsuits at Dillard's (who would have thought?!)... a place that I haven't really shopped at lately but that will probably change now! Shop some of my favorite ones:

2) Caprese Pasta Salad. I tried this recipe a week ago and ate the entire thing way too quickly. It was delicious, so fresh tasting, and my favorite pasta salad I've ever made. You have to try it this weekend!

3) TJ! My fiancé is an all-time favorite of mine but TODAY marks our 1 year countdown until I get to marry my best friend. June 10th, 2017. We are heading to Charleston this weekend to get some wedding to-do's completed. We're looking forward to some food tasting on Monday! I'm also very, very excited to have engagement photos taken next week with our wedding photographers, Jake + Heather. I haven't shared much wedding planning details since I was thinking, "well, it's over a year away and I have plenty of time" but that is no longer the case! Over the next year, I'll be sharing plenty of wedding planning details in hopes to help some other future brides-to-be.

4) New friends. I met a bunch of awesome people on our trip this week and I hope you'll check them out. Each one of them taught me something new and even TJ learned a ton! It is so much fun getting a bunch of people together who have things in common yet also have their unique talents! Here are their sites: Meg Biram | Lavin Label | Feast and West | Spicy Candy DC | Kelli Boyd Photography | A Lacey Perspective

I hope y'all have a wonderful Friday and weekend! Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for a new website design sometime very soon. I can't wait to share the new logo & design.

xo, Shelby

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What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

Dress: to rent: Halston Heritage Lilac Disco Maxi Dress c/o || to buy $: Halston Hertiage || Shoes: Sam Edelman || Clutch: GiGi New York || Earrings:3-in-1 Flora Chandeliers

I'm sure some of you all might have a wedding or two to attend this summer. We went to a beautiful wedding of a friend of mine this weekend at The Duke Mansion in Charlotte. It was gorgeous and although it isn't officially "summer" for a few more weeks, it sure felt like it this weekend at 94 degrees! As I sat there in the ceremony seeing the men in their jackets sweating their faces off, I felt SO happy that I had decided to wear this flowy, breathable, and fun maxi dress. It was probably the most comfortable dress I could have ever found for a summer wedding! You can rent it here or if you're a millionaire, you can buy it here. 

Tropical Vibes

Anyone else feeling those tropical vibes?

You know you're due for a beach trip or a vacation in general when you keep finding yourself drawn to anything and everything beach-related, or in particular, palm-print covered. June is typically the month when my family would take a week off work and go stay at an oceanfront home somewhere on the coast of NC or SC. We're not doing that this year but TJ and I are going to the beach next week for a super exciting trip and we can't wait. If you aren't already following along on Instagram, click here! In preparation for that, I felt it would be the perfect time to share this palm print swing dress with you all! It is under $100 and has the prettiest island-y color scheme going on. 

Dress: Palm Print High-Neck Swing Dress || Shoes: 'Odynna' Pointy Toe Pump || Bag: 'Dinky' Crossbody in Chalk c/o || Watch: Leather Strap Watch || Lip Color: in 'Syrup'