Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: My Favorite Finds

Hi guys!

If you’re a fashion lover like me, then you probably know that today is the first day of early access for the Nordstrom Anniversary sale for all cardholders. I first heard about the sale two years ago and am always shocked by how many people shop it each year. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is unique because the items included are new styles for fall, not older or last season items! This sale is really the best time to stock up on all your fall looks because prices go back up once the sale is over!

This year’s sale is a little different. Usually card members can get early access a week before, but this year if you are a cardholder with Ambassador or Icon status you get to start shopping even earlier! Wednesday was the first day I could shop so I raced home from work and headed to the mall. I was debating sharing what I found because I feel like sometimes it can be a bit much with every blogger covering it, but you guys really seemed interested in what I got, so I figured I’d at least share some of the items that I really loved!

I swore before I walked in that I wouldn’t just get a bunch of sweaters, but here we are. I think my favorite two parts of the sale each year are sweaters and shoes, so it’s hard not to get carried away when I see all the new and coziest styles. Here are a few that I really couldn’t live without!

1.Chelsea28 Cowl Neck Sweater | Color: Beige Oatmeal Light Heather | My size: XS

2.BB Dakota Up to Speed Faux Leather Moto Jacket | Color: Parchment | My size: XS

3.Something Navy Flecked Crewneck Sweater | Color: Pink Windsome Combo | My size: XS

4.Caslon Side Snap Tunic Sweater | Color: Beige Oatmeal Light Heather | My size: XS (regular – fits like a dress on me and I’m 5’3”)

5.Leith Longline Cardigan (pictured above) | Color: Pink Adobe | My size: XXS

6.Leith Longline Cardigan | Color: Beige Oatmeal Medium Heather | My size: XXS

7.Make + Model ‘Gotta Have It’ V-Neck Tee | Color: White | My size: XS

8.Sperry Crest Vibe Platform Sneaker | Color: White/Tan Leather | My size: 6.5

9.Caslon Evelyn Genuine Calf Hair Mule | Color: Leopard Print Calf Hair | My size: 6.5

10. Halogen Button Sleeve Turtleneck Sweater | Color: Pink Bride | My size: XS

If you shop the sale, let me know! Also, if you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below or reach out to me!

Last Minute Fourth of July Finds on Amazon

Hi guys,

I really can’t believe it’s already July. I feel like I blinked and June flew by. The Fourth of July is this week, but if you lost track of the days like I did, no need to worry! You can still find the perfect look for whatever patriotic event you have on the schedule. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite red, white, and blue finds that you can have in 2 days or less through Amazon Prime! Let me know what you think!

Love,

Ashley

Red Sunglasses

Blue Gingham Romper

Red Romper

Handkerchief Crop

American Flag Bikini

Red Bikini

My Favorite Summer Jumpsuits

It’s not easy to strike a balance between looking good and feeling comfortable when choosing an outfit. That’s why simple pieces that do both are a staple in my closet. This is especially true in the summer when warm, lazy days call for even less effort.

Luckily, there’s no need to sacrifice style when you’re looking for something easy and breezy to slip on for a day exploring or a night out, because today I’m sharing some of my favorite summer jumpsuits! Even better, they’re all under $100! I love jumpsuits because one piece and you have an outfit. They look put together and stylish and no one even has to know just how comfortable you are!

My Jumpsuit | Abercrombie

Forever 21

Gap

Revolve

Lulus

If you guys like them, please let me know! I’m always trying to learn from you to figure out what content to share going forward!

Vest Dressed

When it comes to fall looks, vests are a staple so today I’m sharing two different fall looks  styled with vests. I love how these two looks are unique but all I did was change one piece. The longer duster vest is perfect for work or more formal looks. I love wearing it with jeans for a more casual look or with black pants and a blouse for a dressier look.

The green vest is perfect to dress up all different ways too. I’ve worn it often with jeans like I’ve styled it with here and with leggings and a sweater (see that look here). Vests can be so versatile and are a great way to change up a look and add a warming layer without the bulk of a jacker. I love wearing puffer vests too (see here for some of my favorite puffer vest styles).

I get most of my vests either from T.J. Maxx or J.Crew. I love the puffer vests at J.Crew and J.Crew factory and Old Navy sells a great alternative as well.

What are some of your favorite ways to style a fall vest? Comment below!

Cozy Fall Layers

There’s a lot to love about fall, but one thing I could definitely do without is the colder weather. The best way to combat the cooler days is with cozy fall layers, so today I’m sharing one of my favorite fall looks.

There are a couple of ways to mix up a classic look and make it fall ready – you can add an oversized scarf to transform a classic white shirt and some jeans. I found this green scarf at Nordstrom Rack and its Free People. I love it and will most likely be wearing it nonstop this fall and winter.

As for the rest of my outfit, my jeans are from Loft, my top is from Tobi, my boots are Vince Camuto, and my bracelet is from Francesca’s.

What are some of your favorite ways to change up your wardrobe for fall? Comment below!

What’s in my Mug

I used to firmly believe that crisp fall mornings were meant for sleeping in and staying in my warm bed for as long as possible. Now that I have a puppy who wakes me up before the sun even thinks to rise, I find myself enjoying a new part of the fall days. One thing that makes it easier for most people (myself included) to wake up earlier is caffeine. I have never been a major coffee fanatic, but lately I find I’m starting to rely on it more and more. Now that the fall season is in full swing, I get to bring my love of all things pumpkin into the mix. To celebrate my new fond love (need) for coffee in my daily life, I am sharing what’s in my mug through the week:

Weekday Mornings

I am up and out of the house around 6:00 on the weekdays, so caffeine is a must. To be honest, I never actually learned how to make coffee in a pot (I can imagine it’s probably a super obvious process that would nonetheless confuse me), so having a Keurig is a lifesaver. I have three different fall-themed K-cups that I use:

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Medium Roast Coffee Keurig K-Cup Pod

Green Mountain Coffee Pumpkin Spice Coffee Medium Roast K-Cop Pod

and Stop & Shop’s Pumpkin Spice Keurig K-Cup Pod

I love how quick and easy it is to have my coffee ready to go. I have really begun to appreciate travel mugs. This adorable Kate Spade one was a gift from my best friend Abby! It’s really coming in handy these days, so thanks Babs! Because my love of pumpkin is extreme. I also add pumpkin flavored creamer to cut down the bitterness a little.

When it feels like Summer but looks like Fall

On fall days that feel like they belong back in August, I stay with my pumpkin theme but keep things cool by getting and iced coffee instead. My mom and I love Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Swirl flavor. She gets it hot and black with just one pump, while I’ll take it hot or cold with almond milk. When the weather gets cooler, I tend to switch over to hot coffee, so it’s nice to be able to shake things up every once in a while.

Whenever I can find an excuse to go to a Starbucks

The Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks is one of my all-time favorite things about fall. Any time I’m out running errands or need a midday pick me up, I find myself wandering in to get one. The other day I got an extra one for free and I was so happy I wanted to hug the barista. These cups of happiness really just make my day.

What are some of your go-to drinks?

I wanted to hear all about what’s in you mug too, so comment below!

The Monthly Mix: Prosecco Paloma

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to share my new little project with you guys: the Monthly Mix! Each month I will be sharing a new drink recipe on the blog. I honestly can’t wait to find new drink recipes myself because I’m getting a little tired of the same old cocktails and am definitely ready to shake things up a little (see what I did there..).

September is a tricky month because everyone starts gearing up for fall but the weather is still warm most of the way through. This seems especially true this year in Boston because most days have been in the mid-70s and above! Because of this, I decided to choose a fun new twist on a classic refreshing drink, the Prosecco Paloma.

This new concoction came to me recently after discovery two great things in this world: 1. The Paloma and 2. Trader Joe’s Grapefruit Prosecco. The only thing I don’t like about this drink is how long it took me to find out about it. I have lived 22 whole years of my life never having heard the word ‘Paloma.’ Granted, up until a year and half ago it didn’t pertain to me much, but now that I’m feeling 22 and living out my life as a post-grad, I knew it was time to find something to order out at a bar or restaurant.

Before I get into this drink, I’ll give you some background on the classic Paloma.  Let my preface this by saying that I am an avid tequila lover. To some this is a deal breaker, so if this is you, don’t be alarmed, I’ve found this recipe works great with vodka too! If you are like me and a big tequila fan, or even a moderate tequila fan and don’t know what a Paloma is, then you’re in luck because I’m about to blow your mind. Conversely, if you are far more sophisticated than me and have known about this drink forever,  then sorry, but stay with me because this isn’t your typical Paloma here.

So I’ve ordered just a regular Paloma a few times now, – you know, making sure I did my thorough research and all – and I’ve discovered a few things. First, there are a couple different ways to mix up this classic. Some make it with grapefruit soda, while others opt for grapefruit juice and soda water. Personally, I like it best with fresh grapefruit and lime juice and seltzer, I think the soda is too sweet. Second, the tequila used plays a major role in this drink. I feel like this is may be and obvious observation and true with all drinks, but especially in this case, get the good stuff. I am certainly not an tequila expert, but I pretty much exclusively drink Patron because its clean and doesn’t make me want to curl up in a ball once the sun rises the next day. So as far as your typical Paloma goes, here are the main takeaways: stick to the good stuff- fresh juices, clean clear tequila, and seltzer are all you need, may be a little simple syrup if you like things on the sweeter side.

A Paloma is also a great lower calorie alternative to other drinks like margaritas and fruity cocktails. It really just depends on what you put in and without the added sugar of soda there isn’t much “bad” in it. You can find my favorite classic recipe here. Now onto my own twist…

I am a big grapefruit fan, again something that people seem to either love or hate. I am also a big Prosecco fan. Putting this all together, I was beyond ecstatic when my darling mother came home with a bottle of grapefruit Prosecco from Trader Joe’s. I instantly dreamed up a way to combine it with my newfound favorite: the Paloma. I think the Prosecco strikes the perfect balance between the bubbles of the seltzer, while adding a little more sweetness without being too much like the soda. Given all the ingredients, I guess you could argue this is more of a summer drink, but I personally love it and think it can be consumer year round…where there’s a will there’s a way!

This drink is perfect for parties and I am just in love with the color of it. If I’m being completely honest, the color alone would have probably been enough to entice me and was one of the things that made me fall in love with Palomas before I even tasted one. I added some cute straws from Target to complete the look (they were $1 for the pack, so I couldn’t resist). I had a blast sipping this drink. I hope you guys like this recipe and be sure to let me know what you think below in the comments section! I would also love to hear if you have any suggestions for upcoming monthly mixes, so if there is anything I should true, comment below!

 

A Sunny Lunch at Sea

Hi guys,

In my last post I talked about my family visiting and how I got to adventure around my home state with them. One of those adventures was a lunch cruise around the Boston Harbor aboard the Odyssey. I have gone on the Odyssey before for a dinner cruise. I absolutely love it every time. It was cool getting the chance to see the views in the daylight and it was absolutely beautiful out.

For my adventure at sea, I wore a pink ruffle top bodysuit and my favorite white eyelet shorts, both from Forever 21. I also wore a pair of nude wedges that I got a few years back and still love to wear. My bag was probably my favorite part of the whole outfit! It was such a fun way to add pops of pink to an everyday summer bag. I got it at Homegoods for under $20 and the best part is that’s insulated, so I can use it as a cooler when I head out for a day at the beach!

Shop this post

Bodysuit: Forever 21 | Shorts: Forever 21 (similar here) | Shoes: Jessica Simpson (similar here) | Bag: Homegoods (similar here & here) |

 

A Dress for Every Spring Occasion

Guess what…it’s officially dress season! The temperatures are rising, the sun is hanging around longer, and the promise of a season filled with fun occasions is in the air. This spring is particularly busy for me because both my sister and I are graduating – her from high school and I from college. This means lots of reasons to play dress up!

For the past few weeks I have been scouring the internet to find the perfect dresses for everything from formal and day events of my senior week, to graduation ceremonies, to backyard parties. I figured I would share some of my favorite findings with you guys, in case you are in need of some pretty new looks as well. I have organized them by color and you can click on them to shop each one. Enjoy!

     

 

Let me know which are your favorites in the comment section below!

Pineapple Grove

Happy Friday!

If you guys are new to BSB, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite places and styles from me spring break trip to Florida that I took earlier this month. You can check out my other days here! Today’s post is about one of my favorite murals located on Pineapple Grove on Atlantic Avenue, in Delray Beach! I love all the fun colors and, of course, the pineapples!

I’m loving all things pineapple right now (like so many others). I actually recently purchased the cutest pineapple drink mixer from Tommy Bahama at Marshall’s. You can find a similar one here from amazon!

Anyway, my mom and I stayed pretty close to Atlantic Avenue, so we made frequent stops there. On our way to dinner at Park Tavern, we stopped by this mural to capture a few shots. We also walked around through some shops. I always love to go into the Tommy Bahama store on Atlantic (and the one by me at home) because I am in love with the smell. If you haven’t been in, and don’t know what I’m talking about, you need to go and smell for yourself.

Another favorite shop of mine is the Snappy Turtle, everything is so bright and colorful. It’s really like a dream. Even their dressing rooms are adorable. I love to stop in when I’m in the area and see all the bright patterns.

What are some of your favorite vacation shops? Comment below!

Outfit details: Romper: Tobi (mine is a few years old, so I’ve linked some similar yellow styles here, here, and here) | Jean Jacket: Forever 21 (Old, similar here and here) | Shoes: Old from DSW (similar here, here, and here) | Bag: Revolve, Lulus, Amazon |