The Prettiest Embroidered Top

May 2016

Happy Friday, gals! Do you have any exciting weekend plans in the works? I have a to-do list that’s inching close to a mile long before our trip, so I’ll be in go-go-go mode until next Thursday when we hit the airport and it’s all smooth sailin’ from there! 🙂 Tomorrow I am shooting my next Style Me Pretty post and it’s featuring some fun themed goodie bags for my bridal party for my big bachelorette shindig! I’m doing a “destination bachelorette trip” so I can’t wait to share where we’re headed to…but for now, I’ll be sharing sneak peeks on my Snapchat (livvylandblog) as I shoot this next SMP post! Hint: It’s a mermaid themed bachelorette trip… 😉

Nowww to this outfit..! 😉 Two weeks ago I drove into Dallas to visit with one of my best friends and I snapped these photos while we were out and about! As y’all know, I like to feature looks that you can wear everyday and showcase specific items that you can re-style to get the most out of your wardrobe, and I felt like this look encompassed pieces that you can absolutely wear over and over again. And come to think of it, I’ve worn each of these items in different ways recently on my blog and Instagram feed, so already you have some styling inspiration at your fingertips! 😉 This top would be so cute with cutoff denim shorts for summer and these jeans would be equally adorable paired with a free flowing off-shoulder top. Voila, two items, so many outfit possibilities!

Boyfriend Jeans

May 2016

Hi there ladies! How is your week going? Hopefully it’s off to a great start! Blake is finally home (hooraaaay!) so after I picked him up from the airport this morning we went and grabbed breakfast tacos and cuddled up on the couch for a bit… aka, my happy place! Gah, I missed him like crazy, so glad he’s home!! Already have a feeling this week is going to be a good one (and him being around definitely helps, ha!).

In other news, I am so excited to partner with Nordstrom today and spotlight one of my favorite brands they carry: Caslon! As y’all know, I worked at Nordstrom all throughout college (winter/summer breaks) and even after I graduated (hey, it’s tough to find a job in journalism in this city, ha!), so I am very familiar with the brands they carry and jumped at the opportunity to feature a few Caslon items! Nordstrom is one of my very favorite retailers because they carry such an array of items to fit any body type and any budget…Nords is pretty much my go-to for clothes, shoes, handbags…you name it, I am happily walking out of the mall with that little silver bag any chance I get! 😉

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A big thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

Casual Tee & Slip-On Sneakers

May 2016

Wahooo, we made it this far! 😉 This morning I am headed to Dallas to visit one of my besties (Lauren from the fashion blog Vandi Fair) and I am SO EXCITED to see her! It’s only been about a month since our last gathering, but she’s one of those friends that when we’re together, it’s non-stop silliness and laughing…thus, I always look forward to seeing her! We’re meeting a few other bloggers for lunch and then going to snap some photos around Dallas, then I’m headed right back to Austin – quick little day trip! I’ll likely consume an unhealthy amount of coffee to make it through our busy day ahead, ha! Blake is headed to visit his best friend in Atlanta tomorrow, so I definitely want to get back and take him to the airport early in the morning (..like, 5am early..eek!)…all good, I always enjoy waking him up and having coffee while he packs, then giving him a big ‘ol farewell bear hug and smooch at the airport…wouldn’t miss that opportunity! 😉

Now that we’re inching towards the weekend, I felt that sharing this casual skinny jeans, lace-back tee and slip-on sneakers combo was appropriate. 😉 It’s pretty much the ultimate “oh ya know, just going for a casual coffee run!” look.. 😉 Ps. Every time I take blog photos I always start by grabbing coffee…for one, it’s delicious and two, depending on the weather it either cools me off or warms me up… it’s my photo shoot staple! (No surprise there, right? 😉 ).

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Mother’s Day Coffee Date Featuring New York & Co.

May 2016

Hello there! Me oh my I am SO excited to finally share this much-anticipated post with y’all! MamaWat (which is what my friends call my mother – short for “Mama Watson” or rather, Kim Watson) joined me for a coffee date at Jo’s on South Congress Avenue in Austin for a Mother’s Day collaboration with New York & Company (…aren’t our outfits adorable?!). Seriously, I LOVED having my mom by my side for this collab, I love her so much…it’s kind of ridiculous, really! We made this post a family affair and my sister snapped these photos – special shoutout to Kimberlee for being an amazing photographer and capturing such wonderful moments for this post!

I am so lucky that my mom lives roughly 10 minutes from my apartment (…that may or may not have been on purpose, ha!) because as I get older, I realize more and more how lucky I am to be so close to her and really know she’s one of my best friends and someone who will always be there for me. I say this all the time, but there really is no one quite like a mom – they provide a sense of comfort that no one else can compare to – and after raising 5 kids of her own, I’d say my mom is an absolute expert at making us feel so loved and taken care of, I really do believe it was her calling to create such a loving and beautiful family. (All 5 of us still reside in Austin…so if that doesn’t tell you something about the family love we have and that my parents instilled in us, then I don’t know what does, ha!).

A big thank you to New York & Company for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

Printed Dress & Blush Jacket

May 2016

…Of course I post this juuuust as the weather drops a bit in Austin! Ha, typical..! 😉 I guess that draped front jacket will come in handy again…however, I may swap the breezy shift dress for jeans until the heat comes back (…it’s been VERY windy in Austin…trust me, makes for quite an interesting public photo session haha! Which mostly consists of me leaning up closely against the wall and trying my hardest to keep my dress from flying up from all angles, half mortified and half genuinely terrified the wind will win that battle…I gotta say, Marilyn made that moment look pretty darn graceful, ha! Those outtakes will just stay in my trash folder…that’s for sure.. 😉 ).

Now that I’ve spilled my guts about the awkward woes of snapping photos in public (ha! That is a true struggle of mine, quite a weird and vulnerable thing to do!), we can move on to this look..(the good stuff, right? 😉 ). My dress is a razorback shift dress that has a zipper down the back (as you can see in the 4th photo in this post) and a fabulous paisley print and some intricate stitching along the bustline. This thing is TOO cute and so perfect to take you from spring (when paired with a jacket) all the way to summer (literally just nix the jacket..okay and maybe add a tan…and perhaps a topknot if we’re talkin’ Texas heat 😉 and voila, golden for summer! This dress is super affordable and I’m wearing a size small for reference. I’m a big fan of Sun & Shadow products, too, LOVE this brand and buy a lot of their pieces! Great fit, quality and an amazing price point.

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Floral Print Halter Midi Dress

April 2016

Hello there! How’s your week going? We are SO CLOSE to Friday…this week just seemed to zoom on by! (No complaints here, I have been anticipating a lazy Saturday since Monday..ha! 😉 ). Things have been crazy busy in my world this week – busy but good. 🙂 I am helping my sister get her Etsy store together at the moment, so that’s been a fun and different addition to my usual {hot mess of a} routine. She is a painter and beautiful artist, so we’ve been working to get some of her gorgeous prints up online so I can share her work with all of you! I’ve been such a big fan of her artwork (seriously…she is truly gifted..if you were to give me a pen and paper and ask me to draw anything, you’d quickly question how we’re related ha! Let’s just say I didn’t get that talent – like, at all!!). At the moment, all of the artwork you see in my photos (mainly Instagram) is by her – Blake and I joke that our apartment is basically a shrine to Kimberlee – ha!! Fine by me when it looks that good! I’ll tell you more about that later, super excited to share a big reveal post on my blog once we get everything set up on her Etsy store! Stay tuned for that. 🙂

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Casual Texas Wedding Guest Outfit

April 2016

Hi ladies, hope your week is off to a great start! I am super excited to partner up with Modcloth today and feature a fun little wedding attendee look for y’all! In my last blog post, I touched on how I am definitely in that stage of my life where weddings are happening left and right (…and if it’s not a wedding, it’s a shower or engagement party or… okay okay, you get the point!) – thus, it’s important to know how to dress for such occasions – and I’m here to help! 🙂

Given that I live in Austin (err…basically the most casual city ever) and most of the weddings I’ve attended here are primarily outdoor ceremonies or receptions, let’s just say it’s key to opt for a dress that flatters your figure and gives you plenty of breathe (…and breeze) room because let’s be honest…between the Texas humidity and crazy heat (y’all, we nearly hit 90 degrees today), you’ll want to pick a dress that accounts for all of the above and makes you feel beautiful! (Style tip to note: if you know you’ll be sweating at an event (hi, that’s me starting now through October 2016, ha!), prep in advance by wearing fabric that won’t show it! Crochet (like the one I’m wearing) is an excellent choice!).

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A big thank you to Modcloth for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

White Midi Dress & Braided Heels

April 2016

Hello there! How is your week going? My week has been filled with wedding planning (holy moly, there is still SO much that needs to be done…like…most of the wedding, AH!) and blog photo shoots (super excited to share my Style Me Pretty post with y’all…here’s a sneak peek!) thus, it’s been a hustle go-go-go type of week in my world. I was just telling my mom that I feel like my life revolves around coffee and wine at the moment…ha! Everyday I wake up with coffee, then end with a glass (or two) of red wine. Ohh adulthood, my how you came so quickly!

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Strappy Back Shift Dress – The Ultimate LBD

April 2016

True story: it was a torrential downpour when I shot this look…Can you tell?! Ohh that hair is a hawwwt mess! (There’s the Texas accent comin’ in strong with that one.. 😉 ). Last weekend I went to brunch with Veronica (one of my bestie’s who also happens to agree to take my blog photos and I appreciate and love her for it!!!) and after a lovely little coffee/mimosa/stuff-ourselves-silly date on the cutest patio at Hillside Farmacy, we decided to quickly snap some photos while we were out! But alas, midway through this “shoot,” it started crazy storming. Thus, we sat in Veronica’s car (she just got a super awesome Jeep that is about 3x the size of my ‘ol Versa & it has a moonroof (..sold!), so it’s always the obvious pick when deciding who’s car to drive!) to stay dry for a bit and watch the radar, then as soon as it cleared up for 30 seconds, we’d run out and go at it again, ha! Anyhoo, this is basically the outcome of a cute outfit combined with excessive rain and humidity…!

Printed Boho Tunic

April 2016

Hey there! How is your week going? We’re nearly to the weekend (YAY!) which means I can finally relax for a minute and hopefully hibernate inside (..apparently Austin is supposed to get some very rainy weather…which I’ll happily take if that means lounging in my pajamas for more than a socially acceptable amount of time..! 😉 Oh and a movie/cozy cuddle sesh with Blake doesn’t sound so bad, either!). Sooo.. y’all, tomorrow is my LAST DAY at work before hitting the blogging world full time…AH! Not going to lie, today after I left the office I definitely got emotional in my car (and called my mom to talk it out, obvs haha) just thinking of how wonderful the past year and a half has been…today I had multiple people come up to me and tell me how proud they were of me for creating this space and pursuing what I love to do..and that just hit me really hard – in a good way, of course! Just SO sweet and thoughtful and so incredible to hear from people I really respect and admire. However, as happy-sad as I am to leave a workplace I truly enjoy, I’m pretty darn excited to wake up on Monday morning and know the day is all to myself to do what I love most of all…let’s just say the anticipation for that day (and that feeling) is kind of killing me, ha! Let the countdown begin! 😉

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Outfits