Summer Swimwear Roundup!

May 2016

Happy Monday, gals! If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have seen that I am already enjoying summer activities here in Austin… Blake and I ventured to the Greenbelt for a little creekside swim and picnic on Saturday. It’s been raining so much recently that there was actually plenty of water (it’s a miracle!) and TONS of people were out enjoying some quality time outside with their friends, family and SO many pups…it was so much fun to see! Summer is hands down the most fun season for me because I can finally partake in one of my very favorite activities..SWIMMING! Oh…and summer vacations aren’t so bad, either! 😉 But in all seriousness, once Austin hits those super high temps, you can find me swimming laps at the pool everyday (not even kidding, that’s my main form of exercise in the summer… I LOVE it!). Both my parents grew up as competitive swimmers (as in, held statewide records…true story!) so my siblings and I like to joke that we were swimming before we learned to walk.. which somehow I wouldn’t doubt knowing my parents love for the water, ha!

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

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!

Exploring The Mediterranean – What To Wear

May 2016

Hello there! Well… I have some very exciting news to share with you all!! Blake and I are headed on a Mediterranean getaway next week…and I am SO EXCITED! I am partnering with Princess Cruises to share our adventures as we fly from Austin to Barcelona and from there, board the ship and travel around the coast of Spain, France and Italy. Y’all…is this REAL LIFE?! I must admit, when I received the email from Princess Cruises I actually started crying tears of pure joy haha! GIANT goon over here, but it’s not everyday you get to partner with an incredible travel brand and bring your love along for the ride! Needless to say, I am so thrilled to relax, enjoy the view and soak in the gorgeous scenery as we travel around for 8 days! We depart late next week and we finally booked our flights yesterday soo… it’s. all. really. happening. AH!

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! 😉

SHOP MORE CASLON FAVORITES

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

Instagram Roundup: May 15, 2016

May 2016

Hey there! How is your weekend going? Mine has been an interesting one…! Blake is out of town so I’m flying solo for four days, and it has definitely been an adjustment for me, ha! I guess I didn’t realize that we literally do almost everything together…soooo, it’s been super weird to have so much alone time, I’m ready for him to come back…been missing him like crazy! Let’s just say I’ll most definitely be counting down the hours until I scoop him up from the airport tomorrow morning! With more time I’ve been able to knock out wedding planning to-do’s with my mom and visit with girlfriends I don’t see as often as I’d like, so that part has been really nice. However, I’m super ready to have my other half back! True story: I stayed at my parents house on Friday night and went grocery shopping at 11pm last night…clearly I don’t know what the heck to do with myself while he’s away ha!

Loot Vintage Decor (Swoon Alert!)

May 2016

Happy weekend, loves! I am thrilled to share today’s post because it is dear to my heart to feature a local Austin company that I admire deeply! As y’all know, I am a big fan of vintage goods and often speak to being able to carry my grandmother’s vintage handbags or my mom’s jewelry from when she was a teenager – there’s just something so special and priceless about wearing pieces with such rich history and stories behind them. Thus, it’s no surprise that as I was in the thick of wedding planning, everything that seemed to catch my attention was that beautiful whimsical, vintage feel – and I quickly realized after doing some research around Austin, there was a company that understood this love fully and set out to make this vision a reality at events all over town.

I introduce to you, Loot Vintage! Enjoy scrolling through the photos below (hey, I warned y’all there would be lots of swooning in this post, ha!) and read through an interview with the fabulous co-owner, Rhoda, at the end of this post – trust me, you’re in for a treat!

Ps. The photo above and directly below are actually our wedding venue!! Eek, SO gorgeous!! Can’t wait until September!

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? 😉 ).

SHOP SIMILAR TOPS

Instagram Roundup: May 7, 2016

May 2016

Hi there, gals! How is your weekend going? We’re in full-on wedding planning mode over in our abode – finally addressing our save the dates (it’s a miracle, ha!)..literally, Blake and I have them scattered on the floor in our living room, diving headfirst! Music is humming on the record player (Leon Bridges has been on repeat lately…soooo good, his voice is buttahh-cream!) and we’ve got a big pot of coffee brewing (already had two cups early this morning…in need of as much fuel as I can get today!). Needless to say, we’re off to a productive and lovely start to the weekend! 🙂

I have been loving all of your comments on my Instagram posts lately asking me to add certain photos to my Instagram roundup posts – seriously, this helps me so much to make sure I include the outfits y’all want to see most! I’m working to add a Like To Know It tab on my website, so you can just shop all of my Instagrams as they pop up straight from this tab…will be so helpful because these Instagram Roundup blog posts take me quite a long time to do + y’all won’t have to wait weeks for me to create them! More on that later as it moves along, I’ll update y’all asap when it’s live!

Recently I’ve been drawn to crisp whites, pretty florals and distressed denim…as you probably noticed from my Instagram account! You can never go wrong investing in pretty basics (like this tank top below) and floral prints are just so whimsical and girly (which I am a big fan of, ha), and of course, adding a little distressed look to your jeans brings about that effortlessly cool vibe that’s “so hot right now” as quoted from Zoolander. 😉 Enjoy shopping my latest looks and if you don’t already, you can follow me on Instagram for more outfit inspiration!

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.

Shopbop 40% Off Sale!

May 2016

Hey ladies! Keeping it short and sweet tonight with a super S A L E roundup at one of my favorite retailers – Shopbop! This surprise sale only lasts 2 more days, so hurry and scoop up these killer deals on designer handbags (seriously, if you’re going to invest in a designer bag, now is the time – how gorgeous are those Michael Kors and Tory Burch bags? Stunning!), sunglasses (Ray-Ban’s for $112…pretty much unheard of) and SHOES galore!

**Scroll over images above and click to shop

SHOP SHOES

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SHOP SWIM

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