Hi friends! I wore the cutesttt (can you tell the emphasis?) top and shorts a couple weekends ago! I always have a hard time finding shorts that don't make me self conscious in the summers. This will probably sound weird, but my legs are my least favorite thing on me and 90% of the shorts I try on accentuate all the wrong things. Typically they are too short, too tight (specifically with denim), too low waisted, or the cut in general is just not right. BUT, not with these! I got so excited when I tried these on because they literally fit perfectly in every area. The length is amazing, I love the high-waist, and the tie detail at the top is trending right now. They are also thin and lightweight so you won't be sweating during those hot summer days. You can also roll up the cuff on them one more time if you wanted to make them a little shorter. I paired them with this flirty little tie strap top. It comes in two colors, and fits true to size!
Phew, these last couple days have been crazy again! I swear I leave all errands and chores until the day before a trip every time. Does anyone else do that? Anyway, I am traveling to somewhere warm and tropical today! Can you guess where? Stay tuned on stories to see!
Good Morning! It's about time I talk about this outfit! I wore it a couple weeks ago to happy hour on the roof of the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel in Charlotte. They have a really cool rooftop bar called "Merchant and Trade" up there that's perfect for watching the sunset over a couple summer cocktails! I knew it was going to be hot, so I didn't want to wear a long maxi dress or something that couldn't breathe. So, I opted for these $55 shorts and they were perfect! I'm wearing a size US 6 and typically wear between a 4 and 6 in bottoms, so I would size up one size from what your normally wear. My top also comes in two colors and is perfect with so many things! It's saved the day numerous times in my closet so far, and I'm thinking the black one needs to be the newest add since they're so versatile. I also added a few similar options for shorts around the same price point in the widget below!
I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! We were in Charleston (blog post coming) for a wedding I was in. Every time we visit, we come home and say we are buying a second home or condo there ha! I've got another busy week ahead planning for an international trip, so I'm off to run errands and hopefully get my outfits planned out proactively for once. Wish me luck!
Hi friends! Happy almost weekend. We just made it to Charleston for the holiday and are so excited to be celebrating the marriage of two of our closest friends tomorrow! We are extending the weekend in light of the holiday and are hoping to get some beach time in Saturday and Sunday before heading to Lake Norman for a lake day Monday. Yes, we are water babies! Haha.
I wore this outfit back in Dallas during the RewardStyle conference, and have been hoping the pants would get fully restocked by now but sizes are still randomly popping up here and there so I figured I might as well share! I love the material of these pants because they're lightweight, stretchy, breathable, and perfect if you work in corporate - especially during the summer months. The tie-waist detail is so trendy right now, and who doesn't love a good pull on pant?! I paired it with this bodysuit (which is still fully in stock and a great staple item) for an edgier/night out look for the conference, but if you check out my Instagram you'll see it pairs perfectly with a plain t-shirt as well. Plenty of options!
We are headed to the rehearsal dinner shortly at the Harbor Club! It's one of the only places we haven't been too yet in Charleston so we are looking forward to checking it out! I've heard the rooftop is great, will keep you posted on stories! XOXO.
We are about to attend our third wedding in one months time! So, I felt like today's topic was very fitting seeing as wedding season is in full swing! Finding something to wear to a wedding can be a daunting task. Most of us don't just have a wide selection of cocktail dresses sitting around in our closet, so that means you are more than likely out shopping for options and texting your bff's to see what they're wearing. It's an even tougher task when the dress code is vague. And, if you're in the same phase of life as us - everybody is getting married. I think we attended a whopping nine weddings last year, plus our own! That's nine dresses I had to figure out because almost all of the weddings had the same, or similar guests in attendance and no specific theme. Holy stressful! So if you're in the same boat as me, hang tight because today I'm walking you through 6 no fail tips for always dressing the part.
1. First things first, figure out what time of day the wedding is taking place. Often times day time weddings can be a little more casual in the sense that a floral maxi dress is acceptable, while evening weddings typically require cocktail dresses.
2. Figure out the location of the wedding. Piggybacking off the above stated tip, if you're still unsure of what type of outfit to wear - the location can tell a lot about dress code. If it's an outdoor wedding in a garden at 2:00 PM, a floral maxi dress is a perfect option. If it's an indoor wedding in a church at 6 PM, a midi length cocktail dress is appropriate.
3. Never wear black or white to a wedding. Yea, yea - I know the whole don't wear black rule is phasing out amongst our generation, but what us millennials fail to remember is that weddings have guests of all ages, and many times our elders who are family members of the bride and groom can be offended by those wearing black. Believe me when I say, I've heard plenty of women whisper "I thought you weren't supposed to wear black to a wedding" to their neighbor as someone strolls past them to their seat at the ceremony. There are exceptions to this of course, for instance if the wedding is labeled "black tie" then this does not apply, but since we are talking about weddings with vague dress codes this is relevant. If you just rule both of these colors out, no one can ever say anything about it. Safe bet!
4. Err on the side of conservatism. I always opt for a dress that's at least knee length, if not longer. The dress pictured above is a "midi" length dress which is always a good length for a wedding no matter what the dress code is. Weddings are not the time or place to flaunt those toned legs you've been working so hard on in the gym. Believe me girl I get it, they look goooddd in that mini - but there will always be somebody judging you for wearing that to a wedding (or house of worship for that matter), so general rule of thumb: If you're questioning the length in the dressing room, rule it out.
5. If you can, find out what color the bridesmaids are wearing and avoid it. It's always a little awkward showing up in a dress that's the same color as the bridesmaids. You end up looking like the third wheel friend who wanted to be in the wedding but didn't get asked. I know that's probably not the case, but you get what I mean - it's just awkward.
6. Find a pair of neutral heels that are comfortable and go with everything. This is one of my favorite tips. If you're already buying multiple dresses, it's annoying to have to buy multiple pairs of shoes too. It's also not so classy to be running around the wedding barefoot when your feet hurt. I know we all do it, but if you can avoid having to do that - you're always winning. I found these little block heeled sandals and wear them with every guest of the wedding dress I have! They're neutral, beyond comfortable, the heel height is conservative, and they are good quality which means you'll get longevity out of them. I never have to take them off at any wedding we attend!
It's also worth mentioning if you find a dress you like that comes in multiple colors like this one (comes in 10 colors), it's perfectly okay to wear it again in a different color to the next wedding! Talk about easy and no one will notice! I'm actually thinking about ordering this version of the dress above for our next event!
PS: If you're looking for options on what to wear to your next wedding, I've done the work for you and put together a whole page of appropriate options for you here.
Memorial Day is right around the corner, eeekk! I always love this holiday. We typically spend tons of time on the water for Memorial Day Weekend, and this year we will be returning to Charleston for another wedding! Being festive is one of the most fun things about the holidays, so I thought this would be the perfect outfit to celebrate the weekends festivities in. Red, white, and denim! From the lake, to a BBQ, or under the fireworks - you can't go wrong with this little ensemble. It's perfect for all occasions and best of all, it's affordable. Both the top and shorts are under $100. Plus, how cute are the ties at the shoulders on the top?! They play off the sweet ruffles on the shorts perfectly. I'm wearing a small in both the top and shorts for reference and I'm linking a few other MDW options in the widget below!
A few of you had questions on when my work clothes would go up on @shopcheekybeen recently. I'm wrapping up transitioning all of my clients from my corporate job to my replacement this week and hope to start uploading them this weekend! I've supported these people for five years now, so I'm sad to part ways with some of them, but lawdddd I feel so much better in this new phase of life already! Lots of people have commented on how relaxed, and not stressed I look and it's honestly such a breath of fresh air! I can finally breathe again.
On that note, I've spent a lot more time cooking and eating healthy and you all mentioned you wanted to see some of my recipes! So, below you'll find the recipe for cubed sweet potatoes! They're so easy to make and such a fantastic substitute for your typical non-nutritious starch. I try to only eat carbs once a day, so I eat them with lunch a lot - but they're so delicious you could honestly eat them with every meal.
CUBED SWEET POTATOES
1 package of already cubed sweet potatoes from Whole Foods or Fresh Market
2 tablespoons Avocado Oil (I use Primal Kitchens)
Himalayan Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour contents of cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil (or more if needed) over potatoes and toss until all potatoes are coated in oil. Sprinkle Himalayan Sea Salt over potatoes and toss. Grab a cookie sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Spread potatoes out on cookie sheet evenly and place in oven for 35-45 min depending on oven. I check mine around the 30 minute mark and toss them before putting back in oven so they brown evenly! Voila, all done and ready to eat!
Good morning! I wore this little romper in Charleston a couple weekends ago. I love how bright and fun the pattern is! I feel like when you walk past someone with it on, you can't help but think "happy"! But then again, all bright colors represent that to me - hence why you see a lot of that in my feed and on my blog. Someone once asked me, "if you were blind, how would you describe the color yellow?" This was probably the most interesting and thought provoking question anyone has ever asked me. But, it made me realize that bright colors represent warmth and happiness to me. Just a little food for thought on this Monday morning! Anyway, if you're headed on vacation this summer - you need this in your suitcase. It's perfect for lunch or dinner out at a resort and comes in a couple prints which you can find here. I'm wearing a size small, and it runs true to size! You can get 20% off of it by using code "BVEVANESSA" on this site but sizes are limited so I linked to it where it's fully stocked in the rest of the post!
I hope all you mamas out there had a great Mothers Day! If you're not a mama, I hope you got to enjoy some time with yours. My parents live across the country from us, so we FaceTimed over breakfast yesterday! It's tough being so far from home on holidays like that. I wish I had the opportunity to just hop over for dinner, a glass of wine, or walks with the pups. Cherish those special moments girls, because they don't last forever!
