Monday, January 12, 2015

Flannel

shirt: L.L.Bean | vest: c/o Marley Lilly on sale $35! | jeans: American Eagle | bag: Tory Burch | boot socks: similar
 boots: Lane Bryant (similar) | watch: Michael Kors | sunglasses: Tory Burch
I spent some much needed time with family at our mountain house over the holidays, and I pretty much lived in the flannel plaid shirt from L.L.Bean. It comes in several different color waves and is very, I mean very, comfortable, as you would expect. If you have been on the hunt for the perfect plaid flannel, look no further this is the shirt for you. I have also gotten much use out of my monogrammed fleece vest from Marley Lilly, I find myself wearing it with everything. What is one of your favorite things to wear while you are up in the mountains?

Friday, January 9, 2015

Winter Essentials

winter essentials



I am a little late on posting my winter essentials (sorry) but I figure always better late then never.  I don't know about you, but here in NC we got hit by some very cold weather, so if are feeling unprepared for this cold winter ahead, here are my must haves.

1. Ear Muffs// I am a student, so walking to class in the cold can be unbearable at times. I never leave my apartment without ear muffs in my bag because I know my ears will thank me later. I favor ear muffs over a beanie hat for two reasons. A) I either look cute that day and don't want to mess up my hair by wearing a beanie or B) my hair is in a huge bun because I look like a hot mess, ear muffs work much better for my messy buns.

2.Gloves// This goes right up there with you never leave home without. You lose most of your body heat though your hands and feet so it is important to keep them covered and warm. I am obsessed with the Tory Burch leather bow gloves above, but I also favor texting gloves because lets be honest, were always on our phones.

3. Scarf// A scarf can even be more important then your coat for making a fashion statement during the winter. You might have the most adorable outfit under your coat but no one will ever know, so adding a great scarf still shows your style while staying warm.

4.Lotion// My hands get so dry during the winter, and I end up getting shocked every time I touch anything. I keep hand lotion on me at all times, keep that skin moisturized laddies.

5.Cords// Don't get me wrong I still wear my leggings in the winter, but for those supper cold days you need some cords. I like my corduroys to be skinny so I can wear them with boots. I find it is important to get a pair of corduroys that has just a little bit of spandex in them, it makes all the difference.

6. Sweaters// You can never have to many sweaters. Now that winter is in full swing I break out my heavy bulky sweaters like the gray turtleneck above.  I also find it important to own at least one fun print sweater like the J.Crew one above, they make such a statment.

7.Flannel// I love a great plaid flannel button down. My favorite is the one from L.L.Bean that I have linked above, I find myself wearing it all the time and want one in every color.

8.Coats// So if you haven't notices the trend already, my two favorite coats are from J.Crew. I have the pea coat in navy, but now looking back I wish I had gotten a fun color like the coral one above. I also think every women needs a dress length winter coat, I love the detachable fur collar on the coat I choose above, because it can be casual but also dressed up.

9.Boots// Bean boots have quickly become winters signature footwear, but sadly most sizes are on back order. I honestly favor the hunter boots I think it is a more feminine look and they come in so many fun colors, I chose coral hunters to match the pea coat from J.Crew.

10.Starbucks// It just isn't winter without Starbucks white peppermint mochas, its just plain and simple.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Blogger Tip Thursday {planning}

I am very excited to be starting a blogger tip series, I hope you all enjoy it, and find it helpful. I have been blogging for about a year and a half now, and have learned a lot though the mistakes I have made. I hope to pass this knowledge down to you though my new series Blogger Tip Thursdays. My first tip is to plan, plan, plan! I did not fully understand the importance of planning posts when I first started blogging. This led to a lot of mistakes and late night work. There is more to plan then just the physical post. I am going to walk you through how I plan for my blog posts along with sharing my blog planner for 2015.


Here’s a bit more into my planning and thought process behind every post that goes up on my blog.

1. The majority of the posts here on Stylish Sassy and Classy have to do with fashion and style. When putting together a post I first plan what I am going to wear. I always like to try on my entire outfit ahead of time, that way I know I like the way it all looks together, and that everything is clean.

2. Now that the outfit has been decided upon, it’s time to take some pictures! When it comes to planning, this part is definitely one of the hardest. Planning pictures is hard for many reasons: You must choose where to take them, make sure the weather cooperates, and make sure your photographer is free. I have had to wait over a week to take pictures before, but don't get impatient it will happen. Follow my next tip (#3) when nothing seems to be going your way!

3. IMPROVISE. Things do not always go as planed. When you just can't get those pictures taken,  think about a post you can write where you use some of your old photos, or make a fun collage.

4.Now that you have your pictures taken, it is time to edit edit edit. I edit most of my pictures in Adobe Lightroom, I find it does everything I need for my pictures and is very user friendly.

5.Write your post. I tend to write my actual post after I have edited my pictures because sometimes how my pictures turn out, or when I see my new favorite picture, it can change what I want to write. I am about the worlds worst speller... it's pretty bad, so use auto correct, sometimes I even have friends read over my posts before they go live. You do want to edit you posts and make sure there are no embarrassing mistakes, but it is a blog so you don't need to be a grammar Nazi.

6.You have your pictures and your post, now it is time for the finishing touches. I try to link all parts of my outfit so they can easily be shopped. This is also when I label my post, and choose the name, if I haven't done so already. Now it is time to POST, but we are not done yet, posting is not the end.

7. Make sure you share your post on all of your social media account, and if it is a large or important post share it a few times. It is very important that you check the comments on your post and try to reply to most if not all of them, your readers take the time to read and comment on your post the least you can do is reply to them.

8. Track your growth. It is important to track your blogs growth, this way you can see how your readers respond to each post. Also sometimes we feel like our blog is at a stand still, and not growing. When you monitor your blogs weekly/monthly growth you can see that you really are heading in the right direction.

I have created a FREE blog planner for 2015 so staying organized and planning will be a breeze. I hope the planner helps you and your blog grow in 2015!
 


**This is just the first of many Blogger Tip Thursday posts, please comment bellow with any subjects or advice you would love for me to cover!!**

Monday, January 5, 2015

Full Skirts & Full Hearts

 

Shirt: J.Crew (similar, similar) | Skirt: c/o eShakti (sold out, similar here, here, and here) | Shoes: (similar, similar)
Boots: Ugg | Bracelet: J.Crew Factory | Watch: Kate Spade | Earrings: J.Crew Factory

I am very excited to get to share my experience with eShakti, an online boutique that makes affordable custom clothing in sizes 0-36w. When I ordered my skirt I provided my dimensions, choose the length of the skirt, and if I wanted it to have pockets(who doesn't love pockets). If you choose to do custom sizing on an item that will have a little stretch in it (like the back of my skirt) I would recommend sizing down about an inch. With in a few weeks the skirt arrived at my doorstep, and I could not wait to style it. One of my favorite things about eShakti is that it is for everyone and I mean everyone. Because everything is customizable you can have your skirt, dress, top, or jacket made just to fit you. They are constantly getting in new styles and designs, with so many to choose from there is something for almost every occasion. I chose this skirt because I knew it would be great for holiday parties, and I love how full and fun it is. My skirt is currently sold out, but here are a few of my other favorite skirts from eShakti that are similar style. Same skirt in a different pattern here, also like this one here, and here. Receive 10% off your order at eShakti with coupon code STYLISHSASSYANDCLASSY now though February 5th.

It was a VERY cold day out, so as you can see I wore my Uggs on the walk down to this old historic home in Boone NC. I can not lie I am obsessed, and live in my Uggs. I know they might be the most stylish shoe, but they are to comfortable to pass up.

It is sad to see the holidays come to and end. The only good part of leaving all of your family, is leaving with a full heart and lots of new warm memories. I feel so very blessed for the people that are in my life.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

2014 Favorites

I have rounded up 10 of my favorite posts from 2014, looking back on what an amazing year it was. It is so much fun to see how my blog has evolved, along with my style, and how I have gotten to know my readers over the past year. I can not explain how excited I am to start 2015 with y'all, we have many fun times ahead of us! Matt will be starting his new job in January, so bear with me as I find out who will be my new photographer. I will hopefully be landing an internship for the summer, along with starting my senior year of college in the fall. So read along with me as I go though 10 of my favorite posts from 2014, and get excited for many posts to come in the new year!
HOLIDAY PARTY 

What is one of your favorite memories from 2014? My favorite memory from 2014 would have to be the week I spent at Sea Brook Island with my family and Matt. It was the perfect way to start off the summer, so many great memories were made. I can't wait to see what 2015 holds for us!

**Starting next week I will be doing a "Blogger Tips Thursday" series for a few weeks. I already have a few post ideas lined up but if you have any questions, or suggestions for what a great blogger tip would be please let me know!**