stella & dot spring line!

the brand spankin new stella & dot spring line just launched and it's beyond fabulous! i am in love with the bright colors that spring & summer always bring and look forward to the fresh feeling that these seasons bring! it just makes me want to deep clean every nook & cranny of my house, bake seasonal goodies (ie all the amazing valentine's desserts i can't seem to stop pinning!) and buy all the bright new clothes that do my hair/complexion a major favor!

the very first item i saw from the spring 14 line was the fleurette statement necklace and, let me tell you, this baby does not disappoint! the colors and design of it are right on par with j crew, banana, etc! i love this necklace dressed up or totally toned down w a casual gray tee & skinny jeans!

in the fall, s&d introduced me to the wonderfulness that is versatile jewelry with the ever-so-wonderful sutton necklace. well, this spring, they debuted two more sutton options and i fell head over heels! these necklaces are definitely an investment, however, they are literally like 5 necklaces in one if you count all the ways it can be worn! the sutton-green is so fun for spring and i just know the sutton-white would be a winner with every single girl's wardrobe!

one of the best decisions that s&d made a few years ago was to add a handbag line! and i'm not lying when i say that each & every one of their handbags are 1 million percent amazing! the getaway bag, especially in this new ikat print is to die for! these bags are perfect for traveling w littles, flying, vacation, overnight trips, etc! i love love love the expandable option! so versatile!

the norah collection was the first sneak peak we saw of the fab new line and i fell in love with the bright yellow of these norah chandaliers! yellow is one of those colors that can be such a neutral in my opinion! these earrings look amazing, but aren't too heavy and offer a fresh take on an otherwise plain outfit! those are all good things in my book!

did any of these pieces make you swoon?? :) i'm such a sucker for pretties! do you have a favorite accessory line that i need to check out? let a sister know in the comments!

jumpin on the emerald train!

in case you couldn't care less about fashion OR live under a rock... pantone named emerald the color of the year! so, expect to see a lot of emerald in stores soon! not gonna lie... at first, i wasn't super excited about this color. just seems a little blah compared to recent years (coral, hot pink, turquoise). but, the more i see it, the more i love it!!!

here's some inspiration for your hump day!

don't you just die for details? scallops are my fav too!! j crew, you've done it again!!!

can't you picture this fab target bag with some black skinny jeans and a bright white flowy tshirt?!

i am a sucker for reversible things. it's like paying half price for the item cause you really get TWO ways to wear it! these great reversible earrings are from stella & dot, of course!

gap flats. the two tone is amaze! love love love!

hope you're feeling inspired!! are you on board with the emerald trend??

labor day love.

today (and everyday) i'm thankful for the men & women who have gone before me and fought to make this country what it is. sure, it's certainly far from perfect, but we've come an incredibly long way! i hope you all are celebrating w your friends & family by the pool or having a BBQ! take time to pause & find something to be grateful for!

in honor of labor day, here's some festive inspiration!!

unfortunately, i have the lame flu, so my festivities will be limited to bottled water, my bed & the kardashians... here's to hoping i get on the mend soon!

got my mind on fall.

guys. i don't really know why this is happening, but it's almost the end of august (which is still 100% summer), but all i'm craving is fall. oh, actually... i DO know why this is happening... it's called indiana has been so bipolar with the weather this summer! a few weeks ago, we had spells in the 60's during the day and my mind has totally shifted away from summer! it doesn't help that our lame public pools close when school starts (which was two weeks ago... don't even get me started on how lame that is!). so, in the spirit of me wanting to light my fav leaves candle, cozy up with a warm caramel latte and light a fire... here's some fall inspiration! from none other than my trusty pinterest... obviously!

it prob goes without saying that i am a lover of color! so, naturally, i am stuper stoked that this fall and winter will not be full of maroon, brown and black! color is in, baby!! and i fully plan on rocking pink and turquoise pants all winter long!

do you remember when puffer vests were in? like back in the day?? i had a black one in high school that i wore all. the. time. i know that lots of people jumped on the puffer vest wagon awhile ago, but i just wasn't convinced! until i saw this outfit and want to rush out today and buy one! i love how it's paired w a sweater and flats and totally chic without trying too hard!

there are a lot of fashion faux pas in my book and at the top of that list is definitely leggings worn as jeans. it's just wrong. always has been! i don't care if they have pockets to make them look like jeans... they are still leggings and, therefore, should be worn with a dress or not at all. anyways... i like this look a lot (aside from the leggings). i have seen lots of black skinny jeans that could make this look super acceptable, too!

i love this 'girl next door' kind of vibe this outfit protrudes. it's feminine, yet not trying to be dressed to the nines. it's flirty, but still completely modest and comfortable. button up shirts are a busty girls worst enemy, so i don't own a single one, but i would love this look if i did! ha!

later this week, i may be back on the summer train since it has been in the 90's all week, but until then... fall, i can't wait for you to sweep me off my feet!

this one's for the girls!

being that i'm a lover of girly things, a mama & a jewelry fanatic, it only makes sense that i share with you the new stella & dot line specifically for the little ladies in our lives! i have high hopes that i'll have a daughter eventually, so this line makes my heart flutter for the future!!!! if you have a little girl in your life that needs a little sparkle, check out the new jewels and cross off a thing or two on your christmas list while you're at it!

PLUS, i'm doing something special right now that everyone who spends $100 between now and august 31st will receive a free pouf in the design of their choice (and there are some seriously cute ones!)!! i mean, how great is that??

some of my favs from the new little girl's line:

color crush statement set-

mariposa trio set-

olive pearl set-

mini mariposa necklace-

aren't they SO cute??? the only thing i'm hoping for is that they'll maybe mix in some purple next time since not all little girls are pink-obsessed!

hope you love the idea of having cute jewels for your little ladies as much as i do!!! hurry over to my website before the 31st to take advantage of the free pouf & to see the rest of this new line!!

happy early birthday to me!!!!

i am a big birthday person. i like to celebrate all week long with breakfast parties, dinner parties, dessert get-togethers, etc. well... when you marry a man who couldn't be more opposite than you, you kinda take what you can get (which can be a little disappointing!). however, i must say... my hub is really making my bday a big deal this year and i truly feel so loved! :)

a couple weeks ago, grant casually asked what i wanted for my bday. i could barely get the words 'madison tech bag' out of my mouth quick enough! you know... the bag i mentioned here. i am ob. sessed. with this bag and had to have it! 

so, he says those two magical words... "order it". and that i did, my friends! as in, like 5 min later. but then, he managed to make my night just a little bit better by saying that he made dinner plans in indy to celebrate!! 

i know it may not seem like much, but this is leaps & bounds from past birthdays! i feel so blessed this year that he's tapping into my love language and treating my birthday like the holiday i think it is! haha!

i'm pumped about our hot date on sunday and you best believe i will be sporting my new bag all around indy!!!

stella & dot style for fall!

fall? what do you mean? it's only july!!! my exact thoughts as i strolled through hobby lobby yesterday and HALF the store had been taken over by christmas!!!

can you believe that?!?!

 now that i'm a stylist for stella & dot, i find myself becoming even MORE obsessed with everything (literally everything!) they design... even if it is the fall line that launches in the dead of summer! the new fall line launched last week and i can't stop looking at the website! i've ordered a handful of new things, but need to sell a few things i already have to make way for the new stuff! i wanted to show y'all the things that i'm literally swooning over!! trust me, you'll fall head over heels, too!

this madison bag is seriously amazing. the quality is better than the handful of coach bags i own and it's versatile--expands and condenses for different looks!

the somervell necklace is one that i had to snatch up right away. it can be layered with other necklaces to create more of a statement piece or can be thrown on with a t-shirt for a really low-key look. plus, it's only $59!! great price point! can't wait to start wearing this pretty!

                                        

scarves are one of my main weaknesses... to say the least. i easily own two dozen that i rotate through. now that s&d designs scarves, i'm officially in love with this company!! this is the frida print scarf and it's gorgeous!

                                            

these peacock chandelier earrings are BEAUTIFUL. they don't look super amazing at first, but when you put them on, they are seriously out of this world. out. of. this. world!!! AND, they totally disconnect to be worn as studs! how ridiculous is that?? in. love.

                                         

                                       

seriously, friends. i know anyone who does direct sales thinks their product is the best, but stella & dot really does speak for itself!! this company is amazeballs. don't just take my word for it... you can sell it, too! and get to have fab jewels like me! :) email me if you're interested! prom you won't regret it!!!

stella & dot is off the ground!

since getting all set up to be a stella & dot stylist, i have had lots of thoughts of 'this is the greatest thing ever!'... 'what have i gotten myself into?'... 'can i really do this?'... 'gosh this jewelry is seriously amazing!'.

it's been a whirlwind, but i have officially had my first styling session and an open house, so it's safe to say that we are off the ground! i've got a handful of parties on the books and i'm optimistic of what's to come! thought i'd share a little bit of my setup!!

i am slowly building up my display, so i did my best with what i have!

how seriously gorgeous is this necklace??? the jolie is one of my favs! and i love it next to the script!

dakota necklace draped over a cake plate and some fab stackable rings.

ob. sessed. with this bag. literally! the print, the surplus of pockets. amazing!

since grant had to jump ship with holden for the day, i had no photographer! ha! here's my selfie with my display!

thanks so much to everyone that came out to support me, check out s&d and i look forward to spreading the stella & dot name throughout lafayette!!

my new job!!!!

i prayed and prayed and prayed for my sweet holden long before he was ever here. and half of those prayers, if not more, were for me to have the privilege to stay home with him. i have always wanted to be a stay-at-home mama for as long as i can remember. since he was born, i have been able to stay home and have loved it.

recently, i've kind of wanted to start doing a little something for me. you know... something to call my own. grant & i work together to photograph weddings for our business, grant thompson photography. however, over the past several months, we both are being led away from the wedding photography industry. so, since i won't be assisting him as much in the future, i thought it'd be fun to do a little something of my own on the side. 

i've heard the name stella & dot a few different times over the last few years, shopped around on their website a bit and that was kind of it. but, within the last couple weeks, i really felt like the lord opened my eyes to look into becoming a stella & dot stylist. i read a ton of info on their website, watched lots of videos and just knew this was the right thing for me!!

so... as of last week, i am officially a stella & dot stylist! and i. can't. wait. to get started!!!! the jewelry is seriously so on point w the latest trends and half of the entire line is under $50! it's a great company and, most importantly, will allow me to still stay home w holden and have a flexible schedule. 

i have nightmares of becoming the friend that everyone avoids because you're afraid i'll push my sales pitch on you. but... i don't foresee that being a problem because stella & dot just speaks for itself! trust me!!! i mean, how great is that scarf?? :)

my first shipment of products will arrive today and i'm having a hard time not watching the door waiting for the ups truck! fab jewelry has been a fun hobby of mine for years now, so it only makes sense that i can now style others and make a little bit of money along the way! 

you can always purchase a great new statement necklace or handbag on my website, but let's be honest... it's way more fun to get things for free!! 

i'm currently booking parties for the next few months and looking for hostesses that are excited to have a reason to get their girls together, play around w some fun jewelry and get some free stuff along the way! these parties are not like your typical jewelry party where someone stands up and uses a flip chart to tell you the history of blah blah blah and then pressures you to have your own party! no history, no flip chart, no pressure! promise! the rewards are amazing and who wouldn't want a reason to have some girls over for some chips & salsa?? low key is the name of my game! haha! 

i'm so excited about this new venture and hope you'll jump on the bandwagon w me! if you live near indiana and want to host a party, drop me a line and we will make it happen! or if you might be interested in doing what i'm doing,iI'd love to get you connected! this company is to die for and i feel blessed that god opened this door for me!!

things i'm lovin!!

if you know me, you know that I'm a particular person. when I find things I love, I become obsessed with them and will tell people about it any chance I get! I guess that's why I feel like it only makes sense to do a regular post on my recent favorite things. I'm not paid by any of these companies to share their products, so you know that the opinions are just true and honest!!

first, my go-to lip product right now! urban decay is a makeup line that I'm just starting to incorporate into my routine, but I'm lovin their 'lip junkie' glosses. 'naked' is my color of choice at the moment. this gloss claims to plump your lips and I think it 100% lives up to that claim! my lips are silky smooth after I put this on, too!!

in the same category of makeup, I have to tell you about my FAVORITE blush on the world!!! ulta's makeup line can be a little hit or miss for me, but their cheek colors are exactly what I want in a blush! the color is 'afternoon delight' and it's the PERFECT peachy/coral color for summer. I actually wear this color pretty much year round cause it's a great shade for my skin tone, but it's spot on for the trends this summer! now, if we could just get a stinkin ulta in lafayette, my life would be muy bueno!!!!

it's no secret that I'm slightlllllly obsessed with target. and their spring sandals have me over the moon obsessed. I'm trying to not go crazy, but these sandals literally jumped in my cart and I couldn't take them out even if I tried! the mix of gold, camel color and animal print. so versatile and they are the perf addition to my summer wardrobe!!! love love love!

stella got her groove back.

since i've been a stay at home mama, i find myself doing a lot more online shopping. i consider it a good thing because i'm a lot less likely to make impulse purchases cause i have to consider shipping charges & such (well, except for target.... eek). however, my hub doesn't love that i'm shopping at all. his biggest argument has always been that "even though 'it might be a good deal', it's still spending money that didn't need to be spent". he may have a good point, but let's be honest... i was born to shop.

anyways, one of my fav websites to lust over is stella & dot. i could go on for days about how beautiful their jewelry is. i've picked out many pieces and had them all set to come into my lil life and then i resisted the urge to buy (see... grant should be so proud!).

here's a few pieces i'm feelin lately!

'on the mark' 

'bahari'

'pippa stone'    

i love each of these pieces for lots of reasons, but i feel like the colors make them super versatile. the arrow necklace is on point with the trends lately. love that it's as trendy as something like an anchor, but not near as common. the bahari necklace would look SO fab with a coral flowy top, white jean capris and some wedges. perf for summer! and those earrings could dress up any basic cardigan and be a-ok in my book! anybody else out there stella & dot fans?!