Something Borrowed, Something Blue....

No, I'm NOT Getting married but real soon I will have something EXTRA sophisticated and NEW to share with all of you.

Stay tuned! 

When Not to Shop the Clearance Racks

Four months since my last post and now, finally, I am b a c k. This whole adulting thing (i.e. having a career, going grocery shopping, buying your first car, etc.) can be pretty time consuming and in my case, had me very preoccupied / disenchanted with blogging. Yesterday however, I had a chance encounter in TJ Maxx that made me feel like I needed to log into my blogger account and share with the world.

Here's what happened...

I was dressed in my favorite boyfriend jeans (the same ones you saw here and here), scoping out furry throw pillows (my latest obsession) when I came across the prettiest plum-colored, knee-high boots, I ever did see. I rushed over to admire the bad boys and when I looked down to see that there were only two pair in the store, the display being a size 8 1/2 (my size!) I knew that I at least had to try them on....

Well, if you've ever tried on a lust worthy shoe before, you know that once you try it on, you pretty much own it. In the case of Kierra vs the pretty Kate Spade Saturday Plum Knee - High boots...well, I did something I don't normally do. 

I bought the damn boots -- at full price. 

The damn boots. 

That's right, I forked over the whole $XXX.99 that T.J. Maxx was asking for them(which was actually a great price for the regularly $295 suckers)and saved myself 1)The hassle of going back every week to see if they had been marked down, yet & 2) The potential heartbreak of someone else buying them. 

So, here's my advice to all of you out there who like me, make the clearance rack your first stop in a store. Pay full price if and when: 

It's a Novel Item -- basically, you can't walk into Target or Forever21 (btw, are we still shopping there?)and find one million other items that look just like it. 

It's High Quality-- You can never go wrong with investing in quality, whether it be quality pieces for your wardrobe or your home.

You Can Actually Afford It -- Hey, every now and then it's OK to ball on a budget. Full price at T.J. Maxx isn't necessarily full price at Neiman Marcus or Saks and in my case, buying the boots wasn't resulting in me eating Ramen Noodles for the rest of the month...so, why not indulge in moderation?  

 

When in Mexico...

...of course you visit a tequila factory...

Dress: c/o The Mint Julep Boutique / Sandals: Ann Taylor Factory /Crossbody: T.J.Maxx /Shades: Ross /Cuff: Thrifted 

And duh you wear a cute little frock like this Down on the Beach dress from The Mint Julep Boutique! After a fun filled day of exploring the Cayman Islands our ship arrived at Port in Cozumel, Mexico and I stepped off of the ship in this tie-dyed number itching to stick my feet in some water (and maybe to get my hands on a margarita or two)! I succeeded in doing both, but not before we took a tour of the Hacienda Antigua Tequila History and Process Tour. 

Though it was hot in the Cayman Islands, it was about 10x hotter in Cozumel so I was happy to be wearing something as flowy as this dress, which on this particular day also doubled as a cover up for my bikini! 

The Mint Julep Boutique is full of gems like this dress at such affordable prices, which is why Ii'm super excited to share that we've partnered up to offer one lucky reader of So Sophisticated. 1992 with a $25 gift card to shop with. Entry into the giveaway is simple: 

1. Follow @sophistikated92 on Instagram 

2. Follow @shopthemint on Instagram

3. Leave a comment below with a link to the item from The Mint Julep that you would like to make yours! 

Citron

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Shades: Ivanka Trump / Top: Forever21 / Shorts: Forever21 / Clutch: T.J. Maxx/ Sandals: Ann Taylor Factory  

After a fun day at sea on Tuesday, our cruise ship pulled into port at the Grand Cayman Islands first thing Wednesday morning. I hoped off the boat in this completely irresistible citron colored two-piece short set from Forever21. The instant I laid my eyes on it hanging amid some sweaters, I knew that I just had to have it. Here lately, Forever21 has been hit or miss for me (mostly miss) but this outfit may have turned me back into a believer. 

Citron is a color that is everywhere this Spring and for many people  (myself included) can be a tricky color to pull off! On this particular day it worked for me because I had the opportunity to spend some time in the sun and was a little darker, and also because I managed to break some of the citrusey hue up with a) my exposed midriff and b)my cobalt blue cross-body/clutch. 

The Grand Cayman Island is as you can see, absolutely beautiful!It seemed like everywhere we went on the island I kept running across blue backgrounds -- ironic as that was the color I chose to accessorize with. This textured short set was completely breathable in the island air and if you ask me the perfect get up for a day filled with exploring a Caribbean island.

 

Bon Voyage

Dress: Sears / Necklace: H&M / Shades: Ivanka Trump / Sandals: Steve Madden 

Oh to be back in the middle of the Caribbean sea soaking up the sun! Last week I embarked on a 5-day cruise to the Grand Cayman Islands as well as Cozumel, Mexico with my family. It's been such a long time since I was able to join them on a legitimate vacation so I was so ecstatic for the time away from work to spend with them.

For this trip, we opted to drive from NC to Port Tampa -- a 10 hour drive. I decided to wear this super comfy and sassy purple maxi from Sears for the long car ride. It was also, ideal for our sail away from the port. Purple is not a color that I wear often nor is Sears a store that I normally shop, so everything about this dress was pretty unique to me. Can't wait to share more pictures from my vacation! 

Raleigh Blog Society Brunch

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for a long time... meet up with other local bloggers! Myself and eight other fabulous ladies got a little dolled up and connected over cute finger foods, mimosas and of course, selfies (hello, we're bloggers)!   

These white chocolate covered pretzels were my contribution to the brunch and I was especially proud of them because I made them for myself! I thought I'd share the fun and easy recipe here: 

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels 

1 bag (16 oz) of Pretzels 

1 bag (16 oz) of Vanilla flavored Candiquik

Assorted sprinkles 

Melt Candiquik in Microwave on high for 60 seconds. Let sit for 30 - 60 seconds so that it can cool. One a time twirl pretzels in melted chocolate until the coating is smooth. Place on wax paper to allow time to cool and for excess chocolate to drip. Remove pretzel from wax paper and sprinkle with sprinkles. Place gently on wax paper until they have cooled. 

Essense // Me!// Meghan // Courtney/Sara // Natalie//Aubrey/ Andrea 

A special thank you to Sara Kate of Sara Kate Styling for allowing us to use the Frill headquarters  for the brunch, Maghon Walker of All She Wrote notes for the beautiful paper goods  and also Meghan of Morgan Caddell Photography for the wonderful photos! 

Grammy's 2015 Best Dressed

Nicki Minaj in Tom Ford 

Zenadaya Coleman in Vivienne Westwood 

Taylor Swift in Elie Saab

Katy Perry in Zuhair Murad 

The 57th annual Grammy Awards aired last night and these were my favorite red carpet looks. I was very surprised at the number of ladies wearing black and the overall simplicity of many of the dresses. What was your favorite red carpet look? 

Miss Thang

Jeans: Madewell / Turtleneck: OldNavy/ Fur Stole: Ivanka Trump/ Shades: Cole Haan / Pumps: Enzo Angiolini 

A few weeks ago I went to a J.Crew sample sale in my hometown and lucked up on these Madewell jeans. They are probably the most flattering pair that I have in my arsenal and are of great quality. Madewell can be pricey, so I was pretty jazzed about the $20 price tag on this pair. This outfit made me think about Monica's song "Miss Thang," in which she proclaims " Now I'm fly as I can be, got responsibilities... It's alright for me to think it's all about me." After all, your 20s is the time when it's okay to be a little selfish, right?

         linking up with: Style Elixir 

A Few of My Favorite (Beauty) Things...

Here lately I've been pretty obsessed with my beauty regimen and as a result have developed quite the fondness for a a few products that make my mornings smoother, face prettier and hair more neatly coiffed.   

Lancome Grandiose Mascara - $32

This is by far the priciest tube of mascara I have ever bought, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't worth it. With a few swoops of it's one of a kind swan neck wand and my lashes look super long and super thick. Literally, you can put on this makeup and a dab of lip gloss and be as fab as ever. 

MAC Mineralize Blush "Love Thing" - $27

I'm not much of a foundation or powder wearer, but I do love a flushed cheek. I ordered this blush back in early December and I have worn it religiously everyday since. It's a warm cranberry color with metallic flecks and looks great paired with both dark and light lips. 

Dirty Works Coconut Cares Body Butter - $12 

This works just as great as coco butte but it has an even better smell and doesn't leave you feeling as greasy as coco butter in the raw does. You can order it online, but I found it on clearance for about $5 at my local T.J. Maxx. It moisturizes my skin wonderfully and I went a little longer than a month without running out of product.

MAC Heirloom Mix "Rebel" Lipstick - $17.50 

This was a Christmas treat to myself that quickly turned into a favorite beauty product. I got very lucky with this shade, in that I ordered it online late one night without ever seeing it in person. It's a purply shade that looks great with a nightmoth liner (also by MAC) and just so happens to look great on me. I also purchased a tube of Rebel for my mother who fell in love with mine. 

Hairfinity Healthy Hair Complex - $25

I started taking Hairfinity, a dietary supplement that promotes hair growth and thickness and at first was skeptical about the results I would see from this product. Within a month's time I could tell that my hair was thicker and after two months could tell that it had grown. Though Hairfinty alone will not make your hair longer and healthier, I can say that it has contributed to the overall improvement of my hair's wellness and I highly recommend it. 

Holy Chic!

T-shirt: Old Navy / Skirt: New York & Co / Belt: The Limited / Pumps: Enzo Angiolini/ Gloves: TJ Maxx / Fur: The Loft (old) /Shades: TJ Maxx (similar)

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I spent the past few days in New York City catching up with my best friend. We spent 70 percent of our time shopping, 20 percent of it singing, dancing and posting snapchat videos to Beyonce's 7/11 and the other 10 percent eating. It's literally been a year since I last saw my best friend but what stood out the most to me during our time together was how much we have both matured. I know that I have matured stylistically and confidence wise based solely on the fact that 1-2 years ago I would have been crawling out of my skin and super uncomfortable to wear something as gaudy and boisterous as this. 

I felt like such a diva as I posed for these pictures though and can't wait for an excuse to slip back into this outfit. I've done the whole screen print tee + pencil skirt look several times before on the blog (ie. Flawless, Love in the Equation), but what adds more dimension to this particular look are the many different textures of my accessories. The faux-fur around my neck is actually a collar that I removed from a sweater I purchased a few years back. Since it was so so cold there, it was just as much for warmth as for looks. The leather gloves were also another part of the look that doubled for practicality and style. Also, in the past I would have probably needed a good excuse to justify wearing something like this but now the only excuse I need is that I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I want! Lol