Valentine Mini Session with Samantha Brooke Photography

 

Hey y'all! I hope your week is off to a great start! Back in January, we did a Valentine mini session with Samantha Brooke Photography. This was actually the first professional family photos that we've had taken in a really long time (except for when Samantha came to our house during quarantine to snap some fun front porch pictures that showed what we had been up to at home). I met Samantha through Instagram many years ago and realized that we live in the same small North Carolina town! Back in 2015, she took family photos as she was starting up her photography business and I have absolutely loved watching her grow. Go check out her Instagram account to get a glimpse at her incredible talent! Samantha is an incredible wedding photographer but she is always amazing with families and children. She always makes us feel so comfortable!

Like I've mentioned here on the blog before, I am a big fan of Valentine's Day and heart shaped everything. I have always loved this holiday! But really, I just love holidays in general. I love a theme and I love something to celebrate. When Samantha posted that she was offering Valentine mini sessions, I knew it would be so much fun! Also, my husband is great sport and totally got into the photo shoot as you will clearly see below. We definitely had a good time!

See what I mean?! He was making us laugh so much and I definitely think this would make an excellent Valentine's Day advertisement. Haha! For our outfits, I wanted to keep it casual and comfortable... things that we actually wear on a regular basis. I also saw a sneak peek of the backdrop so I wanted to keep our looks pretty simple. My adorable heart tee from Madewell was the starting point in putting together what we wore. I started with that, grabbed everyone's favorite denim (my jeans are the Perfect Vintage from Madewell), a heart tee for Olivia, a gray Madewell tee for Julianna, a comfy striped tee for Josh, and then neutral sneakers for us all (mine are these court sneakers from Madewell). Both of the girls wore clay earrings from our friend Clay by Kelly and I wore my new heart shaped earrings from Madewell (they are the perfect everyday earrings)! I love how our outfits came together and how they felt very authentic to who we are.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great day!

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Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great week! We are gearing up for another little snow storm tonight and this is our third weekend in a row that we've had winter storms. North Carolina doesn't get a lot of snow so this is really unusual for us and apparently the snow only likes to come on the weekends this year. I do love watching it snow! I'm like a kid when I see the first snowflakes fall!

Today, I'm sharing my weekly roundup of what I'm Currently Loving! This week, we are continuing the theme of comfortable and cozy pieces. I just want to be as comfy as possible in January and really, all winter long. Being cold isn't an option for me!

Which of this week's picks is your favorite?!

1. J E A N S | If you've been following along for awhile, you know that I love Madewell jeans, especially the Perfect Vintage style. I was in need of a new pair so I recently got these and I love them. They don't have any distressing so they are perfect to wear to work.

2. S N E A K E R S | I saw these fun sneakers on sale and really wanted them but my oldest daughter loved them too so I ended up purchasing them for her. They are even cuter in person, still on sale, and they fit true to size.

3. L E G G I N G S | I recently bought my first pair of flare leg pull on pants and now I am really loving flares again. I was a big fan of flares in the early 2000s and now I remember why. This black pair of flare leggings is on my wish list!

4. B A G | I've never met an animal print Madewell bag that I didn't love. This one is such a great size and I love the print!

5. H E A D B A N D S | These headbands were another purchase for my oldest daughter. I wear headbands often but she wears them every single day. They are apart of her signature look and she's picky about which ones she will wear. If it's just slightly uncomfortable, it's no go for her. We found this pack of nine headbands for under $13 and she has reported that they are so comfortable to wear all day long! Yay for a great budget friendly find!

6. P U L L O V E R | I just got this Target pullover in the mail this week and it's a new favorite. The fabric is so soft, it has zippers on the side, and thumb holes. Also, the turtleneck is so cozy! It's only $30 but feels like a much more expensive pullover. I found it to fit true to size.

7. E A R R I N G S | Heart shaped everything, forever and always. I am loving this dainty heart shaped earrings! They would make a cute Valentine's Day gift, too.

8. S W E A T S H I R T | If it isn't comfy, I don't want it, especially this time of year! This sweatshirt looks so comfortable and cozy. It's also on my wish list and comes in lots of colors!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!

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Happy Friday! Last weekend, I tried ice skating for the first time in my 36 years of life. And wow, it was so hard for me! I thought it would be but goodness gracious, I was so bad it at. I had to hold onto the little plastic whale helper (that's definitely made for children) or the side railing. At one point, I fell down and couldn't figure out how in the world I was going to get up. Lots of fun and laughs!

Today, I'm sharing my weekly roundup of what I'm Currently Loving! It's finally feeling like wintertime here so I have been bundled up in cozy layers along with pops of pink and heart shaped everything. I've also pretty much only worn sneakers the last few months and I'm okay with that. I am currently all about being comfortable!

Which of this week's picks is your favorite?!

1. T O P | I already have this top in a cream color but I think I need the black one too. It's so soft, cozy, and comfortable! It's also a leggings friendly length and fits true to size.

2. R I N G | How cute is this ring?! Hearts aren't just for Valentine's Day but I always find myself wearing all of my favorite heart shaped things this time of year. I think I need this ring too!

3. J A C K E T | This denim jacket was one of my Christmas gifts and I absolutely love it! I already owned and loved the distressed version of this jacket but I wanted a non-distressed option, especially for wearing to work. I sized up one size for the best fit.

4. B A G | Do I need another bag? Definitely not. Is this one going on my wish list anyway? Definitely. I love the color and versatility of this one!

5. N E C K L A C E | Yes, I included another piece of heart shaped jewelry! This dainty necklace is so pretty. I am a big fan of all of my Madewell jewels.

6. C O A T | I bought a similar coat this year and I think a camel coat is definitely a closet staple. Dress it up with boots or pair it with your favorite leggings and sneakers. It instantly takes you look up a notch and makes you look so put together... and warm!

7. S N E A K E R S | These sneakers have been a game changer for me! I own two pairs of them and they have relieved my heals of so much pain that I was having. They are cute AND incredibly comfortable! Everything that I want in a sneaker. I am tempted to get a third color option!

8. J E A N S | These are the jeans I'm wearing with my denim jacket above and they are my favorite! So comfortable and flattering. I reach for this pair more than any other!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!

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Happy Friday! I'm finally back with a new blog post! I hope you all had an amazing holiday season with your family and friends. This week was back to reality for us with our regular work and school schedules. Being back to a routine is great but I am definitely missing sleeping in every morning and watching the same movie on repeat with the family (Encanto... it's super cute)!

Today, I'm sharing my first roundup of what I'm Currently Loving since the beginning of December. It was a busy month that was focused on shopping for others so today's post was fun to put together since I really haven't shopped for myself recently. Ok, I take that back. I bought my own Christmas gifts but I ordered most of those at the end of November. Does anyone else pick out their own gifts?! It's a win win situation for my husband and I. I do make him wrap them for me though!

Which of this week's picks is your favorite?!

1. T E E | It's almost time for my second favorite holiday, Valentine's Day! I know most people can take or leave this holiday because it's kind of cheesy but I love it. I love the flowers, the candy, the hearts, and the pink. It's just a fun holiday that I'll always love. This tee screams Happy Valentine's Day to me and I think I need it to wear on repeat for the next month!

2. S N E A K E R S | These sneakers were one of my Christmas gifts (see all of my goodies below). I already own this style of sneakers in another color and I loved them so I had to get this color as well. The black and white is just a classic and goes with so much! I also got them for my oldest daughter and I think she's worn them every single day since Christmas. We are big fans! They fit true to size.

3. B R A L E T T E | I am a big fan of bralettes, especially comfy ones! I ordered this $10 one last week when I was placing an order to try it out and it's a winner. I love it so much that I already ordered a second black one and a white one. The ribbed fabric is so comfortable on your skin!

4. H E A D B A N D | This headband is also one of my Christmas gifts (see above) and I highly recommend it. I am super picky about headbands. If it's uncomfortable within the first hour of wearing it, it goes in the trash can, lol. These headbands are so comfy that you'll forget you even have it on! Bonus: it's currently on sale!

5. B A G | This black leather bag is the same as my animal print one (also from the Christmas goodies pic). It's a small bag but it's perfect for when you just need a few things for running errands or going out. I can find a small wallet, my car key, lip glosses, mints, etc. in my mine with no problem. This black version is currently on sale for 40% off!

6. L E G G I N G S | I have been living in leggings lately (Tuesday was my first day in jeans in a really, really long time) and this pair is one of my very favorites. I throw on leggings every single morning and I have quite the collection of black leggings. My favorites are these and my Lululemon ones but honestly, these are just as good as the Lululemon leggings but they are more than half the price! I highly recommend them to leisure or working out.

7. E A R R I N G S | Ok, these earrings are my favorite pick! I mean, how cute are they?! I love heart shaped everything and this pair is just calling my name. So perfect for Valentine's Day and everyday!

8. S W E A T S H I R T | Since I'm living in leggings, I need leggings friendly sweatshirts to complete the cozy look. I am loving this option and it has pockets! Yes!

Thank you so much for visiting! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Holiday Style at Triad Goodwill

This post is in partnership with and sponsored by Triad Goodwill.

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I started my weekend with a shopping trip to my closest Triad Goodwill location in Randleman. I often get asked on Instagram which Goodwill I go to and I'm pretty much always at the Randleman location. It's a small store but it's always packed with lots of great goodies to thrift! Bonus: it's less than a five minute drive from my house. During this thrift trip, I was specifically hunting for pieces to put together some fun and festive holiday looks for the season! I absolutely love the challenge of shopping secondhand to create a look, especially a seasonal outfit for a special occasion. 

The weekend before, I thrifted three amazing vintage bags from the Goodwill outlet in Greensboro and I knew they were the starting point for some great holiday looks:

Aren't they gorgeous?!

I had a super successful shopping trip and was able to put together three holiday outfits from the pieces I took home from my closest Triad Goodwill location. I can't wait to wear these looks to upcoming holiday events!

My first look is definitely the most dressy and it's perfect for a holiday party. As soon as a I saw this amazing vintage coat, I knew I had to pair it with my gold clutch! My next thought was that this coat would look beautiful with a dress and I literally found the most perfect one! It's cream, black, and gold with pockets plus it was my size. It was definitely meant to be!

The second one is definitely my favorite because it feels so me! When I think of holiday style, I always think of sparkle so I definitely wanted to put together a look that incorporated lots of it. I found the metallic (it's a nice mix of silver and gold) top first and I knew it was going into my thrift cart. It's so pretty! A top like this is so versatile and can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. I also thought it would be really fun paired with my vintage silver bag. I was actually getting ready to check out when I spotted this pretty tweed overcoat. The pink grabbed my attention out of the corner of my eye and I was so excited that it fit me. Also, yes, pink is in fact a Christmas color!

Thrift Tip: Shop all of the clothing! Sizing is all over the place, especially depending on the brand. I found this top in a size section that I normally wouldn't look in. You never know what you might find or how an item might fit you. You could be pleasantly surprised! Read more of my thrifting tips in this blog post: Thrifting 101.

The third and final outfit is definitely a fun look that would be great for a casual Christmas get together. If you are looking for a fun and festive holiday sweater, be sure to check Goodwill first because I found so many cute ones while I was shopping! I love how this sweater looks paired with my black vintage bag. My oldest daughter has already asked if she can borrow this sweater from me!

I hope this post has inspired you to check out Goodwill for your next holiday outfit! You never know what you might discover when you shop secondhand this season. Thanks so much to Triad Goodwill for sponsoring this post! Have a great day and happy thrifting!

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Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great week! My week has been great but it's been extra busy. I am really looking forward to some relaxation this weekend! One of the fun things I did this week was attend a brunch at the new Pottery Barn store that recently opened at the Friendly Center in Greensboro. I was able to connect with other local influencers and learn more about the Friendly Center. I took home a gift box full of amazing goodies from their holiday gift guide!

Today, I'm sharing my weekly roundup of what I'm Currently Loving, including some of my own new arrivals! I am loving incorporating some festive sparkle and layers into my everyday looks right now. 'Tis the season for all things glittery and sparkly!

Which of this week's picks is your favorite?!

1. J E A N S | I just got these jeans in the mail this week and I love them! They are high waisted, stretchy, and flattering. Size down one size from your non-Madewell denim size for the best fit.

2. B A G | I am so tempted to add this bag to my Madewell bag collection! I am loving this animal print and the size. Such a fun little bag!

3. P I N K  C O A T | I bought a super similar coat from Old Navy three or four years ago and I still love mine! I actually pulled it out to wear to an event this week and I got so many compliments on it. You just can't go wrong with a pink coat!

4. S N E A K E R S | I also got these sneakers in the mail this week (they are in the outfit photo above) and they are keepers. I really needed a new pair of sneakers for working out and these are so comfy! I'll definitely work out in them but they are also perfect for outfits as well. They fit true to your sneaker size. I think I'm going to get the black pair, too!

5. F L A T S | How pretty are these flats?! They just scream festive! I have a similar pairs that I bought a few years ago and finding this pair online makes me want to style mine again ASAP.

6. O V E R S I Z E D  C O A T | This coat is another new arrival and it's also in the photo above! I basically threw on all of my new purchases at the same time and I loved how they looked together. This coat feels more like a cardigan as far as the material goes but it's definitely heavy and warm like a coat. I sized up but really didn't need to but I am loving the cozy, oversized style!

7. N E C K L A C E | I absolutely love a dainty gold necklace. I just can't get enough! This pretty star necklace is on my wish list. I hope I find it in my stocking on Christmas morning!

8. P A J A M A S | Are you hunting for a gift for someone who is hard to shop for? Well, these pajamas are it! I just got them and they feel so luxurious! A couple years ago, I felt like a real grown up when I started wearing pajamas sets on a regular basis. J. Crew is my favorite spot to buy high quality pajamas that are so comfy and last for a long time!

Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!