Confession: I love neutrals!

When I was little, I remember looking up to my mom and thinking about how stylish she always looked (as I still do now!).  My mom loves a good neutral more than anyone I know, and from a young age she really instilled in me the value of investing in key neutral wardrobe staples.

As I've gotten older, I've realized more and more how much I really do love wearing neutrals, and tend to gravitate towards the same places in my closet that hold my most favorite cozy sweaters, pants, and tops. Seriously... my dream closet would look like this (just add in some black):

With that being said, here are some of my favorite looks for this upcoming spring season that feature some beautiful whites, soft light blues, and of course, beige!

Hopefully, it will soon be warm enough to actually wear these outfits!

xo, 

Grace

Coping With this Never-ending Snow-- Nordstrom Shoe Sale Picks!

If you live anywhere on the east coast, you're bound to have experienced some of this relentless snow-storm.  In North Carolina where I live, we have had a FOOT of snow! I know to some of you in the north and midwest read that and laugh at how little that really is, but to us here, its huge.

The thing about snow is that it is fun and pretty for a bit, and then it very quickly becomes NOT fun or pretty anymore (exception: skiing...bring on the snow!). 

Example: This morning, I set out to begin the process of heading to Charlotte to catch a flight to go visit my fiancé for Valentines Day (which I love!).  I walked out my apartment door, and was greeted by sheets of falling snow and so much crunchy ice-snow on the ground. 

I hiked my way up to my car, which I had preemptively parked near the exit of my apartment complex so I would not have to deal with the hills/ice, only to find that it had been barricaded in by the wall of snow created by the person who plowed the road. Ugh. 

I dug it out, with no shovel, for about an hour an a half, finally was able to pull my car out of its spot, and then got a call that my flight had been cancelled. 

Thanks, snow. 

Now I am stranded in my apartment for the second day in a row, and I am getting a little bit stir crazy... not to mention bummed out .

In dealing with my cabin fever, I decided to sift through Nordstrom's shoe sale and find my favorite picks and share them with you!

Bling UGG Slipper $87.06 (33% off)

Tory Burch Cameron Sandal $100.49 (33% off)

Adam Tucker Me Too Slip On $59 (33% off)

David Tutera 'Adore' Platform $79.50 (45% off)

There are TONS of great shoes on sale so go check them all out for yourself! Stay warm and SAFE everyone!

xo,

Grace

PS: Anyone want to come have hot chocolate and s'mores with me?

Too Much Winter!?

Being from the South, I never have had anything against the idea of "Winter."  Actually, most of the time I have welcomed its arrival!  I love cool air, sweaters, cuddling up by the fire... (by cool I mean 45 degrees- minimum!)
This year, however, winter has gone on a bit too long.  I know, it is only February 11, but for whatever reason, this year the winter has seemed to last forever.  Perhaps the Polar Vortex is to blame, or maybe it is just because I feel like it has been super, super, cold this year, but I honestly have no idea.

The one silver lining is that I am getting married January 2015, so I am hoping that this year, winter is getting all of her freakishly cold weather events out of the way, so that next year we can get back to plain old normal winter! Does that make logic make any sense?

Although my personal opinion is that winter has overstayed its welcome, here are some of my favorite decorative and style accessories for the winter-time! Hopefully we won't be needing them for too much longer.

Cozy, furry pillows. I have two, similar to this one I found on amazon!

Pottery Barn's Grand Chenille Throw. I have this blanket in Ivory, and every time someone comes over to my apartment there is a brawl over who will get to snuggle up under it! Thankfully, it is roomy enough to fit two. PS: It is currently on SALE!

Prize Candles are so fun because not only do they smell amazing and add a touch of warmth to any space, each one also contains a surprise beneath the wax- a pretty ring worth anywhere from $10-$5,000! 

(Thanks to my amazing friend and bridesmaid Sinclair for introducing me to these gems!)

Enjoy and stay warm!

xo, 

Grace

I love Valentines Day!

So, if you follow me on instagram, you've probably already gathered that I love Valentine's Day and pretty much begin celebrating it half way through January. This has a lot to do with the fact that it features some of my favorite colors (pink!!), and generally promotes my most favorite things, love,  happiness, and friendship. It is also a great occasion to eat chocolate and all things sweet... I have a MAJOR sweet tooth.

In an early celebration of this wonderful holiday, I gave myself this manicure with OPI polish, and painted my ring finger red, with all of the other fingers being pink. I had never tried this type of thing before, but I love the way it turned out. OPI nail polish always lasts such a long time for me... I did this about a week ago and my nails still look pretty good!

I also have been taking inventory of my heart sweater collection, as I begin planning my outfit for the big day. I love hearts and especially hearts on clothing (a big weakness of mine). Here are some of my favorites!

Brands from left to right - Target, Asos maternity (I am not pregnant I just love the sweater), Target, and Wildfox. 

I hope you have had great weeks so far!

xo, 

Grace

Elaine Turner LOVE!

Most people who know me well know that I love love love Elaine Turner accessories and shoes. I discovered Elaine as my parents were beginning there move to Houston TX (where she is based and her flagship store is).
My mom and I walked into the store, looked at each other with huge smiles on our faces, and both fell in love with Elaine's beautiful- and comfy- designs!

One of the most fun things about Elaine Turner is that she bases her collections off of a "destination," location. Last season, it was Istanbul, and this season, it is Buenos Aires. As always, I am in love with everything in the collection.

Here is what I am currently coveting:

Julia Butter

Madelyn Desert Lizard

Bella Blush Python 



Happy happy shopping!! 
xo,
Grace

Dreamy Beds!

Hi everyone! Here in The South, things have gotten pretty cold. It actually snowed today about three inches-- I could hardly believe it! Needless to say, I spent the evening cuddled up on my couch, surfing Pinterest and watching last night's Bachelor episode.

During this period of lounging, I took a delightful nap in my cozy bed, which sent me on a long mental tangent about how much I love a great bed. There are so many important elements to a bed, so many opportunities to do something really spectacular.

Growing up, I always was fascinated by the idea of having valance draping over my headboard. I think I was so taken with this idea because of my love of every Disney Princess movie (they seem to be particularly popular with Walt Disney), and this idea of lush drapery is something I've never really forgotten (although - I should note that after I outgrew my fun bunk beds,  I had a pretty fabulous four poster bed... I loved it).

So, here are some of my favorite "mature" examples of this princess-ey look, proving that this is a style that can be anything from sophisticated, rustic, costal or elegant!

Enjoy, stay warm, and sweet dreams!

xo, 

Grace

Incredible friends!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend!!
I have been feeling so blessed recently by the outpouring of love from my friends and their excitement to support Ben and I in our engagement.  I have so much to be thankful for, I don't even know where to start or end, but here are a few highlights from the last week or so that I just have to share!

My wonderful friend Laura gave me the cutest engagement basket that was so thoughtful and cute. She included wedding magazines, a cute picture frame, ring pops, the movies Bridesmaids, The Proposal, and the Five Year Engagement, adorable stationary, a candle, a bottle of wine and TWO nail polishes.

Here is the OPI Nail Polish Color Cosmo-Not-Tonight Honey on my nails. LOVE it. 

This weekend, I went to Savannah GA to visit my friends that I was fortunate enough to spend the summer with in NYC, and my life-long friend, Claire.  It was an amazing weekend, and I was so overwhelmed by their excitement and love that I cried enough that it started to get embarrassing ;). 

They crafted for me an incredible basket that had a Kitchen theme, with so many amazing items in it! Some of my favorites (although they are really all my favorites) include, a book by Timothy Keller called "The Meaning of Marriage," the best smelling soap you'll ever find, a gorgeous robe, kitchen-themed socks with little forks and spoons on them (YES!), goose measuring cups, an adorable tea pot, a cheese board, beautiful coasters, ceramic egg holder, and more. They are too good to me! Claire gave us a cookbook called "Two In the Kitchen" from William Sonoma, which is a   easy to follow cookbook for couples... so excited to try that with Ben. Not to mention--  the hand-crafted veil headband made by my very talented friend Julia. 

Honestly, though, the best parts have been the cards. I can't say much more about that because I get teary thinking about the sweet things people have written!

I am beyond thankful to get to start planning this new chapter of my life with Ben.  The love and support shown to us is such a testament to what a wonderful person he is! I am one lucky lady.

xo, 

Grace