Five Year Anniversary

boho beach wedding

Surprise! We had a Malibu vow renewal!

Juuussst kidding. These photos were actually taken in July of 2016 when a fabulous Mississippi photographer reached out to me about a road trip and wanting to snap some “vow renewal” style photos. She provided the boho dress, bouquet, theme, etc., and we just showed up and went with the flow.  I got my hands on the photos this summer and have been holding onto them to share on our five year anniversary because it felt appropriate!

Christian and I have actually been together for 10 years. We always remember this because we started dating and I helped him pick out Bailey about a month or two after, so every May when she has a birthday she represents how long the three of us have been together. It’s kind of cheesy but also… pretty stinkin’ cute. Not that I’m (clearly) biased.

I thought I would share my five favorite things about Christian (and one annoying thing because we all like to laugh here, let’s be real) and vice versa.

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Five of My Favorite Things About Christian

 

1.  He’s a great partner.  Though we tease each other and joke constantly, when it comes down to it – he’s always on my team and will do anything to support me.  In turn, he knows I always have his back.

2.  He respects my opinions.  He is clearly incredibly smart, but he never makes me feel less than or like my voice isn’t as valuable.

3.  He just gets funnier and funnier. Not to toot my own horn (toot toot!) but I swear he gets funnier and funnier every year.  I like to think he is having to expand his humor to keep up with me, but I feel like we laugh together every day. And considering we only see each other for like… three hours a day, I think that’s pretty great.

4.  He’s willing to try anything and adapts to change well.  I am very Type A and have to remind myself to be more spontaneous. I kind of hate change and will stick to “the old way” of doing things for as long as I can. C is the opposite. I appreciate his eagerness to learn in every area of his life. It helps me open up and try new things too.

5.  His curls.  Ok this is less meaningful than the other four things but he actually has lots of curls and I just think they’re the cutest ever. Maybe it’s because my mom and sister have curls and I naturally have stick straight hair. But when it’s warm, if we’re at the beach or if he doesn’t “style” his hair, he gets all these flips and curls and it was one of my favorite things about him in 2007 and it still is now.

Annoying | He rarely SITS on the sofa, he just lies down like it’s a bed and then is surprised when I sit somewhere else. Like… where else am I supposed to sit if your body is physically taking up the entire sofa!?  He’ll ask me to come sit with him and I’ll say, “where?” and he’ll move his feet like… five inches.

And when he’s really tired he lies down on the bed parallel to the headboard. And I can’t get in. And he won’t move. Just lie down like a normal person I can’t handle it.

Ok that’s two things. Still love you boo!

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Five of My Favorite Things About Kathleen

 

1.  Kathleen has self-confidence that is infectious. Her comfort with who she is encourages those around her, myself included, to embrace who they are.

2.  She is very organized and meticulous with her calendar. This is particularly valuable since it makes up for a short-coming of mine.

3.  Another aspect that is a ying to my yang is her extroverted personality. She brings energy to our home which is painfully absent when she’s gone.

4.  She has a generous heart and is compassionate for people and animals who are less fortunate than she is. I’m sure it would be easy to get consumed with merchandise but it’s refreshing to see her happier to share with others than to accumulate more stuff for herself.

5.  I admire Kathleen’s drive. Maybe its because I am still working to get through training on my first career while she is successful having juggled a pair of careers simultaneously. Her willingness to work hard and push herself motivates me to work hard as well.

Annoying | Her Housewives addiction. All the cities, every episode, multiple times because she was only half paying attention the first 3 times it was showing. These are followed by a commentary show followed by podcast recaps, some of which have infuriatingly bad impressions. Then come the reunions and next season previews. When she is away from the TV she is reading Andy Cohen books or dragging me around town to find some second rate liquor store that sells one of the character’s bad wine. It’s too much.

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You can see posts on year one, two (with lots of wedding photos), three and four… am I going to be sharing our 20th anniversary on this blog one day!? LAWD!

malibu weddingboho bridetulle wedding dressbohemian bridemens navy suitwedding headpiecemalibu beachwedding couple in the oceanbeach bridecustom suitmalibu weddingwedding couple in watermalibu public beachboho weddingcalifornia weddingboho beach weddingmalibu weddingvow renewal on beach

photos by Beth Morgan

1st Anniversary | 2nd Anniversary – with tons of our wedding photos! | 3rd Anniversary | 4th Anniversary | Tips for Being Married to an MD | 5 Ideas for Dating  Your Spouse

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite things about your partner (or annoying – I mean, I’m not judging over here)!

Thank you so much for reading and have a beautiful weekend! XO –

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Ladylike Jacquard Dress

kate spade collared dress

If this isn’t the cutest little dress ever, I don’t know what is.  When I was packing for Mississippi, I knew I had to throw in some ladylike pieces. You know how it is when you go home – you’re around town, haven’t seen all the familiar faces in a while and you don’t want to be schlepping around in sweatpants.

Plus, if you have a Southern momma, she appreciates it when you “get dolled up.” More of some epic Southern phrases in this post – y’all blew me away!

I found this little number at Nordstrom (currently 40% off), you can always count on Kate Spade for the cutest and must intricate designs! This was my first time styling a pussycat bow and it really is such a flattering style on everyone. I am linking two more styles I love below!  I think this dress would be perfect for a holiday party! You could also wear it with tights or OTK boots. In the spring you could wear it sleeveless!

In other news, please note that we literally took these photos while it was sprinkling on us and would intermittently run to the car when the drops got heavier. It was about 70 degrees and humid, but these leaves were too gorgeous so I stayed motivated. All the fall leaves in the South right now really have me missing home… I don’t even listen to country music and I made a Dixie Chicks playlist on Spotify. God bless!

styling sock bootiesbest block heeled bootiesstyling a pussybowblack tassel earringsblack satchel handbagperky ponytailkate spade floral dressblack satchel handbagblack celine sunglasseskate spade pussycat bow dress

photos by Aperture Photos

dress (40% off), also love this one and this one | bag | similar booties (30% off), also love these | sheer bodysuit, also love these | earrings – comes in 9 colors! | lip in Fawn | similar sunglasses here and here, love these for a splurge

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me your thoughts on a pussycat bow or neck bow… and let me know if there’s anything else we can call this style – ha! XO –

Brought to you by Nordstrom

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Home Sweet Home

beige caviar chanel jumbo

I’m so excited to share some posts on CBL that were snapped during my visit back to the South. I’ve been back about once every year (a spring trip featured here!), but none of those visits have been in November. I had forgotten about the magical two-week window of fall bliss in Mississippi, and I have some really fun fall content from Oxford, Mississippi to share in the next week or so!

This particular post was snapped by my always patient and helpful Mom, who took me around the corner from their house to the most majestic and gorgeous Southern home that has all The Notebook feels, doesn’t it!?

I kept my fall layers light because I was visiting during a temporary humid/warm weather wave. This sweater is from Frock in Oxford, and I must take a moment to thank EVERYONE who showed up for our little meet & greet last week. Not to toot all of our horns but… when I meet you guys and you’re fun, funny, stylish and all-around cool, I’m like, “yes! My readers are the best!”

I love meeting all of you and thinking, “we would totally be friends if we lived in the same place.” I can’t even describe to you how amazing that feeling is. Love you MEAN IT!

cream off the shoulder sweaterstyling cropped jeansshoes of prey mulesoxford mississippiivory off the shoulder sweaterparker smith jeansbeige chanel jumbooxford mississippi homes

photos by Mom

sweater – Frock Boutique, also love this one and have and love this one | denim (if you’re in between sizes I would size down) | mules – designed with Shoes of Prey, also love these and these | bag, similar look for less here | lipstick in Fawn | earrings

Thank you so much for reading! XO –

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Black Tuxedo Dress

black tuxedo dress

The tuxedo dress trend is one that I was really excited to get in on. As someone who loves to sleep in mens oversized dress shirts and steal Christian’s sweatpants… I fully support an oversized blazer. I feel like I’m taking a quick little trip to the 80’s but in the best possible way!

And let’s be honest… the 80’s looked like a blast.

I’ve also worn this dress with black booties and it was super cute. It would also look great with over the knee boots.  And don’t even get me started how fab this would be for a NYE party!

black tuxedo dressblack tuxedo dressblack tuxedo dressfur handbagstuart weitzman nudistlido isle move theatercorsetta earringsstuart weitzman nudiststyling a black tuxedo dressred tassel earrings

photos by Nikki Prendergast

dress – Greylin, similar styles here, here and here | earrings | heels, similar look for less here (20% off) | bag (sold out), love this one and this one | sunglasses | lip liner in Venom and lipstick in Sheer Shame

What do you think about the women’s tuxedo dress? It fits like a shift dress, giving it major comfortable bonus points.

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

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Tips for Keeping Indoor Plants Alive

tips for indoor plants

I’ve become quite the plant-lover over the past few years, and a question I get often from you guys is how I keep my indoor plants alive.  I also get questions about pet-friendly plants, but somehow our two pets never get into the plants so I would recommend asking your vet if that is a concern.

Somehow I manage to keep all of my indoor plants alive while my outdoor plants tend to suffer a little more, but nonetheless I’m happy to share what I’ve learned!

Our fiddle leaf fig tree (an anniversary gift from C several years ago!) got sunburnt back in late May after it had to sit outside during a mandatory termite fumigation from our HOA. Sad times. It’s bounced back pretty well but you’ll see some of the burnt leaves that are still lingering around.

1.  I keep all of our plants near a window.

We have three plants downstairs and all have a home near window. When you find a spot and your plant is doing well, do yourself a favor and leave it there. If you don’t feel like it’s thriving after a few weeks, try another spot.  I’ve moved them around before when they were already doing well, and I always regretted it!

2.  Rotate your plants as needed.

You’ll see our fiddle leaf loves the sun and we try to rotate it if we notice it leaning in too much toward the window on one side. We’re working to balance her out now –

3.  Don’t overwater!

I water ours once a week, but they say you can also touch the soil and when it’s too dry, add some water. When in doubt, better too little water than too much.

I also love these tips.  When Christian brought our fiddle leaf fig he asked the man who sold it to him for tips, and that was also really helpful. If you still feel like you’re a plant killer, there are tons of alternative options to bring some of that greenery and life to your space. I love flowers, clipping greenery from outside or these roses in a box that last up to a year (seriously – mine are from January!).

And then there are faux plants. I have a small potted faux plant on our bar cart. I also wanted a plant in our upstairs office but I didn’t think it would get enough light, so I added this faux fiddle leaf fig and we LOVE it. Talk about zero upkeep, and it’s a beaut (scroll down for a photo of it at the end of the post)!

sleeping yellow labhow to keep your indoor plants alivewhite hydrangeaswhite roses in a boxtaking care of indoor plantspumpkins on a stemslipcovered dining chairspotted plant in basketannie sloan chalk paint decorating a patiopotted basilpotted rosemarytabletop plantbest faux plants

sweater | jeans (40% off) | earrings 

den: sofa | chairs | rug | coffee table | similar lamp | side table – no longer available, similar here and here | art | similar garden stool | blanket | similar blue throw pillow | Mackenzie-Childs tumbler (used as vase)

breakfast room: table – antique | chairs & slipcovers | art via my mom | bar cart | ruffled bowl | pom pom basket | pillows no longer available, similar here | cake stand

office: faux fiddle leaf fig, also love this one | shelving | cube | sofa – Lee Industries, similar here

patio: rug | similar table | flower pot 1, 2 | lantern

Do you have any plant tips or struggles? I’d love to hear! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Friday’s Five

dark brown fur slides

– packing these furry friends for a trip back to the South –

personalized perfume

– a beautiful, personalized bottle of Ralph Lauren’s new fragrance –

personalized hardshell clutch

– a personalized pink clutch that I can’t wait to add to a simple outfit to spice things up –

kids batman costume

– trick or treating with my niece and nephew in Alabama –

yellow fall leaves

– the colors of fall in Mississippi –

Happy Friday! I’ve been in the South since Monday, making my rounds through Alabama and Mississippi and have had so much fun soaking up fall leaves and Southern goodness. We got married in early/mid November so this time of year is definitely a favorite for us.

It was a coincidence that I ended up here on Halloween but I mean… best happen-stance ever! Walking in the neighborhood with a bunch of kids dressed up like a ton of different things (a tiny aerobics girl, starfish and Wonder Woman were some of my faves), begging people for candy and running house to house – hilarious!

My nephew, Mr. Wilson (tell me you remember that movie), was Batman and his enthusiasm about his costume was epic. I tried to get him to remember he was “serving and protecting” the neighborhood but he was like, whatever Aunt Kat. If you don’t have candy, your opinion is irrelevant!

I plan to spend the weekend at my childhood home in Columbus, Mississippi before heading back to California. The South is sweet, but it’s even sweeter with my guy (and our five year anniversary is this week!) so I look forward to having him with me when we come back next year for my brother-in-law’s wedding.

Last but certainly not least, ZGallerie’s Friends & Family Sale has started AND they are offering a giveaway! You can enter to win a $1,000 Holiday Decor Package, full of accessories to help turn your home into a winter wonderland (and they have the dreamiest holiday pieces). You can enter here.

I hope you guys have a fabulous weekend! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Transitional Fall Outfit Inspiration

small givenchy antigona

If you follow any Californians on social media or watch the Weather Channel… you may have seen that Orange County literally set a record for the hottest October day recently in California history. Over 100 degrees a week away from Halloween… bananas!

SO my transitional fall outfits are were in full effect essentially for the entire month of October. Thankfully it’s cooled down a little bit now but even so, we all know that 70 degrees doesn’t necessarily call for “sweater weather.”  Although I’m currently in the South visiting family (and am hosting a meet & greet at Frock Fashions in Oxford, Mississippi today from 4-7PM!) and enjoying some crisp fall!

This is where I improvise.  Cardigans and sleeveless sweaters are my jam.  They still give you some fall feels while not encouraging sweating through my sweater. Harsh realities (also, a major #firstworldproblem).

highwaisted legging jeansblack sleeveless turtleneckblack block heel bootiesautumn cashmere cardigangray givenchy antigonagray cashmere cardiganautumn cashmere cardiganblack block heel sock bootiessleeveless turtleneck sweatertransitional fall outfitblack sleeveless turtleneck sweater

photos by Nikki Prendergast

cardigan | similar turtleneck sweater – ROI, also love this one, this one and this one | sunglasses, similar look for less here | bag, also available here and similar look for less here (40% off) | denim, also love these and these | watch | rose gold bracelet | cable bracelet 1, 2, 3, 4 | lip liner in Venom, lipstick in Sheer Shame | similar boots

What are the temps like in your neck of the woods? And can I make myself sound like Al Roker since I’m literally theming this entire post about the weather?

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

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Favorite Fall Movies

best movies to watch in the fall

A few years ago I shared some of my favorite Christmas movies here, and I thought I might try doing the same for fall!  This time of year, especially when it hasn’t yet cooled down in California, I find myself lighting an autumn candle and popping in a movie that gives me those crisp fall feels.

I realized when putting this together that apparently Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan lead the pack. Queens!  Stepmom might be my #1 in this lineup, but the others are close behind. Silver Linings Playbook makes me so happy, and Bradley Cooper isn’t too bad to look at either.

Do you have any movies you find yourself watching this time of year? Some others I love are Notting Hill and Little Women. I’ve never seen St. Elmo’s Fire but I’ve heard it’s a good one to! Would love to hear any recommendations.

And last but least, thank you so much to the sweet feedback from my career profile on Sunday at The Everygirl! I’m such a huge fan of the site, have been reading it for years and loved sharing some insight into the questions I’m frequently asked about blogging full-time. I hope it was helpful to some of you guys!

Thank you so much for reading! XO –

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