– new phone cases that are seriously THE cutest (palm | marble) –
– trying out some new beauty items –
– leaving C some of my annual ugly Valentine’s Day cookies – I have legit respect for those who make pretty sugar cookies! –
– a new custom slipcover for our chair and ottoman (you might remember the fabric samples being shared here) that I am absolutely in love with… full post coming soon! –
– packing for a weekend trip in NY –
It’s been so nice to have a few days at home before heading out again, this time to somewhere waaaayyy colder than Hawaii or California! I was feeling all good about the mild winter NY is having, until I realized Mother Nature is playing some major tricks on these fashionistas and bringing snow and weather in the teens. Oy. If anything – I am hoping for some funny memories… even if it means I’m the one slipping on ice for entertainment!
I’ve had so much fun sharing some of the looks we photographed in Hawaii! I’m hoping (if I’m not a human icesicle) to snap some photos in New York – but there will definitely be photos shared along the way on Instagram. Thanks so much for reading! XO –
This dress. Oh this dress! The first time I slipped it on, it was love at first sight – fitting in all the right places yet still being so comfortable. Feminine but subtle (unlike this same style dress in a va-va-voom red!), it’s one of those dresses I know I’ll be wearing for a long time.
And I have to acknowledge the chickens and roosters. We woke up to roosters almost every morning, and I was told by my friend Cassydy ahead of time that there are chickens all over the island. Oh man – was she right! They are everywhere – and sometimes followed by baby chicks (if any of you saw me trying to chase them down on Snapchat: CBLied, this was not a drill – they are so cuuuttteee!). So it was only appropriate that they photobombed me in this post and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is the last outfit post from Kauai as I head to New York today for Fashion Week, BUT there is still a Travel Kauai post coming soon with all of my recommendations, and you can find the post on Maui here. Thanks so much for reading – and happy early Valentine’s Day to all of you! You can see more Valentine’s inspired looks here, here and here. XO –
It’s already Valentine’s week! I’ve shared some of my V-day picks for him, her and candy – but I wanted to share a little outfit inspiration for the weekend. You can also see outfit posts here, here and here!
Who doesn’t want to wear a little pink or red on February 14th? I have this maxi dress (it will be on the blog soon!), and I absolutely love the fit. So flowy and perfect for a sneak peek to spring. You might be wondering… what on earth is that long furry thing? It’s actually a scarf that I think is so fun and unexpected for a faux fur accent.
This weekend I’ll be in NY and my Valentine will be in Palm Springs, but if you read Monday’s post, we had a little early Valentine’s date night in Hawaii, so the chocolate eating will just have to be spent with girlfriends – and I think that’s just fine.
If you’ve got a weekend outfit picked out – tell me about it! I’m always looking to get my Lisa Vanderpump on and expand my pink collection. Thanks so much for reading, and don’t forget to enter the Palm Beach Tan giveaway – XO –
Before we left for Kauai, a friend recommend we spend a day on the North Shore (we stayed on the South side of the island) and end the day with a sunset dinner at the St. Regis in Princeville. Was she spot on or what!? After a day spent driving and beach hopping, Christian and I changed clothes in the car (because we’re classy like that), and arrived at the majestic hotel for dinner at Kauai Grill.
We walked down to the beach for sunset, and then continued to watch the beautiful sky from the table where we ate. Dinner was delicious and the staff was so friendly, I hope one day we’ll be back. If you ever eat here – the scallops are divine!!
I plan on doing a complete post on Kauai with information on where we stayed, what we did and where we ate (similar to the Maui post!), so that’s definitely coming for any of you looking to visit Hawaii anytime soon!
When it comes to putting on something slinky (especially around Valentine’s Day!), sometimes the one thing that can make you feel confident is a great tan. You guys know the phrase, “if you can’t lose it, tan it?” Ha – you know you’ve heard it!
Before heading to Hawaii, I knew having some color would make me feel better in a swimsuit, and I had this red dress picked out for a pre-Valentine’s Day date night at the Ko’a Kea with Christian (he will be in Palm Springs and I’ll be in New York on the 14th!). I have been getting spray tans from Palm Beach Tan since college, and they always do the trick (and for me last about a week – more info here). Not to mention if you don’t love your spray tan, it’s free. That’s got to make you feel good about it! With Valentine’s Day around the corner, who couldn’t use a quick spray tan to make that red dress pop?
SO, today I’ve teamed up with Palm Beach Tan to give five readers a spray tan visit and one reader a three-month unlimited + a Chi styling kit + $150 to pick out something special at Nordstrom! Just scroll on down to see how you can enter.
– our first day at the Ko’a Kea Resort… can we just start over? –
– getting a taste of the rave reviews ahi poke from Koloa Fish Market –
– nightly sunset watching –
– Christian enjoying the Hawaii waves that are a little easier to ride than in California –
– Hawaiian shaved ice from Old Koloa Town –
We are having so much fun in Hawaii, and I’ve been sharing moments here and there on Snapchat (CBLied) as well as Instagram! Excited to share a full Kauai post sharing photos, our stay at Ko’a Kea and our recommendations for anyone looking to make the trip. Several posts coming soon!
We are enjoying our last few days here, and I’m soaking up every second of Christian’s time off work before he gets back to the grind of long days and nights. We’re feeling really lucky to be able to share this time together, and thank you guys SO much for all of your awesome tips during our time here. You rock.
You guys know I don’t usually rock bodycon… but sometimes you gotta pull out your weapons for someone special, you know what I mean? On Tuesday I told you guys that this week I was bringin’ a little Valentine’s sugar and spice – and today I bring you… spice!
This dress comes in both wine and black, and it’s one of those dresses you just have to channel your inner Beyoncé and go with it. What’s that quote – “you have just as many hours in the day as Beyoncé?” Or channel your inner Nene Leakes – another silent mentor of mine. Yes, Linneathea!!
Thanks so much for reading! If you need something with a little more va-va-voom, Lulu’s has you covered. I mean this dress, this one and this one? Girl, please. #Werk.
Thanks so much for reading! And if any of you have a special little dress you love in your closet, spill it! XO –
I’ve got a few outfits planned to share with you guys this week – a little sugar and spice for Valentine’s Day and today we’re bringin’ the sugar!
A crop top and midi skirt are two friends of mine I can never say no to, so this when I spotted this ensemble at Nordstrom, it was no exception. I think this would be such a cute outfit if you were hosting a Valentine’s day party at home or even a couples dinner out. And this skirt can totally be worn so many different ways afterwards too – black turtleneck and ankle booties, white button-front shirt and black pumps. It’s work-appropriate, church-appropriate – you don’t have to pair it with a crop top if you’re not a crop top girl!
I’ve linked some other outfits from Nordstrom that I think are perfect for Valentine’s Day!
And while you’re shopping for yourself (I wont’ tell), if you’re still looking for a gift for a special someone, you can’t go wrong with a Nordstrom gift card. I love to give Christian gift cards because it means we can go shop for him together and I get to help him pick things that complement his frame – he’s not one of those guys who enjoys shopping. At all!
I’ve been so excited to share this post with you guys because I think sharing home content might be my absolute favorite (happy dance)! Years ago my mom purchased nearly 18 matching chairs from a huge inventory sale and kept six for herself and give six to both my sister and myself (you can see them in this post). We recovered them and I liked them, but I don’t love them (sorry mom!), which I think a lot of people feel about hand-me-downs.
I only brought two to California, and clearly I didn’t think we’d make any friends because we’re always dragging in our patio chairs whenever we have guests. I had an idea of what I wanted, and when I stumbled across these super comfortable linen slipcoveredchairs from World Market, it was a match made in heaven.
I love the tie-backs, giving them a little something extra than your basic slipcovered chair. They are so comfortable that I find myself working from the kitchen table much more often!
Do you have your own dining chair saga story? I am a lover of chairs and lamps (as in I love lamp), so I know that sometimes the hunt is harder than you thought it would be! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
CAN IT BE TRUE? Can the 30 days that felt like 100 finally be complete?
Truthfully, I didn’t find this eating plan that difficult at home, eating out is a totally different story.
Am I glad we did this? Yes. Do I think that I feel so much better without eating ____? Not really. Have I learned more about my body and food from this experience? Absolutely. I hope to continue cooking this way (Christian, with the cravings of a pre-teen, has to have chocolate or he’s going to FLIP – he literally talks about dessert every day), but we like to eat out on weekends and in those scenarios I’d like to #livemylife and have a french fry. I mean… YOLO.
We are heading to Hawaii for a week where we’re going to try to keep up with the reintroduction phase – I told you guys that I don’t have 45 days straight of my life that don’t have travel or events, so we just have to do our best and make it work! This being said, my next Whole30 update will not be next Saturday, but the following.
PROS:
I’m still able to concentrate better than normal, which is really awesome.
I’m so much more aware of labels. I read labels on the back of everything! I hope I will continue to do this.
I lost six lbs., but honestly I feel like I lost so much more than that because I’ve lost so much bloat. Between you and me, I thought I might lose more than that considering I was eliminating almost every kind of food that brings me joy, but c’est la vie!
Christian lost 9 – 10 lbs. And he’s already 6’3″ and skinny… so that’s pretty rude of him.
CONS:
My stomach growls have never been so loud. I feel like all I’m doing is meal/snack prep, yet I’m hungry every 2-3 hours so if I am running errands the cashier can hear my rumbling stomach. It’s a little embarrassing!
Because of having to prepared for every possible food scenario – this eating plan really rules out any kind of spontaneity. I’m a pretty organized “planner,” but even for me this was hard.
I recognize a lot of people can’t eat like this because it’s definitely more expensive. I spend $30-$40 more per week at the grocery.
FAVES:
Tried a cauliflower crust and it was pretty good! I mean, I definitely still prefer real pizza crust and cheese, but it hit the spot. I topped it with tomato sauce, arugula, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, garlic and salami.
Thanks to y’alls suggestions I tried adding both canned coconut milk and ghee to my coffee. I don’t have an immersion blender, but I poured fresh, hot coffee and the ingredients into my Vitamix, and it definitely tasted creamier and rich! I’ve held off trying ghee in my coffee because I think long-term I would still prefer dairy in my coffee over butter, but while on Whole30 it’s definitely a good option if you’re struggling with black coffee. Thank you for the tip!
That’s all for now! Thank you guys so much for your feedback, encouragement and suggestions. Seriously – I have really appreciated all of your insight and guidance and hope you’ve found these honest reviews helpful! Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend – XO –
– a new pair of Tecovas cowboy boots from that are so comfortable that I’ve been living in them –
– the vinyl from my in-laws that I listen to every night while I cook (“Army of One” is my fave) –
– packing for a Hawaiian adventure –
– cooking with lemons from our lemon tree –
– an exciting giveaway that’s happening over on Instagram! official contest rules here –
Hey weekend! January weekends have not disappointed so far, and they’ve been jam-packed with fun adventures and visits from family and friends… and this weekend is no different! My girlfriend Amy is coming in town to play, and we’ve been friends for years. We connected several years ago after realizing we basically had everything in common and the rest is history! Once she heads back to the South, C and I will start our vacation… and you’ll be seeing more of that soon (insert happy dance).
BUT, the most important thing to share today is a really exciting giveaway that supports the philanthropy that is near and dear to my heart, The Her Initiative (a part of Healing Waters International, more about this organization here and here). This week, I’m working with 1040taxes.com to offer two CBL followers to win one of two $500 gift cards! Here’s the catch – we are trying to bring awareness that1040taxesis a safe and simple way to file your taxes online while also giving back to an amazing cause. They are going to give $2 to Healing Waters for every tax return filed through their site. File your taxes AND make a difference by choosing 1040.com with promo code: CLEANWATER (and get 10% off both your federal and state tax return!).
I know this isn’t my normal kind of giveaway, but I feel passionate about helping Her, and hey – you have the chance to win $500 so I mean, you have nothing to lose by entering AND you can learn more about filing your taxes yourself, #boom.
What are you guys up to this weekend? Gimme the scoop. Thanks so much for reading! XO –
One of my favorite colors to combine with gray is a soft pink, and this Cluse watch has been living on my wrist for the past few weeks. I love how feminine the pink + gold combo is, and it’s classic, clean design makes it a perfect combination of feminine and modern. Plus it’s so lightweight – which is so comfortable! Bonus – the straps are also interchangeable, so you can change the color depending on the season and your mood.
In oversized sweater-land (one of my favorite things to wear), gray has become my new black over the past two years, and I think it’s because it’s easier to wear than white but less harsh than black, especially in Southern California where it’s a sunny 60-70 degrees year round! This ShopBellaC boyfriend sweater is so comfortable, and the side slits give it a little sass – I’m obsessed!
watch c/o Cluse (free worldwide shipping!) | denim c/o | sweater & scarf c/o ShopBellaC | heels | bag | sunnies | lipstick c/o | cable bracelet 1, 2, 3, 4 | gold bangle c/o, similar style here and love this one
