Carrie Bradshaw Lied

CBL Is Moving To…

I shared recently in this post that this spring has been a more-stressful-than-usual season for us because Christian has chosen to pursue a medical fellowship after his Otolaryngology (ENT) residency. This means he has traveled to 14 cities and interviewed for a one-person fellowship position… with less than 50 available spots in the U.S. + Canada.

As a surgical subspecialty within an already small speciality… it’s extremely competitive. It’s stressful, exhausting and quite expensive.

I shared his ENT residency match in this reveal four years ago, so it felt appropriate to do the same this time, showing all of the places he has been traveling since March.

New York x 2, San Francisco, Austin, Houston, Kansas City, St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago x 2, Philadelphia…

Christian has matched in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in…

Oh snap! Cali has us hooked for another year and you know I’m not complainin’! Christian matched last week and we’ve been celebrating ever since. We still have one more year (year #5) for Christian to finish up his ENT residency and then we’ll move to San Francisco for one year for his 10th and final year of training post-college. Ten. Years. The light at the end of the tunnel is there, guys. I can see it!!

In the meantime, we are really enjoying this palm tree journey God has blessed us with. It would have been really easy to stay in Mississippi or the South, and that would have been great too… but I am so proud of Christian for spreading his wings and seeing what’s out there. To put yourself out there is not only extremely vulnerable but also can be a big risk, and dreaming BIG doesn’t come without both successes and failures (speaking from my own experiences). We’re in it together and have always encouraged each other to take the leap of faith… and here we are again, with another adventure ahead of us.

I’ve always thought he was one of the smartest fish I’ve ever met, and it’s been a beautiful thing to watch him discover that for himself. My boy is growing up and I feel so privileged to be a small part of his success! CHBoo, I’ll ride the coattails of your lottery ticket any day.

Thanks so much for all of your support over the years. Honestly, there have been some really long and hard/lonely days and your comments and feedback have given me a feeling of community and a lump in my throat. You guys will never know how much I value and appreciate you.

And of course… I have another year to soak up SoCal and graciously accept any SF recommendations you guys have! C has dabbled in looking at housing in the area where he’ll be working and it happens to be one of the most expensive neighborhoods in one of the most expensive cities in the country… so I am just expecting to shell out, enjoy it and live like this for a year. That handbag I was going to buy myself for my birthday? Yeah, I decided that maybe I would just save that cash instead. #Adulting.

I actually pulled up this post back in 2014 when Christian and I drove up the coast to San Francisco to visit my brother and his fam when they were living there. And I already started making a bucket list like I did for SoCal when I found out we were moving here!

Thanks so much for reading and sharing in this celebratory moment with us – love you mean it! XO –

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What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

One of the questions I get the most from you guys is, “what do I wear to a (insert season) wedding?” SO, I’ve decided I want to share a post every season this year so that everyone’s questions are answered!

In the spring I shared my spring wedding style here, and today we’re covering summer. If this summer you’re working with a tan, I love wearing something yellow, mint, red or coral to really highlight that bronzed glow.

No tan? No problem (although you can always try out my favorite self-tanner, love these too!). If you’re not rocking a little color, I love pink, anything floral and shades of blue.

photos by Vincent Elejorde

dress (if you’re in between sizes, size up) also love this one and the white version if you’re the bride! Other similar styles here, here and here | heels, similar look for less here | bag, also love this one (33% off) | earrings | statement ring | similar sunglasses

Below are some of my favorite summer wedding dress options. And of course, it goes without saying that never, ever wear white or cream to a wedding or any of the bridal events. Unless it’s like… a white crop top with a patterned skirt or something. This is coming from a former bride that had someone wear white to her hometown engagement party and a few guests got us confused. Don’t be that girl!

If you have something to add that you think I’m missing, I’d love to hear!

Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Friday’s Five

– this rustic portfolio bag from Duluth Pack, use code CARRIELIED20 for 20% off handcrafted items –

– waking up to a special delivery from Crumbs of what I call “jacked up cronuts,” the churro one was the best! –

– a new seriously gorgeous Naked Heat Palette from Urban Decay that is going to be all I wear this summer –

– a special Sofia Coppola delivery that is the perfect way to kick off summer (and I mean that straw!!) –

– Christian bringing me flowers to celebrate some exciting news in our house –

Happy Friday! This has been one of the happiest week’s I’ve had in a while because Christian matched for his fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery! Yayayayaya! I plan to share more about the experience (including where we will be moving next year) in a full blog post next week, but this week we’ve been relishing in the celebration of his success with family and close friends.

To say I’m proud of him after this exhausting interview journey would be an understatement. He continues to blow me away with his smarts, and it brings me so much joy to find others who are also charmed by this gentleman I have the privilege of claiming.

Ok – now if that wasn’t braggadocios enough (I’m sorry… sometimes it just spills out of me like word vomit and I can’t stop), let’s touch on this week’s highlights, shall we? This Duluth Pack Portfolio is my favorite travel bag lately because it perfect fits our tech gadgets and still has plenty of room for extra travel needs. Plus it’s perfectly gender-neutral. The Bison leather is seriously just so pretty. AND you can get 20% off with code CARRIELIED20!

Also, can we just stop to admire this new Naked Heat Palette from Urban Decay!? I’ve literally been wearing it every time I do my makeup since I received it and I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think it looks insanely gorgeous with brown eyes. I’m not really an orange person but turns out… it looks bomb with brown eyes.

I think that’s a wrap for this week! Thanks so much for all of your love and suggestions for blog posts. I am like, waist-deep in tech/coding/design things with this site so I’ve been so left-brained for the past month, my right-brained creative side just wasn’t functioning! Appreciate you guys. Thank you for reading! XO –

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Pastalaya Recipe

As I shared Tuesday in this post, you guys recently gave me a lot of post suggestions and feedback. One of the overwhelming requests was for more recipes, so here we are! I’m excited to share two of my favorite non-clothing passions with you guys… MacKenzie-Childs and pasta.

Christian’s family is from New Orleans, so he grew up eating plenty of jambalaya, red beans and rice and all things deliciously Cajun. Thankfully I also love all of these dishes, and one of my favorite one-pot dinners to make is pasta jambalaya.

I love this simple and budget-friendly recipe, and I usually add some extra heavy cream… because I’m from Mississippi which means I am not afraid of the extra calories if it makes dinner more delicious. Of course if you’re trying to keep things on the lighter side you don’t have to do that!

photos by Christian Barnes

As I’ve shared here when I went on a behind-the-scenes tour of MacKenzie-Childs, I’m a longtime fan of the brand. Now that I have some of their cookware (which has been on my lust list for years), it not only makes my stovetop a lot prettier but also makes serving meals out of the pots and pans so much more fun!

I usually leave my cookware in the kitchen but these pieces are too pretty not to bring to the table.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you have any favorite Cajun dishes I’d love to hear – XO –

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Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas

1 | 2 | 3 – 25% off! | 4 | 5 | 6 – only $25! | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Last week I shared some Father’s Day gift ideas here, and today I want to share some more options for those of you who might be putting together some last minute gifts (nothing wrong with that – I’ve been there)!

I think a robe is a great gift. I grew up always seeing my dad in his big white terrycloth robe in the mornings, and when I realized Christian didn’t own a robe I quickly solved that problem. Bonus points for a white one that can be bleached when it has one too many coffee stains.

I think this Google Voice Speaker is the coolest thing ever. I’d really like one for myself, and I am 100% sure any gadget lover would dig it. It could just be because I’m glued to my phone, but a mophie charging case is always a good idea, especially for the dad that leaves his phone in his car until it dies… not calling you out or anything, Dad!

I have a special something ordered for my dad and I’d tell you BUT he reads this blog from time to time so it has to say a secret for now…

Oh! AND if you’ve already snagged a gift for the dudes and you’re looking for a deal for yourself – you’re in luck. Shopbop is offering an extra 25% off all sale items until 6/16 with code SCORE17. So don’t miss out on that!

Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Summer Date Night Ideas

I wore this red maxi wrap dress on a recent vacation in Mexico (shared here and here), and it’s one of my favorite maxi dresses to pull out for a summer date night. SO I thought today I could share some of our favorite summer date night activities!

Although I can’t claim I came to this idea on my own. A few days ago I asked those of you who watch my Insta-Stories on Instagram for some suggestions of content that you would like to see. I was so excited to get so many fantastic suggestions and am getting started with them this week, so stay tuned!

But let’s get into it, shall we? I quizzed Christian and below are some of our favorite summer-themed dates. I know that not all of these can be done in every town, but I’m just sharing some of our favorites here in OC.

1. Bike rides to dinner, drinks, a brewery or wine tasting, farmers markets, lunch – you get it.

2. Taking the top off the Jeep and going basically anywhere.

3. Walks on the pier and bonfires on the beach.

4. Pulling out our record player and listening to vinyls under the bistro lights on the patio, grilling out with some wine.

5. Sunset picnics in the park or at the beach.

6. Showering early and watching a movie in pj’s in the bed with popcorn.

7. Evening swims or visits to the jacuzzi.

8. Play bocce ball, dominoes or scrabble. Who doesn’t love a board game?

9. Go to an Angels baseball game (we can actually ride our bikes)!

10. Go see a comedy show. I am so excited to have tickets to Heather McDonald‘s live podcast taping this weekend at the Irvine Improv, she has other stand-up shows this weekend too! We’ve also seen some other great shows there and some hilaaarrious shows in San Francisco.

A few more things we’ve never actually done together but would love to do are a drive-in movie theater, rent a tandem bike and go mini-golfing or bowling.

photos by Hallie Duesenberg

Do you have any summer date night activities you love to do this time of year? I’d love to hear any suggestions! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Fairmont Mayakoba Resort Review, II

dress, also love this one – runs big, I would recommend sizing down | bag | similar earrings here, here and here | lips in Tilt

Yesterday I shared a post about my recent week at the Fairmont Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, and I have so many photos I want to share with you guys that I wanted to split the review up into two posts!

One of my favorite days of the trip was the very last day. Most of the other girls had headed out, and while I would have loved to hang out with them some more, I stayed back because I was catching a direct flight to Vancouver.

I skipped breakfast for a long bike ride around the property and was at the beach by 10:30AM. I read my book, napped off and on, drank piña coladas and ate lunch on the beach under a tiki hut. By about 3:30PM, I left the beach to head back to my room to pack up. I took a long bath, got ready for my last dinner at the resort and took a book to La Laguna for a classic Mexican meal.

It was fabulous (no surprise there), and one of the most memorable days of the trip. I’m used to spending a lot of time alone in Orange County with Christian’s work schedule, but something about traveling along can really bring such independence and peace. And without anyone around to help me snap all my instas (#basic), I was forced to really relax and take in the scenery.

A beautiful day in the most gorgeous setting and a memory I’ll always treasure.

similar sandals here, here and here

similar earrings here, here and here | dress | clutch | heels, similar look for less here | lips in Tilt

sunglasses | similar dress here and here | similar sandals here, here and here | similar clutch

photos by Hallie Duesenberg

In my opinion, you can’t vacation in Mexico enough. It is one of my favorite places to get some R&R, and I would absolutely love to visit the Fairmont Mayakoba again – this time with Christian in tow!

Have you vacationed in this area!? I’d love to hear about your visit or what Mexico spot is on your travel wish list! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Fairmont Mayakoba Resort Review

I’m so excited to finally be sharing some photos from my week at the Fairmont Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, Mexico! I was SO excited to head back to this gorgeous area after honeymooning there five years ago (shoutout to 2012!), and I’d never seen the Fairmont property so this trip sounded like a dream.

The resort organized a really fun itinerary for us that allowed us to enjoy a boat ride through the lagoon (where I learned there are over 100 kinds of birds that live in this area), a Mexican tequila and beer tasting, spa treatment and multiple fabulous dining experiences.

My favorite restaurants on the property were La Laguna, El Puerto and Brisas, and the service was nothing short of fantastic. You can actually purchase an Inclusive Luxury Dining & Beverage Package that allows you to either have a an all-inclusive experience or not. I think this is a really cool option because most properties are either one or the other, but at Fairmont Mayakoba you can pick whichever option suits you best.

The property is really large so you can bike around or hitch golf cart rides – both of which are fun options. I will share that the last time I was here it was November and the weather was perfect. This late May visit was hot. Really hot. And humid – everything is air-conditioned here, but I was still basically sweating 24/7. Which is why my hair is slicked back in every photo and my face was puffy from the heat.

Living in California the past several years I’ve actually forgotten what it was like to be this hot (#weatherprivilege), SO my recommendation for anyone looking to visit this area would be to examine the weather patterns and choose what’s going to work for you so you can avoid some of that upper lip sweat (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about).

I absolutely loooooved the beach area here, not just for the breeze and perfect-temperature ocean, but the tiki huts were the cutest ever and there were so many perfect seats to choose from. On the last day I parked here for the entire day and it was pure paradise.

swimsuit, similar styles here and here | shorts | bag | hat | sunglasses

What might have been the most delicious piña colada I’ve ever had. So good that I ordered a second one and the crows around me attacked it before I could drink it, so that was cool. Those little guys are intense!

swimsuit top and bottoms |similar shorts here and here | hat | sunglasses

photos by Hallie Duesenberg

Have you ever vacationed in this Mayakoba area?! It’s so gorgeous – like staying in a tropical jungle! I’m going to be sharing more about this trip tomorrow – including outfits from the trip.

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

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Father’s Day Gift Guide

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Father’s Day is around the corner (June 18th!), and now is a great time to start thinking of what you might want to get those special dudes in your life. Today I’m sharing some of my Father’s Day gift ideas to get your wheels spinning!

My dad is the only guy I’m shopping for, and I always use this time to try to get him up to speed on the current “fashions” to update his wardrobe. If your dad is anything like mine, he’s still wearing khakis from 1982 because they still fit. Nothing wrong with that, but the styles change throughout the years so why not update some of those closet staples?

I think these swim shorts are super cute if you have a family beach trip coming up, this gingham shirt comes in multiple colors and would look great on everyone and a classic pullover is something that can be worn year-round. I bought these shoes for C for his birthday and they look so cute with jeans and shorts – every time he wears them I tell them how cute they are. I know they would look great on my dad!

For the gadget guy, these headphones are a guaranteed hit and everyone loves a jacked up pocket knife.

And for the last minute gift – most dads appreciate any baked goods, a buncha beer or a great bottle of whiskey/bourbon/scotch. Nothing wrong with that!

Do you have any Father’s Day gift hits from years past? I’d love to hear! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Summer White Dress

Sponsored by Lulus

When it comes to adding to your summer wardrobe, a comfortable, breezy white dress is an essential. I love how versatile a white dress can be – you can style it so many different ways by mixing up your accessories, layers and shoes.

Lulus has been a go-to dress shopping spot for me for years ever since a college girlfriend introduced me to the site, and their white dress collection has every silhouette and style you can imagine. You guys know that maxi’s are my ultimate favorite, and they have so many darling ones to choose from. What I love about this dress is that it looks great with both heels and flats.

The tassel-tied shoulders are the perfect summer touch, and I love the texture combination of soft polka dots and lace. I wore this dress this weekend for the sunshine in Orange County… making me crave a weekend staycation. Christian has next weekend off, so let’s see if I can twist his arm!

photos by Christian Barnes

dress c/o Lulus – runs big so I’d recommend sizing down! Love all the maxi options here | clutch c/o Lulus | sunglasses c/o Lulus | similar heels here and here (on sale!), obsessed with these |

Are you all about the summer white dress? Tell me about your favorite one!

Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Vintage Scarf Top

I am so late in posting this look but I had to share it because it’s one of my favorite summer DIY tips… turning scarves into tops! I’ve been doing this for years and it works either way you tie it – front or back.

If you have something like this vintage scarf (similar styles linked below, this one is several years old), I think tying it in the back works best. I’ve also used scarves like this and knotted them in the front. If worn with high waisted jeans or a skirt, the extra fabric covers your stomach. Trust me – the end result is fabulous!

I’m going to challenge myself to style a scarf knotted in front for you guys on Instagram so you can see what I’m talking about. I think this is one of the easiest ways to put together a unique and one-of-a-kind casual summer look. Perfect for a beach trip or backyard cookout!

photos by Jacqueline Ward

Is this something you could see yourself wearing? I have fun trying to make the most of my wardrobe, and it’s a great way to maximize that summer scarf you haven’t worn in a while.

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

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Friday’s Five

– spotted in People StyleWatch! Anyone who deems me worthy to put on the same page as Kourtney K is a friend of mine –

– my first summer peonies –

– some new MacKenzie-Childs cookware that gives me all the heart-eyes –

– giving keys for my mom, sister and myself to remember the one word that best describes my late grandmother –

– the most fab Rebecca Minkoff wrap around watch for summer –

Happy Friday! So excited to spend my first week at home after what has been quite the rollercoaster month both professionally and personally. BUT, we are on the upswing (or at least I think), so I’m just trying to stay positive and be like Oprah, envisioning my life on the upside!

Since my grandmother’s passing, I knew I wanted to do something special for my mom, sister and I to share. I’m so excited to give them each a necklace from the giving keys with the one word that comes to mind when I think of the way my Grammy lived her life – selfless. I feel I am so often the opposite of that. I know I can be really selfish with my time, and knowing that I want to be better, Christian will often call me out on it (and he’s right). SO, I’ll be wearing this necklace and remembering the legacy my grandmother left. Strong and selfless women – may we know them, be them and raise them!

In some happy and exciting news, I was doing a happy dance in my head to spot myself in the June issue of People StyleWatch‘s swimsuit section. The photo was taken actually right after I took off a wetsuit from swimming with a whale shark in Mexico, so it’s appropriate that if I’m featured in a magazine I would have my hair in a wet bun with no makeup. But I’ll take whatever I can get!!

On that note, I haven’t worn makeup in like… four days so that’s a #win in my TGIF life (I know I’m not the only one that loves being makeup-free). Do you have anything planned this weekend? I’d love to hear! I feel like we are finally back in action on CBL – I’ve been so disconnected from content just trying to keep the tech/backend afloat that I don’t feel as connected with you guys as I usually do and I miss it!

Hope you have a beautiful weekend and thanks so much for reading – XO –

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