Weekend Wanderings

(Headband by Devon Alana)

Happy Weekend! I'm so looking forward to a little time in the sun, and even an hour or so to finish up a few good books I've been meaning to read. What a fun week it's been with the Style Sessions here on the blog, co-hosted by Devon Alana! We hope you've enjoyed them as much as we have! It was such fun to put them together, and we're dreaming up a few more exciting ideas for the future, so stay tuned! If you haven't entered the giveaway, definitely do so, as this is the last day it's running! You'll want to get your hands on all the fun things we're gifting to a reader of ours. Also, if you get the chance, you'll want to take a peek at Devon Alana's Etsy shop..she's got all kinds of monogrammed accessories, adorable shirts & more; with Spring Break coming up, you'll want to snag a few to pack in that beach bag!


Hope you have a beautiful & relaxing weekend!
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How to Host Your Very Own Oscars

I've got a special guest post from a friend of mine, that seems oh-so-appropriate for this upcoming weekend! Who is tuning in to watch the Oscars?? I love to see all the gorgeous gowns strutting down the red carpet during awards season, and this is sure to be another high-style moment for the fashion-forward community! This is also an excellent opportunity to host a fabulous get-together to watch the fancy frocks..and yes, the awards themselves! Ready to learn how it's done? Morgan is here to give you a few ideas! Enjoy!
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Hosting the Oscars is one of the biggest honors to have in Hollywood. Hosts are carefully selected for their wit and charm, and thoughtfully mulled over in their ability to command the crowd, address the audience, and simply make people laugh. With all of the Billy Crystal’s and Ellen Degeneres’s in the world, who’s to say that you can’t be your own host, of your own Oscars? This year, forget Hollywood and take the Oscars to a new level: to your very own home.
Throwing an Oscar party is no new idea, but turning said party into an actual Oscar competition will offer your guests an entirely new experience. Of course, watching the real Oscars is a necessity, but instead of leaving the night at that, you too can create your own awards for which your guests can compete. And here are some ways you can channel your creativity and make the Oscar awards your own.
Best Costume (and Set) Design
No matter what kind of party you’re throwing, adding costumes always makes it more fun. Have your guests come up with their own costumes for you Oscar party, and encourage them to go outside of the box and do something unexpected. You can set a theme for your Oscar party (ie. Old Hollywood, funky fashion, movie-inspired), or just let your guests take the reigns and show up in something all their own. Throughout the night, your guests can vote on who is the best-dressed, and by the end of the night you can crown your very own Best Costume Design award winner.

Regardless of the theme, however, a tried-and-true tip when it comes to your Set Design, aka your entertaining and decor supplies, is to keep it movie-based when possible. My friends know me well and have gotten me some pretty classy stuff, my favorite being an “Admit One Ticket” serving tray from RedEnvelope. With touches like this, I don’t think your guests will argue against you monopolizing that category.


Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Not unlike the costume category, makeup and hair can be a lot of fun, and a great way for your guests to express themselves while showing their film-inspired creativity. This can be its own award, and you can encourage your guests to show up with the most outrageous hair and makeup that they can come up with.

Best Sound Mixing
The sound-mixing category is always a fun one with film, but you can interpret this in your own way, by having your guests bring their own Oscar night playlists to be the soundtrack to your event. You can sample the different mixes throughout the night, ultimately picking one champion whose mix of tunes outplayed the rest.
Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role
Throwing an extravagant party is no easy task, and you may want to call upon a few close friends to help you prepare. Use your party as an opportunity to thank your friends for all of their help, and highlight the supporting roles they have had in your life. It’ll be a fun way to show your gratitude, and a cute interpretation of this staple Oscar category. You can choose to showcase a few friends with a special gift, or take this time to acknowledge all of your guests for the roles they have in your life, and treat them to movie-inspired party favors like these as a way to say thank you.

Best Picture
Best Picture is the ultimate award, long awaited and highly coveted. For your Oscar party, you can use this category to showcase the big prize of the night, (last year I used and have some fun with how your guests can claim this award. If you’re feeling artsy and want your guests to join in on the fun, take the “Best Picture” term literally and have your guests draw or paint a movie scene of their choosing. The “best picture” of the bunch will win, adding another dimension to the Oscars, and giving your guests another friendly competition to take part in.


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Style Sessions: How To Style Print


Today we're talking all about print! Many people shy away from prints because of their loud and often busy nature, but in the right placement & color story, prints can be very flattering, fun & statement making in just the right way! Here's a few go-to tips for styling prints:

1. If you're just testing the waters of printed pieces, choose your favorite color as a starting point, and pair your print with a solid: printed shorts with solid top, or printed top with solid colored pants/skirt etc. 

2. When print mixing, try to stay within the same color story, and choose things that are complimentary such as stripes & florals or polka dots and stripes. Always anchor your look with a solid colored or even neutral shoe...too much print can look like you got dressed in the dark, yikes!

3. Don't be afraid to experiment! See a pattern you love? Give it a try, and more often than not, I think you'll be surprised at how much you can pull off! Prints are a great way to let your clothing do the talking!


 When styling this look, I immediately fell in love with the beautiful blues & greens in this scarf-inspired print, and knew it would be the perfect piece to create a look with. Upon first glance, visions of jungle exploration and tropical escapes filled my mind, and I decided to style it inspired by the thought of a quick jet-set to a nearby island. All I need are a few hours on the beach, a great pair of oversized dark glasses and suddenly vacation is calling my name...ready for a weekend away?? Sign me up! Packing print is the most fabulous way to travel. To dress this up for a dinner reservation, I'd pair it with slim cut, navy ankle pants, or a wide-leg white trouser. Pull your hair up to show off the link detail of the top, and throw on some gold wedges. Meet you at 6!



(Top: Lilly Pulitzer, Shorts: similar, Bag: similar, Shoes: MeToo, Ring: purchased in St. Thomas, Earrings: Dillard's)

See how Devon Alana styled print HERE
Have you entered the giveaway yet? We're gifting you some of our favorite things!
Enter HERE

How do you style prints? 
Share your style with us on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #cdastylecollab
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Style Sessions: How to Style Pink


I'm thrilled to be sharing a special project here on the blog! My blog friend- turned real-life friend Devon Alana and I are doing a collaboration called Style Sessions, where we're sharing how to style pieces that every girl has in her closet! We've all, at one point, stood in front of our closets trying to figure out what to wear, and it's easy to fall into a pattern of wearing the same things over & over, or wearing a piece the same way each time, so we've brainstormed a few ideas to help bring some fresh inspiration to your wardrobe! To kickoff the Style Sessions collaboration, we're also giving away a few of our favorite things (Lilly Pulitzer printed accessories, jewelry, nail polish & more!!) to a lucky reader! Be sure to enter the giveaway & share with your friends! We hope you enjoy this very special series!
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Pink is something that's often associated with girly, feminine things, but have you ever realized that it's sometimes tricky to style? I often daydream about all things pretty & pink around this time of year, as Spring flowers and candy hearts adorn many an aisle in stores. While it's often thought to be a childish and sweet shade, I wanted to create a fun, playful kind of vibe with the color...kind of like 'Kate Spade goes to Paris', so I paired it with a polka dot skirt and gold jewelry. To style this top further, I could see it with a great pair of white pants, a topknot and animal printed pumps as a sassy finish. Tres Chic!





(Top: Lilly Pulitzer, Skirt: TJMaxx, Shoes: Target, Clutch: Forever21, Necklace: Forever 21, Bracelets: Natasha)

See how Devon Alana wears pink HERE
How do you wear pink?
Share your style with us on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #cdastylecollab

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Snapshots of Life Lately


I hosted a little "Gal-entine's" Day party which was a girl's night in complete with all kinds of sweet things, bubbly drinks, valentine making, and lots of conversation! What a fun way to celebrate such a sweet holiday!

Got to enjoy Valentine's day all dressed up in pink with this girl! Love my sis!

 Completed my first 5k, and got first in my age division! Hooray! Can't wait for a few more in the next couple months ahead!
The weather says spring is definitely here, and I'm so thrilled to enjoy the sunshine, blue skies, and warmer weather! A peaceful weekend is one enjoyed outdoors in a gorgeous garden...total bliss!
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Isn't She LOVE-ly?


Happy Valentine's Day to you! I know it's one of those holidays that most people pick a side for...either you love it, or you don't, and while it's easy to say, "oh, that's just for couples", I find it to be a beautiful day regardless of your relationship status. We're so often me-centered, and are quick to jump to feeling sorry for ourselves if we're not coupled up on this day, but can I submit the idea that perhaps we change our focus from amplified feelings of singleness & self-pity, to seeing this day as an opportunity to love & serve someone else. Who is in your life that you can encourage or appreciate? This is a great day to share the love, tell someone you care about them, and appreciate what they do. Have you noticed that when you take the emphasis off yourself, and make it about others that things seem to become better? In blessing another, you, too, are blessed. 

Also, if we look around, our whole world seems to operate on love, or the lack thereof, as we notice in the motives behind a person's actions. Everybody, whether they admit it or not, craves love; it's essential to our existence. We make decisions, create actions, and do everything on the basis of how we feel about love. This brings to mind a verse in 1 Corinthians. 

We are to be an example of love to those around us. Everything we do should be an act of love, an extension of our heart, and as we have been loved by God, when we did not deserve it, so we should extend grace & love to those around us, especially those that may be a challenge to love. Take a look around you, examine your daily schedule, and ask yourself how you can show love to friends, family, those you work with, strangers...etc? Be love, show love, and share love!
Wishing you a wonderful, beautiful and love-ly Valentine's Day!
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Happy List


We talk so much about the things that we dislike, don't want, wish were different, want to change, and so on..., but it's oh so much better to think & talk about what we love. One of the things that's helpful for me is to create a "happy list" of the things that make me smile, feel good, and enjoy life! I encourage you to do it too, as it brings such a great perspective. It's also a great way to cure a "bad day" because once you start thinking of a few things that make you smile, more seem to come to you, and sooner or later you're in a happy state of mind!

Here's 25 things in life that make me happy:

1. Sunshine-filled days
2. Beach days 
3. Coconut candles
4. Stargazing
5. Parties
6. Ice cream on a hot summer's day
7. fresh flowers 
8. a perfectly ripe peach
9. laughing so hard I cry...which is pretty much every time
10. a really good workout
11. travel
12. meaningful conversations with good friends
13. summer
14. books
15. beautiful view
16. a well-styled outfit
17. the right song at the right time
18. journaling
19. fireworks
20. coral lipstick
21. handwritten letters/cards/notes 
22. trying a new recipe
23. dancing
24. giving someone a sincere compliment
25. accomplishing a life goal

What makes your happy list? 

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Valentine Friendship Tea

As February gets into full swing, it's time to plan for Valentine's Day. Last year, I hosted a Friendship tea around Valentine's Day for some friends of mine, and thought it would be fun to share it with you! We spent the better part of the late afternoon catching up on each other's lives over sweets, sparkling pink lemonade, and raspberry tea. Everyone loves receiving a note of appreciation, especially around Valentine's Day, so after tea, we brought out the scissors, glitter & pink ribbons, and got to work creating a sweet note or two for friends and family! 
One of my favorite things about Valentine's Day is the fact that it's a great reminder to let those that you love know that you care! Whether you're single, or in a relationship, be sure to share a little love with others; it's surprising how much it blesses you! 
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