Sassy Southern Blonde

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REFLECTING ON 2019

January 2, 2020

Nashville Outfit Recap

Last January, I posted a recap of 2018 by each month, and I decided to do the same thing this year! (If you want to check it out, linking HERE) Even if I’m the only one who enjoys reading it, I like to keep track for my own memories! Lol. 2019 was an insanely busy year for Sassy Southern Blonde but in the best way possible! I traveled to many new places, accomplished huge goals, and moved to a new city. God blessed me big in 2019 and I know there’s only more amazing things coming for 2020.

JANUARY

I started 2019 in Nashville with my best friends for the third year in a row, and it was an amazing time per usual! Like most Januarys, it was a slow month, but I was fine with it because my travel schedule was crazy for rest of the year. I traveled more in 2019 than ever before, and now I can’t stop! πŸ™‚

FEBRUARY

My first stops of the year were back to back trips to Nashville! (Can you tell how much I love that place? Lol) I stayed with my friend Karrah for the Super Bowl and then came back a week later for the Lauren James event. I think attending that party was a turning point for me because I met many online friends for the first time in real life! Networking is important in our industry, but it was so much more than that. I formed real friendships with those girls! And it never would have happened if I didn’t start my blog! Wild to think about! Haha.

I also experienced my first big girl purchase (my car) and did a weekend trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a girl I had only met once before. Now, Meagan is one of my best friends! It’s so cool to see how everything unfolds! 2019 definitely brought me amazing new friendships!

MARCH

I can now say I experienced a true Mardi Gras weekend in NOLA, but I don’t think I could ever do it again! It was a lot, even for me. After a wild New Orleans trip with my friends, I headed to Palm Springs, CA with Pink Possum Boutique for the first time! This spot had been on my bucket list for years, and it did not disappoint. I will say traveling there in March was better than June but more on that later! πŸ˜‰ I also landed a dream collaboration with Walmart! March was good to me! πŸ™‚

APRIL

Another month, another trip! Just how I like it, though! Haha. I boarded my plane for Texas for a blogger trip where we partnered with Fairmont Austin, and it’s definitely one of my favorite memories of 2019. Even in such a short period of time, I felt like I had known the girls on the trip for YEARS! We all instantly clicked, and some of us hadn’t even met before. Everyone was so kind and just wanted to have a fun time! We all stay in touch and are planning our 2020 trip as I type. We want to make it an annual thing! πŸ™‚

At the end of the month, I headed to Seaside, Florida for blogger trip #2! We got incredible content and had a fabulous time. Like I said 2019 was the year of travel, but I also built friendships with women from all across the country!

MAY

Maybe I’m partial since it’s my birthday, but May is the best month! The weather finally stays warm, and it’s the beginning of summer. I spent my birthday weekend in Charleston, and it was perfect! Year 24 has been good to me. The rest of May was filled with bridal showers and bachelorette trips! It was a blast celebrating my girlfriends. Business wise, I landed a huge partnership with Budweiser! One of the coolest collaborations yet!

JUNE

If you thought I was busy the other months, just wait. No joke, I had something happening every weekend of June! But again, I really didn’t mind. I went back to Palm Springs for another blogger trip, and it was HOT! I don’t know how I was lucky enough to travel there twice, but I definitely preferred the weather in March! Haha. I then headed to New Orleans to meet up with some blogger friends from previous trips! We missed each other, so we planned a weekend getaway! Since I live 2 hours from NOLA, it was an easy drive for me. It was great experiencing New Orleans with them because we did the touristy things and ate at popular restaurants! Next, I went on another Pink Possum trip to Orange Beach, AL with other Mississippi bloggers. We had a blast! The month ended with my best friend Parker’s wedding. πŸ™‚

JULY

July was when I knew I wanted to move to Jackson! The majority of my friends live there, and I was always in town for something. Plus, it’s still super close to my hometown. It’s not like I was going far! Lol. I spent July 4th with them on the reservoir and then headed back to Orange Beach for my other friend Caroline’s bachelorette trip. A highlight of this month was going to and meeting Cole Swindell! I LOVE his music (more than Luke Bryan who was the headliner haha) I went back to Nashville for another girls weekend with my blogger friends, and boy did we have fun! Also, I got to collaborate with Walmart again, which was incredible!

AUGUST

I finally caught a slight break at the beginning of August, and then Caroline got married! It was wedding season this summer! πŸ™‚ The next weekend, I hopped on a plane to Chicago with my friend Andrea. As soon as I made it home from there, I went to Nashville AGAIN for Pink Lily’s fall launch party! You would think I was tired of Nashville by now, but it’s not possible! Lol.

SEPTEMBER

I got to live my DREAM of attending NYFW (more on that HERE)! It was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever! I took a much needed break the last few weeks to recover from the months of traveling and to prepare for a busy Fall.

OCTOBER

As soon as October began, I packed my things up and moved to Jackson! Luckily, I adjusted really quick. Even now, I’m so happy I made that decision! It was good for me to go out on my own and start adulting! Haha. Football season was also in full swing, so my friends and I went to the MSU/UT game in Knoxville! And since the fall foliage isn’t great in Mississippi, I flew across the country to Portland, OR to meet up with my friend Maxie! (She has become my travel buddy lol) Portland had amazing scenery AND food! πŸ™‚

NOVEMBER

This month started all things holiday aka the best time of the year! My friends and I dressed up super fancy and went to the Mistletoe holiday gala. Any excuse to buy a long dress! πŸ™‚ I continued working out regularly and I noticed a huge difference in how I felt. I think I’ve stuck with it because I actually enjoy the place I go and the people I work out with! Who would have thought this would be me! Lol.

DECEMBER

My last trip of 2019 was back to NYC for Christmas! If there’s one place you need to visit, it’s the city during the holidays. Meagan planned the itinerary perfectly! We were never wandering around wasting time at any point, and we fit in SO many great spots! (Like Mean Girls on Broadway, Tavern on the Green, etc) And I know I still haven’t recapped the trip, but that post is coming soon! Promise!

All in all, 2019 was probably my favorite year yet! I felt like I had great consistency/stability both in professional and personal aspects of my life. That was a huge goal for me at the beginning of the year! I’m also going to be sharing my new year resolutions soon. I’m still trying to decide on those! Until then, you can check out my goals from last year HERE! πŸ™‚

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle

Life Update: I MOVED! :)

October 8, 2019

I MOVEDI’m thrilled to officially share that I moved to Jackson on Thursday! (Mississippi if you need further clarification lol) I had been wanting to tell y’all for months, but I knew as soon as I did, something would backfire! So I decided to wait until it actually happened, and I semi settled into my new apartment! A few of you sent messages asking if I was because I started sharing way more home decor, which I thought was pretty funny. Hahah! That’s the thing I’m most excited about is designing the space and decorating for the holidays! I can’t wait to get a Christmas tree up in the living room! πŸ™‚

You might be wondering the reason why I moved, and several factors weighed in on my decision! Of course I would have loved to go someplace like Nashville or Dallas, but Mississippi is home! Not to mention, a lot of my friends and some family are here. It’s only an hour and a half from Laurel (my hometown), so it’s easy to make a day trip if I need to! Like meeting up with my mom to take photos. One day, I’m hiring her to be my personal assistant I swear! Hahaha.

Anyways, most of you know I moved back to Laurel after graduating college, which was NOT planned! I had interviewed and received a job offer in Birmingham, but I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I made the decision to go home and work on growing Sassy Southern Blonde, which has paid off in ways I never could have imagined! My mom was my biggest cheerleader through it all though, and she believed in me enough to let me try this whole blogging thing out when I wasn’t making any money.

With all of that being said, staying in Laurel forever was never my plan either! After a year and a half post college, I finally felt ready (financially and mentally lol) to take the next step and move out! I’m actually living with my college friend Lauren, and I love it. When my parents and brother moved me in, it was like they were dropping me off for freshman year all over again! Lol. It still hasn’t actually hit me that I’ve moved, but it never did then either! I guess I’m good at adapting to change? At least in certain situations… Hahaha.

I am SO excited and ready for this new chapter, and I want to thank y’all for always being so kind and encouraging with everything I do! The success I’ve found with blogging is only because of y’all. There’s no way to adequately express how much it means when you read a blog post, buy something through my link, or just send a sweet DM! This journey might have started two years ago, but it’s only just begun! πŸ™‚

PS: Stay tuned for ALL the home decor coming your way! Until then, shop everything on my home decor page!

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle

NYFW 101 + 8 Tips For Attending :)

September 15, 2019

NYFW 2019NYFW 2019NYFW 2019NYFW 2019PART 1

Several of y’all asked how I was able to go to NYFW and the process I went through to make it happen! I know it’s kind of surprising, but anyone can attend. I will say it’s easier for people with jobs in the fashion industry! Finding invites to all the events is the trickiest part, though! The group of girls I went with brainstormed and researched for months to prepare accordingly. We created our schedule based on the brands we work with, want to work with in the future, PR companies who send us products, and fashion shows happening on the days we were in town! Flying in on Thursday afternoon made it difficult to schedule meetings with showrooms/PR companies because we only had Friday. (Most are closed on the weekends) Next year, I want to arrive on Wednesday so I can have two full days to meet with brands! We definitely overextended ourselves this year! But it’s okay because we still had an amazing time and made it work!

Another common question asked was if the trip was sponsored, and it wasn’t at all! I paid for my hotel, flight, Ubers, etc. Although expensive, the experience and networking made it worthwhile for me along with seeing my blogger friends from all over the country! πŸ™‚

As far as invites go, some brands will email you directly to invite you a few weeks prior, but most require you pitching yourself to score a spot on the guest list! I still don’t know how I found half the contacts I did on the World Wide Web, but it was very beneficial! Only one fashion show couldn’t get us in because they were full! I do wish I would have emailed more brands with fashion shows going on. I’d love to attend several next year! I will share my NYFW schedule in the next blog post with outfit details, but today I wanted to tell you guys some tips that I found helpful or wish I would have known!

-Create a dream list of brands/fashion shows/PR companies you want to connect with

-Give yourself enough time between meetings and shows so you aren’t late

-Wear comfortable shoes or bring a cute bag to put them in

-Step outside your comfort zone with your outfits

-Travel with a group of girls you are comfortable with/have similar schedules

-Book your hotel/flight 1-2 months prior because prices will only increase

-Start emailing brands at least 1 month prior so spots aren’t full

-Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t able to meet with every brand or if people never email you back! You’re going to hear no a lot more than you’ll hear yes, but that’s okay! πŸ™‚

PART 2

And here were other questions asked that I wanted to include at the end lol:

Q: What are some new trends you loved?

A: So this NYFW was technically for Spring 2020, but I will list the fun Fall trends I loved since that season is the one approaching! My favorites were snakeskin print (obviously), suit sets, PUFF SLEEVES (favorite one), satin, plaid, and fun feathers!

Q: Which celebrities did you see?

A: I personally noticed way more Housewives/reality tv stars than anyone else, but that was quite alright! (I’m a reality tv junkie lol) We saw Melissa Gorga (RHONJ) at the Victoria’s Secret party, Stephanie Hollman (RHOD) at a PR showroom, Paige DeSorbo (Summer House on Bravo), Sofia Richie and Victoria Justice all at Rebecca Minkoff! I’m sure there were more, but these are the main ones I remember! Haha.

Q: Do you have a New York City travel guide?

A: YES! I went last Christmas with my mom, so we did a lot more tourist things than I did at NYFW! Linking the travel guide HERE!

PS: My next blog post will be recapping outfit details from NYFW, so stay tuned for that coming later this week! πŸ™‚

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle, Tips

PALM SPRINGS RECAP

June 25, 2019

PALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY OUTFIT

PALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY OUTFIT

PALM SPRINGS RECAPPALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY OUTFIT

PALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY OUTFIT

PALM SPRINGS RECAPPALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY ROMPERΒ (Use KELSIE20 for 20% off)

PALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY DRESSΒ (Use KELSIE15 for 15% off)

PALM SPRINGS RECAPPALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY OUTFIT

PALM SPRINGS RECAPSHOP MY OUTFIT

Somehow I managed to visit Palm Springs twice in 3 months, so I’m recapping myΒ second trip today! (My first PS trip is HERE) I definitely recommend going in the Spring vs Summer because the desert heat is no joke if you’re not used to it. We would wake up early to shoot before it was too hot, but we still managed to catch the 110 degree temps! Karli, Kelsey, and I flew into LAX and drove over on Thursday. Looking back, I’d probably spend the extra money to fly directly into Palm Spring’s airport! LA traffic is the worst, so an hour and a half trip to the desert can quickly turn into 3 hours+ as we found out. Lol!

We collaborated with Acme House Company, which I highly suggest using if you’re heading to Palm Springs! Half the group stayed in The Kirk Douglas House and the other half stayed in theΒ For The Record House. Both were beautifully designed and had that classic Palm Springs touch! Acme House Company was amazing to partner with, and they always went above and beyond for us. I’ll link their website HERE so you can find out all the details about them! And if you’re a pink fan like me, their Pretty In Pink House is a MUST πŸ™‚

My favorite part of the trip was a last minute idea that actually came into fruition! The girls who flew into LA decided to leave Palm Springs early Monday morning, so we could have lunch at The Beverly Hills Hotel before our flights. We made reservations the day before and had such a perfect lunch with overpriced, yet delicious avocado toast! This is a hot spot you have to visit for the memories. Plus it’s super Instagrammable as you can see above! I’m going to leave my favorite places we ate at and favorite photo spots below!

PLACES TO EAT: The Broken Yolk, Eight4Nine, Azucar, Norma’s, The Pink Cabana, Cheeky’s, Smokin’ Burgers

PLACES FOR PHOTOS: The Parker Hotel, The Saguaro Hotel, Neighborhoods, Hotel California

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle, Summer, Travel

RELAXING DAY AT SOUL SPA IN JACKSON

June 5, 2019

SOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSSelf-care is SO important and my absolute favorite way to regroup and unwind is at the spa! Between the soothing atmosphere and the luxurious amenities, my top choice is definitely Soul Spa at the Westin in Jackson, Mississippi. Yall, this place is top notch as you can see in the photos! No detail is overlooked, and you’re guaranteed to leave with a smile! (A relaxing one at that, lol!)

SOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSWhen I hit theΒ future jackpot, I want my bathroom to look exactly like the locker rooms at Soul Spa. The showers alone are worth the trip! I stayed in here entirely too long just taking in the pretty decor. There’s also a sauna you don’t want to miss!

SOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSSOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSI am obsessed with anything that resembles marble, clearly!

SOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSAfter I stopped gawking at the locker room, I headed to the relaxation room with the comfy chairs, cozy blankets, and the table of snacks! I love that you can also order food or drinks while you’re lounging. Give me all the mimosas, please! πŸ™‚

SOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSSOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSI forgot my swimsuit, but I did put my feet in the hot tub for a bit! The weather wasn’t too hot this day, which is a nice change from the typical Mississippi heat! I’ll definitely remember to pack it next time, so I can take full advantage of the patio area!

SOUL SPA IN JACKSON, MSI had such a wonderful experience at Soul Spa, and I can’t wait to schedule my next visit! If you aren’t interested in their services, you can also purchase a $35 day pass to access the amenities! Soul Spa has an indoor heated pool and a nice gym area included in this deal. I usually skip working out, but hey, it’s an option for my fitness gals! Whether you live near Jackson or planning a visit soon, Soul Spa is a great spot to go! Check out their website HERE with more details on their amenities, services, and products. Remember, Jackson doesn’t have to be your city for you to enjoy it! It’s for everyone! πŸ™‚

XOXO

Kels

*Special thank you to MWB for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions are my own!*

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle

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