Sassy Southern Blonde

A Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kelsie Bynum

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • PARTNER WITH KELSIE
  • SHOP
    • SHOP MY INSTAGRAM
    • SHOP MY IG STORIES
    • HOME DECOR
  • CATEGORIES
    • FASHION
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • BEAUTY
      • MAKEUP
      • HAIR
    • TRAVEL
    • BLOG TIPS
  • DISCOUNT CODES

2021 BOOK REVIEW

November 17, 2021

Even from a young age, I have always enjoyed reading books! I actually won a few Accelerated Reader awards in elementary school, and I got to ride in a limo to the pizza party. Isn’t that every kid’s dream? Lol. As I grew older, I made less time for reading but picked it back up during quarantine like a lot of people! There have been several books I’ve read recently that I wanted to recap if y’all were interested. Some I love better than others, but we’ll dive into that below! 🙂

I thought about ranking the books, but I truly couldn’t decide because I loved most of them so much! And I enjoyed reading them for different reasons. I also wanted to add that I read the last two (Tell Me Lies and The Wife Between Us) during quarantine last year, but I never shared my thoughts!

Ugly Love

For some reason, the main character in this book whose name was Miles made me think of Matt James from The Bachelor the entire time! Hahaha. I think because someone else was named Rachel. Anyways, this was the top recommendation from y’all and it was amazing! I did think the beginning was kind of slow, but there was one chapter that sucked me in and I devoured the book after it. The ending was incredible, and I finished it sobbing!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I loved what an easy read Evelyn Hugo was! It didn’t make me want to stay up late finishing it, but I was excited to pick up where I left off the next day. If that makes sense! After Ugly Love, it was easily the next fan favorite. I also liked that the title was a bit misleading, but I don’t want to spoil anything else! The book ties up all the loose ends perfectly at the end, and there’s a connection you’ll never see coming!

Under The Influence

My friend (and fellow blogger) Hilary Bodiford wrote Under The Influence and I loved it! It involves bloggers and a mystery murder, so it really was the best recipe for a book. This is her debut novel, and she did a great job keeping me entertained until the last page with a surprising revelation! Hopefully, that ending means there will be a second book 🙂

Verity

Wow. From what I’d heard about Verity, I knew it would be a twisted book, but I never imagined it would be THAT crazy. Just when you think you know the truth, you realize you probably never will. I enjoyed the book as much as someone can enjoy that level of insanity! Haha.

The Last Flight

I’m currently in the thick of The Last Flight, and I’m intrigued but confused! Haha. I’m assuming the ending will tie the two characters, Eva and Claire, together, though. I love a good mystery, and The Last Flight is different than any book I’ve ever read before! I’ll update y’all with my final thoughts once I’m done!

Before We Were Strangers

I think I read Before We Were Strangers several months ago, but it was a beautiful story nonetheless! My favorite books are the ones that speak in both present and past tense because I love finding out the backstory. It helps me understand the characters and plot better! It’s another easy read and a good love story!

It Ends With Us

This was another popular recommendation, but I can’t get into it? I have no idea why. I’ve only read the first few chapters! I might try to push forward because I’m assuming it will eventually hook me. Lol! If you’ve read this book, I’m very interested to hear your opinion, so please DM me. I need to know what I’m missing?!

Tell Me Lies

If you’ve ever been in a complicated relationship with a manipulative person, THIS book is the one to read! I was obsessed with Tell Me Lies because it hit close to home on some levels with previous relationships. You want to shake the main character for her allowing this guy to take advantage of her, but you can also relate to her! If I had to choose a favorite book, this might be it. And I just made myself want to read it again! 🙂

The Wife Between Us

When I think of quarantine, I think of sitting on the balcony of my apartment reading The Wife Between Us! This book really revived my love of reading, and the way it was outlined with two characters’ point of views was genius. Clearly, I love when books have a twisted end and this one did not disappoint! Most people have probably already read it, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend! 

I hope y’all enjoyed my first ever in-depth book review! I had previously shared a blog post about 30+ books recommended to me that I’ll link HERE if you need more ideas!

XO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Tips

15 TV Shows + Movies Worth Binging ASAP

April 18, 2020

Considering this is my third Netflix show related blog post (check out the first one HERE and the second one HERE sharing my other favorite tv series), it’s safe to say I’ve seen a few! Lol. This is an updated list of Netflix shows (and movies) I’ve watched and loved! With everyone still in quarantine, I thought it would be a good idea to share now.

Out of the list below, the top ones I recommend you start first (if you haven’t seen them already) would be Peaky Blinders, The Vampire Diaries or Tiger King! Trust me, I know it’s a VERY random order. Lol! Let me know which tv shows and movies you’ve seen in the comments below!

The Vampire Diaries

Peaky Blinders

All American

Tiger King

Virgin River

The Ranch

Once Upon A Time

Ozark

The Crown

Lucifer

Mad Men

The Pharmacist

Friends From College

Miss Americana

The Dirt

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Tips

30+ BOOKS TO READ WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

April 10, 2020

30+ BOOKSI have been wanting to share my favorite books with y’all for months, and I thought now would be the perfect time since we’re all stuck at home! My passion for reading books started when I was a little girl but has definitely been neglected over the years. That is about to change, though! Although I’ve read several of them below, I’m challenging myself to finish a book a month. Currently, I’m reading Open Book by Jessica Simpson, and it’s incredible! I’ll probably go with a mystery next just to switch it up. Before I added these to my list, I went through and read each synopsis to make sure it was a book I actually liked! I pulled several of the books from the poll I posted on Stories too! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Tips

TWEED SET + MY ENNEAGRAM TYPE

January 27, 2020

I know I’m late to the party, but I finally took the enneagram test! I am a type 7, which was no surprise to me. The most interesting part of the results was that it revealed what your typical behavior at great, normal, and poor levels! Basically, how you act at your best and at your worst. Overall, Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, and spontaneous! With these traits, it’s easy for Sevens to become over-extended, scattered, and exhausted though. They can also have issues with impatience and impulsiveness!

The deeper I dived into this information, the more I realized how fitting the type 7 was to me! From the good traits to the bad, every single one made sense. At some point, I was reading an article that told me how most sevens think, and I had never realized it was how my brain worked until now! Their basic desires are to be satisfied and content and basic fears are being deprived of and in pain. This hit very close to home!

The Enneagram Institute further mentions how Sevens are super enthusiastic and approach life with curiosity, optimism, and a sense of adventure! They choose to do things that stimulate their minds and that’s why they usually have a lot of tasks happening at once. I related to this because I always have a mile long to do list, and I get a natural high from being busy! It’s hard to turn my brain off some nights! Haha.

Another trait of a type 7 that resonated with me is how indecisive most of us are. We are so worried about making the right choice that we cause ourselves anxiety! THIS IS ME. Especially when I’m traveling, I have to have THE perfect itinerary. I want to go to all the best, most popular spots! I don’t like being idle because it makes me feel like I’m wasting precious time! Sevens yearn for freedom and satisfaction, which can be a negative thing sometimes.

 I could go on for DAYS about my enneagram type because I LOVE psychology and understanding how my mind works! It’s crazy to me that so much goes on in your subconscious that you don’t even know about. Or you don’t realize at first! Apparently, most Sevens use rationalization as a defense mechanism aka they love to justify things to make themselves feel better. Another point that is very spot on!

This blog post just got SUPER long, but it wasn’t intentional! Haha. I just thought it would be fun to share more about being a type 7 since it helps y’all get to understand me better! This might even require a part 2 once I do more research! 🙂 If you want to take the enneagram test, I will link the free one I did HERE!

PS: I planned to talk about this pink tweed set more, but just know it’s worth EVERY penny! And it’s actually super affordable. My mom thought I spent hundreds on it judging by the quality and fit! I think it’s the perfect mix between Jackie O and Elle Woods! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle, Spring, Tips

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! 🙂

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! 🙂

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! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

Leave a Comment CATEGORIES // Lifestyle, Tips

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 10
  • Next Page »

MEET KELSIE

MEET KELSIE
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

STAY IN THE KNOW!

LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE

LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE

Recent Posts

  • CHARLESTON TRAVEL GUIDE
  • 2022 Favorite Purchases SO FAR :)
  • MOTHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE
  • TOP SELLERS FOR SPRING
  • SPRING 2022 TRENDS

MAKEUP MUST HAVES

WHERE I SHOP

Abercrombie

Amazon

American Eagle

ASOS

Express

Forever 21

J. Crew Factory

Nordstrom

Old Navy

Pink Lily Boutique

Red Dress Boutique

Revolve

Target

© 2017 SASSY SOUTHERN BLONDE