Styled by 5: Rad Swim

Styled by 5 is taking a little summer break, but not before we leave you with one final look from one of my top swim companies ever. Rad Swim. If you don't know them, then prepare to find some of the cutest suits you have EVER seen.

Swim season has arrived! And that means it is time to show off your cute suits at the pool, at the lake, at the beach, and all of the above. Wait.... you don't have a cute suit!? Well I am here to help you out. Rad Swim is going to make all your swimmer dreams come true. They have everything, but these peplums are their newest and I am in loveeee!

Swimsuit: Rad Swim

Coverup: Honey & Lace

Sunnies: Forever 21

This peplum comes in different colors and cuts. I picked the pink peplum with reversible high wait bottoms. But I was so torn when I was picking because I loved the black and cinderella colors too. No matter what, I was high waist bottoms all the way though because I am a big fan of that cut these days.

Aince we are all sharing the same piece on a different body type here is a reminder of my sizing – I am 5’9″ and I generally wear a 10/12 – 10 on a good day, 12 on a not good day… you understand, right? So I ordered this swimsuit in a size XL. Normally I can get by with a Large, but I feel like these suits are cut a little slimmer - and this size is perfect for me. I love sharing my style with you, but I also want you to see clothing I style in other body types so you can find what is best for you. So feel free to check out how Kaylynn, Bethany, Jacque, and Lauryn styled this outfit as well! And watch for a new piece of clothing styled by 5 every month.

Styled by 5: Daniel Wellington

The monthly Styled by 5 is here, and this month we are switching it up a bit. Usually we style a piece of clothing, but this month we styled an accessory which makes it even more fun. Check out how we all styled our own Daniel Wellington. 

I have been trying to make an effort to wear watches more. There are two reasons why. First, I like the ability of having the time on my wrist so I am not tethered to my phone at all times of the day. That one should be self explanatory, but I am already on my phone enough running my business that any chance to not rely on the phone is good to me. Second, I have been reading lots of articles about how most successful people wear watches. That rings loud in my head because of the business I previously mentioned. Obviously, I want that to be successful so if a watch helps me on that path - then I am in! 

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Top: Fashion 15 Below

Jacket: Pink Blush

Leggings: Sweet Legs

Scarf: Soel

Shoes: Nordstrom Rack

I always have a really hard time deciding what color of watch band to get... but after a lot of thinking and debating, I went with a brown band because I knew I could wear that with blacks and browns and blues. Black is pretty but it is hard to put it with a blue or tan outfit, however a dark brown I feel like I can work into any outfit as long as I take a little cheetah into the ensemble. So I paired my all black with a cheetah scarf and brown booties and the watch was the perfect detail to tie it all together on a rainy day.

Normally this is where I share my sizes and what I ordered and how I felt it fit... but since this is a watch, there isn't a ton to say. So I am just going to cut that part out altogether on this post! So feel free to check out how Kaylynn, Bethany, Jacque, and Lauryn styled this outfit as well! And watch for a new piece of clothing styled by 5 every month.

Stripes and Pocket

I am a big stripes fan. And I am a big pockets fan. So when I was presented with the most COMFORTABLE - seriously, so comfy - dress that had both. I was in. So in it was insane. I have always had my eye on Junie Blake dresses because they are so stylish and they are modest and they are all the good things. I have been able to wear this one so many times for different occasions, but of all of them this styling is my fave.

Dress: Junie Blake

Duster: Pink Blush

Booties: Nordstrom Rack

Lips: LipSense in Mulled Wine

So I usually don't do the top knot, but I felt like a top knot tied this whole thing together to give it a more trendy look rather than a conservative dressy look. Does that make sense? So for example - I wore my hair down and really pretty with some heels instead of booties for a dinner party. I wore this for a fun day out with my friends. It is as easy as that to swap a look in and out. 

But no matter what way you style it, this dress is beautiful and I am obsessed with it. Next on my list is a fun leopard dress that Junie Blake released last month. And now I need it. 

Styled by Five: Pink Blush

Oh hey my party people. Clearly I have taken a small recess from the blog. This holiday season totally throws off my whole groove. But here I am again with a little Styled by 5 for you. And a little holiday cheer. Okay - maybe not holiday cheer but an idea for some holiday fashion! 

This month we teamed up with Pink Blush to show off an awesome Olive Trench. Let me tell you why I love this so much. You know how in the holiday season you go to all these parties and everyone always looks for the perfect black dress or sequined and bedazzled show piece? This is a fun and trendy piece that will amp up any holiday look - you can wear it with sequined, you can wear it as a coat, with a dress, leggings. All of it! I am obsessed with it.

Trench: Pink Blush

Top: Downeast

Leggings: LulaRoe

Shoes: Francesca'a

Necklace: Jane

Okay - so I decided to pair this trench with all black. My thoughts were this is something that I could show you just by changing the accessories you can make it a casual party outfit or a dressy party outfit. And if you traded the leggings our for a black pencil skirt and the booties out for pumps, you up it even one more level! It is so versatile and I love it.

Since we are all sharing the same piece on a different body type here is a reminder of my sizing – I am 5’9″ and I generally wear a 10/12 – 10 on a good day, 12 on a not good day… you understand, right? So I ordered this trench in a large. It was a perfect fit, the arms fit snug and were long enough which I can really appreciate. The body itself I thought would overlap a little more, but it just met in with a tiny overlap to create a sort of jacket look rather than like a full wrap, if that makes sense? I like how it looked overall though and you will totally see me wearing it again. I love sharing my style with you, but I also want you to see clothing I style in other body types so you can find what is best for you. So feel free to check out how Kaylynn, Bethany, Jacque, and Lauryn styled this outfit as well! And watch for a new piece of clothing styled by 5 every month.

Comfy Week Nights and Weekends

No matter what I am up to, my friends always mention how busy I am and that I need to slow down. And you know what? Most of the time I agree with them. And because of that I am always looking for ways to unwind in comfort after a long week or even a long work day. My favorite way lately? Coming home, throwing my hair up, changing into some Cuddl Duds, and playing with the pup.

Full Outfit: Cuddl Duds from Kohl's

You all know about hair up and a cute pup, but have you heard of Cuddl Duds?! Oh man... if you don't you need to. They are the perfect layering apparel to live life in comfort. I have friends that layer them under their snow gear, some wear them for pajamas, and some wear them for busy errand days - because no matter what you will be living easy in comfort. I am all about swapping into them after a full day of office wear. Plus, they are light enough that as the weather cools off I can just toss on another layer or two. I am a big fan. #GoComfy with Cuddl Duds at Kohl’s for the latest styles and color choices! When you're comfortable, everything is possible.

This post is sponsored by Cuddl Duds and Kohl’s, but my love to #GoComfy is all my own!

How We Wore It: Fall Sweaters

It’s back! With my blog break there was also a break for How We Wore It! But I am excited to introduce it back to the blogging world today. In case you need a refresher, this is how it works. All of us were given the same “inspiration outfit” and we were asked to create our own take on it once we let our creative juices flow. Any outfit can be inspired by the colors, the patterns, the pieces, or the textures is fine.  So our how we wore it is coming from the inspiration side – with things we already have! Because not many people have the luxury to just go buy a new outfit based on what they see on Pinterest, so you have to work with what you have. First up is the look we used for our inspiration.

via Diary of a Debutante

I picked out this outfit because I thought it was the perfect way to introduce fall while reintroducing How We Wore It. The outfit was simple enough that it could be taken to any inspiration direction. And now that the weather is finally cooling down I cannot wait to pull out all the sweaters and cardigans in my home. Here is my take on the look.

So when I originally was thinking of this outfit I had a really great idea in mind with the navy blue cardigan I have that is chunky and oversized… but then I remembered I have it to D.I. so I was out of luck. So I decided to go with another fun sweater in my closet. I swapper the dark on top, light on bottom for a light sweater on top and dark leggings. Then I still paired the look with brown boots and accessories.

Want to see more Diary of a Debutante inspired outfits? Check out how all these babes styled their look –  Kyla from FordOlogy / Paige from The Happy Flammily / Alyssa from Impractical Composition / Jessica from Flint Flair / Amber from amber nicole blogs / Jen from Real Life, On Purpose / Autumn from Stay gold Autumn / Rebekah from These are the Days / Tessa from Tessa Marie / Aubrey from Aubrey Zaruba / Emilie from Burke Does / Susan from Sue’s News / Madeline from CaseyLand / Sierra from Sierra’s View / Justine from Little Dove Creations / Jessica from Mason Jars and Lemon Bars / Kiana from Glitter and Donuts. Want to be one of the 15 How We Wore It stylists next month? Don’t forget to sign up!

Time Will Tell

Sometimes I really feel like I am on top of things and like I can rule the world… and then sometimes I feel like I am drowning in my own sea of life. For about half the year I live alone, because my husband travels for his job. And to avoid feeling lonely, I fill my time with a million other items. I work, I volunteer, I teach, I blog, I watch shows, and I try to spend time with friends. I try to do a lot of things so I never am on my own. And so I don’t let myself fall into a pity party. But then when my husband is home I still have all those things that I was previously used to doing PLUS one of the most important things in my life. All of that plus regular emotions and mental states, I have finally come to a point in my life that I realize the importance of prioritizing and cutting out what I can do without.

Watch: Arvo

Top: Eleventh Avenue

Hat: Aro & Co

Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

And the older I get the more I realize my priorities have shifted. My priorities used to be husband, friends, blog, social life, and so on – and then everything else was great too so I didn’t want to cut it. I wanted to do everything and anything I could. Because I liked feeling busy. But now I am realizing my priorities lie in my family, church, and personal well-being. Well being is the key one in there – because before I would load up my plate so full that I never had time for myself to just say nope, I am going to do me today. That is why I made sure to blog when I was too busy to even see straight, spent time commenting and scrolling on IG and Twitter, made sure to always volunteer for things – I don’t know. I was crazy! That is the only way to describe it. But I am putting myself first and really evaluating where I am at. And that is why I disappeared from here for a bit. With life and all I had going on, blogging just because I was “supposed to” didn’t feel right. So I took a break. I stopped spending so much time on social media. I said no to things, and man… did that feel good! So what are my priorities going to be tomorrow? Or next year? Or in five years? I couldn’t tell you…. things shift. Feelings change. And only time will be able to tell where I am landing.

Kini Swimwear

Remember a few months ago when I talked about Kini? That website to design your own swimsuit exactly the way you want it! That’s right exactly the way you want. From cut to color to print to so on. ALL OF IT. All you. Well – I told you then that you could see it soon. And soon turned into a little bit longer because of shipping from Australia and me not understanding the sizing difference of US vs Aussieland. So I am finally here to show you the goods! I decided to try out the two piece racer back and I am in LOVE with how it turned out. Like seriously, in love.

Swimsuit: Kini

Coverup: Pink Blush

Shoes: Target

Kini is so impressive – they suit looks just the way you designed it when it shows up in your hot little hands. There is nothing left to the imagination – because the preview shows you just what you want. There are a billion patterns and colors and combinations of all of the above to make your suit just the way you want it.

I loved designing my own suit and loved that there were different options. I always tend to get corals and pinks and whatnot with my swimwear, so I was really excited to try out something blue and floral this round. I also decided to go for a totally different look on the top with the sleeves versus strappy to try out a new style. Kini has filled all my design dreams and I will for sure be back for more.

Sizing reminders! I am generally a size 10 or 12. I ordered my Kini in a size 12US – make sure you check the conversion chart! The swimsuit fit my body perfectly, however the highwaist wasn’t as high as I would have hoped, but my belly button in generally is higher than the average so that is probably why. I really loved the styling and fit and the care that Kini put into making the suit a great quality.

Go check out Among the Young for more Kini inspiration – because, seriously… how could you not at this point?

Styled by 5: Pink Blush

This month for Styled by 5 we teamed up with Pink Blush – if you have been around for awhile you might remember seeing Pink Blush make a weekly appearance on my blog. I used to shop their a ton, so it was nice to reconnect with a brand I loved when I was a more avid shopper. Something cool about Pink Blush is they are a trendy online boutique that has both maternity clothing and non maternity clothing. The top we styled is actually a maternity top – and no, this is not an announcement. But I love it and whenever I am preggers this will be a perfect transition piece.

I actually ended up wearing this outfit the week I got the top in the mail. I wore it to Miss Idaho’s dress fitting in Orlando and when we walked in the owner said, “You look so young and fresh! I love it!” Which instantly made me feel good. Apparently all you need to feel young and fresh is a bright top and bright lipstick. SOLD! So I paired the Pink Blush top with white shorts – it could be worn as a dress but it was just at that point on my legs that I felt I needed something else with it, so the shorts just peak out. And then I paired it with my blue suede sliders. Something about how I photographed the top pulled it a little darker, it is probably a little in between my photo and everyone elses in real life. Here is my look!

Top: Pink Blush

Shorts: Old Navy

Sandals: Target

Since we are all sharing the same piece on a different body type here is a reminder of my sizing – I am 5’9″ and I generally wear a 10/12 – 10 on a good day, 12 on a not good day… you understand, right? So I ordered this top in a large. I cannot say enough good things about this top. The material is so soft and stretchy. The fit is perfect and comfy. If I could order this tunic dress in every color and pattern in the world – I would. I love sharing my style with you, but I also want you to see clothing I style in other body types so you can find what is best for you. So feel free to check out how Kaylynn, Bethany, Jacque, and Lauryn styled this outfit as well! And watch for a new piece of clothing styled by 5 every month.

Styled by Five: Goldie’s

I keep planning on staying consistent with my posts but these summer months are getting crazy. But at least you can look forward to some consistency with series, because those are things I don’t skip over. This month we styled a dress from Goldie’s – and this was just one of many beautiful options they had!

I originally just had on the white shoes and the dress fro my look, but then I decided to layer on one more item because I sort of felt like the dress needed a little more and also that the other Styled by 5 ladies might give you the short sleeved look. I am glad I went with my gut, because I always think it is nice to see how sleeves from items wear under cardigans and jackets and I was the lone wolf showing you that option. I wanted to keep the blue as the standout on the outfit so everything I paired in was white. White shoes and a white cardigan do to give the blue a little more pop.

Dress: Goldie’s

Cardigan: Lucy and Lyla

Shoes: Burlington Coat Factory

Since we are all sharing the same piece on a different body type here is a reminder of my sizing – I am 5’9″ and I generally wear a 10/12 – 10 on a good day, 12 on a not good day… you understand, right? So I ordered this dress in a large. I wasn’t totally sold on the dress based on the photos I saw beforehand, but I like it a lot better in person. The photos don’t do it justice. The dress fit like a glove, so if I lose a tiny bit of weight it would probably fit more comfortably, but I do like the fit. I love sharing my style with you, but I also want you to see clothing I style in other body types so you can find what is best for you. So feel free to check out how Kaylynn, Bethany, Jacque, and Lauryn styled this outfit as well! And watch for a new piece of clothing styled by 5 every month.