Because Josh Said So || March Edition

This is my all time favorite link up (have I said that before?)--mostly because I barely have to do any of the work and Josh gets a taste of what it's like to be a blogger! And he's such a good sport!

Question: Do you like to cook? If yes, what's your favorite thing to make?

Josh: Nope.

Me: Care to elaborate?

Josh: No, not really.

He doesn't actually cook y'all. Mostly chicken nuggets, mini corn dogs, and party pizzas. He did cook me dinner one time--but we go out to eat a lot.

Question: What is the last movie you saw in a theater?

Josh: That's easy--Get Hard. It was one of those dumb, funny movies.

We went to see it Saturday night! I tried to get him to go see Cinderella with me, but no such luck! To be fair it would've been the second time I'd seen it, but can you blame me?! It's such a good movie!

Question: Can you name five makeup brands?

Josh: CoverGirl, L'Oreal, Sephora...wait is that a company or a brand?....Ummm that's all I got.

Question: What are your biggest pet peeves?

Josh: I can come up with some good ones--let me think. I hate it when people set their clocks fast.

Me: Really?!

Josh: Yep.

Currently the clock in my car is set 15 minutes fast...oops!

Question: What are your biggest goals in life right now?

Josh: Find a nice paying job with career advancement opportunities. I know you want me to say get married...Buy a truck, house, get married.

Me: In that order?

Josh: Eh, maybe truck, married, house. 

Good to know.

Spring Break Essentials

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  I received the beach bag courtesy of Properly Southern. As always, all opinions and pictures are my own!

Spring Break is a distant memory for me. I realized yesterday that this year makes six years since I graduated high school and two since college. Hello, I'm old. 

Unless you are a teacher, in grad school, or really, really lucky, Spring Break disappears when you walk across the stage to get your diploma--not that I'm bitter. These days, my "spring break(s)" are limited to the weekends in Spring. (which isn't really that bad of a deal!)

And what a weekend we had this past Saturday and Sunday--the weather was PERFECT. 

With the weather beginning to warm up, you can find me in one of two places: the pool and the boat. I seriously wanted to stay outside ALL day on Sunday. Regardless of the location, there are a few must-have items that I make sure to never forget to pack.

What to Pack: Beach Bag c/o Properly Southern, Sunscreen (the more SPF the better + don't forget to reapply frequently), a Towel, Reading Material (I love a good chick-lit book and Southern Living because duh), Headphones, a Mini Emergency Kit (you know just in case + they are just so cute!), and Water (don't forget the koozie!) Not pictured: Sunglasses--I was wearing them, oops!

I have a confession. It's been awhile since I actually had my own beach bag (that was cute). Last season, I would either awkwardly carry everything to my destination--dropping things here and there, or put my belongings in someone else's bag. 

Don't make my mistake y'all! 

You can get your own beach bag and so many other adorable items (LOVING these and these) from Properly Southern -- you can use code BCISAIDSO on the website to save 30% OR click over to the Etsy store and use code BCISAIDSOETSY to save 30% there as well! Offer lasts until April 30th.

ICYMI: The Friday Edition

Happy happy Friday everyone! Nothing makes me happier than making it through a grueling work week to the freedom of the weekend!

Here's a recap of the week: (in case you missed it)

I still haven't found the tailor that I so desperately need. Add insult to injury, I bought a Lauren James dress and it's too big! It's a small and it's too late to return it--I just want someone to make it fit!

The Lilly for Target look book launched yesterday and I, along with every other blogger and female in the world, love everything about it! Literally, I favorited almost all of the items and the only reason all of the items WEREN'T favorited is because I have no where to put a hammock or umbrella! I knew I was going to have to save up money in anticipation for the launch date, I didn't know I was going to have to take out a loan! Coming to a Target near year April 19th!

I've always been a huge fan of Hilary Duff. I watched Lizzie McGuire religiously and dreamed of my Lizzie McGuire Movie moment in Italy (still have never traveled abroad). Anyways, she's coming out with a new single in April and will be on the show Younger which premieres March 31st. I'm obsessed. That is all.

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Have a great weekend!

Ma Petite Cheri

Translation: My Little Darling/My Little Dear One

It's become somewhat of a weekend habit to go shopping. Not that I'm complaining--much.

A little bit of background before I turn this into a rant post. I'm 4'11; 5 ft. on a good day. I consider myself "tiny" pretty much everywhere. In fact, my whole family is tiny. My mom is 5 feet and my grandma is even tinier. Her maiden name is actually Little--which I find ironically suitable.

A few weekends ago, I was shopping with my mom at LOFT (usually one of my most favorite places to shop for Petite clothes). This particular day, however, my mom and I were trying on the SAME EXACT pair of white skinnies. We are relatively the same size and tried on the same pair of size 2 pants.  They fit her perfectly, but bunched MAJORLY around my ankles. Come to find out, her legs are longer than mine (we measured), but my torso is longer than hers. We are both still considered petite.

This weekend, similar problems occurred when shopping at a popular boutique. NOTHING FIT. Dresses were too long, shirts were way too big, and pants/shorts; forget it. Every once in a while you'll get lucky, but it's frustrating to be a tiny person.

I have a quite few problems with retailers and how they cater to the "petite" crowd.

Problem 1: "Petite" means different things to different people/stores/brands. Sure, you may be 5'4 and consider yourself petite compared to your 5'11 friends, but I, at 4'11, am petite to you. Petites come in different shapes and sizes. Even if you're the same height measurement, you may have the same problem as me and my mom.

Problem 2: Most brands with "petite" labels are actually made for the person that is 5'2-5'4. It's like you don't need cute clothes when you're under that mark. And really how is the same pair of pants labeled with a "P" going to fit a 5'4 person and me? Ridiculous.

Problem 3: Many brands/stores DO NOT have petites. Most boutiques actually.

Problem 4: A good tailor is hard to find. In fact, I'm still looking for one (help me)! Also, if I pay $50+ for a pair of pants or a dress, I don't particularly want to pay another $50-$60 to have them altered--no matter how badly I want them to fit perfectly.

Problem 5: I DON'T WANT TO SHOP IN THE KID'S DEPARTMENT MY WHOLE LIFE! I fit a size 0 or XSmall at Lilly Pulitzer. However, because I'm petite, some of the pants or dress don't fit properly, mostly because they are too long. Enter, the children's section of Lilly Pulitzer. This weekend, I bought a pair of children's palazzo pants and THEY FIT (granted it was an XL, but still). Perfectly. Perfect length, perfect around the waist. It worked out well this time because the children's section is significantly cheaper than the adult section. But still. I'm 23, I don't want to be shopping in the children's section forever!

What's a girl to do? Can there be an extra petite classification? Or can all of the tailors with good reputations come out of hiding now?

Rant over. Sorry (not sorry) for the rant like post--it had to be said.

A Day in the Life

This was going to be a "one photo an hour" post, but I really have no patience to pull that off (and it would all be grainy iPhone pictures of me sitting at my desk).

So instead, I bring you--a day in the life of...ME!

Hi! I'm Allison. I'm 23 years old and I'm a sales associate/event coordinator
for a catering and events company!

6AM - 7:45AM -- My day usually begins around 6AM when my alarm first goes off (having every good intention of getting up early to go to the gym). I hit snooze about a dozen times and then when I finally drag myself out of bed (around 7:45M), I get ready for the day. I almost always have my clothes laid out the day before, so after I get dressed it's off to get coffee.

8AM-8:45AM -- In the drive thru line waiting on coffee and likely doing my makeup. I'd love to say that I have this really great routine, but more than half of the time, I'm doing my makeup in the car.

9AM -- I've clocked in and I'm at my desk. The first thing I do is check old messages, email, make lists, and turn on a Spotify playlist. I don't think I could make it through the day without coffee and/or music. And the countdown to 5PM begins.

12PM - 1PM -- I've made it through the morning and it's lunch time. When I'm not on a diet, I'm eating something yummy that the kitchen has cooked up for the day. Or if I'm lucky, it's a day we have a tasting and I get to eat like a queen. I do work for a catering company after all!

2PM-5PM -- More of answering the phone, posting to social media/helping create ads (my favorite), and qualifying leads. I usually book or help answer questions about an event during the day and if I make any appointments, I try to schedule them in the afternoon--The last part of the day seems to pass the fastest.  

Are you hungry yet? THIS is why I'm ALWAYS on a diet!

After 5PM -- PARTY! Just kidding. But really. After I get off work, I'll try to talk myself into working out, cleaning the house, and all other adult like responsibilities. In reality, I'll most likely come home and watch Netflix and blog. 

Dinner is either NOTHING (because I ate too much during the day) or something easy: drive through or frozen dinner. When I'm done binge watching my favorite shows (currently catching up on Once Upon a Time) I'll take a bubble bath and go to bed around 10PM. What an exciting life I lead.  I really can't stay up late anymore--if I don't get at least 8-10 hours of sleep I will be a zombie at work the next day. 

While my days are mostly routine, my favorite days are when I can get out of the office to go to a bridal show, participate in a tasting, or lunch meeting, or run errands.  

What's your day like?

Because Laney Said So || Orijen Freeze Dried Treats

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  We (Laney and I) received the treats and toy to review as part of Chewy.com's blogger review program.  Since Laney has yet to learn how to write, I am reviewing on her behalf. As always,all opinions and pictures are my own! (oh and Laney's)

I'm on a diet so Laney's on a diet. Not really. But when Josh and I found out the food we had her on had been recalled due to DEATHS, we decided to think a little bit more about what we were feeding our little Bugga.

Enter, chewy.com. Not only do they have a large selection of treats, food, and toys (for great prices), most of the treat and food options have certain diets in mind. No grain, no soy, minimally processed, etc. Which is perfect for Laney--she can stand to lose a few per the vet last year. 

The treats we received were Orijen Freeze Dried Lamb. I'm not sure Laney's ever had anything "lamb" before, but she will eat most anything. Needless to say, she was super excited before she even knew what she was getting. If I say "TREAT" she instantly goes into a tizzy and can't contain her excitement. Being her photographer was NOT an easy task.

The treats have a weird smell to them in my opinion, but it's a dog treat and I'm not the one eating them. Besides, Laney LOVED them. I was happy that the size of the treats were small enough to be considered a treat and not an all day meal.

 We don't make it a habit to dole out treats too frequently--she's spoiled enough already (ok Josh doesn't--I tend to be heavy handed on the treat giving), but the size is perfect for training. Without a doubt, these treats get the approval stamp from this dog mom!



We also got this little guy in the mail with the treats. If there's anything Laney loves more than a good treat, it's a stuffed animal toy with a squeaker. The poor little guy never stood a chance. I am happy to report (as of Sunday evening), however, that the squeaker IS still inside regardless of how many limbs are missing. It should last her a few more days.

If you're in the market for new treats or toys for your fur-child, order from Chewy.com--not just because I said so, but because Laney says so too!

Spring is in the Air



I think it's safe to say that spring has arrived in South Louisiana! Even if we get a cold blast in the next week or so, I'm still celebrating this considerably warmer weather. If you need further proof, this past weekend it was close to 80 degrees (consistently).

 

Warmer weather means sundresses and bright colors! I've been wearing mostly black and darker colors lately, so I was super excited to break out my Lilly dress and new-to-me Kate Spade purse.

This dress is the first Lilly dress I ever purchased and it's my favorite. (Similar here and here)

One of my most favorite things about Spring is the flowers/trees that start blooming, more specifically, the dogwood trees. Everywhere I went, the white blooms signaled that Spring has arrived and decided to stay for a while.

 

 

I know, I know. I look super pale in these pictures. I don't think I've tanned seen the sun since last summer. No worries though. These pictures were taken on Saturday and on Sunday, we took the boat out and now I'm burnt to a crisp--but only in the most annoying places (hairline, nose, shoulders).

 

 



Yay for all the bright and beautiful! And how cute is this purse? I know I'll get A LOT of use out of it--pink is my favorite color after all.

 

The extra sunshine is doing wonders for my mood and makes me want to be more productive--I think I'm finally getting used to the time change! What's your favorite thing about Spring?

 





Making a Great Workout Playlist

It's hard to make it to the gym. Take this morning for example. I went to bed early in hopes I could wake up early to go to the gym. Three taps of the snooze later, it's 8 AM and I have to go to work. A for effort?

When I finally do make it to the gym, it's really the music that keeps me going. That and the hope that I'll magically be skinnier when I leave. That's why I make sure I have a motivating playlist. P.S. My playlist on my phone is "Skinnyminny."

Variety is key! I like to have a little bit of everything on my playlist. Rock, Hip Hop, etc.

Pick songs you can move to! (aka: Upbeat). My sister can run to Broadway opera music/"In the arms of the Angels" type songs..I don't know how. My music has to have a beat. Hence the Beyoncé and Rihanna.

 

If you want to sing along , it belongs! There have many times when I accidently start singing along at the gym--FYI when you have headphones in, you don't know how loud you are singing until everyone starts staring. 

 

Add more songs than you need! That way, if you aren't feeling a particular song, you can skip it and still have songs left.

Update it! A good playlist needs to be updated frequently. Hearing the same songs over and over and over (no matter how much variety you have) can get old and boring. For me, old and boring do not mix with the already boring gym. So, keep it interesting.

 

 

 

 

What songs are on your "workout" playlist?

 

 

 

What's On My iPhone

The title of this post should really be: "what's NOT on my iPhone." I have so many apps and so many pictures that I'm constantly getting the YOU DON'T HAVE ANYMORE STORAGE message. But that's not stopping me from constantly looking for all things NEW! Be sure to leave a comment at the end because I'm always looking for new apps to download!

Here are my top 5 apps, currently (plus a bonus):

Bloglovin: I love having all of the blogs to read in the palm of my hand. I rarely read blogs on a computer these days. 

VSCO cam: Instagram now has editing skills that are almost the same, but I use a combo of both when I post pictures. 

All social apps: Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, Facebook. No explanation needed.

Dropbox: I mostly use this for work--it's handy when I need to post to social media using high quality pictures without using up all of my phone memory and don't have my work computer around.

Netflix: Surprisingly works very well and is great in a pinch (say, when your waiting at the orthodontist and don't want to talk to the 12 year olds also waiting)

---

BONUS! Where's Waldo--Does anyone remember these books?! I used to check them out from the library when I was little ALL THE TIME! This find is GOLD, y'all. It's literally the only game I have on my phone, as of now, but everyone needs a little bit of a break every once in awhile! 

P.S. You should totally download Whitney's newest iPhone Wallpaper

P.P.S Surprise (not really), my battery is ALWAYS low!

What's on your phone? I'd love new suggestions!

Weekend Recap

I'm always living for the weekend and now that's it's starting to warm up, even more so. This weekend went by incredibly and unusually fast: I blame daylight savings time. Why is it still around, anyway?

I think I'm getting better at planning blog posts and using the weekends to shoot and style future posts. Still learning all about shooting, posing, not being awkward in #ootd pictures, but one of my first fashion posts went up on Saturday!

P.S. My sisters curled my hair for me--I'm hopeless when it comes to hair and make up!

P.P.S I can't wait for my blog planner from Heart and Arrow to come in!

I attended my high school's "Joie de Vie" on Saturday--an auction to help raise money for the school. I was able to win the highly coveted Lilly Pulitzer "Mandeville" Scarf--made especially for the Palm Village store in Mandeville, LA. YAY ME!

Less exciting, but a step in the grown up direction: I filed my taxes BY MYSELF! Done. Checked off the list. Now I'm just sitting pretty until my refund comes in!

The rest of the weekend was spent being lazy and enjoying every second of my time with my loved ones.

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Sassy Pants

Further proof that I'm addicted to my phone.

Sweater | Polka Dot Shirt | Red Pants 

Bonus points if you can find Laney in this picture!

Rewind this week, to Tuesday night--I had prepped all day for a pretty big sales meeting on Wednesday and was nervous beyond nervous. And everyone knows, the cure to most anything is retail therapy. I needed to make sure I looked the part. 

Loft is my new favorite place. Sometimes, the petite section leaves a lot to be desired, but this particular day, I hit the jackpot. I got a whole outfit and even got Loft cash to spend later! (P.S. Everything is 40% off online right now)

The meeting went off without a hitch AND I got a raise!!  I credit this all to my sassy, red pants and new found confidence.

Adulting: Am I Doing it Right?

I wouldn't have had an answer a week ago or even a few days ago. And even to this day, I consider myself still in that weird limbo between child/teen and full blown adult. 

So I guess my question is "is anyone doing it right?" and really, who's to judge?

You don't have to do any of these things to be an adult, but these handful of things makes me feel like I'm being an adult most of the time:

Listening to SOME talk radio and at least knowing what's going with our country and the world. It's heartbreaking and eye-opening. How did I not care before? It may still be (very) boring, but I'm learning--and that's the key thing here. (My dad is probably having a "proud father moment")

Spending an obnoxious amount at Loft getting one professional-kickass-boss outfit for a sales meeting--that went off without a hitch.

Caring what goes into my body, but knowing that I'm not perfect and I will never stop loving cheese.

Appreciating the small things like a brand new-to-me bed. I no longer sleep on a mattress on the floor--thanks mom and dad.

Saving a little bit more than I'm spending.



Having a clean apartment at least three days out of the week.

While I still enjoy my Spaghetti Os and Princess gummy vitamins and am far from perfect,  I have a lot more "adult-like" qualities than I thought. 

And for the first time in a while I've thought to myself: "Allison, you're doing just fine."

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me

I've noticed a few new faces around here since my blog got a face lift and a new domain #soofficial. It's amazing what a few tweaks will/can do! So, I thought I'd do a re-introduction of sorts. Yea sure there's my about page, but here's your chance to get to know me a little bit better. By the way, these are all the most random things ever.

1. I love the smell of fresh cut grass and coffee. I could sit in a coffee shop for hours and just enjoy the (free) smells. And fresh cut grass reminds me of my childhood for some reason. Never have I ever, actually cut grass though.

2. I'm seriously addicted to my iPhone. So much so, that when I'm hanging out with the boyfriend, he frequently has to take it away from me. I have to charge it at least three times a day, sleep with it next to me, and can't go to another room without it with me. It's sad. But, at least I'm admitting I have a problem?

3. My nicknames are: Little One, Little Bit, and Big Al. I'm under five feet and 105 pounds so it makes sense that people would call me little anything--Big Al was an ironic nickname from when I was eight years old and played softball and was the smallest one on the team. I guess it made me seem tough.

4. I love sushi (rolls + raw fish). I could eat sushi for every meal, everyday. In fact, I really want some right now. That being said, the rest of my diet is like a six year old's. (think chicken nuggets)

5. I've never broken any bones in my body. Sprained and jammed, yes. Broken, no.

6. Someone mistakenly thought I was a HIGH SCHOOL athlete this weekend at the farmer's market. I get high school, but athlete? Lol. Also, I'm 23--almost 24.

7. Favorite songs currently include Paradise City by Guns N Roses and anything by the Beastie Boys. Oh, also Free Falling and Piano Man.  I'm experiencing a musical existential crisis--the 80s are actually pretty cool, even if I was born in the 90s.

8. My youngest sister, who is 13, just passed down one of her coat's to me this weekend. It's a size 10-12 (in kids) and it fits. See # 3.

9. I'm a fast learner when it comes to song lyrics and anything technology. I'm basically tech support at work and at home.

10. I don't know how to braid my own hair. They boyfriend can braid my hair better than I can! Any time you see me with a braid, someone else did it for me!


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