The Because I Said So Dress

You know you've made it when a local boutique names a dress after your blog, right? At least that's what I feel like! I felt so honored when the girls of Obsession Boutique told me they'd be naming a dress after my blog! 

Not to mention, I think this is the only year I'm not scrambling to find the perfect Easter dress. I usually wait until the last minute and throw something together, but this year I literally had it planned the second I picked up the dress. I love the lace detail and the high neckline and the soft pink color--this dress will definitely get me through Spring and Summer!

Because I Said So Dress

Unfortunately, this dress is sold out online (this one, this one, and this one are similar), but if you're local, you might still be able to snag one in the store.

 If you aren't local, here are some of my favorites that are in stock and that NEED to be in your closet--right now: The Brooke Dress, The All Who Wander Dress, and The Steph Dress. Happy Shopping!

In vs. Out || March 2016

Happy (almost) end of March! This month flew by! I'm making a little change to the monthly link up--instead of only being open for the weekend, the link up is NOW open through the end of the month! I hope you'll link up with me!

Don't forget to link up your own In vs. Out posts below! 

IN

They've actually started building our house! The permit stage takes forever, but we're finally seeing progress! 

Weekends. Enough said.

Reaching my step goal. I've reached my step goal everyday this week so far! TBH, I never even thought it was possible!

OUT

Waking up early. Oh how I wish I could sleep until 10 AM at least one day!

Laundry. My entire room needs to be washed and I've been putting it off for forever. Ugh.

Building a house is expensive. Having to buy a washing machine, dryer, and refrigerator (just to name a few) really adds up.

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And, in case you missed it, here's what was popular on Because I Said So this month:

A Day in the Life of a Social Media Manager

The Magnolia Story

The Luck of the Irish

A Day in the Life of a Social Media Manager

Social Media jobs are super trendy right now. After all, as a millennial who has basically been brought up on social media, this kind of job is a no brainer. I love being on Facebook all day, designing posts and analyzing the numbers. Not to mention, I love the people I work with!

6:30 AM. Begin waking up. I say "begin" because most of the time, I'll hit snooze (which is so bad, but sometimes I just want more sleep!) 

6:45 AM-8:00 AM. Get ready for work. And by that I mean mentally prepare myself for the day. I'll pack my gym bag, sometimes a lunch, eat breakfast, check social media (most of the time before I even get out of bed), and take Laney for a walk--it's a new thing I'm trying!

8:00 AM-9:00AM. I have a pretty long commute to work (about 45 minutes) while living at home. When Josh and I's new house is built, I'll only have a 15 minute drive to work!

9:00 AM. Arrive at work. First thing I do is open up all of the tabs I'll be working in--Facebook, Hootsuite, Gmail, etc. I'll check how yesterdays posts performed and reply to any emails. 

9:00 AM-12:00PM. Working hard. The mornings are usually filled with meetings, collaborations, and more meetings. During this time, when I'm not in a meeting, I'll be designing FB posts for my clients (I have about 6 right now), drafting proposals and blog posts, and researching whats new (like Instagram's new algorithm and how it'll affect my clients).

12ish. Lunch! I typically eat lunch at my desk (because I'm that dedicated of a worker). Lately, I've been trying to bring my lunch--somedays this works better than others.

Afternoon. The afternoon is filled with more or less the same things. I usually collaborate with my co-workers on projects they are working on--I'm great at "wording" for FB posts and Insta captions. 

2:30/3:00PM. I'm usually heading out for a cupcake. I NEED sugar in the afternoon, so I head to a local cupcakery for a wedding cake cupcake. 

5:00PM. Quitting time. After work, I'll head next door to Anytime Fitness. I usually walk/run three miles while watching Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune or whatever is on their TVs.

6:00 PM. By the time I'm done working out, Josh is off work! We typically meet at our property to see what's been done in the last 24 HRS. Fingers crossed they are pouring the slab today!

7:00PM. Dinner (usually at Josh's house) while we watch politics--my favorite #sarcasm. Sometimes I can get him to go for a Redbox movie!

9:00 PM. I finally head home, which takes me about 30 mins. I'll usually head straight for a bubble bath then crawl into bed with Netflix and my blog to work on. 

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So, there you have it! My day to day changes on the reg which keeps things exciting, but this is the basic day. 

What's your day to day like?

The Magnolia Story

Pre-order your copy here

Ever since I watched the first episode of Fixer Upper, I knew I'd be hooked. Sure enough, one episode turned into one season in less than 24 hours.

What's not to love about Chip and Jo and the whole crew? They love Jesus, are genuinely good people, and turn rundown houses into the gems they truly are. They are role models to couples and parents everywhere and...can I just be a Gaines for a day? But really, how cute are they!?

Pre-order your copy here!

So, when my mom emailed me the link to apply to be on the "Street Team" to help promote their new book, the Magnolia Story, I jumped (albeit hesistantly) head first. If that's a thing.

I didn't know that I'd ever hear anything back, after all, there are millions of bloggers, small business owners, and die hard fans out there. 

After a few weeks and forgetting what I wrote in my application, I got the email that said I was accepted!

Accepted. What a great word. What a great feeling. 

I'm so honored and excited to have this opportunity and be a part of something so outside my usual routine! There are so many great influencers in the "Street Team," each one bringing something different and unique to the table.

With that being said, their book is NOW available for pre-order! So what are you waiting for? 

Click here or here to get your copy reserved today!

The Luck of the Irish

This post is sponsored by Mignon Faget, but as always, all opinions are my own!

Let me take just a second to fan girl over here. When Mignon Faget (a huge New Orleans based  jewelry company) asked if I wanted to partner with them to bring you this look, I was in awe. I've been wearing their jewelry since Josh and I started dating (over 7 years ago). Over the years, he's given me this ring and this necklace. So, this is huge for me and I'm so excited!

You may remember this Instagram post...

Can't wait to show y'all what's in this pretty little box 🎁 Keep an eye on Because I Said So 😊 #mignonfaget #prettylittlethings #allisonsaysso #bloginbetween #bloggerlife #nolalife #neworleansstyle

A photo posted by Allison || Because I Said So (@allison_ellzey) on Feb 25, 2016 at 8:05pm PST

Mignon Faget is known for their whimsical designs that tie in all of the old world charm of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. Just look at their fleur de lis pieces! And their pieces are of the highest quality--I've had my ring and necklace for over seven years and haven't had any problems!

Also how much are we loving this green wall? I love downtown Ponchatoula!

Shirt | (old) Lilly Pulitzer Jeans | old (similar here) Necklace | Mignon Faget 

The necklace is the perfect length and is on the most delicate, but not easily tangled chain--which is a huge plus. I'm all about no fuss jewelry because I have the worst luck with necklaces getting tangled!

I can't wait to wear this necklace on St. Patrick's Day! Though I don't go ALL out to celebrate the holiday, I'm always careful to wear something green--or at least say I am. "Oh my bra is green" is no longer a valid excuse now that I have this lucky necklace!

Will you be rocking something green on St. Patrick's Day?

It's All in the Details

It's no longer winter here in these parts but I couldn't help share one last "cold weather" outfit. Seriously, all we've gotten in the past week is rain, humidity, and temperatures in the upper 70s! You know you live in the South when...

So for those of you who are still experiencing winter and haven't been thrown into what feels like Summer, this post is for you! I love all of the details of this one--mainly the polka dot tights! Really, every outfit is made (or not made) by the details. You can take something as simple as a white tee and dress it up or dress it down based on what you pair it with. 

If you remember this post, I dressed the tee down and paired it with jeans and a scarf. I love pieces that are so versatile.

Side note: the boyfriend mentioned that I owned way too many clothes (is that even a thing?) and that it could cause a closet space war when we move into our house--so versatile items are soon going to be my BFF.

Photography by Captivating Moments Photography

5 Ways to Rock Your Monday Morning

Mornings and I don't get along. Specifically, Monday mornings. Something about the end of the weekend and the beginning of a long grueling work week. I've tried to be a morning person, like really, really tried. But, I'd still rather stay up and watch three seasons of Gossip Girl than wake up with the sun.

Here's what I do to make my Monday mornings suck a little less:

1. Get a good night's sleep. 

Obvious right? Well sometimes it's not. Hello, it's called Netflix. Amiright? But seriously, go to bed early. Turn off the computer and put the phone away. It will help!

2. Wake up early.

Early to bed, early to rise something about being healthy, wealthy, and wise. You'd think that would be enough to get me motivated to get out of bed on a daily basis. NOPE.

If you go to bed early and wake up early, you'll feel less stressed and less rushed. I don't know about you, but my mornings are always rushed and I have to chose between eating breakfast or doing my hair. Not the best trade-off.

3. Eat breakfast.

When you wake up early, you have time to eat breakfast. See how all of these sort of fit together? Scientists go back and forth on whether or not eating or skipping breakfast is better, but my personal opinion is that it gives you a second to sit down and just be. So yes, it's good for you!

My go to breakfast, now that I've given up coffee, is oatmeal and juice. I don't have time for much else especially if we're talking about waking up early and working out too!

4. Workout.

This is by far the hardest for me. Anyone else? Even if it's just a brisk walk around the block, getting your blood pumping in the morning can improve your mood and set your day up for the better! Plus, if your job is anything like mine where you struggle to ever leave your desk, it's good to get moving before and after work!

5. Stock up on necessities.  

The worst way to start your Monday is being caught off guard. Thanks to U by Kotex and SweetSpots Labs you don't have to be!

U by Kotex offers a wide range of unique, colorful, and bold feminine hygiene products for all your period needs--my personal favorite? The click tampons because they are so discreet, but still have the same amount of absorbency.

SweetSpot Labs is made by women, for women and is more than just pretty packaging and refreshing scents. Even though, pretty packaging is a major plus! SweetSpot Labs created the first pH balanced feminine skincare line with beautiful natural ingredients to gently clean, hydrate and soften skin. And I love the way the on the go wipes smell!

Hop on over to your nearest Target and stock up on the necessities with this discount code. If you grab a few things you don't need, don't worry I'm not judging.

It is Monday after all!

The Post Where Carol Makes a Cameo and We Wear Yoga Pants

Don't even try and pretend that you don't love athleisure being "in." We admit, we tried. But as you can see, we can't help but love the trend! I don't know about you, but I LOVE that it's socially acceptable for me to walk around in yoga pants even if I didn't actually go to yoga.

Athleisure is great for so many reasons. In this outfit I can play golf, actually work out, go shopping, go to lunch, go to the movies, the possibilities are endless! Carol's outfit is a little more on the "leisure" side than mine: she pairs her Nikes (mine are kid sized!) and leggings with a gray shirt (that I've actually worn to work before) and a black utility jacket! 

Working on my fitness and looking great while doing it? Or, going to Target and buying all of the cute things and NOT working on my fitness...the world may never know! But really, 99.9% of the time, I'm at Target and not actually working out #sorrynotsorry

Do you like rocking the athleisure look?