SWEATER WEATHER WITH SOUTHERN TRENDS BTQ!

I love summer as much as the next girl, but here lately I've been craving some sweater weather. Don't get me wrong, the thought of enduring any temperature under 50 degrees (or maybe even 60) makes me cringe. But, the weather in NC has finally dropped just the right amount, and I am so excited to break out some cute fall sweaters!

This brings me to my newest favorite place to shop: Southern Trends Boutique! Not only do they have the absolute cutest clothing, but it's a boutique owned by the sweetest, most kind-hearted girl! Nicole started her online business about a year ago, and it's taken off ever since. She grew up dreaming of owning a boutique one day, and I think her story makes Southern Trends Boutique that much more likeable & shoppable! Not only does their boutique carry the trendiest, yet affordable clothing, but it's awesome to shop while knowing you're supporting someone's dream!

I wanted to share with y'all a few of my favorite fall sweaters off of the website. They're all perfect transitional pieces for early fall (especially here in the south when it's literally 80 degrees in October), and they're obviously great choices for colder temperatures as well!

WM NUTRITION - MY NEWEST WORKOUT ESSENTIAL!

Happy Monday everyone! Here lately, I've been trying to gain back my daily motivation to go to the gym. I tend to go through phases where I'm really into it, and then I hit a phase where I'm over it. Anyone else like that? Or is it just me...? I went through this one phase where I literally woke up every single morning at 5:30 AM and went to the gym and was ready for work by 8. I also went through a phase when I went to the gym twice a day. I honestly don't even know how I once did that, because now I'm to the point where I can barely wake up for my daily alarm at 7:30 AM. I still go a few times a week, but I definitely want to get back to my AM workout routine again!

There are a couple of things that get me motivated to go to the gym. Obviously cute new workout clothes always helps and so does my boyfriend motivating me to... BUT, my newest addition to my workout is WM Nutrition's All Natural Preworkout!

SHOP I LOVE JEWELRY: MY TOP FAVES!

As a girl who has grown up in the south, I have seen anything and everything be monogrammed or personalized.  Even Reese Witherspoon said, "If it isn't moving, monogram it". I've always loved a good monogram, but I've always been the type of person who kept the monogramming life pretty simple. To me, simple is sometimes more. I've always liked to monogram daily essentials and present them in a classic and subtle way!

This brings me to my newest obsession: SHOP I LOVE JEWELRY. I could probably go on and on about how cute their brand is. They personalize jewelry, handbags, clothing, and the list goes on! They keep up with articles of clothing that are currently trending, and they personalize them exactly how you'd like. One thing I love about this company is that the product choices are so CLASSIC. Especially when it comes to their accessories, they will never go out of style - and the fact they're personalized makes them that much more timeless.

I was lucky enough to recently have some goodies sent to me by them, and I am so excited to share them with you! Here are couple of cute personalized items I received:

A SHORT GIRL'S GUIDE TO JUMPSUITS

As many of you may already know, I'm vertically challenged. I was first told that when I was in the third grade, as I was trying to reach the pull up bar in PE class. I clear as day remember someone boosting me up to the bar and suddenly hearing a boy yell, "LOOK EVERYONE, HOLLY IS VERTICALLY CHALLENGED". Yes..... I still remember that. That was third grade, I am now 25-years-old, and unfortunately that little boy (whose name will remain anon - I still remember who you are) was actually right. And I will clearly never forget the comment.

I was told in the 7th grade by my family doctor that I was already done growing. Yes, you read that right: the 7th grade. I was 5'0 on the dot at that point. Turns out I had a miraculous "growth spurt" if you will, in my twenties and I hit a whopping 5'2. Honestly, I don't mind being short and I'm pretty accepting of it at this point. Is it hard to reach the microwave sometimes? Yes. Do I have to crawl up on my countertops to grab things out of my cabinets? Yes. Do I struggle seeing over my steering wheel? Yes. Is it hard to find absolutely any dresses, maxi's, let alone any jumpsuits that fit me? Yes, yes, and YES. If you're a short girl, you get my struggle. Sometimes trying on clothes is frustrating because you look in the mirror and it looks like you're sporting an actual camping tent. But, have no fear because I have some awesome tips on finding the right clothing for you!

the perfect transitional piece you need in your closet

Can y'all even believe that today is the first day of SEPTEMBER and that it's almost FALL? It blows my mind how quickly this year has been passing us by! For those of you who are familiar with the up and down temperatures that come along with living in North Carolina, you know our fall seasons are always hit or miss. One year I'll be bundled up in endless layers of clothing, and the next year I'll be walking around in shorts and rompers in October. Our unpredictable weather can cause the same question to pop up every morning: "What on earth am I supposed to wear?"

I won't lie, sometimes I literally stare at my closet for 10 minutes straight because I'm at a loss as to what I should wear to work. Do I have plenty of clothes to choose from? Yes. Do I get super confused when society tells me it's time to wear sweaters, but it's still 90 degrees outside? ABSOLUTELY, YES. Especially when you're in a rush to work and trying to get from point A to point B in a timely manner, it can get stressful figuring out how to dress for the season when the weather isn't matching up.

Have no fear because I have the solution to your problem: SKIRTS. Yes, skirts. Mini skirts have been becoming bigger and bigger every year, and I can't tell you how many adorable suede, denim, and leather skirts I have already seen circulating on social media this year for Fall. This cute new trend can help you make your transition from Summer to Fall that much simpler. 

My Top Makeup Faves + VIB Rouge Sephora Sale

Happy Wednesday, friends! Can y'all believe it's almost September? It feels like this year has just FLOWN by! Anyways, for those of you who are obsessed with Sephora as much as I am, I'm sure you know there's an exciting 20% off sale going on for VIB Rouge members. Sephora has always been a store where I literally lose all sense of self-control as I shop. I honestly don't even know how to use half of the products effectively, nor do I really know how to successfully do makeup either. But, all their products are beyond tempting. Especially when they're on sale.
Obviously, everyone is different and has their specific preferences on what kind of look they want to achieve with their makeup. Since I typically get ready for work each morning, I prefer a more natural, everyday look. If I'm going someplace special or have an occasion to dress up for, I'll make my makeup a little more dramatic. (Not too dramatic though, because I can't pull that off like some gals can).
It actually took me awhile (literally my 25 years of life) to finally find the products that work best for ME. It took some experimenting with different products and brands, and I recently have found the right ones that I'm confident with - and I'm here to share my top 10! I know everyone is different and has different skin types, etc - but, these work for me and I hope they can work for you too! Especially with the VIB sale going on... now is the time to snag these awesome products!

Welcome to the Holly J Way!

Hi, everyone! Welcome to my first official post as a somewhat blogger. If you are reading this right now, it means you must have a little bit of faith in me; and for that, I am beyond grateful. To be quite honest, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. No idea. I even had my kind boyfriend try and create this blog for me earlier today, because he has very impressive HTML coding knowledge. During his quest on trying to help me set this up and it resulting in myself being genuinely confused, I realized he may just know more about blogging than I do - because I literally know nothing. NOTHING. But, that's the beauty of this entire process. I want to use this blog as an outlet to express and combine my love for fashion, creativity, and writing all into one cohesive place. And if you want to follow along and share this journey with me, then let's give this thing a shot.