[un]professional

I work in a pretty casual corporate environment. There's business causal and then there's our kind of casual. Most of time, I wear things that are appropriate for lawyers to wear, but some days I skirt the lines of professionalism.

Blazer & Shoes: Target (Similar, Similar); Tank: H&M; Pants: Old Navy (Similar); Jewelry: c/o JTV

I mean who wears a french bulldog tank top to work and thinks it's OK? Apparently me.

 

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy

Tuesday Pretties: Southern Charms

It's no secret that we southerners have a different way of life. Here are a few of my favorite southern inspired items! Which do you love? I want them all!

Seersucker Cocktail Napkins - Seersucker is a staple in the southern wardrobe. I love that these cocktail napkins reflect that. Plus, you can monogram them, a double southern win!

Hey Y'all Wall Art - I love this southern saying wall art! It's true, I say "y'all" a lot, and I'm not sorry.

Nashville Toffee Company Almond Toffee - This is seriously the best toffee I've ever tasted, and it is made in Tennessee. It's handmade using a family recipe; you can't get much southern than that!

Hexagonal Mint Julep Cup - This southern girl can't get enough of Derby Day or mint juleps! I'm obsessed with this modern twist on the mint julep cup. It takes southern hospitality to a new level.

Mason Jar Measuring Cups - You're likely to find mason jars in every southern kitchen. These measuring cups are such a cute way to give a southern nod.They'll also double as decor!

Monogram Ball Cap - There are few things southern women love more than monograms. It's true, we monogram everything. I'm crazy about this monogram ball cap and can't wait to buy it for myself. (And probably my BFF Jamie because we have the same monogram!)

Sweet Tea Candle - You know the saying "as southern as sweet tea"? Well, this candle is! It's the perfect gift for a house warming or just because!

Linking up with Glossy Blonde today!

Today is hard

Today is hard. I'm missing Kris terribly. I'm not sure why it's all hitting me today or bothering me more than other days; today just feels different.

There have been some major changes in Casa de Garner the past couple of weeks. So that makes major changes for the 3rd month in a row. To be honest. I feel like I'm almost at my breaking point. Seriosuly.

When we decided to embark on this new adventure, we also decided to put our house on the market. I felt like it would be too hard to take care of our house by myself, and Kris is always supportive so we listed it. Well, 45 days later we got the offer. There was one catch, be out in 3 weeks. So I've been packing up our first home (that we owned) box by box. It's a little depressing, and it really feels like I haven't made a dent, although I make myself pack 3 boxes every night. I'm hoping that's enough to get the job done.

Truthfully, I have mixed emotions about leaving this house. On one hand, we have never felt 100% confident that we chose the right neighborhood when we built it, but on the other hand, this is our first home. There may be many homes after this one, but there will never be another first home. When we built this house, I thought we'd be there for awhile, not forever, but for a lot longer than 2 years, 1 month, 2 weeks, and 2 days. In a way, it feels like our journey with our home is being cut short, but it also feels like we're doing exactly what we need to do.

Needless to say, my emotions are all over the place today. And I really miss Kris. So keep our family in your thoughts the next couple of weeks, we close on the house 2 weeks from today.

Blogmopolitan Quiz

Linking up with Two Thirds Hazel today.

Recipe: Southern Sangria

We southerners, like our sangria like we like any drink, strong and with a hint of Jack Daniels.

Southern Sangria

2 limes, wedged
2 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup raspberries
1 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
1/2 cup Honey Wine (or skip this and use 1 1/4 cup Jack Daniels honey whiskey)
1/2 bottle Pinot Grigio
1 liter ginger ale

Soak fruit in whiskey and wines for a few hours. Add ginger ale just before serving. Makes 1 medium sized pitcher. Double for 2 pitchers and more fun!

Summer Layers

It's been an unusually cool summer for us here in Tennessee. I'm talking highs in the low 80s and lows in the high 50s. I run pretty cold to begin with, so I've been wearing lots of layers this summer.

 I normally wear this top in the fall, like I did here. I wore the same top in a different color here.

Top: H&M, Denim: J.Crew Factory, Shoes: Just Fab, Scarf: Old Navy, Sunnies: Anthropologie

I have to say, I'm loving being able to pair my flowy tops with light scarves, and I feel a little more put together than I normally do in the summer in tank tops and shorts. Clearly, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts, because let's be honest, it'll be 100 degrees with 90% humidity before you know!

Linking up with Fizz & Frosting, Lipgloss & Crayons, and Style Elixir.

Tueday Pretties: All Things Neutral

I've been loving all things neutral lately. There's just something about how pretty and feminine a neutral items looks that makes me feel dainty and graceful. Although, no one who knows me would ever call me dainty or graceful. But, no harm in faking it til I make it, right?

Linking up with Glossy Blonde for Tuesday Pretties.

What I Wore: Animal Print and Linen

I love a good animal print, but wearing it on my whole body scares me a little. I have this fear of ending up in the "don't" section of Glamour magazine with the black bar of shame across my eyes. But, I ran across this dress at Marshalls the other day, and I thought maybe the animal print was subtle enough to work.

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Dress: Cynthia Rowley via Marshalls; Shoes (Similar) & Clutch (Similar): J.Crew; Bangles: Alex & Ani

You can't really tell, but my shoes are blue. The photograph doesn't do them justice. I thought they would be just enough color, but I think it needs more. Perhaps a neon necklace would look great with this dress? Maybe a black blazer over it for work? I'm not sure, but I feel like it has potential!

Linking up for What I Wore Wednesday.

Whole30 Recap

I finished the Whole30 last week, and folks, it changed my life! Cliche, I know. I've always struggled with my weight and with maintaining a healthy relationship with food. You can read my first post about Whole30 here.

I did Weight Watchers right after college and lost the weight I put on in those 4 years. I loved WW, and I think it works great for some people, but it did not teach me to have a healthy relationship with food. Whole30 has been the only thing that really clicked in a "what the hell have I been doing to my body?" kind of way.

Here's a little break down of my experience.

What I thought I'd miss but really didn't:	What I really did miss:
Cheese	Diet coke
Bread	Chewing gum
Chocolate	Wine
What I'm scared to go back to:	Couldn't live without:
Diet Coke	Trader Joe's turkey burgers
Dairy
Best for traveling:	The hardest part:
Raw Cashews	Eating out
Lara Bars	Explaining Whole30 to others
Bananas
What I lost:	What I gained:
Almost 10 lbs	A healthier body
An unhealthy relationship with food	A better attitude
	Self respect
What's next:	What worries me:
Whole30 80/20 lifestyle	Incorporating foods back in
Adding in workouts	Slipping back into my old lifestyle

Now, I can't believe I'm going to show you this, but here goes...

I was an inflamed mess, and I didn't even know it. Let me clear, I do not have it all figured out. I am still a work in progress just doing the best I can. But then again, aren't we all?