The Banyan Tree Look

Hey, y’all! It’s just about mid-January and the weather outside has actually been pretty mild. I honestly don’t mind it at all. I’m much more of a warmer weather type of person, and the months leading up to March, or even April, are usually pretty brutal with the cold air. And when Christmas is over, I’m ready for spring to come. So the fact that it’s this nice and warm in the winter is a treat!

Ohio is very bipolar though, so I cannot guarantee the weather to be like this for the rest of winter. I’m pretty sure were gonna have at least a few long weeks with snow, ice, negative temperatures, and potholes (insert sad emoji 😢). On a positive note, that would mean cancelled classes and some nice days off!

I have the perfect outfit that works for both chilly and mild temperatures. It’s also great for both fancy and casual occasions. It’s basically perfect for anything!

Banyan Tree is one of my newest obsessions. It’s a local company in the Northeast Ohio area. There are three locations: one in Crocker Park, one in Legacy Village, and one in Tremont. It’s such a cute branch (ha, see what I did there?) with a variety of styles to choose from. It’s trendy, chic, and affordable. What more could you ask for? From Banyan Tree, I have a grey sweater with a criss cross back and burgundy velvet skirt. I received them both as a Christmas gift and they match perfectly. The sweater is nice because it’s light enough to wear for warmer weather but still appropriate for chilly weather (with a coat or jacket). The velvet skirt is a little more fancy, but can still be worn for plenty of fun occasions.

I decided to go with a preppy look by styling the outfit with my Steve Madden black knee high boots, my black Kate Spade satchel aka my “big girl purse”, and black pantyhose. I’m gonna be real honest for one hot second … I do not enjoy wearing pantyhose. I don’t hate them, but I find them uncomfortable, especially around the waist area. The only reason I’ll wear is because they make outfits look cute and they’re kind of an essential item for fancy outfits in the winter. It helps that they look cute with this outfit especially!

By the way, this post is NOT sponsored. I just really love Banyan Tree and I encourage you to check it out if you’re a Cleveland native! Be sure to also follow them on Instagram: @shopbanyantree to keep up with their styles and items.

I hope y’all have a wonderful rest of your week. Happy Hump Day!

Stepping Into the New Year

Happy New Year, y’all!

I can’t believe it’s already 2019 … it feels yesterday was 2009, which was ten years ago and I was still in middle school! I can’t even believe that were already in the third day of this year. Time seriously flies by!

I’m not gonna lie, I’m always nervous at the beginning of every New Year. While I’m excited about the opportunities and experiences to come, the unknown of a new year usually makes me feel a bit uneasy. I tend to overthink about the future way more than I should. I think too much about how I’m going to graduate in time, what’s going to happen to my family and friends, my future love life, my future career, accomplishing my dreams, etc. I think you get the point of what I’m saying. The future is scary!

Despite my worries; however, I’m going to work on not getting all caught up in what hasn’t happened yet. I’m going to let go of comparison, fear, self-doubt, insecurities and negative thoughts and instead put my focus on the present moment. It’s much better to have good memories to look back on rather than to worry about what’s going to happen next and not live in the present. God gives us all one life, and I want to live mine to the fullest. And I encourage you to do the same. After all, the new year is only a slight change in the calendar. There’s plenty of time to live in the moment and create new memories to forever cherish!

As far as my style goes, it ain’t changing any time soon. The picture above was actually taken before Christmas. I came down with a 24-hour flu on New Years Eve and New Years Day, so I wasn’t feeling good enough to post a cute NYE outfit. I’m just thankful that I wasn’t sick a week before! But honestly, I would still wear this outfit on NYE instead of a sparkly dress if I felt like it. It’s still chic and spunky. That’s what New Years is all about! I feel like these JustFab shoes are especially perfect to ring in the new year. I got these shoes when I collaborated with them in December for their boot season campaign. They’re so glam, and they go with every outfit. I walked into 2019 at the perfect time! Just like in the picture above … get it?

What are your goals for this year? Are you going to work on staying in the present moment like me or do you have other specific ideas in mind? Leave a comment down below and let me know!

SHOP THE LOOK

Jacket: styleNmotion - similar jacket

Top: Anthropologie - similar top

Jeans: American Eagle - similar jeans

Shoes: JustFab

Just Fab(ulous)

Hey, y’all! We’re finally one short day away from the weekend. I hope everyone’s week has been just fab so far! Speaking of “just fab”, I’m currently collaborating with Just Fab for their end of the year boot season campaign! When they reached out to me about the partnership, I was so PUMPED! … See what I did there?

I absolutely love Just Fab. They have the cutest selection of shoes to choose from, especially boots. I was overwhelmed they asked me to pick two pairs of shoes to choose for the sponsorship. There are too many stylish shoes to choose from, even picking two was really hard! But I took my time and picked the two cutest pairs that fit my style: the silver velvet Rosanna booties (which I’m wearing in the pictures in this post) and the black Perenna heeled sandals (which you can expect to see in a future post coming soon!)

I am absolutely in love with these velvet silver booties, and I’ve gotten so many compliments on them already. They’re sexy, they’re fun, they’re chic, and they make me feel like a rockstar. I feel as if these are the modernized shoes that Cinderella would wear to a party!

Now that I’ve given you all the info about these shoes, I’ll tell you about the rest of this outfit. I ordered my teddy bear coat is from Amazon, and it was only $30 ($45 if you pay for the early shipping fee). I LOVE this coat. It’s so cozy and cuddly, I feel like I’m being hugged by a literal giant teddy bear whenever I wear it! It’s also super chic and goes with almost every outfit. It’s perfect for winter and slowly transitioning into spring shortly after. I highly recommend it. It’s a huge fashion trend right now!

I also have on my favorite red turtleneck tank top from Francesca’s, my black ripped jeggings from American Eagle, and my gold layered necklace from Altar’d State. All simple to help put focus on the shoes, but still super chic and glam!

Be sure you guess check out Just Fab and all the collections of styles they have to offer! Their boot season is a hit and you don’t want to miss out on it. You should definitely consider joining their VIP program to receive amazing perks, including 75% off your first purchase!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Also just a friendly little reminder, in case you haven’t realized … Christmas is in 5 DAYS!!! Woo-hoo! Don’t mind the inner elf within me, but be sure to spread the joy of the season in the next few days! Maybe if you write Santa a last minute letter, you’ll find a new pair of shoes underneath your tree! Perhaps specifically Just Fab shoes … you’ll just have to wait and see!

Those last two lines may or may not be intentionally rhymed for the sake of Christmas … but who cares? Keep spreading the love and magic of the season throughout the air! See, I just did it again. Someone stop me, I could keep doing this all day long!

SHOP THE LOOK

Shoes: JustFab

Coat: Amazon

Top: Francesca’s - similar top

Pants: American Eagle - similar pants

Necklace: Altar’d State - similar necklace

Merry and Bright

Well y’all, the semester is over and I can now officially celebrate the HOLIDAY SEASON! Woo-hoo!

I love Christmas, by far my favorite holiday to celebrate! Although I’m not one of those people who gets into the holiday spirit the day after Halloween. I like to take my time and enjoy Thanksgiving and autumn before it’s officially time to bring out the ornaments. Though I’m not going to lie, it can be so damn hard to listen to a different radio station when another one is playing Christmas songs 24/7. It’s so tempting!

And even when Thanksgiving ends and it’s officially Christmastime, it’s still hard to enjoy when the semester comes to an end. I’ve been extremely busy with my final exams and all deadlines for my projects and assignments. I hardly even had time to watch Hallmark movies because I needed to focus on my studies. Even though the last few weeks have been stressful, I still managed to find ways to enjoy myself. I took time to relax and cleanse my mind, hang out with my friends before we all went on break, and to make sure I wasn’t stressing myself out too much. A few of my friends and I actually went to see John Mulaney perform stand-up at Kent State University after Thanksgiving. I was laughing so hard that my chest was hurting. Ironically, they say laughter is the best medicine! But it was still the perfect stress release. I freaking love John Mulaney!

But now that the semester is over, I’m officially in full Buddy the Elf mode! I’m craving hot cocoa and all things cozy! I always say every year gets better, but I really do mean it. I have a burning feeling that this Christmas is going to be the best one yet. My family and I have already decorated the tree, are spending cold nights indoors watching Christmas movies while drinking hot cocoa, and there are more traditional festivities to come!

What’s your favorite thing about the holiday season? Comment down below and share!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sleep in till 10 AM for the next month, except on Christmas Day because that’s the only day I’m a morning person! Hence the coffee mug 😉

SHOP THE LOOK

3 Years of Pure Sweetness (Anniversary Post)

Exactly three years ago today … Sweet Caroline was born!

Actually, I need to clarify. I was born on May 20, 1996. My blog “Sweet Caroline” was born three years ago. Now that makes more sense. And just like me, it’s been sweet to this very day since Day 1!

I still can’t believe it’s been that long since I first launched my website. I know it wasn’t that long ago, but it still feels like I just started it. Though I will say, I am pretty impressed with how much experience and wisdom I’ve gained as a blogger and influencer on social media. When I started out, I was also a freshman in college. I used blogging as a hobby during my study breaks. Now looking back, it’s so neat to see how much my site has grown as well as how much I’ve grown as well. My content has become more aesthetic, I feel like a social media professional now, and I’ve gained plenty of awesome brand partnerships within the last year. It truly has been a blessing, and I definitely see myself as a full-time blogger in the future. I know this is what God is calling me to pursue, and it’s an amazing feeling!

However, I still have a lot to create and improve in. I’m trying to be more consistent with my posts (even though college is busy 24/7), I’m still learning how to be more engaged with my followers, and I’m also focused on gaining more confidence: a key factor for all bloggers. I’m actually planning to design a new template for the website which I hope to release sometime soon. It’s going to look so good and aesthetic! I also hope I can go back to my YouTube channel and make more weekly or monthly videos (depending on my schedule). That’s something I’ve always been into and something I’ve wanted to pursue for the longest time, so I’m going to finally make that an accomplishment of mine!

But as I’m making these improvements, I’m gonna make sure to enjoy the present moment while it lasts. I think what makes the journey of chasing dreams more special is taking time to look around, observe, and memorize our surroundings so that one day we can look back and appreciate that part of the journey. I hope this encourages you as you’re following your own dreams as well. Life flies by like a cheetah, so don’t dwell in the past or worry about the future!

Also it is now officially fall, probably my favorite season along with summer. So a fall-themed photoshoot at an apple orchard felt like a perfect way to celebrate three years of my someday full-time business!

I just want to thank all you awesome people have been reading and keeping up to date with my content. I probably wouldn’t be blogging if it weren’t for y’all. Here’s to more years!

Shirt: Target - similar shirt

Skirt: Altar’d State

Necklace: Francesca’s

Lipstick: Smashbox