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LULU*S RUSTIC FALL COLLABORATION

09.02.14
Today I’m so excited to announce that LuLu*s and I have teamed up for the LuLu*s Rustic Fall collaboration! I’ve been a big fan of LuLu*s for years and years now, in fact, they were one of the first shops I partnered with way back when I started style blogging, and they’ve always been big supporters of my blog. So since my favorite season is on its way, we thought it would be fun to partner up once again and show off how to wear six fall pieces from LuLu*s in five different styles, thus the Rustic Fall collab was born! I’ve been having so much fun styling up these darling pieces, and hope you adore all six styles as much as I do with. Without further adieu, here’s the first look —

For this look, I paired their Lucy Love Almost Famous hat with their Be My Beau-Hemian dress and Bamboo Battle 23 booties! To be quite honest, everything about this look just felt like me, from the oxblood hat, to the flowy, bohemian style dress and lace-up boots, this style showed off my true spirit (as a sweet friend said after she saw the photo below). Not to mentioned, when we shot these photos it was a perfectly cool evening that just signaled that fall is on its way! I also love this country road near our home, and how it added an extra special touch to the rustic fall vibes we were going for.

Anyways, this past weekend Scott and I took a trip up to Flagstaff, Arizona, to spend some time with my family in the woods. The weather up there was glorious – 40’s in the evening, 80’s during the day. We’ve been going up there for Labor Day weekend for years now, and every time I come home from this trip I feel refreshed and even more excited for the new season ahead. Each evening I had to break out my sweaters, opt for hot coffee and could even see my breathe! It was wonderful to get away from the city and into the woods for a few days, and i’m already looking forward to heading back up there in the months to come to see the fall colors and take in the chilly weather. Flagstaff is seriously such a beautiful place!







Outfit details:
Lucy Love Almost Famous Burgundy Floppy Hat c/o LuLu*s
Be My Beau-Hemian Black Print Dress c/o LuLu*s
Bamboo Battle 23 Black Lace-Up Ankle Booties c/o LuLu*s

I hope you loved the first look of the Tea Talk x LuLu*s Rustic Fall collab as much as I do! I’ll be back soon with look number two and some more fall vibes for ya (because it’s now September and I can’t get enough)! Scott and I are spending the afternoon catching up on work and homework, and tonight we need to go grocery shopping and run a few errands. I hope everyone has a great short week!

-Chelsea xo

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THIS MONTH – SEPTEMBER

09.02.14

Eating – Anything fall related that I can get my hands on — pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, etc., and also all the healthy things while I continue to adjust after having my gallbladder removed.
Drinking – Iced coffee or americanos with two pumps of pumpkin spice!
Practicing – getting my day started early (still).
Mastering – the art of keeping alive our soon-to-be garden.
Learning – Scott’s new school schedule, and how to fishtail braid my hair.
Listening – to Minus The Bear’s High Refined Pirates album and T-Swifts new jam.
Playing – Spotify all day long.
Reading – If I Stay! I can’t wait to go see the movie after I finish the book.
Watching – Hocus Pocus, Pitch Perfect, and Jersey Belle! 
Walking – more each day! I took a break post surgery, but I’m ready to get back at it!
Wearing – Bits and pieces of my fall wardrobe, which is shaping up nicely.
Cooking – more eggs and maybe some pumpkin goodies.
Working – on my blog and a few fun collaborations! 
Traveling – up north, once again!   
Wanting – this cozy Free People sweater!
What are your goals for this month? What are you looking forward to?
-Chelsea xo

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AMONG THE PINE TOPS

08.31.14

Hello! I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday weekend so far. Scott and I hightailed it up to northern Arizona Friday afternoon and we’ve been living among the pine tops ever since. The mornings here are cool and quite, the afternoons have been filled with family and friends, and the evenings have been extra chilly and complete with sweaters and hot coffee. 
Today we’re enjoying our last full day here before we head back down the mountain to the desert and the heat. It feels like fall here, and while I’m not quite ready to head back home just yet, I am ready for the new season ahead of us. The leaves here are beginning to change colors and there is definitely magic in the air!
Have a great rest of your long weekend and I’ll be back around soon!
-Chelsea xo
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WARDROBE BASICS: 10 STAPLE PIECES

08.28.14
Hiya! In the past I’ve been asked to post about how I’ve built up my wardrobe over the years, and what kind of pieces are staples in my closet. Well, today I’m ready excited to share 10 wardrobe staple pieces that I think everyone should own. These pieces can be easily mix and matched without much hassle and are basics that you’ll never get sick of or see go out of style. Without further adieu —

Featured on my DIY wardrobe that Scott built are some of my absolute favorite pieces in my closet. For the purpose of this post, I’ve chose two pairs of jeans, two shirts, two dresses, a cardigan and three shoe options. Narrowing down my closet favorites was a bit difficult, but I knew when it came down to it these are the items that are most loved and worn in my closet today. All of these items vary in price range, and while I love a good quality piece, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have items that work best for your style and wardrobe needs.



(Black pair – Madewell leggings, Dark pair – American Eagle leggings)

I think every gal needs a pair of great fitting jeans. I’m all about dark denim and the skinny fit, but whatever style fits your body best is the one that you should be buying. I also think it’s important to have a black pair of jeans in your closest at all times, as they can make a casual outfit appear more dressed up and pulled together in an instant.

(White t-shirt: UnderAmour, Denim button-up: Levi’s)

I have a white t-shirt obsession, it’s true. A white t-shirt, however, can be worn with all kinds of outfits and can transcend different styles. I basically feel the same way about a denim button-up, and while I have no fear of the Canadian Tuxedo, I love pairing mine with black skinny jeans and booties for a polished look.

(Rose dress: TJ Maxx, Grey dress: Madewell)

Having a couple of dresses in your wardrobe is always a good idea, even if you’re not much of a dress kind of gal. I’ve learned over the years that there will always be a time when wearing a dress feels most appropriate, and for that I have my “dressy” dress. This particular dress is actually quite special to me, as I was wearing it when Scott got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. For the times where I just feeling like throwing on something quickly and with no fuss, a basic dress in a solid color is always my go-to. This one is soft, medium-weight and can be worn as is or layered up during the fall and winter months. It’s the perfect go-to item when I’m in a hurry!

(Cardigan: Last Chance)

A cardigan, ya’ll know how much I love my cardigans. Aside from the fact, a nice cardigan is something you can wear year-round and goes with more outfits than you can imagine. Personally, I love a lightweight cardigan with a little length to it. This one was a great find at a local bargain store that I’ve had for years now and I don’t plan on retiring it anytime soon.

(Sandals: TOMs, Flats: LuLu*s, Boots: DSW)

Shoes! A lady has got to have shoe options and for someone who lives in a warmer climate, these are appropriate all year round. When it comes down to it, however, each pair is seasonally appropriate and neutrals work with almost all outfits. These Crown Vintage booties are my favorite and I scored them for a great deal at DSW last fall. I definitely plan on wearing them again when the weather finally cools down.

And there you go! Ten wardrobe staple pieces that can be mixed, matched and worn tons of different ways. I hope this helped to give ya’ll a good idea on how to add and build up your wardrobe with basics that can see you through all seasons. Don’t forget, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a versatile wardrobe. Pick pieces that will work will loads of outfits and will see you through current and future trends.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this blog post and if you would like to see more posts like this! Leave a comment and let me know!

-Chelsea xo

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OUR WEDDING: THE BRIDAL PARTY

08.26.14
Hello! I’m back again today with part five of our wedding series – The Bridal Party! I introduced our bridal party in my last wedding post, but wanted to share our group shots that we took after our ceremony. These photos were taken right after family photos and right in-between our final couples portraits. The sun was setting and our reception was only minutes away, but we all took a short walk down to this grassy knoll and vine covered wall so that we could commemorate our special day with our amazing bridal party.



I feel so blessed that we were able to have our family and closets friends stand there by our sides as we committed our lives to one another. I’ll forever be thankful for their love, kindness and all the help they gave us in preparation for our big day.




I’ll be back soon with part six of our wedding series! I still want to share our couples portraits, decor and reception with you all, so I hope you don’t mind a few more wedding posts in the coming weeks! Thank ya’ll again for reading and leaving such kind words on our past wedding posts (one, two, three & four). We love being able to share these incredibly special and emotional moments with you, and truly appreciate all of your kindness and love!
Love,
Chelsea (& Scott) xo

Details:
Wedding Planner: Katherine of Lucky & In Love
Makeup and hair: Mariana Marie

Dress: Uptown Bridal in Chandler, Arizona
Cover up: Handmade by Cleo & Clementine
Flowers: Flowers By Ellen
Suits: White by Vera Wang
Ties: Topshop
Tie bar: Forage Haberdashery
Shoes: Hers – Jcrew, His – Kenneth Cole
Bridesmaid dress: BHLDN & Windsor
Photography: Arrow & Apple
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AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS

08.26.14

I’m back! It feels so good to finally be posting outfit photos again. For the past five days I’ve been lounging around the house, catching up on reality tv (guilty pleasure!) and really just taking it easy. For the first few days my incisions from my gallbladder surgery were really sore, so I wore the most comfortable clothes I could and didn’t go out too much. I’m the kind of person who needs to get dressed and ready for the day every morning, so it was a bit hard to just play the lazy part and march around in leggings and a pj tee. However, I’m on day five now and back in my regular clothes – thank goodness!

The monsoons have still be treating us well and we’ve actually had a few cool nights and days around here lately. The day after my surgery it was gloriously gloomy outside and the temperature couldn’t have been better. With dusty monsoons comes the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever laid your eyes on, and on this day, the sunset was particularly perfect and the orange glow from the sun gave off the best pre-fall vibes.





Outfit details:
Dress: Levi’s
Necklace: a gift from my mother
Tonight, Scott and I are laying low and spending time at home. Scott had his very first day of grad school last week, and today marked his first full week of classes. Every day I feel so proud and thankful to see him get all dressed up and head off to class bright and early. He’s not only working toward improving his own future and career, but our future as a family, and that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m truly so proud to be his wife and partner in life! Hope everyone has a lovely evening! Don’t forget to watch the Emmy’s!
-Chelsea xo 


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REAL LIFE: I HAD MY GALLBLADDER REMOVED

08.25.14

Hiya! I’m back after a not-so-planned blogging break! Last Wednesday I had surgery to remove my gallbladder – a pesky organ that has been causing me so much trouble for too many years now. While the surgery was outpatient, I definitely needed time afterward to rest and heal. I have four small incisions in my abdomen – one for the camera, one for the tool, one for the C02 they used to expand my stomach and one to take my gall bladder out from – in case you were wondering! A sweet gal on Instagram told me that afterward it would feel like I did a million crunches, and she was absolutely right. Besides the pain from the incisions, I did experience some major dizziness that seem to make my healing harder. However, I’m now on day five and feeling great! I still have some time to go before my incisions are all healed up, as well as a couple of months before my digestion levels out, but I’m definitely on the up and  up!
Thank you SO much to everyone who wished me well and sent prayers and love my way. They meant more to me than you will ever know!
I’ll be back later with another post! I’m so excited to finally be back in the swing of things with this old blog – I missed it!
-Chelsea xo

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BRUNCHIN’

08.18.14

Having a weekend morning together is a rare occurrence in our household. Scott works early, early every Saturday and Sunday, so weekend breakfasts or brunch usually isn’t an option for us. However, every once in a great while, he’ll get a short weekend shift and we’ll celebrate with a brunch date at one of our favorite places, Liberty Market. A few weekends ago we did just this, so I thought it would be fun to share with ya’ll a few snapshots from our brunch date – because who doesn’t love brunch? 😉

We both ordered cappuccinos, are usual next to black coffees. With 49 years under its belt (literally!), Liberty’s famed E61 espresso bar always makes the best shots. The first time we came to Liberty years ago it was to try out their coffee, and after all these years their drinks still never disappoint. If you’ve never been, I would suggest getting a cortadito and sip on it slowly – the espresso and sweetness of the raw sugar makes the tastiest blend!


Have you ever tried a cronut before? When the cronut craze was in full force, Liberty started making their own version of this crazy popular treat. Even though the cronut craze has since passed, Scott and I still had never tried one before, so we thought brunch would be best with a treat to start with – a espresso maple cronut that this! It was WAY sweet and very messy, but super delicious! Definitely a treat for someone with a big sweet tooth! 


After dessert, we finished up brunch with some sweet and savory dishes. I really was only interested in my eggs and pancake, so I pushed my bacon onto Scott’s plate. He’s a real trooper when it comes to bacon! 😉
Do you have a favorite brunch place? What do you usually get there?
-Chelsea xo


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SECOND FRIDAY

08.15.14

Happy Friday, friends! Scott and I are currently hanging out a local wood shop so he can work on a few projects and I can borrow their wifi – muahaha. Anyways, last Friday Scott and I spent our evening wandering my hometown’s second friday art walk! We hadn’t been in ages, and since it was a stormy evening and a cool(er) breeze was in the air, we thought it might be fun to take a look around. 





While the art walk was a bit of a bust – too hot and not many vendors, as they all like to come out during the cooler months, we did have fun listening to live music and having dessert at a restuartant we’ve been meaning to try out for about a year now, Republica Empanada. Scott had a fig, mozzarella and caramel empanada that was amazing, and I opted for one called The King – peanut butter, bananas and a little whip cream! YUM!


Outfit details:
Dress: Old online shop
Purse: Coach
Sandals: Saltwater Sandals
Scott and I are actually thinking about having a booth for Citizen Home Decor at Mesa’s Second Friday in October – usually the best month for the art walk. Would you local gals and guys come visit us? Let me know! Have a great weekend, ya’ll!
-Chelsea xo
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BOHO VIBES

08.14.14

Hiya! I’m currently sitting in a coffee shop soaking up the cool air and sipping on an iced coffee. Our air conditioner has been on the fritz, so today I opted to write my daily post from a favorite spot near our home. Today is the first day that its actually felt hot in the morning, so I’m hoping for another monsoon to roll in soon. Monsoon season is actually my favorite time of year in Arizona, because after weeks and weeks of heat, we get blessed with cloudy skies, a nice breeze and the biggest rain drops you’ve ever seen. Since we live in a pretty green area, we also get all of the mugginess that comes along with a warm storm. The other day we had someone come over and say that it smelled like Flagstaff (Northern Arizona) around our home. I’ll take it!

This is Scott and I’s last week together before he starts school again, which is nuts to think about. We’ve been doing our best to fully enjoy our days together, all the while cleaning, landscaping, and getting prepared for my gall bladder surgery the day before he heads back to school. I’ve been battling with issues from a poor gall bladder for years now, and early this summer when I found out that it was only working at 23 percent, I knew it was time for it to come out. While I’m nervous as hell for the surgery, I am ready to get it over and start the road to recovery.  




Outfit details:
Floppy hat: c/o Jcpenney
Blouse: Country store in Colorado
Necklace: old Etsy shop
Jeans: American Eagle
Sandals: c/o Blowfish Shoes
Today is one of my bestie’s birthday and I’m so excited to spoil her later today! In the meantime, I’m off to have some pre-op blood work done and probably reward myself for going through with it. I hate needles, it’s true! 
How has your August been so far? I’m soaking in all the fall vibes I can while still living in this heat. Has anyone seen pumpkin coffee for sale yet? If so, let a lady know!
-Chelsea xo
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