I’m so excited to share that Carrie Wheeler, of the Cracking Good blog and formerly of the Arizona Republic, and I are hosting a Blogging 101 Workshop on August 17th at the Frances Vintage Studio! We’ll be teaching tips and tricks on getting your blog started (or working on your current blog), finding inspiration, finding your voice, and building a community around your blog and throughout the blogosphere. This is class is for all stages of bloggers – whether you’ve had a blog for years and are looking to learn a few new tricks, or are just wanting to start – everyone is welcome! Carrie and I are SO excited to teach this class together, and we hope to see all of you locals there! The class is $30 and will be held from 1pm to 4pm. To sign up (spaces are limited so don’t wait!) you can call Frances at 602-279-5467, or stop by the shop!
Leave a comment letting me know if we’ll be seeing you there, or if you have anything in particular you would like to hear us discuss during the workshop!
-Chelsea xo
August really seem to sneak up on me – you mean, summer is coming to an end and fall is getting closer? I’ll take it! July was a whirlwind month with starting full-time at my job, working on wedding plans, and adjusting to a new schedule. The month went by surprisingly fast, and I’m excited that the start of my favorite season is here (because we all know the fall nostalgia starts in August), and I just know it’s going to be a great month! I’ve got lots planned for August, including a blogging workshop that I’m co-hosting on August 17th from 1-4 pm at the Frances Studio. I would love to see all of you local ladies (and gents) there! Let me know if you’re planning on attending, and if there is anything specific you would like to learn about during the workshop!
Ok, I’m off to work on some wedding details and maybe hit up the Whistl meet-up at SNOH Ice Shavery later today (from 2-4pm!).
What are you most excited about this August?
-Chelsea xo
Today we have a lovely giveaway from Shore Handmade Jewelry! They are offering one lucky Tea Talk reader their choice of one beautiful piece of jewelry from their online shop.
I’ve had fall on my mind lately and I’ve come to a reasonable explanation (other than my already obsession with fall), it’s because I’ve seen so many mentions of pre-fall floating around the interwebs (and even in stores) recently. I’ve never been quite good about separating my wardrobe between seasons (I could wear fall styles and colors every day of the year!), but I thought that since we are in this “pre-fall” time, that if would be fun to pair one of my favorite summer accessories – these darling Tacita wedges from Blowfish Shoes – with a look that is more on the fall side of things. I haven’t really done much research on what’s in for fall, but I already have a few ideas up my sleeve of styles that I would like rock during the cooler months.
Yesterday Scott and I spent a little time in Tempe before heading over to our friend’s Josh and Sarah’s home. I’ve never been very skilled in walking in tall sandals, but these Tacita made strolling around extra easy. Blowfish Shoes has started to launch their new fall line and I am SO excited about the styles coming in. So far the Script booties are my favorite, followed closely by the Kaution boots. It may feel like months away before it will actually be cool enough to comfortably wear boots, booties, coats, scarves, and sweaters, but when you work in a freezing cold office and sit right under a vent (like I do!), fall wear is right around the corner.
What pre-fall styles have you been loving?
-Chelsea xo
With my summer partnership with Starbucks coming to a close, I wanted to share my last two photos, or collages rather, which focus on how to wear and accessorize with Pantone’s color of the year, Emerald, along with an iced Starbucks beverage. While shades of emeralds and greens are abundant in others places during this time of year, we have to get a little creative around the Phoenix area. During this project I found joy in searching for shades of emeralds and greens that I might not have noticed otherwise in my daily surroundings. Among my favorite finds were this pretty dress from Modcloth, the succulents behind LGO, this mint gelato, cactuses in one of my favorite spaces in Mesa, the sweetest polka dotted patch of grass, and my green Starbucks straw, of course.
How have you been styling up Pantone’s color of the year? Where have you most recently seen this vivacious color?
-Chelsea xo
While listening to some random Pandora Station this weekend, West Coast by Coconut Records popped on. I’ve loved this song for years now (wasn’t it on an episode of The OC?), and I feel like each time I hear it, it just gets better and better. Scott still isn’t convinced that it’s really Jason Schwartman singing (I can see how it might be hard to believe the connection between his voice and the actor we’ve grown to love), but we both really dig his music. I’m thinking it’s about time for a new record, and I’m crossing my fingers for an annoucement one of these days – perhaps on my favorite music website from high school – Pitchfork (ohh, I thought I was so cool looking at this on the library computers using a proxy (?) and reading up on my fav musicians – haha, oh being a teenager was fun).
Speaking of music, I’ve been on the hunt for some new jams to check out lately. Occasionally, I feel like I get into a musical slump where I only listen to albums that were recorded 10+ years ago (which is nice, but not always relevant). When the fall rolls around, I always find myself searching for that perfect album that will set the season – so this year I figured I would start a little early and ask for any and all suggestions from you, my sweet readers! What have you been listening to lately?
Albums from ten years ago (hello Copeland’s The Medicine Tree and The Format’s Interventions and Lullabies) have not been the only thing on rotation lately – this sweet Bloom necklace from Shore Handmade Jewelry, curated by my sweet friend Veronika of By The Shore (formerly Girl and Closet), has been on major rotation lately. I love how dainty and sweet the necklace is, and how it can be mixed and matched with anything in my wardrobe. I can also tell it really was made with a lot of love and care, and will certainly be a piece that I wear and love for years to come. Keep your eyes peeled, you just may see a giveaway from Shore around here sometime very soon!
Outfit details:
Sweater: c/o Jcpenney
Top: Ann Taylor
Bloom necklace: c/o Shore Handmade Jewelry
Bracelet & watch: Kate Spade & Fossil
Bag: Madewell Leopard Kilty Mocs: c/o Minnetonka Moccasins
I plan on starting off the morning with a giant iced coffee, followed by a busy work day, and topped off with a trip to Target for “back to school supplies.” I still get to purchase those even though I’m not headed back to school this fall, right? Please tell me yes!
What are you up to today? What song and/or band are you loving right now?
-Chelsea xo
Last night Scott and I went on a date, but this was no ordinary date, no, it was a Costco date! I’ve heard of couples going on dates to Costco before, and perhaps have giggled a time or two at the thought of it. Well, I’m here to tell you that Costco date nights really can be fun when you have a great co-pilot to push the cart, make jokes with about the lifetime supply of any frozen item you can think of, and get berries sundaes with at the end. Is this what growing up feels like? If so, sign me up!
Jokes aside, we’ve really been having some fun lately. Over the past month or so we’ve spent time with sweet friends, had dinner dates to some of our favorite restaurants, shared a cappuccino and stayed up way late (well, not for this night owl, but for my early bird), rented our first Redbox movie (it may be a little crazy that we’re just now trying this, but it’s an awesome service), worked on our wedding plans and started the hunt for our attire (promise he hasn’t seen any dresses, though). All in all, we’ve had a pretty nice month and I’m excited to see what August will hold.
This morning I woke up to the sound of tremendously loud thunder and a big rain storm happening outside. Again, I feel like the month of July has been real kind to us, weather wise this time, and I love that I’ve already had the chance to pull out a new “for fall” coat that I bought on sale for $7 earlier this summer. Although the rain didn’t last long today, I have a feeling it will be back very soon.
What kind of date nights do you enjoy going on? Are you already dreaming about fall (like me – always thinking to the next season)?
Some days (ok, most days) call for light layers, bright red lipstick, and a comfy pair of flats. Lately this has been my no-brainer outfit for work, and is continuously what I feel most comfortable and confident in. Since graduating with my Master’s and starting my full-time job, I’ve definitely seen a change in my everyday wears (leaning more toward classic and professional rather than the mood of the moment – loud, bold, punky…you get the picture). However, I feel like I’ll always have a little bit of that grad student mentality in me, after all, you can take the student out of grad school, but it’s awfully hard to take the night owl, evening coffee slinging, jean jacket + lots of buttons wearing, communications theory nerd mentality out of the lifelong student. Am I right?
These Nakato flats from Blowfish Shoes have been on constant repeat lately – perfect for running around in, and perfect for a day at the office. I’ve always been a sandals everyday in the summertime kind of gal, but I’ve been trying my best to rock some cute flats and booties at work. These flats are also on super sale right now on the Blowfish Shoes website, so I’m thinking about picking up the two other colors to add some variety in my work wear wardrobe (a slow, but fun progression).
My work day has been going by pretty nicely. I swung by my usual morning coffee stop earlier and the barista said, “See you tomorrow!” His comment gave me a good giggle, and reminded me how much I like being a regular (means I’m starting to get into a groove with my new schedule and daily jam).
What ensemble do you feel most comfortable and confident in?
Sharing these photos is well over due, as they were taken back in May on a beautifully cool day, but since they include one of my favorite yearly activities (peach picking!) I thought I would still go ahead and post them. Every May Scott and I got peach picking – usually at Schnepf Farms – and come home with a bag full of tiny peaches and a satisfied look on our faces (because where else can you pick fruit – other than oranges, lemons, and grapefruits – around this area?
We got to the farm pretty early and spent around an hour checking out all of the booths (we went during the actual Peach Festival), and picking out the perfect peaches to bring home with us. Per usual, we took the unmarked path out to the peach orchard (somehow we always end up off the trail), and ending up going up and down the orchards looking for any nice sized peaches that were left unpicked (we went pretty late in the season).
Scott has always been great at spotting the perfect peach, whether it be up high or down low. He also always seems to find the best ways to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and has made peach desserts and peach pancakes in the past – this year we had peach cobbler!
I started off my morning today with a 7am doctor’s appointment, but followed it up with a stop at The Coffee Shop in Gilbert on my way to work (best cupcakes of my life!). Work has been busy, busy, but I’m excited that the day is moving by fast and that I Scott and I are going to Liberty Market after work to celebrate their E61 espresso machine’s birthday with a free cappuccino!
What’s your favorite summertime activity? What are you up to today?
-Chelsea xo
Recently Scott and I have been spending a lot of time in Scottsdale. Although the area is known for its million dollar houses, high-end stores, and old west themed downtown area – hidden in between all of this lies a few unique gems that really bring color and life to the area. Lately we’ve been enjoying exploring the area a little more, discovering dive(ish) bars that have great happy hours, and other little spots along the way. I’ve always been a Phoenix kind of gal, but Scottsdale sure has its perks too!
I’ve been wearing this black and while polka-dotted top on the regular lately (doubling up during the week and weekend for maximum wear – it’s my current fave), and I really wanted to share how pretty the back is. However, because of the color and the pattern, it’s hard to see its true beauty, but I love how the layered fabric creates the illusion of an open back, and adds an extra element to what could be considered a basic blouse. I’m all about the simple and subtle details, and this blouse sure delivers both.
My work day has so far consisted of a meeting, lots of coffee, and my regular daily jam. This evening Scott and I are headed to Phoenix to meet our sweet friends, Sarah and Josh, and to celebrate their sweet baby girl that is due in November! We’re meeting for happy hour and I couldn’t be more excited to see them – its been too long!
What have you been up to today? Where’s your favorite spot to go for happy hour?
-Chelsea xo
