Worth a Follow

Do you lovely ladies Instagram? I held out for a while, but when I started my new job last March, all my co-workers were doing it, so I jumped on the bandwagon. {Sidenote: You know the old adage, "If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?" Unfortunately, I probably would. I hate being out of the loop. Or out of the water, as it would occur.}

Anywhoodle, I jumped on the Instagram train and never looked back. Full speed ahead, all in, pedal to the metal...what have you.

Here are a few fine folks that I enjoy following and thought you might, too. (Note: I love following my real life friends far more than these cats, but I know some of them hold "private" accounts, so I didn't list those below.)

harpersbazzaarus

Why I love this feed:
It's awesome. And just like a mini version of the magazine. Plus, it gives you kind of an inside look at the goings on around HB.

honestlylauren

Why I love this feed:
It's fun, random and comes from the founder of one of my favorite blogs.

ariannahuff


Why I love this feed:
Because I really do believe that Arianna Huffington is one of the most fascinating people. Her Insta is like a little peek into her incredible life.

luisaviaroma


Why I love this feed:
Stylish, stylish, stylish.

thebaghag


Why I love this feed:
Beautiful photography and opulent accessories. 'Nuff said.

loveciate


Why I love this feed:
I dig the cool photos that inspire me to run out and buy more of the texture-happy nail polish of the same name.

theglamourai


Why I love this feed:
It's an inside look at the mega blog of the same name.

brian_atwood


Why I love this feed:
Because this famous shoe designer and I are best friends...duh.

ablondeambition is my name. Clever, huh?

Let me know in the comments if you're on Insta! Let's be Insta friends forever, yes?

Leather-ette {Outfit Pics}

Are y'all loving this new look? (Not my outfit - the blog.) Lots more on this new design later, but a HUGE thanks to Aubrey Kinch for her genius and talent. She took this blog, worked her magic and created something that (I feel) looks so chic and clean. Full post on this wonder woman coming tomorrow!

However, on to leather! (Or "leatha" if you want to pretend you're part of the cast of Goodfellas.) This has been the winter of leather, (nay, the season of pleather), at least for this chick. From leggings and jackets, to ice skater-style skirts, faux leather has been calling my name. (And rather loudly, it seems. I have accumulated a stupid amount of leather/pleather items this fall. Just ask my bank account.)

One of said faux leather items was the nifty ice skater-style skirt, purchased at Maude Boutique for a mere $30, or so.

I paired it with light denim on top, just to add some softness to an otherwise harsh look. I also added this gorgeous acrylic geo necklace, also purchased at Maude recently. I thought it polished off the top half of the ensemble nicely.

Top: J.Jill (2011) // Skirt: Maude Boutique // Earrings: Target // Tights: Express // Necklace: Maude Boutique // Shoes: Old Navy
Photo Credit: Keely Yount

I pulled on some black tights, a pair of grey booties from Old Navy and added the usual wrist accoutrements, collected over the season from various boutiques. (Speaking of wrist-wear, is anyone else tired of the term "arm party"? Just me?)

Remember that there are no rules when it comes to leather. Just be confident. You can spend a bazillion dollars on the hottest cow hide money can buy, but if you don't have the stones to really wear it...well, it's a wash. Go confidently in the direction of your fashion dreams (!!) (Sage advice. It's what you get around here.)

And, if you're feeling frisky, wear a red lip. Nothing says, "I am woman", quite like a rouge lip. Your man's knees will buckle  ; )

Okay, bunnies - I'm off.

Be blessed, lovelies-

The Weekend a Famous Designer & I Became Insta Friends

I'll explain the title after a brief prologue, but first...I'm back- a fact which you likely deduced from seeing this new {!!} blog post. I had surgery on Friday and spent the majority of my weekend doing this:

Pain medications! Icy Hot! After-care instructions galore!

I'm still really sore, but also very grateful for my doctor. Sometimes it stinks being a girl (men have NO idea what it's like to deal with "girl" issues!) This was an annoying, but very necessary operation and Dr. D made me feel so calm about everything. (As did the anesthesiologist, who looked just like Vicki's ex-husband Don from that show Real Housewives of Orange County. Thank God for that sweet man and his syringe of happy juice.)

Anyway, back to the real point of this very insightful blog post...

So, last Thursday night, I posted a photo on Instagram of a delicious pair of Brian Atwood heels. Here is what that Insta photo and caption looked like:

Saturday morning, two days later, I checked my Instagram and saw that Mr. Atwood himself had replied.

I had to have my mom double-check for me, just to ensure I wasn't hallucinating from the meds.

{I wasn't.}

How crazy, right? Just bananas, bunnies.

I'm off to...well, nowhere. My derriere is staying on this couch until tomorrow when I can return to work. See y'all tomorrow for an outfit post featuring a delicious little faux-leather skirt from Maude Boutique. You'll want to have your debit card nearby so you can purchase one for yourself.

Be blessed, lovelies-

Be Back Monday!

via 

Hi, girls! I just wanted to pop in today and let y'all know that I'll be taking a couple of days off. Having a minor outpatient procedure (annoying, but necessary) tomorrow and will be spending the next couple days taking it easy. Ergo, Confessional Friday will resume next week : )

See y'all Monday!

P.S. - Teeeeeeeny announcement: This blog is getting a completely new look very soon. I've been working with the fabulous Aubrey Kinch, graphic designer extraordinaire. The new look is bold, editorial and really stylish, and I can't wait to share it with all of you!

Be blessed, lovelies-

iPhone Picture Purge: {Holiday!...Celebrate!}

This post title makes me want to sing the song below by my friend Madge...

Production quality of music videos has sure come a long way, friends.

I'm kind of proud of my updo I managed to create for a photoshoot yesterday! It involved a lot of twisting and pinning and poofing, but I think the end result wasn't too shabby. I'd do a tutorial, but I probably couldn't pull it off again - ha!

Ruby and I spent New Year's Eve (Monday) relaxing in cozy attire: beanie, chambray and luxe scarf.  I'm determined to make beanies cool again : )
shirt: Hazel's Haven // scarf: Savoir-Faire // beanie: Target (purchase here.)

We threw a little dinner party for some friends last Saturday evening. There's a thing about Southern women: you'll never leave one of our dinners empty-handed. Really. You'll always leave with food, a cookbook, a new recipe or a cute favor. That's just how we roll.

I found the above nifty little wine bags at an antique store, popped a bottle of vino in them and gave them to our guests as party favors. Win-win-win.

Christopher Elbow chocolates (which are really like tiny works of edible art) that a very generous service provider sent to our office the week before Christmas. My co-workers and I made ourselves practically sick that day, eating all of that indulgent chocolate. It was gluttony at it's finest.

Wore these earrings for a few outfit photos yesterday. Um, they came from Target (purchase here.) For $13 (!!)
Presh and cheap. Yes, cheap. (We say "cheap" on this blog. Some things just are.)

New Year's Eve was our proposal anniversary. Took this little pic for Instagram on Monday night to commemorate a holiday that forever will be one of the most special, at least in our book. I get teary just re-living the memory of our engagement in 2010. Gaw, y'all - it's good stuff, life.

Ruby did a lot of this over her Christmas/New Year's holiday. And yes, our dog daughter thinks she is a person. (And we don't tell her otherwise.)

One of my Christmas gifts from the husband. They're dramatic and slightly over the top. Just like me.
Frankly, I love them.

Still having withdrawals from the days we spent at my parents' farm over the week of Christmas. I love a bustling city, but if I had to choose, I'd choose the country every time. My family has been there for four generations...I never want to be too far from this place.

It was a grand ole time, friends. And I can't wait to do it all again next year. 

Be blessed, lovelies-