Finally Friday

The broken record in me is here to say how happy I am we've finally made it to Friday and the weekend, of course. I finished up most of my gift shopping on Cyber Monday earlier this week so I'm so happy to check that off the list!

Then it was on to decorating the house with outside lights, stockings, random decorations, and of course the Christmas tree being the biggest time-consumer. All was completed this week and luckily my tree is fake and pre-lit so that makes the process a bit easier.

My online shopping haul from Express (all items 50% off last week) arrived and everything fits perfectly which is a huge relief since I guessed my sizes. A friend of mine was raving about how comfortable the mid-rise jeans and leggings are and she wasn't kidding. I purchased two pairs (here and here) and won't be going back to regular fit. I also bought a couple of their silky zipfront tops which come in a variety of pretty colors, a portofino blouse for work, and the softest tunic sweater for any occasion. 

Did you happen to catch my guest post over at MakeupHER's blog about some Wedding Day Tips for soon-to-be brides? I also included a picture recap of my wedding to relive my big day and give inspiration for future brides out there.

Ok here I am talking about shopping again but I love that Ulta has OPI nail polishes on sale right now for 3 for $19 (plus you can apply this coupon to get $3.50 off a $10 purchase).

I made my way over to the Ulta store on Wednesday night and they were sold out of a lot of the colors but these are the three that caught my eye: Suzy and the 7 Dusseldorfs, Peace, Love & OPI, and In The Cable Car Pool Lane.

I'll leave you with a weird fact about my Lola. She has a fear of iPhone cameras ever since we got her as a puppy. Well not fear but she shuns them and will look away as soon as you pull out your phone to take a photo. BUT as soon as I bring out my big girl camera, she will sit still and pose as if she's a Victoria's Secret model. She's has some work to do in the fashion model department and maybe some braces to boot (kidding) but I love that she'll let me take photos with one of my cameras!

Linking up with my fellow Floridian blogger, Amanda from Meet At The Barre.

Happy weekend everyone!

Swim Lover's Holiday Gift Guide

Luckily Florida doesn't stay cold for very long so beach/pool weather is usually in our favor. As you can probably tell from the name of my blog, I'm a big fan of swimsuits and beachwear in general. The holidays is the perfect time to stock up on some new suits for the year ahead and I usually pick up a thing or two for the husband and my girl friends as gifts.



SwimOutlet.com contacted me to review their online store and merchandise and of course I agreed. I purchased the Volcom Wild Marks Bikini top and matching Brazilian cut bikini bottom for myself and the Rusty Men's Boardshorts for K with the gift card they provided. I have to say the material of the bikini is so incredibly soft you can tell it's great quality. Actually same goes for the shorts. I also love that they kind of (not on purpose) match each other.



From growing up in the Caribbean I've always been a fan of good quality swimsuits and beach clothing that will withstand the salt and sun. Luckily SwimOutlet.com carries most of my favorite brands including Vix, Betsey Johnson, Volcom, Roxy and Kate Spade just to name a few. I picked some faves for Him and Her that would be perfect for gifts or just to gift yourself.

Gypsy Road Kimono / Wrap Bikini Top , Bikini Bottom / Pineapple Kaftan Cover Up
Free Spirit Dress / Jaime Bikini Top, Bikini Bottom / Pineapple Paradise Tank

Desert Fringe Crochet Shorts

Pineapple Paradise Beach Bag

One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six

Garmin VIRB X Action Camera

They offer a whole lot more than just fashion swimwear like for competitive swimmers, techies, kids, and water sports such as surfing and water polo. The fashionista in me naturally drifted to the beach clothing and bikini sections of their online shop.

If you're looking for gift ideas, SwimOutlet.com's Holiday Gift Guide is a good place to start as they offer some great ideas for different types of swimwear and equipment. I also like that they offer free shipping on purchases over $49, which always helps to cut the cost of shopping online.

Thanksgiving Long Weekend Fun

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving last week with family/friends or however you spent it. The 4-day weekend was the perfect break for me from work and blogging to relax and recharge before the holidays ensue.

I started off the long weekend with a quick happy hour on Wednesday after work with coworkers before getting into the Thanksgiving festivities. Cask & Larder has excellent happy hour specials on small bites and drinks for anyone in the Central Florida area btw.

On Thursday morning we drove 2 hours with Lola as the backseat passenger to have Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws and extended family at my SIL's house.

I can't believe I've never tried pecan pie before this Thanksgiving. Probably because I'm too turkey stuffed but I'm definitely choosing it over pumpkin pie in the future.

After dinner we met up with some friends to watch the UCF vs USF game. Of course UCF lost but it was a fun night out with friends nevertheless and we got to see some of K's high school/college friends.

On Friday we had breakfast with the in-laws and made our journey back home to Orlando. We had some amazing lunch and craft beer at Gnarly Barley before hitting some Black Friday sales.



I scored some warm clothes (the booties being my fave. They're sold out now but these are similar and I have them in gray), a 2016 planner, 3-wick candles from Bath & Body Works, and this Rebecca Minkoff ring which is gorgeous.

Friday night was spent relaxing with a glass of wine while watching The Vacation at home which was quite funny. Perfectly relaxing night after our road travels.

Our Disney annual passes expired yesterday so we made plans to go to Magic Kingdom on Saturday for one last hurrah and to check out the Christmas decorations.

We happened to catch a Disney parade on Main Street then went on several rides and finally browsed through some Christmas shops so I could pick out one last decoration for our tree. I think we made great use of our annual passes with Epcot being our favorite.

After Magic Kingdom we had all intentions of heading over to Hollywood Studios to check out the Osborne's Family Lights Show but after taking several wrong shuttles/trams, we decided to call it a night and head to Yard House on I-Drive for some dinner and drinks.

It was a busy and fun-filled long weekend but thankfully I got to catch up on lots of sleep so I'm ready to take on this week and I'm even more excited for some upcoming holiday parties in the next few weeks. This is my favorite time of year afterall.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Booties & Scarves

Florida has been getting it's first taste of Fall mainly at night which means it almost time to pull out our sweaters, booties and scarves. I love booties with a medium height heel and just bought the first pair of studded ankle booties in gray since I wore my other gray pair to the ground. All of these booties are under $75 and look very comfortable yet stylish. I also own a black pair like the bottom left one which I've only had a chance to wear a handful of times.

1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * 5 * 6

 I own several cute scarves but there's only a small window here in Florida when a thick scarf is needed so most of mine are on the lighter side but it's good to own a few of each especially for traveling to colder temp places. All of these are super cute and very affordable in the under $25 price range.

1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * 5 * 6 * 7 * 8 * 9 * 10 * 11 * 12

Over the next few weekends, I'll slowly be putting away the summer clothes and pulling out all the cute Fall things.

Where do you shop for affordable boots/booties, sweaters and scarves?

 

Fall Fashion Finds

Even though it doesn't feel quite like Fall here it doesn't mean we can't start preparing our outfits for the cooler months ahead. The one thing I'm looking forward to is not breaking a sweat as soon as you step outside. My office feels like the Arctic tundra and then outside is hot and humid so it's hard to plan outfits for opposite conditions. I'm all about some booties, furry vests and, cute scarves this year along with some warmer colors for tops and skinny jeans/pants. I'll just be here twiddling my thumbs until we can bring them out to play.

What's your favorite Fall find or purchase?

Faux Fur- Knit Vest * Long Sleeve Ribbed Tee * True Religion Army Skinny Jeans

Kate Spade Owl Stud Earrings * Tory Burch Booties * Miu Miu Top Rim Sunglasses

Michael Kors Printed Infiniti Scarf * Belted Faux Fur Vest * Tory Burch Riding Boots

Snake Skin Style

I'm a big fan of different prints and one print I clearly don't own enough of is snake skin. I was searching for snake print sandals like the Michael Kors sandals pictured below and found so many other cute pieces clothing and accessories that I'd love to add to my wardrobe. I'm also in love with the Vix Snakeskin bikini but it's too bad colder months are ahead of us. The Snakeskin Pumps
 would also look great with a little black dress for an evening out.

Michael Kors Charm Sandals * Strapless Dress * Dolce & Gabanna Compact Mirror Case

Snake Print Leggings * Michael Kors Snakeskin Wedges * Lumier Snake Charmer Skirt

Snakeskin Pointed-Toe Pump * Michael Kors Faux-Wrap Sheath Dress * Vix Swim Bikini

Snake Skin Multi Cross Bag * Karen Kane Snakeprint Scuba Skirt * Snakeprint Stappy Heels 

Do you like the snakeskin style?

Pink & Rose Gold

Pink and rose gold, when paired together, is such a fun, feminine, and classy look. I'm no fashionista and rarely get to dress up other than for weddings and the occasional work or charity event. I also wasn't a big fan of pink up until recently but I've slowly been adding more pink clothing and accessories to my wardrobe. Here are some pretty pink and rose gold pieces that can be mix and matched together to create outfits for work and play:

1. Motif Pavé Triangle Pendant Necklace  2. Cap-Sleeve Sheath Dress  3. Benidorm Square Flash Sunglasses

4. Flared Poplin Shirtdress  5. Pave Huggie Earrings  6. Opi Nail Laquer, Kiss Me On My Tulips

7. Samantha Cropped Floral-Print Pants  8. Mac Flat Out Fabulous Lipstick  9. Jet Set Crossbody Bag 

10. Rose Golden Bradshaw Chronograph Watch  11. Boucle Tweed Bustier Dress  12. Padlock Toggle Bracelet, Rose Golden

13. Graphic floral resin iPhone case  14. 'Glam' 57mm Retro Sunglasses  15. Samantha Cropped Shantung Pants

The Little Black Dress

That little black dress. Every girl needs one. It's your go-to dress that's flattering and comfortable yet stylish. It's your plan B dress when all else fails. It's your saving grace.

It doesn't have to be expensive or a designer brand. It just needs to fit your body in a perfect way that makes you feel confident. The best thing about your little black dress is you can dress it up with any color and combination of accessories/shoes/purses transforming it into a new outfit every time you wear it.

All of these are from H&M and are very affordable under $40.

1. Sequined Dress    2. Fitted Dress    3. Off-the-shoulder Lace Dress

4. Flared Dress    5. Strapless Jersey Dress    6. Short-sleeved Jersey Dress

7. Chiffon Dress    8. Lace Dress    9. Jersey Dress with Lace

10. Dress with Lace    11. Sleeveless Chiffon Dress    12. Sleeveless Dress

13. Sleeveless Dress    14. Sleeveless Chiffon Dress    15. Lace Dress

Shop My Closet (& Beyond) Sale

Welcome to my first Shop My Closet sale!
All of these items are in very good/excellent condition, either never worn/used or lightly worn. Everything is extremely discounted considering the retail price so these prices are final. 

Feel free to ask questions and request additional photos to see the condition before making a purchase. If you want to purchase a specific item, please comment below specifying the item and your PayPal address so I can send you an invoice or you can email me with your PayPal address privately if you are definitely interested (emilyalisonbee@gmail.com). I can't hold items so purchasing is first come (first pay).

*Prices include shipping. Shipping only within the US. Shipping on shoes is slightly higher than smaller items which is reflected in the pricing.*

Michael Kors Jelly T Strap Cork Sandals - size 7
Description: Black strap, silver MK charm
Condition: Very good, worn once
Price (includes shipping): $30

BCBG Congo Pink Heels - size 7.5
See them here.
Condition: Excellent, never worn
Price (includes shipping): $45

The Best of Lancome 5-Piece Perfume Set
Includes:

Tresor Eau de Parfum 7.5ml

Miracle Eau de Parfum 5ml 

Hypnose Eau de Parfum 5ml

Magnifique Eau de Parfum 5ml

Poeme Eau de Parfum 4ml 

Condition: Unopened box, never used
See item and retail value here.

Price (includes shipping): $30

Kate Spade Turquoise Gumdrop Studs
Condition: Very good, worn a few times
Price (includes shipping): $20

Betsey Johnson Gold Watch
Condition: Very good, worn a few times
Price (includes shipping): $30

Coach Wristlet

Condition: Like new, used twice

Price (includes shipping): $30

Dream, Love Wall Art Set of 2
Description: Gold Lettering. Dimensions are 13" x 13"
Condition: Like new
Price (includes shipping): $30

Chi Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Wand
See item here.
Condition: Excellent, without box, used once
Price (includes shipping): $35

Hot Tools Rainbow Curling Iron 1-1/4"
See item here.
Condition: Excellent, without box, used once
Price (includes shipping): $30

Fresh Water Pearl & Crystal Bridal Cuff Bracelet
See original here. (Length: 6 inches)
Materials: Swarovski crystal, rhinestones, ivory freshwater pearls, sterling silver, diamonite.
Condition: Like new, worn once
Price (includes shipping): $45

Set of 3 Bandeau Bras
Size: These are "one-size-fits-all" (S-L)
Condition: New without tags, never worn
Price (includes shipping): $12

Express WTF Coverup
Size XS (but fits more like a medium)
Condition: New without tags, never worn
 Price: $20

Colorful Striped High-Low Summer Dress - Size S
Condition: New without tags, never worn
Price: $15

Express White/Silver Sparkle Top - Size Small
Condition: New with tags, never worn
Price: $25