beach blogger

How I Was Able To Quit My Job

Happy Wednesday friends!

I have something special coming back to Lifestyle with Laramie tomorrow and I wanted to take this time to talk about how I was able to quit my job last year. We are coming up on almost 8 months since I left my 9-5 desk job and it’s still unreal!

I wanted to talk about how I was able to quit my job as it was a off the cuff decision even though I had been thinking about it for a while before. The long and the short of it is I started building a blog that was able to support me through brand partnerships, content creator, and educating others. Without my blog I would have never been able to leave my job. My blogging platform on my website has allowed me to connect with my audience as well as brands.

If you’re interested in being the first to know what’s coming tomorrow click HERE!

Daydreams of Summer!

Wishing it was Spring Break and that we were cruising somewhere tropical! Anyone else?!

The hardest part about this whole thing is this girl thrives being by the water, y’all know I was born and raised in a beach town and it’s ingrained in my soul, the water is a part of me and not being able to go home and visit my parents or go to the beach is heart breaking!

I’ll be packing this outfit on the first trip we can take when this is all over! I found the LC Lauren Conrad romper on clearance over the winter and love it and the banana print, I paired it with some fun fringe sandals and the cutest spring hat! Again everything is from Kohl’s mostly all from last year but they have tons of cute similar items right now!

Dreaming of summer and a normal world again! I want to travel and go to restraunts again, visit my parents and the beach! I want all the things! Anyone else!?

PC: Kate Kelley Collection

Bachelorette Weekend Recap & Mini SRQ Travel Guide

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

This week we are talking everything bachelorette party weekend! I chose to have my bachelorette party in Sarasota, are you surprised? Let’s be honest I’m a Sarasota girl through and through and I had to have my bachelorette weekend at the beach, no place I rather be than here! This post is about the weekend but also a mini travel guide for some fun things to do if you are ever in Sarasota!

First off my girls killed it with the hotel and the decor for the weekend! We stayed at The Sarasota Modern, and it was an instagrammer’s dream, everything was beautfiul and picture perfect and I can’t wait to go back! My party was tropical themed so everything banana leaf and pineapple which I’ll share below with all my favorite treats to munch on over the weekend!

A must while in SRQ is to hit Selva Grill especially for Happy Hour! They have my ALL TIME FAVORITE Cesar Salad and the drinks are amazing too! *Word to the wise get there earlier, it’s a poppin spot* We also hit some bars on Main, which I can’t attest to much as I’m not a bar girl so we didn’t stay long, but we did have a celeb sighting at one of the bars, see if you can’t guess who it it below :)

We also of course hit Daquiri Deck on Siesta Key and had to take a photo at the beach because what is a trip to Sarasota if you didn’t go to the beach, right?! Highly recommend checking out the Daquiri Deck if you’ve never been, it’s a staple in town, especially if you’re going for a beach trip! They have great drinks of course and the food if yummy too!

Lastly we only hit one local breakfast spot, but if you’re ever in town make sure to stop at Station 400 they have amazing breakfast and lunch and the food is out of this world. The whole vibe of the downtown location is just like a train station, it’s the cutest! Highly recommend!

Sharing some snaps from the weekend below and will have a fun photoshoot from the weekend coming soon! We are 4 months away, next stop bridal shower!

What I'm Packing For My Bachelorette Weekend

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

We are just a few days from my bachelorette weekend and I’m sharing my must haves that I’ll be taking on my beach inspired weekend!

First off all things white! I’m bringing a cute white summer dress from LC Lauren Conrad for one of the nights as well as a white swimsuit and other white accessories for all the looks to be “bridal” without being to much in your face. I’m also packing tropical print and colored pieces from Old Navy that will be perfect for drinking daiquiris and walking on the beach! comfortable shoes are also a must as we will be doing a good amount of walking so sandals and comfortable wedges will be essential! I’m also packing a few fun bags to go with the whole beach theme especially because here in FL summer isn’t really over for I’ll be bringing all the summer pieces I haven’t worn yet!

I’ll be taking tons of photos this weekend to share with y’all of the final looks and the fun festivities! Below are some of the pieces I’m packing and some other fun things that would be perfect for a beach bachelorette!

Annual Daytona Beach Trip

Happy Wednesday Friends!

Y’all know that for the past few years now Travis and I have taken a little weekend vacay once a year to Daytona Beach and it’s a great time for us to reset and enjoy the start of summer! I love to share travel blogs with y’all the most probably because traveling and doing something different than everyday life is fun and a great escape!

We got to The Hyatt Place on Friday and immediately went to the pool to relax and enjoy golden hour before grabbing pizza at my favorite pizza place in Daytona, Rossellini’s! We get a basic cheese and peperonni pizza with ranch and y’all it’s one of the best places I’ve ever been for pizza!

Saturday we hit the beach and pool pretty much all day after grabbing our complimentary breakfast at the hotel. I’m loving all the gingham this summer and this suit from Old Navy is not exception. I paired it with some retro sunnies, also from Old Navy and some earrings from Bauble Bar, topped it off with a red lip and you could say I was probably the most over done person at the pool, LOL!

Moving on to Saturday evening we decided to check out a new restaurant as we tend to go to the same places while we are here. We decided to give Cocina 214-Daytona Beach a try! Y’all this is probably some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had! Their queso blanco with chorizo and chip is out of this world! Seriously what dreams are made of! Travis got tacos with rice and beans and I got the enchiladas and we were not disappointed! Everything was amazing! The restaurant itself is stunning inside and looks out to the water so I decided to wear this little tropical print number to dinner. Again the dress is from Old Navy paired with my go to summer LC Lauren Conrad straw bag with flip-flops and it was the perfect casual dinner outfit! We finished the evening taking a stroll on the beach and just enjoying the water and each-others company, sappy I know.

On our last day we soaked up as much beach and pool as we could before heading home. I brought this fun pink suit from Aerie to snap some shots of and absolutely adore the color and style! Paired with some simple gold earrings, white sunnies, and pink lip I loved this look!

That’s about it for this years trip! We had a great time and just love our time by the water and hope to move closer to it again someday soon!

xoxo

Yearly Daytona Beach Trip

Happy October everyone! Can anyone else not believe that it’s like three months until the holidays?! Where did time ago? Anyways Travis and I took our now annual trip to Daytona Beach this past weekend and had a blast as always. We have stayed at the Hyatt Place Daytona Beach Shores for 3 years now and don’t plan on stopping! It’s a close drive but we are definitely the happiest close to the water, it’s the Sarasota girl in me growing up ten minutes from the beach!

We got to the hotel Friday after work in time to watch the sunset and enjoy some relaxation and dinner! I’m always super casual driving to the beach so this was my travel look if you will.

Of course we spent most of our time on the beach and at the pool! I brought a few suits from Loft to sport on the beach and love this one! It was $15 on clearance and the color was perfect and goes perfect with that big blue sky!

Saturday night we hit one of our favorite spots to eat, Ocean Deck. This is one of our favorite spots super casual and on the beach but I love wearing a good sun dress. This dress is from Forever 21+ I grabbed this on sale as well for $13 its super cute and I plan on packing it for our cruise too!

Sunday Funday was for the beach and we grabbed some shots of this other Loft suit with a little more sass! This suit is out of my comfort zone but going out of your comfort zone is good for you, right?!

Loft & Life Chats

We are half way through the week friends, yay!

This week is a super busy one for me full of events and fun things! I wanted to share something fun with you that I had the opportunity to do yesterday. You all know how much I love Loft, I mean let’s be honest over half my closet is Loft but yesterday I had the chance to actually go into Loft at the Altamonte Mall and try on some of their new fun pieces for fall! Literally it was a dream come true to get to work with a brand I love so much! I had the honor of meeting some great girls and working with them last night to do a try on session, check it out on my IG stories @lifestyle_w_laramie! They were the sweetest people and so fun to work with! Literally so grateful I get opportunities to do things like this!

So now on to this look, of course it’s Loft! This is a suit I got for our Vegas trip a few weeks ago and wanted to share it with you! I have never tried Loft swimsuits before and I ordered 3 for this trip! I loved EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! I was totally surprised but I really did love the fit and cut of each one and they were perfect for my trip and trips to come! Anyways this one is so fun with the lace up detail and the fun colors I couldn’t pass it up! I paired it with some hot pink sunnies from Loft as well and sandals from Old Navy to top it off! The whole look is under $50 as you all know I love a good deal and got everything one sale, I had my eye on this suit for a long time! Loft is just literally perfect for the everyday woman and I just absolutely love shopping with them! Make sure to check out their current sale which is 40% EVERYTHING!

As for everything else going on we are now into what I feel is my busiest time of year! I have some weddings I’m shooting in October and November. I’m planning my own wedding (I promise I will be writing a post about this soon). I have tons of blogger events to attend. Still work my 9-5 job and have a few trips lined up as well. Not to mention the holidays are coming! I mean really after Halloween is over you blink and it’s Christmas!

Again so thankful for all of you that take the time to read my blog and like my IG posts! I am so grateful for all of you! Hope you have a great week and I will see you next Wednesday! xoxo

Hamptons Vibes

Happy Wednesday ya'll! Summer is in full swing, especially here in FL and this has to be one of my favorite looks to date! i snagged this Vince Camuto Jumpsuit from TJ Maxx for only $40 isn't that amazing! I love a great deal on high end pieces and TJ Maxx never disappoints. This look is very different from what I'm used to, more bold, bright, and colorful but as long as you like it and feel confident in it that's all that matters! Right?! 

I'm sharing this fun look with you below, as well as the accessory details so keep scrolling and check it out!

This look gives me all the resort feels and makes me feel like I'm in The Hamptons on a vacay! What accessory gives you all the vacay feels? A big floppy hat of course! This LC by Lauren Conrad hat has been my everything since the moment I purchased it! It goes great with everything and is perfect for the beach, pool, picnics, you name it! 

I finished the looks with some pink wedges and gold oval hoop earrings keeping the accessories minimal and clean since the jumper is so loud and vibrant. Jumpers and rompers have quickly become my favorite look this summer since they are so easy and perfect for the heat! 

So between the V-neck on the jumper, the print, the accessories, this looks can really take you anywhere! I've worn this to work paired with a sweater and the same wedges. I've worn it to a conference/event and out to eat! This is perfect for pretty much anywhere and you don't have to try to hard! What do you think of this look and are you loving jumpers just as much as me this season? Let me know! 

 

Photos: Lacey Irving Lifestyle

New Smyrna Beach Day

Summer is on its way here in the sunshine state! We have already made a few local beach trips to New Smyrna Beach our go to beach here in Orlando. If you have never been it's an awesome drive on beach making it the most convenient to pack lunch and drinks and have a day at the beach without lugging your stuff from the car to the beach, perfection! Saturday was perfect beach weather and so beautiful! We of course went with our friends and had an amazing time and of course snapped some photos as well!

The beach is my favorite place, the best place to take a minute and reset! I was born and raised in Florida and could never imagine not living remotely close to a beach! What about you? Love the beach or no? 

Again all my pieces are linked below. Everything is super affordable, the suit is actually from  TJ Maxx and the top and shorts are Old Navy and the hat is my favorite LC by Lauren Conrad for Kohls, make sure to check them out!



Top 10 Moments of 2017

This year has been one for the books! Truely blessed for all the amazing memories made this year and can't wait for an AMAZING new year with several fun trips and things booked! For now I'm sharing my top 10 moments from 2017! Hope you all enjoy and have an amazing new year!


January:

Started 2017 with a a few collabs with Glo Skin Beauty for both New Year's and Valentines Day! This brand is amazing and I love working with them and am obsessed with their products!

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February:

I attended Taco Talk in February and am so grateful for all the amazing bloggers/creatives I met and the relationships I have built with some of them!

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March:

I started the T-Shirt Shop Series which became one of the most popular topics on my blog! It will be making a come back in 2018 for the summer time!

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May:

We started summer with hitting St.Pete for Cinco de Mayo! Not only did the weather hold up for us but everything was amazing! 

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On May 20th I got engaged to my best friend! I will be sharing our engagement story soon once we actually take enagement photos! I'm so excited and was super shocked! Love you babe!

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June:

One of my favorite memories from 2017 was our Daytona Beach trip with Mer and Chris! This trip was the most amazing time and can't wait to make our way back there in the new year!

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I had the honor of working with Marika Active-wear on the #MarikaCurves campaign! It was such a pleasure shooting their amazing brand and standing for such an amazing movement! 

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July:

We had a blast on our trip to Miami to see the Dodgers play and hit the beach! I can't forget the food and hope to make it back next year to visit The Museum of Ice Cream!

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August:

Went back to SRQ to write a special guest post about Sarasota and what better way to do that than to hit the beach and showcase the true beauty of my favorite city!

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December:

I finished the year by visiting family up north in the freezing cold and celebrating Christmas and my birthday! Probably some of my favorite moments, visiting family and having everyone I love together! I turned 26 and can't be more excited for this fabulous new year! And to top it off LC by Lauren Conrad posted on their social media handles about a recent look on the blog! **OMG MAJOR HEART EYES** so thankful!

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I hope you all have a safe New Year's Eve and Happy New Year! I can't wait for all the fun things to come in 2018! 

Summer Round Up

I finally got together my favorite summer looks for you all! We are currently preparing/going through hurricane Irma as this post probably won't go up until mid week. Hurricane season is normal for me as I've lived in Florida my whole life, but this girl (Irma) is no joke, she's a massive storm! Never-mind that though let's get back to talking about this summer round up! This summer has been so amazing, between the amazing trips we've taken and places we've gone I couldn't have asked for a better summer! We ventured to St. Pete, Daytona Beach, and Miami just to name a few with our favorite people! I couldn't be more grateful for the wonderful friends we have in Chris and Mer, they have been true blessings to Travis and myself! So this summer has a special place in my heart and my closet as I love so my looks I sported this season! As for things coming up, there are some fun collaborations on the horizon that I'm super excited about! I'm excited for fall (or what little fall we have here) and a little sad to leave summer behind. With that, below are my favorite looks from this summer! Let me know what your favorite was in the comments below! 

Summer Lovin'

With the official end of summer only a few weeks away of course we are hitting the beach and pool as much as we can! Even though we live in Florida and the summer heat will continue for a few more months for us our state will soon be home to the snowbirds and part time Floridians again, not just us locals. 

We ran away to my hometown a few weekends ago for a special post I'm in the process of creating and hit Longboat Key Saturday evening for golden hour. The heat was worth it for the view at the end of the beach with some beautiful breeze and driftwood! Sarasota as most of you know holds a special place in my heart, it's my hometown. Even though it is not my current zipcode, it is my favorite place and where I truly feel at home. I am someone that needs to live by water, not hours but minutes away. Water and the beach really feed my soul and put me at peace like nothing else.

Needless to say this was one of my favorite places to shoot and the look is exactly, me just a cute top and jeans on the beach, there is no place I rather be. I wanted to give you all a fun summer look that still keeps our summer vibes with color as well as relaxed with the ripped jeans, very Florida. I hope you love it!

Where do you call home, and why do you love it?



Shop the look below:

The top and bracelets are currently out of stock so other options are below at the same or better price point!