My Kind of Lovely Turns Two

Hi loves! It’s been a crazy few months, but I’m officially trying to get back in the swing of things here on Peach Love Travel Bug! Since my last post, I’ve turned the big 3-0, traveled to the West Coast and back, knocked a few things off the Bucket List, Peach is no longer traveling for work!!, and most recently, I celebrated the mini-milestone of My Kind of Lovely Turning Two.

As I’ve mentioned before, my best friend, Katie of Pearls and Twirls, and I own a ladies’ clothing boutique in our hometown, and this past week, we officially celebrated two years from that moment we took the leap of faith and followed a dream.  It’s been a wild two years full of a lot of ups and downs, successes and failures, tears of joy and tears of sorrow.. but the unwavering support of our loyal customers, our families, our friends and our #MKLDreamTeam, keep us reaching for the stars and never second guessing that this is what we were absolutely meant to be doing with our lives.

We love to throw a good party at MKL, and after last year’s birthday bash (see a recap of #MKLTurnsOne on Katie’s blog here), the pressure was on! The planning process began back in December, and after months of preparation, we couldn’t have been more thrilled with the outcome.  Our Swag Bags were better than ever, we added a home store to the mix- introducing our good friend Adam’s business, Pennington Home, to MKL- AND we renovated the store giving it that facelift that we’d been dreaming about. The best part though, is always the reaction of our customers, and the line out the door was the icing on the cake! Here’s a few more pics from our special day, and make sure you’re following My Kind of Lovely to stay in the know of some exciting things we have planned! Thanks to every single one of you that cheer us on, near and far! We couldn’t do life without you!

All photos were taken by Tamlin Photography, and all outfits are My Kind of Lovely! They’ll be online soon, so stand by!

http://www.mykindoflovely.com

 

 

Packing for Tampa & a Lisi Lerch Giveaway

Hey there! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful day with your loved ones! We had a fabulous two days with family and I couldn’t ask for more, not to mention the hubby totally spoiled me this year!  I’m most excited about my new Cannon Rebel camera that I look forward to perfecting and using for even better shots on our travels and for here on the blog!

But as Christmas comes and goes, today I’m packing my bags to head south to Florida early next week with Peach. After today, Katie & I are treating ourselves to a 9-day vacation from the store and regrouping after this super crazy 2 months of retail madness! The Vols are headed to The Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida and you know us- we aren’t missing out on this one! So a few days of travel with Peach as he works along the route, New Years Eve in downtown Tampa, followed by the Bowl Game and chasing the majorettes around on New Years Day, and then headed to Sarasota for a few days of relaxation and celebrating my birthday! I’m so looking forward to it, but packing for December in Florida and 80 degree temps is somewhat stressful! Here’s a look at what I’ve put together so far. If you have any advice for dressing in this type of weather this time of the year, I’m open ears!

  
  

One thing I do know, these Lisi Lerch Tassels in ‘Miss Pink’ will be on heavy rotation! And I’m so excited to be teaming up with Katie again to be gifting one pair away!! Just enter thru the Rafflecopter link below and good luck! Ends Sunday night at midnight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xo!

What’s In My Bag and a Vera Bradley Giveaway

Happy Tuesday, my loves! And Happy Winter, although it doesn’t quite feel like winter around here! Just saw that it’s supposed to be in the 70s on Christmas! (Not. O. Kay.) Call me crazy, but I like fighting off those blustery winds when I’m out buying 100% of my Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. 😉

But anywho, I’m super excited to be talking about my new, favorite go-to tote and sharing what I carry with me on the reg! AND, I’m even more excited to be kicking off a little giveaway series this week and that one of you will be able to enjoy this bag just as much as I am! Make sure to read this post and check back all week- exciting things happening here on PLTB!

It’s no secret that over the past few months, I have become literally obsessed with all things Vera Bradley.  From the moment I spotted this blush quilted leather clutch at the Southern Blog Society Conference, I was hooked.  Now of course, I had the full VB luggage set back in the day, but the Vera from your high school days has definitely gotten an upgrade.  From gorgeous calf hair to amazing leather, Vera Bradley has definitely stepped up their game and taken my constantly new bag searching eyes off the market.

Most recently, this amazing Small Ella Tote in Buffalo Check is my favorite, go-to accessory for the season.  The size is spot-on for carrying everything I need on a daily basis, and the buffalo check adds that perfect touch of holiday spirit to any outfit, although I plan to carry it long into these winter months.  I also love that it has zip-top closure, seeing as to how I LIVE in bags, and this helps me to make sure I’m not loosing things, say, in my car, along the way!

Here’s a peak of some of the other things I usually have with me as I go, go, go throughout the day! From workouts to My Kind of Lovely, to twirling practice and then to dinner with friends, this easy transitional bag is just what I needed.

And although I may personally need a Vera Bradley intervention, I’m SO excited to be teaming up with my bestie, Katie of Pearls & Twirls and Vera Bradley, for a giveaway for this Small Ella Tote to one of our lucky readers!!  Just enter in this Riflecopter Giveway and Good Luck! The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve!  And don’t forget to hop on over to Katie’s post to see how she styled the Ella just last week!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

XO!

Caroline

My Kind of Lovely Winter Lookbook

Can someone tell me how it’s already December?! I swear I blinked and the entire month of November was gone! I hate I haven’t been able to stay up to date on the blog, but it’s been #workworkwork the past few weeks! We’ve had a ton of exciting things happening at My Kind of Lovely lately. From opening our second MKL location in Knoxville at Southern Market to our 2nd Annual Mingle & Jingle Holiday Open House at the store, AND we spent Thanksgiving week participating in a week-long event, Fantasy of Trees, benefitting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital where atleast 60K+ attended! Not to mention, I also twirled baton with the Pride of the Southland at Homecoming for my Alma Mater, The University of Tennessee, kicked off basketball season with my Sequoyah High School Majorettes, andddd of course Thanksgiving + family time! So, to say the least, the free time has been few and far between, but let’s be honest, would I really want it any other way? Nahhh.

I’m determined to get back in the swing of things though, so for today, here’s a glimpse into our photo shoot we shot mid-November for our Winter Lookbook. Hope you enjoy and possibly see some pieces you just can’t live without. 🙂

All images were shot by the talented Katie Stinnett.

I’ll be back soon with more My Kind of Lovely #BTS as we speed into this crazy time of the year! Stay tuned!

Xo!

Travel Bug to Atlanta: Part Two

Happy Wednesday, friends! Hope you all are adjusting to the time change as well as I am! Peach and I stayed in Chattanooga Saturday night for Halloween, and definitely didn’t hate daylight savings time for providing us with that extra hour of sleep! We’ve also decided to stop paying an astronomical amount of money per month for cable, so the past few days have been quite peaceful, productive, yet restful because I’ve been hitting the sack way before my usual bedtime, and I’m kind of loving it. Thinking this may be just my chance to become that morning person I’ve always wanted to be?! Baby steps I guess. 🙂 Anywho, I’m back today to wrap up all the deets about mine & Katie’s most recent trip to Atlanta buying holiday and spring for My Kind of Lovely! In case you missed it, catch up on Part One here!

Outside of loving every minute of our stay at W Atlanta – Buckhead, we also got to experience some other pretty cool things, too! Our Atlanta Apparel trip was our best yet, as we scooped up some awesome new clothing and jewelry lines for the store, and also had the opportunity to chat and network with some of my favorite bloggers!  Much to our surprise, a panel was being held at Market with some of the most successful and influential bloggers of the south, and we knew we wanted to hear what they had to say when discussing working with retailers. We got some great info and ideas, and it was also just fun seeing these girls outside of Snapchat 😉 (Speaking of Snapchat, make sure you’re following me!– @carolinegillem)

Show Me Your Mumu coming to My Kind of Lovely in Spring 2016

Love Poppy coming to My Kind of Lovely just in time for the Holiday! Top of my Wish List for sure! 

Megan Elliott {Lush to Blush}, Beth Parker {Seersucker and Saddles}, Owner of Tres Carmen Boutique located on James Island outside of Charleston, SC; Grace Wainwright {A Southern Drawl} and Kristin Clark {Living in Color Print} speaking at the ‘Grow Your Business with Bloggers’ Panel 

Although there was a lot we had to get done at this last Market of the year, we went in with a clear plan and knocked it out pretty quickly! So by the time Friday afternoon rolled around, we were excited to attend the fashion show that Atlanta Apparel put together for Spring 2016 and enjoy some fun cocktails! We had front row seats, and I’ll tell ya- Atlanta definitely knows how to put on a show!

As if this wasn’t one of the most eventful days already, after leaving the fashion show, we were invited to the Ritz Carlton- Atlanta to enjoy their Autumn Apple menu in the Atlanta Grill. During the week of our stay, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta was offering a week-long special menu and from each dinner purchased, 15 percent of the proceeds was  donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, where it would be used to support local causes such as child well-being, environmental responsibility and hunger and poverty relief.  The hotel has supported the Atlanta Community Food Bank through volunteering and fundraising for the past 15 years, and it was an awesome way to experience the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta for the first time, and dine in the beautiful restaurant.

The food was absolutely delicious and the Atlanta Grill couldn’t have a more friendly staff.  It was a pleasure chatting with their Executive Chef, the Manager and we had the sweetest waiter ever.  Such a perfect ending to our trip being able to partake in such a great night for an even better cause.

All in all, our trip to Atlanta was definitely a total success- the perfect mix of work & play! As fun as it is to hit up your favorites while visiting a city you feel like you already know, sometimes it’s fun to just totally switch things up! We will be back in Atlanta again in January, so if you have any recommendations on things to do, be sure to let me know!

XO!

Wednesday Wanderlust: Walt Disney World Resort

For today’s Wednesday Wanderlust, I’m all about some fairytales and Disney Princesses at the Walt Disney World Resort. Recently, Peach mentioned us spending a weekend at the most majestic place on earth for Valentine’s Day, and I’ve kind-of been obsessed with the idea ever sense. I mean, how cute is that?! We would totally be the couple rocking the Mickey & Minnie Mouse ears! (Insert future pic here! #noshame) But really, after thinking about it more, I’m totally hooked on this plan!

As I’ve mentioned before, Peach travels for work, and is gone most of the time about four days a week.  It’s totally awful, and not normal, but we make it work.  And one way we do that is by going full force, 10,000% on the time we are together….And by totally taking advantage of all those hotel points he’s racking up week after week! Holllaaaa! So, when he realized that his annual conference was going to be held in Orlando the week before Valentine’s Day next year, he put two and two together, and walahhh!… I’m spending more hours than I’d like to admit pinning everything I can find. 🙂

Whether we go or not, it’s fun to think about a trip where you truly leave your adult-self at the door.  I think everyone should experience Disney in three stages of life: as a child, as an adult, and as a parent, and I’m sure every experience would bring all new feelings and emotions, but the excitement would remain the same. I went to Disney about six years ago when I was in college, and I was there more of like a chaperone to my twirling team that was competing in Orlando. It was awesome to walk the parks, ride the rides, and take in the parades almost for the first time, as I definitely don’t remember my first trip as a child.  I can only imagine what this trip would entail with Peach, but I have ZERO doubt that it would be anything less than perfect. And for a Valentine’s Day weekend together, that’s got to be pretty romantic, right?!

Wednesday Wanderlust Inspiration (from left to right)

Main Street at the Magic Kingdom //  Minnie Mouse Ears // Carousel Ride // Magic Kingdom Balloons // Minnie & Mickey Balloon Pic // Mickey at the Festival of Fantasy Parade // Cinderella & Prince Charming // Disneyland // Mad Tea Party // Disney Outfit Inspiration // Magic Kingdom Ice Cream Cone // Disney World Mouse Ears // Ariel // Festival of Fantasy // Kisses at the Magic Kingdom Castle // Romance at Disney World

Check out my last few Wednesday Wanderlust posts here & here, and be sure to follow me on Pinterest! My Wanderlust Board is quickly growing!

Travel Bug to Atlanta: Part One

A few weeks ago, Katie and I took off to Atlanta for our last buying trip of the year for My Kind of Lovely.  This was a big one- as we finalized all our Holiday orders, prepared for Spring 2016 AND placed last minute orders for our second location that is opening next week in Knoxville! (Eeeeep!) Although, we knew we had so much to accomplish, we also wanted to do Atlanta totally different than ever before.  Since we are now in a routine of making this trip seven, yes SEVEN, times a year, we wanted to give our usual buying trip a little makeover and see and do things we’ve never done before.  Instead of ordering room service and crashing in bed every night after market, this go around, we explored.  We hit up several new spots in Atlanta, or just revisited some of our favorites, and I definitely think it was the best way to stay inspired and motivated throughout the trip!

Atlanta Apparel: Day One. Buying a new jewelry line, Love Poppy, for the store!

When planning our trip, we knew without a doubt that we wanted to stay at the W Atlanta- Buckhead. This hotel is to. die. and has literally everything to offer.  From the adorable, stylish hotel rooms fully stocked with all the Bliss products your heart could desire, to the amazing restaurant, rooftop bar or even the lobby area that is perfect for grabbing a cocktail before dinner or having a small business meeting, there’s absolutely no need to ever leave the hotel.  From the minute you arrive, the W is total swoon-worthy.

The LobbyLiving Room

Cook Hall

Although the last time I visited the W Atlanta- Buckhead was for my AMAZING bachelorette party, and topping that trip would be pretty near impossible, this two-night stay started off with a bang.  Within minutes of arriving to our room, we were greeted at the door by a bottle of champagne welcoming us- and to be honest- that’s as close to feeling like a celeb as I think I’ll ever feel.  Seriously, my giddiness was a little embarrassing, but I couldn’t contain my excitement! I mean- what?! Who does that?! Wahoooo! Let the Peach Love Travel Bug xx Pearls and Twirls Atlanta weekend commence!

Once settled, we headed down to Cook Hall for dinner, located on the main floor of the W. The charming atmosphere immediately captured us for the evening as we enjoyed the most delicious food + drink(s).  Pork belly sliders are all you need to know… that and the mac ’n cheese and you’re officially in your food coma for the evening. You’re welcome.

After dinner, we rallied and ventured up to the top floor to check out Whiskey Blue Atlanta. This is definitely a hot spot in Atlanta, as every sofa, inside and out, was already claimed by the time we arrived.  We opted for a margarita and then ventured outside on the balcony to just take in the beautiful Atlanta skyline. When I say the W Atlanta- Buckhead has it all, it’s no joke. And a night out with your bestie + Atlanta nightlife is the icing on the cake! Oh- and the elevator ride to your room isn’t too shabby either. Night one = success.

The next day, we kicked off our morning with a meeting in the hotel lobby and then headed out to the terrace to snap a few picks before taking off to AmericasMart for day two.  I think Katie likes having me around as a new blogger to the scene.  Determined to find the best location to take pics, knowing there’s never such a thing as taking too many pictures in order to get that perfect shot, and knowing when to step in and say- “Hey- ya know what would make this a whole lot cuter?! A Blueberry Shandy from the Living Room! I’m on it!” And within minutes, I’m back with our adorable (& delicious) “props”, a camera guy, aka the valet guy, and we are in business!

Be sure to check out Katie’s blog post about our stay at the W Atlanta- Buckhead here, and make sure you’re following us on Instagram!  We made a fun little hashtag for our adventures together. 🙂 #isntthatcute

I’ll be back soon with more about how we wrapped up our time at Atlanta Apparel and a few other pretty awesome things we were able to squeeze in! XO!

Wednesday Wanderlust: Fall in East Tennessee

I’m back with another round of Wednesday Wanderlust! This week, I’m keeping it simple and close to home with just some good ol’ Fall dreaming. I’ve been so busy over the last month traveling and preparing for holiday at My Kind of Lovely that I’ve not really had the chance to just enjoy this beautiful East Tennessee weather. And although going to a pumpkin patch, having friends over for a bonfire + s’mores, or even dressing up for Halloween are at the top of my radar right now, it honestly looks like this gal will be skipping right over Fall and instead plan to have my house decorated for Christmas early-mid November and playing my fave Mariah Carey holiday playlists in no time since we will be kicking off our Christmas Wish Lists at My Kind of Lovely pretty soon.

Peach and I are making a quick trip to Alabama for the big UT game this weekend, and so I hope to really maximize this day with as much ‘Fall’ as I can get. Football, Apple Cidar (really dying to try this recipe) and pigs in the blanket.. I’ll take it!

What are you doing to enjoy this time of the year?

Make sure to follow my Wanderlust Board over on Pinterest!

Wanderlust Inspiration (from left to right)

Fall Scenery // Baby Halloween Costumes // Puppies Playing // Apple Cidar Float // Pink Pumpkins // Fall Engagement Session // Pumpkin Picking // October Pup // Bonfire // Apple Orchard // Leopard Sneaks // Blanket Scarf // Fall Style // Fall Date Night // First Signs of Fall // Pumpkin Patch // Oversized Sweaters 

Wednesday Wanderlust

Hello friends! Today, I’m excited to be starting a new little series I’m calling ‘Wednesday Wanderlust’!  I live and breath traveling, and constantly dream up new places I’d love to visit.  Whether it be small trips like finding a pumpkin patch nearby in the next few weeks or a weekend getaway in a charming little bed and breakfast..OR it’s more planes, trains and automobiles kind-of traveling like visiting a friend in Seattle, Washington or a Mediterranean Cruise next summer.. A have a strong desire to travel and see the world and constantly be on-the-go. A wanderlust at heart, no doubt about it.. and I’m a-okay with that. 🙂

I’m super excited because just this week a group of eight of my closest friends and college sorority sisters put down our final payment on the most ridiculous house for our Palm Springs, California 30th Birthday Bash for this coming January!  There are three of us (including myself) that are hitting the Big 3-0 early next year, and we thought there’s absolutely no better way to celebrate this milestone than with girls we rarely get to see and a pool filled with entirely too many floats in the shape of foods. We are officially on the 98-day countdown (not like anyone’s counting) and so I thought I’d share some of my main inspiration for all things fashion, sight-seeing, and the best birthday gift imaginable- girl-time.

Make sure you’re following my Wanderlust Board on Pinterest for more inspiration!

Wanderlust Inspiration from left to right 

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16 

Tennessee Wine Country

Fall is officially here and all things pumpkin patches, apple picking and pretty fall drives are in the air. A few weeks ago, Peach and I spent an entire Sunday outside enjoying the beautiful scenery (and a bottle of wine or two 😉 ) at Arrington Vineyards, located just outside Nashville, in Arrington, Tennessee. Our visit was on such a perfect day, I can’t help but think we need to take another day-trip there soon just so we can experience the fall foliage, sip on a glass of wine, listen to bluegrass music, all while being wrapped up in a blanket scarf. Doesn’t that sound just about perfect?!

I originally visited Arrington Vineyards a little over a year ago in early Spring, while celebrating my good friend Kacie’s bachelorette party! It was such a perfect place to spend an afternoon with girlfriends, and the fact that we got to set up our own little picnic at owner, Kix Brooks‘, “table”, didn’t hurt. Best view in the house!

This go-around, I was excited to show Peach, and my dad and step-mom around the beautiful vineyard. Although I was all excited about it being Labor Day weekend and saying hello to fall, this Labor Day was full-on summer. We immediately arrived, took in the view and headed straight inside for a wine tasting.

After the rents hit the road, Peach and I continued to spend the entire day together relaxing and just being together.  Although it seems like the two of us are always into something fun, in reality, we only get to see each other about 2-3 days a week because Peach travels for work.  So when he’s home, especially on the weekends, we always try to maximize the heck out of it.  Having him home for the weekend PLUS a Monday holiday, I wasn’t letting us head out of there a minute too soon. Because it was the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, the Vineyard had a full day of activities planned…Wine tastings galore, jazz music under the tent and the cutest food truck from Simply Living Life. The. Perfect. Day.

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from April to November, Arrington Vineyards hosts Music In The Vines, a FREE outdoor jazz event featuring local musicians.  We just happened to be there on a Sunday, so taking in the music and people-watching as couples of all ages danced the night away was super fun.  The Vineyard has an amazing view complete with porches and patios, and even picnic tables throughout the 75-acre vineyard that literally hundreds of people enjoy every weekend. It was so cute to see these families with their kids unpacking the picnic they brought from home, or a girls night with bottles of wine and trader joe finds, and even several “first” dates taking place all within the same place.  It really is the best way to get together with your loved ones and enjoy a beautiful Tennessee afternoon.

Private events such as birthday parties, special celebrations, and even weddings are taking place at Arrington Vineyards literally every day! Or if you just want to take your usual picnic up a notch, Simply Living Life will cater a gourmet picnic for you so that when you arrive, your cooler basket, tablecloth, dinnerware, cloth napkins and wine glasses are waiting on you! I mean really?! How cute (and easy) is that?! I’m seriously already scheming up some way to get us all back over to Arrington immediately.  Going to bed hoping for something super fun to celebrate will happen sooner than later, and when it does, I know just the place I’m going to recommend!

Happy Travels!