Announcement!!!

I am currently working on starting a new blog that will be called Dogwood Southern. Please give me some time to get that up and running and I will let y'all know!!!

Beach Bag Essentials Linkup

Today I am joining a linkup hosted by Sydney from Sincerely Sydney and Victoria from Memphis Made about our beach bag essentials. So make sure to check out their posts!

As for my beach bag essentials, here are some things you will always find:

1. The bag- Scout Bags have been my go to pool and beach bags for the past probably six years. I have a handful of Scout products including totes, makeup bags, and a laundry bag. They are all durable and I recommend the brand highly if you're looking for a new bag.

2. Sunglasses- My favorite pair are RayBan Aviators. They can pull any beach bum outfit together!

3. Speakers- For Easter I got the cutest Bose Color speaker that will be perfect for beach trips this summer. It comes in multiple colors. Mine is mint!

4. Water bottle- I include either a Tervis Tumbler or a Bubba Keg in my beach bag to make sure you don't get dehydrated. 

5. Tanning lotion- Although I don't put on tanning lotion or oil very often I do keep some in my bag. The Banana Boat Dry Oil Spray is my favorite because you don't feel greasy after you apply it. Don't forget about regular sunscreen too though!

Do you have any beach bag essentials I need to know about? Please share.

Also, on Sydney's page (the link is above) there is a beach bag giveaway. Make sure you are entered because the bag is adorable!

Thanks for reading and love always,

Kelsey

Grey Denim

Shirt: Banana Republic Jeans: Yoga Jeans by Second Denim

Shoes: Jack Rogers

I have found some cute spring jeans! These grey jeans are perfect because you can pair them with anything. I have styled it in the pictures above with a white detailed top, but I have also style them with bright oranges and pinks. I have been wearing them when it's not too hot outside or when I go to dinner with friends. 

I recommend checking out the Yoga Jean by Second Denim. You can find them at Nordstrom and in specific boutiques. There is a store locator on their website so find a place near you.

Do you have any ideas of how to style these grey jeans?

Love always,

Kelsey

Easter 2015

Dress: Tommy Hilfiger (Old) Shoes: J. Crew Factory (Old)

Happy Easter! Jesus has risen, hallelujah! Above is my Easter outfit. The perfect floral shift and some bright wedges for church. The rest of the day hanging out with family I will be wearing J. Crew chino shorts and a shirt for a more comfortable look. Now I"m going to spend some time with my fam. :) Hope your Easter was great!

What are your Easter plans? Leave in the comments below.

Love always,

Kelsey

Spring Showers: The Perfect Rainboots

Shirt: Lilly Pulitzer Shorts: J. Crew Shoes: Hunter

Today I am super excited to do a collaboration with Cat from Class Meets Couture! We decided to do posts about rainboots because the spring brings a lot of little rain showers. The pictures above show a cute and fun way to style rainboots on drab days with florals and brighter colors. Make sure you go check out Cat's post through the link about. Her style is adorable and she was fabulous to work with!

My boots are the Hunter tall original gloss rainboots in the color graphite. I have gotten so much use out of these and there are endless ways to style them. Do you have a favorite outfit to wear with your rainboots for getting through these spring showers?

Love always,

Kelsey

Netflix Lately

Let's be real, when people say life lately it's more like Netflix lately. Am I the only one? As soon as one show is finished I am on the prowl for the next one. Two shows I have recently watched are Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 and Drop Dead Diva. 

Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 is about a girl named June who moves to New York and as soon as she gets there loses her job and fiancee. The girl she moves in with is named Chloe and she will do whatever it takes to get June to move out. They eventually become best friends and the shows displays all the crazy stuff they get into. There are two seasons on Netflix and I don't think they will be making anymore seasons. It is absolutely hilarious and if you are looking for a short show to watch you should consider this one!

Drop Dead Diva is much longer and I love it! I am on season 2 out of 6 right now. In summary the show is about a girl named Deb who dies, but returns to Earth and is now in the body of the main character Jane. Only two people know this and they are Deb's best friend Stacy and her guardian angel Fred. The show is Deb trying to figure out her life as Jane. Jane even works with Deb's about to be fiancee Grayson. If this sounds interesting you should check it out. I have just eaten it up and binge watched it!

Have you watched any good Netflix shows lately?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway on Instagram it ends today!!

Love always,

Kelsey

Recent Purchases

I have been buying a handful of new things to get ready for spring break and I thought I would show y'all what I've been picking up! 

1. To start with I bought two of these bandeau tops from Target. I got one in leopard and one in black. Neutrals, am I right? These two will go with any solid pair of bikini bottoms I have now and will be perfect for long days on the beach for spring break and summer. The front of the top look like the bandeaus from Victoria's Secret, but the straps on the back give it a different twist. 

2. Recently on my college campus Birkenstock sandals are making a come back. At first I really did not think they were for me. I thought they would be too chunky on my feet, but I tried on the style with two straps and the toe straps. I got them in the black leather and they are very cute if I do say so myself! I bought mine at Dillard's, but you can find them at DSW, Belk, Rack Room, or the Birkenstock store. You can see the exact pair I got on my Instagram! (@honeybee_kelsey)

3. On iTunes I ordered the new Luke Bryan Spring Break Checkin' Out album. I have all of his other springs break albums and I am very sad this is the last one he will be making because the songs usually hold such good memories after I listen to them on repeat all spring break long. If you haven't heard any of the new songs you need to go check them out! My favorite song on the album is Games.

4. The last thing I got is a 34 oz. Bubba Keg. These mugs are perfect for the days when you don't leave the beach until it's time to go back in to shower for dinner. I can't wait to use mine next week.

Have you picked anything up for spring break or spring in general? Share in the comments below.

Also don't forget to check out the Lilly Pulitzer dress giveaway I am doing with some other fabulous bloggers!! Follow us all on Instagram, like each picture on each profile, and repost for extra entries. It closes March 13th. May the odds be in your favor.

Love always,

Kelsey 

Spring Break Beauty Essentials

So I did my post about my spring break essentials and realized I missed a huge part of my essentials! That is the beauty part... if  you didn't notice from the title haha. Let's get started here are my spring break beauty essentials:

1. Chapstick with SPF: it is super important to make sure your lips don't get burned. That is probably one of the first burns you can get so be weary.

2. Tinted Moisturizer: tinted moisturizer is perfect for the days on the beach where you just want a little coverage. My favorite is the Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisture. It has SPF too which is always good.

3. Aloe Lotion: for after the beach aloe lotion is the way to go. The gel is not even comparable to lotion. The lotion is much better for all skin types. There is no greasy residue and you can get on with  your day,

4. Face Sunscreen: I have found the best luck in using a different sunscreen that is specifically for my face. The Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen does not break you out easily while offering the protection your face needs from the sun. I have carried this in my beach bag since freshman year. It's sort of expensive, but totally worth it. You can buy it at Target and drugstores.

5. Waterproof Mascara: This one may seem obvious, but finding the perfect waterproof mascara can actually be challenging. My current favorite is the Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara. I use this everyday and have found it is great for long wear which is needed for sitting out on the beach all day.

6. Bronzer: Typically when you go to the beach you get darker. Perhaps your foundation doesn't match so perfectly anymore. This is where bronzer comes in. It is the ideal beauty product for the beach because it makes your skin tone more even when you are going out to dinner when you actually have to/want to wear makeup. I recommend the NARS bronzer in the color laguna. 

Do you have an spring break beauty essentials? If so comment below. Also comment if you have anything other spring break essentials ideas or anything else you would like to see.

Love always,

Kelsey

Spring Break Essentials

Today I am teaming up with Katie from Swoonworthy Blog for a spring break essentials collab! I was super excited for this so listed below are my spring break essentials:

1. A Columbia PFG: these are perfect for long days on the beach to protect you from the sun or to use as a swimsuit coverup. They come in a variety of colors and also have college ones!

2. Jack Rogers: It will be difficult to decide which Jack Rogers I will be taking on spring break, but you can never go wrong with these sandals. I suggest buying the platinum pair first if you don't own a pair. They match everything!

3. A Painted Cooler: I think these are so fun. My cousin painted me one for Christmas a couple years ago and I  still use it. I will definitely be bringing mine with me this year.

4. A Monogrammed Tervis Tumbler: Having a monogrammed cup of any kind is ideal for the beach because you will always know which cup is yours. Turves Tumblers are my favorite because they keep your drinks very cold without the cup sweating. 

5. Bandaue Bikini Tops: This is pretty much the only style of swim suit top that I wear and you can find these anywhere! Target, Victoria's Secret, and Aerie all have a ton of cute ones. I have bought two for this spring break so far one is plain black and the other is leopard print. Can't wait to get those in!

Make sure you go check out Katie's spring break essentials through the link above! 

Spring break is coming up fast. What are some of your essentials?

Love always, 

Kelsey

Prom 2015

I always loved prom dress shopping in high school. Unfortunately, the only reason I have to look at prom dresses now is to send pictures to my sister. However, if I was going to prom this year I would be wearing on of these dresses:

Jenny Yoo 'Vivienne' Pleated Chiffon Dress in Evening Blue

Here

Adrianna Pappel Beaded Chiffon Blouson Dress in Navy

Here

These two are my favorites and I most likely will try to make my sister wear one of them ha! Is anyone else reliving prom through their siblings or friends? Is it just me?

Love always,

Kelsey

Movie Marathon

Unfortunately my week of snow days had to come to an end! That doesn't mean the snow is gone. 

And my outfit of the day reflects this!

Tonight I am hanging out with my sister and cousin. We are going to have a movie night! Here are some great movie suggestions especially for when it's not very fun to be outside. (All of these were on Netflix)

1. Clueless

2. Breakfast at Tiffany's

3. White Chicks

4. Safe Haven

5. Dirty Dancing

6. Uptown Girl

7. 13 Going on 30

8. The Switch

9. Silver Linings Playbook

10. Stuck in Love 

These are just a few movies I love that are perfect for a movie marathon or just a snowy night inside! What movies do you suggest me watching tonight? Thanks for reading. Hope your week was great!

Love always,

Kelsey

Snow Day Part 2

Well as luck would have it, I am now on my second snow day! This morning I have been much more productive than I was yesterday. I have managed to clean my entire room and have some down time to drink coffee and read more of Living So That by Wendy Blight. 

So this post will be a little about Living So That and what I am getting out of it. I don't like to admit it, but it is often times hard to find a gap of time to sit down and read, reflect, and journal about my book. I love doing it, but I usually am running around like a crazy person trying to get my stuff together for school and my sorority (not that I don't love those two either). But days like yesterday and today where I can sort through things more slowly because it seems like everything outside of my dorm has paused help me to realize I need this time. Pretty badly. 

Today I finished part two of chapter two in Living So That. All of chapter two is about how God wants us to know Him and He reveals what He wants us to see in the Bible. At the perfect timing, I might add! I have gone to a Catholic school my entire life up until college and had one religion class after another. As I was going through the classes I was told this, but it didn't sink in the way it should have until today.

These snow days are part of God's timing. I cannot wait to see what else I get out of my slow day full of reflection. Also shooting up prayers for another day like this. Who wants to be in class when you're learning a lot out of the classroom too?

I know this is not a typical styled post for me, but I figured I would share! If you  would like me to post more about Christian type of things comment below! I hope if you're having a snow day it is as great as mine has been so far. 

Love always,

Kelsey

Snow Day

A snow day in college is the perfect opportunity to be productive. And by productive I mean catch up on Netflix, maybe clean your room, and try not to die walking down the steps to the dining hall. It is almost better to avoid that last part completely. Even though it is not technically snowing yet in my part of Tennessee it ices, which is can be worse than snow. 

At this point, there is nothing to do, but stay inside and avoid leaving at all costs. Ways to keep from going stir crazy are to:

-Start/Finish a Netflix series

-Have some quiet time reading or journaling

-Have a girls movie marathon

-Organize your room (if you're in a small space like a dorm you can always use this!)

-Catch up on YouTube videos

-Craft

-Pinterest to your heart's content

Most likely I will be doing all of the above.  I hope if you are somewhere that it is snowing and you are out of school you have a great day. Leave in the comments below what you like to do on snow days. 

Love always,

Kelsey

Charlotte Weekend Day 3

We are heading back to Knoxville today sadly. I've enjoyed Charlotte so much and I can't wait to come back soon. 

For breakfast we had brunch at a restaurant name Le Peep. I gave a strawberry crepe and hashbrowns and it was perfection. 

Naturally the weather is perfect because we have to be in the car today. Can it just be spring already?

Bojangles chicken rice bowls rock!!

Now we are back in Knoxville and going to the grocery store. I hope you enjoyed my Charlotte girls weekend and a little bit of a less planned blog post. Thanks for reading!

Love always,

Kelsey

Charlotte Weekend Day 2

Naturally today we had to shop till we drop. So here's a little bit of our adventures!

I know y'all are enjoying this dressing room selfie, the duck face comes with this adorable Free People sweater!

And what's a weekend without me being sickly? #purseessentials

Smoothie stop before leaving our second mall of the day. We take shop till you drop very seriously haha!

Holy tassel necklaces! If you're looking for a tassel necklace in Charlotte go check out Scout and Molly's.

I would say we made out pretty well! We found lots of great deals and I got to check out a ton of stores we don't have in Knoxville. 

For lunch we ate at a cute restaurant called Aurther's in Belk and I got a grilled cheese sandwich. For dinner we ate at JD's house and it was delicious! 

Day 2 is coming to a close and we'll probably have a movie night tonight. 

Keep an eye out for tomorrow's post!

Love always,

Kelsey

Charlotte Weekend Day 1

This afternoon me and my best friend Julianna are heading to Charlotte, North Carolina because that is where she is from. So here's a little look into our road trip down for our girls weekend! 

 For dinner we went to an Italian place called Dolce and it was amazing!! Until tomorrow...

Love always,

Kelsey 

Feeling the Love

Man, I cannot believe people are already thinking about Valentine's Day. As I stroll through Target, Walgreens, and anywhere else I am overwhelmed by how fast it is coming up. Typically I throw something together last minute for my boyfriend Zachary. This year we have decided since we are both poor college kids we are going to have a $25 Valentine's Day. Meaning we are going to just get each other things like food, cards, or something very little.

Now if you don't have a man then don't fret. My best girlfriend and I are also having a Valentine's get together which will consist of gifts under $25 and going to see the new Fifty Shades of Gray movie. Who would want to see that with a boy anyways?

Now gifting under $25 may seem like a little impossible so I'm going to give you some help for both girls and boys!

For Zach I am going to get him a card, Coke in the glass bottles, his favorite candy, and a box of toaster strudels (he loves those things).

For my friend I am going to get her a card, a Valentine's Tervis Tumbler with hearts on it (definitely go check those out), and a box of chocolate.

If you haven't started shopping yet don't fret! There is still time and plenty of cute ideas. What do you plan to do for Valentine's Day? Leave your answer in the comments below!

Love always,

Kelsey 

College Life

Since I posted very little my first semester of college I figured it would be cool to let you know what a typical day is for me during school.

The day I am posting this is a Friday, but my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are pretty much the same because of my class schedule, but usually Fridays I am up later!

8:15 - Roll out of bed and crawl to my Keurig

8:15-8:30 - Get ready for the day (make bed, get dressed, wash face, brush teeth, etc.)

8:40 (At the latest) - Walking out the door for speech class

9:05-9:55 - in class

10:00 - grab breakfast/coffee at Einstein's

10:50 - leave for math

11:15-12:05 - in class

12:10- leaving straight for political science

12:20-1:10 - in class

1:30 - finally get to come back to my room

1:35ish - I remember I haven't had lunch and grab Subway, Chick Fil A, or something out of the fridge

2:00 - I look over my planner and make a to do list of what homework needs to be addressed today and what can wait until tomorrow (this includes online assignments)

After I figure this out the range of how long I'm doing homework varies.

5:30ish - I start making dinner plans with friends to go to the dining hall, to go out to eat, or to order in

8:00 - I look at my planner again to make sure I didn't miss anything and if not I usually hang out with friends, read, blog, or watch Netflix

9:45ish - I start to get ready for bed (wash face, make hot tea, etc.)

11:00- 12:00 - I usually go to sleep somewhere in this range of time unless I have a test or a large amount of homework

I hope this look into my day wasn't too boring. I have enjoyed my college schedule a lot more than the high school 8 to 3 schedule. I like to think of myself at good at time management, but I enjoy hearing/reading about others peoples tips and tricks! Comment below how you manage to get everything you want to get done in a day. I'd love to hear it!

Love always,

Kelsey

Liebster Award

A big thank you to Cat from Class Meets Couture for nominating me for the Liebster Award! This award is given to bloggers from bloggers. What's even cooler is it is for smaller blogs who are just starting out and don't have very many followers yet.

Part of being nominated includes answering eleven questions which will be below.

1. When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging in August of 2014. Blogging was a way for me to voice my opinion, possibly help other girls, and overall a creativity outlet for me.

2. What is the story behind your blog name?

I wish that I could say there was a good or funny story behind my blog name, but simply put, honeybee rhymes with my first name Kelsey.

3. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Probably being on time.

4. Coffee or tea?

I drink both coffee and tea. I would say tea over coffee though because I drink more tea than coffee.

5. What is one of your goals for the year 2015?

Definitely developing my blog more and getting more experience.

6. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat?

I would have to say if I had to pick one food it would be soup.

7. What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is online shopping even if it just adding things to my cart that I won't end up buying.

8. Cookies, cake, or ice cream?
Ice cream, by far.

9. If you had to live in one place for the rest of your life where would you live?
Knoxville, Tennessee

10. What is the craziest adventure you have been on so far?
The first hike I went on was 11 miles. Which is pretty crazy seeing that saying I am an outdoorsy person is an overstatement.

11. If you had to be a color, what would you be and why?
Pink because it is so happy and bright.

I now nominate:
Meg from A Sunny State of Mind
Katie from Swoonworthy Blog
Molly from Good Golly Miss Molly
Mikayla from A Seersucker State of Mind

Lauren from Midtown Magnolia
Mel from Girl and the Polka Dot
Morgan from Sprinkle of Glam Blog
Julie from Pinky and the Prep
Zoe Grace from The Peculiar Prep
Jordan from The Teacup of Style
PJ from Soulfully Southern

My questions to y'all are:
1. When did you start your blog and why?
2. Is there a story behind your blog name?
3. Where is your favorite place to shop?
4. What is your favorite drugstore beauty find?
5. What is your favorite book?
6. Coffee or tea?
7. What is your instagram?
8. What are your favorite shoes to wear?
9. Fall style or summer style?
10. Would you rather buy mascara or lipstick?
11. What is your guilty please?

Now nominate your favorite 11 blogs with under 1,000 followers to keep the chain going and ask them 11 questions.

Thanks for reading and love always,
Kelsey

Pikos

Piko shirts have been everywhere through lat fall and winter. I don't mind it because it's like wearing a big comfy, more fitted in the arms tshirt. Paired with leggings or jeans and some sort of boot a piko can be dressed up or have a more casual look. 

I found this piko at a store in my local mall called Fiore, but there are many online boutiques that sell pikos including Red Dress Boutique, White Plum, and Blue Door Boutique. They come in a multitude of colors too! A white piko and a black piko can be two staple pieces in your closet that will match anything.

Comment below with any ideas of how you style pikos!

Love always,

Kelsey

Tocca Florence

As I walked through Anthropologie I smelled every single perfume they had out on their display and couldn't get enough of any of them. In vein of this I bought the rollerball of Lilina and asked for Florence for Christmas. 

I cannot put into words how amazing Florence smells. It is very clean smelling which is what I like, but not boring. I can't put my finger on exactly what it smells similar to. All I can say is it is my new favorite and I will definitely be getting another bottle after I use the one I have!

You can find any Tocca perfumes at Anthropologie or Sephora. I highly recommend smelling all of them and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. It was hard to chose just one!

Here, Here

Have you found any new scents recently? Please share in the comments below.

Love always,

Kelsey

YouTube

Before I started my blog I really considered making a YouTube, but talked myself out of it because I was nervous. In the year 2015 I am going to try to do more things out of my comfort zone so I will be testing out what it would be like to have a YouTube channel. I just posted my first video and it is linked below. Please go check it out and let me know what you think. Also, if you think I should do more videos please subscribe to my channel. Thanks for all your support in my blog and giving me the courage to try having a YouTube channel.

Here

Love always,

Kelsey

Ponchos and Capes

I will be the first to say I searched high and low for the perfect poncho/cape (whichever one you want to qualify this as). The second I saw this at Banana Republic and saw that it was very on sale there was no way I could say no. The two sweet girls I was shopping with also had no words to talk me out of buying it! Plus I could use the age old excuse "oh my mom and I can share."

The cowl neck and stripes at the bottom help to give it a comfortable and casual look that can be dressed up depending on the pants and shoes you wear. I am wearing it more casually in the pictures above, but if I was planning on dressing it up I would pair it with leather leggings and booties with a little bit of a heel. 

I have already worn this way more than I would like to say... confessions ha! Unfortunately, I was unable to find the link to this exact sweater, but I will post some with a similar style or that I love below!

Here, Here, Here, Here