Fall Weekend in NYC
Our First Dance: 4 Reasons to Take Lessons Before the Big Day
Today’s wedding Wednesday is all about the first dance. I had been looking forward to this special moment for the longest time and it was definitely one of the best parts of the planning process. This was our moment, the traditional first dance together as husband and wife and I couldn’t wait to share it with Ryan and all of our guests.
We wanted to step it up a notch so we decided to take dance lessons and it was the best decision. Even Ryan says so! Our dance was to “Everything” by Michael Bublé and it went off without a hitch! If you’re engaged and have considered taking lessons… do it!! Today I’m sharing four reasons why we’re so glad that we had a choreographed first dance (and keep scrolling to see the full video!).
NYC Street Style
Y’all. It’s been 3 straight weekends of traveling and this girl’s exhausted. But let’s be honest, traveling is like my favorite thing to do so it’s all worth it in the end, right?! And the trip is not complete until I forget something. I’m THE worst packer and I was doing great until yesterday when I managed to leave my brand new wool hat at the American Airlines Admiral Lounge. Whyyy?!? Anyways, I’ll have an NYC recap post for you guys soon but today I’m sharing what I wore during our full day of exploring the city!
Since cooler weather hasn’t really made its way to Charlotte, I was excited to finally break out my faux leather jacket from YMI Jeans (even though it was 80 degrees in the city yesterday.. crazy!!). It also made me feel very “New York”… especially with the tennis shoes! Believe it or not, these are my first pair of non-running sneakers and it was a long time coming. I’ve been looking for some comfy shoes that were still fashionable and these gold New Balances were just the ticket. They come in lots of different colors but I think you can only get the gold ones at J.Crew. My feet were definitely happiest on this day!
As for my graphic tee, I picked up the day before when we popped into Express. It was on major sale and I wanted to wear it on our Sunday funday in the city so… why not?!
YMI Jeans faux leather jacket, c/o (similar here) // ‘Sunday Funday’ tee // wrap choker (similar)
Vera Bradley quilted Marlo satchel, c/o // New Balance sneakers
DL1961 ‘Emma’ jeans (my favorite!)
When packing for the city, a cute and functional bag is key so I brought along this quilted satchel from none other than Vera Bradley… would you have ever guessed?! They have totally rebranded with a fun new look as well as some great new styles. You can still find the bright patterns that we all know and love but they have added some more grown up pieces as well- the leather bags are amazing!! I love the deep red color of this one and the adjustable strap can convert it to a shoulder bag or crossbody. Prepare to see it on repeat this fall and winter!
One of these days I’ll be back to my regular blog schedule so please bear with me!! I hope everyone is having a great October and getting to do ALL of the fall things. I still can’t believe it’s halfway over, say it isn’t so!!
The Inside Scoop on Fashion at America’s Mart
Happy Fridayy’all! So if you follow me on social media, then you probably saw that I was in Atlanta for most of last week working the Atlanta Apparel Market. What does that mean exactly? Well, I was working in a showroom with my friend Lindsay to show the spring 2017 lines to different buyers from all over the southeast. The week was extremely busy which is why my posts have been somewhat sporadic but now that I’ve caught up with life, I thought it would be fun to share a little recap with you guys!
The Reeves & Company showroom is on the contemporary floor of the apparel mart and let me tell you that there are 13 floors of clothes, shoes, jewelry & accessories in the mart!! This particular showroom carries several brands such as Bobeau, KUT from the Kloth, Side Stitch, Ciao Milano, and several more. Here’s what it looks like inside- racks on racks of clothes!
As a blogger of course I love fashion, but knowing the specifics of a line goes into way more detail so I came a day early to get some training and get comfortable with the process. I primarily worked in the KUT area showing tops, dresses and denim. LOTS of denim. I would create little “walls” like the one below to showcase some of my favorite pieces. When a buyer was ready to be shown the line, I would take them through each different delivery date from January all the way through May and they would pick out which items they would carry in their store.
Some buyers knew exactly what they wanted while others needed a little more guidance on what pieces to purchase. Important things to know were the location of the stores, the age range of their customers and of course the price point.
Luckily I can fit into most sample sizes so quite a few people asked me to try things on. Of course most things were a little long (I’m only 5’2) but it was still fun to play dress up. Then again it’s also dangerous because now I want to buy everything!
This top and cardigan are from the Bobeau cozy collection– the fabric is incredibly soft and these will be available for holiday.
This flowy top is also by Bobeau and I love the bell sleeves. It will be available in the spring and also comes in peach and blue.
This was one of my favorite tops from KUT from the Kloth. Off-the-shoulder, pink, striped, and that darling tie at the bottom. I’m in love!! This piece won’t be available until May so keep your eyes peeled!
So what was the coolest part about this? Seeing all the trends for spring when it’s just starting to get cold outside. How cool is that?! As far as a trend forecast, frayed hemlines will be huge and chambray and off-the-shoulder styles won’t be going anywhere soon.
As far as visiting Atlanta, we ate out most nights but our big group outing was to Ribalta in midtown that had some of the most amazing pizza. Another night we got sushi and Lindsay took us to a “surprise” location for dessert. We all got cake at Café Intermezzo and on top of being the cutest little restaurant, the cake was out of this world. I got the tres leeches (their best seller) and I’m still dreaming about it. Worth every calorie!
On our last day (the slowest of them all), Lindsay & I stopped by a few of the other showrooms to take a peek at some more spring styles. Y’all know I had to stop and see the GiGi New York bags… how fun are these colors?! And the earrings below are by Ranjana Khan. I die over the pom poms and tassels but these babies retail at about $300 a pop… yikes! How fun would they be for a caribbean vacation though?!
Working this show was so much fun and I’m glad I got to experience. There were many long days and not much time to do anything else but it was so neat to get a closer look at the fashion industry. Not many people know exactly what goes on behind the scenes as the clothing comes from the manufacturer to the showroom to the store and I’m glad I was able to get the inside scoop!
As for this weekend, Ryan & I are off to one of my favorite cities so be sure to follow on Instagram (@kristinahendley) and Snapchat (khendley) to see what adventures we get into. TGIF!!
O-Ku Grand Opening Event
The South End neighborhood of Charlotte has been growing like crazy and I’m so excited that we get to move to this fun part of town in just a few short months. Only 2.5 miles down the road, but still! A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the preview of O-Ku, the newest and hottest sushi spot in town. This is the newest location to the brand, following Charleston and Atlanta, and the food and atmosphere did not disappoint! Sushi lovers, you’re gonna like this one.
With the addition of the rail trail in Charlotte, the South End area has been booming with new restaurants, breweries, food truck rallies, and retail shops. O-Ku is located inside Atherton Mill which is home to Anthropologie, Luna’s Living Kitchen, and soon opening a Free People store as well as Warby Parker. I consider myself somewhat of a sushi connoisseur so when I heard this place was opening up, I pretty much knew I would become a regular. Now, let’s take a peek inside!
We walked into the restaurant and my first thought was, this is SO South End! O-Ku is located in an old mill so you could really appreciate the industrial style with full brick walls, oversized windows, and exposed beams and ductwork. There were passed hors d’oeuvres and wine and even an electric violinist playing all the latest hits. This guy was incredible!
Now let’s talk food. O-Ku is known for their sushi so sushi we ate! Along with the appetizers (highly recommend the spicy sesame pork belly) we got to try several rolls that were so delicious and fresh. The sushi bar was lined with rolls and it was nice to get to sample a wide variety of their fish. As far as drinks, they offer a big selection of craft cocktails. You have to try the Jasmanian Devil!
I can’t wait to go back, especially since I found that they offer a happy hour!! You can get half-priced sushi rolls every Monday & Wednesday from 5-7pm. All the praise hands emojis for this one. All of my Charlotte friends be sure to check out this spot if you’re in the mood for some great sushi, yummy cocktails and a vibrant bar scene!
Photos by Eben Patten Photography
How (And Why) You Should Sell Your Wedding Dress
The guests have left, the cake has been eaten, and that beautiful wedding dress that made you feel like a million bucks is stuffed in the back of the closet. Wedding dress shopping is definitely a highlight of the planning process but what’s a girl to do with the beautiful gown once the big day has passed? I’ve heard of getting wedding dresses preserved, framing them in a box, using fabric for a future child’s christening gown, and of course… saving it in hopes that your daughter will wear it. Let’s be honest ladies, chances are slim.
Instead, why not repurpose your dress? If you don’t feel like keeping your dress around forever, are in need of some extra storage space, and would love to make another bride’s day… just sell it! Yes it’s a sentimental piece but why not make someone’s day by helping them get a heck of a deal?