Guest Post: xoxo, me

Hello and happy Halloween, Join The Gossip readers! I'm Morgan, and I blog over at xoxo, me.  Before I continue with the regular scheduled programming, I'd like to send a huge thank you to Leeann for having me!! 

So, I guess I can only speak for myself, but it seems that as I get older, Halloween costumes become harder and harder to come up with. Maybe it's that I hate repeating costumes and so eventually I start running out of ideas. Or maybe it's that I just don't have the time anymore to be super creative when it comes to the costume. Whatever it is, it has definitely become more of a challenge these days. So why not just rock the Halloween colors on Halloween? You're still being festive, but you don't have to shell out the moolah for a costume, and (hopefully) you can just pop into your closet instead of your nearest costume store.

So without further adieu, I present to you my fashionably festive Halloween-inspired ensemble.

shirt / pants / flats / watch / studs / bracelet

And do you know what's double awesome? You can wear all of these items again! So if you're freaking out because you're not costume-ready, just pop into your closet, see what orange and black pieces you can throw together, and save yourself a few bucks.

Whatever you wear today, I hope you all have a very happy Halloween!

Thanks again to Leeann for having me! We're all looking forward to your return from Australia :)

xoxo, 

Morgan

Guest Post: Little Girl in the Big World

Hey guys! I'm Meghan from Little Girl in the Big World, and I blog mainly about running and style, but I throw in a few other topics as they strike my fancy. I'm excited to be here guest posting for Leeann while she's gallivanting around Australia. While Leeann was super open about what we could talk about, I begged her to think of some ideas, and one of the things she suggested was sharing pictures from my recent wedding and honeymoon.  And because many hours were spent for an entire year planning it all, I'll never pass up the opportunity to share a few. We got married at the Tampa Museum of Art on July 21st, and then we headed to Kauai, Hawaii for a little over a week on our honeymoon. I have a ton more pictures on my blog.  I also thought I'd share my love of outfit creating and assemble an idea for a fall formal wedding ensemble. I also took the liberty of browsing my favorite online retailers that I rarely actually purchase from because of price. But, it's always fun to look and be inspired! The one rule I have for wedding attire is never to wear white. I find it to be so tacky when someone wears white to a wedding. That's the bride's color! Is that only a southern thing? Here is the wedding and honeymoon:

 

We enjoyed those days so incredibly much and will never ever forget them.  And for the fall wedding outfit:

dress//sweater//clutch//earrings and cuff//shoes

Obviously this is a formal look, but I always appreciate a good opportunity to get dressed up. I would keep the tights if I were not headed to a wedding in Florida (where I live).

What do you think? Is if good for fall, or should it hold off until the holidays? That was my other thought...

Stop by my blog sometime! Thanks for reading!

One More Week in Australia

One more week left in Australia. This is a pre-scheduled post but I think it's safe to assume I'm having a great time ;) Thanks for stopping by for Weekend Update. Just because I'm away doesn't mean you can't link up. My co-hosts Dana of five30three and Sami of Sami's Shenanigans are keeping this linkup alive. Be sure to stop by one of their blogs to join the fun! We just ask that you follow these rules:

1. Blog about your weekend.

2. Add the badge (below) to your post.

3. Add the blog post link to the linkup on one of their sites.

<a href=" http://www.jointhegossip.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://sites.google.com/site/samishenanigans/files/weekendupdatebutton.png" /></a>

100!

A huge congrats for av of Long Distance Loving are in order! This is the 100th week of her amazing blog hop, Friday's Fancies. Each week, I enjoy putting outfits together outfits based on fun themes. If you've never linked up, there's no better time than now to get in on the fun. Head over to her blog to get involved.

In celebration of the milestone, I've put together a truly fancy Friday's Fancies look.

Glitz & Glam by leeannm 

Still in Australia, so I have more pre-scheduled posts in store. Here's the schedule for the rest of the week:

Monday - Weekend Update

Tuesday - guest post by Meghan of Little Girl in the Big World

Wednesday - guest post by Morgan of XOXO, Me

Both bloggers are adorable so you won't want to miss out on their posts!

Guest Post - Tales of a Twenty Something

Hey ya'll! I'm Allie and you can find me over at Tales of a Twenty Something.

I'm fairly new to this whole blogging thing, so when Leeann asked for me to guest post while she was in Australia  I was completely honored and that's putting it lightly. Okay okay, she made my day, well my week.

Now on to the goods.

We all love a good bag right? and more importantly what's inside. A woman's bag holds her entire world in it, well at least mine does.

Let me start by saying that I really do love a good bag. I'm surprised I don't have more bags that I do as my mom is ADDICTED. I guess I got the jewelry addiction gene. But back on topic.

I use a bag for quite awhile, change and use the new one for awhile. I don't match with my outfits, because let's be honest...it takes too much time to clean it out, take everything out and put in in the new bag, right? Right.

Obviously, I need to show you my bag first.

PS - I'm a big bag girl. You will rarely find me with a small one and it has to be comfortable on my shoulders.

I got this baby at a Coach outlet around Easter of this year for less than a $100...to say the least, I love it.

This post gave me a reason to clean out my purse!

I have a lotion problem...honestly I really only use the first one.

I got this case the other day at Ross for $3.99!

I love a good bargain.

Oh yeah, I'm in school full time, so a planner and note pad is a must.

Really! Go try Baby Lips! I never believed it either, but now I'm a firm believer. 

You never know when you're gonna need hair ties and bobby pins, am I right?

Oh and I have a lip gloss problem too.

Love EOS!

and last but not least, my money holder....haha just kidding of course!

Hope you all enjoyed what's in my bag!

Guest Post: The Blonde Ambitions!

Hello Join the Gossip followers! I am so excited to be guest posting for the lovely Leeann while she is vacationing in Australia!
I am Andrea and blog over at the blonde ambitions. I write about my life, fur children, interior design, fashion and cooking. Here is a little more about me & what you can find on my blog!

{I have the best husband and have been married for 8 1/2 years}

{We have two fur children that show up on the blog quite often}

{I have a "small" obsession with jewelry & love to share great deals that I find}

 {I also do a little DIY project from time to time}

 { Recipes I make are posted every Tuesday}

{I am an iphone self-portrait taker & share outfits I put together}

 {I love sharing my wine recommendations}

{The coast is my happy place}

I hope that you will head over to my blog the blonde ambitions to say hi & see more!

Thanks so much for having me Leeann! I hope you are having a fabulous trip!

Join Us For Weekend Update

Today marks one week in Australia. Unfortunately this is a pre-scheduled post and there won't be an update for me just yet. But that doesn't mean you can't still join the blog hop and make friends! What did you do this weekend? Link up with my co-hosts Sami of Sami's Shenanigans, Dana of five30three, and me and tell us all about it. We just ask that you follow these rules:

1. Blog about your weekend.

2. Add the badge (below) to your post.

3. Add the blog post link to the linkup below.

<a href=" http://www.jointhegossip.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://sites.google.com/site/samishenanigans/files/weekendupdatebutton.png" /></a>

A Chilly Day in LA

This week while everyone is going with a Halloween themed Friday's Fancies, I am throwing myself a pity party. I'm missing the holiday, which happens to be my favorite, because I'm currently in Australia. I mean, I can't feel that sorry for myself because I'm touring a beautiful country. But still! I love dressing up. In place of my costume - which for the record, was going to be Honey Boo Boo - I've posted a fall outfit I'd love to wear. This is totally perfect for a chilly day in LA.

Since I am in Australia, I have some great posts in store. Here's the schedule for next week:

Monday - Weekend Update

Tuesday - guest post by Andrea of The Blonde Ambitions

Wednesday - guest post by Allie of Tales of a Twenty Something 

Be sure to stop by and check out the posts and say hello to these wonderful ladies!

Guest Post: Chubbette Tales...Life After Spanks

Hi Join the Gossip friends! 

I'm Chris and I blog over at 

Chubbette Tales... Life after Spanx.

I blog about things I love most... family, friends, and fashion. If you've ever stopped by my blog you'll know that I am a huge fan of jewelry. Some would say it's an addiction and you know husband everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Here's a few of my pieces. Before you see them please know that yes, I realize the collection seems excessive. I would like to put it out there that I buy pieces on sale and the biggest reason for my jewelry obsession? Because I don't need Spanx to put on a necklace. 

Another reason I love jewelry... no matter how much I weigh or what size I wear, I will never have to ask,
"Does this necklace make me look fat?"

It's an insane amount of jewelry, I admit, but as I've mentioned before I buy things on the cheap and I keep my pieces for years. It's very hard for me to part with my jewelry. I'm like Schmeagal from Lord of the Rings. I stare at my jewelry, pet them and say, 
"Precious, my precious!"

I'm definitely not an expert, but here are a few tips on how to buy beautiful statement jewelry without spending a ton of money.

1. Buy jewelry on sale. I have a ton of JCrew pieces and all of them were purchased on sale and when they were having additional discounts on clearance items. 

2. Check eBay. The blogger bubble necklace that you see all over blogs? That baby is $150 at JCrew, but you can easily find it on eBay for less than $20. True story. 

3. Sign up for sites like Bauble Bar. Twice a week they send out emails for discounted jewelry and the pieces are fantastic. Their price points are actually very reasonable for the pieces they have.

4. Forever 21, Francesca's Collection, Target.

These stores have great jewelry at low price points.

Here are some options for necklaces that are both expensive and inexpensive.

Statement Necklaces High & Low by cjcawilliams featuring stella & dot jewelry

The top row are designer necklaces that cost a pretty penny. The bottom row are necklaces that look very similar to the designer pieces and won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Not bad, right? That's what I have for you today while Miss Leeann is enjoying her time down under. I'm hoping she brings me back a kangaroo. 

Thanks Leeann, for having me on your wonderful blog and if you lovely people would like to stop by and say hi to me, you can find me here, here, and here. Come on over!

Guest Post: Because Shanna Said So

Hi, I am Shanna from Because Shanna Said So. Here is the low down in case we haven't met yet. I blog about fashion (a.k.a. my personal outfits), all on a budget of course and random life happenings. I try not to take myself too seriously and from time to time, have no problem making fun of myself.

I am super excited to be taking over Leeann's blog today while she is off jumping with the kangaroos in Australia! Uh, my dream destination! I am just going to live vicariously through her for the next three weeks.

So let's get to business. We have all heard the term "statement necklace". Most likely we all own one or thirty. But, have you ever heard the term "statement shoes"? Well, in my own opinion these can be grander than a necklace. You can take the simplest of outfits and add a pop to your 10 piggy toes and voila, you have made a serious statement. Need examples? You can click here, here or here and I will show you the proof is in the pudding.

I put together my top four "statement shoes" that I have on constant rotation. And I will tell you, they are all comfortable, affordable, mixable and of course fashionable. Take a peek.

Ankle Boots | Loafers | Wedges | Flats

So, do you like the concept? Do you own a pair of "statement shoes"?

Thanks again, Leeann, for inviting me over today! I hope each of you stop by and see me sometime! 

I love making new friends and discovering new blogs!