Spring Fever Feelings

|| Shirt: J.Crew || Button-down: J.Crew || Skirt: J.Crew || Heels: kate spade new york (from a few years ago) || Earrings: Target || Bracelets: Kendra Scott || Handbag: ZAC POSEN (purchase or rent) || Ring: Tiffany & Co. || Photos: Melanie Foster Photography ||

When the seasons change, I have to fight back the urge to purchase an entirely new wardrobe. The feeling is even more significant when spring rolls around. I don't know what it is about this type of year, but man, it's tough right now. Besides wanting every dress and skirt on the market, I also have an undiagnosed case of puppy fever! I have been visiting pet adoption sites daily looking for a cute little fluff nugget to add to our family. We have a four-year-old Bichon Frise, and she is the love of my life, right behind Jered. Each spring I have this overwhelming puppy mom guilt wash over me. Here is an example of the thoughts I have been having:

Is Barklynn happy?

Am I giving her enough attention?

Does she need a puppy brother?

Do I need to arrange puppy play dates?

Seriously, I cannot make this stuff up. Jered tells me I am crazy and that she is one happy pup, so I am trying to give myself some grace and let it go. I do think she is pleased with her living arrangements and I am just overlooking this situation. Heck, I would trade places with her any day!

Another hard question I have been asking myself the last few months: as a fashion and style blogger, how can I cut down on shopping but still remain relevant? On Sassy Southern Lindsey, I only share items that I have paid for myself, unless something was gifted (and I am very transparent about that topic). This spring, I have decided to purchase only a few statement pieces and try to work with items that I already have. Take this outfit for example. There are three new things added to this lineup, the earrings, skirt, and handbag (and one of these items is rented). I am so glad they decided to bring back this elastic pull-on skirt back! For whatever reason, it just works for me. It makes me feel put together, confident and polished. Truth be told, that's how I want to feel each day when I leave my house and go out into the world. Even with a basic tee, this look is elevated. If you remember, last year I brought it home in that darling pineapple print and navy and blue dot print.

The unexpected winner of this outfit is these Tiered Tassel Drop Earrings. This mint color is the real MVP in my eyes. They are such a great pop of color! Each time that I wear them, people always want to know where they can get a pair of their own. For the price point, you can buy a pair for yourself and your BFF. Seriously, they are that inexpensive and come in multiple colors. I am thinking about getting black or white to wear with all of my Oklahoma State University gear. Here's to the darling accessories that tie an outfit together, cheers!

Strolling the Streets of New Orleans French Quarter

|| Dress: kate spade new york || Flats: Target || Earrings: Target || Watch: kate spade new york || Handbag: ZAC POSEN (purchase or rent) || Ring: Tiffany & Co. || Photos: Melanie Foster Photography ||

I wish this blog post were a video, so I could accurately convey how genuinely excited I am for the return of spring! I am jumping for joy over here! Bring on the warmer temperatures, brighter colors, dresses and all things floral print. I am slowly starting to refresh my closet for this new season. During the fall and winter, I feel like I am a little more conservative when it comes to color. It almost feels that my colorful clothing is directly correlated with the rising temperatures. That would make for a fascinating thesis for someone out there in the fashion and fabrics world. Now, I am interested to see if there is some science behind that.

Enough about science, let's talk about this particular outfit. When I was styling this outfit in my closet before the shoot, I couldn't help but think about New Orleans. The botanical print takes me to one of my favorite places, Brennan's. Last summer, Jered and I took a long weekend in New Orleans, and we kicked it off with happy hour in the courtyard at Brennan's. This is a beautiful place to sip on a glass (or bottle) of bubbly with loved ones! The service is incredible, the scenery is gorgeous, and the bubbly is ice cold. I took a snap last year and posted it on my Instagram because it was so on brand (you know I have a thing for a light pink hue).

This Zac Posen bag would be perfect for strolling the streets of New Orleans. You can wear it as a backpack like I am in this post or you can switch out the strap to make it cross body. It has been a while since I rocked a backpack, but this makes it all seem so fashionable and functional! Do you remember how much fun it was to pick out a new bag and matching lunch pail before school started each year? Man, I lived to for that! Back to this Zac Posen bag, the color is lovely blush pink that eye-catching without being over the top. The keychain is what really takes this bag to the next level, from the details to the complementary colors. For me, it is on the smaller side so I had to plan strategically about what I needed for the day.

The thing that ties this look together is a darling pair of crushed velvet blush slippers. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking, comfort is key! I am past the age of wearing uncomfortable shoes just to be cute. I scooped these up at Target as soon as I saw them in person. This dress also looks great with a simple pair of black heels. I wore it last week to a friends birthday party where we ended up on the rooftop for cocktails. To me, investment pieces are all about versatility. I want something I can have some mileage with! This botanical poplin dress will take you places.

The Button-Down Shirt I Buy Every Season

|| Button-down: J.Crew || Dress: J.Crew (fall 2017) || Boots: kate spade new york (similar pair in suede) || Necklace: J.Crew (summer 2017) || Earrings: J.Crew (summer 2017) || Ring: Tiffany & Co. || Photos: Melanie Foster Photography ||

Jered and I have been in our home for five years now. When we were house hunting, I was looking for three things. 1) a kitchen I could see myself in, 2) a walk-in closet to share and 3) a master bathroom that felt like an escape to a day spa. All of that to say, I love the closet in our home. It's a functional space for both of us to have most of our clothing in one area.

When you walk into my closet, the first section you would notice would be my collection of button-down shirts. And yes, I am calling it that because I own more than 20 at this time (if that gives you anxiety, I apologize). They are arranged in order of color, ROYGBIV style (arguably the most important thing I learned in kindergarten). There is an array of patterns, solid from serious business to cheeky fruit prints. Each season, it seems like both J.Crew and J.Crew Factory pump out this shirt in updated colors and what's trendy. I keep going back to this particular cut of shirt because it goes from weekend casual to the office. I have had some of the same shirts for almost seven years now (if you can believe that). The only downside about this shirt is the wrinkles. I can only wear these shirts once before sending it back to the dry cleaner. I could iron it, but that's one thing I don't enjoy doing.

When you find something you want that works with your budget and brings you joy--go for it! Buy it in every color if you want. If you have a minimalist or capsule wardrobe, this might not apply to you, and that's okay! I feel like I am almost speaking out of terms, but I know there are girls out there like me. I have seen all of the memes about buying that shoe in every color! When I find that I haven't worn a shirt for six months, that's when I decided to pass it on and give that garment a new home. Last week I sent off two huge bags off to ThredUp.

If you have made it this far into the post, I would like to personally apologize for committing a beauty crime in the worst offense. I am almost embarrassed by my appearance in these photos! My lipstick does not match this outfit in the least bit. I didn't realize it until I was looking at the pictures from my shoot with Melanie. Just know, I am aware of how bad this color clashes with my red accessories and blue in the plaid mixture. If I could do it all over again, I would switch my lipstick to my red lippie of choice, Bobbi Brown's Old Hollywood. Hindsight 20 20, ya know?