Spring is so pretty this time of year in the South! We are lingering between spring and summer and I have officially switched over all my closed toed shoes to sandals. Lately I have been wearing my Sarah Flint Grear sandals a bunch! If you live up North and want to visit Florida to escape the cold, I would recommend coming in the Spring! You can wear long sleeves and sandals at the beach and not even flinch. There is a slight breeze/crisp feeling at night, all of the flowers are blooming and you can just feel the happiness in the air!

Saint James Top / Denim Shorts / Sarah Flint Grear Sandals (gifted) / Yellow Striped Towel / Beach Bag / Straw Hat

Before I wrote a review of the sandals, I wanted to test them out to make sure I am giving an opinion! The Sarah Flint team was kind enough to invite me to be apart of their Ambassador Program and gifted me a shoe of my choice. No doubt, I wanted the handmade Italian leather Grecian inspired Grear sandal to wear on all my warm summer adventures!

I am wearing the White Vachetta in IT 40 (US 9 to 9.5). Not 100% sure why this size is the only one without half sizes. Usually I am a true 9 and find that these fit perfect! The sole is made from leather so it is more stiff when you first wear them (still perfectly comfortable though). Overtime the sole becomes softer and breaks in. Since the first wear, I had no rubbing or soreness. Guess you could call them the perfect summer sandal!

My Sarah Flint Grear Sandals Review

Anytime I stumble upon or hear about a brand that prides it self on handmade and quality items, I am instantly hooked! All Sarah Flint shoes are handmade in Italy by artisans and are truly the highest quality. When my sandals arrived in the mail (btw delivery to your front door is always like Christmas!) I opened the box to find they were made by Antonio. How cool is that?! That is personalization and customer service you do not find often!

They do come at a steeper price point than I typically pay for a pair of shoes but let me tell you, they are worth it! There has never been a time where I paid over $100 for a pair of leather shoes and have been disappointed. Their team was super sweet and gave my readers a discount code for $50 off. You can use SARAHFLINT-BASUNSHINESTYLEBLOG to get $50 off your next purchase.

You can wear them with the laces tied in the front or the back! Both are equally as cute to me! So far, my favorite way to wear them are with dresses! Second would be shorts! You can see how I styled them with denim shorts and a ruffled swimsuit here for more inspiration! During the next few months, I will show other fun ways to style them during summer! The Grear sandals are so much more fun than typical flip flops or plain sandals and really enhance your outfit.

Use code SARAHFLINT-BASUNSHINESTYLEBLOG to get $50 off your next purchase!

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post My Sarah Flint Grear Sandals Review appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

The million dollar question in life. How do you balance it all?! A while back I was feeling super uninspired with stories and asked what you all wanted to see on Instagram. There were quite a few requests to share more BTS like life updates. Others also requested BTS on what it’s like running an ETSY shop. Some also wanted to know how do I balance a job and two small businesses.

How I Balance Working Full Time, Running a Small Business and Blogging

I am not sure there is one true *answer* for this because I think we can all agree life can get insane, busy and hectic sometimes. For today’s post, I am going to do my best to describe how I split my time/balance working a full-time job, running an ETSY Shop and blogging!

The simplest answer would be that I really don’t. Some days I feel tossed by the wind and cannot focus on one task. Sometimes, all the to-do’s are running through my head. There is some organization to the madness though. It’s amazing how much more time you have to get tasks accomplished. Especially if you prioritize your time, block schedule and not get sucked into Netflix/scrolling on social media.

One of the best tips I could give would be to concentrate on 2 specific tasks at a time. For me that would be working on a project or task for Island Jay during the day. Then concentrating on one task for either my blog or my ETSY shop once I am finished with work. I absolutely cannot focus on all 3. If I work hard on blog posts during Sunday, my ETSY shop gets less attention and vice versa.

Right now, I work full-time at Island Jay, run the Sunshine Style Co. ETSY shop and run this blog, Sunshine Style. My ETSY shop and blog are tied together. I use my blog and Instagram to promote my ETSY shop, new blog posts and style content.

How Many Hours Do I Spend On Each One?

For my main job at Island Jay. I can work anywhere from 25-40 hours a week. How many hours I work each day and week are always different depending on how busy we are.

For blogging, I spend about 5-15 hours writing blog posts. This includes “online shopping”, promoting on social media, creating Instagram stories and making reels.

My ETSY shop I spend about 5-10 hours a week.

Working Full Time for Island Jay

My main job is working for Island Jay. It’s a beach apparel and accessories company for parrot heads, those who love the beach life and enjoy drinking before 5, haha! This is how I make the majority of my income and can pour my own money into growing my small business. It’s always my main priority during the work week. I am our customer service manager and run our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Before I started this remote position last April, I had prayed for a job exactly like this one. It’s remote and a very flexible job. I can stay away from my computer for an hour to two and record a new reel, shoot blog or ETSY product photos or write a blog post before work. The flexibility is 100% the main reason I can juggle all 3 without loosing my mind. My job is in e-commerce/retail, so some weeks/months it’s insane and others sales are super slow. This allows me to dedicate more time to my businesses. Everyday I am grateful I have a job like this where I can grow my ETSY shop and blog!

Blogging

Oh, I just love my little blog! It’s truly a labor of love. There have been months were I would blog almost everyday or at least 3-4 times a week and I felt so proud. After a while, I realized I cannot keep up with that and since this is not my full-time job, I had to let those expectations go. I work on new blog posts on Sundays in the morning or before I start work for Island Jay during the work week. My writing flows best in the mornings so I try to use that to get lots of writing done.

How I Monetize without LTK

This was a question from Instagram! I actually have LikeToKnowIt (@sunshinestyleblog), I just do not actively promote it. As a brand, I want all of my traffic to come to my website. Instead of sending traffic to the app, I send it to my website. If you click the “Shop My Instagram” tab on my website, you will see all the outfits and sale picks on a LTK Widget that I past onto my website for easy shopping.

Reward Style is like LTK’s sister. The two work together to make it easier on bloggers and shoppers. I use Reward Style’s links to link to the majority of products on my website. If you click on a link on my website and buy something, I make a very small commission. Let’s say I post this $39.99 yellow Target dress. I will make a $2.24 commission. That means I have to sell 18 dresses just to make $40.

Numbers aren’t everything but the more engaged audience you have, the most you will make. It is not a get rich quick scheme at all! Bloggers who do it full time work super hard! I actually make more money with my ETSY shop right now.

How I Deal With Tech/Maintenance

Tech and accouting are my least favorite parts about running a business. As soon as I grow enough to hire experts, I will! Basically I get my domain from BlueHost and pay for a website host. If this is flying over your head, Youtube is a great teacher!

Through local connections, I have a small tech business who hosts my website. If I ever have issues, I will reach out to Alberto who owns the company (we met years ago and he helped design my website when I first re-branded) and have him fix errors. Rarely do I need his help but when I do, it’s included in what I pay him yearly. If I were a bigger brand or company I would be hiring out for tech help to not ruin my website or delete important info!

How to Create New and Interesting Blog Content

Oh, creating new content is always something that is at the top of my mind! Sometimes inspiration will hit when I am in the shower, driving or working. Usually I try to plan around each season. Spring and Summer are most in line with my brand and what I like to say, “time for my brand to shine!”.

Sometimes it’s not that profound. I will order a new dress or cute shoes and create a new post all about that outfit, style or trend. Like next week I have a post going up with a new J.Crew Gingham print dress and most likely will include a few other cute gingham print pieces.

Taking polls on Instagram is always helpful too! When I ask what you want to see or need help styling, I usually get great feedback! Someone asked for affordable preppy outfits and that sparked a bunch of new ideas and tells me you want to see sale finds and budget friendly pieces. I just wrote a new post all about affordable long sleeved tops that was sparked by that question.

What It’s Like to Sell on an ETSY Shop

Selling on ETSY has been a huge learning curve! For those who are new, I handmake coastal and resort inspired accessories! I had to learn how to upload products, take clear and bright product photos, pricing, ETSY ads, shipping fees and I even created a @sunshinestyle.co account to promote new products!

I run this small business super part-time. During my lunch breaks are usually when I will sew and fulfill orders. USPS will pick them up from my mailbox in the afternoon, so the pressure is on to get the order packed before the mail truck shows up! Orders are pretty consistent and I get a few a week. Weekends are when I will try out new designs like the Gingham Knot headbands!

What Type of Fees does ETSY have?

Their main fees are listing fees, transaction fees and shipping fees. Shipping costs around $3 (for the items I ship) and the other fees start at $.20 and go up to $2.00. When I list a new product, I will be charged $.20 and when a customer buys a products, I can be charged up to $2.00 for the transaction.

Before I switch over to my own website, I wanted to start on ETSY for the ease! You cannot beat a platform that already has millions of users on it daily and the fees are super reasonable as I grow and learn more about a product based business.

You can also pay for ETSY ads that start at $1/day and max out at $25. I tried ETSY ads and was loosing money and not actually getting enough sales to generate a profit from them so I stopped them. I have enough of a social media following, I can promote my products for free and have just as much success! As I grow more or start my own website, ads are definitely something I know will be worth it for an advertising fee, especially Facebook ads!

How Do I Design New Products?

If I am being completely truthful, the first striped scrunchies I ever made were designed from striped seersucker fabric I bought at Hobby Lobby at a great price! There was no fancy design concept and I used what I had. I had a budget, limited fabric was available during Covid and knew I wanted to keep in line with my brand by makin colorful and coastal scrunchies! Once I found the striped fabric that matched my brand, I got to work!

To save time and generate excitement over my products, I decided to start releasing small collections with accessories that match and enhance each other. So far I have released a striped, citrus and gingham collection! The next collection I will release will be a coastal collection for summer. Between then I will probably introduce a few bold striped headbands and fruit accessories! I really just focus on trends, seasons and pretty much wing it hoping it will work!

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

Let me know if you have any other questions! I would love to add them!

The post How I Balance Working Full Time, Running a Small Business and Blogging appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

Striped tops are one of my spring and summer staples. I love wearing them with shorts, pants and skirts. Pretty much any solid bottom! Lately, on chilly Florida beach days and casual weekends, I wear this Saint James striped top.

Affordable Long Sleeve Striped Shirts Under $100

Actually, these photos were taken at sunset after my friend and I had a picnic on the beach! Then I taught him how to take photos and these are the result! Not bad for a first time shooting a DSLR! Featuring items I truly *wear* is one of the reasons I started a blog in the first place! It’s so much more authentic in my opinion! I know this is not always possible to shoot everything I wear “in the wild” but it’s pretty darn close!

Saint James Minquiers Moderne Breton Top (Ecru/Navy) / Denim Cut Off Shorts

Saint James is a truly amazing company for so many reasons. This striped long sleeve shirt was given to me as a Secret Santa gift and I have worn it almost weekly since then. Take a look in my closet and you will see I own way to many striped tops! So, I really wanted a long sleeve striped shirt that will last me years to come and after reading so many reviews, the Saint James shirt was my choice! If these photos don’t convince you, you can see the full review of the shirt here. The shirt does run at a steeper price point and truly worth the investment if it’s in your budget. I did find a super similar Breton striped option from Everlane (under $40).

For those who do not want to spend over $50 on a shirt, I created this post with multiple striped top options under $100. J.Crew Factory is one of the best online retailers to purchase quality items at affordable prices. Right now they have a similar striped long sleeve top in navy, yellow, red and white block stripes under $30!

Sure I do love the high quality of my Saint James striped shirt, yet that does not mean you have to sacrifice quality or style with budget friendly options. Old Navy always has extremely nice basics including stripes shirts and tops. I love this relaxed French terry top that comes in 4 colors and is under $20!

Hope you all are having a great Monday! This past week was a busy one for me. First, I’ve been dog sitting, last week I met a new Instagram friend, Brittany, for lunch (we have mutual friends and she grew up in my hometown!). Second, I celebrated my Birthday Friday and Saturday my family and I went to the beach and a favorite restaurant in Cocoa Beach! Take me back to this sunset night on the beach! Who wants to join?

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post Affordable Long Sleeve Striped Shirts Under $100 appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

Brittany from Bleu Bee Designs reached out to me asking if I would like to collaborate and of course I said yes! We both have a love for coastal design, fashion and live in Florida! She is a interior stylist and designer, lives in Jacksonville and actually grew up in my hometown! I’m excited to meet her in person for lunch next week. =)

We decided to dive full into summer mode and combine our love of the Florida coast with summer style and home decor tips. I created two summer outfit collages and she created a casual coastal home design setup with one of the summer dresses as her inspiration! I love how you can combine style and decor together and make beautiful spaces! This is totally getting me in the mood for summer and I hope it does the same to you!

Coastal Style with Sunshine Style X Blue Bee Designs

Embroidered Kaftan & Swim Ready Resort Wear:

H&M Dress / Sunshine Tienda Hat / Earrings / Sunglasses / Sandals / Bag / Swimsuit Top + Bottoms

How beautiful is that embroidered kaftan dress?! Sadly it’s since sold out but check your local stores, they always have a big in store selection! Brittany used this blue and white dress as her coastal home decor inspiration!

This is an outfit that can be worn to a resort poolside or a warm weather beach vacation! It’s also one of those outfits that can go from day to night. Beach cover up during the day, casual dress with espadrilles at night! If it’s snowing by you, this should give you plenty of summer vibes to look forward to.

Blue Gingham Dress With White & Raffia Details

J.Crew Gingham Dress / Hat / Earrings / Scrunchie / Bag / Sneakers

Gingham has been calling my name lately. Just yesterday, I released a new Gingham collection including this blue scrunchie. So I ordered this dress during J.Crews big 40% off sale (really hoping I don’t regret not waiting till Easter weekend to shop the sales). There’s been tons of new dresses that I have not truly loved. This gingham one caught my heart right away though. Everything from the ruffled sleeves to the three tiers. It makes the most amazing spring to summer dress that I would style with sneakers or sandals and lots of raffia accessories.

Coastal Style Home Decor With Blue Bee Designs

Pink Marsh Scene Painting / Coral Table / Cane Back Armchairs / Green and Blue Throw Pillows / Tan and White Throw Pillow / Faux Fiddle Leaf Vase / Chandelier / Navy Blue Buffet / Abstract Neon Art / Beach Cottage Paint Pallette by Sherwin Williams

Brittany designed the most beautiful coastal inspired space. I can totally picture wearing that dress relaxing with a good book, cup of tea and feet up while relaxing in the rattan chairs with the prettiest beach in the background!

Be sure to follow Brittan on Instagram for more design inspiration at @bleubeedesigns_!

Also for more coastal inspired style, see my favorite beach outfits and coastal travel guides HERE.

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post Coastal Style with Sunshine Style X Blue Bee Designs appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

Striped shirts are a favorite of mine! I know they are a favorite of yours too because you voted for this style video on Instagram! I love creating content for you and use polls often to listen to what you want to see! The poll was for a new “3 Ways to Wear….” style video. There was tough competition between a striped top and a puff sleeve sweater. Luckily, the striped top won (not by much though!) and I got to work right away filming the video!

Striped tops are so versatile and always a classic piece that can be worn thousands of ways. I purposely bought this top to have a slightly loose and relaxed fit to wear casually. It’s the exact striped long sleeve I am wearing in this post. You can read here all about my hype and review of the Saint James striped shirt!

1. White Jeans and Sneakers

Top / Pants / Sneakers / Vest / Scrunchie

This classic outfit is my favorite “go-to” for cooler months! I wore it to Palm Beach for a day of bike riding and exploring. I secretly find it so amusing and fun to be able to wear jeans and a long sleeve top to the beach, which is a rare occasion in Florida!

Any striped top will always match super well with white jeans. I threw on the puffer vest for extra warmth and slipped on my beloved white sneakers! You can tuck the shirt in if your jeans are high waisted or roll up the sleeves for an even more casual outfit.

2. Denim Shorts and Sandals

Top / Shorts / Sandals / Bag

Say hello to my favorite outfit I styled with the long sleeve striped top. It’s giving me all the spring/summer feels. Try front tucking a striped top into cut off or rolled denim shorts. I added sandals, a beach bag and a hat to add even more summer vibes. Once it warms up, this is a super casual and easy outfit for beach, lake or pool days. Roll the sleeves up for an even more relaxed vibe.

3. Midi Skirt and Loafers

Top / Skirt / Loafers / Bag (50% off)

Pairing a striped top with a midi skirt makes this the dressiest of all the 3 outfits. Tuck the shirt in completely into the skirt for a more elegant and romantic outfit! This reminds me of a classic and simple date night or dinner with friends outfit. Top it off with a clutch and loafers!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend! My sister got married on Saturday and it was of the best days ever! I know everyone always says their wedding was one of the best days of their life and although I’m not married, I know it was one of the best days of my sisters life! We all had so much fun celebrating with our closest friends and family at an intimate wedding! Thanks so much to anyone who wished my sister the best, I made sure to send her screenshots of the sweet and happy comments!!!! Photos to come soon on Insta stories!

My family is still in town this entire week and I can’t wait to spend time with them! I do still have to work and my nieces and nephew have virtual school but you can bet we will be playing a bunch of card games and taking beach walks!!!

Watch the Instagram Reel Here!

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post 3 Ways to Wear a Long Sleeve Striped Top appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

Wow do I love a good color coordinated post! V-day isn’t normally a big holiday I celebrate but I can get behind fun pink Valentine’s Day inspired finds!!! Everything I rounded up is literally so adorable and I can see all these items used and worn during Spring!

This will most likely be my last post for this week! My sisters wedding is on Saturday and it’s getting even more exciting as the week goes on! Friday I am taking off and part of me is really wishing we would have ordered these pink matching pajamas to wear while getting ready on her big day!

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE

Want to know something funny?! I never used to be a big pink kind of girl. Now I am obsessed and half my wardrobe seems pink. This pink floral ruffled top is on my wish list for Spring (40% off right now)! I mean how adorable is it. It kind of gives slight Bridgerton vibes!

Sea Marie Designs sells these gorgeous pink heart earrings! We follow each other on Instagram and Kristen has said these earrings sell out every year! For good reason. I did my best to not overload you with heart themed finds, it can get borderline cheesy! LOFT has the cutest striped sweater with a heart logo and I just could not resist this piece (currently 50% off)! The sweater would look extra cute styled with a skirt and these espadrilles!

White sneakers have been my go-to while working from home. You can see how I’ve styled them here, here and here. I am dying over this pair with the slight pink accent on the heel and tongue and their under $40! I own the canvas pair from J.Crew Factory and their one of the softest and most comfortable pair of shoes I own!

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post Valentine’s Day Inspired Finds appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

Our winter in Florida has been a weird one. It’s been consistently cold and makes me want to wear all the cozy sweaters. Working from home, I have really embraced feeling comfortable and cozy at all costs. That does not mean I sacrifice style for comfort though. This pearl beaded sweater I am wearing is literally the softest sweater and surprisingly extremely soft. Like pajamas soft! It’s on constant rotation in my closet and competes with 2 other super soft sweaters!

Not gonna lie though, I did order a new comfy jogger set for days I am not feeling normal clothes!!! Then guess what happened?! Our cold weather disappeared. When it is back, I will be wearing all of the comfy clothes and soft sweaters! Really though, it’s so fun to be able to wear sweaters with skirts in the winter and into spring! If you live somewhere where it’s warm enough, try it out!

Sunny Outfit Details

LOFT Sweater (sold out, similar here and here) / J.Crew Pleated Skirt / J.Crew Factory Sneakers / Basket Bag / Amazon Headband (set of 4 under $10)

Sweaters with puff sleeves are adorable. You can pretty much find them at any store for winter and spring. Pretty much all of my other sweaters are put on the back burner and I only wear the puff sleeves or ruffled ones because their so girly and more fun. They look extremely cute styled with jeans, white pants or tucked into trousers or midi skirts. The sweater I’m wearing is sold out but I found two super similar options, one with pearl accents and one with mini pom poms.

I styled the sweater by tucking it into a navy pleated skirt. This one from J.Crew is such a classic piece and I plan on wearing it into summer! it comes in regular, tall and petite, so perfect for all heights and shapes! Anything navy just screams chic and timeless! When styling sweaters with skirts, make sure the sweater is light enough to tuck in without creating extra padding around the middle. A really chunky sweater would like work as well. I bought the normal J.Crew size I always wear.

LOFT Sweater (sold out, similar here and here) / J.Crew Pleated Skirt / J.Crew Factory Sneakers / Basket Bag / Amazon Headband (set of 4 under $10)

This is an exciting week because my sister is getting married on Saturday. I took off work on Friday and am so happy to have a 3 day weekend and see all my friends and family in the same place! There’s a part of me that is so excited to dance my heart out…haha! Anyone else get like for weddings?! Like I know I can dance anytime I want but there is just something about weddings!

I do have a fun Valentine’s inspired post coming later this week with pretty pink and red finds. <3 Then I will be back next week with 3 ways on how to wear a striped top! This was a poll I took on Instagram and you voted for the striped shirt vs. a puff sleeve sweater. Tomorrow I will make a reel to go along with it!

Shop Cozy Sweaters

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post Cozy Sweaters for Spring and Beyond appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

For our family Secret Santa gift exchange, one of the items I asked for was a Saint James Breton Striped top! It was the one and only gift I got and I was so excited! The French inspired top is worth the hype and exceeded my expectations! If your like me, you probably love striped tops as much as I do! There are never enough and way to many in my closet at the same time! Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way that quality always exceeds quantity and as cute as a striped top is, they don’t always last the test of time. I wanted to give a full review of this top and why I think it’s worth the investment.

My friend Makayla and I took a day trip to Palm Beach to bike the Lake Trail and walk the beach. I wore this casual outfit and it was perfect for a day outside being adventurous. The Saint James shirt held up so well and I was perfectly comfortable all day.

Sunny Outfit Details

Saint James Minquiers Moderne Breton Striped Shirt / Everlane Jeans (similar here, under $35) / J.Crew Factory Sneakers / LOFT Vest (similar here) / Sunchine Style Co. Scrunchie / Cap

I figured I would divide the review into a few categories to make it easy to read and digest! The specific shirt I am wearing is the Saint James Minquiers Moderne Breton Striped Shirt. It’s a boyfriend/men’s fit and exactly the style I was looking for! I have a very athletic/straight shape with not many curves and I was looking for a relaxed fitting shirt that was casual and could mostly be worn at the beach, rolled up and looks cute with denim shorts!

The women’s’ version of this top is called the Meridame Authentic Striped Breton top in the regular fit. It has a slightly more fitted waist and not as “relaxed” feel yet casual enough in my eyes!

Both are $85.00. Yes, that might sound a bit like a steep price tag. Your probably thinking, “Katie, is that shirt worth my money?” Yes, 100% yes! I have so many striped shirts and this one exceeds them all! See why below:

Relaxed Fit

There is nothing that makes my skin crawl more than super tight long sleeved tops (yes I am weird about clothes and textures ha). These days it’s all about being casual. That also means all my clothes must be super comfortable. I am wearing a Small in the top and it’s long enough to wear with jeans and tucked into shorts and skirts. It’s also just loose enough I can push up the sleeves when it warms up outside. Think of a classic and relaxed outfit for bike rides, beach walks, weekend outfits and resort wear!

High Quality

You know when you try something on and you can just tell it’s made well. This shirts is one of those clothing items! The cotton is thick yet breathable. I own way to many striped tops with super thin fabric and this shirt is not one of them. The fabric holds up well with outdoor activities and can take a bit of wear and tear and still looks brand new. To the touch, it feels slightly stiff but on it feels great on your skin.

Made in Normandy, France

Sustainable fashion is something I am super passionate about. All of Saint James products are made in France and they are known for their craftsman ship, ethics and rich history. I love a good brand story and their dates back all the way to the 1300’s. You can read more about it here. It’s comforting to know you are supporting local businesses and that they pride themselves on quality clothing. They have won several awards and are very well known with the French government!

Shop Saint James Breton Stripes Shirts

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post 3 Reasons Why A Saint James Striped Shirt Is Worth The Investment appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.

One goal of mine for this year is to show more ways to wear specific items! If you like them, I will keep creating these types of posts! First up is 3 ways to style a sweater blazer! Sweater blazers are a versatile piece for winter and into the spring months! You can style it so many ways but for now, I will stick to 3! I bought this one from J.Crew during a Black Friday sale and am honestly amazed at how soft and functional it is!

Sunny Outfit Details

J.Crew Factory Sweater Blazer (under $40) / Gap Shirt (on sale under $20!) / Everlane Jeans (similar here) / Sperry Mules / J.Crew Bag

The exact sweater blazer I’m wearing is sold out but I found a super similar sweater jacket with side pockets instead of front pockets. This style has more of a floppy neck and the sweater blazer (comes in 4 colors) is more structured and the style I prefer. Both styles have a thicker material and will keep you warm and cozy! I was actually surprised at how amazing the quality and thickness of the jacket was! Below are a few sweater blazer/jacket options in different price points!

J.Crew Factory Sweater Jacket, $39.95

J.Crew Factory Sweater Blazer, $49.00

J.Crew Sweater Blazer, $148.00 (30% off with code EPIC)

1.White Jeans and a Button Up

Sweater Jacket (sweater blazer option here)/ Button Up Shirt / Similar Jeans) / Mules / Straw Bag

White jeans are my go-to in the winter and spring! You can pretty much wear any top, sweater or jacket with them and it gives a fresh and clean look! I chose to style a pink button up to with jeans and my jacket for a clean and classic look…my favorite! I wore this exact look out to dinner with a friend and felt so cozy and comfy!

2. A Basic T-shirt and Jeans

Sweater Jacket (sweater blazer option here) / Button Up Shirt / Similar Jeans) / Mules

If your working from home like I am, you are probably looking for comfortable and simple outfits to feel put together yet not to dressy. I admit, blue jeans are my least favorite type of pant to wear. Wide leg pants are the exception! They add a fun flair and have a looser fit (although these jeans barely fit after quarantine ha!) Jeans and a t-shirts are something everyone has in their closet. Throw on a sweater blazer and voila…a perfect zoom call outfit.

3. A Dress and Loafers

Sweater Jacket (sweater blazer option here) / Similar Dress / White Sneakers

Say hello to my 2020/2021 outfit of choice! Dresses are my favorite and living in Florida, there’s good reason for it! This year has been on the colder side so I love being able to throw on an extra layer! The only way to wear dresses in the cooler months is with sneakers! All about casual dressing! Even if your just getting dressed to stay inside, its fun to just wear a dress sometimes.

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

Which sweater blazer look is your favorite?!

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A recap of the year is one of my favorite posts to write and put together! It’s always so fun to look back, see all the good that’s happened, how I grew, lessons learned, understanding how to deal with unmet expectations and to get excited for the new year and all the possibilities it can lead to. Does anyone else love even numbers?! Not that 2021 won’t be a great year but 2022 sounds so much better to me!

2020 started off pretty yuck for me. I was on a short term teaching contract at a local high school and truly hated it. I don’t even like to use that word! But I tried teaching an older grade thinking it might make me happier than teaching middle school and it was the most dreadful morning commute knowing I’d have to go and teach. No matter how hard I tried to make the best of the situation, it just was not working.

In early January, I was called into the principals office (uh oh, ha!) and was told that my last day teaching would be January 17th. Since my contract was short term, I knew I could be “terminated” at any time and my job was not guaranteed. When he told me my last day, I felt nothing but relief and was literally so happy. Naturally I am more of a risk taker and not having a job didn’t concern me as I saved a bunch knowing the future was very unknown.

So basically 2019-early 2020 were not my favorite and I had been looking for a full-time job for over a year. It came with lots of self doubt, sadness and feeling constantly defeated. Then the pandemic came and it pretty much threw off any plans I had. God kept reminding me that even with so much uncertainty, there were still possibilities!

2020 actually turned out to be better for me than 2019 and for that I will be forever grateful. I’ve seen it from both sides, for some 2020 was truly a heartbreaking and tough year and for others, it brought some of the most joyous and happiest moments. Just know, if 2020 was tough, I have been praying for you and there are better things to come!

January

It’s weird to type out “pre-Covid” and pretty much “post-Covid”. January to March were pretty normal. I went to Florida State University for college and have always wanted to take a trip back. During my Christmas Break, my sister, friend Makayla and I drove 5 hours to Tallahassee to go and explore my old stomping grounds! It was a fun, quick trip and we got to enjoy some cold weather! That’s the infamous Westcott Fountain in the photo above!

In December, I wrote an article for Space Coast Living magazine all about embracing the holiday season. I was super proud of this accomplishment and it was my second article to write for them. It just felt so professional! It’s under my January column because I think I didn’t pick up a copy of the magazine until the next month!

February

There’s not many photos of what I did BTS in February but so much of my time was spent job hunting, writing resumes, reading books and going on interviews. My plate was pretty full and I was determined to find a job in Palm Beach. I interviewed for a bunch of companies down South and waited a bunch and practiced lots of patience. If only I knew what was about to hit in March.

I also spent time creating a website/photography portfolio and launched The Sunshine Studio to offer social media management and photography to clients and small businesses. Turns out my instincts were right and landed my first client shooting branded product photography for her.

Something really fun that happened was that I got to do an Instagram takeover for my local LOFT store! They released a bunch of Spring styles and had me come in, style a few looks and shoot them for their Instagram. Tonya is awesome and she helped shoot some of the photos on my phone! We had lots of fun and I think I was there for over 5 hours!

To be completely transparent, I was not paid a dime. This is a hard reality for me to swallow in the “influencer” industry. Sometimes to grow, it means doing things for free and other times, I feel like the work that goes into a job or opportunity, bloggers/influencers are not completely valued. Imagine going to work and bring asked to do a 5 hour project then they give you a free product or a discount to buy one of their products! The ROI is not always worth the work/time.

Of course, I’m super grateful and it does help build my “blogger resume” and I said yes because I LOVE LOFT and used to work there. It’s also a great lesson and helps me ask hard questions like, “Is this opportunity worth the work? Are both brands getting something out of this? How does this bring value to my readers?”. This is a good example of the glamour behind Instagram! Maybe I need to be a trailblazer and change this with my own brand!

March

Oh March…we had no idea what was coming! During the beginning of the month, I met up with Emily and Hailey, a few Florida blogger friends to shoot some photos for Space Coast Living Magazine. We had a blast at The Colony Palm Beach on a rare cold morning taking photos in our swimsuits.

Just a few short weeks later, life kind of turned upside down. Pretty much everything was a blur and I don’t remember much from here to June ha! What I do remember was feeling happy that I got to travel to Palm Beach and took those photos just in the nick of time!

Oh April! I turned 30 in April and wanted to have a Covid-30 Birthday party to make light of the situation. Everything in Florida was officially closed and we were spending all of our time at home, so I thought…why not?!

One really great thing that happened was that I landed a new job working in e-commerce for Island Jay. After so much unknown the beginning of the year and job searching, I finally felt at peace with my next step and loved the company. With everyone at home, online ordering was insane. The company was experiencing crazy growth and it kept me busy the entire summer learning all the ins and outs.

June

Look, I skipped May ha! Really, I don’t remember what happened between those few months. Looking in my phone, there is nothing noteworthy to share about! My article and the Space Coast Living magazine photos came out in the June issue which was exciting! This is also the month I started planning and preparing to sell my handmade scrunchies. I made the blue striped I’m wearing in the photo above and tested it out for the month to make sure the quality was up to my standards!

July

July was a really exciting month! I launched Sunshine Style Co. and mailed out my first scrunchie orders! Work was super buy all summer long and I felt like I was working non-stop in a good way. It kept me occupied and I also started to help manage the Island Jay Facebook and Instagram pages. Everything that was happening was super exciting and I felt nothing but overwhelming gratitude and happiness. For so long, I’ve prayed and prayed to work in e-commerce and start my own business and it was happening right before my eyes!

AUGUST

My sister got engaged in August and found her wedding dress just weeks after! This photo was taken after she said, “Yes to the dress!”. We all wore matching shirts from ETSY. Hers says Bride and ours say, Brides Babes.

Like, I mentioned, things I have prayed for for so long were all happening so fast. Shore Bags, a sustainable coastal brand, had reached out to me to shoot and style some of their bags back when I was teaching and I didn’t have the time. During quarantine I reached back out and was able to create a bunch of content for them! The screenshot above was their main header image of me holding one of their bags!

SEPTEMBER

Again, not much happened in September. Work was not as insane as summer, places were opening back up and I started making handmade scrunchies and matching face mask sets! One of my friends on Insta made the suggestion to create matching masks and it was a great idea. They were instantly a hit!

I spent time figuring out ways to grow my new business and was just excited and happy to be able to create fun accessories. My family and I also started watching Outlander and we became obsessed! Anyone else love Claire and Jamie?

OCTOBER

After spending so much time at home I was so ready to get out and explore. my friend Ashley and I planned a quick trip down to Palm Beach for the weekend! We stayed in Lake Worth at an Air Bnb, went to the beach and rode bikes! I wrote a helpful guide on what to do in Palm Beach in less than 24 hours that also recaps our trip and gives some fun activities and places to eat at for a day trip.

November

I guess you could say my family and I had the travel bug. We decided to rent a cabin in North Georgia and celebrate Thanksgiving together! There ended up being 11 of us and we had the best time hiking, playing games, sitting by the fire in the cabin and exploring the 20 acre property we stayed on. The trip was so much fun, I was genuinely super sad to leave and wanted to stay longer!

Bealls Florida reached out to me for a fall campaign and I got to shop some of their fall decor and clothes in store and style it for Instagram! This was a really awesome opportunity that I was so grateful for and got excited every time I truly felt like this blogging thing and all the work is actually paying off!

December

Didn’t December just end?! Recapping January felt like it was soooo long ago and also like it just happened. December felt normal for the most part. The scrunchie business was going really great in Dec (Hey Christmas orders) and it got me excited for what’s to come with my small business for 2021.

We had a drive by shower for my sister and had a blast! It was so much more fun than we expected. My friend Alyssa and I are her maid of honors and borrowed this photo backdrop from a friend who has tons of wedding props and decor!

My family and I ended the month with a small Christmas at home!

If your a new reader, you can check out my 2018 recap here and my 2019 recap here! Both include lessons I learned, reflections and helps you get to know me a bit better!

What I’m most grateful for are all the slow moments of 2020, like sitting by my pool eating dinner after a patio work out, sewing and crafting and hanging with my family and playing so many card games. Being able to start 2 new business was also a huge surprise and something I am thankful and excited for every day!

Lots of Sunshine,

Katie

The post 2020 Recap and What I’m Grateful For appeared first on Sunshine Style | Florida Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.