alexandria angel – The Prep In Pink

This week I had the chance to catch up with one of my oldest friends, Sydney, in my hometown of Rock Hill. We have known each other since the fourth grade, and now we were fortunate to reconnect and collaborate on a few exclusive jewelry pieces.

When she was a young girl, she used to raid her grandma’s jewelry box, and loved to layer on piles of pearls. Thus began her journey with jewelry. Fast forward to today, she started her own jewelry business this year because she couldn’t find exactly what she wanted in stores, so she decided to make it herself. Can you say #girlboss?

Sydney has a self-proclaimed edgy style, as she likes to mix anything from gunmetal to gold. She adds druzy stones and pave pendants to complete her collection. What’s special about her pieces is that they are only available in limited quantity, so every piece is unique.

The goal of Sydney Heaton Designs is ‘to create trendy, unique & affordable pieces that make women feel confident and empowered.’ I had the pleasure of working with her to blend both of our aesthetics into these chic pieces.

I don’t know what was more fun, stringing these necklaces or shooting these looks, but the best part was using our creative passions to collaborate. If you want to join in on the fun, be sure to shop her collection on the links below and show off your Sydney Heaton style!

Shop Sydney’s collection: HERE . Share your looks: HERE

Sunglasses & Dress shopped exclusively from the closet of bloggers:

McKenna Bleu & Katy Harrell (Mumu and Macaroons)

Location: Crossings on Main in Fort Mill, SC

Now if you know me, you would know that my birthday is not just a day but the party can last all month long. I thought the best way to celebrate would be a birthday bar crawl through Duck… and we did just that!

We started off at our local spot, Sweet Ts Beer & Wine. Sweet T herself hosted a high end wine tasting that was completely ‘angel’ themed, after my last name of course. To top it off, each wine was paired with my favorite hors d’oeuvres from pigs in a blanket to Georgia peaches.

I was more than delighted to see a full house of my favorite folks who came to celebrate my big ‘2-6.’ A few bottles of bubbly later and we were off to Roadside Bar & Grill for more birthday debauchery.

Walking down Duck Road, I blushed seeing my name on the bar signs on the way to the backyard. I couldn’t wait to spend some time with my handsome date. We laughed and danced the night away as the band began to play. Just when I thought this night couldn’t be topped, I stood corrected when they unveiled my unicorn piñata full of jello shots!

Right when I thought the party was coming to an end, my parents paid me a special visit. They took me out for a sunset dinner at Aqua overlooking the sound. Later we made our way to Blue Point as the band surprised me with a serenade.

I mean, who could ask for a better birthday? 26 is a lot sweeter with friends and family by my side. My first birthday in the Outer Banks was one of the best… so cheers to many more years!

Special thanks to Sweet Ts Beer & Wine and Roadside Bar & Grill for hosting

Location: Duck, NC

Linley Maxi Dress: Lilly Pulitzer . Sandals: Jack Rogers . Party Dress & Glass: Lilly Pulitzer

Starting off on our adventure, it was not as glamorous as you would think. Cruising out of Hawaii, we made it to the airport. Unfortunately we didn’t quite make the plane, as we just missed the cut off for our flight. To make the best of it, we ate and drank our way through the next 8 hours until the next one arrived. It was another 9+ more hours on the plane until we made it to our final destination, New Zealand.

It was a rough start, but I knew it could only go up from there. Once we arrived after our all-nighter, we jumped right into party mode, as it was time to get the barbie fired up for our BBQ at sunset. We loaded up on wine and played meet and greet on no sleep with friends and family. I felt right at home sharing stories and plates with my newfound friends.

The next day we set out to tour the town. We started off by bringing mince (beef) pies from the bakery to the beach. This was the start of my sampling of N. Zed’s delish delicacies. Later on, we made our way back to town for a mid-day matinee.

Not long after that, we were off to the Mount. My boyfriend’s family has a huge apartment overlooking the beach, the perfect destination to party with our local peeps. We had a few beers and headed to the Pizza Library, a funky joint with quirky character and pies named after school time storybooks.

The next day we brunched at Café 88 with friends, where I went out of American comfort by adding organic coke and bubble and squeak (similar to hash browns) to my meal. The greenhouse type vibe was nice, until our friends got plopped on by birds!

To brighten up the rainy day, I set out for the shops. By my surprise, I found some fab fashion. It was so refreshing hunting through haute stores in another country, because everything is new to you. I spotted this chic piece at a local boutique, Alice & Co, and could not pass it up!

For more of my vacay, stay tuned for week 2 of my New Zealand adventure…

Sydney Heaton Meets Haute Pink

Champagne Kisses & Birthday Dreams

New Zealand Week 1