foreign style {guest post}

Good morning mavens! I'm Emily from so anthro and I am so. excited. to be guest posting for Cailen while she is a bit busy getting married this week :) I can't even remember when I began reading Lifystyle Maven, but I do know I have been a fan and a follower of all of its inspiring posts and delicious recipes for quite some time now! I try to focus my blog on lifestyle, so I thought that I'd put the fashion-focussed part of my brain to work to come up with some pretty honeymoon outfits for my lovely host! Cailen and her hubs will be visiting Marrakesh, Morocco and Seville, Spain this week, so here are some outfits I put together with those two destinations in mind! And also pretending that we have no budget to keep in mind...

Marrakesh, Morocco

Stefe Shift, Lilly Pulitzer Pashmina, Jones New York Twin Bracelet, Alexander McQueen Sequinned Wallet, Zara Maggie Kitten Heel Sandals, Jack Rogers Paloma's Venezia Goldoni Quadruplo Drop Earrings, Tiffany & Co.

When I picture Morocco, I just see these rich colors and intricate shapes and designs. Because the dress pops on its own, I paired it with solid accessories, just a lot of luscious gold! And a pashmina, I have always found, is a lifesaver while traveling. Cover up in the museums? Warm up on a chilly night? AC blasting on the plane or train? It's got you covered.

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Seville, Spain

Swing Tee Dress, Desigual Silky Rosette Headband, Forever 21 Evening Bag, Balenciaga Identity Heels, Two Lips Bangles with Clip, Michael Kors Therapy Mood Cuff, Fallon 

This summery dress (for those warm Seville temperatures!) is by a Spanish brand I discovered while I was studying abroad in college. So for Cailen's trip to Spain, it seems only appropriate to wear Desigual! Desigual's designs are always full of color, so I like to take advantage of that by pairing the outfit with accessories that bring out those colors. And for jewelry, you can never go wrong with some chunky gold bangles.

What do you think? Would you wear either of these on a trip abroad?

I'm wishing Cailen the most happiness and well wishes for her wedding and honeymoon and thank her again for letting me borrow her blog for the day! If any of you have any questions or want to see more of my personal style, you can find me here!

xo, Emily

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happy hour: snack time {guest post}

hi there, lovely readers of lifestyle maven! my name is erica and i blog about my life and adventures in washington, dc - all with 'boyfriend' - over at pocket full of chuckles. i've been following cailen's blog for quite some time. she was one of the first people i found on the blogosphere and i was instantly smitten (i mean, who wouldn't be!). so when she asked me to guest post while she's off marrying her best friend (!!!) i squealed with excitement. and then when she asked me to write about a fun recipe, i did my happy dance. because boyfriend and i love to cook. and our favorite thing to make is guacamole. it's always our go-to dish for parties and it was such a hit at this year's halloween party!

you will need the following:

(note: this recipe feeds a large group of people, so feel free to cut ingredients in half) 

dry cilantro (1 tbsp)

orange juice (a splash)

lime juice (2 limes)

red onion (1)

ripe avocados (8)

jalapenos (4)

roma tomatoes (4)

garlic cloves (6)

salt & pepper

1. slice avocados in half and remove pits. score with knife and squeeze in large mixing bowl.

2. chop onion and add to bowl.

3. finely chop jalapenos and garlic cloves. toss in bowl.

4. dice tomatoes. and you guessed it. toss in bowl.

don't mix just yet...

5. slice limes in half and squeeze juice in bowl.

6. add a splash of orange juice.

7. add your cilantro, salt and pepper.

8. now you can stir :)

so it looks like this!

or this..

enjoy :)

xo erica

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foodie wednesday: slow cooker gumbo {guest post}

Hi Lifestyle Maven fans, Sam here from fitness food & faith.  I’m super pumped to be sharing one of my favorite fall recipes on Cailen’s blog while she’s off becoming a wife!  As soon as the weather cools down, one of the first things I do is pull out my crock pot to make a delicious, easy and warming meal.  I love a good gumbo as it’s a great way to use up some lingering leftover vegetables in the fridge.

Slow Cooker Gumbo

1lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 10oz package frozen okra

2 links smoked chicken sausage, sliced

1 cup chopped onions

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups chicken broth

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups cooked rice

print recipe {here}

Combine all ingredients except the rice in crock pot.  Mix well, cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).  Serve over rice with hot cornbread.

Thanks, Cailen, for letting me take over your lovely blog for the day!  I hope you’re having the time of your life. 

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the honeymooners {guest post}

right now craig & i are in sevilla, spain drinking wine and eating tapas, so i've asked corey from learning patience to stop by and entertain you all while we're honeymooning it up! 

{enter corey}

Hello Lifestyle Maven Readers!

I’m Corey from Learning Patience!  

In June, my husband & I moved from Houston TX to the beautiful island of Trinidad!  We learning what it means to become ex-pats for the first time!  Our life is simpler now, stress is almost  non -existent, we surf,  I cook, we run, we travel - a lot.  I would love to meet y'all, hop on over to Learning Patience & come check it out!

I’m super excited to be guest posting for ­­­­­­­Cailen today, while she is off enjoying her honeymoon! I love Cailen's blog – she is ­­­full of great recipes & her yoga refection posts always bring some calm to my crazy day!  Now that I have honeymoon on my mind, I thought it would only be appropriate to reminisce on my amazing honeymoon in the Turks & Caicos. 

If you have never been to this part of the Caribbean, put it on your list now! This place looks like Fiji or The Maldives with crystal clear aqua water as far as the eye can see!  It’s beautiful! 



really...it's that beautiful





4am wake up call + limo + mimosa = very silly pictures



cool room - that is the shower behind the bed...Hotel Gansevoort



we try SNUBA



highlight of my day - hello Mr Turtle



i ate lobster - every day - delicious



we snorkeled - yes, we love cheesy vacation pictures



we rode horses on the beach - the BEST




we did a whole lot of this too



Thanks so much for letting me relive my honeymoon with y'all! 

A couple weeks ago, we celebrated our 2 year anniversary!  

Time flies when you marry your best friend!   

xoxo from Trinidad

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