2017 in Review!

Bonjour!

It has been one busy year! Within the confines of 2017, the blog has undergone a new look and new name, changing from its former Cover It Girl title to The Darling Petite in hopes of better representing style from the petite perspective. As the header says, "Though she be but little, she is FIERCE!" :D

Despite these changes, the reach of The Darling Petite covers the same bases as before- style and fashion being number one. Read on to see the top outfits of the year.


-----------------------------------------Darling Outfits--------------------------------------------

It was a cold start to the year, but January and March also had enough share of warmer days to get dressed up and head out.

What I Wore in January:

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/01/dreamland.html

What I Wore on St. Patrick's Day:

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/03/shamrock-shenanigans.html

What I Wore in St. Louis:

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/04/st-louis-in-2-days-arch-city-museum.html

February was a favorite month of mine because it allowed me to highlight my wardrobe's preferred color: pink!

What I Wore in February: 

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/02/february-ootds.html

 And no capsule wardrobe to a tropical paradise is complete without nautical staples! Stripes and straw accents were a must with these three OOTDs.

What I Wore in Florida: 

#1

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/08/by-canal-story-in-stripes.html

#2

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/09/at-beach-relaxing-in-true-nautical.html

#3 

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/09/port-roma-docking-in-italian-inspired.html


-------------------------------------------Darling Trips-----------------------------------------------

No year is complete without a trip away! 2017 brought The Darling Petite to museums and gardens in a major metropolitan port city as well as to the beaches and charming canals of Florida.

Where I Went in St. Louis:

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/04/st-louis-in-2-days-arch-city-museum.html

Where I Went in Florida:

 http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/09/at-beach-relaxing-in-true-nautical.html

----------------------------------------Darling Creations---------------------------------------

Creativity (and sugar) was flowing from the start when holidays in February and March came along!

What I Made for Valentine's Day:

#1 http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/02/sweet-and-spicy-scentsy-valentines.html

#2  http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/02/valentines-day-mini-tea-party.html

What I Made for St. Patrick's Day:

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/03/shamrock-shenanigans.html

-----------------------------------------Darling Reviews-----------------------------------------

Another year, another opportunity! The Darling Petite reviewed major event planner Eventbrite's Tampa Bay comic con, as well as a new start-up craze for sweet-toothed subscribers.

What I Tried (to do): 

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-to-be-comic-con-ner.html

What I Tried (to eat): 

http://thedarlingpetite.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-darling-review-universal-yums-boxes.html


You can also follow me on Instagram @petite_est_belle for daily style, food, travel, and more!

As always, thanks for following! I am excited to begin a new year of blogging and hope to keep The Darling Petite at the top of its game. It would be my pleasure to have you all as readers in 2018 and to share many more moments and much more style inspo in the future!


xoxo,
Sara

The Darling Review: Universal Yums Boxes

Bonjour!

This month I had the pleasure of trying a new product from an online subscription website for international treats- Universal Yums.com. I purchased the ~$15 box which had 8 different items plus an information guide (there are bigger boxes you can purchase for a higher price, but I wasn't interested in investing that much). At the time of ordering, I didn't know what country my box would be featuring. I went to Universal Yum's social media accounts and soon learned through Instagram that my box would be from Belgium! It took about 3 weeks for it to arrive and the waiting was AWFUL, but I was excited when it finally arrived and I finally got a taste of what makes Belgium famous- CHOCOLATE. Read below to see my thoughts on each item.

1. Picnic Suikerwafel (Belgian Waffle)
Maybe my favorite item (besides the truffles and seashells), the waffle is sweet and has a great crunchy texture. Definitely earns its name as a popular Belgian food! (Thumbs up!)

2. Chocolate Seashells

Like chocolate pebbles but bigger and better! Extra points awarded for the marbled chocolate. Thumbs up, up, and away!

3. Trefin Vienna BonBons
Citrus-flavored, tastes like high-quality jolly ranchers. Thumbs up!

4. Roger's and Roger's Black Pepper and Sea Salt Chips
Seasoning is good though light, tastes like any other black pepper and sea salt chips... thumbs to the side.

5. Caramelized Biscuit Milk Chocolate Bar
Tastes similar to a Kit-Kat. Thumbs up!

6. Hamlet Buttercream Truffles
Initial taste is that of unsweetened cocoa, but beyond that they were creamy and chocolatey. Thumbs up!

7. Crème Brulee White Chocolate
Mostly just tasted like white chocolate, but still rich and creamy! Thumbs up!

8. Strawberry Nougat
Strange texture and combination of tastes... (from delegated taste-tester) Thumbs to the side.

Overall, I loved the box! I'm not sure that the items would be worth the $14, but the anticipation and experience of eating treats from another country is definitely worth it. Next month is Turkey, so get moving if you want a piece of the East!

P.S. This post was not endorsed nor approved by the Universal Yums company. All opinions and views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of myself and my voluntary taste-tester.

Have you ever tried this product? What country was your box from?

xoxo,

Sara

Port Roma: Docking in Italian-Inspired Accents

Bonjour!

Happy first day of Fall!

Even though we are now in a new season, I felt compelled to share my favorite outfit of the summer. All of the pieces were second-hand gold mines that I stumbled across either online or in-store, and I cannot get enough of the straw cat bag even though it could be considered out-of-season now. This is one of those moments that I wish I lived in a tropical area so that I could get away with more summer-y items!

P.S. You may have noticed in the second picture that I have a scar peeking out from my top- this is a result of scoliosis surgery almost ten years ago. People who have had the same operation have told me that they are embarrassed by it and always try to hide it when possible. I say girl, rock your scars! They are what make you beautifully unique, and, if nothing else, are a point of conversation with people. It cracks me up when kids spot it and ask (no doubt with concerned looks on their faces) "What happened to your back?!"

Don't forget to be-you-tiful. <3
 

Top/ Pinstripe Skirt/ Straw Hat: Thrifted  | Gladiator Sandals/Straw Cat Bag: Poshmark 

xoxo,

Sara

At the Beach: Relaxing in True Nautical Fashion

Bonjour!

Happy Labor Day! Even though the school year started just two weeks ago, I'm already clinging to this day off to relax and recuperate! And since Labor Day is a celebrated American holiday, a red/white/blue combo was a must for the day's festivities.

Looking forward to another day at the beach!


Red and White Striped Blouse: Ralph Lauren | Denim Dress: The Rose Nest | Nautical Headwrap: Thrifted


xoxo,

Sara

By the Canal: A Story in Stripes

Bonjour!

 

Summer is back (and going :( ), and that means I'm pulling out the nautical stops! This dress from Romwe made the 18-hour journey from heartland America to the tropical coasts of Florida comfortable and stylish. And what could be better than stretchy cotton? Pockets AND a hood! So despite the fact that I had spent over 24 hours in it prior to these moments, I was ready to spend the rest of the day chillaxing in style on one of west FL's many canals.

More adventures from paradise to come!

Striped Dress: Romwe | Red Bag: Liz Claiborne | Strapped Sandals: Cabin Creek

xoxo,

Sara

How to Be A Comic Con-ner

Bonjour bloggers!

It's about that time of the year again when we put on our nerd hats and do the thing that all fangirls dream of: Comic Con! Today I am going to show you my tips to prepare for the day and make the best of the event.

1. Find a Comic Convention in your area.

I was fortunate to hear of a comic con near where I vacation, so the Tampa Bay Comic Con was where I had my first experience. You can go to Eventbrite.com to search local conventions. Once I knew where I was going, I purchased tickets from Eventbrite and began looking at the details.

2. Determine which celebrity guests you are interested in seeing.

Tbh, I was most excited to go to comic con because I could not wait to see actors/actresses from shows I watch and get a picture or autograph. At the time, Doctor Who's Jenna Coleman (Clara) was one of the visiting guests, along with LOTR's Sean Astin and many other people I'm not familiar with. I stood in line for about 30-45 min. to get a picture with Jenna and was excited when I saw the results.

3. The Cosplay Dilemma

Perhaps the toughest part of the comic con experience is choosing a character to cosplay as. When choosing my character, I took into account someone who I could relate to or could resemble, a costume that would be fairly simple to put together, and something that would be comfortable and easy to sit/stand/walk in for long periods of time. Be sure to plan your costume a few weeks in advance in case you need to do some shopping (shipping times could take a couple weeks). If your costume requires heels, wear them only when necessary (e.g. for pictures or when meeting celebrities) and bring flats for the long waits in line or the walking you will no doubt be doing from your parking space to the convention location. A bag is also a good thing to keep in mind, since you may want to pick up some souvenirs while you are there. Keep money in a safe place (no outside pockets), remember your ticket if that con requires it, and I suggest bringing a camera or phone that you can take pictures on.

For more details on the Who-What-Wear, visit my other Comic Con post.

4. The Day of the Con

Have your costume ready to go, know how you are going to style hair/accessories/etc. in advance.

Depending on the opening time of the individual convention, you may want to plan to get there ahead of the crowd. Check-in may take a bit depending on the popularity of the comic con, the day of the week you are going, and the time you arrive. Research these things in advance to determine when the best time might be to go.

Because there is a lot going on, you may want to tour the stalls between celebrity meet-and-greets and shows. Or, if you are going in a group, arrange for one person to save your spot in a meet-and-greet line while you take a run of the wares, then switch. Also, if other Con-ners like your costume, they may ask to take a picture of you, so be prepared for that as well.



(With bloggers Heidi Dee @ Legally Elegant and Abby @ _)

Meet-and-Greets (in a nutshell):

Stand in a long line for what seems like a long period of time, gush about how excited you are to finally meet him/her while they either A. look at you blankly and hope you shut up soon or B. smile at you and genuinely seem like they are excited to be there (depends on the actor/actress and their mood at that moment), stand with the celebrity guest for what seems like 2 seconds as the photographer clicks away and the next people in line watch, leave the photo area and walk around the booths until the pictures are finished and set out, browse through others' photos and make judgments while you look for your own (and hope that others love yours more than you do).
You can also choose to pay $10 extra to get a digital copy of the picture.

(I briefly considered going as Clara because we share some similar features, but decided to stick with Agent Carter in the end)

And that's the gist of the Comic Con process! Some details vary from Con to Con, but overall it's a great event to experience and that's coming from someone who does not consider herself to be largely invested within the fandom empire. :)

Have you ever been to a comic convention? What tips do you have for first-time Con-ners?

xoxo,
Sara