Grayson Button Up (wearing size 2) Get $25 OFF your purchase with code ASHLEEHIGHTOWER | Amazon Dress ($20, wearing size medium, not maternity) | Golden Goose Sneakers (I’m a true size 7 and wear 37 in GG) | Amazon Sunglasses ($15) | Gorjana Chain Link Necklace | Gorjana Gold Necklace | Annie Claire Designs via SoSis Mask Chain | Vera Bradley Mask | Amazon The Drop Bag

Happy Friday! Michael and I left Houston on Wednesday for our first trip (besides to our parents’ houses) since February! We’re doing a little Southeast road trip of sorts, which includes stops in Laurel, MS, Birmingham, AL, Fairhope, AL, Destin, FL, and Navarre, FL. We stayed at Michael’s parents’ house in Baton Rouge Wednesday night (about a 4 hour drive from Houston) and made our way to Birmingham on Thursday (a 6 hour drive from Baton Rouge). Along the way, we stopped in Laurel, MS!

I’m a huge fan of Home Town on HGTV. It’s filmed in Laurel. Laurel is a small town in Mississippi. It has a really cute, walkable downtown with lots of shops to pop into. The hosts of the show, Ben and Erin, have two shops, Laurel Mercantile and Scotsman General Store and Woodshop. We popped in both of those along with a few other shops downtown after grabbing coffee at Lee’s Coffee and Tea. It was a fun pitstop along the way! If you ever find yourself near Laurel, it’s definitely worth a quick detour, even if it’s just to stretch your legs for a bit. I saved all of my Instagram Stories to a highlight on my feed. Follow along on Instagram for the rest of our trip! We’ll be bouncing around (safely) for the next 2+ weeks!

We’re in Birmingham through the weekend. Michael and I lived in Birmingham before we lived in DC and subsequently Houston. I went to law school in Birmingham and lived in the city for 6 years. Michael lived in Birmingham for 5 years. We actually met in the Magic City! We have a handful of good friends that live here. I’m excited to see some familiar faces and have a little mental and physical escape from Houston. It’s a weird time, and I’m definitely anxious about taking all of the Covid precautions to stay healthy and protect others. We’re sticking to outdoor dining and backyard hangouts when we see friends. So far, both in Laurel and in Birmingham, for the most part, everyone I’ve seen has been wearing a mask and all of the businesses we’ve visited (restaurants and shops) are taking extra precautions to enforce social distancing.

This Week’s Blog Posts

Instagram Outfit Roundup // I rounded up all of my recent Instagram posts and tagged all of the shoppable pieces for you! Lots of great, new fall styles!

Maternity Style Inspiration // Dressing the bump has been interesting and fun! I feel like I really “popped” around 18 weeks (I’m 22 weeks this week) and had to start rethinking my wardrobe. I rounded up what’s been working for me so far!

Weekly Workouts

This week’s workouts …

I’m still loving the Peloton app! I did a 30-minute strength training class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I skipped Thursday because we were on the road most of the day. And today (Friday) I’ll be doing another strength training class as well (our hotel gym limits the number of people to 2 in the gym at one time). Another reason I love the Peloton app is that I can use it from anywhere!

Cobalt Household Favorites + Discount Codes

Golden Thread // A local, female-owned Houston boutique! I have several of their bracelets and LOVE them! They’re currently having a 30% OFF SITEWIDE sale – Use code PINK at checkout (lasts through the end of October)! The black and white clay bracelets and the LOVE and hearts tile bracelets are all by Golden Thread and all under $20! Shop all exact bracelets HERE.

Grayson // My favorite button ups! Get $25 OFF your purchase with code ASHLEEHIGHTOWER. I have several styles of their button ups, but my latest favorite is this dark navy and white buffalo check liquid flannel (seen in the first first photo in today’s post)! The liquid flannel is a new line, and it’s essentially a super soft, lightweight flannel. Perfect for fall! And will be a great layering piece during the winter. The navy can easily pass for black. I included two more new Grayson additions to my closet below!

Beautycounter // NEW CLIENTS! Get 20% OFF your first order with code CLEANFORALL20 – this is UP from 10%! Take advantage! Lasts now through the end of October!

Nécessaire // I have a discount code for you! But only through the weekend … Use code COBALT10 for 10% OFF! I have the Body Essentials Kit (the Body Wash, Body Lotion, Body Exfoliator) and love the Body Exfoliator!

Branch Basics // My FAVORITE non-toxic cleaning products! The best non-toxic household cleaning supplies! Check out my review here! Get 10% OFF your Starter Kit with code COBALT.

Territory Food Delivery // Healthy, locally prepared, and already cooked! All you have to do is warm them up! Use my code – COBALT – for $50 off across your first two orders ($25 off each order).

M.Gemi // Use code COBALT60 for $60 off your first purchase! M.Gemi shoes are handmade Italian shoes. The quality is outstanding. They run TTS. I have the Feliz Suede Drivers and love them!

Weekend Plans

Like I mentioned, we’ll be in Birmingham through the weekend. I’m planning on popping in my favorite shops in downtown Homewood and seeing a few of my best friends that live in Birmingham. Michael and I are trying out a new-to-us restaurant tonight, Automatic Seafood and Oysters (they have patio dining!). Other than that, we’ll be popping in a few of our favorite restaurants and wandering around the neighborhoods we used to frequent when we lived in the city.

My Favorite Things this Week

Away Luggage // It’s been a minute since I’ve used my Away luggage! I grabbed a second Large suitcase during their first-ever sale earlier this year. Michael and I used our Large bags to (over) pack for our trip. My first love is Away’s Bigger Carry On, but the Large bags are hard to beat when you’re traveling by car!

Mango Dress // I LOVE this dress! It’s not maternity, but it works perfectly with the bump! It’s so comfortable and lightweight. I have it in a size small. It’s oversized.

Marc Fisher Boots // On sale! I’ve been eyeing these boots since last fall, and they finally went on sale! I snagged the Cloud Suede. They run TTS.

Have a great weekend!