Monday Maven: Abbye of {Kate Spade} and a GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE!!!!! WINNERS HAVE BEEN PICKED!!!! 

Meredith Roberts wins a surprise pair of Kate Spade earrings! 

And Sarah Loudermilk also wins a surprise pair of Kate Spade earrings! 

And Analise wins the gorgeous Kate Spade black and white bag!!!  

Girls, please email me your mailing addresses when you can! 
MaggieGriffinID@gmail.com

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Today's Monday Maven is especially fun for me! 

My super sweet, smart, inspiring, thoughtful, beautiful sister Abbye is sharing her creative style, love of retail merchandising, and a peek into her fantastic home! 

You guys may remember my post on Abbye a few weeks ago.

http://bellissimoandbella.blogspot.com/2014/10/kate-spade.html

But I wanted to share a little more about my little sis. :)

Abbye's the Assistant Store Manager for Kate Spade in Bluffton, SC, and if you're in the Hilton Head Island area, do stop in the adorable boutique.

Abbye is perfect for her job. She's just as bubbly, and fun, and magnetic as the Kate Spade merch that's just dripping with color and charm. Abbye loves working for Kate Spade - the company is wonderful! 

If you want some maja eye candy, follow her on Instagram at abbyeleigh

She posts their new arrivals all the time, and will make it super easy for you to purchase. She's kinda like a personal shopper. :)))

You can also call the Bluffton shop and ask for her: (843) 815-5283

Or just pop in the store! 1414 Fording Island Rd., Bluffton, SC 29910 

Here's my interview with Abbye below, and some of the amazing merch the shop has in right now. Get ready to drool! 

Tell me about Abbye….the "fashionista"

I have always loved to dress, for any occasion. I could spend hours putting outfits together, and have more recently been interested in that side of my self since I joined the “retail world”. I dress for comfort most every day. Kate Spade inspired me to find my style, and it’s something that is ever evolving! I wouldn’t call myself trendy. I love to see what will be popular every season and I try to adapt those styles into my wardrobe without breaking the bank. Those staple pieces in my wardrobe are where I like to spend a little more…(i.e. the perfect LBD, a leather skirt, LOTS of chambray, the perfect jean in every shade, fun basic silk tops to mix and match, etc.) It’s all about finding what your body wears best. 

What inspires you to dress? 

Our company (Kate Spade New York) has really inspired my closet! Our motto is to find yourself within our brand- how can you make yourself stand out with the clothes that you have!? Taking those everyday pieces and really amping them up. For example, I may take your standard chambray shirt and pair it with a leather mini, suede booties, a top knot, and a bright red lip! On my more casual days, it’s all about layers. If I wear a jean, I’ll add a fun printed top, blazer, heel, and statement necklace! Those days I want to be a little dressier, though, I look to my own fashion savvy friends and family. My best friend Stacey and I, send each other pictures on almost a daily basis of outfits we have put together and want each other’s opinion on. She has a great sense of fashion—one I look to when I am dressing myself!! She will recommend switching out a necklace for another, an unlikely shoe- pairing, or hairstyle. My mother and sister and sister-in-law all have fantastic style sense too! I may see something that they purchased or wore recently and will adapt it into my closet if I can.

What are your favorite color schemes? or styles? 

My favorite color schemes consist of sticking with a neutral color pallet and mixing in those fun metallics and bright shades. My sister, Maggie (the interior design queen) has inspired me to pair those unlikely patterns and color schemes together over the years. A rich ikat with a gold polka dot or a light chevron and a bold check print are definitely sights you would find in my home!

I am loving all of the shades for fall this year, too! Light Pink, Rose Gold, Emerald, Taupe—they have all found a happy place in my wardrobe, and in my home!! It comes down to committing- I have a really hard time narrowing my style down into just a few words because I love it all.

Do you have any clothing pieces or accessories that are particularly special to you?

As far as my clothing goes, and as silly as it sounds, my chambray button-ups are my favorite go-to pieces. I have one in particular, a Miley Cyrus brand (from Wal-Mart, mind you) pearl- button chambray shirt that I covet. It is so comfortable and easy to wear. It wears effortlessly with a black jean and booties but can be dressed up with my tweed Kate Spade skirt or leather leggings.

I have a serious relationship with my jewelry which most of my family will attest to! The piece that is most special to me is definitely my “Abbye” necklace. My mom surprised my sister and I with them a whole decade ago for Christmas and I wear it almost every day still. It helps me to channel my inner “Carrie Bradshaw” when I am dressing for the day.

How does your fashion sense translate into your home?

My style for dress and décor is always evolving. If you looked in my closet now, you would see mostly basics, but definitely those stand- out pieces, and the same goes for my home. My sofa is the focal point of my entire living room (its covered in a bold, gray ikat) but the rest of my living room shows a neutral gray and exposed wood scheme. It’s finding the right balance with overly bold pieces and grounded basics. My closet holds skirts and tops that flow from winter to summer to spring, with the easy adjustment of sleeve length and layers! Living on the island (average temp of 75 until late November), my wardrobe is unlimited in its pairing choices and it is a heavenly feeling. 

More of the fabulous merch at Kate Spade!

Abbye and her store were so excited to share their amazing new things for Fall! So much so......that its......

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This incredibly adorable black and white patent leather striped bag is up for grabs and ONE of my lucky lucky lucky readers will get it! 

All you guys have to do is enter by commenting below...as many times as you like! 

Good luck friends! 

As if you're not full of excitement already, here are a few peeks into Abbye's place! It's darling if I do say so myself! 

I showed a little bit of it post-move-in here.