I shared this last week here, but when I was in New York, my girlfriend Jenn of Haute off the Rack had the cutestsandals on. Because she’s the shoe queen, I had to know where they were from instantly, and it was no surprise to me that they were the Steve Madden Ava Sandal from Nordstrom. I went home and ordered them instantly!
Let’s be serious, we know the shoe selection at Nordstrom is hard to beat. From the best sandals (both high-end and more affordable) to over-the-knee boots, there’s a little bit of everything. AND knowing that they are super quick to price-match anything that is reduced in price elsewhere is a major bonus! I love knowing that not only am I getting the best deal of what’s online, but also that the return policy is insanely good.
And I can’t go without talking about this fringe sweater. I mean… it’s real fun. Almost like a sweater and scarf in one!
It’s no secret that I’m usually traveling solo or with girlfriends because Christian’s work schedule is brutal, but every now and then an opportunity comes up that he can come with. We look forward to it for weeks, and then it’s like a mini-honeymoon!
When the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage invited us to stay the weekend, it was a no brainer. I’ve stayed at the Puerto Rico and Buckhead, GA properties, and it’s always a fabulous experience. We get to the desert fairly often, but usually it’s related to one of our jobs (so it’s not completely relaxing). This time we had the vacation-mindset, and it was definitely a different experience. Fun fact: Trista and Ryan from The Bachelorette actually got married here in 2003!
When we travel, we usually try to go 50/50 exploring and laying low. This weekend we had one thing in mind: unwind. The Rancho Mirage property is so beautiful, with multiple restaurants and pools, I knew we had no reason to leave.
Christian’s favorite parts were probably the incredible breakfast at State Fare Kitchen, the lawn of games (cornhole, bocce ball, etc.) and the fire pits at night – we had one right outside our room. It was so cozy! My favorite parts were the mouthwatering dinner at The Edge (the view is as incredible as the food), the spa morning and of course… the daily candy bar in the lobby from 12-5PM.
My breakfast date (above), watching the Ole Miss game at the table.
Shop my outfits from this trip above or by clicking on the thumbnail images here!
Do you have a favorite resort where you like to stay and completely disconnect? I’d love to hear. If you have any plans to visit the California desert, I would highly recommend camping up at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage. As Christian and I played bocce ball under bistro lights while listening to live music while we waited for our dinner reservation, and I literally thought – I am never leaving this place.
Big sweaters, stretchy leggings that look like faux leather and the cutest teeny tiny crossbody bag ever – hey October! I like you… a lot. Who doesn’t love a roomy, soft sweater? I snagged this one at Nordstrom and it comes in six colors – I love the olive!
But I can’t go without talking about this military jacket from Nordstrom for the millionth time. I’ve worn it here and here, and I’ve taken it on every trip I’ve gone on since I got it. For under $70, I’ve already gotten a ton of wear out of it, and I think it’s the piece that can help transition outfits not only for fall, but also for spring.
Last but certainly not least, Spanx leggings. I’ve shared my love of their leggings before, but if you don’t have a pair, you’re missing out. I don’t wear my actual Spanx Spanx that often, but the leggings are so smoothing and have the awesome control top – it’s undeniable that they are magic. Nordstrom has an amazing selection!
Lately I’ve been toying with navy and black, and I gotta say – I kinda love it. In years past, I wouldn’t even think to pair this combo. But just like wearing white denim year-round, things change and sometimes you find yourself putting things together with an entirely different perspective.
Now – let’s talk about my fall essentials right now – sleeveless sweaters and leather shorts (!!). As much as I love a pair of leather pants, there’s like, a maybe two-week window where I can actually wear them in California without repeating the Ross scene from Friends. So when it comes to leather (or faux leather), shorts and skirts are definitely my preferred way to go (like this skirt).
This post is sponsored by Revlon through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsored content that make this blog possible!
I’ve always told you guys that my makeup routine is pretty simple. I’ve always believed that makeup is wonderful to enhance your features, and a great highlighter does just that! Revlon’s PhotoReady Insta-Fix™ Highlighting Stick is so easy to drop in your purse, and it comes in two shades – Gold Light and Pink Light (swatches below). I like the peachy-gold shade to accentuate my olive complexion, and I think the pink would look fab on fairer skin tones.
With a highlighting stick, I like to swipe across my cheekbones, below the arch of my brows, my cupid’s bow and sometimes the inner corner of my eye to illuminate and enhance the features that draw the eye. If you’re looking for a more visual guide I think this is great for showing contouring vs. highlighting. With this product you can also highlight your collarbones if you’re wearing something slinky or strapless! Blend it in with a brush or even just your fingers, and it takes seconds. Voila! You’re freshened up from the desk to drinks in no time.
Revlon’s formula actually has light-filtering technology that creates a re-touched look. Another thing I really love about highlighters is that you can add just a little for a natural, luminous touch or you can layer it for a more dramatic, strobed look. It’s simple and quick, and you can toss this beauty in your bag for a quick touch of glow on the go!
You GUYS. I am so excited to share this post because I know I’ve been pretty open about my hair and how I’m always looking to improve my mane, but I’m about to tell you my full hair story. Grab your coffee, because I’m going all in –
Truthfully, I never thought much about my hair until I was Miss Mississippi Teen USA in high school. When you are a state “titleholder,” you have a mentor/sponsor/coach for the year that you are representing your state. My mentor recommended getting hair extensions for Miss Teen USA, something I’d never considered… and so the love affair for big hair began.
I had individual beaded hair extensions, and while it was an all-day experience (I remember handing the stylist each bundle of hair, my beauty low-maintenance mom looking on with both curiosity and probably a little disbelief. Hello 2005!). Afterwards, with my new mane, I felt great!
After I had those extensions taken out in college (let’s be real, my college self could not maintain hair extensions), I purchased a pair of clip-in extensions and have been wearing both clip-ins and halo extensions for the past six or seven years. More about that here.
I have fine hair but a good amount of it, so while (thankfully) I have enough hair to go extension-free most days, I don’t have much volume and am always wanting to add some fullness to what I have going on. After wearing clip-ins for so long, I felt like I was ready for something a little more permanent, but I only wanted to go forward with it if I knew it wouldn’t damage my hair. Having less hair long-term was not something I wanted to risk!
I reached out to Danielle at DKWStyling last year to ask some questions about Natural Beaded Rows – a method of hair extensions I’d never heard about until moving to Orange County. She was really helpful to provide some information on the extensions and the application that she has invented herself (more about it here), and was kind enough to also offer other ways I might be able to achieve the fullness I was looking for.
Cut to last week (!!), when I decided to take the plunge and visit Danielle at her gorgeous salon on the Pacific Coast Highway. The entire process took less than three hours, and I was trying to find excuses to stick around because the salon is so gorgeous (and the team there is seriously so fun). You can actually watch some of my experience here and read about it on DKWStyling here!
Besides the fact that it didn’t take nearly as long as my previous experience, I couldn’t believe how much hair she was able to add and how light it actually was. My extensions are in a horseshoe shape, which is how Danielle was able to add so much fullness in just 1 and 1/2 rows of extensions (for reference I usually used at least three rows of clip-in hair extensions in the past). If you watch her pin up her hair in this tutorial (at about 1:58), you’ll see how the row of extensions is placed in the scalp.
We ended up keeping the hair pretty long for now (about 3-4″ longer than my hair length), but when I have the beaded row tightened in two or so months, I might cut the length closer to my own hair length. I just thought this mermaid mane would be fun to try!
If you’re in the Southern California and have had interest in getting hair extensions that aren’t damaging to your hair, I highly encourage you to connect with Danielle. She has tried almost every method of extensions and has been working with hair for her entire career. She is extremely knowledgeable and beyond helpful with all kinds of hair dilemmas! I had so many questions for her, and she answered all of them with her honest experience.
If you have your own hair saga – I’d love to hear! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
With the beginning of fall comes… cute booties! And I’m talking about shoes, #duh.
Temperatures in Orange County have been in the 80’s all week, so this is another realistic transitional fall look featuring a dress that I loooooved last year that has been restocked (in two colors!). Sometimes just adding a different shoe can make a big difference in an outfit, so even though this look might be more suitable for warm weather, adding a bootie takes it into fall.
I love how this pair has cutouts on the sides and they come in four colors! The stacked heels adds enough height to lengthen your legs but is short enough to be comfortable for all day wear. Plus, you can get 20% off with code CBLISOLA20!
I’m going to be honest, I’ve been wearing sweaters even though it’s (still) hot outside because… I am who I am. I love a closet shift just as much as the next girl, but sometimes I have to be realistic! We’ve had the well known “Santa Ana winds” coming through Orange County, so on days that I know I will be in outdoor temps, I have to prep my transitional real-weather looks.
This off the shoulder top is one of my favorite colors, a light beige-pink that is so versatile. I recently bought these heels at Nordstrom because I saw them on the queen of shoes, Jenn of Haute off the Rack! They were so cute on her teeny feet, so I knew I had to have them. I think they’re going to go with everything and add a little more interest than your usual nude ankle strap heel.
I actually snagged this entire look from Nordstrom, which is my favorite one-stop-shop for finding pieces at all price ranges – under $50 to luxe investment pieces. I mean… where else can you buy a designer bag AND $12 sunglasses on the same visit!? Because seriously, I’ve snagged both there. Christian, look away!
top (comes in 3 more colors here!), also love this one and this one | denim, if you’re in between two sizes I would size down | heels | scarf – found in store, similar option scarf | similar bag for less here | sunglasses | watch | cable bracelet 1, 2, 3, 4
If there’s a leather skirt you need in your closet, this is the one. I bought this skirt from Zara years ago, and I still manage to wear it every fall and winter. It looks great with a crop top to a turtleneck, and I’ve worn it with strappy sandals, ankle boots (blog post here), and over-the-knee boots.
It is a super flattering length and a versatile piece that belongs in your arsenal of staples.
And secondly… can we talk about these gold doors?! How gorgeous! Nikki and I passed them when we were walking to get a quick dinner the first night we landed in New York, and we both agreed we’d have to come back to snap of a photo of their majestic-ness. Gold and pink – is there anything better?
– beginning the white pumpkin party in our house –
– the most amazing mug that starts my day remembering how blessed we are and to give back to those who need help, thanks to The Her Initiative and Aria Paperie –
Hey Friday – I come to you by way of watching The Voice blind auditions. I’ve never really watched more than bits and pieces of this show, but it’s so exciting! I literally have butterflies the entire time, wanting each contestant to get the feedback and opportunity I know they’ve dreamt of their whole life. I think I’m getting too emotionally invested over here.
Also – I want Alicia Keys to be my life mentor. She is so infectious and something about her energy – she is so inspirational to me! I think this is my favorite song of hers, I used to sing this song in my car hard.
SO, let’s talk about the weekend, shall we? Christian and I have plans to go to the desert for a little getaway at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage, and we’ve been looking forward to it for weeks. His stress levels have been a little higher than usual lately, so I think he really needs some time to unwind.
This week I worked on a few fun projects I’m really excited to share! A Halloween makeup video tutorial with Urban Decay, I shot some blog posts for some fun fall collaborations and I got a vamped-up mane thanks to my friends at DKWStyling! All to come on CBL. Thank you guys for supporting this little space that makes these kinds of projects possible!
AND, because you guys know I’m a lover of all things TV (I’m not bragging about this… I recognize loving television is not the coolest hobby… but I am who I am), I’m STOKED fall shows are back. I think I’m going to add This Is Us to my arsenal of shows because it looks like a good one. What shows are you excited to welcome back?
Thanks so much for reading, and have a beautiful weekend! XO –
While packing for NYFW this year, I thought I would pack more casual pieces than I usually do. The first few times I went to Fashion Week, I stressed more than I should about having the “right” clothes and wanting to look/feel like I belonged in that scene (to avoid feeling uncomfortable or like the new girl).
Then I realized… pssshhhh! Who cares!?
August was a packed month for me, so I didn’t have as much time to mentally prepare for NYFW, pulling looks or borrowing luxe pieces. I knew I wanted to squeeze in more fun this time around, so bringing more casual pieces would be more more comfortable and practical.
I headed to Nordstrom to peruse their transitional fall pieces and found so many gems! I love the look of a bodysuit but have had a hard time finding one that is long enough for my torso. This one is plenty long (and runs true to size) and comes in two colors. I think it’s a great layering piece and would be perfect with jeans, shorts or a skirt. I got this bag last year and love that they’ve extended the style in so many colors and textures. The suede one is seriously gorge.
Thank you so much for reading! And if you were following along all of the NYFW snaps on social media, I’d love to hear what kind of looks you gravitate towards – funky and interesting OR looks you would actually wear in your city?
Sometimes we see pieces we love and think, “but where would I wear that?” That’s what I love about not only this look, but also the LC Lauren Conrad Runway Collection. It combines luxe sophistication, a little bit of edge, and everyday textures to create looks that you can wear to a date night with your guy, movies with the girls or even to work.
When I lived in Mississippi, there was a Kohl’s not far from work and I would pick up pieces from the Lauren Conrad collection for the office all the time. I love all the soft pastels and florals – five years later, I’m still loving this collection.
Getting dressed has always been fun for me – I love playing in my closet and trying new things. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be that way for everyone! Take a versatile sweater like this one, and add some fun with these raw silk shorts or this slinky, feminine skirt. Try combining some of your closet staples with a more fun, eye-catching piece. AND if you remember the advice from my tv host girlfriend Emily Loftiss here, wearing a statement piece is a great conversation starter (and memorable for those who meet you).
