I recently saw this post of one of my longtime favorite bloggers and I loved the concept of making a to-do list for the summer. It’s easy to have a fun summer in Southern California because there is always so much going on, but by making an actual list it puts my hopes and goals in a much more realistic place.
The most challenging on this list? #3, #4, #9 and #10. Oy.
2. Spend a full day reading at the beach watching Christian surf.
3. Organize the garage so Christian can squeeze his car in on late nights at the hospital (we’ve had a car towed at 3AM after our neighborhood ran out of spots… good times!).
4. Finish redesigning our guest bedroom and share the grand reveal (!!).
It’s times like this that California takes my breath away. When I was staying in LA with my parents while they were in town, I would look out the window in Silver Lake and think… am I in Los Angeles or Italy? The beauty in the bougainvillea, succulents and greenery never ceases to amaze me.
My Dad snapped these photos for me before we went to a family dinner in West Hollywood, and forgive me for the wrinkles but hey – it means I really wore this ensemble all day, right!? Realness.
This scarf doubles as a blanket you guys – I mean, WHAT. Talk about investing in multipurpose pieces! I can already imagine taking it to outdoor concerts this summer.
PS – CBL10 is good for $10 off first time purchases (with a minimum order of $35)
The past few weeks have breezed by so quickly that it has me longing to slow down. With so much travel and so many visitors (not that I can complain, because those are two of my favorite things!), it’s been go-go-go from my day job work week to weekend play, and I’ve been up until at least 1AM most nights working on blog posts so I can keep this space consistent. So this past Sunday when I got home from LA, I put all my to do’s to the side, because there will always be to do’s. I told C to put on his swimsuit and we took it to the pool for a few hours of straight nothing, laying on the air mattress of the water, also known as my flamingo pool float (obsessed).
With summer trips to Catalina Island, Vegas, Palm Springs and the Dominican Republic in the works… it’s not going to slow down anytime soon so wheels up! I can sleep in my 30’s… right?
It was sad to see my parents go home earlier this week. I had so much fun dragging them all over town and handing them over to my brother for some LA time. I brought them to my workplace and everyone loved their sweet Southern-ness! This weekend I plan to go wedding dress shopping with my bridal bestie and drag Christian to Tanaka Farms to pick strawberries before it becomes watermelon season.
What are you guys up to? And what’s your favorite way to slow down when the world around you is spinning!? Thanks so much for reading! XO –
The pairing that no one can mess up – nautical stripes with crisp, white denim. Always stylish, always classic and effortless in my book. I wore this to dinner with my parents when they were in town and again, my sweet Dad took these photos! And while my Dad was handing his glasses to my mom while he tried to take the perfect photo, my mom was chuckling to herself catching up on The Fat Jewish on her phone, trying to read the funny ones out loud.
So basically it was the usual.
These wedges though. So cute and seriously, so comfortable. I’ve been wearing them with everything after I saw them on my blogger bestie! I’m addicted. I can’t rave about them enough. A++, my shoes of the summer.
Last week I shared some of my ideas for the Dads in your family (Father’s Day is June 21st), but I wanted to follow up with some more options for the dudes. This towel matches the apron I shared last week that is now sold out, and I think they’re basically the cutest things ever.
My dad has one of these smart watches and is obsessed. Between my parents and I, we were all counting our steps at Disneyland and each reached over 20,000 steps (over 10 miles)! My parents have had a good time comparing they’re daily steps/calories burned/miles, and I think it’s definitely a great health tool to easily strap on your wrist that is also functional as a source of time and alarm clock. #winning
Have any great ideas for Father’s Day? I would love to hear them – I’m always looking for tips! Shopping for guys is hard especially because I’m so not in tune with the latest gadgets and outdoor accessories.
Say hello to my party pants. HOW MUCH FUN IS THIS OUTFIT!? When I saw this crop top + culotte duo, I’m pretty sure my entire face lit up. I have absolutely loved seeing some of my favorite fashionistas in Orange County rock the culotte trend, but I just wasn’t sure if it was the right style for my body.
But when I saw this pair, I had to give it a shot, and… I’m into it. Even better is that I wore this to dinner with my parents when they were visiting, and my Dad actually snapped these photos for me! I think he did a pretty good job, right? I miss my parents living across the country from them, but it does make our visits together that much sweeter. You guys should have seen how hard he worked to get a good shot, but it turns out that he was so good at it that we got quite a few outfits in during the two weekends we spent together (and Christian was very supportive considering it got him off the hook). #1 Dad!
I mean… when you combine hot pink with a maxi you’ve basically made my dreams come true. This Morning Lavender dress basically sums up my college self with a serious punch of color topped off with Christian’s favorite piece of jewelry of mine (other than my wedding rings he designed) – the necklace I used to wear with everything when we were dating.
Y’all know I’ve asked you guys before if your significant others are this way, but Christian loves it when I have long dark hair, sun-kissed skin and am wearing fitted, bright colors – because that was my college uniform. A girly-girl always, I always feel myself when I’m wearing colorful pieces or my go-to, bright white against a summer tan.
Tell me your favorite summer looks – and seriously… who doesn’t love a hot pink Barbie dress!?
– some goodies to try out thanks to my friends at Luna –
To start off the week with a trip to Disneyland with your parents just can’t be beat (you may have seen some of the instagram pics that my Dad took for me, how cute is he?). I had so much fun playing around Orange County with my parents, and Christian was even able to join us on Saturday which was a treat. I sent them on their way to LA earlier this week, and I plan to join them today for a weekend in LA while Christian stays back to work.
Do any of you live far away from your parents and when they come to visit you’re totally surprised at what does and doesn’t impress them? I took my parents to some of our favorite spots, thinking I already knew what the “wow” factor would be. It turns out they were most impressed with a really tall eucalyptus tree down the street (like… who cares?), discovering the world’s largest wind chime at Fashion Island and a hipster ice cream place that bragged on the fact that its cows slept on memory foam mattresses (I live in Southern California… this is real life). Of course we had sunsets and Disney fireworks every night (you can see them from the town where I live), but I was like… really!? You think the beet hummus from Trader Joe’s is more impressive than this Laguna Beach sunset? Hhhhmmmm… “parents just don’t understand.”
So after my Dad performed his first-ever photobomb (he was proud), my parents told me I was wearing them out with all the activities I had planned and that on Sunday they wanted to take it easy at my house, get a good night’s sleep before our Disney adventure (we walked over 10 miles) and “take my blog pictures.” I started laughing and it only made them more determined. SO, this coming week you’re going to see photos by Dr. Williams, and I’m telling you – they’re not half bad! I told my Dad he needed to tell Christian, “I don’t know what you complain about… this isn’t that hard.” But of course he didn’t. #brocode
What are you guys doing this weekend? And please tell me funny stories about your parents – I know I’m not the only one who spends 15 minutes trying to explain to my them what “ride or die” means. Thanks for reading! XO –
When my parents came in town, Christian wanted to take them to Corona del Mar to see the jumbo waves and surfers at The Wedge. A trip to Southern California is never complete without a trip to the beach, so I was happy to hop in the car and the palm leaf romper was the perfect piece for a casual day in Newport and Laguna.
And I mean… it’s a palm leaf romper. What’s better than that?
With Father’s Day this month (June 21st), it’s never too early to start thinking about what to get some of the guys in your life. And because the guys in my life are all so particular and hard to shop for, the wheels are turning in my head!
I feel like grilling, golf or outdoor gear is always a safe bet, and let’s be honest – they need our help to stay dapper, right?
Tell me the gift you got your Dad that was a hit – I love hearing y’alls suggestions!
This dress, oh this dress. Remember when you were little and you would put on a dress-up dress and feel like a million bucks? The full skirt (perfect for twirling), the luxe fabric – it’s like you put on the dress and felt like the best, most fabulous version of yourself. That’s how I feel about this midi dress (and a similar love for this skirt and this skirt).
It’s so funny to see my girly-girl niece (and dare I say protégé) at three years old, falling in love with her princess dresses and dress-up baubles. She puts on a tulle skirt, her entire face lights up, and you can see how special she feels. Fast-forward 20 years and there’s a powerful feeling about feeling confident in the right dress and heels. At my day job (95% female), I see successful and powerful women running a global brand in 4-inch stilettos. And it’s a mighty fine sight to see.
This ladylike dress has a little bit of a First Lady vibe (I’m channeling my inner Jackie O), but I still love the red and white floral pattern and the statement it makes with its full skirt.
I was perusing my house lately and realized how much extra clutter I had acquired in the past year. I think that’s part of why I love visiting hotels so much… having a nightstand with nothing but a lamp on it, or a beautifully empty bathroom countertop.
While I know that will never be my house (I admire minimalist so much because I am a lover of “things”), I still try to take steps toward de-cluttering wherever I can, so today I’m excited to team up with Seven Daughters Wine to share some of my tips for summer cleaning. And yes, I realize it’s really called “spring cleaning,” but spring came and went and I didn’t have any time to get on it, so don’t Internet shame me. Scroll on down for my tips!
7 Tips for Summer Cleaning:
1. Can you live without it? This is a hard one for me, but can usually determine whether or not I really love something. I’ve heard that the best way to clean out can be to divide your tasks in segments, and remove everything from that area (take everything out of drawers, the closet, cabinets, whatever you’re working on). Then sort through it before putting it back. The truth is, you can live without a LOT of the “things” that clutter your house, so remember to really curate your home with pieces that you love so much you can’t live without them.
2. Find something you forgot you had? Maybe that’s a sign you don’t need it. I’m a major victim of this! “Oh my gosh I forgot about these jeans…” which also means I haven’t thought about them in a year, so clearly I can live without them.
3. Switch it up. When you get bored, try switching things up before you buy something new. I like to try moving around throw pillows, coffee table books or accent chairs if I’m feeling décor stagnant (is that a phrase? Does that even make sense?).
4. Donate. This is something that always makes me feel better about clutter purging, knowing that if you donate the items it’s going to help someone else out there who needs it more than you. The easiest thing for me to apply this to? Unworn clothing and books I know I’m not going to read again.
5. Whistle while you work. Music can be a huge motivator, and making a killer playlist can make all the difference for me. Currently this playlist is my jam! Can you picture me dancing around my house to Robyn? Because it happens. And in my mind, my rhythm is a showstopper.
6. Set reasonable goals. Depending on the size of your housing, it may not be attainable to fully clean out in one day. Break it up into rooms and tackle one room per weekend or look at your calendar and mark off days you know you can clean out.
7. Treat yoself. Determine a prize that you can work toward once you complete your summer cleaning checklist. For me, a favorite prize is a tall glass of vino on the patio and watching the husband cook dinner for me. Why is he cooking dinner for me? BECAUSE I JUST CLEANED THE ENTIRE HOUSE. #winning
Have a great tip that I missed? Please share! I’m always looking to expand my OCD/Type-A clean house strategies.
