It’s been a little while since I’ve shared a wish list, so I’m excited to share some of my fall cravings with you guys!
My latest obsession is cropped jeans with ankle booties (hint: there’s a style post with this look coming soon). Something about it feels so fashion forward yet still approachable. I am also so excited berets are back in style because I literally have a black one from high school that’s been tucked away all these years. Bringing that baby back out!
This bag is the prettiest black bag I’ve seen this season and I can’t get enough of pom pom sweaters (also have and love this one).
What is on your fall craving wish list? Have you hopped on the beret or cropped jean wagon yet? Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
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If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some of these photos already from my trip to London last week with the Monica Vinader team! It was my third time visiting this gorgeous city (my second October visit coincidentally!), and I’ve been wearing Monica’s jewelry for years – so it was an extra treat to see the magic behind-the-scenes.
Whenever I travel to Europe, I’m incredibly jealous of my East Coast friends. In only 5-6 hours they can be in London. It takes West Coasties up to 11 hours to make the journey (this is when C would sing “cry me a river” to me). The past few times I’ve been, I’ve been able to get my jet lag under control from the get go and it was a non-issue. This time the 8-hour time difference really did me in BUT you guys recommended Unisom and it is MAGIC. Thank you to everyone who sent suggestions my way!
We spent the first two days in London and then traveled out to the countryside in Norfolk to tour the headquarters of Monica Vinader and have dinner at Holkham Hall which blew me away (photos of both of these adventures below!).
The number one reason I love and have loved Monica Vinader‘s jewelry for so long is because it is fine jewelry with gemstones and diamonds that is affordable. I’ve been wearing this ring for years and I recently added this bracelet and this bracelet to my arm party. Her pieces are perfect for layering, and the quality really holds up, showing the quality is more than worth the price tag.
Favorite Places We Ate:
Sketch | I visited Sketch in October of last year for tea (shared here) but we came for dinner and it was fabulous. Great wine list and extra delicious desserts!
Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen | The decor of this darling spot is from a dream. So rustic and charming, and the food is delicious. Tried to be one with the English and get the short rib pie. Was a little bit like a short rib pot pie and it was DELISH.
Berners Tavern | So many of you recommended the gorgeous restaurant attached to The London Edition and you were right – it is amazing! The art on the walls provides so much eye candy and the architecture of the restaurant alone is incredible. We had breakfast here and as #basic as it sounds, the waiter recommend the avocado toast and it was delicious with a poached egg.
Where We Stayed:
The London Edition | The lobby is gorgeous (in fact, everyone who works here is quite gorgeous) and I had a very comfortable stay here. It’s centrally located in the Soho area of London so you are walking distance to so many great restaurants and excellent shopping.
The White House in Norfolk | We stayed at this charming house in the countryside when we moved over to Norfolk and I could have stayed forever! More of a bed & breakfast ambiance, and the kind of place you could just cozy up on a sofa with a glass of wine in front of a fireplace. I actually did this from my bed when I couldn’t sleep, ha! When I walked up to my room, I watched a mother guide her young son out to a field on a horse. Am I in a movie right now?!
Favorite Activities:
River Thames Tour | This was beyond magical, drinking champagne on a gorgeous boat and learning all these fun facts about London from our knowledgeable tour guides at Thames Limo. Turns out this is the same boat this photo was snapped on and all these celebrities have graced the exact boat (Justin Bieber, Gerard Butler, Taylor Swift, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid – to name a few). Of course we had to recreate the photo (shared below). Ha! Definitely recommend!!
Manicure at Cowshed Spa | I tried to squeeze in a spa treatment here last year but they were all booked up. Their salons are darling and very relaxing treat for tourists that have been on their feet all day.
Tour of Holkham Hall | I mentioned this above (and you’ll see photos below), but we toured this countryside estate and then had dinner in one of the dining halls. UNBELIEVABLE. We met the Earl’s wife, Polly, and she was so gracious and welcoming. Learning the history of these European estates that are older than our entire country is just mind-blowing to me. I watched Downton Abbey so clearly… I’m into it. I felt one with the Brits as I was like, “oh footmans, the lady’s maid, valets – yes I know all about this.” Um… in my dreams. Or rather, from my sofa.
Riding in a Bentley | Ok this one is a wee bit random, but we got to ride in Bentley from London to Norfolk and of course I have never been in a car like this before. Champagne holders, okurr! I felt like Mariah Carey for a few hours and it was a life moment.
Christian actually snapped a pic of this outfit for me in Orange County. I wore it to dinner at Holkham Hall but it was too dark to capture the look! However I snapped many Insta-Stories in it and received a lot of questions about the skirt so I wanted to share the details!
For a full travel guide to London, I would recommend this post from last year. I spent much more time in the city and it’s more helpful for those traveling to London!
Thanks so much for reading, and if you’re a Monica Vinader fan, I’d love to hear about your pieces! XO –
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It’s finally time to start incorporating some fall pieces into your looks, and one of the first things I always pull out are my over-the-knee boots! Y’all know I’m a sucker for Stuart Weitzman (styled here, here and here). So today I’m so honored to share Orange County’s South Coast Plaza 50th Anniversary exclusive color of the ALLWAYHUNK boot!
Last week I attended an event supporting their Fall/Winter 2017 presentation at the SCP Stuart Weitzman store, and you guys, it’s good. Avril Graham was there from Harper’s BAZAAR, and it was so cool to have her take on fall footwear trends.
I have a pair of their flat and heeled boots from seasons past, but this pair is the perfect in-between. A little heel for that lift that makes you stand up a little straighter, yet subtle enough to easily be worn all day long. They look great worn over denim or with dresses and skirts. I really love that the color is a little unexpected from classic black.
What are your favorite style of boots for fall? Have you ever tried Stuart Weitzman? Trust me, they’re a magical combo of slimming + comfort! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I’ve had this post on my mind to do for months! I’m excited to finally pass on some wedding registry tips now that I’ve been married almost five years.
One of the best things I did when I registered for our wedding was… taking my sister-in-law instead of Christian. That sound harsh, but I’m serious! My SIL had been married for a few years, and I thought she would be really helpful. She knew what she wished she had registered for and what she received that she didn’t use that much.
To be honest, Christian was a-ok with skipping the hours of walking up and down aisles of kitchen products. At the end of the process, we had hundreds of dollars of credit leftover. I handed it over to him and said, “go crazy!” He ended up getting some extra knives, grilling tools and a Yeti cooler. See? Everyone wins.
With all of that being said, let’s get into my most loved and used items! In the appliance world, our Vitamix and Nespresso VertuoLine are used the most. What I have and don’t use much at all are my food processor (I ended up returning it) and KitchenAid. It hurts my heart that I never use my beautiful KitchenAid, but I end up using my handheld mixer so much more because it’s so quick, easy and lightweight.
The best advice my SIL said was to invest in nice pots and pans. She couldn’t have been more right. I chose Viking because my family is from Greenwood, Mississippi (the Viking HQ), but Calphalon is another great brand. I use these every single day and have recently added some MacKenzie-Childs pans to the mix too!
I chose Juliska as my everyday china, and we really love it. We’ve since added the loaf and muffin pans, cups and saucers and so on to our collection. It’s great because Christian knows that extending the pattern is always a great gift idea, and it’s available at Bloomingdale’s and Amazon.
My favorite serving pieces are hands down MacKenzie-Childs and Annieglass. I use them all the time, and even after several years I cherish the unique and beautiful pieces. It always feel special to pull them out.
Last but not least is the least glamorous but still important tool – a hand drill. C and I are about to move for the fourth time in five years, and this baby comes in handy each time!
If you’re married, what are some things you’re glad you registered for? What are the item you never use?
Single gals, what is the piece you know you definitely have to have?
Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
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A while back I was talking about mixing silver and gold in place settings and tablescapes and asked via Insta-Story if you guys would be interested in more on this topic. The response was a go, so here we are!
I have shared tablescapes before here and here, but this one is a little more October-themed with the pumpkins and touches of black and white.
There are a few things I think help when pulling off mixing metals, and they are:
1. Try to keep it balanced.
If everything was gold with only one silver piece, it might look out of place. Try to keep it fairly even when mixing tones. Annieglass is one of my favorite brands for beautiful, bold platinum and gold pieces, and I really love how they play off of each other for a beautiful (and dishwasher safe!) table.
2. If you can incorporate something that is two-toned, even better!
I love that these affordable wine and water glasses mix silver and gold. They always seem to anchor in a mixed metal setting.
3. Don’t think too hard about it.
There is so much inspiration to mixing silver, bronze, gold, etc. online – there are no rules! I love this article, this fashionista’s post and this designer’s perspective. Allow yourself some time to place things, move them around, remove and replace them with something else. Play with it a little bit until it feels right to you.
Below I styled one place setting with silver flatware and one with gold. I was kind of leaning toward the gold, but I thought it was neat to share both so you can see how you just play with it until it feels right.
How do you guys feel about mixing metals in your home and when entertaining? Is it something you would be willing to try or do you lean toward staying consistent with one tone?
When I registered for our wedding (more about that Wednesday!), I chose platinum. I stand by my decision because I tend to decorate with more silvers than golds, but I’ve slowly been adding some gold accents in the mix and I think they play off of each other pretty well.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing! XO –
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Happy Friday! This week’s highlights includes a lot of personalized pieces… because I’m Southern on the inside which means I love my initials. This is true.
I’ve been home for the past three weeks and it has been so restful. I love to travel… but I also really love to be home. It just so worked out that I was able to stay in California while Christian’s schedule was relatively mellow, so it’s been nice to go back to our at-home routines. Buuttttt… you guys know I only stay in one place for so long. Off we go this weekend! Luckily C’s schedule is pickup up as well so we have unintentionally planned the chaos well.
With all of that being said, I’m so excited to travel back to London with Monica Vinader! I was actually in London this time last year (travel guide here), so it will be fun to go back at the same time. I’m really looking forward to some crisp fall weather and UK charm. They have a really fun itinerary for us, and I can’t wait to learn more about the headquarters of the jewelry brand I’ve been wearing for years. More to come on the blog and social media, so follow along on Instagram and Insta-Stories.
I have two more international trips planned for 2017 along with two US trips (!!). Travel is getting amped back up, but I’m excited to take you guys along with me. Hopefully that means we can get some more city guides in the Travel category of CBL!
– a personalized bottle of Tiffany & Co’s new signature scent aka month made (I’ve been a huge Tiffany’s fan since I was like… 12!) –
Let’s be honest, if I’m at the house… loungewear is usually my uniform. Comfortable leggings, a tee and cardigan. But I’m always surprised at how many leggings really aren’t that comfortable or soft!
I love the cable knit style of these Seamless Leggings from ThirdLove. I really love how they’re a little more cropped than the other pairs I own. I’ve already worn them on three different occasions since I got them because they’re so soft!
I’ve had this ThirdLove bra for several months (first mentioned here), and it’s quickly replaced all my other black pieces. I was excited to try a few more of their undergarments, and I’ve heard people rave about their 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra. I tried their Fit Finder Quiz and ended up ordering a size that is different from my usual go-to.
Truthfully, I haven’t been to a store to go bra shopping since I was probably like… 18. Who wants to walk into a dressing room with 6 bras and try them on in fluorescent lighting?! Not me.
When I got the bra in, the cup size was smaller than I had anticipated, but it was no big deal because they have a 100% Fit Guarantee and exchanges and returns are completely free. So in less than a minute, I ordered a new size and received a free shipping label to send the original one back.
It’s safe to say I don’t plan on bra shopping out of my house anymore!
I want to hear how you shop for undergarments. When was the last time you were fitted for a bra? Did you find out you’ve been wearing the wrong size for years? If you’re new to the online bra game… girlfriend, get onboard. I promise – you’ll never go back to a mall!
Thanks so much for reading and sharing. And for details on the home decor, you can check out this post or this post. XO –
When I was shopping for New York, I came across this Self Portrait look-alike dress and I was like… in the basket!
I shared with you guys what I like to splurge on recently in this post, but statement dresses usually isn’t one of them. While statement dresses are fun and fabulous, they’re also memorable, which means that you can’t wear it as often as a designer handbag, jewelry or classic piece.
One of my favorite places to find designer dupes is actually Amazon. Remember this post? Well I found so many dresses that I seriously love… for less than $50. The best part about it – free two day shipping and returns!
Have you guys snagged any dresses at Amazon before? If not, girl… get to shoppin’!
Thank you so much for reading! And OC gals – I’ll be at the Stuart Weitzman store at South Coast Plaza tomorrow night from 5 – 7PM to celebrate their fall/winter collection with Harper’s BAZAAR. Would love to see any of you who are as big of SW fans as I am! XO –
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Sometimes the most simple outfits can feel the best. There’s nothing wrong with wearing mostly solids and dressing up jeans and a tee. I always tell my sister, hey – Jennifer Aniston always looks fabulous and she sticks to solids and neutrals all the time!
When I was in New York last month for fashion week, I made sure to pack some casual outfits for times I would want to sneak out from the shows and events and just grab dinner and take a minute. I mentioned in this packing post that bringing comfortable lounge clothes is something I always try to remember to pack. Nothing is worse than wanting to get comfortable and realizing all you have are… dresses and pumps. Not cool!
I have this tee in white and black and it’s so comfortable and cute to wear with a pair of jeans. I’m hoping they extend the colors so I can slowly have one in every color of the rainbow!
I shared some polka dots recently from Napa in this post, but how fun in this polka dot maxi wrap dress? I love that it comes in multiple colors (how gorgeous is this velvet version!?). Such a fun statement dress!
When Christian and I initially moved to California, we made a bucket list of things we wanted to see while we were here. As we crossed off most of the things on that list, we kept adding new adventures. Knowing that we are moving to SF next year, the pressure is on to tackle any of our remaining SoCal items! Greystone Mansion was definitely on my list, and finding a time that we could both visit was surprisingly challenging with C’s work schedule.
When we visited LA for Labor Day, we finally made our visit to this gorgeous mansion that is hard to even describe. It is so majestic! Just attempting to envision the kind of galas and events that were once held in the walls of this home is really something else.
Another bucket list home to put on your California list would be Hearst Castle (Lady Gaga filmed this video there). It is INCREDIBLE, and the guided tour is so worth it!
What’s prettier than a little red lace dress? I shared my love of red this fall in yesterday’s post, but today we’re dressin’ it up a little bit for the weekend okurr!
California is so causal all the time, so when I have an opportunity to dress it up, I take it. I love the peek-a-boo hem and waistline of this dress. Because there are just a few sizes left I’ve shared some of my favorite little red dresses below (almost all of which are included in Shopbop‘s sale!).
Of course I can’t go without talking about this darling little clutch. I worked with the fab team of Ki’ichkelem to design a little “Kat Barnes” hardshell clutch that makes a statement on its own. I know it would still look great in the fall with a blazer and denim. I love a great clutch for date night!
With a new season comes some new trends, and red is one I’m excited to hop on this fall. I recently read this article that laid out some of this fall’s trending colors. I’m glad to see that several colors from last fall have popped their heads back in (like burgundy, blush and shades of green)!
Red is a color I love to wear but surprisingly don’t have a lot of in my closet. When I saw this sweater at Nordstrom, I knew it could be dressed up for date night or paired casually with slides for a daytime look. It comes in a ton of colors too! I have it in pink too and wore it last week here.
The neckline allows you to wear it off the shoulder or as a mock turtleneck, which is really neat. I think it would look so cute with faux leather leggings (my fave pair, recently styled here) and ankle booties!
What is your favorite trending color for fall? I love that Nordstrom shares their best of fall collections here which helps navigate some of this season’s trends.
