Can you believe it’s back to school time? I feel like it always sneaks up on me, and then I’m like… well here we are. I’m rounding up some of my ultimate picks for heading back to the grind. Let’s get into it –
1. Great Sneakers | You gotta have a great pair of kicks. My pick for everyday wear would be these or these.
2. Cozy Sweater | I bought this sweater during the Anniversary Sale and can’t stop wearing it. So cozy! My other picks would be this one or this one. Perfect for classrooms when you need something a little soft.
3. Baseball Cap | I mean, as soon as the day is done you gotta throw on a cap – truth be told I still love C in a backwards cap. Also love this one.
4. Stylish Backpack | I have this backpack and wear it when I travel all the time. Pick a stylish one over a typical backpack and you can really wear it all kinds of ways throughout the year instead of just to school. Also love this one and this one!
5. Boyfriend Jeans | The most comfy pair of jeans in my opinion. Perfect for sitting all day. Love this pair too!
6. Utility Vest or Jacket | You would be shocked at how versatile this really is. I wear my utility vests and jacket with almost everything in the fall! I also love this one and this one.
7. Striped Tee | I mean – everyone loves a great striped tee. I also love this one!
8. Espadrilles | I’ve had this pair over a year and they continue to look cute with everything. Love that they come in multiple colors!
What’s on your must-have back to school list? I’d love to hear. Thanks so much for reading! XO –
This post is slightly photos overload… but it’s just because I love a pleated midi skirt so much. You guys know it’s true! I’ve shared a similar style here, and faux leather version here and here. If you follow along on Instagram, you may have seen these metallic versions here and here. So yes… I’m addicted.
One of the many reasons I love this style is that you can wear it with a fitted sweater, turtleneck and ankle boots or a crop top for summer. Depending on the color of the skirt, it really can take you year-round.
My parents got in town Friday so we have been hanging out all weekend, and today we are heading to Laguna where we will see Pageant of the Masters tonight. I’ve seen it a few years ago with Christian, but my mom is an artist (and theater lover) so I know she is going to love it. Plus it was joked about in Arrested Development, which makes it a little dash of hilar.
– a flashback to my annual bday wish – a cake baked by Christian (he bakes once a year and I swear, he always nails it!) –
– a cheese plate for out-of-town guests that I think might be my best yet (platter can be found here)! –
– spending the day at a 44 million dollar estate on the market with The Agency Real Estate, snag my outfit here –
I’ve put Friday’s Five posts on the back burner to bring you guys other content, but I’m so excited to bring them back! I didn’t really realize how much I enjoy putting these together every week until they were MIA for a little bit.
I had to share a few photos I’ve had on my camera roll, including Christian’s impressive three-tiered Tiffany’s blue birthday cake that he baked for my birthday. It’s one of the few things I ask for every year and he gets better and better every time. I think his cake skills have officially surpassed mine!
This year I told our families that if they didn’t know what to get me (I am the worst to shop for – I need nothing and if I want something I #treatmyself), a great gift would be a donation to a handicap adult or children’s organization. Here in OC, we love the Blind Children’s Learning Center and have been donating here since I discovered the organization when I was looking for places to donate some of Edie’s things when she passed away.
When Christian realized that our families chose other things to give me, he chose to give a donation to the organization. When I shared this briefly on Insta-Story, two readers then gave donations to the organization and brought tears to my eyes! I’ve been thinking about putting together a whole post on Donations vs. Gifts, but I just had to share this sweet story. You guys bring me so much love and happiness, you have no idea.
SO with all of that being said, I was at South Coast Plaza the day after my birthday making a quick Nordstrom run before we went to Catalina Island. I passed the Chanel store and saw these ballet flats.
I am still a flawed human who buys things she doesn’t need, no confession needed – but I’m aware!
When I was in college and living in NY for a summer, I remember looking at these ballet flats and telling myself, “one day you’ll be wearing these.” There’s no gift like one to yourself (truthfully my favorite kind), so I snagged a pair and had this “you go girl” moment that I will always remember when I wear them. To reflect to where I was 10 years ago wanting these flats and now, on the opposite side of the U.S. living a completely different life I never envisioned for myself. It feels like a fashionista’s full circle moment!
Even though this post is turning into a novel, I have to also share that I spent a few days in San Diego at the Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara, and it was a dream. The Spa and Seasons Restaurant are now open to the public after only being available to members, and you guys – they are amazing. We sipped champagne and had spa treatments the first day and followed the experience with a five course meal with wine pairings at the chef’s table. The chef’s table! I’ve never done anything like that and we really had the most fantastic time. More of that quick trip on Instagram.
Now I’m off to spend the day with my parents who are visiting from Mississippi. August is definitely the month of visitors, so it’s been fun to pull out some entertaining skills! Hope you guys have a beautiful weekend, and if you have any insight on if you’d like to see a Donations vs. Gifts post, I’d love to hear! Thanks for reading – xo –
Remember in this post and this post when I talked about dressing for your body? Well, this is an example of me not doing that. Ha! But seriously, a billowy top with shorts is not necessarily highlighting my best features. I usually highlight my waist and cover these legs, but sometimes you find a piece so fabulous that you have to make an exception.
I never paid more than $30 for a pair of denim cutoffs… until I moved to Southern California. When the weather is 70-85 year-round, you find that a few awesome pairs of shorts become essential. My waist to rump ratio is not of the average gal, so it takes a special pair to fit like a glove and these are the winner. So much so that I bought this second pair. For less of a splurge I really like this pair too!
And of course I couldn’t go without acknowledging the fabulous ladies at Lavender Salon and Boutique for blowing out this mane and doing my makeup before this shoot. I was so lucky to coincide a little girls pampering day with a Vincent-shoot day, so I had to give proper credit because you KNOW I couldn’t get dolled up this good!
If you’re in the Newport Beach area, this place is the best. Thanks so much for reading! XO –
I mean… is it too bold to say this might be one of my favorite posts ever because of all of these blooms? This home is so much inspiration if we (ever) become home owners. Love the idea of a private wall in front of the house but still beautiful for those passing by. The green door is the cherry on top!
Flashback to last week’s post here about dressing for your body, this is a maxi dress that I think would be fantastic for anyone who is trying to hide their tummy. Most maxi’s that I wear highlight my waist, but the layering style of this one flows so beautifully that it easily camouflages the midsection.
I think this dress would be so great with a wrap scarf for the office or church OR you could wear it like this for a casual wedding, wedding shower or engagement party.
AND I paired it with a satchel handbag that converts to a backpack… is that not the coolest thing ever? Brilliant!
When highwaisted denim started appearing everywhere… I had met my denim match. Having a long torso, I love the highwaisted look. You don’t have to worry about anything spilling or peeking out (goodbye muffin top!), and I think it works with a variety of tops.
I have always loved the home decor selection at Marks & Spencer, but I recently clicked over to the women’s clothing section and discovered the denim selection! These jeans fit so comfortably, they’re so soft and I literally feel like I can ditch the other two pairs of white denim I have because I know I will continue to prefer these over the rest. Not to mention they’re under $35. Highwaisted guys… I can’t quit!
I know these can take me into the fall with chunky sweaters and some booties. I think I might need them in a few extra colors. They come in seven colors!
Marks & Spencer is a UK brand, but my package arrived so fast that I couldn’t believe it. I knew you guys would have questions about shipping, but my package was placed through the website, and I received it in less than a week!
Thanks so much for reading, and tell me your favorite cut of denim! XO –
There are only three days left of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (ending this Sunday 8/6), and this is a great time to snag up any last items that you have been contemplating! Know that you can always do what I do… double up on sizing and send back whichever one doesn’t fit.
If you don’t have a pair of slip-on loafers by now, you gots to get a pair. They are so comfortable, versatile and easy for fall. Plus you can even wear them with boyfriend jeans and shorts all year.
And of course, you know my go-to if I were scooping up some last minute things would be a great pair of high-rise denim, a cashmere treat and some boots for fall.
You can see all of my #NSale posts including what I’ve bought by clicking the #NSale page at the top left of this site! Happy shopping and happy weekend –
A reader recently commented and asked about these faux leather leggings I had included in my first #NSale roundup, and I knew they deserved their own post. I’ve shared these leggings before in posts here, here and here. Today I wanted to share how I wear them in warmer months because trust me, these leggings will be your favorite pair!
They feel nothing like leather or faux leather. They feel like comfortable, stretchy leggings that have the tummy control, firming and smoothing that all magical Spanx products have. I also think this look would work for the office (along with this one). If your work dress code is anti-leggings (been there gf!), I would substitute leggings for these pants. I owned about 4 pairs of them when I worked in the corporate world!
Some of my favorite #NSale leather and faux leather picks:
I love these so much I have them in two colors. I think they are one of the most versatile and stylish pairs of leggings that are out there. They’re marked down in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale until Sunday, so you still have a few days to save over $30 on a pair!
Don’t forget to check the #NSale page at the top left of this site for all my posts centered around markdowns! The sale ends 8/6, so you have a few more days to score some major deals. Thanks so much for reading – XO
I mean… I felt like I took a quick trip to Cuba with this post. Never been to Cuba, but now I feel like I have for like, 10 minutes!
You guys know I’m maxi dress obsessed. In fact, if you search “maxi dress” on this blog, around 15 pages of posts come up. CAUSE I CHECKED. And while I admit that is completely ridiculous, it’s because I am always trying to know my body and find what flatters my shape most.
If you haven’t begun this journey with your own body… I encourage you to really try to take note of what you feel most confident in. What silhouette do you reach for if you know you’re going to be photographed at a party or reunited with friends? Once you know what you think flatters your shape most, shopping becomes so much easier – and fun!
All of this to say, I consider myself a little curvier on the bottom (aka pear-shaped), so anything midi or maxi that highlights my upper body, I’m down with. I styled this same maxi skirt a few years ago here, but today I wanted to edge it up a little bit for a summer date night look.
Thanks so much for reading! And tell me if you guys know to dress for your body or if you would like another post on this with some more detail? If it interests you guys I’d love to dig deeper! XO –
Last week I had a lot of meetings that took me to Los Angeles… three times, BUT I am a blogger so you know I can’t resist an invitation to get a photo at a wall mural.
rewardStyle’s @LiketoKnow.it unveiled their newest street art in Venice Beach (228 Main Street to be exact if you want to visit!), marking their fourth creating along their city tour. There’s Dallas, Austin, London… and now LA! I love how each mural is different to reflect the vibe of its city, and this one is so Venice. I can just envision some West Coast skater mid-air with his skateboard in the middle of this wall, can’t you see it?
But about this outfit, I get a lot of questions about my ever-growing pleated midi skirt collection, and while this was a boutique find, I found two nearly identical versions so I wanted to share the scoop with you!
This tee is also still marked down to $16 in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I think I’ve already worn it like… 10x, so I wanted to share some of my favorite marked down tees with you guys. See my picks below!
What do you guys think of all this street art popping up!? Are you guys suckers for a wall mural too?
Thanks so much for reading and sharing – for more #NSale posts to help you navigate the last week of the sale (ends this Sunday 8/6!) just click the #NSale page at the top left of this site. XO –
I’ve shared some of my fitness favorites before in this post and this post as well as in the FAQ page of my site. Over the years I’ve tried spin, kickboxing, TRX, yoga, zumba, boot camps, mat pilates, reformer pilates, reformer pilates plus, pure barre… I’m always open to trying new things! I’m actually trying Orange Theory Fitness for the first time next week, wish me luck.
When I first tried reformer pilates, I knew I’d found my sweet spot. I felt amazing and I could see my muscles toning and lengthening. It was pricey, but it was the exercise class that I genuinely looked forward to. SO, for those of you who have been wanting to know what exactly I do – I’m going to give you the full scoop!
I typically try to go to pilates plus class (example class here) twice a week, and on other days that I want to squeeze in a quick workout. I’ll pop in one of my favorite dvd’s or hit up some YouTube workouts, often I’ll mute the videos and exercise while I’m watching a Real Housewives episode. Even if it’s just a 10-minute arm workout, it’s something!
PopSugar Fitness – there are a TON of quick workouts here. Often I’ll combine two 10-minute workouts (like arms and thighs) before hopping in the shower.
Love Sweat Fitness – Katie in an OC girl and has so many awesome workouts! She has an incredible fitness story of her own and is really relatable.
And because there are so many adorbs fitness pieces marked down right now in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I wanted to share some of my favorite exercise gear!
I hope this is helpful for those of you interested in my fitness regimen or looking to add some at-home workouts to your routine. My biggest advice would be to not be so hard on yourself. Even if it’s just 10 minutes here or 200 crunches while listening to a podcast – any bit you can squeeze in really helps.
Thanks so much for reading – and if you have any at-home workouts you love, I’d love to hear your recs! XO –
A few months ago I hit the mega jackpot of summer off-the-shoulder finds under $40, and I mean… wouldn’t I be a bad blogger if I didn’t share the scoop? You guys gotta get in on this!
I stocked up before a trip, and I’ve been loving my finds ever since. SO, today I wanted to share some of my favorite OTS picks that will not break the bank, and best of all – they’re showstoppers. When I’m out and about, I get asked where these pieces are from all the time. People are always so surprised to hear that the answer is not expensive!
So without further chatting, let’s get into it. Some of my favorite summer top pics under $40:
